tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23210561676642865112024-02-20T20:20:45.032-08:00Returning to EdenTony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-33287692897116199712017-12-07T14:27:00.004-08:002017-12-07T14:28:15.923-08:00Unmet ExpectationsToday I was turned down for a role I had been interviewing for. The interview process took 2 months to complete. I have never prepared more or tried harder for an interview than this one. Ironically, it's the first job I've ever applied for that turned me down.<br />
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So, what now?<br />
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Getting turned down for something you've prepared for and worked hard to achieve is never fun. But like any other situation, its all about how you respond to it. I could spend the rest of the day, rest of the week, heck, at this point, the rest of the year upset about my "wasted time" and lack of success getting to a new position. OR I could realize that this whole process was already a win since I started it. I learned a lot along the way and am better for it. If i knew the outcome before starting, would I do it again? Absolutely. Now I take the experience I've gained and apply it to my current ventures.<br />
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As most of you know, I've been working hard on trading in the Forex market and building that skill and income stream to the point where it can pay me full time. And I will keep doing that. Just because you're progressing in one area, doesn't mean you should say no to other opportunities that come your way.<br />
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Always stay focused, stay positive. Keep growing, learning, and asking questions along the way. Setbacks are sometimes the best lessons if you choose to stop and learn from them.<br />
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If you have a setback or a missed expectation. Take a minute to see what you've learned and gained from that. It will definitely change your perspective and keep you progressing towards the goals you have set and the life you've dreamed of.<br />
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Much love.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-44995023518783602582017-11-22T20:58:00.001-08:002017-11-22T20:58:44.411-08:00Just One of Those Winning Days...Today was one of those days. One of those days that started out just like any other day. But it found its way ending like a milestone. Most of you should know that I've been working non stop to learn how to trade the Forex market (Forex = Foreign Exchange for those of you who didn't know.). This whole journey has had its fair share of frustrations, late nights, and expensive lessons. I've been spending most of my free time for the past couple months, learning all the different strategies, marking up charts, and staring at my computer screen watching video after video.<br />
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Today I finally broke through. Today I took my $100 trading account and doubled it. Now, that is not necessarily normal or expected returns, but it's like my work finally paid off. I had a great day and all my lessons I've truly learned from and finally implemented. I look forward to seeing duplicated returns on my account and reaching my goals of leaving my job by the end of 2018 due to my income in Forex. The plan is to create an income stream that matches what I currently make and then free my time to pursue my passions. One of which, is music.<br />
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Today, feeling so proud and confident after my successful trading, I locked myself in my room and sang my heart out. Damn did it feel good! Because I sang from a place of confidence, from a place of success, I sang so well. I honestly cannot remember a time where it felt so good to sing. And, unless my roommates want to vouch for/against me, its probably the best I've EVER sang.<br />
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And because success comes in packages, I had an old roommate text me tonight and talk to me about a business venture we are working on together. The conversation turned to him sending me a first mix of a song he recorded recently. The song just happened to be a song we wrote together while we both lived in the same state, under the same roof. It was amazing to hear something I had the tiniest part creating be sent to me almost a year after we wrote it, on the EXACT day I start to taste some success in the vehicle I've chosen to set me free to play music. It's almost as if the universe is telling me my dreams will happen.<br />
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And that's what I want to tell you tonight. Work hard and never quit. Dream big and never lose sight of what you've dreamed. Know WHY you're doing what you're doing. Chances are you have much more untapped potential in you than you realize. Please do yourself and the world a favor. Don't hold back. Live to your fullest potential. If you determine that you will taste your dreams despite any circumstances, opposition, or obstacle YOU WILL taste them. It may not be the day after you decide. Chances are it won't be super quick. Things take time. Build your dream a brick at a time. Before you know it, you'll be standing on top of a mountain that you built and crafted to your own specifications. The only one truly stopping you from doing it is YOU.<br />
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Drop me a comment on here or on Facebook and tell me what your dreams are. Tell me what your plan is to get there. If you're not comfortable posting them publicly, send them to me in a message. I'd love to hear what amazing things you've dreamed up for your life and do what I can to help get you there.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-69263772244320653422017-11-14T11:22:00.002-08:002017-11-14T11:22:42.788-08:00Bad Days. Or Are They? As most of you know, I’ve recently started trading in the Forex market. Like any new endeavor, there are ups and there are downs. Last night I knew a big move was setting up and had started so i stayed up late to trade it. Things were going pretty well until there was an unexpected reversal of the market. I held thinking it was just retracemrnt instead of taking my profit and going to bed. I continued to hold until my profits were now losses and my account was draining. I froze in hope thinking things will come back down. They didn’t. I fell asleep with losses when i easily shouldnhave had some nice profits. <div>
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This is a bad day for a trader. Any day you lose money is a bad day. On top of it i had a friend supposed to meet me at my house at 9:00 am. My phone died and i missed my meeting and my alarm. It has not been the best start to the day. 😂</div>
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I’ve found over the years, that there is always a valuable lesson to be learned in every mistake. Sometimes so valuable you could only learn them from a mistake so I tend to try to dig in these situations and see what i can find. In no particular order, here are the things I learned today: </div>
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-Don’t trade when you’re tired. This one is pretty dumb. People say it all the time. But I had to learn it for myself. </div>
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-Don’t be greedy. Take your profit when it’s there. There’s always another trade. </div>
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-Don’t be afraid to cut your losses. When you clearly see the market has reversed, close the trade and rise it in th different direction. </div>
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-Learning is a process. I’m reminded back to when I started at the job I’m currently at. I started out taking phone calls helping customers. Some days i wanted to quit my calls were so bad. I remember days leaving here hating my job, hating what i was doing not feeling successful. But i stick with it. And i got promoted to a trainer. And I’m currently interviewing to move to our Instructional Design team. I’ll be able to learn a new skill set to help me move out of the 9-5 I so desperately loathe. But all of this didn’t happen overnight. It took hours and days of consistent working at it. If i stay consistent and engaged, I will learn and reach my goals. </div>
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-I am growing more than i give myself credit for. In the last example, I kept going because I HAD to in order to pay my bills. Now I’m CHOOSING to go forward to not only pay my bills but to unlock the life I know I’m built for. </div>
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So hang in there. Bad days are part of the journey. Sometimes the bad days are the most meaningful and impactful days you have in the process. Next time you have a bad day, don’t run away from it. Lean in and learn from it so you never have to tase that type of bad day again. </div>
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Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-11238041349652605472017-10-29T16:27:00.000-07:002017-10-29T16:27:10.296-07:00Vacationing Done RightAs I was driving home today from my vacation to New Orleans, I was thinking how I could not just share my experiences I had but actually bring value to my readers. So I decided to write not just about my trip but why my trip was a success and how you can incorporate that into your next vacation and into your normal routine. So, here it goes.<br />
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I’ve been fortunate enough to take several trips this year. I’ve been to Florida twice, New Orleans twice, Chattanooga several times to visit the aquarium and once for a white water rafting trip. I’ve been back home to Wisconsin for my mom’s surprise 50th birthday party. I’ve taken weekend trips to nearby waterfalls and hiking destinations. All of that is just this year alone. I set a goal at the beginning of the year to take a trip or at least leave town once a month. I am on track to meet that goal.<br />
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I’ve had trips that were true vacations. What I mean by that is I came home refreshed and inspired. I mean that’s the whole point of a vacation right? To disconnect from your normal day to day and change it up. To break up your routine and change your scenery. So that when you come back to your life, your job, your house, you can see it with a fresh perspective and keep moving forward on your goals and ambitions.<br />
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On the other hand, I’ve had trips that couldn’t have been further from a true vacation. There was a strict agenda. I was in a rush. I came home more stressed and exhausted than before I left. I tried to pack in so many activities and still “accomplish” things while I was supposed to be disconnected from work and accomplishing.<br />
