This is Serious!

You can only do something for so long without having any result. There will be a time where a mental switch will activate itself and tell you “alright, it’s time to get serious … you should be further ahead of where you are; what’s going on?”

At that point, you’ll do what ever it takes to get success because you finally believe that you can achieve it. After all, you've put up the effort up to that point.

The length of the "failing period before it we're serious" depends on the individual. It usually takes me a long time before I kick it a gear but I've seen some people go in serious mode right away.

What type are you?

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on December 6, 2011 and can be found here.

The Positive Power Of Love

There's no emotion greater, to get us moving, than the power of love. When we're in love, it makes us want to do things that we wouldn't of done otherwise.

The lost of love also inspires us to change. Hoping, perhaps, that our change would help win back the heart of our lost love. As we come to find out, however, our changes often goes unnoticed since it's difficult for someone to change the image they have of us.

For a time, love is what inspired me to workout more but time has changed the source of inspiration I rely on to workout. Has love made you do great things?

Extended Warranties on Computers

Extended warranties that only promises to fix what ever breaks in your computer for the next 5 years are pretty much just a scam. Companies know that most people will decide to upgrade rather than fix an ageing computer. The cost of the replaced parts will be less in the upcoming years making those 500$ extended warranties an odd thing to purchase. You also don't have a choice of the parts they put in.

To give you an example, the graphic card on my ageing, 5 year old, computer died recently and I manage to get a better one for 60$. If I would of been on the 5 years, 500$, extended warranty – they would of replaced my graphic card with the same one that probably would of also cost around 60$ today. I would of lost 440$!

Buying extended warranties on products that depreciate in value is an odd thing to do since you almost always end up on the loosing end. It is usually best to learn how to fix things ourselves rather than buy those extended warranties.

Future Proofing Computers

Many companies will offer upgrades on their base computers for those looking to “future proof”. Those upgrades usually includes processor, ram and Hard drive. Are better specs the way to go to future proof a computer?

While it's true that a better processor, more ram and a bigger hard drive is better today; all those things will be irrelevant in 2-3 years due to how fast technology changes. Your computer might even break before then.

In other words, if you do not need the processing power today – don't get it hoping that the added power will benefit you in the future since there's also a possibility of it breaking.

Computer reliability, not power, is what we should be looking for when looking into future proofing our purchase.

How Do You Learn?

Do you learn because you have to or because you’re curious to know what you don’t know?

We remember what we want to learn more than the things we have to learn. Once our mindset is set up straight (meaning that once we fully realize that we don’t know everything), what ever we set our minds to learn becomes easier. We no longer learn because we have to, we learn because we are genuinely curious to know.

A thing to note is that when we think we "know", we sometime become arrogant and take offence when exposed to new ideas. It is, therefore, important that we remain humble and curious so we can be opened to those new ideas and keep growing as human beings.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on December 31, 2013 and can be found here.

Public Ethic

Don't criticize someone in public – it only adds up to the embarrassment that will then turn into resentment in your regard. If someone needs to improve on something, meet somewhere private where you can share the problem with them.

On the other side of the coin, if you have something good to say about someone – say it in public. It will boost their confidence and they will appreciate you more for it.

The Self-Improvement Children Book

The Bible is a cheat sheet on how to live a fulfilling life but I also want to share to my future kids the lessons that I have learned in the hope that it helps them move ahead.

I write in a, what I call, “Kid Journal” the small nuggets of information that was the most beneficial for me. I want to hand it to them one day with empty pages so they can add some of their thoughts to then hand it to their children with the hope that this self-improvement ethic goes on for generations.

For The Sake Of It

Reading just for the sake of it doesn't have the same effect as reading for the purpose of learning the material to then apply it in your life. You know you're on the right track when you read with the thought of being tested later on.

Do you read to learn or for entertainment purposes?

Advertisement Robs Us

"The individual, it is said, should be free to pursue his own interests as long as he keeps the peace and does not interfere with the rights of others. He should be free to make as much money as he can and to spend it as he sees fit. There is a need for men who are industrious, resourceful, thrifty, and self-reliant, and who have initiative and a spirit of adventure." -Harold H. Titus / Marilyn S. Smith

The goal of an advertisement is to plant a seed in the mind of consumers to buy a product. We don't buy a product as much as we buy the advertisement itself. The best product in the world, that's advertised poorly, won't sell as good (initially) as the worse product in the world with the best advertisement.
After a product as been release, word to mouth usually takes over and bring the advertisement hype to the level of the product.

Advertisement sells but it also creates an artificial need in the consumer's mind effectively removing some of his freedom to choose. They appeal to our emotional being. Sure, we might think that we're in control; that we decide what we want but if we look around our home, we'll likely find items that we did not intend to buy but that are there none the less due to an advertisement that appealed to our emotional side.

Orrin Woodward created a rule in an attempt to remove emotional purchases. The rule is if the item is more than 100$, he waits a day to see how he feels about it the next morning. Often, if we take a day to think about it, we realize that we don't really need the item. Maybe we should all apply this rule?

Socrates and The Oracle

"The Death of Socrates", by Jacques-Louis David (1787)

Socrates' friend, Chaerephon, asked the oracle, in Delphi, if there was someone wiser than Socrates to which the Oracle replied “no one”. Socrates, who had heard of the tale thought it was ridiculous since he felt like he wasn't the wisest man. This began his journey to find a wiser man than he was.

He found a politician on his journey who was known to be wise. Socrates spoke to the man and pointed out what the man didn't know which angered the man. He then famously said:

“I am wiser than this man: neither of us knows anything that is really worth knowing, but he thinks that he has knowledge when he has not, while I, having no knowledge, do not think that I have. I seem, at any rate, to be a littler wiser than he is on this point: I do not think that I know what I do not know.”

He had a similar experience with every wise person he met. This quest eventually brought his death after he angered too many wise people in power; who then gave him the death penalty. Socrates died in 348 B.C. by willingly drinking poison following is death penalty.

There are no known written document, by Socrates, that survived. Everything we know about this Philosopher was brought down to us by his students, mainly Plato, who followed him and documented his journey.

What we can learn from this story is that when we think we “know”, we sometime become arrogant and take offence when exposed to new ideas. It is important that we remain humble and curious so we can be opened to those new ideas and grow as human beings.

Emotion of Lust

"Men use love to get sex, women use sex to get love.” -Unknown

The above quote doesn't create lasting relationships since it's based on the emotion of lust rather than love. Sex shouldn't be at the center of love but should occur as a result of it.

"Men need to be loved physically in order to love emotionally. Women need to be loved emotionally in order to love physically.”-Unknown

Emotions - Only One At A Time

"Positive and negative emotions cannot occupy the mind at the same time." -Napoleon Hill

No emotion last for ever, we're constantly bombarded by them. According to Napoleon Hill, there are 7 major positive emotions (desire, faith, love, sex, enthusiasm, romance, hope) and 7 major negative (fear, jealousy, hatred, revenge, greed, superstition, anger).

"Here the law of habit [it takes 21 days for a habit to form] will come to your aid. Form the habit of applying and using the positive emotions! Eventually, they will dominate your mind so completely that the negatives cannot enter it." -Napoleon Hill

Since we only can feel one at a time, it's important for us to learn how to identify them and to put forth effort to prolong the positive ones and reduce the duration of the negative ones.

Prepare For A More Expensive Internet Package

The internet plans have already gone up in price lately and part of the reason why is because more and more people stop using cable t.v. in favor of a good internet connection. This is obviously eating in the profit margins of the major cable providers and they want to recoup those looses by raising the price of other services that they have - which is, in most cases, internet and mobility.

The fee for the internet packages, in other words, are not set to go down anytime soon. In-fact, I believe, the unlimited internet plan will be replaced by a fee based GB per download type of deal (which many carriers have already adopted).

If you do have an unlimited plan at a reasonable price I would suggest you hold on to it as you may not be able to get it again.

