Raise your hand if you love getting performance reviews from work…

I thought so :)

Like them or not, they do serve an important purpose - to provide feedback on how we are doing and to show areas of improvement.  But with performance reviews, you don’t get these very often.  Once a year?  Six months?  Three?  But when you have them it provides a good picture of “where you’re at”, no?

But these kinds of performance reviews only cover the professional side of you.  And depending on how you go about your day, there’s at least 8 hours that you don’t spend working.  So where’s the feedback for those times of your life?

Introducing the Daily Performance Review:

Let’s face it, you’re tired at the end of the day.  All you want to do when you get home is eat then go to sleep so you can get up the next day and start over again.  But there is something to be said about spending a few minutes in quiet reflection to see how your day went.  And what you could’ve done differently.  Here’s a few ways you can go about doing this:

• Find a quiet place in your house where you won’t be disturbed for a little bit.
• Sit down on the floor or on a chair.  Don’t lay down as the urge to go to sleep maybe too strong (speaking from experience here ^_^)
• Take a few cleansing breaths.  This is where you inhale deeply, hold the breathe for a second, then exhale twice as long.  Feel the fatigue and negative energy melt away and fall off.  Remember, you want to do your self review in a non-negative state.
• After a few minutes of the cleansing breaths, you should start to relax.  You there yet?  Good :)
• Close you eyes and imagine that you are smack dab in the middle of a movie theater.  It’s a private screening so you’re the only one there.  What’s playing?  The day you’ve had of course :)
• Rewind to when you first opened your eyes.
• Then press Play.
• Obviously the movie in your mind would not go in real time (that’ll take another 8 hours or so ^_^).  Skim over to the interesting bits. 
• Let’s start with the good stuff first:  I was able to take some time to eat my lunch.  Or I resisted the urge to strangle my boss when they told me they were moving the timetable up for the due date of my current project ^_^.  You should get these things out of the way first.  You did a good job, acknowledge that you did, then move on.
• Now for the not so good stuff:  My temper got the better off me today, especially when someone cut me off on the road.  I was short with a co-worker, with family, with friends.  Now think what you could’ve done different.  Then replay it again in your mind with the different approach. 
• Step into the role when you replay it in your mind: Feel and experience everything going on in that moment, this helps the different approach register as it will feel more natural.  And the mind is more apt to accept something as true the more something feels natural.
• Practice, practice, practice: It’ll feel weird the first few times you do it, but it gets easier with time and you’ll find it an important part of your routine :)

But above all else, this exercise is not to be taken as a form of self-criticism.  It’s a time for reflection and positive feedback.  To find out what things you do well and things not so well, with the end goal of improving.  And isn’t that the goal of a performance review in the first place?

Thanks for reading.

Regular posting will resume starting next week.

Hope you all had a great summer, and it is good to be back.

RJ :)

Noticing the job kiosk unoccupied I decided to fill out a computer application to pass the time, after filling out the first section that asked for name, contact info, education, etc.; I was bought to the second section that asked you a series of questions designed to take a snapshot of your personality.  Going through them I came across one in particular that has interested me:

“Are you satisfied with your life?”

It grabbed my attention because it was an unusual question to ask, especially in a job application.  But it certainly makes for interesting blog fodder I thought.

Why Satisfaction Can Be Bad For You

We all have goals that we want to achieve, we strive to get to the top of our own personal mountains.  You persevere and make sacrifices, and as a result you continue to grow and improve.  Eventually you get to the summit - Great! But now what?  You’ll tend to rest on your laurels, enjoy the fruits of your labor and admire that which you have achieved.  It’s a natural reaction that’s for sure, albeit the wrong one. 

Why?

With satisfaction comes stagnation, with stagnation comes complacency, and when you become complacent you tend to miss out on potential opportunities my friend. 

Take Hollywood for example:

Young star breaks into show business, does some small films, gets some favorable reviews, and gets more work.  Eventually wins some awards and becomes an A-list actor.  Star enjoys new found celebrity, declines new projects and takes time off to go on vacations, (maybe adopts a kid or two) runs out of work, fades into obscurity. 

Or the musician that has a hit single, buys a European castle and has it shipped brick by brick and rebuilt in the mid-west, buys a couple of solid gold rocket cars and races them around.  He lets his fame and money go to his head, all the while another act gains notoriety and becomes the hot new ticket in town.  As for the “one-hit wonder?”  He sells his castle, sells his gold plated rocket cars, has a sex-tape of theirs “leaked” and forms their own reality TV-show.

