But,

I’m getting the “itch.”

It’s time to get out in the shop.

Not just any old shop,

Mine…

I bet you fabricator/builder types who read this stuff I type here, have a good start on your shop or store already.

It’s all about being about your business,
Nose to the grindstone, if you will…

And indeed, if you are about your business…

Either studying, learning, doing, practicing, buying the equipment, or browsing the Internet for inspiration…

Then you know…

Or “should know,”

You are doing what it takes,

For you to take yourself,

To the next level of progress and ability.

So in doing all the above, and even more…

You are putting in motion the work you will be doing in the future.

And getting more professional.

And Believe me, you had better be a professional these days.

You better know your stuff.

And you had better be able to do it in a pretty fast and efficient way, if you are going to compete.

But,

There is another way…

The only way to rise above “All” in your industry, I’ve found…

And not have to “compete” with anybody…

Set up your Business and Profession so you can do this:

Produce and Build Very Technical, Over The Top Machines.

The fact that you can even “make” these machines from “nothing,”

Let people know you have more than enough ability…

To do that job “they” want done on “their machine.”

But,

How are you going to get this knowledge???

So many shops will continue to keep their “how to” information secret,

End result: there is a very limited amount of help and insight you will get from them.

People tend to keep “secret” their hard fought knowledge, too.

And,

You will soon learn, you will get some seriously “bad advise” too from some of them…

There are countless reasons for this, too…

Something as simple as “tripping you up, slow you down,

Make you spend all your money…For nothing…

Maybe you’ll even forget “all this nonsense…”

Different subject, for a different time…

What to do:

The Only Way to get the Proper Insight and Knowledge to Build Such Machines,

Is to come to one of the week long sessions we hold here at Amen Motorcycles.

I guarantee you will come out of these sessions,

Fully prepared and ready,

Equipped with the knowledge you need, so you can begin doing what you want to do as a Fabricator.

I know this:

Once you See IT…

It stays with you forever.

It’s up to you how good you get with IT.

I teach it all, too…

•Metal Stretching…easy…

•Metal Shrinking, very hard, 3 techniques demonstrated…

•Welding with the Mig and Tig rig set-ups here.

•Plasma Cutting “shapes”

•Poster Board “patterns”

•Belt Sanding Tricks and Techniques that make you look like a Pro…

•Welding up the Gas Tank you have just made, ready to take it home at the end of the classes.

This is just Day 1 and 2.

So, get ready for a life changing event.

Get your schedules cleared up for a week long class session to begin:

March 19, coming up pretty soon.

Call me when you get the chance, so I can go over the details:

Highlights are:

6 Days and Nights of Training, covering all aspects of Motorcycle Building and Fabrication.
No Motel Fees, Stay here at the Home/Shop.
Food provided.
Come Build the Discovery Channel Great Biker Build-Off Bike, The Get Er Done.
Hosted by Industry Veteran Mike Brown, Owner of Amen Design and Engineering (Amen Motorcycles)..

Call me at 423-272-6000 and I’ll get you the Low-down on all we cover.

Mike

You had better not get “that,” these days with the challenges we are facing…

The Time Has Indeed Arrived…

It’s time to get your thoughts together and get yourself a working plan.

The Plan:

Something you know will take care of you,

If something happens to that present gig or situation you have now…

Time to Learn you a new talent,
Or hone that talent you know you already have,

Or, Better Yet…

It’s Time to Attack that overly-long thought-out plan,

The one that always seems to get put on the back burner.

The one you know already…

That Plan or Dream that you need to point all your efforts into,

The Plan you cant wait any longer for…

IT Really Needs Your Attention…

See,

Comfortable is a death sentence.

The end.

The period on creatively creating…

Anything Comfortable,

Is bad…

I know,

I’ve been Comfortable too long and just now reaching the point in my thinking that I’m ready…it’s time…

We get locked up for many reasons…

And a mans’ mind is so very strong when your mind is made up…

Add to that a Settled Determination and combine That with Total Faith…

You find unlimited strength that would “move” mountains, if you believe it strong enough.

But we too, are a very fragile being,

Especially if we do not control our thoughts, or neglect to control what we let into our minds…

Lack of control in these areas ensure we just get stuck in the world of Doubt and Uncertainty.