Trial and error: The Relationship Edition

"The art of love ... is largely the art of persistence." -Albert Ellis

When you’ve been on the dating scene for quite some time you come to realize that there’s somewhat of a pattern to be found. A thing you might notice is that more often than not the problem is with you more than it is with your encounters.

If it’s true that the perfect person doesn’t exist - what now?

It’s easy to find someone with similar interest than ours. We might have feelings for them for a while and it eventually goes out. At this point, most relationships ends but it shouldn’t. That’s when the real work should start. The work is what it is - work. It’s not sit down and wait till the feelings comes back. It’s getting up and trying to figure out the reason why the feeling is gone.

I often find myself in stressful position at work that I sometime bring home. If this is done too often, we might come to the conclusion that the problem is home and not with the work. Be careful of where the feeling originally originated.

Relationship is mostly about accepting people for who they are. If we focus on finding things to respect about them, love will take care of itself.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on November 8, 2010 and can be found here.

Give Yourself A Raise!

As you probably know, the “Get it now, pay later” is the biggest scam one can get into. If finances are tight, then you shouldn't own the most expensive gadget, live in the biggest/nicest place or own the newest car.

Too often, I hear people say they don't have any money but walk around with the latest smart phone in their pockets. When you go to their place, they have a 55 inch HD flat screen T.V. with cable, the internet plugged to a powerful computer and so on... No wonder you don't have any money!

I think it would be wise to look into what we spend to find money to save rather than look for a higher paying job or ask for a raise. Give yourself a raise by removing Cable T.V. (even internet if you're really in a jam – don't worry, you'll survive without it), selling the newest gadgets and cutting back on the restaurants and bars!

Love Talk

"There should be no disappointment over love, and there would be none if people understood the difference between the emotions of love and sex. The major difference is that love is spiritual, while sex is biological. no experience that touches the human heart with a spiritual force can possibly be harmful, except through ignorance or jealousy." -Napoleon Hill

Life isn't about finding the perfect person. It's about learning to love an imperfect person perfectly. The heart can be deceived and you should not let it lead your life but lead it throughout life.

Should someone leave when the love is gone? No – Love doesn't last when you don't work on it. Love, like happiness, is a feeling and feelings sometime come and goes but you'll never love someone you don't respect. Focus on finding things to respect about your partner and love will take care of itself.

Should someone leave an abusive relationship even if love is felt? Yes – Change is difficult. To wait for an abusive partner to change is like waiting for a cancer to heal ... it requires outside help before things change. If your partner doesn't work on improving himself daily, then he'll probably never change unless he seeks professional help (sometimes both are required).
Low self esteem, not love, is usually the reason why people stay in abusive relationships.

"Love is, without question, life's greatest experience. It brings us into communication with Infinite Intelligence. When mixed with the emotions of romance and sex, it may lead us far up the ladder of creative effort. The emotions of love, sex and romance are sides of the eternal triangle of achievement-building genius. Nature creates geniuses through no other force." -Napoleon Hill

Let It Out!

“There is a voice inside which speaks and says: This is the real me!” -William James

Don't try to shut that voice out - Let it out! Others will respect you more if you are true to yourself. The world is filled with people who mindlessly try to become copies of who they think they should be. You don't have to be the copy of someone else for people to accept you – just be you!

Have a Purpose for Spirit Sake

"Without a strong sense of values and of direction, the human spirit tends to weaken or deteriorate." -Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith

If you don't know who you are, then you probably haven't figured out your purpose. After all, you have to know the type of person you are to know what you want and don't want out of life.

If you don't have a purpose then you're probably stuck in a job you don't like. If you're stuck on a job you don't like, it affects negatively your spirit. Your smile no longer feels real and your interaction seems rushed rather than fulfilling.

You won't find your purpose by occupying your mind with mindless entertainment - set up some time to think about it.

The Comfort Zone

I like to think that I don't have a comfort zone but I'm constantly reminded that I do have one when ever I complain or make excuses about something.

A couple of days ago, I was asked to do a French translation video and I kept poking holes at it and complaining. Now that it's done and I think back on it, I did this because I wasn't comfortable doing it since I had never done it before.

If something is comfortable for us to do, we'll be less likely to complain about it. After all, it is part of our comfort zone and therefor we know what to expect. Complaining about something may point out to you that it's not part of your comfort zone.

At the end of the day, those experiences are fun and makes you grow so suck it up!

The Success Boat

Success in business is to build a boat, learn to ride the boat yourself to then eventually find and train a captain to take it away from you. Sure, you might want to help by calling and advising the captain during storms but you shouldn't be on board steering the wheel.

In the beginning, a captain needs a clear direction of where to go. If the boat tends to go the wrong way every time you leave it, then you either have the wrong captain or you haven't trained him properly. After a while, the captain should have a general knowledge of where the boat is supposed to go and should get there with little to no supervision.

It's important to develop to trust with the captain so you don't feel like you have to deal with the problems of the boat.

The Outcast

I turned my back on cable T.V. for almost 8 years now and home internet for 2 years (I get early to work to update this blog) to give way to personal development. It pretty much made me an outcast to most of my friends as I was no longer in the loop regarding shows, news or any other things requiring a plug to the wall.
I still listen attentively to what they say but I can not actively participate to the conversation beyond my limited knowledge point regarding current shows/events. They, in return, listen to me when I speak about the principles I have learned and am currently trying to apply in my life. While we have that mutual respect, our conversation can be somewhat limited at times.

Obviously, I have lost some friends in this process, to no fault of our own, but I have made some new ones with whom I share similar interests. I understood this prior to disconnecting my life from most entertainment media and I don't regret my decision as I believe your real friends will stick with you no matter what. The friends that decide to leave were probably going to leave anyway.

If you are in this predicament, remember that it's your life and that while it can be difficult to loose some friends, there are many more out there that are just waiting for an opportunity to develop a friendship with you.

Do What You Fear

When there's something fearful that I have to do, waiting for it is the most difficult thing as I tend to build up the fear for it.

"Do what you fear and fear disappears." -David Joseph Schwartz

The above quote is a rule I recently started applying and it helped with the process. Within 5 min of doing what I had build fear of doing, the fear is gone!

Pleasures - The Downfall of Civilizations

“In American today the popular word for good life is “happiness”…The American pursuit of happiness can often look like a compulsive, joyless effort to escape boredom… a people blessed with far more material advantages than any other society has ever enjoyed is not clearly the happiest on earth.” –Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith

The material advantage is a curse more than a blessing. Most of those things promises to make our lives easier by helping us or saving time. One would think that those improvements would allow us to focus on more important endeavors but it only “free us” to pursue more things.

Materials are a curse when the people buying it have no sense of values (as in what’s really important in life). When this occurs, the things he owns-owns him.
We buy things because it’s pleasurable and we too often confuse pleasure with happiness. Like Orrin Woodward said, “Pleasure doesn’t bring happiness, only an increased hunger for more pleasures.”

Happiness comes from following our values. Joy, which is the ultimate form of happiness, comes from being at peace with ourselves and is often attained through religion or spirituality (along with following values) – It’s a sense of belonging to something bigger than us.

Pleasure is like a quick burning fire, it often can’t be controlled even if we think we can. Pleasure is short lived and has been the caused of the downfalls of previous civilizations which will include our own if we don’t understand it and attempt to move away from it.

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

Don’t chase Happiness

You don’t get happiness by chasing happiness. “The only way to get happy is to give happy.” -Chris Brady

You don’t get happiness from pursuing happiness. What most people pursue, when they say they pursue happiness, is pleasure and, like Orrin Woodward said, “Pleasure does not bring happiness; it only brings an increasing hunger for more pleasure.”

“The only way to get happy is to give happy.” –Chris Brady

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on November 8, 2010 and can be found here.

I Wonder What It's Like To Be A Bird

The guys at the International Union for Conservation of Nature, in London, attached a GoPro camera to the back of an eagle in an effort to protect endangered species. While I don't understand the relationship between a GoPro camera on the back of an endangered specie and the protection of said specie (to build awareness perhaps?) ... it's still pretty cool! Many London landmarks are shown like never before. Check it out here:

Video originally found on IO9.

