Wh y Are You H ere - Righ t Now?

YR UH R N

Wh y Are You H ere - Righ t Now?

w rit t e n b y one t h ousand pe opl e cre at e d b y Ish idos

YR UH R N

W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ? YR UH R N Copyrigh t 2006 L if e b ush ido L L C - w w w. l if e b ush ido. com Pub l ish e d b y L if e b ush ido Al l righ t s re se rv e d. No part of t h is b ook m ay b e re produce d com m e rcial l y or t ransm it t e d in any f orm or b y any m e ans, e l e ct ronic or m e ch anical , incl uding ph ot ocopying, re cording or any inf orm at ion st orage and re t rie v al syst e m , w it h out pe rm ission f rom t h e Pub l ish e r. Print e d in t h e Unit e d St at e s of Am e rica. First Edit ion - O ct ob e r 2006 Ph ot ograph y - Suzi Scot t

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PR EFACE
W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ? A sim pl e q ue st ion. YR UH R N? W it h t h at one sim pl e q ue st ion in August 2006, ov e r one t h ousand pe opl e prov ide d answ e rs and h e l pe d w it h de v el oping t h is b ook . W e be l ie v e t h at YR UH R N is t he f irst b ook cre at e d b y a gl ob al col l ab orat ion of ov e r 1,000 pe opl e using Am azon' s M e ch anical T urk and ot h e r crow dsourcing e f f ort s. YR UH R N is an e v ol v ing proj e ct and w e w e l com e your part icipat ion. Th is int roduct ion is b e ing w rit t e n af t e r onl y 30 days f rom t h e st art of t h is proj e ct and w e are unsure w h at dire ct ion m ay e v ol v e in t he f ut ure . O ne -t h ird of prof it sf or YR UH R N w il l b e use d f or prov iding h ol iday gif t cards and l et t e rs f or ch il dre n af f e ct e d b y H urricane K at rina. If you are int e re st e d in m at ch ing or donat ing dire ct l yt ot h at e f f ort , cont act us at : ide as@ yruh rn. com . F or f ut ure updat e s and a f re e b onus b ook , se nd an e m ail t o: yruh rn@ aw e b e r. com . W h e n t h is b ook is orde re d, cust om e r inf orm at ion is not al w ays m ade av ail ab l e t o us. It is im port ant t o sub scrib e t ot h is e m ail addre ss t o re ce iv e pe riodic updat e s, f re e addit ional cont e nt f rom YR UH R N, and inf orm at ion on h ow t o part icipat e at any l ev el . Se nd e m ail t o: q ue st ions@ yruh rn. com if you h av e q ue st ions ab out any aspe ct . If you h av e any com m e nt s or ide as pl e ase se nd an e m ail t o: ide as@ yruh rn. com . Go t o w w w. mt urk . com and se arch f or YR UH R N t o prov ide your ow n answ e r t ot h e q ue st ion: W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ? St ev e K ant or L if e b ush ido w w w. yruh rn. com

W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ?

INTR O D U CTIO N
Th e m irror sm oot h surf ace of a pond is pie rce d b y a singl e rain drop. R ippl e s e xpand e v e r out w ard f rom t h e point of im pact . Th is im age is of t e n use d as a m e t aph or f or h ow a pe rson' sl if e af f e ct s t h e re st of t h e w orl d. In f act , it is so com m onl y use d t h at it h as b e com e m ore a cl ich e t h an a m e t aph or. Th is is surprising, e spe cial l y since it is e sse nt ial l y innacurat e. Th e prob l e m w it h t h e pond and rippl e m et aph or is t h at it h as re m ov ed t h e re st of t h e w orl df rom t h e surf ace of t h e w at e r. If a rain drop is a singl e ev e nt in a pe rson' sl if e and t h e surf ace of t he w at e r is l if e as a w h ol e, t h en t h e re w oul d b e b il l ions of raindrops h it t ing sim ul t ane ousl y. Th e sm oot h as gl ass pond is an il l usion. Th e re al it y is t h at t he surf ace is a ch aot ic j um b l e of int e rconne ct e d rippl e s. Tak e n as a w h ol e , h ow can w e possib l y se e t h e ef f e ct of a singl e ev e nt in one pe rson' sl if e am ongst t h e m ae l st rom ? Ev e n w orse , if som e h ow w e coul df il t e r out som e of t h e ch aos, t h is w oul d act ual l y ch ange re al it y, m uch as if e nh ancing col ors ch ange s a ph ot ograph . Th e im age is sim il ar, b ut de f init el y no l onge r t he sam e . And t h e m ore of t h e ch aos w e f il t e r out f rom our pond, t he f urt h er f rom t h e re al w h ol e w e e nd up. If w e f inal l y ge t t o a singl e raindrop and it ' s rippl e s al one , w e h av e l ost t h e re st of h um anit y' s im pact on t h e w at e r. But w h at if w e inst e ad l ook at a singl e rain drop at t he v e ry inst ant it t ouch e s t h e w at e r. Can w e som e h ow capt ure t h is pre cise m om e nt in t im e and re cord it w it h out conce rn of t h e pat t e rn it cre at e s in t h e w at e r?W oul d doing t h is pe rh aps t e ach us som e t h ing ab out t he pat t e rn cre at e d b y al l of t h e drops? Th is col l ab orat iv e ef f ort doe s pre cise l yt h at . By cast ing a ne t int o cyb e r-space w e h av e capt ure d a f e w ge m s and se t t h e m int ot he page s of t h is b ook . A sim pl e q ue st ion w as ask e d - W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ?From h undre ds of re sponse s w e ch ose one s t h at we f el t capt ure d t h e spirit of t h e q ue st ion. And if e ach re sponse t o t h e q ue st ion is t h e ge m , you w il l f ind t h at t h e narrat iv es surrounding t h e m is t h e se t t ing. Cal l it j ew el ry f or t h e soul .

