Posts tagged with time

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July 19, 2010

Be More Than the Average Person

The ones who do more than the average get extremely good results.

The man who works hard every single day gets the most compensation for his efforts, while the guy who works strictly on weekdays receives his standard pay.

The girl who dances without limits, who tries her very hardest, and instills passion in every twirl, jump, and hip movement will become a master of the dancing arts yet, while the competition practices at set times throughout the week, never straying from their schedules.

In our society, there are only people who do the standard affair and people who do much more than is necessary.

Generally, people aren’t comfortable being or doing more than they are. They will do as much as they can to keep from looking awkward, or weird, or self conscious. In the process, they end up looking like all of these things anyway.

Very few people are bold enough to be themselves. Those who are will do as they please, whistle as they walk, and throw paint on the bland and the dull to make it into art just because they feel like it.

As a result, these people are looked down upon. And it’s right that they should be, correct? I mean, how can they act so out of the ordinary and expect to be treated like everyone else?

And that’s just it. They don’t.

To be treated like everyone else is to be treated like jut another person. Just another worker bee. Another cog in society going where everybody else goes. This is why the bold decide to be different.

Because when at first they are ostracized, in time someone will say:

“Whatever you’re doing… that’s neat!”

And then another one will say that and then another. And another. And then, like magic, a movement is born and the one who is bold becomes the leader put in the front of it.

Why do you think the ones going against the norms are singled out? Why do you think they have an easier (or should I say, more fun) time getting to where they want to be?

Why do you think the ones who are different get extremely good results?

Because it makes them indispensable.

The world has enough people running around who are exact clones of one another. Those who have the guts to stand out and be different already realize this. And, inherently, the rest of us know it as well.

No one is born restricted

As children we are free to deem the world our oyster. But over time, we are given rules (through parental guidance or school training) that force us to obey. We are given orders to sit still and pay attention. Be quiet and draw within the lines.

Use the right colors for the right picture.

So as these rules are applied to the actions we do and to the way we live our lives everyday. Eventually it becomes a habit. And in the end, it becomes who we are.

But the few that break through this programming are the “glitches”. The individuals with a spirit that standardizing rules and behavior-management laws can’t control. These people are more than the average person.

How to be more

You too can be more than the average person. You don’t have to be another worker destined for corporate ladder climbership. You can create your own separate identity… an identity far more valuable than you ever imagined.

This is what you have to do.

1. Encourage breaks in perspective

Your perspective is your reality. When you see something happen that you never thought was ever possible, this is called a break in perspective. Find as many of these as you can. If you think you can’t do something because it seems way too out of the ordinary, assume you’re probably wrong. I would’ve never guessed that a mere child (Justin Bieber) would be the focus of the most popular video on a social networking site — and he’s not even that great of a singer. But what makes him stand out is that he’s different: he’s a child with a half-way decent voice discovered by Usher.

Look for the weird feats, believe in bold accomplishments, and aspire one in a million chances. You just might be able to pull one off.

2. Read the biographies of the indispensable

Do you think that you’re the only one pushing to be unique in a world of conformity? Countless others just like you are struggling to make the world their own. And through these struggles come amazing feats — the impact of which you should be taking advantage of.

With the “safety” of a consistent paycheck calling to you, it can be difficult to choose a path less beaten and control your own life. Fortunately, there are individuals who have already attained what you seek – a life that’s better than average – and you can use their accomplishments to fuel your desire.

3. Act with your own incentives

Average people have the typical incentives – marry so they can have kids, have kids because it seems like the next step, get a job so they can make money. Incentives that are taken up for little personal reason aren’t worth shooting for. Aim for incentives that are all your own and greatly improve your enjoyment of life.

Do you think the artist paints because art sells? No, he paints because he loves to do it. The extraordinary dancer dances because it’s her passion. From embracing what you enjoy, you gain personal fulfillment and acceptance.

So don’t be one who goes with the flow. Get a job that you love. Live a life that you’ll love. Take on challenges that inspire you to have them bested.

Act with your own incentive.

4. Infuse quality with time

There is no such thing as “closing time” on a mind motivated above the average. Even more so, there is also no such thing as working 9 -5 or any sort of set time line. If the work you get enjoyment from requires you to do a project that will take most of the day to complete, you wouldn’t complain. Because it’s your work.

You can never work too much or toil too little, as long as every minute is dedicated to quality. Long ago, time was perceived to be valuable. Farmers took great care in making the most delicious crops around. Owners took great pains to see their customers smile.

Now, we are in a time where quality is sacrificed for the sake of speed and efficiency. Just getting a product out matters more than creating quality. The average person values time over quality. The above average person values both.

The average person wastes time doing needless tasks. The above average person invests time in quality, understanding that value takes time to make.

You don’t have to be average

This took me a while to realize, being swamped underneath the delusion of “saving time” and “making deadlines”. While these things are vital tools in motivating you to do great work, never sacrifice yourself or your uniqueness just to get by and get things done. Chances are you’ve been “just getting by” your entire life. Doing just enough to pass on to the next stage.

