Hi friends. I am Scott Wurtzbacher. It’s really not about me, but I’m told that my readers want to know who I am, so here you go. I am a middle-aged dude who’s just trying to make sense of the world, to have a positive impact on it and to experience joy in the process. I’m a husband, a dad, a son, a neighbor, a small business owner, a leader and a spiritual seeker. I really don’t like labels, but those terms seem to best describe who I am or who I try to be most of the time. Like everyone, I have shadows and I could have just as easily described myself with dark descriptors. But, as humans we prefer to present our best selves to the world and so I’ve chosen to give you that in this introduction.
For most of my adulthood, I’ve lived a double life. I am an introverted extrovert, a sensing intuitive, a thinking feeler and a judging perceiver. Early to rise, I spend my mornings alone quietly reading, journaling and meditating with a good cup of coffee. (Hint: coffee should come after meditation.) I spend the rest of the day with people, leading my team in the business of real estate and being with my family in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I started this blog at the nudging of my very first official, spiritual teacher, Robert Holden, Ph.D. I’m so grateful to Robert and my peers in his Success Intelligence Mastermind 2020 for helping me to step out of my comfort zone to put my thoughts out to the world for others to experience.
What is a Maverick?
Maverick, played by Tom Cruise, is the main character in Top Gun. He was a showman and he had charisma. The other guys all wanted to be like him and he made all the girls swoon. Yeah, that’s not me. In the documentary series, The Power of Myth, Bill Moyers interviews Joseph Campbell who wrote The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Through both his book and the discussion with Moyers, Campbell helps us to see that spirituality does not depend on any one particular religion. It does however require us to find our own light within ourselves and to think and feel for ourselves. During that interview Campbell referred to himself as a maverick. I was moved by that comment because somehow that word explained something inside me. Oxford Languages via Google defines the word maverick as “an unorthodox or independent-minded person.” Tom Cruise in Top Gun was a maverick for sure. Joseph Campbell’s studies were deep and wide, but he ate the meat and threw away the bones. In that way, he was also a maverick. I’m not a showman, I’m not a religious and mythical scholar, but I am most definitely an independent thinker.
What is the Path of Personal Mastery?
The path of personal mastery is the journey each of us makes to become the best version of ourselves. For some, the destination at the end of the path seems clear, to others it’s only as clear as mud. But the destination doesn’t particularly matter as life is a collection of moments that make up the journey. We rise, we fall, we succeed, we fail, and for some there is self-actualization and transcendence. I’ve written more in depth posts called Along the Path of Personal Mastery and The Hero’s Journey so be sure to check those out to find out more.
Why Lotus?
The lotus, says Ishka.com, is “likely the most spiritual flower on Earth, the history and meaning of the lotus flower dates back thousands of years. An important symbol in many different cultures, particularly Buddhism, the lotus flower is revered as a symbol of rebirth, purity, self-regeneration and spiritual enlightenment.” I want to be a lotus flower. I would think that all people do, but perhaps I’m wrong about that. I’ve written more about this in my post, I’m a Lotus Dude!
Why Frog?
Fun fact: I almost titled this blog “Lotus Dude.” One day, however, I was reading Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. He was talking about how the serpent, which can take many forms represents the ego in many different cultures and their myths. Serpents can be snakes and dragons, but sometimes in more lighthearted, whimsical myths they can be represented as the less threatening frog. The story of The Princess and the Frog is a great example. This blog is meant to help us think differently, but it is my hope to keep it light and uplifting. Serpents exist in our lives. They are unavoidable and part of the human experience. But if we choose to see them as frogs instead of as dragons, perhaps they become just a little less scary. The path of personal mastery may be walking towards higher states of consciousness on the way to enlightenment, but the ego is along for the ride. In that way, the journey includes both the Frog and the Lotus, living together in the pond in peace and harmony.
