Adam Rafferty’s Blog – Guitar and Spirit

Say Goodbye to The Shiny Silver Disc

I recently did a new recording project here at my home studio and thought about “pressing” my CD. That’s what I’ve done since 1993 – recorded and pressed CD’s.

I can’t believe I sound like such an old fart here – but I finally got an iPod about 6 months ago. I have not bought a CD in what feels like at least a year. My Dad subscribes to Rhapsody and has not bought CD’s.

Just “google” the term “the future of cd’s” and you will see bleak articles. The day of the shiny silver disc is over I think.

Hmm…doesn’t seem like such a good idea to spend a lot of money pressing CD’s of my new music. A quote from Discmakers came in at around $2300 for 1000 CD’s with the tax, shipping and an extra $400 for them to do the design.

Now, as a working musician what can I sell on gigs? I have always sold CD’s as a main part of my tour income, not to mention online sales.

I also have an instructional DVD and 3 guitar books I have written, all of which are reproducible by any 13 year old on a computer.

What is it that I can offer that is unique: my performance! You still can’t copy that experience digitally, so step one is that our performances – i.e. the experience of having us there performing is special. But,merchandise has really helped supplement income at gigs.

Ok, I can also sell frisbees, t-shirts and mugs but that’s a lot to carry. I probably will get tees made, but whoa! I’ll have a lot of carrying in the airports!

I did see something extremely interesting the other day – a service that allows musicians to sell music downloads at gigs. WHAT? Yes – check it out.

https://discrevolt.com

You sell the fan an attractive physical card with a unique download code on it, and they can go home from your gig and download the music. I suspect we’ll see lots of variants on this soon.

Any thoughts? Let me know….

Wanted and Unwanted

By Adam Rafferty Leave a Comment

Over the last few days I was reminded of a very important principle having to do with the Law of Attraction. Yes, you can read about it everywhere – but you may find this interesting.

Very often when we want something, we think of not wanting it’s opposite. Ponder that just a sec. So, as Abraham, Esther and Jerry Hicks say – every subject is 2 subjects. The object of desire and the lack of it, or “wanted and unwanted”

The problem we encounter when we ponder the lack of something desired – is that the mind creates more of what we hold in it. I.E. “Think of a pink elephant” or “Don’t think of a pink elephant” give the mind the same instruction – “pink elephant”.

The example given on the CD’s of “Ask and it is Given” is that you launch a new rocket of desire for a new car. You feel elated. You go to the dealer, smell the interior, see a shiny new paint job, etc – and it’s exhilarating.

So, you then go home and ponder. You look at the old car and make a checklist of why the new car would be great – but you are looking at the old car’s dents, scrapes, wear and tear and your vibration and vision fall into seeing and thinking about what you don’t like about the old car.

So what do you get? More of the old car, because that’s what you are envisioning!

This is so deep, so important and so relevant. We can feel stuck. I get like this sometimes.

What does one do? Well, now that you are armed with the new knowledge – of what you hold in your mind is what you get, it’s simple. Change what you hold in your mind. Choose a thought deliberately rather than by default.

So “yes” to new car = new car will manifest in your life.
“no” to old car = old car will manifest in your life.

I’d like to share some examples from my life with you.

About a year ago I decided to embark on a new career path of solo acoustic guitar. My first reaction to it was pure inspiration and upon hearing Tommy Emmanuel, I felt inspired musically, professionally and saw the possibility for a great future ahead. I felt (and feel) elated.

I am inclined to talk a lot with my friends and family. Before long I found that I was saying things like:

“I want to do solo guitar because…”

I don’t want to play restaurant jazz background music
I don’t like the sound of electric guitar as much as acoustic (pretty much)
I don’t like scraping by (or feeling that I am)
I don’t like the idea of teaching forever
I don’t like that the general public doesn’t understand jazz I play
I am not meeting my potential because of the limiting factors involved

OOPS!!!! By thinking all of the above, I manifested:

Play restaurant jazz
Play electric guitar
Scraping by
Teaching Forever
Public doesn’t understand the jazz I play
Not meeting my potential

Let’s improve this by stating what we do want (what I want)

I allow myself to play concerts as a headlining act
I love the sound of an acoustic guitar
I love getting compensated generously for the music I create
I allow my schedule to get filled with touring and playing
I look forward to relating to more listeners
Solo acoustic guitar is a unique expression of my talents

I can feel even with the mere typing of this the difference in energy from these 2 approaches. You’ll note as well – your emotions are your guide. They tell you if your thoughts are holding you in vibrational alignment with your desires (good feelings) or not (bad feelings).

