tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90829197547300391372024-09-07T17:05:29.205-07:00Searching for meaning in an uncertain world.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-56516793092168602842009-10-31T01:53:00.000-07:002009-10-31T01:53:06.961-07:00

Tomorrow will be my last post for awhile because I will be concentrating all of my writing a full novel in a month, a mental marathon that will surely challenge me in a very productive way. Tomorrow's post will detail the last of Benjamin Franklin's areas of self improvement, which I think will require me to be more alert than I currently am at this time of night (morning). Today's post will just

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-38556087667619973562009-10-29T23:25:00.000-07:002009-10-29T23:25:23.586-07:00

12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation. Today in one of my last posts for this month of discipline, I will review one of the last of Benjamin Franklin's self-improvement principles, one that is a bit controversial: Chastity. The way I interpret this, Ben is saying that as in all other

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-74591130640155176102009-10-28T22:49:00.000-07:002009-10-28T22:49:55.591-07:00

TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. As my month of discipline comes to a close, I want to finish writings about the rest of Ben Franklin's impressive areas of self-improvment. There are only two more after this one, so my goal is within reach. After Halloween, as November starts, this blog will fall into disrepair for a month as I concentrate on my

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-5260879314174571742009-10-27T18:17:00.000-07:002009-10-27T18:17:34.594-07:00

CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. It is generally accepted that it is better to be clean than unclean, but why? Instinctually we feel that uncleanliness is gross, it is a social taboo. The reason why this social taboo is engrained in us is likely because uncleanliness can lead to sickness, which may in turn lead to death. Thus, there may be some genetic

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-83412262608987789242009-10-26T21:33:00.000-07:002009-10-26T21:33:52.631-07:00

Perhaps I've gone overboard in constructing too many goals for the near term. However, it is only by great effort that one can become great. I've decided that not only will I run a marathon in February, but I also will commit to writing an entire novel in the month of November, as a part of  National novel writing month. I've always wanted to write a novel, so why wait? Of course, dear

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-23981560297510759672009-10-25T21:26:00.000-07:002009-10-25T21:26:43.165-07:00

The past few days, I felt as if I had reached a plateau in my month of self-discipline; I was meeting my goals, but it felt like I wasn't challenging myself as much as I should be. So, while I was at a Halloween party (and not drinking!) yesterday, a girl mentioned that she had begun training for a marathon. Somehow, I convinced myself that the best idea for me would be to follow suit. And now,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-62147039012165163722009-10-24T17:34:00.000-07:002009-10-24T17:34:16.518-07:00

Today I am in a rush to write these words, as I must write them before I head out for a night of adventure. The weekend nights are always the most exciting, as you never know exactly what might happen. For any given day, a given series of events seems to unfold, and there is not much surprise. That is why we say we live for the weekends. The weekends are our wholly own, while the week is only

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-81857690808440345082009-10-24T00:23:00.000-07:002009-10-24T00:23:49.234-07:00

Writing is a draining process; I comitted yesterday night to writing all of today, and in general, I believe I was successful. After a few hours of respite out with friends, I have returned to write once again, not technical writing thankfully, but my daily contribution to this archive that no one yet reads. There is something exciting about publishing, that this material is 'out there' if

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-78515315895729460812009-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:002009-10-22T20:35:16.563-07:00

Each of the few past days, I've willed myself through writing an entry in this blog. I've foolishly put it off until I've had little energy remaining and the temptation becomes strong to blow off writing and simply go to sleep. But I can be proud of the fact that I did not give in to the simple temptation; however, I did not write my best work either, it was uninspired, written simply to fufill a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-88943683934029884112009-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:002009-10-21T21:17:15.449-07:00

MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. Today, I am reflecting on yet another of Benjamin Franklin's principles of self-improvement. The principle for today is moderation, which has a different meaning than temperance (although that at first seem similar). Moderation in Franklin's context means to not hold a grudge nor an extereme position (e.g.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-88040328617130156622009-10-20T21:30:00.000-07:002009-10-20T21:30:44.928-07:00

JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Today, I'll reflect on another of Ben Franklin's 13 self-improvement principles, justice. This principle relates more to morality than to self-discipline, but there is some overlap, and regardless of whether it relates to self-discipline or not, it is simply a good moral rule to live by, one that can make me a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-49661056466178398842009-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:002009-10-19T20:30:33.766-07:00

The pile of work is large, and time, as always is short. It is abundandtly clear what is necessary: Hard, continuous labor. But there is a distraction in that the pile is so varied and large that it is overwhelming to pick only aspect to work on. This was the situation that I found myself in this morning. I decided to medicate myself with caffeine, and to dedicate myself to the grind. While I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-84822138709883773802009-10-18T21:00:00.000-07:002009-10-18T21:07:47.739-07:00

The temptations are ever-present: The TV beckons with its mindless entertainment, reddit and digg call with their endless stream of semi-interesting websites, and the food cupboard sings like a siren, demanding I sample its tasty treats. Thus, each day is a battle with myself; my primitive brain demands satiation at the expense of my high-level brain's long term plans. One route to success is

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-33967685727327051772009-10-18T00:23:00.000-07:002009-10-18T00:23:35.527-07:00

The weekend has passed, and I've held off on drinking, which is a feat for me; I can't honestly recall the last weekend that I didn't at least have a beer or two. I don't often drink to get drunk, but I'll usually have at least two drinks over the course of a weekend night. My friends usually drink as well; but what is the point? Do I really need these chemicals in order to have a good time?

