Hello friends, fans, and family, 
I hope that you are well and having a great day. Thank you for reading and sharing in my life. You are awesome. This blog "The Journal" is about my and things that I do. Putting this together is at a time when and while I am in most eyes a "no body" but I thought that if I start now then I started. So, come with me in my journey of life. I will do my best to try and motivate you and encourage you.

I am an actor so I will start with that. When I started my journey in the of acting I was not sure how to succeed. Most people success stories had one of two elements that I did not have. First thing is money, and two connections. I had neither but I was and am determined to succeed. So, I did and I do have determination. However, I had no clue as to how to go about doing anything. So, I did a lot of things over time and one of those things was take acting classes. I still enjoy taking acting classes but I am thankful that I know more now than what I knew then. I did my best to be a sponge and learn and research as much as I could. I asked many questions and researched acting and entertainment. My focus became TV and Movie acting. I tried to learn about this portion of the industry. I did have some limited success but it was not until I started doing background work that I really started learning.  Networking and meeting people is and was a very important part of my learning. I learned about the industry and about acting in general and specifically.  

Everyone one's journey is different but what I can say is that what is the same is the drive and determination that you will need to succeed in any industry. I am using acting as an example but you can apply and adjust the principles to help you in any niche. One step at a time and one day at a time is very important. Having a plan and objective keeps you focused. You will have failures don't be discouraged. Learn from it and improve and keep pressing on. You can do it. However, it does take efforts, time, determination, drive and discipline.  

​At the bottom of a mountain looking up it looks impossible but if you just focus on taking that next step you will reach the top in no time and wonder why you was so afraid. You can do it. Thank you for reading and this is my blog for today. I will post once a month and more if I am able. Thank you again. 

#isaacm #isaac #isaacmiddleton #thejourneyblog #cdbabymusic #life #lifestyle #retired #veteran #sagaftra ​

Hello friends, fans, and family, 
Thank you for checking out my new site about me. Ah, I may not share everything here but a lot will go here for your entertainment and maybe what I share may help you. As of right now and/or today we as in the world and everyone in the USA is trying to stay positive through this pandemic. The gyms are closed and social gatherings are prohibited. Few places remain open due to necessity needs. 
I workout more so that a good thing, haha. I am also eating healthier and working out at home. We are told that we can still go outside and take walks and such so I look to do that as well. I may start searching for a job in a few days as things remain uncertain. Hollywood jobs are non-existent right now so there is no amount of hustling will get some a gig.   

Being an actor is not easy and I think that everyone in entertainment is going through some sort of troubles at the moment. I have been posting more on YouTube. Maybe I can get some YouTube goals accomplished while I am here at home. I think that my YouTube channel is really growing. I don't know if I will be able to monetize this year but I am going to work towards that goal. I have been getting good feed back from my YouTube (YT) channel. I think that, that is a good thing. I always try to keep my videos entertaining and informative. My YT channel has come along way. I am totally happy with the progress that my channel has made over the years.  

(NEW) A quick update: With the stimulus bill passed and much needed relief on the way in the near future we can breathe a bit easier. Even though we are not out of the woods yet.  The crack down on public gatherings is still in affect and people has found new ways to communicate due to necessity. I am happy to announce that a monetary relief is on the way and as an out of work actor I know that this help is going to be needed. We in the entertainment industry do not know how long this is going to be but we remain steadfast. Moreover, the whole country does not know how long this is going to last. Most churches has been heavily affected. Most churches depended heavily on their members to pay bills and for day to day operations. When the people suffers the church suffers. Before I got I am going to post the information in regards to the CARE ACT: This information came from the: Tax Foundation.org website. I have linked the website so that you can read it yourself. 
"Key Updates

• Unemployment insurance provisions now include an additional $600 per week payment to each recipient for up to four months, and extend UI benefits to self-employed workers, independent contractors, and those with limited work history. The federal government will provide temporary full funding of the first week of regular unemployment for states with no waiting period and extend UI benefits for an additional 13 weeks through December 31, 2020 after state UI benefits end.
• The proposed recovery rebates will use 2019 tax returns (2018 if the taxpayer has not filed in 2019) to determine the advanced rebate amount and reconcile the rebate based on 2020 income. This means that taxpayers who receive a smaller rebate than they are eligible for based on 2020 income will receive the difference after filing a 2020 tax return, but overpayments of rebates due to a higher income in 2020 will not be clawed back.
• Employers are eligible for a 50 percent refundable payroll tax credit on wages paid up to $10,000 during the crisis. The credit would be available to employers whose businesses were disrupted due to virus shutdowns and those that had a decrease in gross receipts of 50 percent or more when compared to the same quarter last year. The credit can be claimed for employees who are retained but not currently working due to the crisis for firms with more than 100 employees, and for all employee wages for firms with 100 or fewer employees.
• Certain employer payments of student loans on behalf of employees are excluded from taxable income. Employers may contribute up to $5,250 annually toward student loans, and the payments would be excluded from an employee’s income.

