Learn, Or Be Forgotten...

After a great deal of pondering recently, I've decided that if I could convey one message to my fellow man it would be the importance of learning. This concept is, after all, the most important trait that separates the human race from any other species. Without learning we would still be stuck in the dark ages with nothing, wondering what our opposable thumbs were good for. The same mistakes and problems would haunt us day in and day out.

However, so many of us walk around taking this gift for granted. We learn what we have to, when we have to and only enough to get us by. Perhaps that line of thought (or lack of thought) has worked for a short while but that time is quickly coming to a close.

With the information now available to any "Average Joe" instantaniously, 24 hours-a-day, those who do not learn and learn quickly, are soon forgotten. I once heard a statistic that 80% of the jobs people will be doing in three years, haven't even been created yet. When one really takes a moment to consider that idea, the effects are profound.

So let me encourage everyone who takes the time to read this article to do everything they can to keep learning. The possibilities are endless. Find a topic you are interested in or know you can use and find out everything you can about it. Don't be afraid to pick up a magazine, buy a book or rent a movie that intrigues you. Make the entire world your library. If you can rediscover learning with the enthusiasm of a young child you will never be disappointed, because in this age of ever-expanding technology and free floating information the man(or woman) with the most know-how will go the furthest, and be the happiest.

As Emerson once said: "To the illuminated mind, the whole world burns and sparkles with light."

Truer words have never been spoken, and I implore each and every person to take them to heart. After all, what have you got to lose?



P.S. > There is another copy of this article on zoomley.com/learn-or-be-forgotten

A shot of energy

Here's a shot of energy for your Thursday morning. One of my favorite songs of all time, that always gets me going. Listen and be inspired...

Free Diving

So I was just introduced to the concept of free diving. The concept is that of base jumping under water, and I feel like it's something that would be hard as hell, but awesome to experience.

See for yourself....



Such an amazing idea....


P.S. Thanks to Pat for showing me this video, and I don't own this video in any way.

Infotainment

So recently I've decided I'm going to expand my blog topics. I love helping people, but I feel like I need a change. My hope is still to inspire by a figured maybe some "infotainment" is in order. So my fellow Americans, keep an eye out... keep an eye out for more badassery, soon to come.

What do you love?

Hello my fellow internet cronies! Once again, long time, no post. I could make excuses about being busy and what have you but honestly, I just haven't felt like posting for a while. You see, I've spent a good portion of time recently trying to differentiate between what I want to do and what I have to do. Part of that process was figuring out where blogging fell on that list. I thought maybe it was too much of a "want" and not enough of a "need." Finally though, I came to the realization that I was making a serious mistake by thinking in such a way. You see, there's been several instances in which I've dismissed so many of my desires thinking that they're not practical. It finally dawned on me, that wants and needs don't have to be mutually exclusive. One quote that jumped out a me recently really accentuated this point. It was made by Mr. Dale Carnegie...

success is getting what you want and happiness is wanting what you get.

So what is it that you want?

Once again boys and girls, it's been a while. Though I've been uber-busy, I have been falling down on keeping my blog updated. Though I hope you'll find this post, especially enlightening, as my ideas for it really flowered after seeing Burton's new 3D flick, Alice In Wonderland.

As well as being a visual masterpeice, this movie also had some great themes. One that really ressonated with me was the idea of finding and celebrating your uniqueness. Everyone might say "oh I'm unique, I'm my own person", blah blah blah, but few actually are. Yes you're unique....but you say and do things that everyone else tells you, or perhaps what you think they want to hear.

In the movie, Alice (yes the movie's namesake) finds herself wrapped up in society's status quo. As a young girl, she is forced to marry because it's what she's "suppose to do at her age." Alice is beautiful but for all intensive purposes.....weird.  She has her own ideas and often goes into la-la land, lost in her own imagination and forsaking the outside world. In the end, after all of her trials and tribulations Alice finds her own path, truly...leaving behind the idea of being a mindless drone.

We all secretly want to be like Alice, in fact I genuinely wish I had a damn Wonderland that would keep my interest. I guess what I feel we all need to realize..... is that we all have what Alice found within herself.  The only catch is...it takes courage to "do your own thing" as it may be. Start that business, write that story, ask that hot cashier at Walgreens out (worked out for me).  Imagine life if everyone truly expressed their uniqueness however the hell they wanted to....wouldn't that be cool.

A Helping Hand

It's been a few days loyal minions, but fear not...I am still here.

The thoughts that have been dominating my gray matter recently echoed with many common themes centered around self-reliance. When people go through hard times the phrase "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" often pops up. Truer words have never been spoken, and for quite a while I looked at every horrible situation as a chance to get stronger. With each challenge I overcame, I gained energy and barreled towards the next  obstacle. That worked for months, even years.... but after a certain amount of time I became weary of fighting every battle that life threw at me. For all of us these battles can become empty and meaningless. It doesn't matter how strong one person is, eventually the weight of responsibility and conflict will become too much. By then the motto of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" becomes "what doesn't kill you makes you tired, lacking motivation and apathetic."