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TABL E O F CO NTENTS

Th e Pl ayf ul W if e Th e St ruggl ing Surv iv or Th e D e b t H ol de r Th e Te m poraril y Unse t t l ed Th e Ch il dl ik e H om e m ak e r Th e Fre e Spirit e d Expl ore r Th e Th ank f ul Grandm ot h er Th e Am orous W rit er Th e H ope l e ss D re am e r Th e Cog in t h e M ach ine Th e Grie v ing L ov e d O ne Th e O m nipot e nt Enigm a Th e Troub l e d St ude nt Th e W orrie d Se e k e r Th e Scie nt if ic Ph il osoph e r Th e Se re ndipit ous Trav el er Cre dit s & D e dicat ions Se re ndipit y Th e M ak ing of YR UH R N

7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 81 87 93 99
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W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ?

W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ?

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am h e re righ t now t o bre at h e, t o st re t ch , t o re ach post -sk irt , pre -sw e at pant s, post -st al e

for t he j oy t h at is Friday aft e rnoon, post -w ork , pre m art ini,

coffe e bre at h , pre -nap and suppe r and t im e w it h k ids and com m it t ee m eet ings and w e e k e nd ch ore s. I am h e re righ t now t o k now a m om e nt , a st il lm om e nt of e art h and air, m ov ing fan, dist ant sire n, t ick ing cl ock , sil e nt ph one and k now ing t h at som e w h e re out t h e re , m y h usband driv es t ow ard m e t o pick up for a Friday nigh t dat e.
I am h e re now b e cause it is Friday Nigh t . I h av e f inish e d a l ong w e e k of w ork . M y w if e is pre gnant and re ady t o giv e b irt h . Sh e is t ire d and h as gone t o b e d, b ut I am re st l e ss and h av e h ad a coupl e b e e rs. I ne e d t ol ist en t o som e m usic and do som e t h ing t o occupy m y m ind. I am out h e re in our st udio and am re ady t o do som e t h ing int e re st ing. I h av e a coupl e of rob ot st h at I am w ork ing on, b ut ne e d t op se t t l e int o doing anyt h ing and t h is se e m s l ik e an e asy w ay t o do so. . In t he f ut ure I am st il l t ort ure d b y m y art , w h ich m ay appe ar t o ot h e rs as a w ast e of t im e . It m ay appe ar t o m e as a w ast e of t im e , unl e ss t h e re is a pie ce t h at I can f inish . Art ist s are t h e m ost curse d of cre at ure s, spe nding m ost of our l iv es div ing int ot h e w orl ds t h at w e cre at e in orde r t o e scape t he w orl ds t h at w e l iv e in. 7

