Listening to New People

The biggest fear, when meeting someone new, is to run out of things to say. Ironically, good listeners doesn’t have that problem.

You show you’re a good listener by the type of question you ask. It needs to be related to the subject in an attempt to get the other person talk his heart out.

Good Books are Difficult to Tind - TEAM System

If you’re like me, you’re a slow reader which means that it takes a while before finishing reading a book.

Isn’t it annoying to be done with a book and not feel like you’ve learned anything? Or it just wasn’t fulfilling and it felt more like a waste of time than anything else?

There’s a solution to that problem and it’s to find yourself a system, or a group, that can filtrate books for you. The “TEAM” system does just that. All books goes through a screening process and needs to be approved by the top leaders of our Country so you know what you read is good information.

Find yourself a system.

It Starts With You

If you have a tendency to sin. You will be more likely to think that other people are sinning too.

If this is true then life is but an interpretation of ourselves and it changes when we change.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post edited/re-posted on May 13, 2015

I Want You to Care

Care comes from within. To do things in an attempt to make someone else care is like drinking poison an expecting that person to die.

If it’s not in that person to care about you then there’s nothing you can do to make them care. You can’t force someone into liking you.

When to Quit...

I used to think that one should never quit anything but there’s time where there is nothing else that can be done. It would be hard to imagine a business still making vinyl disk, or a VHS player...

“A leader quits on ideas, not on himself.” -unknown

Sometimes, “quitting” decisions have to be made for the sake of a better future. Ask yourself “If I put wood in this fire, will it be bigger in the future?” if the answer is no, then start another fire somewhere else.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post edited/re-posted on June 17, 2015

Sick of Technology

I’m sick of being connected in some way, shape, or form to a little electronic device. I hate the “I’m available” expectation that surrounds it (some people get mad when I don’t answer txt right away).

Some believe that it brings people together while in-fact it drives them apart. How is sitting at home alone browsing a social site makes people closer together? Or how is sitting in a room, next to a friend, txting another friend makes people closer together?

Human interaction is becoming instinct!

“But I’m shy, that’s the most comfortable way for me to meet people”
While this is true, it kills self confidence. There’s nothing more rewarding than giving ourselves a pat on our back after having the guts of getting out of our comfort zone to go meet new people.

Life needs to be uncomfortable at times, it’s part of the experience. Comfort doesn’t bring happiness.

Make it a goal to not use any device while being around friends. Let’s make it a goal to pay attention to the moment rather than a machine. Let’s remove “social” out of “social media” and place it before the word “life” (social life).

Emotional Pain - How does it work?

There’s a logic behind physical pain. When you get hurt physically, the pain you feel is due to the nerves sending signals to your brain to stop what you’re doing but how does emotional pain works?

It can take a long time for us to feel emotional pain (A.K.A. Regrets) and it’s sometime more powerful than any physical pain. If there’s no outside forces physically hurting us, does it mean that the emotional pain is self-inducted? Which means that we can control it?

If we can control it, then why do we choose to hurt ourselves most of the time? Is it because our emotions are like untamed lions roaming inside of our heads and we just don’t know how to tame them?

Is emotional pain created from how we see things? If so, can it be controlled by controlling how we see those things?

Any thoughts?

Vancouver Riot - A Disgrace to Freedom

You know you live in a country that’s been babied when it’s population start a riot over something as meaningless as the lost of a hockey game.

Some people fight to survive while others starts riots for the lost of a hockey game.

There are countries out there where people have to fight for their very survival. We’re fortunate enough to live in a country that’s free of such burden and yet we take it for granted.

Are we so emotionally attached to a sport that our very mood is dependent of it?

*Update: I heard rumors that the riot was planned by a small group of people, even if the team would win/loose/fail, just to loot the stores. It still takes more than a small group of people for it to be called a "riot".

Earning a Living or Surrendering your Life?

Who ever you work for control your life. Based on the salary you agreed to take, it will determined the car you drive, the amount of kids you have, the university they’ll attend … etc. Life is no longer about what you want, it’s about what you can afford. You don’t live life, you survive through.

They also control the best part of your day, what skills you need to have, when you eat/sleep or when you can take vacations.

All of this for the sake of “job security” which, like the Loch Ness monster, is just a myth. If tomorrow, your job is not required anymore, you’re gone. Where’s the security in that? WHERE IS IT!??

You have no control over your job, your job control you!

You are not paid what you’re worth-you’re paid a little bit less of what the job is worth. They will match what the job is worth over the years by giving raises until it’s close to match. Then, they will ask that you move “up the ladder”.

You can either live your life or survive through it. Job, after all, means “Just Over Broke”. Choose wisely.

Nobody is Perfect

Whoever thinks he’s perfect will be more likely to point out other people’s flaws than the person who knows he’s not perfect.

Pride tends to follow those people. They’re easily irritated and believe they’re the center of the universe.

Those people are blinded by their own ego. They have yet to find the truth.

Living With Demons

There’s things that are bad for the soul. They promise nothing more than pleasure.

The heart was born pure and over time we let desires take over in an attempt to fill the empty space where faith should be.

Don’t give light to those desires. If you give it light, you will have to live with it for the rest of your life.

"When you finish your race and look back at the footsteps of your life, what are you going to see, and what are you going to be proud of?" - Page 34 of Leadership: Tidbits and Treasures by Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward

Consistency with my Blog

For the pass 8 + months, I’ve been pretty consistent with my blog writing. I aim to do 5 + a week. I’m to the point where I read, or do, things with the “I’m going to write about it” mind set.

When I have nothing to write about, it means that I’ve been slacking off on my learning (usually happens when I don’t read an hour a day). It’s a good way, I find, to keep track of my learning consistency.

