The longer I stumble around on this small, backward planet, the more amazed I am at how fulfilling simple things are. Good music, walks, and sunshine are constantly reinforcing themselves as some of the greatest things in life. Whenever I can, I put on my headphones and head out for a long walk. It continuously amazes me how easily a long walk can improve my attitude and brighten my day.
The same goes for spending time with real friends. There is nothing like enjoying drinks and a good meal with a true friend, even more so when you don’t get to see your friends that often. I say all of this because I was able to hang out with some good friends over the past week and a half.
The first was a friend from way back in my middle and high school days. I hadn’t seen her in a few years. So when I was invited to a surprise 40th birthday party for her, I had to go. Some of my old anti-social tendencies reared their ugly little heads, but I successfully ignored them. And as much as I hate hanging out with folks from high school, it was great to see her and some of the other people who were there.
The second bit of hanging out that I did was going to the local pro basketball game. I took my daughter, her mother, and a good friend with me. The idea was to take my daughter to her first game, and afterward, send her and her mother home and hang out with my friend.
Fortunately, everything went according to plan. My daughter had fun even though she didn’t get any of the souvenirs that were being launched into the crowd. I went to a restaurant with my friend and had beer and seafood and had a great time just letting off steam.
Finally, a good friend was in town a couple of weeks ago. He was doing his usual high flying, but he was able to land for long enough to spend some time shooting the shit with me. We ended up having drinks and a great meal at one of the best restaurants in town. Afterward we clowned some old friends and laughed for a long time.
Today I don’t have anything clever or profound to write. All I have is the observation that spending time with people I care about is one of the most valuable and wonderful things that I get to experience in this life.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Rules of the Game
I used to be an avid chess player. (more proof that I am a nerd/geek) I was on the chess team. My senior year of high school, we won the state chess tournament and went to the nationals. Needless to say, I have a real appreciation for the game and its strategies. Chess is one of the things that can easily provide anyone with several lifetimes of study.
A couple of months ago I stumbled upon an online video of a guy named Michael Tsarion. This guy is a conspiracy researcher. Since I was in the mood to see some paranoid stuff, I watched him talk. While I can’t remember his specific subject, he did leave me with a very valuable lesson on strategy. It was like Sun Tzu in a convenient capsule form.
I do remember that Tsarion was talking about the cabal that (according to him) runs the world – New World Order, Illuminati, CFR, Bilderbergers, Rockefellers, whoever. He framed his observations of their workings in terms of chess. And immediately my ears perked up. He said that these people had four major points of philosophy that they live and work by. They are:
1. Know yourself
2. Know the enemy / competition
3. Have infinite patience
4. Make any sacrifice necessary to win
All chess and conspiracy theory aside, these meta-strategies (I just made that word up.) look like the keys to succeed at anything. I really don’t see any way to make these any simpler or more comprehensive.
Every now and then I think about this as a guide to live by and to use as a framework around which to build my success. I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do on myself to even get close to using these tenets to their maximum potential.
A couple of months ago I stumbled upon an online video of a guy named Michael Tsarion. This guy is a conspiracy researcher. Since I was in the mood to see some paranoid stuff, I watched him talk. While I can’t remember his specific subject, he did leave me with a very valuable lesson on strategy. It was like Sun Tzu in a convenient capsule form.
I do remember that Tsarion was talking about the cabal that (according to him) runs the world – New World Order, Illuminati, CFR, Bilderbergers, Rockefellers, whoever. He framed his observations of their workings in terms of chess. And immediately my ears perked up. He said that these people had four major points of philosophy that they live and work by. They are:
1. Know yourself
2. Know the enemy / competition
3. Have infinite patience
4. Make any sacrifice necessary to win
All chess and conspiracy theory aside, these meta-strategies (I just made that word up.) look like the keys to succeed at anything. I really don’t see any way to make these any simpler or more comprehensive.
Every now and then I think about this as a guide to live by and to use as a framework around which to build my success. I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do on myself to even get close to using these tenets to their maximum potential.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Nobody (Who Really Matters) Cares
Some of my old hang-ups have recently begun to rear their ugly heads. I am finally beginning to honestly deal with them. I realize that it is time to work through my issues; otherwise I would just be fooling myself about achieving some type of real, personal growth. It also doesn’t hurt that their manifestations aren’t as intense or serious as they once were.
