Here’s What You’ve Got, Now What Are You Going To Do?

I’m here at my Starbucks Office and I have two devices with me — my smartphone and my iPad. That’s no big deal, of corse. I see 17 year old kids on the bus with smart phones and a couple of iPads every time I take the train.

In other words, I’m not special in this regard. So, what have I got here?

I have immediate access to tens of thousands of songs through Spotify; more albums than the biggest Tower Records or Virgin Megastore ever had. I can listen to about 5,000 radios stations from all over the world for free with TuneIn Radio or program incredible, smart custom radio stations with Pandora.

Right now, I can choose to watch thousands of hours of video, including some of the greatest films and TV shows ever produced between YouTube, NetFlix, HBO Go, Huu and the ABC and NBC apps. Or I have access to hundreds of high tech training classes on Lynda.com that costs me $25 a month for as many courses as I care to watch.

I have access to over 20,000 books right now including all the classics. Philosophy, politic thought, business education, poetry, essays, fiction — all free through a variety of apps that give you access to great works now in the public domain. I’m carrying about 145 books on my Kindle — and I can instantly buy and start reading a new one.

I have tools to research, write and publish my own works — instantly and to people around the world. I could publish them for sale, as well — no startup costs. I could put on paid classes with no startup costs using AnyMeeting.com. I can host daily shows free on BlogTalkRadio.

My phone has a high resolution camera that shoots stills and videos. I can instantly broadcast this to people anywhere. I have apps that cost only a couple of dollars that do photo retouching, editing, and special effects.

I have the ability to write and record music, using software emulations that exactly duplicate everything from guitar amps to drum machines to choirs to expensive outboard recording gear. Then I put that music up online and charge for it.

The tools to market myself are all out there and available for free, too. Mailing lists, video marketing, newsletter publishing, e-commerce — it’s all in place, right this second.

You probably have this same capacity, more or less. If you don’t, you could save $10 a week for a year and have everything I just described. Or if you’re impatient, work a crappy job for about three weeks and you’d have the $500 or so you need.

You and I have all this stuff — are we using it? If not, why not? Seriously — why the hell not? the economy isn’t stopping you. “The rich” aren’t holding you back. The Obama administration isn’t in your way and neither is The Tea Party.

Maybe you don’t quite know what to do. Okay, go learn. The answers are all out there and you don’t need to apply or take out a loan. The information is out there, free or cheap

Probably you’re a little afraid. Okay, power through it. You aren’t used to having this much control. You don’t need permission and that’s unusual. Okay, welcome to the club. Nobody is really quite used to it yet.

Really. What are you waiting for? Get started. Then finish what you started. Then start something else. We’re all waiting.