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In a culture that celebrates hustling, grinding, and running your way to tasting your version of the American Dream, we are taught to over work ourselves in promises of a trade off for a better tomorrow. And while I subscribe to that thought process, I think that train of thought is incomplete. To push and push forever isn’t sustainable. Yes, you can probably push more than you think you can. We all have deeper reservoirs of determination that we have yet to discover. But even with those, you need to take time to recharge for yourself.<br />
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This trip I’m returning from as I type this was to New Orleans, specifically the French Quarter. Ever since I was introduced to this beautiful part of a city, I’ve fallen in love. I can’t pinpoint any one thing about it that makes it special for me. Maybe it’s the beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Maybe it’s the pop up bands and parades you can find on random street corners. Maybe it’s the art daily displayed at Jackson square. Maybe it’s the street performers and magicians. Maybe it’s the beauty of an older time where bartering was still a way of life that you can still taste in the French Market. Maybe it’s the beautiful architecture that is so full of life and history. Maybe it’s the stories of people who live there currently and in the past I learn more about each time I return. Whatever it is, everytime I leave completely refreshed, inspired, and wishing I could lose one more day wandering those streets.<br />
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Needless to say, this was a successful vacation. Now, let’s go over a quick couple points of what makes a vacation successful to me and then I’ll let you get back to scrolling Facebook or preparing for your next vacation.<br />
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1. Take your time. There is nothing that ruins the vibe of a vacation quicker than constantly being in a rush. Remember you’re on vacation. Enjoy the secenery. Let yourself taste the culture, the atmosphere or vibe of whatever city you’re in.<br />
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2. Budget time for unexpected adventure. Some of the best memories I have, and some of the most incredible vacations have come from this point. The whole point of a vacation is to get away from all the strict grind and schedules right? Plan the things you want to do or see, but just as important is planning for the unexpected.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHA6Ixt-YW9DAeqGtHNCGK_MM-fYbLHu5RDyjezxVBAWT3gHez05zvxSoX59XjAcRNlmlloqrCnzaUtaBg-7GscyUXMP8X21J6RQsQE9fjoFHrmFnA5We5pbVYm0sOliZjMJxwxJ-Qx_4/s1600/IMG_3156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHA6Ixt-YW9DAeqGtHNCGK_MM-fYbLHu5RDyjezxVBAWT3gHez05zvxSoX59XjAcRNlmlloqrCnzaUtaBg-7GscyUXMP8X21J6RQsQE9fjoFHrmFnA5We5pbVYm0sOliZjMJxwxJ-Qx_4/s640/IMG_3156.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
3. Appreciate the beauty. This is something I try to do every day but especially on vacation. You’re typically in a new place, whether that be a new location in your city or a whole new city altogether. Appreciate the little things. The statues. The people. The buildings. Nature. All of it. Don’t just drink in the specific destination, drink in the journey.<br />
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4. Learn something. Again, this is another one I try to apply daily but on vacation I try to focus on this one too. Think of it like a mental souvenir. Take something back with you that makes you a better person.<br />
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Hopefully that gives you a couple things to incorporate into your next vacation or “recharge” day you take for yourself. Here’s a picture of me, my brother, and my cousin who’s basically my other brother in front of the cathedral overlooking Jackson Square in the French Quarter. Happy Travels!<br />
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<br />Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-70091637041047008342017-10-21T22:52:00.001-07:002017-10-21T22:52:28.329-07:00Where Do I Go From Here?I've written about my journey before, but tonight I decided I'm ready to share some more. Where better place to start a story than in the beginning? I grew up in a Christian home. I only knew a little of a world other than the world of my childhood. The world where I was home schooled and the small church groups I would go to when we left the house a couple times a week. I knew no other possible reality than the one I was presented with day in and day out for the majority of my first 20 years of life.<br />
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It's funny looking back how almost every person in those circles vilified asking questions. If someone challenged how something was done or tried to understand the "why" behind the behavior they were instantly demonized and thrown out as a heretic for having an original or different idea. Even the ones who mostly agreed with each other found nuances of things to disagree on. And like the good Christian i was raised to be, I pointed the finger and agreed.<br />
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Maybe it was my youth pastor who seemed to care more about building his brand and creating fun videos than actually answering the questions we had. Maybe it was the militant requirement to be at church every time the doors were open combined with the implied fear that we were going to let God down if we missed a single service. Maybe it was the friends I played music with who swore but still showed love, sometimes more love than the people who policed it. Maybe it was when I blindly followed what at the time I thought to be God across the country to do great things because he "needed" me to, and things didn't pan out like I had imagined. Maybe it was getting thrown out of a leadership position in ministry because I refused to let friends be falsely accused behind their back. (For the record, I handled that situation poorly, but never once was I talked to politely or given feedback or instruction, maybe it was then too.) Maybe it was getting shunned for believing something different, something bigger. Maybe it was when I was manipulated and physically taken advantage of by someone who I trusted as a leader and "guru". Whenever "the moment" was, I'm not sure. Maybe it was a collection of all these moments and more, but at some point, the whole thing broke.<br />
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At some point in the past year or so, I turned my back on religion. It was too broken, too corrupt. Things misunderstood and manufactured to control people and not inspire and encourage them. The whole system I grew up in that taught me unconditional love is the most powerful thing in existence (which I still believe) but then laid out all these conditions for people to receive it...<br />
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I've been able to tell myself for about a year now. I've been able to tell a couple friends where I'm truly at for a few months. But I'm honestly just ready to say it, "I'm not a Christian anymore." Which has been a really rough road. That was all I had ever known. It has been ridiculously scary taking this journey and jumping out into the world daring to see it differently. All while dealing with the conditioning that meant choosing to look at the world and people differently was going to damn me and them to hell forever.<br />
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So where does that leave me now? That's been the hard question I realized today. My zeal for "God" fueled me in everything I did. When I didn't have tangible progress, I told myself its OK, the pain, the sacrifice is worth it, because it's for God and he needs me. Without that, days where I fail and learn are much harder. I no longer have a blanket statement of ignorant belief to cover my failure and actions.<br />
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I'm left OBSESSED with building great things. This crazy journey to "create an empire for God" has left me trying to just create an empire. And I'm sure I will one day. I can't remember the first time I left a job or town or circle of friends to pursue the next dream or opportunity. But I can remember that almost every time I make a move, people have told me something along the lines of "Don't forget about me when you're rich and famous." It's interesting to me that almost everyone I knew, saw that in me far before I saw it in myself.<br />
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Maybe destiny, the universe, God, has a crazy plan for me to build an empire after all. Haha, who knows? All I know is that I have to move forward. This post, is my way of washing my hands of the past. Not the lessons. Not the memories. Just my attachment to the past.<br />
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To those who have been here through the transition, and loved me unconditionally. To those who have spent hours listening to me talk my way through this. To those who graciously offered me advice and gave me the safe space to think differently without judgment, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I owe coming out on the other side of this alive to you all.<br />
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To those who said I would never succeed, who left me when I needed you, who took from me when I had nothing left to give. Thank you too. Thank you for the lessons along the way. I know without each one of you I wouldn't be half the man I am. My strength wouldn't be what it is without you. So, no hard feelings. You didn't know you were playing the role you were meant to play. But damn, did you play it well.<br />
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What I've learned in the past few years is that life is a journey. Things don't stay the same. The only constant is change. So enjoy and spend every minute you get, every day. Invest in yourself. Invest in your life. Invest in those around you. Create better things. Don't complain about the shit. Learn from it and do something about it. I guess that's were I'm headed from here.<br />
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I'm SO excited to see what happens next.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-41777225701650566042017-09-20T10:37:00.001-07:002017-09-20T10:37:34.114-07:00Celebrate the WinsSometimes you have to take a step back and celebrate your wins. It's been several years since I started on a journey to become all I can be and taste the depth of what life can offer. If you rewind 4 years, I was traveling across the country with a friend in a car that never should have left town. No job. No money. No way of going forward, but somehow we did. If you rewind 3 years I had convinced my brother and his family to move to Nashville, and now all of us were broke and living place to place with friends.<br />
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Rewind just 2 years and everything was falling apart. I had just gotten fired for the first time. I was politely asked to leave the homeless ministry i was a leader in. My choices and actions had gotten me to the point where just about everyone I had once called a friend, now wanted nothing to do with me. At this point i was waking up at 4:30 am to walk an hour to the bus stop. I would ride the bus for 2 hours to work where I arrived a few minutes late most days due to the bus. And then I would attempt to make cold calls to businesses selling them our product. I doubt my life has ever tasted the depths of darkness like it did in those times.<br />
