2021-07-10 14:39
Motivation is like taking a shower…. You definitely should take one, but you’re gonna need another one soon.Do you know what DOES last? Necessity. When you absolutely need to do… Read More
Blog Directory > Spirituality Blogs > Religion Blogs > Missional Living religion Blog >
2021-07-10 14:33
Most likely, EGO is not your problem.
Most of us are driven by fear, more than hubris. It’s not that we think too highly of ourselves… it’s that we think too less… Read More
2021-07-10 14:27
“Forget politics.”
That’s what I told one of the people I’m coaching. She just stared at me.
“Think about YOU”, I continued. “Every action… Read More
2021-07-10 14:21
Life lesson #327: Building something you’ve already built, even when it’s unhealthy, is an easy trap to fall into. Most people assume that something ‘feels right’ &he&hell…Read More
2021-07-10 14:19
Some days I get tired. Some days I get sidetracked. I lose my focus. I just don’t see the results I thought I would see.And after some good rest and self-care, I remember why I started… Read More
2021-05-15 14:08
This morning I’m a couple of miles from home, and the clouds in the sky look like the bottom is about to drop out.
Which is kind of exciting.
See, I went on a morning walk toda… Read More
2021-05-12 14:29
This week I heard a woman say, “A sparrow wouldn’t trade anything for the way it feels to fly.”
And it rang true to me.
Progress, no matter how small, can feel a lit… Read More
2021-05-10 13:39
Welcome to The Middle.
Today is a new day. A fresh start. Last week (or last month) wasn’t the end. If you’re reading this, your story is still being written. Which is ju… Read More
2021-05-05 16:06
Facts.
This pandemic may have changed us in some ways. But more than that, I think it exposed us.
See, we were covering up the things that weren’t working. We’d become ma… Read More
2021-04-20 15:34
NINE years ago someone told me ‘just trust your gift’.
It took me a long time to figure out what that really meant… and how to actually do that. But he was right. And a… Read More
2021-04-15 14:51
I’d just wrapped up the first in a string of back-to-back meetings when I realized all my coolant was sitting in a puddle in the parking lot. Grrrrr. Full transparency: I hate car trou… Read More
2021-04-13 12:11
The more I talk with people, the more I realize how similar we are with each other. A lot of us merely accept the hand we’re dealt in life and spend our days trying to navigate what we… Read More
2021-04-11 13:43
2021-01-24 02:04
The past few times I’ve spoken to groups of business owners, I’ve shared my Not To Do list.
A To-Do list is a dangerous thing. If you’re not careful, it can become… Read More
2021-01-22 13:57
I’m a firm believer that winning the day begins with winning the first hour of the morning. We’ve all heard the science and the studies and the anecdotes of famous and succes… Read More
2021-01-21 01:52
Yes, the world seems to have gone crazy.
However, don’t give up on your resolutions and aspirations to become your BRAVEST self. As our word gets noisier and more uncertain, doub… Read More
2021-01-17 13:25
Memento Mori, Latin. “Remember you will die.”
Every day I’ve carried this Daily Stoic coin in my pocket for nearly 4 years now.
Every. Day.
Not out of some macab… Read More
2021-01-11 01:32
I’m reminded today that responsibility is really just response-ability.
Problems will rise up. Inconveniences will happen. You and I can’t control much around us, but we can… Read More
2020-12-23 19:55
The #1 lesson I learned in 2020 is this: Life is a game of inches.
For me, that meant doubling-down on the number of books I read this year and being SUPER intentional about what I put… Read More
2020-09-26 13:58
Realism = Optimism
Like most of us, I’ve been called lots of things. Some good, some terrible, and some were just well-intentioned… but hurtful. People I looked up to used to… Read More
2020-09-12 13:58
You feel me??