What happens seconds, minutes – even hours after just a few of the empowering, abundant thoughts is a good mood,and the energy to do what is needed.

The negative approach yields the opposite – a dis-empowered, lacking sad feeling.

So – is life “out there in the world” or “here in your head” or “both”? I say both – but the imagination preceded the manifestation. That’s why it is critical to envision something you want in spite of what’s in front of you.

==-=-=-=-==-=-=-

Another quick example: Look at all the lack of success people have with online dating!

Having been on match.com myself – I spent most of the time feeling that I lacked a mate, so what I got was more lacking a mate.

Quite different from the feeling that “she’s on the way pretty soon”. And shortly after leaving match, I met Jill on the LIRR. We’ve been together happily for a year and a half.

Our life is lived in our mind. Pretty amazing!

Hope you enjoyed this – and I encourage you to play around with this gently. Choose the thoughts of what you want!

Motivation vs. Inspiration

By Adam Rafferty 1 Comment

I went away with my girlfriend Jill this week to Shelter Island, and then to Atlantic City. She had vacation time and likes what many people like – sunbathing, shopping at the outlets and all that good stuff.

I watched the other vacationers – particularly at Atlantic City. God, the weirdest people in the world go there! Smoking and hanging out at a slot machine! Okay, I could see myself getting addicted to gambling but I don’t even get started and don’t want to know.

All week I found myself thinking that life was not much different on vacation than my real day to day life. What did trouble me was that I got to do less of what I wanted to do (play guitar) and had to do stuff on someone else’s radar and “be” a person on vacation.

I realized that my job – playing and practicing the guitar – is a joy. I love it. And I have had ups and downs, but I don’t need to motivate in order to practice these days. I am so inspired – to see my musical creations come into being.

“You are so motivated” people say. No, that implies resistance, like there is this rock to roll up the hill and I don’t want to do it, but I make myself. That is not it at all.

I can’t wait for my touch on the instrument to “sparkle” which comes about 2 hours into a practice session; I can’t wait for the bridge of the new tune I am writing to reveal itself; I can’t wait to run old repertoire and be an onlooker as the music plays itself.

That – is so much fun, so delectable, so sweet – I can’t believe other people don’t get to feel that.

Motivation implies inner resistance whereas inspiration comes from the spirit moving within (in-spirat-ion).

Everyone must have the potential of finding something that yummy, that perfect, the thing that lights them up – the thing they have talent for. And as I saw people just eating, smoking, and gambling – I felt this spiritual deadness from some of them (Shelter Island was a little better than A.C.) and I realized these people don’t know how sweet life can be.

Then it occurred to me – whoa, I might be more tuned in then them, but there are those more tuned in than me. I bet I can just keep spiraling upwards. How high is up?

To find out and inquire what allows the inspiration to flow is a vast topic, and I’ll write about it forever because it has everything to do with outlook. And yes of course there is the old axiom “Art is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration” but to stay the course and do the 99% is still inspiration- because you know, or have a sense of, the payoff.

My wish, my prayer for YOU is that you find and follow your inspiration – be it a hobby, job, whatever. It could be a walk in nature that only you experience, but what happens in your inner world is what counts.

When we are inspired and we love something, that’s saying “more please” to the universe, and the Law of Attraction then kicks in – we get more of the thing we want and love.

Pretty Cool! Hence, the expressions….

“Follow your bliss”

“Do what you love, the money follows”

Enjoy everyone, and may YOU follow your bliss.

The Buffer Of Time and Manifesting Anything You Want

By Adam Rafferty 1 Comment

One thing I find particularly fascinating is “time”. Even as a kid I saw a problem with our linear concept of time. I did somehow see that there is only a present now moment and future and past are thoughts.