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Now, lets rewind a year. I just got promoted to my current position joining the training team at the company I work for due to my outstanding performance taking calls. I now owned a car for the first time in about 3 or 4 years. The car I owned was the first brand new car I had ever owned. I had an apartment with a friend and no longer needed to couch surf place to place. The relationship with my brother and his family was starting to be repaired. Things were turning around.<br />
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Fast forward to today. I've just had, what felt like in the moment, one of the hardest weeks of my life. I haven't been sleeping well. I've been working nights which means I haven't been able to see friends and family like I'm used to doing and I found myself fighting depression on a level that I have not felt since before I started this whole journey.<br />
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But let me paint you (and myself) a true picture of where my life is at and headed. I laid out several goals for myself at the beginning of the year and am on track to making most of them. The small things like buying a bed or buying the MacBook I'm currently typing this on, to the big things of doubling my income from last year and being intentional to read and work out. I set a goal to leave town and travel once a month for the year and I am on track to hit that goal as well. I have over $1,000 set aside waiting to find something to invest it in. I've started an online business that I just laid out some goals for myself today. I have a group of friends who see me like family and would do anything for me. My relationship with my brother and his family is basically repaired. I live in an amazing big house where people come over and have great times filled with food and laughter.<br />
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And here's the kicker. I'm just getting started. Yes, I had a rough week. That is very real. You're going to have rough weeks. It's just part of life. You have the choice to take that rough week and turn it into a month or 6 months or a year if you choose to stay there. Or you can choose to step back and celebrate yourself and the wins you have. Remember, happiness is really only a perspective away.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-18560613324638126792017-09-08T00:05:00.000-07:002017-09-08T00:05:37.137-07:00Expectation = RealityI was talking with a friend tonight about the progress he's made in his life over the last year and a phrase he said sent my mind into a flurry of thoughts. The phrase he said was, "All the stuff that controlled me was who I was never created to be." All the stuff that controlled me. Hmm, that really got me thinking. If humans are as powerful as I think they are, do things really control us? Can other external forces actually FORCE us to do anything more than what we give them power or permission to do? I believe the answer to that question is no. And let me explain why.<br />
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I've heard people blame their circumstances on "bad luck", "demons", "curses", etc. I don't buy it. I used to haha. Boy did i used to. There was a time I was spending so much effort on trying to stop the bad stuff that I didn't really have time or expectation to create the good. The more I go on, the more I am convinced we live in the reality we create.<br />
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You expect bad things because you think you're possessed, cursed, haunted, whatever, those things will happen. I know because I've lived it. There was a time in my life where I was thrown around my bedroom pretty consistently by "demons" I was convinced were after me. As soon as I stopped focusing on defeating the darkness, it stopped. And it hasn't ever come back since. What we believe in, what we perceive, has life. Has power.<br />
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Now lets take the overly spiritual aspect out of this for a second. You all know someone who never has things go right for them, who always has crisis after crisis after crisis. Now, flip the coin. You know that person who always has everything go right for them. Promotions, friends, opportunities. It's like they wake up every day and life is just easy for them. C'mon you know who I'm talking about.<br />
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Now, I believe both of those people create their reality whether they understand it or not. And those who do understand the power of creating their reality, succeed. And now, before you go all up in arms about me saying that I believe people just think their way into anything, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying your belief system, how you perceive and view the world and yourself, determines what you will see and experience. And those beliefs determine your thoughts. Your thoughts will determine your actions. And ultimately your actions will determine your results.<br />
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Don't believe me? That's ok. I challenge you. Find the thing that doesn't work in your life. Find the wall you can't cross. And I want you to BELIEVE differently about it. Not just hold a thought in your head for 10 seconds once to prove me wrong, but truly BELIEVE a different story and see how things change. It may not happen over night. It may take months. But I'm telling you, things WILL change. As I've believed differently about myself and about the world, things have changed for me quickly and drastically.<br />
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I constantly find things about the world and about myself that I believe a "less than" version of. And when I identify it, I change my belief. The more I do it the easier it is. Anyways, I hope this helps you. I hope it challenges you to think differently than you have been thinking and believe differently. Ultimately leaving you with a different result.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-27440885121988774942017-08-27T21:37:00.000-07:002017-08-27T21:37:08.034-07:00Why Do We Hide Our Gifts? People. Around us every day. In the grocery store. At work. Now a click away from us anywhere in the world through the power of the internet. We are surrounded by and encounter each other every day. But do we truly understand the power that lies in each of us?<br />
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I believe now more than ever that each of us is born with a gift. I also believe that most individuals go through the course of their entire life without ever realizing that gift. Why is that? I believe the answer to that question is two-fold.<br />
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1. We don't want to know what our gift is. Because if we know what our gift, our true purpose in life is, we are now responsible for it. "Ignorance is bliss" as the old saying goes. The other side of not knowing and having to be responsible is not knowing how much fulfillment you truly would have if you discovered and gave into your gift.<br />
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I believe that when an individual discovers and pursues their gift, they are personally more fulfilled in their life than they could be without it. And not only them but the energy their gift creates goes far beyond their individual life, but spills out into the lives of people around them.<br />
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2. We don't have the right people in our life to help us uncover and develop our gift. If the majority, or even some of humanity doesn't want to know their gift so they won't be responsible for it, that means those people don't want you to uncover your gift either. Because if you do, it will remind them of the gift inside of them and force them to acknowledge what they have been ignoring.<br />
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In my own journey of admitting and acknowledging my gifts, the catalyst to pursuing them has come through other people. People who believe in me and who believe in themselves. As I have changed my circle of close companions, I've recently shared with them my perspective of my gifts and my dreams. Expecting to hear the same defeating rhetoric of dreaming too big and me not being able to accomplish or create what i believe i have a gift to create, I instead heard what I hoped for and least expected. As I shared my gift and my dreams with people who truly believed in themselves and then in turn, believed in me, they not only agreed with my perspective of my gift, they challenged me to see it at a greater level than I could see before.<br />
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The picture I am trying to paint here is that the keys to your gift are hidden in people along your journey. You will find some people afraid of their gift along the way. Heck, I'd even venture to say, most of the people you will meet are people afraid of their gift. But when you find the few who are not... they make you forget about all the ones who tried to convince you to be afraid and settle for the least fulfilling form of life you are capable of.<br />
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The right people will pull your gift out of you and you out of them. To quote tonight's episode of Game of Thrones, "When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives." When life gets hard, when the cold and bitter winds of doubt and rejection blow with no relent, the one left alone cannot stand. But the one who walks together with those who he believes in and who believe in him, no amount of doubt or rejection could turn him back.<br />
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I'll leave you here with a few questions. Do you fear your gift? What is the story those around you are telling you to believe? To fear your gift or to pursue it? What are you going to do now?Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-84047310705051337862017-04-02T20:40:00.001-07:002017-04-02T20:40:44.435-07:00Victim vs. Legend I recently had a mentor share with me an exercise his mentor shared with him. He told me to write down 20 things that happened in my life that got me to where I was. And then write 10 things I know I need to work on. I spent a few hours writing down many of the major events that have happened in the past few years. Some things misunderstood until they were written out before me. Other things tragic and painful to recall.<br />
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I thought about posting some of those ugly details for everyone to read. In the name of transparency. That maybe someone else could identify with them and be encouraged. I wasn't quite sure why I waited to post those stories. But then I realized my focus was all wrong. Today as I was mowing the lawn I had a revelation. "This is not my story. These are not my defining moments. These are the moments that life tried to hold me back from my true story. I will not be defined by these moments any longer. I am not the victim."<br />