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Th e f ut ure w il l h ol d w h at is righ t now . ' Fut ure ' is a w ord, j ust a conce pt , it is not re al , or rat h e r, it ' s as re al as anyt h ing el se w e say. As re al as ' t h re e ' or ' t re e ' . W h ich is t o say t h is: Th e f ut ure doe s not e xist se parat e f rom now , ye t w e ' l l al l k now w h e n w e ge t t h e re . R igh t now is in a crisis. H e re is m il es f rom h om e . I am b e ing b ut b e ing b al ance d on a k nif e e dge . W h ich w ay do I go? I saw som e t h ing in t h e pape r ab out m ak ing m one y onl ine . I am a t e ach e r and am of f sum m e rs. I am b ore d, h av e be e n t o t h e gym , not h ing on TV . I se arch e v e ryt h ing on t h e int e rne t , so I t h ough t I w oul d giv e t h is a t ry t o se e w h at it is al l ab out . I am h e re now b e cause I h av e not h ing b e t t er t o do! To m e , h e re is a v e ry conf using m isunde rst ood w orl df ul l of com pl e xit ie s of al l sort s. R igh t now is anyt im e I f eel m ot iv at e d. I am h e re b e cause I l ov e it . I h av e a passion f or t h is pl ace . I w ant t o se e it grow , e xpand and m at ure w e l l . I w ant t o h el p t h at proce ss, t o nudge it ,t o sm oot h it al ong. It ' s re w arding; it ' sf ul f il l ing. Com ing b ack h e re l ast nigh t w as com ing h om e and f el tl ik e onl y h ours inst e ad of m ont h s since I h ad l ef t it b e h ind. My j ob f or t he f ut ure is t o raise m y t w o sons t o be re sponsib l e , caring indiv idual s.

W h y Are You H e re - R igh t Now ?

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M AK I N G

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H ow did t h is book h appe n?H ow doe s anyt h ing h appe n?W e l l , som e one h as an ide a and t h ings st art t o h appe n, of t e n in unpre dict abl e w ays. I w as e xpl oring Am azon' s M e ch anical T urk se rv ice , w w w . mt urk . com , be cause I' m a h uge be l ie v e r in uniq ue t al e nt s and t h e w isdom of crow ds. F or m y busine ss, I e xpl ore a v arie t y of ne w w e b se rv ice s. Rat h er t h an h av e m e de scribe M t urk , you can v isit t h e w e bsit e and re ad an ov e rv ie w . I did som e H ITs m yse l f and t h en w e nt ov er t o cre at e som e H ITs, be cause I l ik e t o cre at e. I cl ick e d on " Cre at e H IT"and sat t h e re st aring at t h e scre e n, t rying t ot h ink of som e t h ing. M aybe I w as w onde ring t o m yse l f ," w h y am I h e re " , and t h en I re al ize d t h at t h e re w e re probabl y h undre ds or t h ousands of pe opl e e ach day st aring at M t urk . It w as cl e arl y not sol el yt o m ak e signif icant m one y - t h e y w e re probabl yt h e re f or a v arie t y of re asons, j ust l ik e m e . So, I gue ss I pose d t he q ue st ion " W h y Are You H e re - Righ t Now ? "I de cide d t o h ire a f e w h undre d pe opl e and pay t h em $ . 01 e ach t o answ e r. I ch e ck e d back a f e w h ours l at e r and w as am aze d t of ind m any answ e rs of cre at iv e div e rsit y. Af t er t ak ing a bik e ride dow n t ot he P ot om ac Riv e r and re ading about t e n page s, I re al ize d t h is w as good st uf f and pe rh aps coul d be com e a book . I e m ail ed a f e w h undre d re ce nt j ob appl icant st o m y com pany, L if e bush ido, and ov e r 40 re sponde d w it h posit iv e com m e nt s and a de sire t o h el pt urn t h e se answ e rs int o a book . Ov er t h e ne xt 30 days, about 20 pe opl e cam e t oge t h e r in an e nt re pre ne urial v e nt ure t o cre at e t h is book . I st art e d m y ne w com pany, L if e bush ido, in January 2006. L if e bush ido is buil ding a gl obal ne t w ork of pe opl e w ork ing part -t im e f rom h om e w it h f l e xibl e h ours, using t h e ir uniq ue t al e nt s. Al t h ough YRUH RN w as not part of any big busine ss pl an, I be l ie v e it st rongl y sh ow s t h e pow e r of a gl obal ne t w ork of pe opl e using t h e ir uniq ue t al e nt s. If our e f f ort s and t h is book l e ad j ust one pe rson t o re ad t h is book and be m ov ed t ot h ink de e pl y about t h e q ue st ion and t h e ir ow n uniq ue t al e nt s, t h is proj e ct w il l be a succe ss. If t h at pe rson is you, w e w oul dl ov e t o h e ar f rom you - e m ail us at yruh rn@ aw e be r. com . St ev e Kant or Pre side nt L if e bush ido - w w w . l if e bush ido. com Be t h e sda, M D Se pt e m be r 2006

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