Are Bad Reviews Illegal?

I've come across various post online about people who were charged extras, or been threatened, for giving a negative review of a restaurant/hotel etc. In the company's defense,there are false negative reviews out there just as much as false positive ones but to bully a costumer to get good reviews ins't the way to go.

But is it illegal to give bad reviews in Canada?

It depends on whether or not your review was based on your honest opinion. According to Wikipedia ""Defamatory libel" is a criminal offence under the Criminal Code. Subsection 298(1) defines defamatory libel as a "matter published, without lawful justification or excuse, that is likely to injure the reputation of any person by exposing him to hatred, contempt or ridicule, or that is designed to insult the person of or concerning whom it is published." Section 300 prohibits the publication of defamatory libels that the publisher "knows is false." Section 301 prohibits the publication of any defamatory libel, but this section has been found unconstitutional because it could criminalize the publication of matters that are true."

In other words, if the sole purpose of your review was to hurt the company - they could bring you to court for injuring their reputation. After all, you can't just go around saying everything sucks when it isn't true.
If, on the other hand, your experience was a bad one then you should be able to share it however you choose. A movie critic, who didn't like a movie he saw, can't be arrested for it.
With that being said, many will remove their reviews instead of going through the legal trouble if the company threatens them with it.

Personally, I don't want to do business with companies who pursue, or threatens, those who gave them negative reviews. A company should look into the negative reviews to get better, not to find ways to get back at the customer for what they did.

For more information, please read the Criminal Code of Canada or contact a lawyer.

*I'm not a lawyer, I just did some research online like you're currently doing. Please don't contact me with law related questions. :)

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech_in_Canada

Tales of Two Authors

The story goes of 2 authors that was interviewed about their work. One was a successful author and the other was still in the process of releasing his first book.

When asked "How do you get inspired?" to the first, less successful, author he replied "I write when ever I'm inspired, I let it come to me. Inspiration can't be forced, it should come naturally to you." The second, successful, author said "I force my inspiration by writing anything that comes to mind. Eventually, after the gears start turning, ideas creep in for my story and I can move on."

If you wait for inspiration before getting your creative work done, you'll only be productive once every blue moon. When you force your hand, it brings sparks in the creative area of the brain and ideas will starts to flow. Creativity requires more discipline than inspiration.

Life’s Secret Purpose

Life is about choosing how we’ll be remembered. Let’s face it, we’re all going to die. What makes it interesting is that we don’t know when it’s going to happen.

If our goal is to be remembered as someone who was nice. We have to make great efforts to be nice with everyone we meet, it might be our last chance to be remembered as a nice person with that person.

What ever the goal is, it’s important to start now. The clock is ticking.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on October 3, 2010 and can be found here.

The Christmas Truce

The Christmas truce was a series of widespread, unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas 1914, during World War I. The soldiers exchanged handshakes, played games and gave each other gifts.

The below video is a heartwarming commercial about this event.

Poor Princess Leia

It's not everyday we see Princess Leia walking downtown ... it's even rarer to see every Star Wars character trying to hit on her. It's exactly what's happening in this video! Check it out here:

Slacking Isn't "Cool"

I wasn't dumb in my school years, just uninterested. I had bought into the belief that slacking seemed to be more socially acceptable than to excel. What a stupid illusion that was.

Every time I meet someone who goes to school, I tell them to not let social pressure interfere with their abilities to excel. That being great at something isn't supposed to be frowned upon but encouraged.

Slacking isn't cool - it's a waste of one's potential. A waste of someone's life.

Be Proactive with Your Emotions

"We've just grown apart"; said the man before leaving his wife.

PEOPLE CHANGE ALL THE TIME! OF COURSE YOU'VE GROWN APART IF YOU HAVEN'T SPENT THE TIME TO LEARN ABOUT YOUR PARTNER.

"We've grown apart" is a lame excuse from people who believe love is a feeling that just "is". Feelings are like fires, if you don't nurture them they eventually die out.

If you're sad, stop thinking about the things that makes you sad and the feeling will go away-only to return when you're thinking about it again.

We're not controlled by our emotions as much as we have control over them. Those who fail to understand this are doomed to go from relationship to relationship; changing partner whenever the feeling dictates.

Living the Big Life

Living the big life doesn’t mean to put yourself in debt. Spending money that you don’t have to buy things that you don’t need just to impress people you don’t like is not living the big life. It’s pretending and at the end of the day, that’s not what’s important.

“Our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter so the world will at least be different for our having passed through it” -Harold Kushner

"Those who intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own nature." -Bhagavad Gita

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on November 1, 2010 and can be found here.

The Desperate Seller

It is easier to make a deal with someone who desperately wants to sell or buy. Those people are goldmines for investors since they often overlook the details or don't mind going through with the deal at a lost.

If you're a desperate buyer or seller, take time to re-evaluate your situation so you don't come across as one.

A Teacher?

“When the student is ready, the teacher will appear” - Buddhist Proverb

I've recently got in contact with a person who's opened to teach me what she knows about investing in real estate. This person is financially free because of it.

In life, you can either try/fail/succeed your own way or ask someone who's already successful how to do it in order to greatly shorten the amount of time it takes to succeed. What will your choice be?

Create Something

Our bodies goes through periods of stress and this stress has to be brought out in some way. Some people use fitness to do so but did you know you can also create something?

Drawing, writing, building a back deck, playing with Legos... are all good ways to release stress.

Pay attention to the activities that releases the most stress for you and do those more!

Education is a Choice

After high school, education becomes a choice. Hence why many will learn less, or stop entirely, for the rest of their lives.

The individual who knows nothing is often the loudest and the most anxious to tell you about what he think he knows. Listen to the results they have, not what comes out of their mouths.

We're worth minimum wage from the neck down. It's what we know that makes a difference.

The brain is like a muscle that needs to be worked on constantly in order to stay sharp. Like muscles, it will shrink (in thinking) as soon as you stop exercising it.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on November 4, 2010 and can be found here.

Big Eyes

This upcoming film is based on a true story about a female artist, named Margaret Keane, who was abused by her husband (Walter Keane) and forced to paint for hours. Her husband would then take the paintings, sell them under his name and keep the money for himself.

Thankfully, his charade was brought to an halt and Justice was eventually served! Check the trailer out here:

For more information, check out this Gawker article!

Self Awareness is Important

“Until we take how we see ourselves (and how we see others) into account, we will be unable to understand how others see and feel about themselves and their world. Unaware, we will project our intentions on their behavior and call ourselves objective.” –Stephen R. Covey

Reading self improvement materials, or meditating on the subject, help us understand ourselves which in turn help us to understand others. Many don't know themselves; they only know who they're supposed to be. Purpose can only be found by those who understand themselves, not automatons.

Pablo Picasso Wasn't That Long Ago!

I learned a few days ago that Pablo Picasso died in 1973 at the age of 91 which took me by surprise. I used to think that he was a genius from the Renaissance but some of us have known, or have been alive, when he was alive.

Just a little fun fact to learn on Halloween!

Save Money!

“Quick riches are more dangerous than poverty.” –Napoleon Hill

We've heard of the story of the person who won the lottery but was later bankrupted and in a worse situation than when he first started-Why is that? Those who don't know how to manage 30k a year won't know how to effectively manage 1 million a year.

We live in a society of "buy now pay later". We want to look as if we're well off even when we aren't. We drive cars we don't own, live in houses we don't own and use furniture that's not ours.

"Money in the bank gives you a very safe foundation of courage when bargaining for the sale of your services. Without money, you must take what you are offered, and be glad to get it." -Napoleon Hill

No debt, with money in the bank, gives a person courage. Bill Lewis, a Leader and founder of LIFE Leadership, said on a financial cd that you should always be saving 25% of your paycheck every month so that every 4 months, you have 1 month's worth of money in the bank. He also said that you shouldn't start doing this before you cleared off the credit card and car debt due to the interest rate being often too high. (Do note that even if you have a car loan with 0% interest rate, your car is worth less every minute you own it hence why it's a good idea to clear off that debt as well).