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Something has shifted within me. It's been less than 24 hours since my new discovery but I know I've changed. I am not less fortunate or disadvantaged because of the things that lie in my past. I am stronger. I am most fortunate that the events behind me did not break me, they forged me. I don't know if you've ever watched a master blacksmith forge a blade that legends are made of. Well, to be honest, I haven't either. But, when a blade is forged it takes countless hours of being heated to the point where the metal is pliable. And then pounded for strength and shape. This process is repeated again and again until the blacksmith decides the steel has been folded enough times and the shape is just right.<br />
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Once the pounding is complete, then comes the sharpening. A stone moved across the length of the blade over 1,000 times to remove any excess metal and create a sharp edge that will not dull at the first sign of resistance. Life has a way of putting us into the furnace and pounding us repeatedly. If we let it continue to repeat it's process and become what it molds us into, we can become legends. Few ever come across or choose to see this perspective. But those who do are not victims of their life and circumstances. No, they are weapons of legend in the process of being forged. Who, once the process has finished, will know no impossibility and be held back by no obstacle. <br />
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Which will you choose to be? The victim. Or one in the process of being forged into legend?Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-73909536756274992852017-03-21T20:40:00.001-07:002017-03-21T20:43:23.680-07:00Couch Lessons As I'm crawling into bed tonight, I find myself thinking back over the events of the day. Today I helped a couple friends move a couch into their apartment. I found myself riddled with excitement throughout the entire experience. But why? What made an evening moving furniture so amazing that I'm reminiscing and breaking down what happened today?<br />
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It wasn't the potion looking bottle of "organic" vodka they got me as a thank you and a bit of a joke. It wasn't the terrible traffic we were stuck in due to the beautiful storm happening while this whole adventure was underway. It wasn't even the storm itself, despite how much I love storms. It wasn't the tasty meal we had of amazing brick oven pizza. It wasn't the dogs jumping on me with excitement when I walked in their door. It wasn't the ride in the uhaul on the floor, even though I love to travel in odd ways.<br />
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It was tasting the beauty of something you cannot buy. A great time with authentic friends. You can find people to spend an evening with anywhere. But friendship, real friendship, the kind where it doesn't matter what you're doing or where you are you just enjoy each other, is hard to find. I've found myself these days becoming a connesseuir of finer things. And I can honestly say that one of the finest things I've found in life is honest friendship.<br />
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It doesn't take money, opportunity, fame, success, knowledge, connections, or anything other than the willingness to be a friend to someone to taste one of the most incredible things we can experience in life. So don't get too caught up trying to make your house immaculate, or rounding out your collection of whatever it is you collect. Don't get sucked into another episode of another TV show that only plays out friendship in front of you. Enjoy the people in your life NOW. Take the time to build those relationships and before long hopefully you will find yourself like I was today, happy as can be to be driving down the road to pick up a couch.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-72795535821932115672017-02-21T18:53:00.000-08:002017-02-21T21:29:23.451-08:00Courage to Cross the OceanI was just doing some thinking tonight. About some of the journey I've been on and how I've literally had to start over more than once in the past couple years in one way or another.<br />
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Then I realized that my new foundation is being built with much better people. People who will encourage and support me to keep doing videos like Casie. People like Wes who don't hold back on feedback to help me grow. People like Charlene who've helped remind me that my work and work ethic is seen and valuable. People like Donald who show me that despite being in the shittiest hole, one can climb out and change their stars. People like my friend Chuck who could be so bitter about church and religion but instead uses his experience to help others avoid or shorten the time of pain and move right into enjoy life to the fullest. People like my brother, who despite my endless failures and mistakes that cost him, never stop loving me or showing up in my corner believing the best for me. People like my buddy Chad who is following his dreams despite what others may say and what it may cost him. Everyone in my life is an inspiration to me to be a better and better version of me each day.<br />
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On the financial side of things, I make more money now than I ever have in my life and there is only more headed my way.<br />
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With this perspective, I'd rewind back to that day I decided to throw it all away a few years ago. I would start over again if I knew it would bring me here.<br />
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My sister in law does calligraphy and water color painting. She made a piece of art for me with this quote, " You can never cross the ocean, unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."<br />
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Sometimes, if you want to taste another reality, you have to say goodbye to all you know and go for it. I cannot promise an easy journey or immediate results. But I can promise that at some point in your journey, if you truly commit and stay the course, you will say it is worth it.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-65529747040741060992017-01-11T21:18:00.000-08:002017-01-11T21:18:41.422-08:00Making ExcusesSome days I get here. Some days I flounder in this place of mental sludge and mediocrity. Some days all my tricks to get out just seem to fall short of picking the lock to the door of this room I feel trapped in.<br />
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The truth is, I'm probably just tired. It's probably way too late for my mind and emotions to function properly, yet here I am. Awake. And functioning. So, I'm typing a rant. Something that will start meh, but by the end of it have some sort of positive twist to it. It always does. That's why you're here. Reading this right now. I guess I won't disappoint. I'll be sure to make sure I'm going somewhere with this by the time I finish.<br />
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Everything is good. Great even. Work is great. I'm excelling and growing there. Got my first gym membership this week. I guess I'm growing up. The house is coming together with new dishes, new tables and chairs, and new plans for 2017 to fill this house and build relationships.<br />
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I want to see people become the very best versions of themselves just by being in proximity to me. That's not arrogance that's determining purpose. I could care less if I get any credit. Especially public credit. I'd prefer that I don't, actually. I am built for the stage and spotlight, but I find myself more comfortable and pereferimg the backseat.<br />
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There are so many projects I have planned and started for this year. It should really be a fantastic year. Opportunities to invest in people and watch their lives change forever... nothing is more valuable to me. Helping people grow. I am more convinced now than ever that the very foundation of our existence is built upon relationship. Love is completely hollow and void without it. I truly believe that.<br />
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Ok, so maybe I lied. I still have no idea where I am going with this. But I'm not done yet so there's still time to wrap it up with a nice bow before the end.<br />
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I choose to remind myself and each of you tonight that hope is a choice. Faith and love, they are choices. So is hate. Or frustration. Yes things happen that may be frustrating. But it is our choice to stay in a state of frustration. Just as easily as we decide to choose frustration we can choose to laugh instead. Life is short and full of way to many reasons to get down, to be empty or sad. So start making excuses. Make excuses to laugh. Make excuses to forgive yourself. Make excuses to do what's right for you. Make an excuse to be proud of yourself. Go the extra mile to see yourself as you deserve to be seen. Even if no one else knows how to see you that way.<br />
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You are loved. You are beautiful. Your existence is inspiring. Your uniquness cannot be copied or rivaled by anyone. There is only one you. And if you hold back, or choose to be someone other than who you truly are, you rob the world of a special gift it can only have through you.<br />
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So loosen up. It will work out. If not in the way you expect this time around, then after you learn from this experience and apply what you've learned to your next try. You will succesed if you do not stop moving, if you choose not to stay down.<br />
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Regardless of whatever relationship we have, a friend, a family member, a reader who I've never personally met, I love you. Thank you for being who you are and gracing the world with your self.<br />
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Until next time...Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-29446001750754391382016-12-10T19:29:00.003-08:002016-12-10T19:32:08.411-08:00Fears. The Lies We Face That Counter Reality It's time for some transparency tonight. Partially to write out my thoughts so I can sort through them and partially to show anyone else in the same boat they are not alone.<br />
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What's my biggest fear? Ending up alone. And the dumbest part about it, the time I feel the weight of this irrationality is just after experiencing not being alone. For example, let's take today. I ended up going to to watch A Christmas Story in an old theater in Franklin. There happened to be a Christmas festival in the streets when we went as well. It was a great afternoon. After the movie we wandered around and grabbed dinner and the group of us just enjoyed each other's company. It was fantastic.<br />