Forget the next stage and forget about passing on. I used to always tell myself, “I can’t wait until this tedious period in my life is over, then I can do what I want”. Foolish words I know them now to be. If you can’t control your life now, then you’ll never be able to. This is something the average person already knows, but refuses to accept.

Until the day they die, they will live under the heel of someone else’s paycheck, most likely that of their boss. And when their social security checks come in, whether they’re currently working or not at the ripe, old, go-crazy-with-your-money age of 65, then they will know:

To live as average is to live a life controlled by others. You have to be more to be free.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Llima

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July 6, 2010

Get in the Habit of Speaking in the Present Tense

There comes a time when talking about the past gets old, or at least, older than you make it out to be. It seems like such a big deal when we talk about it, but you have to realize that talking about matters long gone doesn’t really help you.

What it does instead is delay action:

I’m sorry to hear that you didn’t get the score you wanted, but what are you going to do to fix it? I can see that you’ve gained some weight since your surgery, but what’s your next course of action?

Even when talking about past accomplishments:

Congratulations on successfully selling your first product to a hungry audience, but what about your second? I’m happy to hear that you’ve lost a lot of weight, but what are you doing about it?

I know that you’ve done remarkable things, but who are you inspiring right now?

This shows that a matter of the past is not one of the present. You’ve already experienced it; why bother making yourself relive those moments day after day, month after month, or year by year?

Act presently

Now given this advice, one would suggest that you speak instead of new goals as opposed to old ones.

This too is counterintuitive. Whether you’re living in a past long gone or trying to exist in a future unknown; talking about either serves no purpose.

I used to tell myself this all the time, but I don’t think I’ve ever truly listened until just recently. Evidence for this lies in the fact that I constantly wrote about how much of a pain my past was to deal with.

Family issues, high school insecurities, things like that.

Still, as if to ease my conscience, I reiterated to myself countless times:

“What’s happened in the past is done. I’ve long since moved on.”

“The future will be much brighter. Can’t wait until then.”

I believed that if I told myself this enough times, I would be able to move on. But in the end, that wasn’t what helped me move past these hangups.

What did help me was something that I think most of us tend to overlook when trying to get over the past: I zipped my lips on what I couldn’t presently control.

Which statement is worth more?

I’m looking for a job or I will look for a job?

I’ve practiced for six hours or I’m practicing for six hours?

Use present choice to do what matters now

The past can be left behind by the choices you make now. If you failed before, does that warrant you to think that it will happen again?

No, it doesn’t.

You can choose to use your past experience as a teacher, to help guide you towards success. Or you can choose to remain stagnant, obsessing over what’s already finished.

As with most things in life, choice is everything. The ball is already in your court.

Editor’s Note: I had a post all ready to go on Monday, but due to my sheer dislike for it, I deleted it. I ultimately found it unoriginal and not worth publishing in the first place.

My apologies to those who shared the post minutes before I sent it into deep web space.

Creative Commons License photo credit: gcfairch

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July 1, 2010

The Truth Behind Doing Work You Love

The other night, while I was working on my e-book (details coming soon), I asked myself why I was doing this. Why go through so much pain for one e-book when I can spend my vacation basking in the sun or getting paid the traditional way?

Let’s sit on this idea for a second. It’s summer. There are jobs that I could’ve easily applied for and gotten hired to do. I know plenty of people who could recommend me for very good positions.

So, why am I busting my butt trying to get this e-book done instead of selling out and getting employed like the greater portion of college kids my age do? Why am I doing such hard work that’s so far been yielding me no payment?

I’m not going to get any sort of medal. Maybe a few thousand people will get to see the result of my hard labor. Even fewer will decide to purchase it.

It’s funny that when I’m in the thick of difficult work that I ask myself this. And then the answer came to me, as if I was struck by neural lightning:

Because I enjoyed doing it.

But in an instant, I had another conundrum. I already knew that I enjoyed it. But why is it so difficult? I thought doing what you love was supposed to be easy?

Then another answer came to me in my somewhat enlightened state:

For anything to be a success, hard work is necessary. Hard work is what separates the winners from the losers; the expendable from the indispensable.

A wake-up call already woken up to

Somewhere along the line, we’ve seem to have forgotten the adjective that goes in front of the word “work”.

All the time I hear the gurus say we should be doing “work that matters”. Instead we should be telling ourselves to do “hard work” that matters. I don’t know about you, but I get the notion that most of us think doing what we love is going to be easy.

That the four-hour work week is acquired by working for four hours of week from the get-go.

That doing what you love is all fun in the sun while you get to work from anywhere.

Unfortunately, when you actually test that theory, it’s proven that only the opposite is true.

Whether you’re pushing pencils, or striving to increase awareness about the impact humanity is having on the world. Whether you’re a famous actor on the stages of Broadway, or sitting at the desk in another one of those gray cubicles. Whether you’re doing what you love or doing what you hate.