I’m not saying I am a luminous teacher of a new world religion – but I am saying that I saw it with an uncluttered child’s mind.

And, the more I ponder this, the more I understand life and the easier my existence is.

What’s even more fascinating to me – and this is new to me, sort of – is how there is a thin “veil” separating that which is an idea and that which has manifested physically.

Is hunger out there or inside? Inside of course. We as humans can relate together because we are made of the same stuff so we can agree on hunger being a “thing” – but it is and inside experience.

The same for the feelings and perception of things like elation, happiness, sadness, tiredness, – and so on. The point is that these are not feelings outside our bodies and minds.

Couldn’t the same be true for time? Time is just an idea we have. An every present now that we see in a linear fashion.

“Yesterday it rained” – imagined in the NOW
“Now it is hot outside” – perceived in the NOW
“I have to work tomorrow” – imagined in the NOW

As you can see, all is in the NOW. Your thoughts of what was, and what will be are just your thoughts.

I see this incorrect notion of linear time in music – when musicians incorrectly think a groove can be gotten from a steady flow of beats spaced exactly far enough apart, the way a computer or metronome would.

Often you’ll find no feeling or groove there. Just listen to the radio these days- perfect time and no grooove. Playing a deep groove has more to do with being in a spiritual / musical place, a yummy NOW moment, which humans attempt to translate in a linear fashion.

Here’s where it gets really cool for me, these days. We can manifest ANYTHING we think of (and do). Time is essentially a buffer that we experience, but it is an illusion.

Let’s start with something easy – at least for me. Please follow me.

As I sit here, I get an idea. “Boy I’d love a cup of coffee”.

Does the coffee exist yet? No. Ok, it is an idea, a mental picture. Can we agree on that?

Assuming I want it bad enough, I go to the fridge, get the ground coffee, clean the French press and boil water. Take out the milk, take out a mug…and in about 10 minutes I got from the idea of coffee to a manifestation of coffee.

I am not a pro philosopher by any stretch, but I am deeply fascinated by this.

The thought or image—> Buffer —-> Manifestation

Let’s look and imagine further:

The coffee could be anything – money, a car, a dog, a house, a mate – you name it.

The 10 minutes could be 2 seconds (I want a pretzel from the snack bowl) or 10 years (I want a career as a dentist )

AND – the work to do it can happen by itself, once the desire is launched. For example, you are seeking a pair of olive PUMA sneakers with an orange stripe. You don’t go out looking actively for the shoes, but the desire is launched.

You are out on a nice day, strolling past a store you’ve never seen, and BANG! There are the sneakers, exactly as you had envisioned them. They didn’t find you by magic – you are simply “tuned into” them and out of the 1000 varieties at that store, you found exactly what you sought. The sneakers appeared effortlessly. Your radar was up for those sneakers and you did not have to “go out there and get ’em!!”.

The key of course is that you are in a state of allowing what you have asked for, into your life.

So if you say “I want these shoes, but they are much too expensive” – you hold yourself apart from the shoes’ manifestation and they don’t appear. This is a subject unto itself – the undoing of disallowing factors due to emotional buttons getting pushed (survival, approval, control) in order to allow our desires in. Thinking the sneakers are too expensive would be you holding yourself out of vibrational alignment with your desire.

Now if we go back to the notion that time is simply a buffer, there is only a NOW moment – do you see that you can have anything you ask for, instantly? I know this may seem like a stretch, so let’s back up a notch say you can have anything you desire – with absolute certainty.

It is an amazing notion. And I am finding that I can notice something, imagine it, taste it – even before it is here, and know that it is coming, it is on the way and it is certain.

It is personally very interesting indeed to have this knowledge and be launching a new career direction.

Start with something really small – a cup of coffee, a pencil, a newspaper, and go buy it or make it or find it. Next, take note of how a mental image manifested. Then know that you can expand and apply the same law to your wildest hugest desires that you did to the cup of coffee or whatever you manifested.

(This blog started as an idea!)

