All Paths Lead to Purpose

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Your Only Pioneer is You

We’re all pioneers of our own unchartered path. We stumble, trip, fall, crawl, bitch and argue our way through life’s present conditions every day.

Your Path Leads to Purpose

It feels good to think you have purpose, but believing it is entirely different. Purpose resides within you, and it’s something you discover about yourself.

It’s in your DNA.

Finders Keepers

Generally, we have ideas of what we want and where we’re headed, but it’s not always clear how we’ll get there.

All the while, we’re distracted by self induced crises and every other obstacle we can’t control. It’s up to you to know the difference. Detours are inevitable – a lot of them – and it’s easy to get lost.

Everyone gets lost.

It’s not a matter of if, but when. It’s going to happen – if it hasn’t already – and when it does, you need to do the finding. Nobody else can do that for you.

Others may support you, but that’s the extent of what anyone can offer.

You’re not their project, and they aren’t yours. Care about others and worry about yourself.

Your life is your project.

Find and Be Keeper

Find purpose, or purpose will find you.

It’s impossible to see what you don’t believe.

Lost yet? I know I am.

Welcome to the Land of Confusion, Illusion, Delusion, Seclusion!

What’s your poison?

This is a test. This is a test of the emergency broadcast system. This is only a test.

Every American has the ability to admit this simple truth: Americans are spoiled. Yes, we’re spoiled. We’re all spoiled in similar and different ways.

It’s impossible to see what you don’t believe.

Life is One Hell of a Gift

Life is an adventure worth remembering and there’s a lot to miss. Pay attention to everything around you and notice the pieces to your puzzle, hidden in plain sight, every day.

A word of caution: The sadistic side of life constantly delivers blows of sadness, anger, pain (and others) that have the ability to break you, but only if you let them.

Life is an opportunity of a lifetime full of once in a lifetime opportunities.

Be a Pathfinder

Remember the past, live in the present, and don’t be future blind. Envision your future. Dream about your future. Imagine your potential.

Remember to watch your step. Keep your head up and your mouth closed. Look ahead with your eyes open.

Be aware of your surroundings. Listen carefully to others. Think before you speak. Listen to what you’re saying. Recognize opportunities. Know your options. Make decisions. Die another day.

Eat healthier. Drink less. Clean house. Cancel cable. Get your face out of your phone. Do laundry. Sleep more. Try to get exercise. Meditate. Stop thinking about your ex. Travel more. Meet people. Make new friends. Have more sex. Don’t procrastinate.

Oh shit, forget that last list of garbage. Those are notes to myself.

Be a Trailblazer

All of us have the ability to inspire others. Inspiration is powerful. We see, hear, touch, taste and feel inspiration in whatever passions we pursue.

If you’re capable (and you are) of leading by example, then lead by example. You never know whose life you’ll touch.

Be Proactive

Nothing you want ever falls into your lap. Winning the lottery sounds great, but it’s a dangerous plot twist when you’re unprepared for the curveballs that follow.

Failure is a motivating teacher. Be brave, everything will be okay. You’ll never truly know what winning feels like until you know what it feels like to lose.

People who inspire others experience volatility, turmoil and failure. Don’t be afraid to fail. Failure is inevitable.

Explore the paths of most resistance, but make good choices. This requires bold decisions, and bold decisions involve risk.

Learn to be spontaneous. Quick decisions aren’t always comfortable, but can be the pivot that inevitably changes your life.

Create a Wake

Life isn’t an accident; life happens on purpose. Some people cause a wake, and others leave an unsettled aftermath.

Baby Steps

We crawl before walking, and walk before running. We leave tracks connecting where we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re from.

Everyone has experience worth sharing. Some won’t, and others will, but nobody can walk a mile in someone else’s shoes until completing a marathon in their own.

It’s impossible to see what you don’t believe.

Find purpose, or purpose will find you.

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Nobody Belongs on this Fence

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A Fence I Won’t Forget

October 12th was the 19th anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s death. Last year, I wrote about the heinous crime against Matthew as I watched America stay stuck in its political climate pattern before its 2016 election.