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I walk back to the car and am on the road no less then a few minutes and the immediate lack of tangible company is a breeding ground for projecting irrational fears. That somehow im going to be miserable and have no community or relationships. That I'm going to be forgotten and not valued.<br />
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Now hold up. How dumb is that? I mean, come on. I was just with friends for an entire afternoon just a few minutes ago. On top of that, I make friends pretty easily. I enjoy pretty much everyone I get to know and somehow I believe that I'm going to be left stranded to rot on my own. Ya, it's pretty stupid. But the emotions that fuel this fire are very real. That's where i have to discern and be careful to not let the truth of what I feel out weigh the truth of my reality.<br />
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The truth is, me ending up alone and forgotten will only happen if I choose to make that my reality. If I let what I "feel", and the tangible truth that there is not a physical person here right now this minute, override the fact that I have loads of relationships just a text or phonecall away, that's on me. My reality is determined by ME. Sure I can focus on what I don't like about the stillness of the present moment or I can choose to focus on the great afternoon I just had. Or the next great adventure on my horizon.<br />
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I've heard it before a thousand times. What you focus on, multiplies. If you choose to focus on the irrational possibility that you'll end up miserable and alone, you may just defy the odds and make it happen.<br />
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So, the truth is this. I have wonderful relationships, yes plural, in my life. I couldn't get away with being alone if I tried. I am surrounded by people who love me too much to let me disappear. And chances are, so do you. But have you been focusing on the in between moments when you have some time to yourself? Are those the moments that fill your thoughts? Or are the good times surrounded by love and community what captivates you?<br />
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I guarantee you, whichever you choose you will see more of.<br />
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Thanks for taking the time to join me on this journey of my thoughts. Hopefully in some way they help or inspire you to enjoy everything that surrounds you.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-85785442295909803812016-12-05T19:27:00.001-08:002016-12-05T19:27:07.543-08:00As Your Heroes ChangeAs I'm lying in my bed tonight doing my traditional scroll through social media before I go to sleep I see yet another post from a hero who I used to look up to. I say used to, because I cannot look up to him like I once did. He no longer inspires me the way he did before.. The problem is, he didn't change. I did.<br />
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In my journey of trying to understand the divine, I didn't hold back. I was relentless and reckless along the way. I mean, it caused me to quit my jobs, travel across country in a breaking down vehicle with no plan and no money. The result has turned out great. I'm glad I got here. But the collateral damage has to beg the question, was there a better way for me to get here?<br />
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Because of my intensity, I was drawn to heroes who were just as if not more intense than I was. Which of course, only made my intensity worse. It's sad to see how easily people can be manipulated off a cliff or into a hole just because the leader is so passionate. History will back me up on that one. Passion. Passion is a wonderful, powerful thing. But when pointed in the wrong direction or masking an ill intentioned heart, it can be disastrous.<br />
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I've been the one who had passion working for him and I've been the one who's been duped by another man's passion. I used to think passion was enough. I used to pride myself on my drive and my crazy. Thinking because that one trait was miles greater than anyone I knew, it would compensate for everything else I was lacking.<br />
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Passion is beautiful. But it's only a piece. I know that now. And hopefully you will understand that no matter how amazing your natural tendencies are, they don't compensate for the places you lack. That doesn't mean you have to try to be someone you're not. Thats where community and relationships come in. We were never designed to see the whole picture with just one puzzle piece.<br />
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So, as I see the passionate man who I've looked up to for years post another thing I just don't agree with, I'm thankful for the times he "wore that cape" for me. My perspective of him and his perspectives on life helped me get where I am today. Even though I doubt he will ever play that role for me again, I'm still thankful for the time he did.<br />
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So if your heroes change along the way be careful not to turn them into villains. Remember the good times and the inspiration they once brought you. Nothing lasts forever. And nothing stays the same. Treasure the good moments and don't try to recreate the past.<br />
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Until next time...Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-47894325375401734552016-11-18T23:33:00.003-08:002016-11-18T23:33:49.790-08:00A Paradigm ShiftA lot has happened over the journey of the past few months. My whole paradigm has shifted. And as is typical with huge shifts in paradigm it's easy to feel empty and hollow. Because what once was there to ground you and help you feel normal is gone. Leaving you floating, searching for an anchor of sorts.<br />
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The transition is always the hardest. The storms, the constant possibility of imminent disaster. But these are the very circumstances that create timeless stories that are told through the ages. These are the tales that forge heroes and villains alike.<br />
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I will start what I am about to share with an honest disclaimer. I am merely sharing my story, or a piece of it rather. There is no intent to manipulate or convince you of my perspective. I could care less if you agree but only hope that my perspective causes you to think and that it helps you to grow.<br />
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The journey I've been on has mainly been a spiriatul one. Chasing God and doing every thing I thought he wanted me to do. Why? Because I had encounter after encounter with him where he showed me he was real. I kept doing so he would keep coming. In my perspective I tried to earn his relationship. The funny thing is I didn't know that my mere existence had won his heart before I even had the ability to comprehend him.<br />
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I've been in and out of church circles, volunteered at various church groups, helped the homeless, chased every avenue of the supernatural I could find, all for a taste of him. All for just a touch of his love. The greater lengths I went to, the more I let myself receive of him. It worked for awhile. But, like any relationship it was hollow. There wasn't real intimacy or relationship. I was a really really good employee. That was it.<br />
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Somewhere in the past couple of months a few friends and some more unsought experiences brought me to the place where I've let go of chasing and trying to prove my love to God, whose heart was won by me the moment I existed. It doesn't make sense to me anymore. The rules. The hoops. The games we have to play just to appease him. I'm done. I'm done chasing and believing in a God who is so full of himself that our mistakes are the stench in his nostrils. I'm done living in fear and obligation always trying to be so put together for his sake and his name. I'm done trying to prove my love and earn his.<br />
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If that means I'm going to hell, if that makes me a heretic... we'll, ok. I'd rather be wrong than accept a reality where a God who is so loving is so bound by a book documenting his relationship with other humans. It's good history and let's study it. But I cannot believe their relationship with him is more important than my own with him anymore.<br />
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So, here's the conclusion I've come to: I'm not a Christian. It's oddly freeing saying that. I'm a guy who has a relationship with a God who apparently made everything. But, the face that he made everything is not all that fascinating to me. What fascinates me is that he is my friend. Faithful and always there. When I could only handle believing the perspective of him needing to be my boss, he played the role cuz that's what I needed then. He is the best friend a person could ever have.<br />
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Sure, this transition has had its ups and downs as all good stories do. But there is freedom and peace here unlike anything I've ever known. It's odd not being so compelled by doing what I feel like I have to do and trying to discover who I am and what I love all over again, but that's all going to be written and experienced in the chapters ahead.<br />
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Once again, this isn't to start a debate or convince anyone of anything. Many of you have asked why I've been silent on my page and have taken a step back from many things I've done previously. This is why. And as much as you can do digitally, this is me being transparent and inviting relationship and sharing my perspective with anyone who would care to hear it. Hopefully it's encouraging to you and not too offensive. To each of you who read this through, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-47825516638650232992016-10-15T10:23:00.003-07:002016-10-15T10:23:43.647-07:00Freedom WithinThe past few weeks have been some of the most trying yet, defining moments of my life. So much so, that I don't think that I can even grasp the depth of what's happened. And if I'm honest, its not just the past few weeks, its the culmination of what has happened the past few years.<br />
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Some of you have heard a version of my story before, and there's not time to tell it all here. Nor am I ready to write every detail of it all down quite yet. That's something to be experienced in person over a meal, a beer, coffee, whatever your social setting of choice is. But here are some of the points in the journey that have brought me to such a pivotal point thus far.<br />
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A few years ago I was on the brink of ending it all. Which, I've found out is typically a good indicator of the potential for a massive change of direction in your life. Because in those moments, in those moments is when you cannot hide from the reality you currently reside in. It is face to face with you and you have to do something. You can no longer go on as is. Many people don't know how to or cannot comprehend the idea of change. So they are forced to take the only option they think possible... To end their reality as they know it indefinitely.<br />