It all takes hard work.

Hard work and passion go hand in hand

“When you live for a strong purpose, then hard work isn’t an option. It’s a necessity.” – Steve Pavlina

When you really care about something (maybe you want to start a movement and bring change) you can’t mull around expecting someone else to take the first step. Or rather, you won’t let yourself do that.

You already know, as if instinctually, that intention backed up by action makes things happen. As Steve says, hard work is a necessary element in order for your goals to be realized.

There are no shortcuts

“There is no substitute for hard work.” – Thomas Edison

There are no lottery tickets in life that will dramatically increase your odds of success. Hard work has existed all these years for a reason. It’s the only tried and true way to successfully doing what you love.

The only shortcut to hard work is less work, which in the end leads to a higher chance of you not succeeding.

Greatness is not obtained through a slack work ethic

“Unless you are willing to drench yourself in your work beyond the capacity of the average man, you are just not cut out for positions at the top.” – J.C. Penney

Alright, we know hard work matters and that it is necessary, but how much of it are we supposed to do? The answer is however much it takes to get where we want to be.

Anybody can do hard work for a few hours. Take a look at how many people work part-time. But less can remain dedicated for a few months. Even less so can stay hard workers for years.

This is why there are so few at the top. Not because they took shortcuts or free-rode on the backs of the more dedicated. But because they understood that hard work is what rules all.

The truth behind doing what you love

The truth is that doing what you love requires you to work much longer and harder than your employed counterparts for no pay whatsoever (at least in the beginning). The paycheck you seek is not coming at the end of every bi-weekly period.

But what matters much more than the time invested, the money lost, and the sweat put in is that you are doing what makes you happy and what others can enjoy.

Is this not what life is about? The pursuit of happiness? I can hear the naysayers already, telling me that this pursuit is imaginary and the “American Dream” was lost long ago.

I beg to differ.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography

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May 24, 2010

75 Life-Changing Truths Written While Lying on the Grass

Wrote most of these Saturday evening while (as the title already tells you) lying on the grass outside. They were compiled to get myself out of boredom and now I feel inspired again.

Enjoy!

1. Whenever you focus heavily on an outcome, you rarely ever get it

2. Ultimately, nobody really does care about you more than yourself

3. People love children more than adults because they’re so unpredictable (in other words, act like an adult, but live as a child)

4. It’s very hard for people to follow others’ advice, even more so their own

5. A mountain’s worth of effort will get you anything you want

6. Laying on the grass isn’t as bad as I thought it would be – it’s actually quite freeing

7. What people may think of you matters nothing compared to what you think of yourself

8. The stuff that people try to distract you with (their words, their praise, their criticism) – that is noise. Filter that out and find the true meaning within

9. Complaining alters nothing (or at the very most, alters very little). For maximum impact, physically do something about it

10. I’ve found that people don’t like hearing the truth. That’s why I have this blog. This way I won’t have to argue, plead, or shout to be heard. All I have to do is type

11. Television, movies, books, even blogs – they serve as an escape from reality. But that doesn’t mean you can’t take lessons from them to change your own reality

12. I’m almost certain that I would be happier as an animal than as a human. At least I’d actually live everyday as if it was my last

13. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sex. Just be smart enough to know when and how to do it

14. Sometimes, you just need a break from your normal social circle. I’m lying in the grass instead of going to the movies. What are you doing?

15. If I can make $200 doing what I love (writing on this blog) then so can you doing what you love. Just prepare to work your ass off

16. You really don’t need as much as you think you do

17. Minimalism does not mean to be happy having absolutely nothing. It means being content with having manageable amounts of stuff

18. Placating others for them to like you is low-class behavior

19. I could’ve chosen to be miserable and bored, but instead I’ve decided to make myself happy and write. Are you listening? You can change how you feel in an instant

20. Don’t seek a reaction from other people. Do what you want because YOU want to

21. How can you [blank] another if you can’t even [same word] yourself? Nearly any verb will do

22. Appreciate all music. It is created from the raw emotion of a composer

23. School is only fun from grades Pre-K through 2nd grade. From then on, you have to start breaking the rules to keep from being bored

24. Learning isn’t really that much fun. It’s just interesting. Applying knowledge > witnessing someone else apply knowledge > reading/learning about it

25. The greatest pleasures in life are requited love and doing what you love

26. I used to get scabs all the time. They were the battle scars gained as children waging the war on boredom through play

27. Stories matter

28. Focus on the ‘why’ rather than on the ‘what’. Life instantly becomes more meaningful

29. Don’t let inspiration go to waste. Act on it, just as I’m doing right now

30. College focuses too much on memorization and grades than on what you actually learn to internalize

31. The teachers who have inspired me are the ones who I remember the most

32. Accept the fact that you can’t be the best at everything

33. Science rules the world. Even emotion (although metaphysical) is based in science

34. All emotions are contagious – enthusiasm, depression, anger, you name it

35. White lies are better than regular lies; at least you’re acknowledging the truth rather than completely disregarding it