Let's stop spending our money on the latest/flashiest gadget and get some savings!

Leadership Ability

"Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership."
-Colin Pow

A manager is someone who gives the answers away. A leader is someone who helps the person find the answers for themselves. Ideally, you want the people to still be productive on days when you're not accessible. It simply can't be done if you're the "answer" guy since you're teaching them to rely on you VS having them think for themselves.

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on August 6, 2008 and can be found here.

Universe Simulator!

Ever wanted to explore Deep Space? Now you can with the free Space Engine! This universe simulator is based on real data, when possible, making the experience as accurate as it can possibly be from a computer chair. If you can see it, you can go to it. PC owners ought to try this (did I mention it's free?).

Check the video here for a glimpse of the action:

Links:
Originally found here: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/
Can be downloaded here: en.spaceengine.org/

Want To Loose Weight?

If you want to loose weight know that it's 80% what you eat and 20% what you do at the gym which means that, given the choice, it's better for you to hire a nutritionist than to hire a trainer. Proper nutrition is required to loose (or gain) weight; you can't outwork a bad diet.

If you need to know the proper postures for each exercises, there are many videos on Youtube that teaches just that. Don't get me wrong, trainers do provide value. They can offer moral support, proper techniques and the like but if your goal is to loose weight - what you do outside of the gym matters more than what you do inside of it.

Remember, it's 80% what you eat and only 20% how you train. Plan your weight goals accordingly.

Water Tricks!

Science is awesome and some of these tricks, done with water, will blow your mind! They're easy enough to try at home - give it a go when you have a chance!

The Benefit of Paid Membership

"Once people buy the membership, they feel like they have to get their money's worth. That keeps customers coming back, and is something that makes them stand out from other retailers." -Yarbrough

Isn't it true that when we buy something we want to get our money's worth with it? When I played World of Warcraft, the 15$ monthly fee is sometime all it took for me to play the game. I didn't feel like playing, at times, but did because I wanted my money's worth.

This thought goes through everyone's head when they have a membership or a monthly subscription to a service. Could a service like this be applied in your industry?

What's the difference between a genius and an idiot?

“A genius is someone who takes a complex thing and makes it look simple. An academic does the opposite.” ― Robert Fanney

If you want someone to take a decision, make the information easy to understand. If it's complicated, he will feel like it's a bigger decision to make. In sales, simplicity is key!

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on June 24, 2008 and can be found here.

Adobe Creative Suite - Free Or Cheap Alternative

If you use a computer to create/edit images or videos then you probably already know about Adobe. Did you know that most of what you can do with Adobe Creative Suite can now be done with other, free or cheaper, software? Granted, they don't work as good but they're definitely a good choice for people on a budget. Check them out on LifeHacker!

Link:
http://lifehacker.com/5976725/build-your-own-adobe-creative-suite-with-free-and-cheap-software

People Skills Are Important!

"The importance of a pleasing personality has been stressed because it enables one to provide service in the proper spirit. If one has a personality which pleases and serves in a spirit of harmony, these assets often make up for deficiencies in both the quality and quantity of service one gives. Nothing, however, can be successfully substituted for pleasing conduct." -Napoleon Hill

I know a technological genius. He KNEW everything there's to know about computers, programming or pretty much anything related to the IT world. In the rare cases that he didn't know, he would research it and soon become the "go to" person whenever others had questions.
To my surprise, the company he worked for let him go. Soon after, I got in contact with the person responsible for the decision in an attempt to know the other side of the story. After roughly an hour with this guy, I learned that while my friend had impressive technological prowess he had little to no social skills hence why he was let go.

Let me write this again "my friend had impressive technological prowess he had little to no social skills hence why he was let go." Which means that people skills are more important than technical skills!

My friend was a nice guy once you put in the effort to get to know him but he wasn't easily approachable and many people, in the corporate world, don't put any effort to know anybody. Many companies offer technical training to their employees but no people skill training; and then let people go when they don't have people skills. How many good employees were let go because of this?

Is The Short Term Muscle Gain Worth The Long Term Lost of Health?

To myself and the aspiring bodybuilders out there, be careful what you put in your body as it may be destructive in the long run. This former Mr. New Zealand (Justin Rys) shows the side effects of steroids and HGH (and other things i'm sure) on the body and it's not pretty. He can barely speak, can't walk straight and his heart is failing him.

Is the short term muslce gain worth the long term lost of health?

Life Is An Experience, Experience It.

Life is about experience, through experience you learn and when you learn; you grow. A question I asked to hundreds of people is "What's the most important thing for you in a relationship?".

Most said trust, some said honesty or respect. When I asked them a little bit about their previous relationships, I realized that the reason why they came up with those conclusions was because they felt pain when their mate were dishonest, disrespectful or cheated on them...

Benjamin Franklin once said “Those things that hurt, instruct” and I found it to be true in these cases. People said "I want respect" when they were disrespected or "I want trust/honesty" when they were cheated on or were the victim of dishonesty. It does make sense that their answers match their experiences.

What would your answer be?

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Revision Wednesday
Blog post originally created on June 4, 2008 and can be found here.

Revision Wednesdays

I've been writing for a couple of years now and gotten better at it. With that being said, some of my old stuff could use some tweaking.

Drew Karpyshyn, the writer behind the mass effect video games and book series, said that to be a good writer you constantly have to write and rewrite your work to make it the best it can be.

Starting tomorrow, every Wednesday will be the day I revisit/update/re-post old work to keep it up to date. The old version will still be accessible if you're curious to know about what changed.

Cheers! :)

You Need Money To Make Money - Really?

“Some people foolishly believe that only money can make money. This is not true! Desire, transmuted into its monetary equivalent through the principles laid down here [“Think And Grow Rich” book], is the agency through which money is “made.” Money, of itself, is nothing but inert matter. It cannot move, think, or talk, but it can “hear” when one who desires it calls it to come!” -Napoleon Hill

We've all heard the phrases "The Rich get Richer" or "It takes money to make money" but that simply isn't true. The rich won't get richer unless they have the desire to do so nor will the poor who lacks the desire. The old saying "When there's a will there's a way" applies here.

While it may be easier for the rich to make more money, since they've learned from acquiring their fortune, it is certainly not out of reach of the poor. The "money" excuses is just that - an excuse. We can all be rich if we want to be, we just have to learn how.

Practice And Have A Better Time

I love climbing mountains but I didn't have a great time the last time I climbed Mt. Carleton and here's why - I didn't train for it. It was the first time that I wasn't physically prepared for a 6 hour walk up & down of the highest peak in New-Brunswick and I took notice. While we did get to the top, I could feel the burn and aches throughout my body and my enjoyment of the experience was hindered in the process.

Anybody can climb a mountain but the person who trained for it will enjoy it more since his body won't be in the way of the enjoyment.

This is true in any endeavors. The person who practice prior to the experience will be more relaxed and enjoy it more than the person who hasn't.

Toyota HiLux Unbreakable Drivers

Toyota has released a new line of advertisement for their vehicles and they're hilarious! The below is what it takes to own a Toyota pickup truck and is, so far, the favorite of the bunch. Check it out!

Cheap Food

“Don’t ask why healthy food is so expensive. Ask why junk food is so cheap.”
-NutritionSnob

In life, you get what you pay for. Cheap cars are bound to have more problems than the more expensive ones, cheap electronics don't usually last as long etc...

The same principle applies to food - you get what you pay for! Processed food may be cheaper but there's usually no health benefit to them, no matter how low the sodium is and even if it's gluten/fat/sugar/trans fat free. Good food is more expensive but gives the body what it needs; cheap food doesn't and can reduce the life expectancy of the body. In other words, it's cheaper to die faster!

Your body is your vehicle, treat it right!