If that happens, we are sure not to get any of these plans done.

So, today, try to settle in your mind, you are going for it.

Find your reasons for you to go for it.

Make those reason Noble
Or
Make them selfish

Doesn’t matter,

Use those reasons as a tool

So you follow thru

On that dream of yours.

“The best revenge is living well”
Naomi Judd

That’s what “she” said…

What ever you are trying to do…

When you are trying to improve yourself…

When you are trying to improve your
position in life…

I don’t care what you do or trying to do…

Do the very best you can.

Even If you’re a sorry ass shit, then Be Good at it.

Be a “Professional” Sorry Ass Shit.

At least you will be known “as a good one.”

And, They Will Remember You Too.

Just remember, no half-hearted attempt.

Put it all out there…

In other words:

Bring It All To The Table.

Professionally.

When you are trying to get that dream job…

Or trying to start that shop of yours.

Then, go Learn.

Study, Practice, Think, Dream…

Then go make Deals that get you started.

But you will need to:

Bring Everything You Have

To This New Direction

You are Investing your Life into…

No half-way effort…

Not a half hearted attempt.

Not just trying to get a job.

And,

Not bringing in the baggage you have with you.

Just you, and A Real Determination that you are going to do the best…

And, prove to yourself…

You Are The Best at this Profession you’ve chosen.

If you choose right and put your time in,

I promise the world will recognize it and the work you’ve done.

Now go “do” something.

Mike

What??

Failing is progress??

Yep,

And if you did Fail…

At least you Established “Something”…

But,

You can take it too far, too.

Failing isn’t an “excuse” to use Any Of The Following:

If I didn’t…
If I had…
If I did…
If, If, If…

Don’t do “ifs”

“They” (if words),

Just get you to begin the habit of making excuses of why you failed, or worse,

Didn’t even try.

It’s so easy, too…

If I had the money
If I had the help
If I had the time

See???

Do a “try” instead…

Go try something.

I tried this…

I got to There then…

Well,

At least you did “try something.”

And,

If you found…

“That” didn’t work…whatever That was.

Then, you made progress.

And so it goes…

Keep on trying, go at it from different angles.

You keep it up, you’ll get there, somewhere different from where you’re at now.

Might as well give it a “try.”

These days, they ain’t handing it out “free” to you, either.

It’s tough out there, so get your armor on and get out there in the middle of it,

Go see what you can make of yourself.

You never know what “can happen…”

Trust me, on that one…

Over-n-out

Mike

Look out the window

See that?

That World.

Look closer,

See…it’s moving.

And, you are either pushing it,

Or,

Helping to Drag it down.

Now, THAT’S A BIG STATEMENT…

Ponder upon that.

No wonder I can’t rest.

And I have this crazy thinking:

I figure the only time God truly gave me to do nothing…

Is that part of the day I get to sleep.
About 8 hours credit.

So, I either sleep it the full 8 (for a change) or go for 5 or 6, and waste the other 2 or 3.

Even sitting and appearing to be doing nothing…

I am running stuff thru my mind 100 mph, (I Love Doing That…)

Figuring and re-figuring

Until an exciting and challenging

De-sign pops out,

(as “they” stand back, and appear to be laughing at me.)

So, apt to being happy like, I am most happy running stuff thru my mind…

Everything is possible there.

I can write me a check for a cool $100K to “start” if I want.

And then I picture me running, making, driving, or using

What ever it was I done with the money.

Yep, imagine and invent,

Problem-solve, and De-sign…

All in your mind.

But,

Don’t wait too long.

I just about have…

I’ve been building and re-building Amen Motorcycles that have been sold from their original owners and the new owners want me to go thru them.

This is my mainstay work, along with the schools I teach.

But…

Its now time to build a bike.

But not really…

I’ve wrestled with one and have come full circle.

And,

Believe me I was surprised it went this way.

I have a bike design that is needed in our industry…

And I am going to build a running personal prototype.

A bike that Has to Be Changed Later.
(Changed Completely too, as in Brand New),

That the new bike won’t look nothing at all like This Bike I’m beginning in the next couple of days.

So, I’m building a bike…
That won’t look like the future bike…
I’m building later on…
That will go into production.