36. Ignorance is truly bliss. Didn’t even know what racism was until I learned about it in school

37. Farting in public will always be hilarious, no matter how old I get

38. Sometimes it’s better to be a jerk than to be a nice guy

39. The happiest people are the ones who get paid for doing what they love instead of what they like or what they don’t really care much for

40. Everyone is judgmental. Deal with it. You cannot deny human nature

41. Cool, calm, and collected; that’s how you carry on business

42. Certain people will always try and find a way to show your success in a negative light

43. Where are your balls? The opportunities are right in front of you. Take them

44. Why do people keep on living when death would be so much easier? Because life is fleeting and death is forever

45. Doubt really sucks. It serves no purpose other than to keep you from trying something new (okay, and maybe keeping you from getting yourself killed, but still)

46. Public speaking is only scary when you don’t know what you’re talking about

47. Having superpowers wouldn’t make life that much easier. You’d just have a lot more crap to deal with

48. With great power comes a lot of people asking you for help

49. Men and women are actually not that hard to figure out, as opposed to popular belief

50. No lock is impenetrable. You just need to find the right key (never said it would be easy to find though)

51. If religion just feels like an extra set of rules to follow, don’t practice it

52. In fact, if a certain action is more trouble than it’s worth, cease and desist

53. You can’t choose who or what you’re attracted to. It’s a DNA thing

54. Being a skeptic of a traditionally-held idea is positively exhilarating

55. Push your creativity to the breaking point. Your best ideas will be just beyond it

56. Your reaction to a situation is more important than the situation itself

57. To be able to change your life, you have to be bold

58. The world does not reward those who expect things or feel entitled to outcomes

59. There is no point in fearing the things that cannot possibly kill you

60. Nobody knows what you’re thinking until you tell them (or show them)

61. People try new things (good and bad) because they’re bored

62. Your thoughts come through in your body language; if you’re confident, you stand tall or lean back. If you’ve got low self-esteem you slouch and flinch easily

63. It’s not worth it traveling to other countries if you’re just going to sight see. Actually, “live” inside another country

64. Hesitation, fear, and excuse-making are the things that keep the “right time” from happening

65. Without respect, no relationship can prevail

66. Boredom is death within life

67. Everything starts in the enigmatic properties of your mind. Your perception is everything

68. You cannot be completely neutral in this world. Pick a side on your own before peer pressure forces you to

69. Express yourself any way you can: laughing, living, writing, loving, drawing, blogging, singing, working, cooking, building… the list goes on and on

70. People will remember you for what you did more than what you said

71. There’s a reason everyone harps on aging; youth is the only span of time when your stamina, body, and mind are at their highest performance

72. Your problems are not unique. Somebody on this planet is sharing the same pain you are

73. On the flip side, with regards to #72, you could also say the same for accomplishments and joy

74. You think you are any different from the people that inspire others? You too have the ability to inspire

75. Everyone has gifts. It’s up to them to find the value in their own abilities, to find the light underneath their dark, to find the blessing within their curse

Creative Commons License photo credit: Gibson Claire McGuire Regester

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May 20, 2010

The Do’s and Don’ts of Being a Self-Starter

Becoming a self-starter has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Sometimes I ask myself why I didn’t think of this sooner.

No longer do I blame other people for my own personal hangups – I take responsibility for them myself.

No more do I feel like I’m doing what I do just because I have to. Far from it, actually; it’s because I want to.

No further do I feel like the only people who can become self-starters are of a special breed… because I too am one.

What a self-starter does

- If he/she has a certain itch – just wants to try something new – the self-starter won’t hesitate to do it

- sees things through to the end, no matter how hard they may seem. Unless he is failing and making mistakes at a much higher rate than he succeeds, there is no reason for the self-starter to give up

- tries his best to wake up at the crack of dawn and works until the darkness of the night on the things he enjoys doing

- sees the value in constructive, but not destructive criticism (in other words, feedback that builds up from, not reinforces, mistakes that’ve been made)

- gathers insight and creativity from any and all things

- sees work and play as one and the same

- constantly tests assumptions

- takes responsibility for his own life and actions

- does whatever it takes to GSD (get sh%t done!)

- batches the little things while focusing in on the really tough tasks

- searches for the simple solution every time

- follows these rules:

What a self-starter does NOT do

- take no for an answer, when it comes to attempting something remarkable

- putting time and effort into things that aren’t aligned with his goals

- take breaks longer than he works

- give up

- obsess over the little things

- let fear rule over him

- watches television for extended periods of time

- make a plan to follow, a direction to stay true to

Why be a self-starter, you ask? Simply put, because anything YOU start is through your efforts alone. Nobody is forcing you to live up to some ideal, or follow some questionable creed. No one can claim it (your life, your self, your work) – no one but you.

Rebel’s Manifesto stolen from Lance’s awesome blog post at the Jungle of Life, and credited to Keri Smith of the Wish Jar.

