Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Unfashionably Late
It has been said that “eighty percent of success is showing up” – Woody Allen. L Dizzle, I applaud your showing up to the blog eleven times, before I even made my first contribution. That’s around as lopsided as our credit card roulette record ;) It’s kind of like that big paper that was due in school. It seems overwhelming at first, but really all you have to do is sit down and start writing. Maybe it’s the fantastic tablet that L Dizzle has prepared for us to scribe on that comes off intimidating. It will be tough to respond to each of L Dizzle’s postings in kind, but I will go chronologically, and we’ll see what we end up with.
Hmm, easy way to start, clams… Well, I don’t know a whole lot about clams. I have heard that dolphins are one of the only animals that have sex for pleasure (L. Dizzle certainly is another ;)) It does bring up an interesting topic: whether not having a care in the world is actually an enjoyable and/or fulfilling way to live life. I asked my rep earlier if his goal was to live the easy life. Was he working so that he could amass enough money to just lounge during his later years? Would someone really be happy in his later years in life, simply because he has finished working, and now can do what he wants all of the time? Or are we working to accomplish something. Are we working to create something new, inspire thought, progress society, to teach, or create a better tomorrow for those less fortunate…
I think it depends on the type of person you are. I know several people who are the first type. Chris Rock has an interesting stand up routine in which he talks about people who have jobs, and people who have careers. He talks about people who are working towards something, and people who are just working until the clock hits five. There are a lot of people who are just working until they don’t have to work anymore. Many jobs/careers can be means to an end, but if you are the first type, and your end is to just not have means anymore, then that certainly doesn’t seem meaningful at all (slight play on words)
Happy as a clam? Ignorance is bliss? I sure hope not. I can’t see myself looking back at my life when I’m 50,60, 70 and being satisfied that I made enough money to not have to work anymore. That doesn’t seem like much of an accomplishment at all. L Dizzle explained the difference between rich (having money) and wealthy (having time) to me, and said that he would rather be wealthy. Because LD and I have many more similarities than differences, I know he didn’t mean time to just chill. What he meant was time to travel, volunteer, create music, take up new hobbies, start up other financial endeavors, learn, show, and live a full and well balanced life. L Dizzle and K Wizzle are no clams my friend.
Hawaii trip 08’ = Epic. Epic. One of the things I notice as a I get older (27 very soon) is that I forget lots of the details of fun occasions, unless I am somehow reminded of them. I hope this blog will serve as a tool to jog my memory of the tomfoolery I encounter with LD, and I certainly appreciate Mr. Dizzles posts of Hawaii, because I already would have forgotten several of the happenings that I just read through again. He did an excellent job depicting the week, but I will go through and add a few thoughts here and there.
LD started the trip a day late, because he forgot to include that he flew down here to Orange County on Tuesday evening, and the week off at a decent Taco Tuesday with good friends Mr. Kiley and Mr. Flaherty. This is where we convince Aleksandra (yes cute LD) to wake up at 6am to take us to LAX. She happened to be on a date when we saw her at the TT, but her priority would obviously become getting a good night sleep, so as to be in good spirits for her sunrise chauffeur service. LD also omitted the double Kettle soda (me) and double gin and tonic (he) drank immediately before departure.
The flight might have been my favorite one ever. The service was excellent, the in flight pasta served was so delicious we went back for seconds and thirds (remember that a woman in Hawaii hand-made all of the those L?), and we had so many cocktails that they had to ran out of several different brands of our respective spirits. We also played a game I learned from a friend called casino, and we used the DHL cards I travel with everywhere. Although not smart on a plane, because of the way DHL’s domestic strategy was currently crashing and burning. The three hour time difference does a few things, it allows a beautiful early check-in to our hotel, and it allows us to drink for 24 hours straight (do the math: 8am PST – first cocktail, 5am Hawaii time – last cocktail). 0 to 60 with no brakes in sight.
Ok, I going to cut it off here. This post is nowhere near as long as I had envisioned it, but I had to get one out of my system just to break the seal. Nothing fancy, no pictures, fewer quotes then my fellow contributor, but I’ll get into that stuff later. I'm not as savy as mr. LD in the field of writing. I have an appreciation for grammar, but don't fully understand simple things such as the use of the ";". I'll get better...L Dizzle, thanks again for the efforts you have put into getting this up and running. I’ll jump into our first day more in my next post, and I’ll try to ice the Hawaii cake that Luke spent so much time creating. Necessary additions to our blog: A quote section, maybe a joke section. FYI, Chadwick is one of my favorite things from the trip, and he’s not going anywhere for a while.
