The Gambler

Listening to fun.-The Gambler right now and thinking about the relationship I want with my future wife. Even just being in a relationship with someone is like climbing a mountain. I've always been the friend to most girls and even the girls I have dated, its maybe lasted 3 months at the most. I look around at healthy relationships and wonder what is really the secret to success of finding that someone you can know they know you are imperfect but you both work so hard to be perfect and treat the other one as if he or she are kings an queens. I don't believe love is dead or even chivalry, I'm such a strong believer in love like the Golden Age.


In this song "The Gambler" songwriter Nate Ruess writes the song is the voice of his mother who relates having a garden to her and her husbands relationship from the start to the growth of their children. It's so beautifully written and composed that even the hardest heart in the world would tearup just a little. One of my favorite lines in it is"I swear when i grow up i won't just buy you a rose,I will buy the flower shop!" The man doing everything he can to treat his wife like a queen. There elements of a strong relationship in the song about how the children have grown up and the characteristics they have of each parent. Then there is a part which the lyrics turn to her taking care of her husband through being in the hospital. Also see The Format-On Your Porch for Nate's experience of his dad being in the hospital.


I've had the pleasure of meeting the mother and fatherof Nate Ruess at a few concerts here in Tempe. I can see the love in the couples eyes. The last part ofthe song is about him coming home from work kissing his wife on the eyes, cursing at the dog, then going to the garden to see what they've grown, her setting the table, and him setting the fire. I think of simplicty, fun, hard work, tears, happiness, pain, laughter when it comes to the ups and downs of relationships. Although in the song he doesnt explain all the hardships that come with making relationsips last, you can tell that he celebrates the moments to which may have been difficult on them by sharing the moments that matter. Seeing the kids grow, moving toArizona to save their only son, how they met, overcoming health scares...all those experiences we have in life, when we have that other half, can be made even sweeter once the bitter has been tasted.


I cannot wait to sit with my best friend and wife,and have that feeling like no matter what we go through she is behind me 100% and I'm behind her 100%.And its like Keith Urban says,"They say behind every man is a good woman but I think thats a lie, cause when it comes to you, I'd rather have you by my side."I mean who wouldn't want that person who you can always depend on and love no matter what life throws at them.So my quest continues...I know lately I've put a lot of effort into someone who I absolutely adore becauseof who she is, what shes done, and the capacity of whatshe can accomplish. But again, as much as have toldher my feelings and there are similar feelings to a certain degree, I know that I couldn't just sit here and do nothing. I've done all I can. Whomever the Lord has prepared for me, I hope I can be prepared as a worthy priesthood holder in the LDS church, someone who will treat her like a queen, capable of providing, and someone who will continue to inspire.


Mrs. Ashcraft where-ever you are, I'm on my way!

What I WaWaWaWant, What I NeNeNeNe Need

Our wants, our needs what does it all really mean? Are there times when what we need exceeds what we want? Because most of the time what we want always exceeds what we REALLY need. I believe it's part of the natural man that is inside each of us to go after things that are temporary highs when God is looking down like "yo Clayton, my boy, that ain't what you need!" But since he has given us this life to prove ourselves and make our choices, how do we really know when to go after the things we want and the things we need.

Each of us has been given this life and whether you believe in a higher power or not, the goal is to be the best we can in this life. We all make decisions and choices everyday that can determine our future. What do in the present can echoe in the eternities is a quote we should live by. In my belief, sometimes or most of the time we get on our knees with something that we want or asking for. It's almost like we have the mindset to get on our knees and pray for revelation of what we need, but we're set in our minds what we want. I can't tell you how many times I've seen the Lord just let me make my own decision and the consequence comes about sometime after.

When I think of different songs that put something like this into perspective, I think of Garth Brooks - Unanswered Prayers - the chorus goes as such :

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers

Remember when your talkin to the man upstairs

That just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care

Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers.

We should look at the things we want in life and understand what we need. The balance of life comes when we can enjoy progressing through achieving our dreams without giving up who we really are. Sometimes those prayers we pray don't come back instantly with an answer and in a world where we want everything instantly, God does not change for what he created - he expects us to change for Him. Take a list of what we want and what we really need and make some decisions to go after something that will strengthen ourselves. Whether its relationships, traveling, a career, or whatever the goal is - TAKE THE CHANCE IF THEIRS A CHANCE WORHT TAKING!