I have never wanted to admit it, but I care on some level about appearances and expectations – things which I have often professed mean nothing in the long run. I have always played that part of my personality off. Yet, for some reason, it still matters what others think of me. Maybe I am still something of a perfectionist or an elitist. I can’t really call it. I just know that it is there.
I have always played it cool and aloof (or so I thought). Oftentimes, I have been really standoffish, so much so that it has probably affected or even ruined potentially good relationships. It has probably made me seem pretty goofy.
Anyway, the latest manifestation cropped up a couple of weeks ago. I was invited to an old friend’s surprise 40th birthday party. I accepted the invitation even though I hate hanging out / being around people with whom I went to high school. (I just hate most of that really awkward, weird period of my life. But who doesn’t.)
I was overly concerned with the car that I was driving (along with my current low maintenance hairstyle, my living arrangements, and my financial status). The car is old and not in the best shape. It, however, does what is important: it gets me around safely. Nonetheless, I parked it around the corner so that no one would see it. As irrational and unnecessary as it was, that’s what I did.
Surprise, surprise!! Nobody cared; just like nobody cares about it anywhere I go. And, deep down, I know this. The old affectations and stupidity kicked in and threatened to ruin a nice afternoon.
Over the last few years, I have taken a lot of cheap shots from the little (minded) people in my life. All of them have curiously high expectations of me and of what I can do for them. Even more curious is the fact that none of them have done anything or have offered to do anything for me. Combine that with my being at a real low point and my old hang-ups and you get a guy whose (false) self image has taken a real beating.
The thing that I have to keep reminding myself is that the opinions and things about which I occasionally stress myself out are really my own random assumptions and projections. They tell me that I am worried about the wrong things. When it comes down to it, the people that I consider important to me and worth my time don’t care about the things in my life. They care about me, not what I drive or whether I can afford the latest popular gadget.
The people who truly care have my back. And a lot of them are going through the same kind of stuff that I am experiencing. They keep me encouraged and I do my best to return the favor. So I figure that the best thing that I can do is ignore the idiots and my hang-ups and stick with the true friends.
I have never wanted to admit it, but I care on some level about appearances and expectations – things which I have often professed mean nothing in the long run. I have always played that part of my personality off. Yet, for some reason, it still matters what others think of me. Maybe I am still something of a perfectionist or an elitist. I can’t really call it. I just know that it is there.
I have always played it cool and aloof (or so I thought). Oftentimes, I have been really standoffish, so much so that it has probably affected or even ruined potentially good relationships. It has probably made me seem pretty goofy.
Anyway, the latest manifestation cropped up a couple of weeks ago. I was invited to an old friend’s surprise 40th birthday party. I accepted the invitation even though I hate hanging out / being around people with whom I went to high school. (I just hate most of that really awkward, weird period of my life. But who doesn’t.)
I was overly concerned with the car that I was driving (along with my current low maintenance hairstyle, my living arrangements, and my financial status). The car is old and not in the best shape. It, however, does what is important: it gets me around safely. Nonetheless, I parked it around the corner so that no one would see it. As irrational and unnecessary as it was, that’s what I did.
Surprise, surprise!! Nobody cared; just like nobody cares about it anywhere I go. And, deep down, I know this. The old affectations and stupidity kicked in and threatened to ruin a nice afternoon.
Over the last few years, I have taken a lot of cheap shots from the little (minded) people in my life. All of them have curiously high expectations of me and of what I can do for them. Even more curious is the fact that none of them have done anything or have offered to do anything for me. Combine that with my being at a real low point and my old hang-ups and you get a guy whose (false) self image has taken a real beating.
The thing that I have to keep reminding myself is that the opinions and things about which I occasionally stress myself out are really my own random assumptions and projections. They tell me that I am worried about the wrong things. When it comes down to it, the people that I consider important to me and worth my time don’t care about the things in my life. They care about me, not what I drive or whether I can afford the latest popular gadget.
The people who truly care have my back. And a lot of them are going through the same kind of stuff that I am experiencing. They keep me encouraged and I do my best to return the favor. So I figure that the best thing that I can do is ignore the idiots and my hang-ups and stick with the true friends.
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