Look around you. Look at what you are wearing, what you have and so on. Didn’t everything in your life start with an idea?

All that we experience starts in the mind with the image. Thoughts preceed action, and the realm of thought and imagination is key to having the life we desire.

My coffee is done (for real – it’s on the kitchen counter).

The Benefit of Welcoming Unwanted Feelings

By Adam Rafferty Leave a Comment

This has a happy ending…..

Yesterday was a tough day – meaning, very intense work which churned up a lot of emotion, some being negative . The emotions made it harder than it had to be!

I worked a couple days straight on these 2 little You Tube videos and was messing around all day yesterday with file formats. That type of thing is maddening, if you are in the mode of getting it done. Fun if you are in geek mode and someone else is paying for you to learn.

And to match it, I had to rush out to a photo shoot that a good buddy kindly offered me. So, here I found myself getting a knot in my stomach, and another knot. Only later in the day to find out that my web server OS is out of date and I may have to bag either my website https://www.hot-response.com or bag the server totally.

WHEW!

Can you see what I am getting at? Let me delve deeper to show you the unwanted feelings that churned up – and these are embarrassingly honest. Remember, they are my experience – but your feelings are YOUR experience and that’s what we are talking about.

So here I am making these vids. In case you don’t know, I have been out there as a jazz guitarist for years (CDs, tours, as a sideman, as a leader) and have recently caught the acoustic bug.

I am enthused but here is the resistance, the little thoughts echoing in my head, and it is just the beginning:

What will my jazz mentor think? (wanting approval)
What will my other band leaders think? (wanting approval)
Will I make less money? (wanting survival)
Will I lose credibility?(wanting approval)
Will fans / everyone think I am selling out?(wanting approval)
Am I dumbing down my music?(wanting approval)
Am I starting something new instead of paying the dues I previously committed to?(wanting control)
Other people go to work and here I am messing with you tube all day?(wanting survival)
Will anyone even care?(wanting approval)
Will my mentors / peers read this blog and think I am a nut? (wanting approval)

During my intense workday, these thoughts (which I am sure are common) crept in here and there. The pressure mounted. Notice how I labeled each emotion as wanting one of 3 things:

wanting control
wanting safety / survival
wanting approval

I was introduced to this idea from studying The Release Technique and the Sedona Method. All the emotional buttons that get pushed come down to these 3 wants. Check it out! And sometimes an issue can have many facets, and feelings and thoughts can get muddled, and make us act in ways in which we later regret.

Or, these little emotions can stop us from having the things we really want. They can make us “get in our own way” and disallow the receiving of what is coming to us naturally.

Here’s the crux: the more we push against those unwanted feelings, the more we have them!

Our brains don’t hear “”don’t”.

When we say or think:

Don’t spill the milk.
Don’t waste time.
There shouldn’t be violence.
Don’t chew with your mouth open.

The brain hears, or better yet – is led to envision:

Spill the milk.
Waste time.
Violence is.
Chew with your mouth open.

The brain sees images, not words.

The Sedona Method says “Can you welcome the feeling” as the first step. This is huge. Just think – when you really feel that resistance, and now that you know resisting or putting a “don’t” in front will amplify it, you are actually better off welcoming the feeling.

By welcoming you instantly offer the opposite of resistance, and that is the first step towards dropping the feeling. Upside down, but ingenious!

It takes some courageousness to in that moment welcome an unwanted emotion.

Here goes:

Thought: “Geez I hope the people in my life approve of my new artistic direction.” (Wanting approval, envisioning their disapproval.)

Can I welcome the feeling of wanting approval? Can I allow it to just be here? Can I allow everything to be as it is?

Could I let go of the feeling of wanting approval?
Would I?
When?

And I notice a slightly improved emotion. By not fighting back, I am not creating more of the emotion. A feeling of lightness dawns, and that’s the bad emotion evaporating. Hence the name “Release Technique”.

This simple idea and technique has changed my life dramatically.

We all (except for an enlightened few) have scenarios in which emotions get stirred up, and more often react instead of “release”.

I encourage you to check it out, since your life is seen out of your own eyeballs and felt in your own body and mind.