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I was at one of these crossroads a few years back. It was late, my ex unexpectedly came over to see my roommates (we were all friends) and that brought up too much hurt for me to handle. So, naturally, I thought i would drown my sorrows in a few drinks. If you've been there, you know its never worth it and it never works. All it did that night was to bring me to my crossroads where I had to acknowledge all my pain. Not just the pain from my ex leaving me, but all the pain I had been running from for over 20 years.<br />
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Needless to say, it was far more than i could handle. And, to be honest, I didn't even realize nor could i comprehend the depth of what was going on in that moment. I snuck away from my friends at the bar and walked a couple blocks to the bridge which I planned to throw myself off. I texted a friend saying i was done and turned off my phone so he couldn't talk me out of what i was about to do. The next thing I remember... I was in my room, throwing my phone. Angry that I was still in pain and I passed out in bed.<br />
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The next morning I woke up empty. Hollow. How could I go back to the way things were when I finally saw all that i was ignoring and said it was too much? I couldn't. I had tried to find hope or happiness so many times and now here I was a failure at even being able to turn off the pain. I'm a fast paced individual and rarely stop. That started because I had to run from what I couldn't recognize. Since then, it stems from a hunger for life and the desire to experience everything I possibly can. Anyways, I laid in bed in this empty state for 4 hours. It may not seem long to you but it was an eternity.<br />
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But... Then I got a text from a friend asking me to come to "this thing" in my town that evening. I didn't even care to find out what it was. I needed to get out of this stagnant state I was in. I agreed and a few hours later I found myself at church. In another worship service, listening to another guy speak. I grew up in church and knew this scene well. It promised hope, happiness, freedom, joy. Yet rarely if ever delivered. Hence why I found myself in a bar the night before looking for something real. Something tangible. But it wasn't laying in my bed depressed and alone not moving. So, I was there.<br />
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When the speaker got up to speak, something was different. I mean, I had done all of this before. But my previous experience with church and God was that of a scientist studying something and reporting their factual findings to you. This was different. This was a man who had actually met God and His very essence came with this man as he spoke. As in many services, the invitation was given to come up front and "give your life to God". I had seen this 100 times before and saw the same people going up again and again out of a place of broken insecurity needing to be validated in their "relationship with God" by getting the warming attention and affection of church members who would on cue flock them and validate their "conversion". It was unauthentic and I wanted nothing to do with that.<br />
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But there I was, two words into him inviting people to come and i was shuffling out of my row and running down the isle. That night everything changed. I stood there for 45 minutes in the presence of a God, a being, a Father who this speaker knew and who he said wanted to meet me. The authenticity and realness of Him was so loudly evident. My body was there in that church building, but for the first time I felt free. My spirit was soaring. Many of the things I had grown up to hear over and over in church started to make sense.<br />
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I went home that night and told God after meeting him and finding that he was real, "You can have my life. Take it all. Whatever that looks like. I want you." Within 24 hours my band disbanded. And not by my choice. At the time I had built music as my identity. I identified myself as a musician, as a singer, as a band guy instead of identifying myself as a son.<br />
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The next thing to go about a month later were my jobs. I spent all my free time talking to and conversing with this... being... this real person who loved me that when he asked me to quit my jobs, I did. I had no idea what was coming. I had no idea what was next. But I knew that he would take care of me. (Now, I'm sharing my experience. Please do not feel that in order to have a journey with God you need to stop practicing your talents and stop working. This is merely my account and my story.)<br />
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Fast forward another couple of months and I found myself in a car with a friend on my way to Nashville. No plans. No money. But we made it. Once I got here, there was setup after setup to find the right people. Masterfully, intricately like a skilled surgeon God was slowly expanding my idea of him and simultaneously erasing the things I believed about him that were not true. Along the journey there were many times I missed and got it wrong, but his grace was so big to cover it. Friends I mistakenly hurt and took advantage of. Lives I temporarily sidetracked thinking it was ok because I was "called by God" and "anointed".<br />
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Somewhere in the past couple of weeks through some conversations with a good friend of mine, the pieces finally came together. I'm not saying I have everything figured out, that would be super arrogant of me. But I do know that all things that don't make sense about God, don't make sense for a reason. And typically because they are not true. I know that when Jesus died, it was all paid and finished then. Not when I acknowledged it. Then. Which means, I'm free. I've been a son all along and that was the whole point. I chased dreams and prophetic words but it was all missing the point. I'm a son of the Creator of all things. And not only that, but he loves me extravagantly like no one else could. The freedom I have is incomparable to anything else.<br />
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Today is the last day of "yesterdays". Today is the last day I define myself by anything I can do or have done. That chapter has ended. Yes, I know I'm basically at the point of tabling everything I once believed and letting the one who calls himself Love teach me everything from beginning to end. Yes, I know that all there is in front of me is unknown. But it is the most exciting, wonderful thing I've ever known. Here's to the past. But, more importantly, here's to the glorious unknown. Here's to the new day. The clean slate I get to wake up with everyday. Nothing is hanging over my head. Nothing but love and freedom and endless possibility.<br />
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I'm not going to disrespect you by trying to sell you anything or convince you of my experience. My intent is to share my journey in hopes that it brings some freedom and hope to your life. That if you find yourself looking into the mirror for the first time and are force to a crossroads of change, you can do it. It's scary, but that's what makes a good story or great adventure. Without risk, without danger, or the unknown, there would be no growth or great story on the other side. Keep fighting. Keep going. Keep living your journey. It may be today, it may be tomorrow. It may be a few years from now. But one day you will look back and see that what looked like the darkest days where actually some of the most pivotal and significant days of your life. Carry on friends.<br />
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With Love,<br />
-Tony SkinnerTony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-15225751859198034732016-09-26T18:48:00.002-07:002016-09-26T18:48:39.787-07:00Anything is PossibleSo, I've heard all the time, "Anything is possible." Or "God can restore anything." And I've believed. But always for everyone else. Never for myself.<br />
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Let's take a bit of a journey together. A couple years back I moved to Nashville. It was a crazy journey and I was so full of faith and passion. The problem was that I had way too much passion for the level of character I had. So needless to say, people got hurt. People were drawn into my natural charisma and followed me down a path of destruction believing the best but experiencing the worst. By the time I realized what had gone down, it was too late. Wounds were too deep and friends were lost forever. Or so I thought...<br />
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Years went by and as I realized the depth I had hurt people I reached out and gave an apology. It was the least I could do. Believe it or not the apology was taken way better than I could have imagined. Was the bridge repaired at that moment? Haha. Far from it.<br />
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Bouncing back again, to the point where I was homeless, one of these friends would pick me up and let me sleep in her car while she was in class cuz I couldn't hardly sleep at night in the park I was staying in at the time. Daily would feed me and literally kept me alive. Knowing or unknowing, my pride manipulated the crap out of these two (and others) thinking "the call" on my life was more important than anyone else.<br />
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Then, we come into tonight. I go to see my friends band play (cuz they're really good). Yes, the friend who I screwed over royally. He couldn't have been more excited to see me there to enjoy him play. Before and after conversation was normal and not strained. Completely forgiven. Completely trusted? No, that will take years to earn as it should.<br />
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Anyways, the point of all this is to show that even when you screw up the worst you've ever screwed up, when you've hurt the deepest you've ever hurt some one... God can restore anything. I heard him say a few weeks back, "Watch me as I restore everything in your life." I was skeptical at best. But I kept my eyes open. And guess what, he came through.<br />
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I'm excited to see what else he has up his sleeve because to me this situation was impossible to mend. Be encouraged friends. There is no mess you've created that God cannot mend. There is no wound he can't heal. And no pit he can't get you out of.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-40199420498538491262016-09-05T16:00:00.003-07:002016-09-05T16:00:31.706-07:00The Butterfly Effect Have you ever hit that point in your life where you feel like you're boxed into your destiny? Like all the good things you've been working towards or looking for are staring you in the face and running towards you at 100 miles per hour all while being backed into a corner and can't get away no matter how hard you try? Well, if so, that's been my last couple weeks.<br />