If There Is Life On Mars

"If there is life on Mars that had developed separately form Earth, then that means the big barrier to becoming an interstellar species isn't the life-creating part, but the surviving this technological adolescence part without destroying ourselves." -Yahoo

It's no secret that we want to find life on Mars. There are thousands of sci-fi stories talking about it and we are sending satellites/robots to the red planet to search for it. What if we do find not only traces of bacteria but also remnants of mammals or civilizations?

The next logical questions would be "What happened?" and "Is this what will happen to us if we keep our current destructive nature?" As far as we know, an Earth like planet is rare and to have 2 in the same solar system would mean that we were very fortunate.To have one that developed intelligent life is even rarer.
Perhaps planets, like everything else, are meant to die and the intelligent species on it are supposed to explore space in an attempt to find a new home.

What ever the case may be, it's easy to ponder on the question and be inspired by it. We might never know the answers in our lifetime but future generations likely will. This universe, after all, is there for us to explore. Whether it's to search for a new home or only for knowledge purposes; space travel is our destiny.

Courage In Calm Seas

It's easy to appear fearless in calm seas but it's only during a storm that our courage is truly tested.
Storms are the only way to expose the charlatans from the courageous.

Has your courage ever been tested? If not, then how would you know if you truly are courageous?

The Needy Type

Being too interested in someone will make them loose interest in you. It comes off as being emotionally needy; like a kid wanting the attention of his parents.
We're often blinded to this until someone is being needy towards us. Only then do we usually ever see the errors in our ways.

A person who's comfortable with himself doesn't need to seek the interest of anybody for relationship purposes. He's comfortable alone and can be comfortable with someone else - but he doesn't need it.

If you're looking to win the heart of someone you've already appear needy to, know that first impressions are hard to break but time apart may help restore that impression to its normal setting and give you that second chance. However, it might be best to learn from it and move on.

I Can't Function Properly Without It

I am amazed at how easily it is to come up with ideas, for anything, when I have an hour or so of workout in me every day compared to when I don't.
If I don't have a good night sleep, if I didn't exercise or ate right - I can't function properly.

There are people out there who doesn't do any of those things and seem to be unaffected by it. Does the body eventually adapt to a unhealthy lifestyle? Or maybe those people don't know the difference a healthy lifestyle can make in their lives.

Whatever the case may be, I am pretty much stuck in the healthy lifestyle cycle since I can't function well without it's benefits.

Positivity And Energy

Have you ever seen an energetic depressed person? No? That's because it's easier to have a positive outlook on life when we have energy than when we don't. When we're tired, the negative thoughts are harder to push aside and it's therefor important for us to eat right, exercise and get plenty of sleep in order for us to have enough strength to push negativity away.

Lets Be More Like Elephants?

I was wondering why humans were the only known mammals who developed intelligence since we don't have the biggest brain - Elephants do. It turns out that elephants are more intelligent than I had given them credit for and are also altruistic animals. I came across this from Wikipedia that shows their, sometimes, good side.

"Elephants are thought to be highly altruistic animals that even aid other species, including humans, in distress. In India, an elephant was helping locals lift logs by following a truck and placing the logs in pre-dug holes upon instruction from the mahout (elephant trainer). At a certain hole, the elephant refused to lower the log. The mahout came to investigate the hold-up and noticed a dog sleeping in the hole. The elephant only lowered the log when the dog was gone. When an elephant is hurt, other elephants (even if they are unrelated) aid them.

Cynthia Moss has often seen elephants going out of their way to avoid hurting or killing a human, even when it was difficult for them (such as having to walk backwards to avoid a person). Joyce Poole documented an encounter told to her by Colin Francombe on Kuki Gallman's Laikipia Ranch. A ranch herder was out on his own with camels when he came across a family of elephants. The matriarch charged at him and knocked him over with her trunk, breaking one of his legs. In the evening, when he did not return, a search party was sent in a truck to find him. When the party discovered him, he was being guarded by an elephant. The animal charged the truck, so they shot over her and scared her away. The herdsman later told them that when he could not stand up, the elephant used her trunk to lift him under the shade of a tree. She guarded him for the day and would gently touch him with her trunk."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_cognition

If the above is true then elephants do have a degree of intelligence in them but why hasn't it developed like ours? Some scientist believe that the brain has to a certain size in order for it to develop to the degree of intelligence we have. It's an interesting thought for sure but one that doesn't quite satisfy me...

Buy Experiences Not Things

It is better to buy experiences than to buy things. The experiences we have is what help shape the person we are and things like electronics, furniture, clothes (...) don't have the same emotional impact as climbing a mountain or going to watch a hockey at the arena.
It is more exciting to talk to a friend about our water park adventure than it is to talk about our latest gadget we bought. The excitement of that new gadget will eventually die out but not the excitement we felt during our adventures.

It's what we go through that defines who we are, not what we buy. So if you're one of those who can't decide between going to Hawaii or a new T.V. set - go to Hawaii! You will grow from the experience and remember it for the rest of your life!

The Most Powerful Thought I Ever Read

“Today we come across an individual who behaves like an automaton, who does not know or understand himself, and the only person that he knows is the person that he is supposed to be, whose meaningless chatter has replaced communicative speech, whose synthetic smile has replace genuine laughter, and whose sense of dull despair has taken the place of genuine pain. Two statements may be said concerning this individual. One is that he suffers from defects of spontaneity and individuality, which may seem to be incurable. At the same time it may be said of him he does not differ essentially from the millions of the rest of us who walk upon this earth.” -Erich Fromm

The above is the most powerful statement I ever read. I Have worked in the corporate world for almost a decade now and I had first row seats to what Erich Fromm is describing here. People have become but machines to "do" without much thinking.
It's a constant fight not to fall into this trap and to be just another mindless drone.

Keep reading, keep being different!

Be Mindful of Your Association

“We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.” –Jim Rohn

Income, the way we think, how we live ... etc is, in most cases, very similar to that of our 5 closest friends. Therefor we want to change our life situation, changing some of our associations would be a great place to start. It is important for us to find and rub shoulders with people who have the result that we want so that we, too, can have those results.

In other words, if we want to be financially free; we'll have a better chance of making it by associating with someone who has achieved this than someone who hasn't.

Be mindful of your associations - they're part responsible for the results in your life.

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

The Culture Maker

The culture of an organization is determined by the person who makes the decisions. If you tell people what to do, instead of teaching them how to think, and then complain about the culture, look yourself in the mirror and chances are you'll see the negative side of the culture in you.

Stop putting people in a box, by making all the decision for them, and then asking of them to think outside of it.

The Rob Ford Situation

This is not a post regarding the tumor situation Ford is going through right now but rather to show why he shouldn't of been a politician in the first place.

Many have said that Rob Ford was a good politician but one can't judge this without looking at the personal life. It is not okay for a politician to break the rules. After all, if the leaders break the rules, how can we expect the people to follow them?

If you're a good politician but you cheat on your spouse, steal or do other activities then please resign and get help/punish like the common folk.

Why We Tend To Eat More When We're Tired

Food is energy and when we're tired the body thinks it needs more of it in order to gain energy back hence why we have a tendency to be hungrier when we're sleepy. Sleeping is a crucial part in the fat burning process so don't forget to get some sleep!

A House Is A Liability

You "own" a house? It's a liability not an investment. A mortgage is paying the bank for the right to maintain a house that's not ours until we pay off that debt.

But the value of my house goes up every year! While that's true in most cases (remember the recession in 2008?), the interest rate on your mortgage, the maintenance you have to do on the house (lawn, paint, snow removal, misc fixing), the taxes are all eating part of that money. You'll be lucky if you break even when you decide to sell it.

Obviously owning a house is better than staying in an apartment but it's not as good of a deal as what the bank is telling us unless we can own it upfront. The best thing anyone can do is to payoff their mortgage as soon as possible so that the interest rate is no longer against you.

Suit Up

If you're a guy, dress to impress the ladies not the other guys. Go for class rather than the high school look. Remember that running shoes are for running.

