Hello and welcome the the web home of Franklin Taggart. You may know me from my growing up years in the Mountain West of the U.S. You may have been one of my many guitar students or you’ve seen me perform somewhere in the Eastern Atlantic region for the past 10 years or so. You may have met me at a leadership conference, organizational retreat, school, or a shelter or group home where I was a consultant or counselor. Wherever we have met or even if we haven’t, I welcome you to my internet home. If you are looking for contact information or just want to get in touch, you’re in the right place. You’ll also find my schedule here and my thoughts in written form for a little bit of a place to start a conversation. I’ll be very happy to hear from you.
Thanks for all the recent inquiries about my health. There have definitely been some changes to celebrate, tops on the list being that after a couple of years of not having coverage, I’ve finally qualified for a policy that will make it more possible to more effectively get the help I need to continue recovering. That is a welcome relief and I am very hopeful that it will lead to some answers and some effective treatment. After some new findings and the addition of another medication to the daily routine, I’ve seen some remarkable turnarounds in my weight loss and loss of muscle tone. Physically I’m feeling a lot better and I’m starting to be able to do some strength building again. I’m working through some respiratory challenges that have been related to both seasonal yucks like colds, etc. and the ongoing adjustment of getting my heart back into shape, but all told I know that I’ll be dancing a jig in due time.
I’ve been asked a lot about when I’ll be performing again. I still don’t have the definite answer to that. I just need to know that I can get up on stage and deliver the kind of performance that is satisfying both to the audience and to me. I do feel like I am approaching that state of health more rapidly and deliberately every day. I do find myself getting more excited about the thought of performing, which in itself is a great stride. I’m looking forward also to some new collaborations and playing situations. So keep checking in and I’ll let you know exactly when we can expect a return to the stage.
Finally I have to say thanks to everyone who has been a part of my recovery process. I feel like I have been watched over at every turn by the best people in the world including my family, friends, practitioners and members of the medical community. I am lucky to be here and to witness such outpouring of love, care, financial resources and expertise. My wife and companion, Monica is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever known. If any of you can give her any kind of a break in my name, I will appreciate it so deeply. And Bodhi makes it easy to know why I have to buckle down and get better.
Thanks for asking.
I’m pretty naturally introverted. Not shy. Introverted. Reserved. I’m energized by being alone and having time to reflect. I also decompress and work through strong emotions in a room by myself. In 2003 my wife and I experienced the most incredibly painful loss of our first child in infancy. Sarah was a much wanted baby and we were overjoyed to be parents to be. When she was born with trisomy 18(a chromosomal condition that we were not aware of before she was born) all of a sudden we were faced with so many unspeakable possibilities that we were literally living from one precious minute to the next. We weren’t sure if we took a nap if she would still be alive when we awoke so we were awake until we passed out from exhaustion for 20 minutes at a time. In any case, after 10 days, Sarah Grace Taggart passed away in Monica’s arms while a few friends had gathered around her to meditate and chant. A very peaceful passing.
This was the beginning of a very long period of withdrawal and isolation on my part. Staying up late in my small one room studio, distracting myself with new recording technology. Pushing people away and avoiding interaction became extraordinary skills. Except for the steady stream of guitar students into the house, I was all but completley disconnected from the communities I had become a part of.
Our son Bodhi was born two years after Sarah had come and gone. He’s a healthy, willful boy who brings a lot of joy. However, my patterns of isolation and withdrawal continued to become more pronounced after the time I was spending in his care from day to day made me want to stay up later and later and drink more, stronger coffee during the day. In the Spring of 2008 I started to have trouble sleeping and I began gaining weight and swelling. The symptoms would come and go and I would adapt however I had to to sleep. I’d sleep with extra pillows, in a chair or even leaning forward on my desk just to get whatever rest I could. After I had swollen to nearly 325 pounds and was not keeping down food, I was admitted to the hospital. I’m not going to go into the health journey I’ve been on for the past two years except maybe in another post for another time. What I want to say here and now is that I believe that much of my health challenge is related directly to the pattern of mine to isolate and withdraw to recharge and cope with stress.