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It started a couple weeks ago when I was falling asleep and God started talking to me. I quick grabbed my phone and recorded all the things he was saying. (No, I didn't audibly record the voice of God. That would've been pretty neat! Haha.) Strike 1.<br />
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The next day my buddy comes up to me at church and told me basically the same things God told me the night before. Strike 2.<br />
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Then, a few days ago a friend I haven't talked to in months sends me a Facebook message saying the same thing and expounding on what I had heard. Strike 3.<br />
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Never before have I had God speak something so loudly to me as well as be so intentional about it to tell me again and again in just the matter of about a week and a half.<br />
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Now, you're probably wondering what he was saying. The basic theme of the word that was repeated was that in the next month, or 30-day period that my life would radically change. All the things I've been waiting for are going to be coming together. It should be a crazy month.<br />
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So, it's Labor Day and I'm hanging out at a friends house having some grilled meats and just enjoying the weather when a butterfly comes and lands on my shoulder. And then flies up and lands on my other shoulder. And then flies up and lands on my hat. This is the point when I think, "Ok God, I hear you. What are you trying to tell me?" <br />
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I look up what the meaning of butterflies on google quick and here's the first thing that pulls up.<br />
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"Imagine the whole of your life changing to such an extreme you are unrecognizable at the end of the transformation. Mind you, this change takes place in a short span of about a month too (that's how long the butterfly life cycle is)."<br />
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Confirming yet again that I'm in for an intense month. I'm super excited to see what happens and watch everything unfold and bring you guys with me on the journey.<br />
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Also, don't be afraid to let God speak to you through things like a butterfly. Nothing to go building a theology off of, but just know God is always speaking to you and not always in the way we might expect.<br />
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As always, be encouraged and unafraid to be everything you were created to be.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-59998900002804483462016-09-01T19:39:00.001-07:002016-09-01T19:39:28.936-07:00Making a Difference <br />
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As I was thinking this week about what to write about, I thought back to a wonderful picture I got while I was in church this Sunday. The picture was of myself with arms outstretched in front of a street sign. The scene was all desert and maybe 20-30 yards behind me was a cliff. The street sign was the metal pole with the two green street names pointing in either direction like I was standing at a 4-way stop, except without the road. </div>
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The next thing I pictured was a sea of people blind and dead stumbling forward like zombies toward the cliff. I was there arms outstretched at least forcing people to change the angle they were walking at so they didn't hit the cliff as quickly. Once in a while my efforts supernaturally "awakened" one of the people. Instantly they grabbed my hand and our barrier grew. Before we knew it we had a line of people that stretched for miles containing a sea of millions of people who slowly were waking up. They were saved from a destruction they knew nothing of merely because one person stopped to care. </div>
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One person couldn't save everyone. But one could help one. And then another. And that grew exponentially and we had a wall of people capable of saving millions by working together. The same is true of life. It doesn't have to be me. I don't have to be the first one to help someone. I certainly try, but that's not the point. The point is a culture can be changed by one person deciding to go against the flow and help someone. I challenge you this week to go out of your way to help someone you see. Whether they know they need help or not. Whether they have a hard time receiving it or not. Help someone. You don't have to "change" or "fix" anyone to make a difference. Just authentically show someone you care and watch lives change. </div>
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I'll leave you with this quote Pastor JD gave from Sunday's message when I got this picture, "While I can't fix people, I can make a difference..."</div>
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Be blessed and till next time,</div>
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Tony Skinner</div>
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Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-86233980209380398752016-08-25T17:26:00.002-07:002016-08-25T17:26:51.269-07:00The Journey <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, today I got this in the mail. A couple weeks back I had invested in a friend who's headed overseas in a few months to do some awesome missions work. She's doing something awesome and outside the norm for missions fundraising and selling keys that she engraves. You can either choose a word of your own or she can choose a "prophetic word' for you and send you one with the word and the explanation of why she chose that word. To support and check her out head over to her facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HarvestAccessorseeds/?fref=ts">here</a>.<br />
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Anyways, there totally is a point to this much beyond a shameless plug for a friend. It's been a crazy couple of weeks and in my expectation of things expanding, it seems that things have almost gone the opposite. I open the letter with the key and this is what it says,<br /><br />"Tony,<br />
Put your seat belt on! The <b>JOURNEY</b> is going to be huge and so much fun! He's going to satisfy all your desires for <u>thrill</u>! Don't focus on where you are from anymore! Focus on the journey before you!"<br />
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If you know me at all you know that I'm a huge dreamer. I believe and expect bigger than most if not everyone I know. With that, sometimes come unrealistic expectations, especially on the time it will take to achieve all the great things I can conceive in my mind. Lately circumstances and temporary setbacks have been piling up. So, needless to say, this letter and key came at the perfect time. It's easy for me to get caught up on the end destination instead of seeing the day to day journey that takes you there.<br />
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I realized as I'm making plans to move in the next couple weeks just how far I've come in a year. September will mark a year of me living in this place. When I moved in here I had nothing. I had a pillow, a couple blankets, a laundry basket of clothes and one box of sentimental stuff. Tonight as I take inventory of where I stand as I'm leaving, I'm truly blown away at what I've been able to accomplish in a few short months.<br />
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From starting with NO money and an empty apartment, to slowing acquiring 2 couches, a dining room table and chairs, TV, and stand, a desk and having a bed to sleep on is quite mind boggling to me. When I moved in here I had NO vehicle and was riding the bus 2 hours ONE WAY to work or bumming rides to get anywhere I was headed. Now I own a brand new 2016 Nissan Versa. I have my own business, and have recently joined a band (Stay tuned. More on that in the upcoming months). On top of all that, I was recently promoted after being at a job just over 6 months and given the position over 70+ people who applied.<br />
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With each of those things happening on their own over a period of 12 months, that doesn't seem that impressive. But when you list it out and see how much progress and transition has happened, it's pretty insane!<br />
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As always, I don't write this to just "toot my own horn" or draw attention to myself. I write it to show you how dedication and persistence can get you anywhere. It's easy to get discouraged in the day to day when you don't seem to have progress and the circumstances of life try to come at you and take you down. I challenge you to take inventory of your life and the last 12 months and see how far you've come and then to write out a plan for the next 12 months and see where you want to be. Your success story isn't finished. It's only just begun!Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-51816444709082778022016-08-12T07:38:00.003-07:002016-08-12T07:38:33.221-07:00Higher Perspective So, here I am on my flight from Nashville to LA, looking out my window from 34,000 feet. Things are so much different from up here. Houses, mansions, roads, cars, cities, everything that seems to tower over you when you're on the ground is so insignificant from up here.<br />
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It's interesting a quick change of location or change of perspective can mean the world of difference in your reality. As we go through each day, we're constantly inundated with everything. The elections, the car breaking down, bills, someone's foul opinion of us, you name it. There's so much potential in a single day alone that can drive you negatively insane!<br />
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But I want to challenge you to run every circumstance, every opinion, through your higher perspective filter. What if, every time a speed bump or a roadblock came your way, you didn't let it ruin your day? But instead, you realized that the slowdown was a small, insignificant, temporary thing in the long term perspective of your journey.<br />
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See, what I'm realizing on this plane, is that perspective is EVERYTHING. I feel like so many times we come up against an unexpected road block in life and we lose our minds because of it. When, in all reality, the speed bump is so small and insignificant it can hardly be seen from the greater perspective and overview of your life.<br />