Sounds normal-like to me, especially around here…

And

This 1st one is:

Not for sale to the general public…

But,

The next one will…

Not a really good business move.

But, there is too much of this 1st one built already and mocked up…

I might as well go on with it.

So,

Now you know,

What’s Going On,

Around here…

Up to the minute.

Presently.

Could change…

Mike

Phone rings, message left…

It’s TCT TV.

I was featured there upon several times.

Something like 96 million viewers, probably more.

Worldwide and “even live” if they choose.

With access to Satellites, these guys beam you “everywhere.”

And, I always have a good message for these guys to use.

Wow, haven’t heard from them in a Long Time.

Wonder what they want.

When I do a show with them…

The calls come in…really, emails…

Nice to hear from friends in India and New Zealand, even Dubai, but it’s hard to do much else than talk…or Type…

But that phone…

It is probably the most often used piece of equipment

That conveys the message to you

That something in your life is about to change or is actually changing,

Right there on the spot,

Even As you’re having the conversation…

Life from now on may never be the same, ever again.

Pretty Big Stuff.

Kinda scary, too.

And having said that…

Change has arrived…

Simple as that.

Same with email…it comes in fast,

Even faster is those Text messages.

Yes, there is no hiding from change.

It can get you.

Change knows how to get “ahold” of you.

But don’t dread change,

Be ready for it.

As best you can.

Embrace change, even.

And if I can push the point a little farther…

Be Change…

Make Change Happen Yourself

For if,

You Are The Reason

For all the change that comes…

That it was you that put these Changes in Motion,

Why then,

You have just become,

The Captain of your ship.

Turning those wheels yourself, in any direction you wish, under the power ordained in you by God Almighty who says:

A man’s heart plans his way: but the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9

So, you go on now with your plans and those dreams of yours.

As really, Time is Wasting Away…

Better Get On With It.

I’m going to call TCT…

Mike

And We Ought to Analyze our moves and decisions so we maximize the enjoyment of it.

We do that best in our Worldly Thinking as…having Money…or Freedom…

Which we think will make us happy and usually Does…if your Spirit Side is Right.

If not, we Chase “Happiness” with dozens of versions of things we think will make us happy.

I’ve certainly had my share of stuff I went for and chased thinking it would make me happy.

And I wasted a lot of my life hunting for Happiness,

When you hunt for happiness in the wrong ways,

You also lose that natural ability to gain your wisdom,

Knowing what good decisions or bad decisions are.

And,

If you’re screwing up…

There is no wisdom in you, I’ve gradually found that out.

See, I was raised up in the John Wayne era, where it was alright to slap a woman or come home drunk.

My Daddy did all that above and more.

And if he felt the back of the Tv to be warm when he got off work, then there was hell to pay, and for a couple of days.

So, I carried around some junk that affected my self confidence.

But I learned with years I was my own and became stronger.

Now I “teach” attitude.

You Can Do It kind of stuff.

But you have to have your Spirit Right.

Begin by Knowing God and Jesus Christ as your Savior.

Stop being yourself, and Let God Be God…

He will take care of you.

So, in all this life experience, chasing happiness before I got my Spirit Right…

What did “people” get out of knowing me?

And,

Just what has “My Show” been like?

Until my “Change”

I can tell you,

Well,

They got nothing….

Not one positive life changing/shaping “good thing” did they drag out of being around me…

How sad…

That was 22 years ago…

I have changed my ways…

Today I am still a big screw-up…

I still lose my temper, and get un-reasonable.

I do try hard to watch what I say tho.

I believe the spoken word puts “things” in motion and,

You Might Not Really want what you said,

To Come True.

So be careful with that tongue I say:

Lest we cry at our un-controlled silly selves, when it would have been so Easy to Not Have Said…

So,

Make your Show be,

Something People Remember.

Make it that,

Just From Knowing You:

They are changed…

And “their” Change spreads…

And that “their change” gets passes on…

And,

That The Whole World is “feeling it”

All because of You and The Show you made…

Using that Great Mind of yours,

And a bit of control called Wisdom,

That resulted in you being,

Many, many times,

Bigger

Than We Think We Are”

Remember this:

Everybody IS Watching.