Never forget Matthew. He would have turned 40 last December.

The Climate Unchanged

Same shit, different decade. The only climate not changing is political. It’s unbelievably sick, sad and (quite honestly) pathetic.

Do you honestly believe the United States of America, as seen on TV, is the real United States of America? What makes any of us stay? The shit we see almost anywhere we look; is that exemplary of you?

No? Me either. That’s why we stay. I get it now.

If that offends you, stop worrying about me and turn your focus inward. You’re reading this by choice. Reading further won’t do you any favors.

Apparently it’s up to us to think for ourselves. It’s weird, I know. Individual capability varies; all it takes is a little thought.

If you’ve thought about thinking about thought, but then thought otherwise, stop thinking.

Stay Curious

Curiosity killed nothing but a boner.

If you want to feel better, you have to do something different. Sometimes, that requires trying something new and I’m talking about far more than just sex.

It’s not bad to try new things.

Get Out of the Habit of Being Unhappy

That’s a problem in this country. Nobody has time to be more upset than they already are. Too many extraneous factors influence how we feel on a daily basis.

Free Your Mind

There’s a difference between sadness, anger, and pain. Experiencing them is the only way to learn. Carefully consider your battles.

First, fuck politics. Wait for the debates. Until then, don’t obsess. Try not to feed the beast. If something’s really important, you’ll know.

It’s important to be informed to engage in meaningful discourse. Complex issues require more than one approach.

Parrots are repetitive and repetition becomes annoying. Parrots don’t solve world problems.

Being Human > Being Inhuman

We’re all born fearful. Fear is natural; it’s the first emotion we experience at birth. Going from womb to room is a rude awakening.

Nobody likes a rude awakening.

You don’t overcome fears without facing them. It’s important to be in the right mind when facing a fear. Fear ignites our instinct to defend ourselves, which can result in aggression. Some fears are easier to conquer than others.

Conquering fears allows us to adapt.

Nobody adapts to anything with their head in the sand.

Happiness is Risky Business

Ironically, I’ve felt higher levels of happiness only after feeling lower levels of worse. If you want to experience an elevated version of happy, you’re going to have to take risks. When taking risks, be prepared to be uncomfortable.

Don’t Be Embarrassed to Change

Being stubborn is a character flaw that paralyzes people who think they know everything. Stubborn people suppress curiosity and limit their ability to learn.

The more you experience, the more you learn. Experience enables us to make better decisions. Better decisions help us personally grow. As we grow, we become more mature. As we mature, we become more confident.

Confidence is sexy and being sexy isn’t embarrassing.

Ignorance is Your Enemy

Ignorance is embarrassing.

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What to Expect on the Devilish Smirk Blog

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Big Bowl of Blog

Devilish Smirk will always evolve. I promise. All blog topics are on the table, or close enough to grab.

You never know what I’ll bring back to the table. I pace a lot and I can return with any topic. I’m like a dog carrying a dead rat into the house and freaking everyone out.

Some topics will come out of nowhere, and others you may not understand, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not that complex, and life is much simpler.

You’ve Been Warned

It’s hard to arrive at the place where you understand and believe what you think to be true. Nothing gets easier. In fact, problems elevate your threshold to deal with more bullshit problems, which are always possible.

Anything can happen. Friendships morph, but don’t always end. It’s happened to me, and others. You never know exactly what you’re being prepared for so you might as well prepare as best you can.

What have you got to lose?

That’s a trick question. You have everything to lose, no matter what you do.

Simplify your life after you complicate the fuck out of it. Everyone does it to themselves, in countless capacities.

Baby steps are small and, to get anywhere, takes time.

It’s like sea kayaking in Alaska. You paddle for hours and the scenery doesn’t change because the mountains are giant.

As a writer, this has been one of my larger struggles, but not the largest. Cherries bury a lot when the bowl is big enough.

Thank you for checking out Devilish Smirk. I hope you enjoy your time here. Never be afraid to show your genuine self. That’s the quickest way to take control of your time.

Spend time on this site. Subscribe for inbox surprises. Engage. Share.

Smile, then smirk.

Communication is how it begins.