Who’s with me on this? You know those moments when you look back and think, “That sucked at the time… but I wo… Read More
2020-08-31 16:13
Just some honesty here… I remember being (literally) laughed at by a best friend when I told him I wanted to be a songwriter and make a record. As a kid, I took that embarrassment… Read More
2020-08-24 21:44
Saying the 14th and 15th letters of the alphabet is hard. In order to keep performing at your best and producing your best work, you and I have to become disciplined at saying no to the wron… Read More
2020-08-23 23:30
Am I crazy here??
This is going to get me on someone’s blacklist. I just know it. But the last one in our list is the most important one of all: Do everything you can to schedule le… Read More
2020-08-23 23:11
Tip #9 is short and simple. But, for some reason, hard for me to be consistent with.
Take a significant afternoon break.
Why? Because research shows when people work at home, the… Read More
2020-08-23 22:44
Email and social media is a never-ending game. When writing Unleashing Your Creativity, I felt so snowed under by email. I discovered it was like playing Whack-A-Mole: I could keep swing… Read More
2020-08-22 19:26
I need help with this one. I’ve never been one of those Sunday-afternoon-cook-and-cut-and-seal-and-label-it-all-for-the-week kind of guys. It’s never been my jam.
Ooohhh&h… Read More
2020-08-22 19:08
Mi familia. (minus one who was out of town)
Do you set any kind of Interruption Rules? To be honest, I struggle with this one. With all of us working from home and distance learning, tryi… Read More
2020-08-22 18:29
An often-overlooked no-brainer is the simple task of scheduling time with the family. As things evolve in our post-Covid world, everyone is dealing with uncertainty and unknowns. Be sure to… Read More
2020-08-22 18:05
Why do race cars make pit stops??
Think of yourself as a race car.
If you’re familiar at all with racing, you know that every so often a driver will pull into the pit. In fact… Read More
2020-08-22 14:13
Block time is super important for our productivity. If you’re not familiar with it, it just means you schedule time in your day for a certain thing. Things like working on your pre… Read More
2020-08-22 13:52
Tip #2 is simple. I start my work day with 2 questions: What do I need to accomplish? And what’s going to trip me up?
I keep a daily and weekly to-do list… (that’s… Read More
2020-08-22 13:39
When CoVid-19 took over our lives in March 2020, I began making notes about working from home… good and bad. Along the way, I’ve picked up at least TEN things that help mak… Read More
2020-07-28 19:25
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us feel like we’re navigating a dark period.
Here are 6 truths to help keep us grateful, hopeful and strong
Know that this too shall pass… Read More
2019-07-29 20:16
I’m just going to be honest here. It’s been a strange few days.
Some of our newest potential partnerships have fallen through in the last several days. There may be some areas… Read More
2019-07-09 15:35
For me, the goal of a vacation is to ‘recharge and refuel’. Rather than lying on the couch binging Netflix for a week, I prefer exercise for my body (road trips, sunshine, and th… Read More
2019-06-19 18:36
Every morning when I drop my daughter off at school, I tell her three things.
I love you.
Have a great day.
Be legendary.
I want her to know those things… Read More
2018-09-18 17:50
One of my biggest fans brought something incredibly important to my attention this week:
“I like it when you get dressed up, Daddy… you look really handsome!”
(You c… Read More
2018-05-10 20:08
When I was learning to draw, I had a good friend named Charles who had attended art school. He was excited to see me pick it up as a hobby. His wisdom to me was “drawing teaches you ho… Read More
2018-05-08 15:10
We all have creative play in our bones. We may have forgotten it, but it really is there. It’s in our DNA. We call it a ‘job’ or ‘work’ when it really should be… Read More
2018-04-05 20:58
House Concerts are trending now. Here’s why.
Click HERE to download the .pdf Read More
2018-03-22 14:09
*(non-musical/artistic post ahead…)
Every time we have a mass shooting, the conversation turns to gun control. Let me say at the outset that, while I am a licensed and carrying gun ow… Read More
2018-02-21 20:16
Pssst… this excerpt is taken from my new book ‘Unleashing Your Creativity: Lessons From A Reluctant Creative”. If you want more (like a FREE sample), just click here &mdas&hell…Read More
2018-02-15 17:37
‘Routine in an intelligent man is a sign of ambition.’