If you want more consistency in what you learn, maybe writing about what you learn on a blog, or journal, may help motivate you to keep on learning until learning becomes fun (It really is).

Relay For Life end Result

Last I checked, the Fredericton Relay For Life raised over 177K with a few teams raising more than 8K.

It was my first Relay For Life experience and I loved it. I really liked the various activities and bands that were playing throughout. I came across a man who walked the entire time (or at least it was his goal) stopping only for a quick bite or bathroom break.

The event had many different sponsors who gave money, or products, to help with the event. It wouldn’t have had the same without them. One, of those sponsors, was “Pizza Twice” who donated 80 pizzas to the event. It was my first “Pizza Twice” experience and it won’t be my last (they make good pizza).

I’ll be there again next year! :)

L.I.F.E. - Living Intentionally For Excellence - Book

I just finished the book called “L.I.F.E” by author Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward. The book contained many of their best twitter post along some very interesting articles about various subjects related to leadership.

It was a quick and easy read that went straight to the point. One of my favorite article was found on page 86 entitled “Only you can stop you”. It was about how much influence we have on ourselves and how important it is to “shut the little” guy inside of us at times.

I recommend this book to everyone.

Follow Chris Brady (http://twitter.com/#!/RascalTweets) and Orrin Woodward (http://twitter.com/#!/Orrin_Woodward) on twitter! :)

Relay For Life – June 10, 2011

Tomorrow, from 7pm to 7am will be the Fredericton relay for life. Relay for life is a fundraising organization for the Canadian Cancer Society. This year will be my first time attending the event and I know some of you probably know more about it than I do.

If you’re like me, you know (or knew) someone with cancer, come to the event specifically design to move closer to the cure. It’s at the Fredericton Raceway starting 7pm tomorrow (June 10, 2011).

Website:http://www.frederictonrelayforlife.org
Time & Date: June 10, 2011 (7pm-7am)
Location: Fredericton Raceway, Exhibition Grounds

Keeping a Journal of the Book you Read

I keep hearing (cds) and reading about how important it is to keep/update a journal of the book I read.

I used to do it, lightly, using google document. I stopped after I started reading more than one book at a time. I couldn’t handle all the work anymore I guess … (add excuse here)

What Orrin Woodward suggest is to “Keep a journal that includes a list tracking the books you’ve read. Record the title, author, genre and the date you finished reading each book. This allows, in one glance, a quick indication of the size and scope of your reading.”

Well folks, if one of the top 25 leaders is saying that it’s important to keep track of the books I read then who am I to not listen and apply this?

Retirement - Not related to Age

Today is the day that Joce Dionne, who’s in his early 30s, retire. There is such a thing as the 45 year plan. Design by the government, this plan says that you should work for 45 years before you get the pension/retire.

Some people, like Joce, get out of “the herd” and work on retiring early. What I find exciting about this is that I do the same thing as him.

I find life to be like going to the gym. Spot the guy/girl who as the result you want and do what that person does. If I do what he did, I should roughly get the same result.

I don’t know about you but retiring now would be better than retiring later … any thoughts?

A Lifetime of Weakness

As a kid, I used to think that adults were invincible. That I could tell them anything and it wouldn't hurt their feelings and that once I get to that age, I would be the same.

“When you’re young; you learn. When you get older; you understand.” -Unknown

How do I know how broken adults are? Because I’m an adult and I am broken. The best way to have an idea of how other people feel is to study how you feel facing the same situation that they’re facing.

‎"I think we never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public." -Chuck Goetschel

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Revision Wednesday (on a Tuesday)
Blog post edited/re-posted on May 5, 2015

Health - Foundation of Success

Attitude is everything. Having a good attitude is a decision that’s easier to make when you feel great and feeling great starts with the decision to be healthy. Being physically healthy helps being mentally healthy.

You are what you eat
It is of no secret what it takes to be physically healthy. Eat right and exercise. Both are simple and easy to do. The problem is that they’re both easy not to do as well.

“Sickness is not due to old age, it’s a violation of the laws of health over a period of time” -Unknown

The most popular of excuse is the “I’m busy”. If you don’t have time to work on your health now, be prepared to make time for sickness later. Find time your body, your vehicle for life, is depending on it.

How you think determines how healthy you are by the choices you make.
Life is a series of daily decisions. In this microwave society, we think that everything should happen fast and we tend to bring that mindset to the gym. Too often I see people work out just enough not to make it.

We change our thinking through reading and listening to self-growth material.

It’s a decision to eat healthy. It’s a decision to go to the gym and keep with it. Decide to get healthier today!

A Successful Friend

I’ve known this guy my entire life, we grew up together and we’ve done everything together.

When looking back at my life, I never really realized, at the time, how successful of a thinker he was. This man had the guts to ask 10-20 girls out for a date on a lunch break and even after being rejected by everyone of them, he would ask another 10-20 girls out at the next break.

The rejection is not the point. The point is that he never gave up. He had the guts to get up and be in that uncomfortable position time and time again. Something that the rest of the gang didn’t have.

That principle can be seen in his life today and it makes him very successful in what he does. He’s the perfect example of what you did then affects your today and what you do today shapes your tomorrow.

Love you lots Brian Roy! :)

The Lost art of Feeling like a Man

I feel like a man the most when I do hard, physical, work and in these time and age, everything is computerized. Mind you, it’s still hard work. It just shifted from physical work to mental work.

Being mentally exhausted ain’t the same as being physically exhausted and I find it more rewarding when it’s physical. When I’m mentally exhausted, I’m just tired and it ends there. When I’m physically exhausted, I feel like I achieved something. That rewarding feeling turns into pride and makes me feel more confident about myself and my abilities.

Maybe that’s just the way I’m wired. To me, the gym is a way to still get that feeling without having to change career (I love my computerized job).