Comments on: Life Lessons From Burning Man

By: Orlando A. Lebron

Orlando A. Lebron — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 15:39:16 +0000

Hey John,
This article has changed my view on life. It is so simple but yet so powerfull. We tend to complicate life, life is just a journey. The solution to overwhelm is to use the power of 3’s.

Thanks John..

By: Joseph Ratliff

Joseph Ratliff — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:09:01 +0000

John,

You even manage to turn burning fires in a desert into a life-lesson.

I love it man. Great stuff.
“Do not be fooled by poseurs. Stick with the real thing…”
That is written in my journal of quotes.

Joseph Ratliff

By: Craig Eubanks

Craig Eubanks — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:59:19 +0000

Hi John,

Missed you out on the playa this year. This was my 4th burn. The last 2 burns I brought a ‘virgin burner’ and it’s exactly as you say… they are quite overwhelmed.

One of the key points I think you left out was the importance of an experienced guide. In my case, it was having a camp of experienced burners. For my virgin burner friends, it was having me both during the prep stage, the burn itself, and the come back to “default world” stage as a guide.

The life lesson is about having an experienced mentor. As you were my mentor when I first learned copywriting. Having you review my copy in my first year as a rookie writer was invaluable and has had a lasting influence on my own radical self reliance as a copywriter.

I would love to swap stories with you at the next burn. I’ll be at Love Potion Camp. You can find us in the Playa Info directory. And if you would like to camp with us, we have a chill dome, bar, common kitchen and even hot water shower.

Cheers,
Craig

By: Glenn

Glenn — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:21:49 +0000

John, you are indisputably a Maestro. Your keen observations and insights, as well the ability to convey them in such creative and interesting ways, adds value to the lives of those who are fortunate enough to partake of them. As always, thanks again for sharing . . . it’s appreciated.

By: Dave Doolin

Dave Doolin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:25:49 +0000

First burn for me… had to leave this morning, but enjoyed no traffic driving conditions all the way back to East Bay!

Even having spent well over 500 nights outdoors, including a four month stint in “Southwest Asia” AKA The Middle East AKA Kuwait, Burning Man was still a little over the top.

But I’m going back next year as part of bigger, better organized group.

And there trance blasting from somewhere pretty much 24 hours. Strangely, I did not hear any Dead at all. Not a single lick. *That* was the most surprising thing of all.

My take on the whole thing is that Burning Man is what happens at the very top of Maslow’s hierarchy when there’s nothing else to do. We don’t seem to do much of anything else in USA anymore except collect bank fees, make fast food, and build giant outdoor art which we then proceed to burn down.

By: Matt Gallant

Matt Gallant — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:19:29 +0000

I’m really freaking sad NOT to be doing “The Burn” this year… I’m DEFINITELY there next year (God willing). Hope to see you there John…

By: Earnst

Earnst — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:59:14 +0000

Speaking as an armchair psychiatrist, I definitely believe it to be a mid-life crisis. The act of putting ones self at risk to prove nothing (at least nothing positive).

Sort of like a Rodney KIng complex, the end is never pretty.
Give the CHP the finger. Run till the Dodge Omni disintegrates. Get out and try to kick some ass.
Great plan. At least Rodney got a settlement and a place in history.

For Sale:
One red sports car. Low miles. Fat guys look great in it.
Call Frank

The nurse has arrived with my Propofol treatment.
Good night all.

By: Stu Patterson

Stu Patterson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:55:17 +0000

What’s better? The blog post or these comments.
Hard for me to say. And, as a token of gratitude I’ll leave you all with a great line from “3 Kings”.

They decided to go after the gold after finding the map in some iraq’s butt. The rookie’s are scared. Clooney’s character say’s

“You don’t get courage and then go do the thing. You do the thing and then you get the courage”

Being a rookie is where it’s at!

Thanks all.

By: John Carlton

John Carlton — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:16:19 +0000

You know that Perry got that advice from me, right?
And I nicked it from the great Gary Halbert — once, when I was having trouble writing an ad because I was trying to get fancy with the pitch, he said “Just sell the damn thing, John.”
It’s been a central tenet of what I teach for 20 years now.
Perry, a great friend, also realized the brilliance of it as soon as he heard it. (And, to be fair, I’ve learned tons from Perry myself.)
Just keeping the attributions clear.

By: John Carlton

John Carlton — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:09:45 +0000

Oh, thanks.
It’s taken me 40 years to forget “Hell Week” for high school football — 3-a-day workouts that left us bleeding, exhausted and broken in very tender places.
But you’re right. The sheer terror of the first one vanished by the third.
Until they made us defensive backs go one-on-one with the linemen for “kill him!” drills…