Last night I was standing on the beach talking to one of my neighbors and we were marveling at the beautiful red sunset. In New Orleans, the sunsets were orange.

When you see a bright red sunset, you should think it’s pretty but you should also be thinking “I’m breathing all that in.” On the east coast, it’s called “the horizon.” On the west coast, it’s call “the smogizon.” During smoggier season, the air gets thick and it’s even hard to take a breath in certain parts of Los Angeles.

Why am I sharing this with all of you? Well, because I figured somewhere in Los Angeles there is someone who has an excuse not to be out there today meeting people. They’re thinking, “I can’t meet someone today. It’s smoggy. I can’t talk to someone when it’s smoggy.” So I thought I’d give them another excuse to add to their list.

So today to help you get out of excuseland, let’s talk about something you need to do this weekend while you’re out enjoying the summer . . . and walking around wondering why you don’t meet anyone with your iPod attached to you. Here is your tip of the day…

I’m going to dedicate this blog to one of my favorite Members, Lang, because he coined the phrase that inspired this blog: “Don’t be an iPod isolationist.” I’ve always called iPods “the anti-social device.”

So many people who complain all the time about not being able to meet someone are the same people who are plugged into their iPod all day long every day. Those people who walk around plugged into their iPod, not looking at anyone and texting people all day long, are the iPod isolationists.

The reason why you iPod isolationists have trouble meeting people is because the only thing you have going on is your iPod. When you’re out in public, do not be an iPod isolationist.

iPods are great to listen to when you’re working out on the treadmill, but not when you’re working out in the rest of the gym. If you’re in the middle of the gym working out with your iPod on, then you’re being an iPod isolationist and you’re never going to meet anyone there.

Another example is when you’re using public transportation. This is a great time to smile, flirt and talk to someone. Why would you want to be an iPod isolationist?

When you’re out and about walking down the street, this is another opportunity to avoid being an iPod isolationist. Do you really need theme music going on nonstop? No, you really don’t. You want to be open to all encounters with people.

So Lang, this blog is for you and the wonderful term that you invented “the iPod isolationist.” For all of you who walk around with your head plugged into a little tiny iPod all day long, it’s time to unplug and listen to the sounds of the universe and the world around you.

Just the other day I ran by somebody who was walking around with their iPod oblivious to everything and everyone around them. I wanted to walk over to him, yank it out of his ears and say, “Dude, you’re missing life!”

You don’t always need to be all about music. Start being all about life. You may be amazed at all the people you haven’t been meeting.

Anyway it had me thinking so I wanted to share a fun blog with you today.

In life, we never talk about ‘if.’ You all know how I feel about people that live their lives according to ‘if’: IF I can do this, IF I can do that…

A few weeks ago we did a blog asking if you could go back and actually meet one of your childhood crushes, who would it be? Today I have a different question for you: if you could be any type of performer, what would it be?

I saw Coldplay during the summer, and when I saw Chris Martin play in front of 20,000 cheering people – watching him jump on stage and seeing his energy – I thought to myself, would I want to be a rockstar?

All my life, I dreamed of being Joe Namath or some type of football star. “Fading back to pass, number 12, David Wygant, looking down the middle… looking left, looking right, here comes the blitz, running out of the pocket, he throws the ball… TOUCHDOWN!” Jumping up and down, winning the Superbowl, having 75,000 people scream my name – I thought that was a big thrill.

Or standing up at the plate: “number 47, David Wygant, left fielder for the New York Mets, three balls, two strikes, two men out…” Down 2-1, seventh game of the World Series, the crowd is silent, and then they start chanting, “Wy-gant, Wy-gant, Wy-gant.” Tip – foul tip… into the catcher’s mitt and he drops it! He’s still alive! “3-2, fast ball, he drives it over the left field wall, going, going, GONE!” A home run! Rounding the bases, hearing 75,000 people scream my name as all my teammates are jumping up and down waiting for me…

Maybe if i was playing for the Mets they would not be doing there annual September choke!! I love waking up in my London hotel room and logging on to see how the Mets bullpen blew it the night before!

Those are big thrills. But after spending the last ten years motivating everybody, teaching people how to connect with the opposite sex, and speaking in front of live audiences? I’ve got to tell you: while there is no greater rush than doing what I do right now, if I had to be somebody else, I would love to be a rockstar.

I love getting in front of a thousand people, getting them to laugh, getting them to react, and getting them to feel. But watching Chris Martin sing with his band was unbelievable – to be able to see 20,000 people swaying to your words.

It’s not just swinging a bat or throwing a ball. It’s actually crafting words and emotions into songs and then getting other people to feel through those. That’s power.

So that’s what I would be. What would you be? If you could be any type of performer, what would you be?

We’re talking sports hero, rockstar – any live performer. Would you be a musician? Would you be a conductor? Would you be a rockstar? Hell, maybe some of you even want to be Gloria Estefan! I don’t know why, but maybe some of you would want to be her. (Not that I have anything against her music, it’s just that I never want to hear it. I would rather hear nails scratching up and down on a chalkboard.)

Would you like to be a football or baseball star? What would it be if you could be any type of fantasy person? As a kid, you thought about this all of the time – but as an adult, more evolved, it will be interesting to hear your responses.

I would be a rockstar, because in my business I feel like a rockstar. When I get up and I coach all of you, or get up in front of people in a seminar, I feel like a rockstar. I get to relate and connect with every single person in the audience.

I already feel like I’m living a rockstar life. But if I had to take it to the next level, I would definitely have a band with three of my best friends. The problem is that none of us can sing or play any instruments – but this is a fantasy blog anyway! And as Mr. Rourke says, “smile, everyone, because the fantasy is yours!”