As an example of this think of an avid weight lifter. The first few months that this person trains they make massive improvements quickly, which motivates them to work even harder. This momentum gradually slows as their muscle fibers expand and become used to the workload. Eventually, no matter how determined the athlete is, they hit a plateau. Often this plateau is so enormous that with every effort to improve the only thing that is obtained is frustration and discouragement. Eventually they realize, they need someone else to push them.

This is exactly what happens to those of us who try to handle challenges purely to  "become stronger." You see, what I've come to realize is that no one is strong enough to handle all the challenges this life throws at them alone. No one ever said that "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger...but only if you endure it by yourself." Sometimes we've merely reached the zenith of our growth that can be obtained independently.

Does this mean that we should all wine and cry out for help at the first sign of adversity? Absolutely not. Self-Reliance is great, and indepence is a necessity in today's world. But everyone needs a support system. God gave Adam, Eve. Bonnie needed Clyde and Kane needed Able(maybe that's a bad example...) The point is, no one has to go it alone all the time, so push yourself each and everyday, but don't slap away a helping hand because it might bruise your ego, instead of letting someone pull you up to the next level.

Just Do It

"Give up, thinking as though not giving up. Observe the techniques as though not observing."

The above is one of my favorite quotes. Who do you think made it? A chinese monk or maybe Ghandi? Well all of the above are wrong. This ever so deep quote was made by the ultimate ass-kicker. Mr. Bruce Lee.

After first reading this quote some think that it's a horrible idea, that it promotes giving up, not trying and not caring but in actuallity it does the complete opposite. What this quote is trying to get across is also paraphrased in Nike's famous slogan of "Just Do It." That is... don't try, don't hope...do it.

Often we're so focused on analyzing the outcome that we lose our own flow. It doesn't matter what the activity is, but if we're too concerned with the outcome we will almost certainly fall short every time. You see the idea of trying a task creates the possibility of failure in our mind, which is where Nike got it right. Now maybe if they'd just pay those little indonesian kids more then a bag of potato chips to make their products they'd have it all figured out.

The occurence of gathering too much information on something often blinds us from listening to our instinces and pushes us to spend to much time worrying about results and wondering "what if." The fact is that this small act usually is only part of the big picture, so just do it, learn from it, and move on. Trust yourself, if only for a small while.

So my friends, I leave you with this: One of Nike's new commercials that motivates the hell outta' me. Hopefully it'll do something for you too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/nike?v=bPO354_ugF8&feature=pyv&ad=4571301224&kw=olympic#p/a/u/0/bPO354_ugF8

Big Dreams

Who do you want to be?

I was pondering this question quite a bit yesterday and something occured to me. Everyone wants to be someone but why do some chase that dream and others fall short? A friend and I were talking at work and discussing the oh-so-cheesy training videos we get to watch at "The Pharmacy America Trusts." On several of the videos Associates(a fancy name for cashiers) are showcased, some of which have been in their same position for upwards of twenty years. Sure they're portrayed as happy, hard-working individuals but it begs the question don't these people want more out of life? Did they ever once stop to think "Maybe I could do something more." I mean, everyone wants to be something, and make something of themselves at one point or another right? A simple life is great and I'm all for it, but just because one desires simplicity doesn't mean that one can't have goals.  As much as employers roll out the red carpet for retail cashiers, I personally wonder if these people are truly happy. Is this what they dreamed of as a kid? "Mom and Dad when I grow up I'm going to be a slave to the corporate system. I want to stand behind a table all day acting like I care about what other people are buying, then ask them to give me money (that someone else gets) for some cheap product that was made in China." Perhaps that's a bit harsh of me, but you see the point I'm making. After mentally chewing on these ideas I was reminded of who I want to be. Someone who makes a difference on this tiny, insignificant planet of ours. Not just a small difference though, no...I won't be satisfied with stopping there. I want to make a huge difference. Someone who can inspire hope within the masses and present to all the idea that each and every one of us have the capacity to follow our passions. Cheesy? Maybe. But hell...what can it hurt? Imagine life if everyone thought anything was possible.

Living for others

As I was going about my business today I started thinking, that every little thing I do is usually rooted in fear. That's right, fear. I'm not talking about a phobia or a fear of dying or any of your stereotypical fears, I'm talking about being scared 24/7 that other people won't approve of what I'm doing. This fear comes from constantly yearning and expecting myself to be all things to all people.
Human beings are by nature, selfish, so I'm all for some piety in our society... but it gets to the point where we're sacrificing our thoughts, ideas and goals for others. We spend our lives trying to live up to others expectations or even what we imagine their expectations are. I for one am constantly aware of how other people see me and live in fear of their opinion. "If I don't put this away or if I park here or don't take this class so-and-so will think less of me." I am so tired of being, as my girlfriend calls it, a "slave to others emotions." As of today I'm going to do my damnd'est to keep others in mind WHILE living for myself. After all, I'm not Mother Theresa, and neither are you.
So I encourage everyone to remember who they are and how they want to live THEIR life. Because life is to short to live for anyone else.