Much more to come…
Hmm, easy way to start, clams… Well, I don’t know a whole lot about clams. I have heard that dolphins are one of the only animals that have sex for pleasure (L. Dizzle certainly is another ;)) It does bring up an interesting topic: whether not having a care in the world is actually an enjoyable and/or fulfilling way to live life. I asked my rep earlier if his goal was to live the easy life. Was he working so that he could amass enough money to just lounge during his later years? Would someone really be happy in his later years in life, simply because he has finished working, and now can do what he wants all of the time? Or are we working to accomplish something. Are we working to create something new, inspire thought, progress society, to teach, or create a better tomorrow for those less fortunate…
I think it depends on the type of person you are. I know several people who are the first type. Chris Rock has an interesting stand up routine in which he talks about people who have jobs, and people who have careers. He talks about people who are working towards something, and people who are just working until the clock hits five. There are a lot of people who are just working until they don’t have to work anymore. Many jobs/careers can be means to an end, but if you are the first type, and your end is to just not have means anymore, then that certainly doesn’t seem meaningful at all (slight play on words)
Happy as a clam? Ignorance is bliss? I sure hope not. I can’t see myself looking back at my life when I’m 50,60, 70 and being satisfied that I made enough money to not have to work anymore. That doesn’t seem like much of an accomplishment at all. L Dizzle explained the difference between rich (having money) and wealthy (having time) to me, and said that he would rather be wealthy. Because LD and I have many more similarities than differences, I know he didn’t mean time to just chill. What he meant was time to travel, volunteer, create music, take up new hobbies, start up other financial endeavors, learn, show, and live a full and well balanced life. L Dizzle and K Wizzle are no clams my friend.
Hawaii trip 08’ = Epic. Epic. One of the things I notice as a I get older (27 very soon) is that I forget lots of the details of fun occasions, unless I am somehow reminded of them. I hope this blog will serve as a tool to jog my memory of the tomfoolery I encounter with LD, and I certainly appreciate Mr. Dizzles posts of Hawaii, because I already would have forgotten several of the happenings that I just read through again. He did an excellent job depicting the week, but I will go through and add a few thoughts here and there.
LD started the trip a day late, because he forgot to include that he flew down here to Orange County on Tuesday evening, and the week off at a decent Taco Tuesday with good friends Mr. Kiley and Mr. Flaherty. This is where we convince Aleksandra (yes cute LD) to wake up at 6am to take us to LAX. She happened to be on a date when we saw her at the TT, but her priority would obviously become getting a good night sleep, so as to be in good spirits for her sunrise chauffeur service. LD also omitted the double Kettle soda (me) and double gin and tonic (he) drank immediately before departure.
The flight might have been my favorite one ever. The service was excellent, the in flight pasta served was so delicious we went back for seconds and thirds (remember that a woman in Hawaii hand-made all of the those L?), and we had so many cocktails that they had to ran out of several different brands of our respective spirits. We also played a game I learned from a friend called casino, and we used the DHL cards I travel with everywhere. Although not smart on a plane, because of the way DHL’s domestic strategy was currently crashing and burning. The three hour time difference does a few things, it allows a beautiful early check-in to our hotel, and it allows us to drink for 24 hours straight (do the math: 8am PST – first cocktail, 5am Hawaii time – last cocktail). 0 to 60 with no brakes in sight.
Ok, I going to cut it off here. This post is nowhere near as long as I had envisioned it, but I had to get one out of my system just to break the seal. Nothing fancy, no pictures, fewer quotes then my fellow contributor, but I’ll get into that stuff later. I'm not as savy as mr. LD in the field of writing. I have an appreciation for grammar, but don't fully understand simple things such as the use of the ";". I'll get better...L Dizzle, thanks again for the efforts you have put into getting this up and running. I’ll jump into our first day more in my next post, and I’ll try to ice the Hawaii cake that Luke spent so much time creating. Necessary additions to our blog: A quote section, maybe a joke section. FYI, Chadwick is one of my favorite things from the trip, and he’s not going anywhere for a while.
Much more to come…
Sunday, March 15, 2009
~Paradox~
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgement; more experts, but fewer answers; more medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but we have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals.
We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationship.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food; but less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time where there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this message to you, and and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or just to hit delete.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgement; more experts, but fewer answers; more medicine, but less wellness.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.
We've been all the way to the moon and back, but we have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.
We've conquered outer space, but not inner space.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've split the atom, but not our prejudice.
We have higher incomes, but lower morals.
We've become long on quantity, but short on quality.
These are the times of tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationship.
These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food; but less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.
It is a time where there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology can bring this message to you, and and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or just to hit delete.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Time Flies. . .
Yes it does. . . Yes. It. DOES.
So I'm looking back on 2009 and it's March 5th already. I've made some headway on my goals, but not nearly what I wanted to accomplish. Why? Well, there are probably dozens of excuses - partying, social events, family stuff, fatigue. . . but it seems a lack of will power can sometimes be our greatest enemy.