-W.H. Auden
Over the last month a LOT of people have asked about my morning routine. How did you write and publish a b… Read More
2018-02-12 17:37
In the Tom Cottar Music world, I’ve been blessed to grow a 1000+ member TRIBE of friends. Not just ‘fans’ or ‘supporters’. But real people I know and love. Peop… Read More
2018-01-22 20:26
From the new book,
“Unleashing Your Creativity: Lessons From A Reluctant Creative”.
I had written and performed a song titled ‘One More Mile’ for a local… Read More
2018-01-03 05:00
If the opposite of life is death, then the opposite of inspiration must be expiration.
Which is terrible.
Wouldn’t you rather inspire than expire? I know I would.
But sometimes&hellip&hell…Read More
2018-01-02 17:52
It’s official! The new book “Unleashing Your Creativity: Lessons From A Reluctant Creative” is out NOW.
If you’ve ever said the words “I’m not a creative… Read More
2017-06-13 15:10
2017-05-27 01:56
***Did you know 22 veterans take their own lives every day?
It was the kind of phone call you never want to receive…
It was one of Tom’s childhood friends who served multiple t… Read More
2017-05-22 18:10
Yep. Just sign up here and indicate what branch of military you or your spouse served in, and I’ll send you FREE music. It’s just my way of saying THANK YOU for your service.
Tha… Read More
2017-05-22 18:10
Yep. Just sign up here and indicate what branch of military you or your spouse served in, and I’ll send you FREE music. It’s just my way of saying THANK YOU for your service.
Tha… Read More
2017-05-18 19:35
The number of vets who take their lives every day.
Twenty-two.
Since we’re raising money with ‘On The Inside’ merchandise and downloads to help fight that, I’ll… Read More
2017-05-18 14:02
Our new single, “On The Inside” is now available everywhere you buy music!
AND we’re giving it away to veterans and their spouses…
AND we’re giving 20% of all… Read More
2016-12-06 22:05
What is a House Concert?
A house concert is exactly what the name says: a concert in someone’s house. But it could also be in a backyard or community center. It is a concert outs… Read More
2016-02-11 19:00
2016 Texas Songwriter Association Awards
I was pretty blown away a few weeks ago. In December, I submitted 11 songs to the Texas Songwriter Association (aka Austin Songwriters Group) so… Read More
2016-02-11 18:42
Click here to view the embedded video.Set your DVR to record the whole show! You can watch my interview/performance right here: Read More
2015-03-05 20:32
2015-02-12 20:02
Chosen as the Producer’s Pick, Tom Cottar performs his song ‘One More Mile’ for the Austin Songwriters Group Symposium (Jan 2015).
Click here to view the embedded video Read More
2015-01-23 22:05
Last week, I attended my first ASG Symposium here in Austin. It was my first experience of a 5-day event surrounded by such talented people, songwriters, producers, and genuine people. Stumb… Read More
2015-01-05 17:06
THIS WEEK, I’m honored to be the featured VIDEO over at CreativeMondays.net! Headed up by the amazing Tim Noxsinz, I got connected to the #CreativeMondays community several months… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
2006-06-07 11:16
Crazy central Texas floods, weather, and rain have made for an interesting week… First of all, YES, we are safe and dry. While we didn’t sustain any real damage (just a lack of… Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
After a LONG weekend in the studio, I’m stoked about this upcoming recording project! Thanks to many of you and the success of my Kickstarter campaign, we had an unbelievable time &hell…Read More
2006-06-07 11:16
After months of writing and performing, I’m hoping to get back in the studio to record a collection of my latest singer/songwriter material. I feel that this collection of songs are so… Read More
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