Creative Commons License photo credit: stuartpilbrow

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March 23, 2010

The Story of Our Lives: We All Live in a Cycle

Why is everyone marching in the streets, clean cut, walking steadily, briefcase or purse in hand, walking in a straight line? Why do the buildings all seem to be of the same structure and style – of a dingy grayish brown or maybe a black? Suits and ties abound, I am trapped in one line of people of many lines. I snap out of the trance I’ve found myself in. I think myself to have been trapped in a dream, and now I’m awake, my body moving on its own.

I too am marching. My hair is combed, as dark as the coffee I’m holding in my left hand, and as clean as the the briefcase in my right.  I’m in similar wear as my unofficial comrades. My body is still under the control of some suppressive force. I turn my head as we cross the streets downtown, and I look in the reflection of the windows across the buildings. I see a bewildered, confused face among several thousand forward facing bodies. I decide that enough is enough; I have to get out of here. I try to move. I can’t. Such will it takes to regain control! It feels like I’m trying to lift a bus, but all I’m really trying to do is tell my mind to jump out of line.

Suddenly, after 5 minutes of intense focus behind a sweaty brow, I move. I’m on the ground, breathing heavily. I’m unaware as to how I got here; how everyone got here. Where did we come from? Where are we going? I look up at the marching bodies, watching them remain entranced by whatever it is they are following. I find a lamppost and climb as high as I can. I try to get a glimpse at the beginning of the line. I cannot see it.

I ask myself again, “Where is this place?” Judging by the surroundings, I know that we are in the middle of some downtown metropolis. There are no street signs; somehow everyone just knows where they’re headed. I feel lost. My mind begins to resume hypnosis. I think to myself that maybe I should follow them and see where it takes me. What could be the harm in that? I run up to one of the drones and ask if he knows where he’s going. He looks at me like I’m crazy and tells me its obvious. He points ahead. I tell him that I don’t see anything but more bodies marching. He ignores me and keeps marching.

I ask a young lady where everybody is going. She tells me that’s a stupid question and says it’s obvious. I ask her why it’s obvious and she retorts that she doesn’t know, it just is. I ignore her.

I take a seat on the sidewalk and contemplate how I’m going to get home. Suddenly, I have a flashback. It’s of a time before I got here, I’m sure. I’m walking out of a building. I’m saying to myself that when I get to my next destination everything will make sense. I’m walking out of another building. I’m again saying that everything will make sense, after I finish this step.

The flashback moves to just yesterday. I’m putting on my suit and tie. I look in the mirror. The wrinkles of age are starting to form. My hair is combed, my suit is pressed. I again tell myself that I am almost there. The flashback ends.

“Almost where?” I say to myself as I’m sitting on the sidewalk. I look up at the sky, past the incessant marching and past the skyscrapers that tower above us. The cloud are shifting across a very light blue canvas. I feel myself smiling up at it. As I rise to stand, I look back the marchers and stare at their faces. They don’t notice me, not even the sky. Their faces are stoic, undeterred. They won’t even look at the sky. A tear almost comes to my eye. In an instant I’m filled with rage. With a great fury I’ve never felt before, I rip off my tie and grab my shoes off. I messy up my hair and yell at the top of my lungs. I shout at them, “What is wrong with you people?!”

They don’t answer; they just stare. Some snicker, some point, some stick their noses up. They believe myself to be below them. I almost start laughing myself. Me? Inferior to you? Without thinking, I rush into the crowd. Chaos ensues. I do not try and fight them, for I am no fool. I only wish to see what is spearheading this movement. Who is leading this progression of sheep? And where is this journey leading them to? Bodies went everywhere. Women screamed at me, thinking their chances of getting ahead were ruined. Men roared at me, thinking my stunt was done solely to disrupt the order. They grabbed at me, trying to get me to stop. I did not care, nor did I look back as I progressed forward. The truth lay onwards. That’s where I was headed.

Their cries got louder as I neared to what I thought was the front. I was knocked down several times; maybe kicked. I can’t say that I didn’t feel their blows, but I was imperturbable. I was almost there. I would go to the leader of this mob and force him to tell me why I was here. At the front stood the final line of savages, both men and women. I stood, awaiting their response. I know what they saw. A young man of a minority, hair disheveled, clothes torn, tie and briefcase missing. I may have been bruised and carried with me a few bloodstains, but nothing else mattered anymore. I told myself that I will see the truth of this world.

They saw the determination in my eyes. The suited gatekeepers knew what would come if they denied me entry. To my surprise, they stepped aside. At this, the chaos behind me grew to levels unimaginable. There was no time to question the change of heart of the gatekeepers. I leapt pass them, leaving for them the mob whose new goal was to see me suffer.