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-23845171614430304792009-10-16T10:41:00.000-07:002009-10-16T10:41:57.652-07:00

The last leg of a 5k race is the most taxing, the last five minutes, when playing soccer, push you to your limit, and the last 54 minutes of even a meager 24-hour fast seem to be the hardest. When something we want (whether it is to stop running, to stop playing, or to start eating), is just around the corner, our desires seem to amp up, and the temptation to cheat is magnified. "What if I took

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-45976507837132860242009-10-16T06:38:00.000-07:002009-10-16T06:38:49.045-07:00

Fasting isn't fun; but its not as terrible as I imagined either (at least for a single day). I'm 19 hours in, with only 5 left to go. Its interesting that my stomach isn't complaining, and I don't feel weak. The conclusion is that my desires for food can be ignored with enough willpower. I certainly wouldn't want to fast for very long, nor would it be healthy. But a single day fast feels like

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-80515545012993966822009-10-15T11:07:00.000-07:002009-10-15T11:07:25.867-07:00

As I slurp the remains of my post-workout smoothie, a delicious mixture of peanut butter, chocolate, and protein, I realize how much of a slave I am to my taste buds, to my sex drive, to my drive to be lazy and play games and read extraneous news sites all day. But, at least I am aware of my enslavement. And who is my master? My genes. When food was scarce, it was logical that one's genes would

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-27697336839954488362009-10-14T22:06:00.000-07:002009-10-14T22:06:00.778-07:00

I've decided that my progress has been unsatisfactory this month; I have not challenged myself enough, and so I have devised a much more challenging regimen. For the remainder of the month of discipline, I will not allow myself to drink any alcohol, will force myself to make conversation with a stranger every night that I am out on the town, and will stay celibate. Tonight I was disappointed in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-58459803565593920782009-10-14T14:22:00.000-07:002009-10-14T14:22:19.888-07:00

SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. Today, during the eleventh day of my month of discipline I am reflecting on Benjamin Franklin's seventh area of self-improvement: Sincerity. I know that I have a bad habit relating to this area: When someone asks me a question, I am likely to stop and analyze their motivation, and answer in a way

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-30486898406882583612009-10-13T21:15:00.000-07:002009-10-13T21:15:06.877-07:00

INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. This is the sixth of Benjamin Franklin's areas of self improvement as well as the subject of today's post. In this age of facebook, obsessive e-mail checking, and countless other distractions begging to be engaged, it is truly difficult to always remain industrious. I know I actively struggle with

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-41806441674427179192009-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:002009-10-12T11:08:55.774-07:00

It is Monday, and I am taking some time away from the daily slog to continue documenting my 'month of discipline'. Yesterday, I wrote about another of Ben Franklin's areas of self-improvement, resolution, which I believe is of critical importance to my quest for self-discipline because with perfect resolve, one can do exactly what they say they will do. Today, I move on the next of Ben Franklin's

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-51190635036398901452009-10-11T09:44:00.000-07:002009-10-11T09:44:41.438-07:00

And so, the second week of my month of discipline has begun. With it, I am ready to focus on the next of Benjamin Franklin's areas of self improvement: "RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve." Resolution is basically follow-through, which is what self-discipline is all about: Having the resolve to do things that may be painful in the short term but

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-61227028453789483912009-10-10T13:27:00.000-07:002009-10-10T13:27:52.699-07:00

Today marks the first week of my 'month of discipline'. I've focused on being more temperate by reducing my drinking and abiding by a stricter diet, being more silent by lifting the level of my discourse beyond platitudes and only speaking when what I say will add something meaningful, and by being more ordered by organizing and taking time to take care of what should be taken care of. I've

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-7523124439242475822009-10-09T22:37:00.000-07:002009-10-09T22:37:47.476-07:00

Almost a full week has gone by since I've embarked on this month of discipline, which I hope will strengthen my self-control as well as begin a habit of structured self-reflection and improvement. My role model in this quest is Ben Franklin, who was able to accomplish a great number of impressive things during his life, perhaps due in part to his dedication to self-improvement. My lofty ambition

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9082919754730039137.post-53782838870919483942009-10-08T21:19:00.000-07:002009-10-08T21:19:07.686-07:00

Yesterday I described a momentary setback in my month of discipline: My self-control wavered causing my productivity to dwindle. All in all though, I have been successful thus far, or at least I believe I have been; I feel like I'm more aware of what I should be doing and how to accomplish it. But how can I change a subjective feeling of increased self-discipline into a quantitative measurement

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0