On Friday afternoon, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed the House of Representatives by a voice vote. The President then signed the bill into law. The bill builds upon earlier versions of the CARES Act and is intended to be a third round of federal government support in the wake of the coronavirus public health crisis and associated economic fallout, succeeding the $8.3 billion in public health support passed two weeks ago and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. It is the product of negotiations between Democrats and Republicans for a bipartisan response to the crisis.
The CARES Act builds on the two former pieces of legislation by providing more robust support to both individuals and businesses, including changes to tax policy. The bill includes:

• Expanded unemployment insurance (UI) for workers, including a $600 per week increase in benefits for up to four months and federal funding of UI benefits provided to those not usually eligible for UI, such as the self-employed, independent contractors, and those with limited work history. The federal government is incentivizing states to repeal any “waiting week” provisions that prevent unemployed workers from getting benefits as soon as they are laid off by fully funding the first week of UI for states that suspend such waiting periods. Additionally, the federal government will fund an additional 13 weeks of unemployment benefits through December 31, 2020 after workers have run out of state unemployment benefits.
• $350 billion allocated for the Paycheck Protection Program, which is meant to help small businesses (fewer than 500 employees) impacted by the pandemic and economic downturn to make payroll and cover other expenses from February 15 to June 30. Notably, small businesses may take out loans up to $10 million—limited to a formula tied to payroll costs—and can cover employees making up to $100,000 per year. Loans may be forgiven if a firm uses the loan for payroll, interest payments on mortgages, rent, and utilities and would be reduced proportionally by any reduction in employees retained compared to the prior year and a 25 percent or greater reduction in employee compensation.
• Recovery Rebate for individual taxpayers. The bill would provide a $1,200 refundable tax credit for individuals ($2,400 for joint taxpayers). Additionally, taxpayers with children will receive a flat $500 for each child. The rebates would not be counted as taxable income for recipients, as the rebate is a credit against tax liability and is refundable for taxpayers with no tax liability to offset. The rebate phases out at $75,000 for singles, $112,500 for heads of household, and $150,000 for joint taxpayers at 5 percent per dollar of qualified income, or $50 per $1,000 earned. It phases out entirely at $99,000 for single taxpayers with no children and $198,000 for joint taxpayers with no children (see Chart 1). 2019 or 2018 tax returns will be used to calculate the rebate advanced to taxpayers, but taxpayers eligible for a larger rebate based on 2020 income will receive it in the 2020 tax season. Taxpayers with higher incomes in 2020 will see the overpayment associated with their rebate forgiven. For example, a single taxpayer with $100,000 in 2019 income would not receive an advance rebate but would receive the $1,200 credit on their 2020 return if their income for the year fell below the phaseout. On the other hand, a single taxpayer with $35,000 in income receives a $1,200 advance rebate but would not have to pay the rebate back on the 2020 return if they make $100,000 this year. This is structurally similar to the 2008 rebate design. We estimate the rebate will decrease federal revenue by about $301 billion in 2020, according to the Tax Foundation General Equilibrium Model. This credit is one-time, but policymakers may consider additional rebates if the downturn is prolonged."

So, what do I do to stay motivated? A lot of things really. one of the things that I do is workout. I enjoy working out and if helps me to focus. Another thing that I do is pray and read my bible. Yes, I enjoy meditating and God's word helps me to stay centered. He is my center and my spiritual core. Ah, I also like to draw and play video games. My computer is not working properly so streaming is not possible but sometimes I am able to get in a few games before my computer stops works, haha. I am also working on some new music and a book. All of these efforts keeps me motivated. I decided to stay focused and motivated this is not always easy but it is what i decided to do for myself. 

I am going to close with, during this pandemic we as people realize how short life is and can be. It seems like a long journey until you are at the spot where you thought that you would never reach. Whether it is an age, a place in life and/or an ominous goal. Once you get there all you can think is that I never thought that I would get here. Wow, I am here. Then, oh my I am here, haha. So, through it all keep your head up and stay focused and be safe out there.