Clayton

Letting The ____Dictate their Own Path

While just reading Keith Urban's website album blog, there was a subject line that caught my eye.

Letting the songs dictate their own path! That statement hit me in a number of ways. Here's what I thought:

Music dictating my feet

Music dictating my mood

Music dictating my inspiration

How I dictate my happiness

How I dictate my future

Our path in this life is dictated by our own choices because what we do in this life echoes in eternity. So reading about Keith's intuition to create a feeling in music and to run with his ideas just amazes me. On the blog Brad states, "It's fascinating to watch Keiths attention to detail while still letting the songs and players dictate there own paths. Sometimes heʼll just sit for a minute silently ...and then all of the sudden he snaps back into the moment with a clear idea of where to go next." Amazing! I look at his attention to detail and it just makes me think how I allow the music to control my feet as I move across a dance floor.

I've found my best moments when I'm at my creative peak is when I'm EXTREMELY busy with life, when my stress release is at its highest point, or between midnight and 5am (for writing songs). It's weird that I have these different creative peaks at so many odd times. I've found when I'm most creative with business efforts I need to be really busy to plan, organize, and act on my ideas. This is most likely due to the fact that my brain juices are moving at high rates. For dancing and freestyling with hip-hop dance, I find that when my stress level is high and I need to break free-my times where I hit the beat and kill it is at those times.

There is preparation in everything we do, so just like Keith can stop for a moment and move forward with a sound or lyric--it took him years of practice and experiment to understand sounds, chords, and progressions. To be at that moment of "aha" or progression with any type of talent, there must be steps of preparation, of failure, of dust-sweat-tears-sometimes blood from the art of working towards the feeling of accomplishment on some level.

So whats your path? What is dictating it? What preparation are you making for that goal?

Overcoming Fear (Video) Yikes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml79xjLaYR8

Check out my video for StandStrong.tv about Overcoming our Fears

A little Scared...Endoscopy

One thing you may not know about me is that I have a really bad stomach, like really bad! Sometimes its genetics and sometimes its the way I eat. Even sometimes how much I worry!So on Tuesday, July 20, I'll be going in for my endoscopy and although a lot of people have had it and it sometimes seems like a normal thing, for me its a big deal which I am nervous about. For the last 6 months or so my stomach has ruled me. Hardly eating anything and throwing up at least twice a week, sometimes lately even blood. My energy and my happiness in life has taken a bit of a downturn. I've had a lot of issues with my stomach in the past but they have never been this bad. I want to say a lot of my worrying has probably caused it but when it got to the point of throwing up blood I WAS DONE! I probably need to stop worrying so much but thats me I guess.

Anyways I have had a few blessings in the last few months from my bishop and friends, all have said this will be taken care of and I HAVE NO DOUBT THE LORD WILL BLESS MY HEALTH. I need to take care of myself better with my food choices and my overall well being. I wonder if letting go of things that make me worry so much would help. Either way I know the Lord will bless me, eventhough I havent been the best I can be lately, I have faith that I can overcome whatever is going on and move forward and progress in my life.

Thank you to all who have been there for me family and friends.

Urban Vibe Productions

Men's Style for Summer

Lovin some of these styles right now. Because I'm on such a tight budget til I can sell my car, I will have to do some thrift shopping at Goodwill. WAIT! I do that anyways but still I love finding styles in magazines and online blogs but then going to a thrift store and making my own creation of who I am at the time. No one, I believe, should live their life inside a box that keeps them bound. The whole Hollister, American Eagle, A & F, thing is something I never liked at all, its fine for people that just need clothes and dont' care, well there is this element of guys who wear that clothing that makes them kind of douchebags. Remember that whole movement of popped collars, that was basically the association with douchebagery.

Well at this point it doesnt really bother me and I shouldn't be so judgmental of how people are. Anyways I got off on a tangent there, I am just about steppin out of my box and creating me not letting corporations create my style. There are some good websites out there that offer some good models of street clothing ideas. Karmaloop.com, Nylon For Guys magazine, GQ, London and European street clothing blogs, http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/. When I was in London over Thanksgiving I found so many ideas of things I could create and decided to look more into new styles.

Right now I'm feeling the nautical, white pants, blue suit coat, even shorts above the knee cap, bow tie, fedora cap style. There is just something about this summer that screams to me nautical style. Update you on some new finds!