We are born into community and we need varying levels of interaction with not only those closest to us, but also those who surround us in our extended groups. Especially in this day of extended family being scattered and divided by thousands of miles, we now have the responsibility to find where we fit and live there. My disregard for these needs in myself has made me tired, sick and limited in my desire and ability to contribute to that which I live in. As a result, I have to tell you that I now know first hand the source and sense of poverty. I am not saying I haven’t been taken care of in spades by people who love me. I have and am grateful. But I now realize that my sense of well being and wealth, both emotional and financial, are directly related to how connected I am to the communities of my life. The sense of poverty is the despair of displacement and disconnection that robs people of their opportunities to serve and be served, love and be loved, celebrate and be celebrated, contribute and be contributed to. I can’t speak for anyone else, but these qualities are the only real measures of wealth and well being that I know of. And I removed myself from their midst willingly and compulsively for the last five years. I am now beginning to reconnect.
I’m reminded of the story whose source I can’t remember, of the woman who visited a counselor in despair after the death of her loved one. The counselor asked her if there was anything that she loved. Her only answer was that she loved to cultivate violets. He wrote her a prescription. She was to provide a violet for every significant celebratory event in her church. As she did this, her life was transformed as she realized that she had a purpose that she loved, she had an important role in the lives of others and she had a contribution to make.
I remain an introvert. But I am no longer isolating and withdrawing. My wealth and health are returning. They never left. I did. If you feel that you don’t have any real opportunities to serve in ways that are meaningful to you, it’s not because you don’t have any gifts to share. It’s that you need to connect more deeply to communities where your gifts are needed. There has to be somewhere for your gifts to go. Serve the people you love to serve with the gifts you have and the work you love to do. See what happens.
I’m a big fan of the 2001 remake of the film Ocean’s Eleven. The story is about a highly specialized group of thieves who conspire to rob one of Vegas’ largest and most successful casinos of millions of dollars. Called together by the mastermind, Danny Ocean(one of George Clooney’s best roles), the group builds their own version of the casino’s safe and begins the highly detailed process of learning how to successfully break in. Their commitment with each other is to the one job and everyone’s specialties are called into service at some point in the scheme. It’s one shot at a time and the stakes and rewards are huge.
I believe that this film gives us a glimpse of how work will be happening in the not too distant future, and in some ways how it’s beginning to take shape now. Each member of the team is highly gifted, with specialties that are relevant to getting the job done. Each has the ability to take on multiple roles in the operation and easily shifts from each to another as necessary. All group members are energized by the working process as much as the reward. When the task is over, the group isn’t bound to try to keep itself alive as an institution. The members take their share and go on, until the next job comes along and they create the configuration that they need to work through that task.
I think the collapse of the financial and automotive industries are reflective of the death of the old way of doing things. Large institutions are obsolete in their inability to adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace. Slow responses and policies that ultimately erode existing customer bases are creating opportunities for other kinds of organizations to rise in their place. The new organizations are based on networks of highly skilled people who come together to effectively address one task. Their commitments are to the task and will last only as long as the task requires. Some long term, but most short term. People will be called into action based on what their gifts and related skill sets are. Decision making is lateral as there is not a top-down structure and conflicts are worked through quickly and constructively. When the task is completed, the organization is dissolved until another task creates the need for a new organization to form.
As workers, we will need to see our careers not as long term commitments to one organization, but as highly functional networkers committed only to common tasks as they arise. We will need to be able to communicate with each other with great transparency and authenticity. We will need to have a deep mutual understanding of group dynamics and be able to take on multiple roles as they are needed. There will also need to be high awareness and respect for all the talent that each member brings to the task. Workers will also need to have a high functionality with technology, being able to apply the right resources at the right time.
In my musical line of work it could look something like this. One person envisions the possibility of a concert series that will present local musical artists to their community. The visionary identifies the resources that are needed and then calls people who have those resources to join in the effort. One person is a great organizer, another excels at promotion, another has access to and knowledge of necessary technology, yet another is brilliant at logistics. People are called to the task as the task demands. Compensation is directly related to how the team works together to make the task a success, in this case filling seats at the concerts. If any one member of the team doesn’t contribute at a necessary level, the team fails, creating a high level of accountability and responsibility between members. The series lasts as long as the community supports it and also depends on the ongoing commitment of the team.
I’d recommend that you locate Derek Sivers online and look at his latest idea, Muckwork. Derek is the epitomy of an entrepreneur who creates a great organization to meet a need, identifies all the potential opportunities that he can offer through this service and then puts it into the right hands to make it happen. I’ve been the beneficiary of his vision at his old company, CDBaby, and I heartily include him on my top five admired persons list.
