Last year, I watched the movie “The Big Lebowski” on Netflix and have been thinking about it ever since. In fact, The Dude has had a major impact on how I think about work, money, and life. I realize this might sound a little odd, considering The Dude wasn’t a go getter in any sense whatsoever. When you watch the movie the first time, you get an idea that there is something bigger that we can take from it. The problem is that it is hard to grasp at first. Well, if you dig a little further, you start to realize that The Dude is one of the happiest guys even though he doesn’t have a job, has no money, and has no savings. Oh and he is a little behind on his rent, too.

Somehow The Dude is just happy living. He has doesn’t care about money, wealth, or social standing and this is so refreshing when you step back and think about the big picture. We’ve all been programmed to want more and this typically causes us a great deal of grief. The saying, “The dude abides”, basically means that The Dude just takes things easy. He doesn’t get too worked up over anything and when he does get worked up, he quickly adjusts back into his carefree attitude. “Fuck It, Lets Go Bowling.”

Over Thanksgiving, I found an amazing book about The Dude titled, “The Abide Guide: Living Like Lebowski.” Here’s a quote from the book:

“Ultimately we all get out of this thing cheap. Regardless of all that we might acquire or achieve in life, we are all pisspoor in death, and recognizing that might allow us to recognize the priceless value of life. Our lives are our only true asset, and aspiring toward greatness, or power, or glory, or gold utterly misses the point of what we’re supposed to do with our seed capital. Living is the end in itself. It is the greatest art imaginable, and everything that helps us appreciate it is an investment in our modest temporary checking account and the club of value.”

Pretty deep stuff, if you ask me.

Some have been wondering where I’ve been. I don’t post much anymore. I am not releasing new products. I’m not on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media websites. I don’t care about how many blog comments I get, Facebook “likes,” Facebook “fans” or any other digital ranking. I’ve slowed down and am trying my best to abide. I am no longer chasing money, wealth, or social status in the guru world. I’m simply trying to enjoy life. It is not easy to make this change, because everything thing we see and hear sucks us into the rat race and turns us into “sinners” who don’t abide.

Here’s one more quote from The Abide Guide that I wanted to share about The Dude:

“Remember that the Dude’s quest is not for a grail, after all, or money, or even his ratty old rug. His mythological “hero’s journey” is to remain utterly lazy and relaxed even when the world makes it virtually impossible for him to do so.”

So why write this post?

Well, I’m hoping you’ll watch “The Big Lebowski”, if you haven’t seen it already. I’m also hoping that you might read “The Abide Guide”, too. If you do, you’ll end up slowing down and enjoying life more. Life is short and can change in an instant. We can’t take bank accounts with us when things come to an end, so why not take things a little easier, slow down, relax and go bowling.