One the same note, I've been thinking about the passage of time from a mathmatical perspective recently. For example: take a four year old toddler named Dudley. When Dudley turns a year older, his fifth year will represent 20% of the life he's lived so far. One year divided by an age of five equals 20% - a considerable percentage of time for this young buck.
Fast forward a few decades. . . Dudley has a steady job, a family, and a convertible sports car he recently purchased (he likes to put the top down in spring time to "let loose" - queue the Don Henley music). Dudley is about to turn 50 on Sunday. He looks back on his 50th year as it compares to his whole life. 1/50 = 2%. You see where I'm going with this?
The age old expression "time flies" is mathmatically supported. While a year is 20% to a toddler, that same year is 2% to 50-year old Dudley. What can we learn from this?
Well, for starters we can start expecting time to fly. If time is perceived to be flying by now, it's only going to get faster on a relative basis. That said, don't let yourself be living proof that "youth is wasted on the young". Enjoy every step, every day, every misstep, every challenge.
Because before we know it, another year lived will be approaching zero.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SOMEDAY
. . . . And be relentless. That's it I'm done.
So I'm looking back on 2009 and it's March 5th already. I've made some headway on my goals, but not nearly what I wanted to accomplish. Why? Well, there are probably dozens of excuses - partying, social events, family stuff, fatigue. . . but it seems a lack of will power can sometimes be our greatest enemy.
One the same note, I've been thinking about the passage of time from a mathmatical perspective recently. For example: take a four year old toddler named Dudley. When Dudley turns a year older, his fifth year will represent 20% of the life he's lived so far. One year divided by an age of five equals 20% - a considerable percentage of time for this young buck.
Fast forward a few decades. . . Dudley has a steady job, a family, and a convertible sports car he recently purchased (he likes to put the top down in spring time to "let loose" - queue the Don Henley music). Dudley is about to turn 50 on Sunday. He looks back on his 50th year as it compares to his whole life. 1/50 = 2%. You see where I'm going with this?
The age old expression "time flies" is mathmatically supported. While a year is 20% to a toddler, that same year is 2% to 50-year old Dudley. What can we learn from this?
Well, for starters we can start expecting time to fly. If time is perceived to be flying by now, it's only going to get faster on a relative basis. That said, don't let yourself be living proof that "youth is wasted on the young". Enjoy every step, every day, every misstep, every challenge.
Because before we know it, another year lived will be approaching zero.
MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR SOMEDAY
. . . . And be relentless. That's it I'm done.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Train of Thought
Ever heard someone say "I lost my train of thought"? Sure you have. It's happened to all of us. Now visualize that saying as a metaphor. . . a massive train slugging along filled with cool ideas and innovative though. We should all strive to be trains of though continually sharing thoughts and ideas with those alongside our tracks! (for more on way of thinking/living, read Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders).
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Who was Fyodor Dostoevsky?
Building off a topic discussed in a previous posting 'Boat Without a Rudder', I'd like to drill a bit deeper on the topic of habits and how they affect our lives. But FIRST, let's take a gander at a quote and its author.
"The second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Just who was this Mr. Fyodor Dostoevsky? His wiki page gives a pretty good overview, but in short he was a Russian writer in the early 1800s, and you've probably heard of his novel Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky - as he's commonly referred to - lived in hard times. Russia isn't exactly a FUN country. It's cold. It's communist. And in many ways, it's suppressive to human nature and conducive to hard times. In fact, Crime and Punishment was inspired by an all-out gambling bender that left Dostoevsky high & dry, in-debt, quasi-homeless and hungry. Out of this precarious situation was born his protagonist - Rodion Raskolnikov.
Moving on. . . Let's examine the quote. Basically, Dostoevsky argues that the latter half of a man's life is driven by the habits he acquires in the first half. Cynical? Maybe. Depressing? A bit. But is it true? ABSOLUTELY.
Why? We humans are simple creatures. We don't like to hear that (I don't like writing it), but our minds ARE susceptible to repetition. At first glance, it's easy to assume a "habit" is a BAD thing. Just think of how many times you've heard the term "bad habit". But habits can just as easily be GOOD! You just don't hear about them as much.
From our psychological perspective, our minds are designed to make sense of patterns and organize things. When you learn a new task, or view a new painting, our minds build neural connections so that next time the mind can recall it quicker. It's how we learn! Without going into too much depth, these neural networks expand over time and our though patterns become more routine. It's true, I swear!! Just think of a little old GRANDMA going about her day the same way she's done for twenty years. Sure there are little variations here and there, but the underlying neural activity is very similar.
You may be thinking - what the heck do I have in common with a crazy Russian and an old grandma! Good question. But try thinking about it a different way. Dostoevsky's environment was very confining and limiting. He, like many Russians, were in many ways oppressed, maybe even tormented. Propoganda abound. Obedient, mindless behavior FLOURISHES in this environment. Just think of a prison. Yuck.