One common thread in the lives of creative people is that they tend to put the conventional in the backseat and make their lives up according to their own desires and guidance. They may hear and heed the suggestions of another but even then they will likely incorporate such actions with their own flair, making it uniquely theirs.
One of the most interesting trends in the world of electronic music creation of the past few years is called circuit bending. Any electronic device that can make a sound is taken apart and rewired experimentally to create new noises never before conceived. One of my particular favorites is the speak and spell that now sounds like a chipmunk speaking a foreign language. In any case, these music creators were not content to just let the sounds be, they went to great lengths to “ruin” the normal equipment to make something completely new.
Most of the time when I cook, I like to just make it up as I go along. This doesn’t always return the most favorable result, but in the process I get to experience the food and methods and spices in my own unique way. Sometimes the results are amazing. I make wicked gumbo that isn’t quite the same concoction every time, but I’ve never been disappointed. Every little change affects the flavor differently. Serving with quinoa instead of rice makes the texture more grainy but delicious in its own way. Too much cayenne can be offset with a tad of cinnamon. And okra is not the only slimy vegetable to throw in the pot. Zucchini is an amazing ingredient too.
When I say creative people make their lives from scratch, I’m mostly saying that the step by step, self help mode of being often doesn’t fit. For the creative, there is something new trying to emerge, a value pushing its way into the world. There is an unbearable impulse to find our own way and make it work. For this person, words like vision, values and mission take on a whole new image and reflect the deep desire for our creativity to reach its mark. We must make an impact even if only for ourselves. There is no recipe for that.
This week’s reading: “What Should I Do With My Life”, Po Bronson. This is a 5 star. It came out more than a few years ago but I’m happy to have found it just now.
I have to admit, when I first heard about Twitter, I didn’t really get it. Why would someone want to tell people their every move? What can you say in 140 characters that you couldn’t say on the other social networking sites more in detail? Who in the world would find this interesting? What I’ve discovered is that I pay more attention to Twitter than I do to my other pages, website and even e-mail. I find this incredibly interesting and I am seeing some incredible ways to make contact with like minded folks or people that might even be interested in me and my work. For now, I’d like to just mention one of the coolest features on Twitter: Twitter Search.
I’ve used search engines before, but I’ve never had a ‘duh’ moment like I had when I discovered that I could enter keywords into Twitter Search and it would find every current Tweet that included those keywords. I have found a fine number of other coaches and links to sites that are filled with contacts, free resources and communities for coaches. How cool is that? From one Twitter Search using the keyword, “coaching”. Well, “duh!”. Sometimes I’m a little thick when it comes to understanding technology. Every third grader in America has been in the know on Twitter Search for a long time now. I’m catching on.
If you want to buy something, enter the item as a keyword and you’ll find a wealth of links to information and reviews. Your favorite musician, actor, comedian or business leader has a Twitter account and they’re talking about stuff that you might really find interesting, entertaining or helpful.
My wife, the chef, found a few dozen entries the other night about the GAPS Diet. Something she’s interesting in both learning about and teaching. Those people may turn into some very valuable connections for her and they might help her avoid reinventing the wheel, pointing her to resources that she may never have found on her own.
So I’m the new Twitter Cheerleader.
If you want to follow me on Twitter, my user name is franklintaggart. Yeah, original 
I want to make a lot of money. I want a 5 bedroom, 3 bath house with a back deck that looks up toward the Flatirons in Boulder. I want to be an effective coach and encouraging force in the lives of creative people. I’d really like a small truck. Not an SUV or big truck. A small truck.
More in detail. I’d like the house to be in a neighborhood with lots of kids Bodhi’s age and with a diverse range of adults to include in my circle of friends. I want an energy efficient house that does have a dishwasher. I want trees and a yard big enough to play a football game in but not too difficult to mow. I’d like a hot tub. For two. I’d like to be able to have a couple of rooms for friends and family to visit comfortably…etc., etc, etc.
If I keep going with this list, it begins to reveal what I really want. Things that are underneath my aesthetic choices are things like comfort, beauty, family, play, creativity, hospitality. These are the things that I really want. These are values that I hold close to my heart and they are driving forces in my decisions.
Sometimes it’s difficult to have a clear idea of what you want. My suggestion is to look underneath the object of your desire and look more at what drives the desire. What’s really important? If you can’t attach a value to the object, you might ask yourself if that is what you really want. If there is a value attached, be sure to dream in detail. The more detail you can give your vision, the more likely it will show up the way you want it to.