“When I started this, I read a lot about having a niche. I’m creating it. It’s been a huge challenge, but I’m having a lot of fun and I feel great doing it. I wish I’d dedicated time to it sooner.” Travis Garrod, October 22, 2015.

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Two Little Love Birds Sitting in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

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First Comes Love

I can’t make love come. I’ve seen love come twice, and it came after me, both times. Love comes and goes on a schedule that’s not on my calendar.

I’m not saying love can’t come first; it won’t. Love isn’t stupid all the time.

It needs at least one fulltime bodyguard. That’s me, and I’m zero for two. I’ll always be zero for something.

It doesn’t matter. I come first and love actually prefers that. Love takes time and I’m easy.

Then Comes Marriage

Say what you want about love; everyone needs it. That’s fact.

Marriage isn’t for everyone, but everyone should have the option.

I don’t care if two people exchange vows while pissing in the same toilet. If I’m not exchanging vows, I’m unaffected.

Only One Guarantee

When it comes to heartbreak, there are no limits.

Then Comes Baby in the Baby Carriage

There you have it. Sex education in America.

Model Left: Travis Garrod Model Right: Travis Garrod

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Coming Together Feels Better

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Existence is Confusing

It wasn’t until my existence was picked up, kicked across the country, shaken, spun around, cattle prodded, and left sitting in the desert that I finally took life serious enough to consult a Magic 8-Ball.

When asked if I had purpose it replied, “Yes, definitely.”

Then, I got bold and asked if everyone had purpose.

It said, “That’s not your business. I said you have purpose. Go find it. Don’t worry about what anyone else has, does, or doesn’t do. In fact, don’t ask me any more questions. Give me to someone else.”

All that in an 8-Ball! Who knew?

Puzzled Minds Think Alike

The most impactful life lessons I’ve learned are from personal experience. I can tell stories all day about my experiences, but that’s all they are. They’re stories!

If my words resonate with you, that’s amazing because I love connecting with people. For some reason, I’m in a situation where I’m able to explore the world through the eyes of a writer, and do it fearlessly.

That hasn’t always been the case, and the world has proven to be a strange place. I’ve witnessed some unbelievably nutty things over the years and it would be selfish of me to not share any with you.

I’ve tasted freedom and it’s delicious. It’s not easy to put on the table, but I love it and I have nothing to lose.

Your Mind, Your Business

The human mind is terribly complex.

Your mind absorbs (and stores) details of everything you encounter within your lifetime, even things you don’t remember.

Our minds create dreams while we sleep, even dreams we don’t remember.

Your mind is capable of imagination, including everything you left unimagined.

Our minds are not horribly difficult to use; yet we have an uncanny ability to complicate the simplest things.

Existence is Complicated

I expect complication. Something about complication feels normal. When a situation lacks complication I notice it’s missing, and become skeptical.

I hate being skeptical.

We have unlimited access to bad info every waking hour and we’re skeptical much of the time. Optimism is endangered because anything good just doesn’t feel right. When did feeling good become wrong?

Actually, it didn’t. Not officially.

Have a seat and see for yourself.

Your Table is Ready

Life is an incessant game of poker and it’s boring if you don’t pay attention. There’s always a spot reserved for you – and only you – for life.

How we behave, interact, and communicate with each other is a culmination of whatever cards life hands us on a daily basis.

You won’t win without trying and you have to play anyway.

Learn through observation and improve through experience.

At minimum, poker is entertaining, but can be insanely fun with the right people.

Luck can strike at any time and change your life.

With a good poker face, a losing hand can win almost any game.

Keep your head in the game.

Currency is mental and it’s amazing what your mind can afford.

The Best is Yet to Come

Bring yourself to the table so we can be better, together. Small changes will evolve your world before you know it.

Smile more. Welcome new people and show interest in others. Put forth an effort to show that you care. Make others smile.

Show respect and be your authentic self.

If you can’t do that, at least stop being a dick to people.

Stop Being Dicks — Devilish Smirk; Travis Garrod

Your days of being a dick, for no reason, are over. Someone has to stop being a dick, and it might as well be you.

If you want to feel better, come together.

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