All of a sudden, there was darkness; save for one strip of light on the ground leading forward into nothingness. I walked on it for what seemed like hours. Enraged, I bolted to get to the end. Then I stopped and realized…. maybe there wasn’t an end. I stepped off of the path of light, into the darkness. I took a few steps. Through the darkness, I saw an old man holding a tattered book. My heart raced. This man wasn’t wearing a suit, but he was in rags. He turned and looked at me. Our eyes met. I gulped. He smiled. I asked him why he was doing this to everyone.

“I have done nothing”, said the old man. “You came here yourself. Remember?”

“Everyone else…we all came here…why?”

“You and everybody else…you all see the same vision. You all came for and desire the same thing. Happiness. A beautiful family. Material objects of momentary value. You may think you are different, but you’re the same as the rest.”

“That’s not true…at least not anymore. I know what I want. Happiness…a family…material possessions…they will come when they are ready, but I know that they are not the end. My success, that is the end!” I yelled.

“You still do not understand, boy”, the old man said. “There is NO end. There will never be an end. It is all merely a cycle that this book has denoted for those who accept it.”

“We…accept a cycle?”

He shrugged and slowly handed me the tattered book. I took it and held it up within the darkness. My eyes adjusted. The title was “History”.

“We are all living in history. Even now…we accept and internalize our own cycle. What happens earlier in the cycle we cannot change. Who we are born to, where we are from, what is in our past; we cannot alter that part of the cycle. But what has not yet occurred…that is what we can change. You and everyone else out there, will eventually die, but will be reborn in someone else: your offspring. It is a perpetual cycle and all individuals must exist within that cycle. Those who do not are already dead.”

“So, I’m dead since I stepped off of that path of light over there?”

“No! – sigh – Everyone out there, that mob you fought your way through, they are all on the same path. You have been on that path as well. Your entire life: primary school, elementary school, middle school, high school, college, graduate school, and now wherever you were heading before; you’ve been going in the same direction. The moment you leapt of off the path, you created a new cycle for yourself. A new path, so to speak.”, said the old man.

“I…understand now.”

“Good!”

“But, but, you! Who are you? How did I -”

“Our conversation ends here. It’s time we went our separate ways”, replied the old man.

“BUT-”, I start to say, but it’s too late. Darkness once again consumes everything: the old man, the light path, myself. But out of the corner of my eye I see a something coming out beneath my feet and starting forward. It’s a blue streak jutting out in front of me; a different path.

Deep darkness…

I open my eyes. I’m on my bed, in my family’s old apartment building. The place we used to stay at before we moved. I remembered my old friends…I still smile when I think about them.

Then I remember what just happened. I rush to the bathroom to check myself out. I look in the mirror and see a man with curly dark hair, a white t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and four-o’clock shadow on my face. I think to myself that I am on a different path.

Back in the living room, I see my laptop on the old computer table. Then I remember my passion. I sit down thinking of the possibilities. I get to work.
Creative Commons License photo credit: the bbp

13 comments

March 21, 2010

Get Rid of Bad Habits By Replacing Them With Better Ones

Everyone has bad habits that they know they shouldn’t be cultivating. Whether it’s something that’s just annoying and you can’t help but do (biting your nails used to be a big one for me), or whether it’s downright gross (picking your nose in public is nasty), bad habits can sometimes get the best of you.

As a college student, it’s easy to let bad habits manifest (like procrastinating), but I’ve gotten the best of them by simply replacing them with better habits.

Some thoughts for you before you check out my new habits:

Practice = habit

If you want to get good at something, make it a habit. For example, whenever I have a really interesting thought I’d like to share, I write a post about it. I’ve been doing this every week for almost a year.

Bad habits make you feel BAD

If you don’t know what a bad habit is, analyze your actions in this respect: the habits that are bad make you feel bad while you are doing them. Another example, procrastination, ALWAYS makes me feel like crap because I know what I’m doing feels wrong. If you don’t feel good doing something that you’re choosing to do, why do it?

Behavior change takes more than just word-of-mouth

You have to really want to change in order for change to occur. Writing down words and spouting empty promises does nothing to change who you are. It takes guts, practice, and ultimately, WILLPOWER. This is a prime example of willpower from my blogging buddy, Josh, over at The World’s Strongest Librarian.

Without further ado, here’s my list:

Given up – Watching television

What I do instead – I watch whatever I want online. I no longer have to wade through channel after channel waiting for something interesting to come on. Thank god for Youtube and Hulu.

Given up – Watch local news

What I do instead – I’ll spend a few minutes skimming the world news headlines, but read articles that are especially of interest

Given up - Multi-tasking (The stereotype that women are better multi-taskers has some truth to it)

What I do instead – It’s easier to do one thing at a time. I just can’t concentrate on lots of activities at once anymore. In end, I just feel like I’ve gotten nothing done.

Given up – Going on Facebook for hours everyday

What I do instead - Spend more time on Twitter and other quick social media outlets for maybe thirty minutes every few hours or so. I learn so much more on Twitter because everybody is sharing links and actually communicating, whereas Facebook just has people’s static profiles to look at.