So I was thinking today while at my oh-so-stimulating job, about people that are mad all the time. I just don't understand their deal. Why would anyone choose to be a grumpy all the time?

The only thing they get is a permanently creased forehead, high blood pressure and a heart attack at 45. You can place all the blame on the world if you want to but in the end you just make yourself miserable and you look like a panzy in the process. I mean really, why can't people just grow a pair and face their problems? So life dealt you a bad hand and you've got tons of problems, maybe even more then most people, but I don't understand how being angry all the time helps. In my opinion life is way to short for that, and some of the people I've known that are the happiest are the ones with the most "problems." That right there shows character. I'm not saying it's not okay to feel down, it's fine...even healthy, but don't let your challenges bog you down until you can't pull out of it. This is your life, and you have a choice.

Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned From James Bond

Behold! An original idea created by yours truly while "Casino Royale." Some of it you can take seriously, some you can't. You pick which is which.

James Bond taught me:

1. Never read the owners manual, no matter how complex the device.


2. Never give up fighting evil madmen, not even after briefly dying of a rare poison.


3. Always be cautious of midget henchmen that work for oddly named men.


4. There's no such thing as a metrosexual, just a gentlemen that knows how to look good.


5. Never take good looking women too seriously. Or ugly ones for that matter (e.g. Susan Boyle).


6. Confidence is something everyone should have, as it can get you most anything.


7. Never care what anyone thinks of you.


8. When life gets tough, dress like an oriental person and marry some random Asian you don't really know.


9. Gadgets don't make the man, the man makes the gadgets.


10. Never trust a woman with a sexual innuendo as a name.


11. One of the best forms of stress relief is beating down evil henchmen.


12. It's good to have a favorite drink but don't be afraid to try something different now and then.


13. When involved in a gunfight be careful of people with Golden Guns. They'll kill you with one shot.


14. High Performance cars are a very important part of life.


15. Play by your own rules.


16. Harass the tech guy at work. Remember, even if you can't see it, he's laughing on the inside.


17. When you're not pretty enough or you don't fit someone's stereotype, show them you're gritty enough and rip some new ones.


18. Don't mess with Asians with bowler hats.


19. It's okay to gamble, but always have a backup plan.


20. Always have something witty to say, even when you're about to be cut in half by a laser.


21. You never know when an ejector seat may come in handy.


22. Numbers are a better way to identify yourself then your name.


23. When in doubt, blow it up.


24. Robbing Fort Knox is a bad idea.


25. Single women aren't usually all that much fun.


26. When given a choice, always go with the Aston Martin.


27. Speaking the same language as the woman you love isn't important.


28. Never run when walking will do.


29. Being bitten by someone with braces hurts.


30. It's always a good idea to make sure you're an Olympic Skier. You never know when it might come in handy.


31. Acting like you know what you're doing can get you pretty far.


32. Oh yeah, and never....EVER... half ass anything.

Hey all,

This is officially my first blog post. My goal is to make this blog epically entertaining, and hopefully a bit enlightening. I'll cover my views on everything from current events, to movies, to some motivational ideas I've had.... so here are some thoughts for you, take them how you will.

The last couple weeks some random quotes have caught my ear while watching some of my favorite movies and TV shows. One of these quotations was made on an episode of Nip/Tuck where one of the main characters is discussing his sex addiction, and consequently, his view on life.

"Nothing survives and not one of us gets out alive. Now you can huddle in a group and face it one day at a time or you could be grateful that when your body rubs against someone else's, it explodes with enough pleasure that you can forget, even for a minute, that you're only a walking pile of ashes."

Now for some of us more neurotic individuals (such as myself) this may come off as a grim, and perhaps even depressing statement. The more I think about it however, the more I find it can be quite a liberating idea, in a twisted sort of way. It reminds me that what is important in life isn't our achievements or possessions or even how good looking we are. It's the connections we make with others and what we do each moment of our lives.

Looking at the facts it's hard not to feel thankful. I read just the other day that there are 300 million sperm cells in every male ejaculation (a plethora of jokes come to mind, but please stay with me). So that means there are 300,000,000 other people you potentially could've been. and if you multiply that number by the odds that each of your parents was one in 300,000,00 or so the number gets pretty damn big. You get my point though.

As the movie Charlie Bartlet also points out: "The universe is infinite and we could've been born a single celled organism on the planet Zortex, but we weren't, we were born human beings."

So no matter if you believe in Creationism, The Big Bang, or that Tom Cruise sneezed too hard and created the universe, it's a fact that each one of us is unique and each one of us got the chance of chances to be born here, now, in this moment and we were each given the intelligence to choose our actions. So, make the most of every second of every day. Step outside your comfort zone and instead of bitching about your circumstances make the best with what you have. In fact you could start by getting your lazy ass off of Facebook, Myspace, or Twitter and do whatever it is you've been putting off....Because all-in-all after everything is said and done this existence is the only shot you get, and it's your life....ending one second at a time.

Oh yeah, and check back soon for new posts ladies and gents.