Thursday, February 26, 2015

My first and greatest success

It's been just a bit too long since I wrote my blog and today was the day I decided to get back to it and press on into 2015! I love writing and it always help me to clear my mind and get focused,
But I just can't throw something in there when I m not feeling it, but I'm feeling it today :)
My laptop has also taken a dive and I'm working on my iPad, so forgive me for the many mistakes I foresee.
We often consider success as "rich and famous", or having a lot of money and a big house.
I know growing up in the 70's and 80's, I was enamored with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.
I wanted nothing more than to be a famous actor or singer on TV with tons of fans and plenty of money. But like any kid, I had no idea the mount of hard diligent work it would take to even get close. Mostly the misinterpretation of true "Success" is what I was missing and for some many years to come. I, like many kids and people today, expected everything to just happen for me.
I expected the world and it needed to hurry up and give it to me.
When I first came into contact with very good guitar players, I was in wonderment of how they could
Play the way they did no I could not. I finally got the news I when I was 18 and working at the local music store that I would need to "learn" to okay the guitar and it would take years, maybe a lifetime,
to aspire to the level of playing I was interested in, and even then, I might not every get there.
That did inspire me to work very hard at the guitar.
Along the way I became a husband, a father, an employee, and I never sought to be successful in any of these other areas like I did the guitar. I had one thing in mind and it was this dream of playing music.  Eventually my life became so unmanageable that I could no longer even play the guitar.
My point is, I did not try hard at anything in life other than seeking my own happiness.

My life is much different today.
I tell people that my first real success in life is my recovery program, and that's true.
I got to the point where I had nothing in life left to do but learn how to live.
I started from scratch and learned to be honest, respectful, trustworthy, hard working, forgiving, understanding......everything that kids should learn when they grow up.
I began growing up at 33 years old.
That's ok, I'm so thankful it even happened!
I began to have an intimate relationship with my higher power.
From this first success, I was able to take these skills I learned and applied them to everything in my life.
 I began to become a good father and put my kids first.
My kids love me, and it worked. My life as a father is priceless.
I learned to be a partner and a husband. I learned of true intimacy and the importance of the union.
My marriage means the world to me and I would not trade it for anything in the world.
I finally applied these principles to my music and consider having a career as a musician and a songwriter. I learned to have respect for what I did and for other musicians. My expectations became more realistic and I found joy in all that I was doing.
Success became a part of my life and is still a part of everyday.
It all starts with the spiritual principles and applying them in my life.
If I can stay grounded spiritually, I won't drink today and that is true success for me.
Then I can be a husband and a father. My family comes first, always.
My music comes next and it so benefits from the hierarchy of God and my family.
I have something to write about, something to sing about, something to play for, to work for.
Music means so much to me, I couldn't live without it, but I would give it up in heartbeat if I had to choose between my family or music, and the greatest gift of all...... I don't have to choose today.
My definition of success is much different today and yet it is the same.
Success requires hard work, diligence and focus, but it does not mean rich and famous.
Although, ironically, by applying spiritual principles to all that I do, to the best of my ability,
all I desire becomes available to me.......I just desire so much less today.
I am happy with what I have and so thankful.
I thank God for the first success in my life, it has afforded me all of the successes in my life today.
It's a great life, it's all in our perspective.
Peace, Love, Zito