Given up – Hanging out with people not worth my time

What I do instead – Get to know people who make me feel good about myself, inspire me to act, and are positive influences in my life.

Quick tip: Remember, your time is valuable. Don’t waste it.

Given up – Talking on the phone for close to an hour

What I do instead – Spending time on the phone is okay, but in general it’s not something that I particularly favor. If conversation end up being over an hour on the phone, you might as well go visit the person on the other end and talk face to face. I tend to stick with short messages over the web, but long phone convos if I haven’t heard from them in a while.

Given up – Biting my nails

What I do instead – I keep my nail clipper in more convenient spots (like in my side drawer). That way I can just clip them whenever I need to.

Given up – Sleeping until noon

What I do instead – I wake up bright and early every morning feeling really energized and ready to start the day. What they say about feeling productive in the morning isn’t a lie. You feel much more in control (and not like you’ve wasted an entire day).

Given up - Drinking only juice everyday; eating only junk food

What I do instead – When you think about it, it’s not that difficult to switch to drinking just water everyday. All you have to do is stop making juice and junk food accessible. Changing your eating habits is understandably much more difficult, but, again, it really all starts with what you buy.

Given up – Playing video games for hours on end everyday

What I do instead – I used to be a huge video game fanatic. Everyday would be spend investing hours into games that I would finish and the proceed to play again and again, just to get the same feelings of enjoyment and accomplishment. Of course, as the law of diminishing returns implies, I eventually would get bored and stop playing certain games for years. My alternative now is playing for maybe 7 or so hours in a day once every few months, or maybe 2 hours everyday for three days before stopping for a couple of weeks.

These are just a few examples, but what I’ve gained from replacing my habits is invaluable. I don’t feel like my habits are controlling me. I feel as if I’m living the way I WANT to live.

Any bad habits you’ve replaced recently? Tell me how you did it.
Creative Commons License photo credit: rawbin underwater.

9 comments

March 12, 2010

How to Become a Master

Every truth that has ever been released into the world (either through specific people or literature, to name a couple) has been only able to have been done so by a master. The computer’s that we use, the clothes that we wear, the books that we read – they all have been created by individuals who KNOW their stuff.

I have a friend who is an incredible artist. If you show him a picture of a horse, he can throw together a near perfect sketch in just a few minutes. When people see his art, they are instantly amazed. They tell him that he has talent, that he is a genius, that he is a master. I agree with them; I too believe that he is a master, even at his ripe, old age of 20 years old.

There’s no way he can be a master, right? I mean, he’s so young! How can he possibly be so talented? These words went through my mind constantly, letting myself become envious of my friend the “genius” artist. So one day, I got up the courage to ask him how he became so talented. I walked up to his room, knocked on his door, glanced at his art after he let me in and asked, “You have to tell me…how did you get so good?” A modest man, my friend smiled. He did not feel the need to boast because he knew what it took to become as good of an artist as he was.  In response, he said,

“Years of practice, John. Years of practice.”

Nobody is born with talent, but everyone is born with curiosity

My friend was not special. He had no advantage that I didn’t have. And yet, he was a master in his own right. He drew from a very young age, and continued draw for many years until art just came naturally to him. It became a part of him because he gave all of himself to such an interesting craft.

It’s kind of the same as me and writing. Now while I don’t consider myself a master writer (far from it, actually) I remember creating stories and drawing for as far back as I can remember. I recall having a knack at conveying emotion in both my art and my writing. But I remember telling myself when I was just starting out that drawing well was difficult and I would have to practice just to get fairly decent. I would eventually stop the drawing (I’m getting back into it over the summer), but writing was something that I could not give up.

This all came about because was just curious as to how words could constructed into a sentence so eloquently that it would bring forth emotion in someone else.

Little did I know that one day, I would use this “talent” to start my own blog.

Practice as much as you can

I understand now that to become a master requires you to first be a practitioner. Even if you aren’t good at your craft the first time, through repetition, understanding, and the integration of external knowledge you can obtain on your subject, you can eventually become a master:

“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” – Albert Einstein

Immerse yourself in the thing you want to be good at the most. Become better than anyone else by practicing longer than you think anyone else would practice. That’s really all it takes.

Creative Commons License photo credit: Victor Bezrukov

2 comments

February 23, 2010

Watch The Lemonade Movie: Do What You Love

Dear reader, for your viewing pleasure, I bring you a documentary about crushing failure and independent success. Don’t waste time reading what I have to say. This documentary is 35 minutes long, but trust me, it’s well worth it.

Here’s a little description courtesy of Lemonademovie.com (a review post to follow later this week):

What do people who were once paid to be creative for a living do when they’re laid off? They get creative with their own lives. Lemonade is an inspirational film about 16 advertising professionals who lost their jobs and found their calling, encouraging people to listen to that little voice inside their head that asks, “What if?”

All resources for Lemonade were donated. From cameras to lights to flights, this is a project by and for those who have been affected by unemployment.