If you want to feel like a million bucks - dress like a million bucks (note that they're are ways to dress that will not cost you a million bucks).

People Are Not Things

“Stimulated by his increasing technical capacity, man has concentrated all his energies on the production and consumption of things. In this process he continually experiences himself as a thing, manipulating machines and being manipulated by them. There is a clear, present danger that man may forget he is a man. For these reasons, it is most important today to continually reassess the traditions of thought about the nature of man.”
–P.29 of “Living Issues in Philosophy – Sixth Edition” by Harold H. Titus// Marilyn S. Smith

I've been working in the IT field for almost a decade now and some companies out there think that people are numbers rather than... well people. It is to nobody's surprise that those who feel like numbers don't really like working for their company and are usually found at the bottom of the productivity list.

How can we make people feel like people? There's often a disconnect between upper management and the employees at the bottom of the ladder. To close the gap would help make everyone feel valued.

Childhood Friendship

There's nothing quite like childhood friendships. I recently got in contact with people I haven't seen since high school and it was like we never left. There was no walls, no pretending to be something I was not. Just good old me with good old buds (pretty much family).

We'll make friends throughout our lives but true friendship is rare. The friends we make at work aren't really your friends since most will sell us out given the opportunity due to everyone fighting to get up "the ladder". We'll make friends with your hobbies but most will only be our friend for as we do the hobby.

We should always take care of all of our friends but there's nobody else like childhood friends.

Partial Business Ownership

There are ways to own part of a business through purchasing stocks. However, many business owners prefer to remain in the private sector so they can keep 100% of the profits (there's always the risk of loosing as well obviously).

Many companies will ask of their employees to "treat the business like it's your own" but how can one do so if doesn't actually own it? If you want employees to treat it like it's their business then give them the option to own part of it by selling stocks to them.

Every Phone Wants To Be An Apple Iphone

The phone market as grown stale. The Apple Iphone was the first of the genre and every other company have tried to mimic it ever since it first came out. They all are using Apple's original designs but with irrelevant twists, innovation wise, like "Bigger screens", "Better Specs" or gimmicks like "shake the phone to bring the photo app" - YAWN!

Every phone company is competing against the Apple Iphone - Even Apple. They're the only company out there that creates products in a direction that I want to go in. They don't have the biggest screens or best specs but they do have the type of innovation that makes sense. They haven't implemented anything just for the sake of getting more people to buy their phones.

I'm not an Apple fan just for the sake of being one; I'm an Apple fan because they're the only ones who, I feel, put thinking behind their products. They don't release a phone every 3 months with irrelevant changes. They only have one, per year, and they do it right.

It's About How Much We Can Keep!

If we're broke at 30k - we'll be broke at 100k. Mike Tyson made 400 million in his boxing career and declared bankruptcy in 2003! It's not how much money you make but how much money you can keep. Discipline is what is required to keep money in our pockets.

Wealth is how long you can go without an income and not loosing your current lifestyle. Some of us could probably not finish the week while others could last months/years.

Just Read!

I don't always read a book to memorize every details of it. Sometimes, it's just about creating sparks inside the brain.

To read about various subject is what facilitates the creative process. Ideas are often just a combination of other ideas.

So we don't need to memorize everything that we read - Just Read!

Think Success!

Whether you say you're good or bad at something - you're right. How you think about something is the indicator of how successful you'll be at it. René Descartes once said "I think, therefore I am" which can apply to this as well.

I remember when I played soccer. I wasn't really good at it nor did I think I was. Some of my friends took the game seriously and it showed in their thinking and actions. They knew they were good and they put a lot of effort in it.

When we practice for something, we not only develop the body, we also develop the mind. We're telling ourselves that we're a winner; we worked too hard not to be!

Think success and you will succeed! Think failure and you will fail. It's that simple.

Your Attitude Says A Lot About You

While walking downtown the other day, I came across a shocking scene. A man was shouting at a homeless woman who had ask for some money.

His angriness towards this person said a lot of thing about who he was. Angry, bitter, alone - could all be heard from his voice. He was in no better place, mentally, than the person he was shouting at. I had no problem picturing him there either.

You will get the most out of life from being kind to others. Be kind to those you meet regardless of their situations. Your attitude says a lot about who you are. How would you like to be treated if the situation was reversed?

The Social Based Decisions of Teens

Most decisions made by teens are done for the purpose of being socially accepted. Pride/Ego or "how things look on the outside" is important to them in order to climb the social ladder present in their environment.

It's an environment that we've all been part of at one point or another. I was a teen once and I did my fair share of social based decisions. What I want to know is how this environment came to be?

When did "tattoos"/"don't do schoolwork" or do illegal things become "cool" among teens? What happened to self-respect, satisfaction for hard work and good behavior?

Character IS Destiny

"Destiny does not consist in what we feel we should like to do; rather it is recognized in its clear features in the consciousness that we must do what we do not feel like doing." -Ortega y Gasset

The definition of character is doing the right thing. Therefor, like Heraclitus said, "Character is destiny."

"Anyone desiring a noble destiny must first develop a noble character." -Orrin Woodward

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

All I Want is To Be Happy - And That's Selfish

Feelings are personal. Therefore, to say "all I want from life is happiness" is a selfish goal. A life of servanthood is what we should thrive for.

In this country, it's okay for us to pursue happiness but not only can't it not be pursued directly, generations of this has created a society of mediocre thinking plague with an entitlement mentality.

We're not entitled to our happiness but we are free to work for it.

Burnout

A burnout happens when someone has been doing something he didn't want to do for too long. How can someone have a burnout when he's looking forward to work every morning?

While it's true that too much of a good thing can be bad-too much of a bad thing is worse.

The surest way to have a burnout is when you have to do something vs wanting to do it. If you're passionate about you do but have to do it to pay the bills then the passion is replaced with stress which will eventually burn you out.

Be debt free and do the things you're passionate about.

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

Boredom Kills Relationships

A boring relationship won't last. Chris Brady once said "If you can laugh with someone then really what can you do with them?"

I was dating a girl a while ago (we'll call her Mandy). Mandy was really passionate about movies. All she would do is sit around and watch movies all day. While movies can be exciting, sitting on a coach all the time is boring. After a few months of this, boredom was the dominant feeling of that relationship and it ended soon after that.

We can only feel one emotion at a time. If boredom is the dominant one in most cases then love isn't and that can be felt by our partner.

Do exciting things with the relationships you want to keep if you want to keep them.

One Of The Funniest Ones!

Some commercials just stick with you throughout the years and this is one of them. I first saw this maybe 10 years ago and it stuck with me ever since. When I think about it, I don't think about the product, however, only about the guy that's in pain. Check it out!

We Can Have More Than One Mentor

First of all, we should all have mentors in life. Those of us that do know that it's okay to have more than one.

We should not, for example, talk about our fitness goals to someone who's known to be good with money but has poor health. Finances should always be the subject of discussion with that person.

Know what you want and then find people who are willing to teach you how to get it. It can be one thing per mentor or many things. It depends on their level of expertise on the subject.

Fitting In

For as long as I can remember, I always had issues with "Fitting in" and for the longest time it affected me negatively.

"Don't copy what others are doing and thinking. You'll conquer more-and be truer to yourself-when you put in the emotional investment to be different." -Dan Waldschmidt

Today I now see that my "Fitting in" issues was a blessing in disguised. There's value in originality. Here's the thing; everybody that said "you're different" never meant it in a negative way. Different doesn't necessarily mean better - but it does mean "interesting".

"Being different is in itself success. Why? Because most of us have a hard time being different." -Dan Waldschmidt

Be your own person!

We're all Killers

Today, I had an argument with a friend who's about to join the army. She said that she wants to be in the army but doesn't want to kill anyone so she'll take a desk job of some sort somewhere.

