Welcome to the Low Overhead Life (LOL!)

Did you ever think that the Great American Dream was a actually a sinister concept created by the government, religions and large corporations designed to keep us enslaved to a system of conformity and servitude? Well, that may be a bit radical, but I think that is exactly what has occurred.







I have watched with awe as "The Great American Dream" which has guided the spirit of this country has finally been laid to rest. The majority of American homeowners have lost their financial and emotional solvency as the real estate boom has screeched to a grinding halt. Theoretically, the post-millenial housing boom was largely fueled by greed and the "get rich quick" consciousness that continues to pervade our economy. Investors were "flipping" houses for quick profit. Mortgage brokers were making a killing on their commissions. Realtors were buying up bus benches everywhere to advertise their businesses. Homeowners were purchasing fully loaded RV's, installing Greco-Roman swimming pools and financing week long Las Vegas jaunts with their Home Equity Loans. It seemed like it would never stop going up. Do you remember these phrases? "Get in now! They're not making anymore land! You're throwing your money away on rent!"



And what of man's search for God? The religions of the world are at war with one another and hundreds, if not thousands are killed everyday in the name of "God." If I was God, I would be pissed! I don't think that's what The Great Spirit intended for us. Or how about the Roman Catholic Church who continues to conceal thousands of pedophiles as these same priests live lavishly off the tithing of their victims? And, why exactly is this organization still thriving? It's simple. We live in a dysfunctional system where the ego's need for power, wealth and pleasure continues to guide every aspect of our lives, even in our religions.

There is much to contend with in our current culture. Marriages are struggling, debt is skyrocketing, all the while the masses shake their heads and shout "how could this happen?" "My realtor said real estate will continue to go through the roof!" Now, let me guess, did your financial adviser tell you that there is no such thing as a housing bubble back in 2006? I know mine did. He adamantly disagreed with me and labeled me a conspiracy theorist. I fired him. Now, I'm no brain surgeon, but when I observed people buying $500,000 homes with no money down on an interest only loan, and no proof of income, I knew things were going to crap eventually.

Barely surviving a head-on collision with the pitfalls of the Get Rich Quick Schemes of the 90's, I detoured off the path to the traditional American Dream and as a result found the quality of my life skyrocket. I finally freed myself from iron chains of consumer extremism. I did not have a home equity line of credit. I did not have granite counter tops. I did not have a "pimped-out Escalade with 24 inch chrome wheels.

Had I missed the (jet) boat? What was wrong with me? I was driving a paid-off Ford pick-up and renting a nice apartment close to work. I was taking guitar lessons, studying martial arts and meditating in the mountains on my days off. I was traveling often and if I wanted to drive a nice car, I would rent it for the weekend. By the way, Enterprise Rent-A-Car is half price on the weekends. If my roof was leaking, I would notify the management company and head out to lunch with my friends. I was doing things differently and I discovered that I had more free time, was saving nearly half my income and was completely debt free.

I wish to share with you some of the techniques I have used to lower my overhead, not just financially, but emotionally and spiritually too. Some say it is extremism and for the most part, I agree. However, there are concepts here that anyone can use and if only some of these simple steps are put into play, you will be rewarded with a little more peace of mind in this crazy world.

Welcome to the Low Overhead Life (LOL!) This is a blog for those who have grown weary of the lease payments, mortgages, credit card bills and the toxic belief systems that weigh us down and keep us from living the life of our dreams. The LOL! is a simple philosophy which can assist you in unloading the unnecessary baggage from your life and set you free, forever.

Who am I? I'm just a simple, spiritual guy living in L.A. People like me usually go unnoticed on the freeway or pulling up to the nightclub. The valet guys usually park my pick up truck in the rear parking lot behind the recycling bin. That's fine with me. I'll let the slick guy in the Maserati get the great parking spot in front of the valet line. You know why? I feel sorry for him. He's probably making a $1000+ a month lease payment to impress all the club goers. I'd rather take that $1000 a month and put it towards my early retirement account and bug out a five years early. Some choices are great for our egos and status within society. Other choices are profoundly liberating and facilitate a deep contentment. What's important to you?

There is competition everywhere here in Southern California. From the VIP Guest Lists to the jam packed freeways, people are trying to get ahead, pushing their way to the front of the line, or asserting their superiority at every opportunity. When you rush through life, it only gets you to your gravesite ahead of schedule. There is so much freedom in "dropping out" of the collective insanity that has infested our world. When you observe with detachment the craziness of the our consumer culture and the pointlessness of keeping up with the Joneses' you can exit out the side door into a world where you're in control, free from the need to impress anyone.

I learned several important things while living the LOL. I discovered that I could not find lasting happiness in materialism, romantic relationships or ego-driven pleasures. Rather, I learned that by reducing my needs and reducing the negative influences in my life, I was breaking free from the conditioning that had chained my spirit. As I became more natural, my creativity and passion for life ignited. I had aligned with an energy that had eluded me while I pursued materialistic excess. I had found that continually lowering my life's overhead creates a profoundly liberating lifestyle.

In the near future, I will share with you radical ideas to break free from the collective insanity in which you may currently find yourself. Some you will find useful. Other ideas may not be appropriate for your current life situation. However, we will explore the rewards of simplifying the elements of your day to day living. The LOL! will afford you more freedom, more love, and more time to the pursue activities that matter most to you.

What is the LOL?

It's not about getting ahead.

It's about getting down.

It's about reducing.

It's about de-conditioning negative mental programming to reveal the true You.

It's about becoming more natural.

Its about being strong and impervious to the scorn of other's opinions.

You'll need humility.

You'll need to re-define success.

You'll need a sense of humor.

You'll need a trash bin.

Welcome to the LOL! Stay tuned......