A special thanks to Hulu.com for the distribution and everyone who had a part in making this touching film. Enjoy.

Can’t see the video on the blog? Watch it here.

EDIT: So apparently, this video can only be viewed if you reside in the US. I’ll make it up to you guys (if you live overseas, you’ll want to check out my next post). I have an idea…

EDIT #2: The Lemonade Movie is finally available for streaming worldwide! Check it out here at SnagFilms.

Creative Commons License photo credit: rochelle, et. al.

23 comments

January 5, 2010

When You Seek Greatness, Prepare to Face the Consequences

Whenever you try to change yourself, whether it be in a positive or negative way, expect resistance. Where that resistance comes from varies, depending on the goal. It can come from you, someone else, or even your environment.

What have you been trying to do recently? What is keeping you from getting there? Is it yourself? Your family? Your friends?

I’m sorry, but you’re just going to have to say to them “I know you feel that way, but this is what I’m going to do.”

You don’t have time to argue about decisions you want to make. If anything, the people you’re going to be arguing with are going to try and talk you out of whatever you want to do. You won’t see eye to eye. You just have to go for the greatness.

In the coming months…

Some of the actions I’ll be taking in the next few months are going to piss people off. Mostly my friends (or whoever will be left of them at the end of my six-month plan) and readers will be the ones who’ll say how stupid or how crazy I am. There’s nothing I’ll be able to do about that, but keep moving on with my life. LIFE GOES ON. Those who want to cease contact with me because I’ve sacrificed a part of my social life for my new productive lifestyle, you may leave. Those who want to unsubscribe because I don’t because I won’t post frequently enough, the virtual door is right there.

This year is the year I start making HUGE changes. I took (very expensive) action last December during the break, and if what I’m doing works, I’ll let you in on EXACTLY what I did to do what’s working. There will be no more writing about what will happen if you take action, because God knows that topic has been beaten to death on hundreds of other blogs as well as my own. Probably this statement alone will cause the lot of you to unsubscribe, but that doesn’t interest me anymore. It’s time for me to start showing the RESULTS of my own action.

My original fall from grace

My original goal when starting this blog was to make lots of money and get lots of subscribers by writing generic content. Seeing that didn’t work, I decided to write about what I liked and still get lots of subscribers and make money. In the past 3 months, I’ve since dropped the last two parts of this goal, and have decided to only write about what I like and connect with as many people who care about what I care about.

I once believed that, according to Kevin Kelly, getting 1000 true fans would make me a guru, and that I would be respected. That if I had special mentions on other blogs and acquired social proof that I would be successful. I see now that this doesn’t matter. I’m not looking for 1000 true fans. I’m looking for a thousand true friends. People I can connect with and relate to.

Having said that, I will from now on only write when I have something brilliant to say. If I want a thousand true friends, I can’t publish generic thoughts and unfinished ideas. If I do that, you’ll already know that that’s not the “real” me. It’s taken me a long time, but I’ve finally realized the value isn’t in pageviews, stats, and the like.

New affirmations and the consequences they bear

On the path to blogging and real life success, I’ve decided to make a few changes to how I blog and a bit of how I live:

- I’ll still guest post (naturally, I like meeting new people). Before, it was merely for more subscribers. Now all I seek is to connect with more like-minded individuals.

- The subscriber count stays. Naturally, people attract other people, but once I reach 1000 subscribers, it’s adios for the counter :)

- I’ll try to keep posting on Mondays and Thursdays, but if I have nothing to say, don’t count on me posting anything.

- My future posts will try to make you think about things in a new perspective instead of restating an obvious universal truth.

- I take requests for guest posts :) I’ve gotten a few already, but just I just want you to know I’m open to guest posting if you send me an email.

- Say bye-bye to me commenting on other blogs. It’s much too time-consuming and sometimes I’d just like to say thanks for the post instead of trying to write a minipost in the blogger’s comment section. I’ll just send them a tweet.

- I’m going to be working more and having a social life much, much less. To the readers I hang out with offline, that means I won’t be around as much. I have some things I’ll be working on and, to be honest, I feel my work is more important to me than listening to you talk about classes, relationships, and Mario Kart.

I initially came to college to make friends and be a doctor. Then I decided to become an economist and still have a social life. But now my aim is to become the sole owner of my time directly after college. I’m not getting a job (easy to say, right?). However, there are some things you’re going to have to sacrifice if you want those dreams and intentions to become reality. I’ve lost a few friends already, but I’m not afraid to lose a few more. I’m not afraid to “waste” my college experience. Why? Because it’s what has to be done.

The moment I decided I wanted something different than the rest was the moment I knew I’d have to forgo certain ties and deal with certain consequences.

They say that these will be “the best four years of my life”. No, I disagree. The best years of my life have yet to come.

“I have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. Under the impulse of such thoughts, the nobility of the occupation thrills us and stimulates us to deeds of daring, even of supreme sacrifice.” – Chief Edward F. Croker

Creative Commons License photo credit: woodleywonderworks