I’ve been thinking about the health care struggle that’s captured America’s attention for the past few months. As someone who could really use a public option I am supportive of that outcome. Although there are some aspects of the arguments against such a plan that I can understand. I’m struck tonight with the thought that this is being railroaded through in an effort to have something finished long before next year’s mid-term elections and due to that, we are not even given a chance to find and understand every possibility before we are given something that either is not what we want, or something that creates a debilitating divide in our Democracy. A bill has yet to actually be written and people are reacting to a story they’ve created in their heads instead of having the ability to see as many different possibilities to choose from.
Stop the bus! What are our options? Is there a way to make sure that every American has access to health care services without either going bankrupt to pay for it , or having taxes raised to the threshold of pain? Can the escalating spiral of costs for both care and insurance be addressed so that health care will not be a commodity only available to the extremely wealthy? Doesn’t the health care industry realize that they are pricing themselves out of existence and creating a potential dilemma that the American workforce will not be able to overcome? I know the questions and the answers are not easy to wrestle with, however I want to say emphatically that if we don’t know all of our possibilities before we make a decision then we will not be satisfied in the least with what we come up with.
On a personal level…I find myself rushing through some of my decisions, particularly about certain purchases I make, without really looking at all my possible options. Or I make a purchase of something that’s the hottest item, but end up finding out that a competitive product has more of the features that I want. Or I find that the thing I really need doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that are unnecessary and it’s half the price of what I paid for. I’ve made some career choices where a month after being hired I find that there was another job available at the same time that I really wanted but I just didn’t bother to find out what jobs were out there.
I’m also aware that in our time we are often overwhelmed by the number of available possibilities to the point that we put off making decisions because we don’t have time to filter all the information. That is a whole problem unto itself. I really believe that the next wave of internet wealth creating is going to be those companies that effectively help us find the information that we need and filter it so that our time in decision making is not so overbearing.
What about you? Are you giving yourself a chance to think about all your possibilities? Overwhelmed by all the options you have to sift through? I have some tools you might find helpful. If you need a coach to help you in your process, please consider giving me a call.
Oh yeah, my suggestions for our health care quandary. Public option for those the insurance companies refuse service to, the uninsurable. Temporary or subsidized coverage for people for whom insurance is too expensive…unemployed, underemployed, low income. Dollar for dollar tax credit for every American who pays for their own. Health care and insurance industries being more tightly regulated regarding costs and accountability to the public. Tort reform and limits on malpractice suits. I don’t know that these are perfect solutions but I am willing to hear more about it, as long as our debates can be civil and oriented to a better situation for all.
Do you notice your own attention? Where is it going? What is its focus? Where does it arise from? What happens if you hold it tightly focused on something? Is it like a wide angle lens most of the time? Or is it zeroed in on only one small thing at a time? Do you notice when it is focused on internal things like thoughts, feelings, urges and desires? Or is it mostly focused outward on objects, people, places and things?
I believe that your attention is the most powerful aspect of you. Where your attention goes, your energy goes. Where your energy goes, so goes your power. Your attention can be developed to mind the most subtle of fine processes and it can be directed to contain the greatest of things the eye can see.The things you give your attention to shape your world view and determine your life experiences. It is your strongest connection to both your inner and outer world.
Perception is something a bit different. Perception is the message you give yourself about what you’re paying attention to. People usually perceive their world through filters of past experience, cultural norms, psychological constructs and value systems. It comes in handy sometimes. Very important when you are facing an oncoming bus. Your perception of danger motivates you to move. It’s important to understand the difference between perception and attention. Your perceptions and your reactions to them determine the experiences you will allow yourself or avoid. As Dr. Bruce Lipton speaks about, “The cells will respond to one of two different messages. One is growth, the other protection”. Your attention has no filters attached to it. It is pure, potent awareness.
So I’m encouraging you to pay attention to attention. Be an observer of your own observation. A witness to your own witness. What happens when you hold your attention on a sensation within your body? Does it intensify or spread? Does the sensation fade as it is held in awareness, or does it become more acute? Focus outward on an object and then see if you can trace your attention back from that object to the place within you from where it arises. What do you find? Does anything happen?
Become adept at intentionally focusing your attention. Discover the source of your own awareness and power.
On the left side of the page you’ll find several links to websites hosting my music. There’s a little of everything there, from my CD to recent demos I made here at home. I hope you enjoy listening.