Just look around…

You’ll see…

Mike

And,

Do these lessons cost…

Each and everyday we make choices.
Each choice does the life experience make.

Each of us can know either automatically or by slowing down everything and replaying the day we just lived,

Whether we did mostly “good” today,

Or just kinda skirted thru it without really getting anything done.

So, are you really committed to this progress stuff?

You know already.

So, go on with it then…

Get ahold of your life

Call it what it is,

Simply this: A Big and Complex Business,

Yep,

For
Lack of saying it any better:

The Business of Life.

And you’re conducting this business of life right now.

Everyday.

And at the end of even this year,

You should have done better,

Someway making it, What…

Easier
More painless
More free
Not having anyone that says anything to you that makes any of the above “appear?”

And what would be more nice than

Say,

The Debit Card Always Works…

Hmmm,

Wouldn’t that be nice?

You know

The Life of a Proverbial Rock Star

Maybe, not really…

But,

Sure would be good, huh.

Do your business as you see fit

Make it Big

Make it Simple

Make it Whatever you Want

Just don’t let People Get in your way.

And They Will if you let them.

Then there are those decisions you make everyday.

Wow what a mess, huh.
Those decisions that are permanent
And life changing.

The goal is to make as smart as a decision you can by being armed with whatever knowledge you can muster up so you know all the “angles.”

But I shoot from the hip a lot and I miss a lot…

So is the life of:

Knowing Where You’re Going.

Here is A Big Problem:

People can’t keep up…

They don’t like Change,

Beware when you see IT…
Get real light on your toes if you’re around someone who has IT…if you want to keep up.

Might be a nice ride to go on tho.

Probably sure to be “memorable.”

It…

What is It?

Determination is IT…

Or worse

Intense Determination, which is almost a Loner guy, because he’s out of control (I ain’t mentioning anybody particular)

If you have IT…

You have seriously launched an unstoppable train.

(Made a pretty big decision in your life, so to speak,)

Then there’s The most powerful tool or weapon in the world:

The Tongue

Choose wisely your use of it.

It can set in motion things that change your eternity…

Yes, even THAT BIG…

I think the tongue is the most dangerous weapon or tool there is in man alive.

Wow, do I fall for “words”
Man, do they shape your thinking,
How easily, too.

And those words do slide right in So Fast…

Without even thinking…

These Word are Hard to catch, too.

Could be lies,
Probably are

So watch out you people.

Be ye armed and prepared and pray all you hear is good and true.

Over-n-out

Mike

For:

Well,
What Was It?

Mine was guitar playing.

Always said I have a mean 8 seconds.
Well, maybe you havent thought about it much during daily life, but 8 full seconds of flat out blazing on a guitar is a really Loong time..

8 full seconds of Pretty fast guitar strumming finger moving movements…

Get the picture?

No you dont.
Not unless you really like guitar.

Gary Moore who I bothered to count (makes a guitar sound like a helicopter)
Plays 25 licks a second (funny…typed while Gracie my dog is actually licking me on the side of my face off the back of the couch…)

Well back…
Had to take Gracie “Outside”…Funny life is…

Gary Moore, just this “one” guitar player….25 notes a second.
First heard it, made me mad.

Could hear all of it, each and every note he played…couldn’t play it….

So, I “strive” …
nah, not really, just having fun with something I enjoy.

I can’t play Gary Moore helicopter licks for even 2 seconds without “much” effort, but I “like it” I guess…

That which we do…

Hmmm

Another subject…

I Do have the usual “signs” of a hobby tho,

like doing stuff without actually thinking about doing it??

Like Natural Baby as Tony would say.

What’s Your Hobby?
Huh?
Well, then,
Get You One, Man.

Heck,
Get you Two,

Nothing wrong with that.

It may even be one of those classes I spend time with

showing you your next move in the fab bizness, as they say…

Man, I tied “that” right in, didn’t “I,”

Can’t help “it.”

So,
Think about it.
Your hobby

Could it be?

Get..your hobby equipping info and yourself here, in Rog-Vegas…Amen Motorcycles, lots a stuff to look at, and more than you want to learn.
Guaranteed.
Over-n-out
Mike Brown
Guitar Slinger (literally).
That’s another (3 minimum) stories…

Classes are “humming” right along.