While it is possible to spend a career in the army without physically killing anyone - those people indirectly kill without knowing it. You don't have to be holding the weapon in order to be a killer, you just need to provide it to the soldier and anybody that makes this process easier is responsible for what the combat soldier does with it. This is why the army train their soldiers before combat, so they can minimize the acts of pointless killing.

This doesn't only apply to the Army. The person who works on cars is also indirectly responsible for the death caused by it. If there's a malfunction that caused death or injury, then the person who worked on it is responsible. If there's an accident, the driver is directly responsible and the person(s) that helped give the vehicle to the driver are indirectly responsible.

It's important for us to think before doing anything. When we make a car, we want to make it as safe as we possibly can to protect the lives of those driving it. We can't be giving weapons to irresponsible soldiers either.

The “Secret” of Building A Big Company

Nobody cares more about your business than you do so how do you get it from a small business to a big business?

We’re all worth minimum wage from the neck down; it’s what we know that makes the difference. A company will never be bigger than the thinking of its leader(s).

You want a bigger company? Think bigger! Start by picking up "The Magic of Thinking BIG" book by David J. Schwartz Ph.D. here.

World of Warcraft - Warlords of Draenor

If you're mildly into video games, you probably already know what the next World Of Warcraft expansion is all about. As usual, Blizzard released a mind blowing trailer to advertise the release. See the awesomeness below:

Laws & Morals

"In today's world, executives are more likely to ask what they can get away with legally than to worry about what's fair and honest. The result is that corporate wrongdoers escape punishment because they find creative ways to skirt the law. Honest executives, instead of focusing on doing their jobs honorably, wind up playing the same legal games dishonest executives play. That is the natural consequences of relying too much on criminal law and too little on civil regulation and, especially, moral norms. [....] Expanding the criminal-fraud laws may be an easy political sell, but it is not a solution. We may wind up with tougher penalties, but we won't get more principled behavior."
-P. 61 of "Make Yourself Unforgettable" book by Dale Carnegie Training

In other words? Adding laws and regulations does not necessarily mean a more honest environment. It's important for us to do things because it's the right thing to do and not attempt to find creative ways to scam someone else.

*Quotes taken from "Make Yourself Unforgettable" by Dale Carnegie Training. The book is available here.

The Not So Get Rich Quick Scheme

Network marketing has had a lot of bad press in the years since it was first introduce and rightly so. Many scammers have used this method to steal a few hundred bucks out of people (one could argue that the corporate employer/employee is a scam 100% of the time).
Not all network marketing is a scam however. In-fact, many are great and are the only way for some people to be financially free.

I've been part of TEAM (now called LIFE) for roughly 7 years now but haven't done anything with it. I'm still in contact with people I've started with and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that they've been successful. It took them roughly 7 years (not a get rich quick scheme ... although it's quicker than the 45 year plan) and are now in a better financial position than they were when they first started.

I have absolutely no issues with recommending LIFE to you since I now KNOW that it's not a scam. YOU, however, have to make it work. It worked for my friend - will it work for you?

Check it out here!
http://www.lifeleadership.com/

Finding The Perfect Person

"I will not settle for second best" said the person who recently part ways with her/his partner. People seem to follow their heart instead of leading it. The heart can be deceived, following it may look good in the short term but it's often devastating in the long run.

Not many understand that life isn't about finding the perfect person, it's about learning to love an imperfect person perfectly.

Love, like happiness, is a feeling and feelings come and goes but you'll never love someone you don't respect. Focus on finding things to respect about your partner and love will take care of itself.

The Body Type Preferences

It's alright to have a body type preference when it comes to you and/or other people. What's not alright is to voice it out to people you might offend.

To say "I like chubby women" (for example) to a skinny woman might come across as offensive to her.

Be mindful of other people.

Seeing it Online Doesn't Mean It's True!

I'm seeing more and more people sharing bogus news on Facebook thinking it's real. First of all, if the "news" comes from "Regularjoe.wordpress.com" (or any other blog), and it's not shown on any other news site, scratch it off as being fake.
Some people who own blogs will write anything to generate traffic, regardless if it's true or not, in an attempt to make a buck.

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." -James Madison

When you see news online, braden your search to see if it holds any ground!

Skillet Rise

Skillet (often confused with Skrillex) is a Christian Rock band that's been around since 1996. What I like the most about this Christian band is that you can't tell it is one. It doesn't contain any "allelujah" or biblical verse and someone that isn't Christian can potentially be fooled into thinking they're just a Rock band.

What they do talk about is how weak humans are and the fights we have to partake. Give skillet a listen below to see what I'm talking about!

Vulgarity

I used to be vulgar in my communication. I thought that my vulgarity "enhanced" my thoughts. Well it doesn't!

I stopped being vulgar when I started noticing that the successful people I was associating with, and whom I admired, weren't using those words.
As it turns out, we tend to pick up conversational habits of those we associate with the most. I used to hangout with vulgar people, therefore I was vulgar.

Be mindful of the wording you use when you speak - it indicates to the listener the kind of people you associate with the most.

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0

Fantasy Relationships

We've all been in a situation where we loved someone who didn't love us back. These fantasies we have about those people are stopping us from moving on with our lives. After all, why would we be on the lookout for another, more meaningful, relationship when we still believe in our fantasy?

If you need to beg to be with somebody, that person isn't for you. We need to find ourselves another goal to move towards. The people we'll find along might just be the one for us.

Life Of Priorities

Micheal Jordan is known as the greatest basketball player of all time but his personal life, for a while, was a mess.
Tiger Woods is known as the greatest golfer of all time but his personal life, for a while, was also a mess.

You can have it all and still have nothing. If you acquire money and fame at the expense of your family, it isn't worth it.
Their stories is what helped me understand the importance of prioritizing your life. All priorities are different but I would advise you to at least put your family ahead of your finances. After all, what's the point of having all the money in the world if you don't have anybody to share it with?

What's Your Biggest Achievement?

It's important to remind ourselves of our biggest achievements when we feel down or second class. It certainly can be a good confidence booster if done without comparing it to someone else's achievements. For some reason, we easily undermine our achievements and over estimate someone else's.

The first thing that comes to my mind is when I read my first self-improvement book, "Eat That Frog!" by Brian Tracy, from cover to cover.
It was quite the feat since I had promised myself that I wouldn't read a single book after High School (yes-I did go through college without reading a book from cover to cover).

Today, I see that milestone as being a major part in how I think. I'm a bit frustrated to see so few taking the time to read a good book.

What's your biggest achievement?

Changing Words to Cover Up

According to National Geographics (August 2014), the U.S. government replaced the term "hunger" with "food insecure" in 2006 to describe households where, sometime during the previous year, people didn't have something to eat.

This, to me, is an attempt to cover up an increasing problem by referencing it to a less impactful wording. It's not the firt time that I hear of something like this and it makes me wonder why they even need to think about making things look less bad then they actually are!

Why are you covering it up? Is it because it looks bad to the eyes of other nations?

*Note: This post isn't to put the U.S. under a negative light since this issue isn't specific to that Country.

The Most Important Muscle

I did a stupid thing at the gym the other day-I got too confident and went too heavy for my triceps workout and ended up hurting my left shoulder (nothing too serious I don't think). It's the second time that happens, the first time was with a machine for biceps curl (again... too heavy).

Some may argue that the back is the most important muscle. While it is an important muscle, there are ways to exercises even with back pain. When you have shoulder pains, however, you pretty much can't do anything that requires lifting weights!

Do You Use Compliments as Conversation Fillers?

It is best to be silent when we have nothing to say. Using compliments has conversation fillers doesn't add any value to you or the other person.

When a compliment isn't backed up by a feeling, as it is often the case when used in conversation filler, it will be perceived as flattery. The filler is therefore against you.

It is best to stay silent when we have nothing to say!

Who Are You When Nobody's Looking?

Is the real "you" the same as the "you" you tell others?

During an interview, Basketball player Kobe Bryant said that Michael Jordan gave him the advice of being himself. He said that if he was himself, the world would adapt to him.