But on the flipside, we Americans have SO MUCH personal freedom we don't even know what to do with it! The global information age inundates us with more information than we know what to do with! We are figurately swimming in more options and choices than we know what to do with.
. . .But just as Dostoevsky's habits guided him through a Communist winter, so do our habits lead us into a Democratic spring.
"The second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half." - Fyodor Dostoevsky
Just who was this Mr. Fyodor Dostoevsky? His wiki page gives a pretty good overview, but in short he was a Russian writer in the early 1800s, and you've probably heard of his novel Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky - as he's commonly referred to - lived in hard times. Russia isn't exactly a FUN country. It's cold. It's communist. And in many ways, it's suppressive to human nature and conducive to hard times. In fact, Crime and Punishment was inspired by an all-out gambling bender that left Dostoevsky high & dry, in-debt, quasi-homeless and hungry. Out of this precarious situation was born his protagonist - Rodion Raskolnikov.Moving on. . . Let's examine the quote. Basically, Dostoevsky argues that the latter half of a man's life is driven by the habits he acquires in the first half. Cynical? Maybe. Depressing? A bit. But is it true? ABSOLUTELY.
Why? We humans are simple creatures. We don't like to hear that (I don't like writing it), but our minds ARE susceptible to repetition. At first glance, it's easy to assume a "habit" is a BAD thing. Just think of how many times you've heard the term "bad habit". But habits can just as easily be GOOD! You just don't hear about them as much.
From our psychological perspective, our minds are designed to make sense of patterns and organize things. When you learn a new task, or view a new painting, our minds build neural connections so that next time the mind can recall it quicker. It's how we learn! Without going into too much depth, these neural networks expand over time and our though patterns become more routine. It's true, I swear!! Just think of a little old GRANDMA going about her day the same way she's done for twenty years. Sure there are little variations here and there, but the underlying neural activity is very similar.
You may be thinking - what the heck do I have in common with a crazy Russian and an old grandma! Good question. But try thinking about it a different way. Dostoevsky's environment was very confining and limiting. He, like many Russians, were in many ways oppressed, maybe even tormented. Propoganda abound. Obedient, mindless behavior FLOURISHES in this environment. Just think of a prison. Yuck. But on the flipside, we Americans have SO MUCH personal freedom we don't even know what to do with it! The global information age inundates us with more information than we know what to do with! We are figurately swimming in more options and choices than we know what to do with.
. . .But just as Dostoevsky's habits guided him through a Communist winter, so do our habits lead us into a Democratic spring.
"Build GOOD habits or suffer my wrath!"
Monday, January 12, 2009
Rumi, unhindered
Ever heard of Rumi? I hadn't either until a good friend gave me a great book titled The Essential Rumi. Embarassingly, my college epiphanies (typically reserved for parties, girls, friends and finance) failed to include Rumi - one of the greatest poets that ever lived.
Before you read on, you may wish to browse his Wiki bio - but here are the basics:
-He lived in the 1200s (specifically, 1207-1273)
-He was born in modern-day Afghanistan (Persian rule at the time)
-He spoke and wrote in Persian
-He's considered a mystic, Sufi poet (specifically the Mevlevi order he founded)
-His best friend was named Shams (Shams was from Tabriz, Iran)
-Despite his roots, his influence far transcends national and ethnic borders
-He looked something like this:
"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do."
"You were born with wings. Why prefer to crawl through life?"
And (my favorite):
"People want you to be happy. Don't keep serving them your pain! If you could untie your wings and free your soul of jealousy, you and everyone around you would fly up like doves."
"هر روز نو جامی دهد، تسکین و آرامی دهد هر روز پیغامی دهد، این عشق چون پیغمبرم"
Rumi changed the world - how many people can say that with conviction? How many people can you say that about with conviction? He's also been described as "the most popular poet in America" according the the BBC (and others).
Credibility aside, I'd like to highlight Rumi's affinity for emptiness. Why? If you're in a meditative, introspective, reflective state of mind or mood, some Rumi poetry and a comfy couch just might be the perfect cocktail.
Rumi's thought and poetry reveal a basic Sufi dynamic: union with his beloved from whom (or which) he has been cut off, and his longing to restore it. It's all about a mystical journey in which the individual soul grows through love, abandons the ego, finds truth, and arrives at Perfection.
The soul then returns from the spiritual journey with deeper maturity and love for creation to service humanity unconditionally. Now that's deep.
So where does emptiness come into play? Rumi loved emptiness, and the void. It's tough to describe why exactly, but he essentially perceived emptiness as pure, untainted and ripe for truth. A virgin void, if you will. Many of Rumi's revelation's on this topic (and others) derive from extensive use of metaphor, specifically nature and the night.
Rumi's knack for metaphor and simple expression of complex issues has cemented him in the halls of fame for all those who challenge themselves spiritually.
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