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So today, if something comes in front of you, don't let it get you down. Don't let it stop you. Remember to tell yourself, "This is insignificant in the long term perspective of my life." Find a way to overcome and keep moving forward.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-63497702420567363022016-07-18T09:01:00.001-07:002016-07-18T09:01:58.989-07:00Keeping an Open MindSo, its been a little bit since I've had some time to share anything. The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy. With two trips out of state in the last month for a wedding and a music festival, starting a business, and trying to keep up with my normal routines, things have been a bit insane. Anyways, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on a key thing I've learned over the past few years of my journey thus far, Keeping an Open Mind.<br />
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When I started this journey to Nashville a few years back, I had all these high hopes and expectations of success and grandeur. I had heard clearly from God about his plans for my life and naturally, I thought it was all about to happen in 3 days just like Jesus raising from the dead. What I didn't pay attention to or realize is that Jesus quick 3 day turnaround wasn't just that. It was the climax of a 30 year journey.<br />
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But, nonetheless, I needed to see and hear God's plan and perspective for my life because it was way bigger than anything I could possibly dream or imagine. In the year that immediately followed, I waited for God to do what he said he would do, and kept waiting. In the time of "waiting" I wasn't necessarily just doing nothing. I was going through the painful process of God exponentially expanding my understanding and my perspective. I believed wealth was there for me to obtain and call my own. I just had to really believe more than just a dream and let it become a part of me.<br />
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Coming up from humble upbringings, there was such a shift to be had in my mind. My parents did an amazing job with what they had, but things were tight. When things are tight, that's the perspective of life you have and if you believe there is only so much to go around, that is the reality you will live in. What God was trying to teach me (for myself and then hopefully so that others would one day understand) is that there is an abundance out there for anyone who wants to go get it. You just have to have the determination and the mindset to keep going.<br /><br />Its easy to get a glimpse or a taste of an open mind when it brushes by you. But to hold onto it and let it become part of you is truly the challenge. Because when you go back to the circle of influence you came from where no one else has experienced financial freedom, they try to take away that glimpse of open mind you have. They don't do it out of jealousy or bad intentions toward you, they do it out of a false perspective of love. See, when people haven't experienced wealth or freedom, they have to justify a reason in their life why they haven't tasted it for themselves. Maybe its that rich people are greedy, or manipulative or whatever they might say. Because if good people succeeded, they would have succeeded right?<br />
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That was the hardest part for me. Having a dream and seeing a reality that I knew was coming for me and wanting everyone else to taste it but they didn't have or desire to have an Open Mind. They refused to think they might not have everything figured out. I know I don't! I'm constantly studying people and situations around to me see what I can learn from other people's habits, mistakes, and successes. But, I've chosen and contended for an Open Mind to constantly learn and grow.<br />
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Because of that, I've done super well since I've moved here to Nashville. Am I where I want to be yet? Of course not! But I've had great success at my corporate job in just a quick 6 months of being there. I just started a business on the side to bring in more growth and income. I'm driving the first brand new car I've ever owned and growing! That may not seem impressive to you, but when a little over 2 years ago I had nothing and was living homeless in a park, that's huge to me!<br />
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So you may not need to go on the extreme journey I went on to Open Your Mind, but you will have to go on a journey. Some people may mock you or tell you that you're ruining your life. You just have believe that there is more for you than everything you've ever known. Opportunity is always all around us. The only way you will be able to recognize it is with an Open Mind. Hope you are encouraged today to open your mind and start the journey to becoming everything you were designed to be!Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-5004012887405304832016-07-02T17:10:00.000-07:002016-07-02T17:12:48.896-07:00Recharge So, I find myself hangin out by the dam this evening after work. It's been a long, busy week and the time of just stillness and reflection is much needed. There's just something about the water that calms me. It soothes me and let's my mind stop and not run 100 miles an hour.<br />
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It's 4th of July weekend and this place is crawling with families. People fishing, boating, or just chilling. It's a great sight to see and an awesome atmosphere to just feel and sit in. The weather is perfect. The stone I'm sitting on still warm from the heat of the day with a soft breeze blowing in off the lake. The sky is slightly overcast, which helps keep it cool, but not too cool. It's seriously perfect.<br />
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As I sit here and just breathe in the fresh air and take a few minutes to rest before I run off to another meeting tonight I'm reminded at just how important it is to take time to recharge. We do it throughout the day when we eat or at night when we sleep. But something our culture doesn't do well is let our minds and spirits rest. We're constantly running.<br />
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So on this busy weekend with campfires, drinks, barbecues, fireworks, parades, and celebrations, don't forget to take some of the extra time you have to let your mind and your spirit recharge. You can have the greatest diet and exercise and get the perfect amount of rest and still burn out.<br />
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As always, hope you're encouraged, inspired, and empowered to be the very best version of you.<br />
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Till next time,<br />
TonyTony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-10097688367677258002016-06-16T20:43:00.002-07:002016-06-16T21:38:28.244-07:00Love For Suffering So, tonight a friend was talking to me about the Lord just teaching him His suffering. And like most of us, he wasn't all that stoked about it. When out of my mouth came the following, "I love suffering! If it wasn't for the suffering I have experienced I wouldn't be where I am right now."<br />
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I went on to recount how one thing happened right after another. Having everything I had, everything I had worked for be taken from me or collapse. Friends, family, ministry turning their backs on me or just being gone. Keep in mind I'm not playing the victim, I'm by far not perfect, just laying down the perspective of where I was at. I had come to Nashville on a crazy trip of glory and miracles and everything I had built, almost every relationship I had made, gone. In a couple of months.<br />
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I had come to this city with prophetic words of grandeur and the more I believed what God had spoken, the more I seemed to lose. I was at what seemed to be the end of my rope. I lost everything and almost everyone leaving me with a 1 hour walk in the morning to the bus stop, followed by a 2 hour ride to work, to work 8 hours making cold calls trying to sell stuff, just to take the same return trip home. That was my life for a few months. Having just enough to get by.<br />
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So, I learned perseverece. I refused to quit. Most mornings I would walk and pray in tongues or thank God for the words he had spoken over my life. I'd would listen to worship and do the best I could to change the atmosphere over my life. And about a year later, my life has completely changed. I have a new job, I've been in the top 5 enterprise wide at my job for a couple months in a row now. (We have over 1500 callers that I'm ranked with.) I have several business opportunities I'm working on. I wake up alive and full each day letting heaven flow out of me into others. My life has completely changed.<br />
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So yes, I love suffering. Or maybe better yet, I love the fruits of suffering. Everything is just a perspective away. Change your perspective. Change your life.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2321056167664286511.post-182872644614925232016-06-15T21:50:00.001-07:002016-06-15T21:50:55.919-07:00Worshipping in the StormI'm chilling here tonight listening to an old recording of a meeting I went to a little over a year ago. That day I had just stood up for some friends and it cost me and them greatly. I didn't handle the situation perfectly but we were definitely thrown under the bus in the whole ordeal.<br />
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I'm amazed at our response. It's exactly what you'd hope it would be in the face of such pain and opposition. We worshipped. We blessed those who cursed us and chose instead of focusing on our pain and the injustice pointed our direction to fix our eyes on heaven. We chose to see the goodness of God and live in that reality regardless of our circumstances. I'm listening to us sing these songs and we didn't worship to change anything. We didn't sing to try to hype ourselves up. We sang knowing there was more for us on the other side. We sang because we knew we had a great and glorious advocate and vindicator and didn't have to make our case before men.<br />
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Looking back it was such an incredible, albeit, intense day. Heaven is only a perspective away. It's here and present constantly. It's there to step into and expereince. Does that mean things will always be easy or perfect? Haha. Heck no! Just means that no matter what happens, we have access to the goodness of heaven. And no matter what hell, no matter what tears, no matter the pain, God is still good and is ready for us to let him in and invade our day, whether it be good or bad, and make it better.<br />
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Thanks to the friends who are faithful. Thanks to the family who never quits. Who maybe loses touch but in a crisis would be the first ones there. To help in anyway possible. In word or in deed. You know who you are.<br />
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To everyone reading, wealth isn't measured by the number in your bank account or the worth of your assets. It's measured in the quality of friends and family you have. People are the only eternal currency. Invest much. Invest often. You will die full and happy when your time comes.Tony Skinnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536811641112960902noreply@blogger.com0