If we adapt to the world, then what new things are we bringing to the table? We were created unique and thought how to be a carbon copy of each other!

Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, Micheal Jordan (etc..) were all geniuses in their own rights and they were also themselves. They will forever be remembered for their individuality.

It is time for us to find ourselves so that we, too, can be remembered for our individuality.

To the question "Who are you when nobody's looking?" Dale Carnegie said "I'm the person I really hope and want to be."

What is your answer?

Don't Fire the Failures!

You own a company and an employee messed up big time. What do you do? If the first thought that comes to mind is to kick that person out, you might want to consider the message you're sending to the rest of the company. Do note the failure mentioned in this case is someone who tried and failed, not someone who did nothing for too long and ended up messing up (those should get the boot).

If you make a big deal out of failures, you will rip employees of their leadership capabilities. They will not want to attempt anything on their own account due to the fear of the consequences.

There is a story of this air pilot who, once in the air, noticed that the gas tank hadn't been filled and almost crashed. Thankfully, he was able to land the plan safely. The first thing he did once on the ground was to seek out who was responsible for filling up the tank and, instead of being mad, said "from now on, I want you to be the only one filling up my airplane."

Why did he do that? Because people who make mistakes are less likely to repeat them.
The same applies here. The person you booted now has the knowledge on how not to repeat his mistake which potentially will help the next company who hires him save millions of dollars.

He who fails the most learns the most.

Ask Questions!

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." -Buddhist proverb

The best way to show that you are a "ready" student is by asking questions.
Very few ask questions. Maybe they think it's a sign of weakness but in most cases it's due to pride.

Is your pride in the way of your education?

According to dictionary.com, pride is "a high inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc."

Pride most often originates from comparing ourselves to others. It is widely spread due to the presence of relative peace. Men, having nothing better to do, compare themselves to others.

Show me a man with pride and I will show you a man with limited options. Pride limits your own ability to grow. So be humble and ask questions?

Knowledge Over Ignorance - A James Madison Quote

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

-James Madison

We're Not Born with Knowledge

Harold H. Titus and Marilyn S. Smith mentioned in their book "Living Issues In Philosophy - Sixth Edition" that every child is born starting at zero. He doesn't know anything and can be shaped in any way.

It is said that the Romans would take the children of kings in conquered lands and teach them how to be Romans by bringing them to Rome. This is one of the ways used to assimilate the conquered countries into the Roman empire.

This strategy is pretty interesting to me. If people age 4+ would all die out and only children would be left, and somehow manage to survive, the world would be a vastly different place. It would make a good introduction to a novel wouldn't you think?

When Did Humans become Aware of themselves?

While reading a paragraph on self in the book "Living Issues In Philosophy - Sixth Edition" by authors Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith, I started to wonder when did we first developed this self-awareness?

What is Self-Awareness?
According to http://www.yourdictionary.com/, self-awareness is a person's knowledge of themselves and their worth as a person.

When did we first inherited it?
According to the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve became "aware" after eating from the Tree of Knowledge - which is fine but I would like a more scientific side of it based on the theory of evolution.

The man of today is very different than the monkey counterpart in terms of mind and thinking. At which point, of the evolutionary process, did man start to be aware of himself? The popular belief is that it developed over time once our ancestors started using tools while others believe it was when we started to have the desire to communicate with each other.

What have you heard on the origin of Self-Awareness?

Back To Basics

When I was in martial arts, I would practice a punch 30 times and then ask my Sensei to teach me the next move. My Sensei would then say "No, you've got to master the basics."

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." - Bruce Lee

Today, I realize that the basics in anything is everything. The martial artist master who breaks a brick with his fist used the same type of punch that was thought to the beginner. The only difference is that the master practiced it more - he understands it better.

It's only after you've "punched" thousands of times that you start paying attention to what you're doing. You start realizing how it works and how complex a "simple punch" actually is. That "Eureka" moment is when true learning begins. It's at that moment that you see what it takes to be a master and whether or not you want to pay the price in order to be one.

Science Could Be Destroying our Civilization

The focus on science instead of the inner self is making cowards of men and potentially destroying our civilization.

Nothing great was ever achieved without confidence and confidence comes from looking inside of us and not through the studies of facts.

Big city cars. Big nonsense? - The new "Smart Car" ad

I don't have cable (but of course you knew that already didn't you?) and am therefor not up-to-date when it comes to ads, current events or tv series that's currently playing. Somehow, I still manage to learn about them through word of mouth or through internet blogs. Today, I stumble across this Smart Car ad that's just hilarious! It's an obvious hoax that's targeted to those who doesn't like the smart car because it's "too small". Check it out here:

Religions and The Many Sins

According to the Bible, same sex relationship is a sin... but so is divorce, adultery, lying, stealing (etc)… Before pointing out the leaks in someone else's boat, you might want to look at your own first.

“...He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7 KJV) – I know of no man that is without sin. No stones should ever be thrown at anybody accused of a sin. Do not point out someone else's sin since you are not responsible for their judgment. You're responsible for your own judgment; focus on your own issues.

If you claim to be a man of God then “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Golden Rule – Luke 6:31) and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31 NIV).

Be the example that you want to see in the world instead of pointing out what others are doing wrong (by attempting to force your morals on them). There should be no hate for our neighbors, only love.

Learning To Be Free

“If a man acts as he does merely because of custom or tradition or law, he is not genuinely free. When asked what good his philosophy did him, Aristotle remarked that it enabled him to do willingly what other men did merely because of fear of the law. That man is free who is the author of the principles and laws by which he lives. In an ideal society, each person would agree with every law or, if he did not like the law, would criticize it and agitate for change. He would do this on the basis of facts and principles which were consistent.”
-P. 13 of “Living Issues In Philosophy Sixth Edition” book by Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith

Education allows people to lead themselves. Some world leaders are keeping their population stupid, on purpose, to keep the populace under control. They do so by controlling the media that's fed to them but it's becoming increasingly difficult now that the internet is so widely accessible (although some countries do try to control that as well).

The only way for society to move forward is through knowledge. The more people that learns how to think, the further the steps forward. Any type of government that doesn't allow free thinking is telling the world that it doesn't want to be part in the world of tomorrow.
What's worse than a society that wants to learn but can't? A society that is allowed to but doesn't care for it. Ray Bradbury said “You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.”

Be the change that is needed of us to get ahead.

We're all Philosophers

“The word philosophy is derived from the Greek words philos (“loving”) and sophia (“wisdom”) and means “the love of knowledge and wisdom.”
-P.8 of “Living Issues In Philosophy – Sixth Edition” by authors Harold H. Titus & Marilyn S. Smith

Everybody is a philosopher whether they actively know about it or not. We all live with a set of predetermined rules that we consider “right” and we sometime argue with others in an attempt to convert them to our way of thinking.

Let's own our Philosopher's way to live our life the best way we possibly can.

Finances & Self Confidence

I recently dusted off an old copy of success magazine (subscribe here) and found a wonderful reminder of why it's important to have control over our finances.

“It's been said that if you want to know how people feel about themselves, look at their bank account. Money is an outcome, a reflection of one's mindset and self-confidence. And money doesn't lie. It's unemotional and unsympathetically revealing. It's a rigid measurement of value that's easily counted.” -P.6 of “Success Magazine – February 2009” article written by Dale Hardy

Debt is bad for various reasons - including how we perceive ourselves. It's hard to feel like a winner when we're going further behind in our finances every month.

While some argue that there are such a thing as a “good debt”, none of them feels good to me.

The Human Experience

“You are not a human being in search of a spiritual experience. You are a spiritual being immersed in a human experience.” -Teilhard de Chardin

When we think in terms of spirit, there's no racism or gender superiority/differences. When we think in terms of human beings, we start to see the physical differences between people and that is where racism, sexism, bullying, stereotypes (etc...) comes from.

Let's try to see things for what they are rather than what they appear to be. We are spirits trapped in a human body having a human experience. On that basis, we should be able to find common grounds and get along.

*This post can also be found on Men 2.0