What To Do Instead

So dear reader, instead of resting on your laurels when you’ve arrived at the top, acknowledge that you’ve done a good job, appreciate it, but do not dwell on it.  Realize that there is room for improvement (isn’t there always :) and see how you can build upon your success.  We are only on this earth for a limited amount of time, don’t we owe it to ourselves and others to make the most of it?

So in the event that you find yourself waiting in Target and happen to fill out the electronic job application to pass the time (or not), when you get to that question - what would your answer be?

As always, thanks for reading.

 
There is a park a few minutes from my house with a little pond and a bench.  I first saw this place about 9 years ago and told myself that I would sit on that bench one of these days.  Driving back from work one day I finally decided to stop by and just sit, and I’m glad I did.  On that day the sun was out and the sky was so blue.  The newly cut grass had that fresh, comforting smell.  The breeze was just right and felt nice.  There were ducks on the pond that day and they were waddling around.  The ripples that they made in the water had a calming, almost hypnotic quality to them.  And as I sat there taking it all in I felt calm, relaxed, and happy.  It was a simple moment for sure, but the feeling of contentment was undeniable.  This was the feeling of happiness in the moment, the joy of now.

We live in a world of excess filled with instant-gratification, where style takes the spotlight from substance.  A society where we tend to get caught up in career building and wealth accumulation that we tend to forget the simple things in life that can bring us happiness and contentment - the joy of now.  Here are a few things you can do to get to that place:

• Spontaneity is your friend: Shake things up once in a while.  Not only is it fun, it’s the cure for ruttification.
• Cut through the noise: You will think of a lot of different things trough the course of the day, most of it will just be fluff ( I blame it on our ever decreasing attention spans ^_^).  So allow yourself a few minutes each day to tune out the chaotic, extraneous noise that is everyday life and focus inward and listen to your inner voice.  You may be surprised at what it tells you :)
• Be in the moment: No matter how mundane it may be, if you put your entire being into an activity it becomes another experience entirely.  Don’t believe me?  Try it the next time you wash the dishes.  Open yourself to the experience.  The temperature of the water and how it feels against your skin.  How the plates look when the light (natural or artificial) reflects off of it.  The squeaky sound of the sponge on the dish.  The smell of the dish soap…and so on.  The rest of the world just disappears doesn’t it?
• Give them another chance: Weather it be an object, an event, or a person.  Something (or someone) that you may have dismissed in the past may end up providing you some fun, learning, or both:)
• Be cautious, but not overly so: There are risks, and there are calculated risks.  Keep track of what you may lose, but do not dwell on it.  Focus on what you may gain instead. 
• Don’t be afraid to get hurt, and to fail: Easier said than done I know, but very important nonetheless.  How many opportunities have been wasted because you were too scared to try them out?  Regret ain’t pretty my friend.
• Have an open mind:  My friend J has this motto - “I’m willing to try anything at least once.”  While this mantra may get him in trouble from time to time, it sure ain’t a boring way to live don’t you think?
• Excess leads to complications, complications lead to unhappiness:  Was what a homeless man’s sign held up in downtown Reno during my last visit there.  It was a very powerful statement, offset only by the sign of the guy standing next to him which read, “I’ll be honest, I need a drink.” ^_^.
• Be a kid from time to time: The genuine curiosity, the zest for adventure, the high-level energy, and the stinkiness that comes afterward.  Things to look forward to when you unleash your inner child:)
• Daydream: Contrary to what the name suggests, can also be done at any time regardless of the amount of light present.  Where inspiration and joy intersect.

Happy, happy, joy, joy my friend.  Welcome to the joy of now.

Thanks for reading.

What can you do in a day though you may ask.  Not a lot, which is the whole point:

1. Set the date, and inform everybody: A Wednesday preferably so that it can be set smack dab in the middle of the workweek as a nice little break.  Request a vacation day at work and make arrangements for friends and family to leave you alone and pick up the slack(especially if you have kids to take care of)
2. Location, location, location: Pick out a place where there can be few distractions.  The park on a weekday can be a good place to go.  Others have a favorite hiking trail.  It can even be a backyard of a friends house (as long as your friend is not there of course).
3. Spend it alone:  This is going to be “me time” so no friends or family allowed.  Tell them you just want to have a day of solitude, they’ll understand.
4. Turn all your electronic devices OFF: Turn of your phone, pager, PDA.  You may not be open to the idea initially but this is important.  The world will continue to turn even if people cannot get a hold of you for a day.  Everything should be ok since you’ve made arrangements with everybody beforehand, right?  No radio or TV either, you want to be alone with your thoughts on this one (no matter how unappealing the prospect might be ^_^)
5. Pack enough food and beverages to last a day: You want to stay hydrated so bring plenty of water with you.  You want to have everything that you need readily available so you can spend the day uninterrupted.
6. Bring a blanket: Or something to lay on.  If you prefer to sit, a lawn chair works too.
7. Bring sunscreen:  You’re going to be spending this day outdoors so proper UV protection is necessary.  You can also bring a portable umbrella with you if you like.
8. Take off your watch: For the purposes of this day you will not need your watch.  It’s another distraction that you can do without.  The setting of the sun will be what you’ll use to determine when the day is done. 
9. Ready, set, sit:  Or lay down.  Or walk around.  Skeptical already?  Don’t knock it till you try it.
10. Let your mind wander:  Just lay back and look at the clouds.  Initially you’ll be thinking of work and family.  This is normal, acknowledge these feelings and let them go.  Don’t think of anything in particular, just let your mind guide you naturally to whatever thoughts come and go.  It may seem boring and pointless but that’s the whole point of this exercise.  To get lost in your thoughts while being free from distractions.  To connect with yourself again on a basic level.  To do a “reset” of sorts.

Next thing you’ll know the sky will be dark and a whole day has passed.  How do you feel?  What did you think of?  You may be surprised of what came to you.  You don’t need to share it with anybody.  You can write it in a journal if you like, but the thoughts of that day should stay with you. 

It’s a break from your regular routine, and sometimes that in itself is enough.

So, what do you think of doing nothing for a day?

At the time I knew of ubuntuas the the popular operating system popular with Linux users.  Imagine my surprise when I heard the Celtics yelling it in their pre-game warm-ups(I’ve always thought NBA players were Windows users, shows what I know! ^_^).  After my initial confusion, looking it up online I found this definition of it:

A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole…

- Desmond Tutu

 Beautiful, no?

A few of the many possibilities that can be achieved with adopting this mindset:

• In work: Looking back many a department project would’vegone a lot more smoothly (and successfully) if this mindset was adopted instead of trying to impress the boss with one’s savy and technical skills (myself included I have to say).  Disagreements over specs, timetables, and even font selection for presentation pieces have derailed many good ideas I’m embarrassed to say. 
• At play: From playing basketball to playing Halo, doing one’s part to help their team instead of hoisting up ill advised shots from half-court or going into enemy territory alone with guns blazing.  And not getting pissed and jealous when a teammate does well.
• In life:  Not being jealous of your neighbors big-screen TV, fancy car or big house.  Instead be happy for them and their success, and hopefully learn from them as well.

 So how does one achieve ubuntuness?

• Acceptance of others: People are different, we know this.  Race, gender, age, culture, religion, backgrounds, experiences, and many other qualities differentiate us from each other.  The key is to learn to appreciate the differences in people and see them for what they really are: beautiful, unique individuals that you can learn and grow from.
• Acceptance of yourself:  We are our worst critics.  Smart?  Rich? Beautiful? Popular?  These are a few examples of the qualifiers used in society to measure one’s level of success.  While it’s good to want to be successful, it can become an endless pursuit that can make you miserable in the long run if you always compare yourself to others.  When you think you are not good enough, you start resenting yourself, which leads you to resent others.  Know that while you strive to better yourself, you are already good enough in your own way my friend :)  You have a lot to offer the world, you already bring a lot to the table with your knowledge and experiences.  Believe in yourself.  It’s easy to loose track of this sometimes when you’re having a bad day, so it helps to have some reminders.  I suggest re-reading my post on anchoring.
• Understanding of others: Know the saying, “Walk a mile in his/her shoes?”  Life presents unique challenges for everyone.  So when a friend or family member upsets you, before swearing them off and going incommunicado with them, imagine yourself in their position.  Did they have a bad day at work?  Are they feeling under the weather?  While it may not take away the hurt completely, it may provide some context for you to understand why they did what they did or said what they said.  And that can be the difference between mending relationships and lifelong grudges.
• Adaptability: Things will never go according to plan all the time, that’s just a part of life.  So it’s important to keep a calm, cool disposition when facing life’s little challenges.  While you should acknowledge the curve balls that is thrown your way, you should not be satisfied with the cards you are dealt.  Note the distinction between acknowledgement and acceptance of a situation(perseverance in one and the absence of it in the other).  You should be a force for change for yourself(in the beginning at least).  You know what they say (Warning!  Cliche’ alert) - when life gives you lemons…make lemonade!   

 Now, are you ready to take on the season that is your life and achieve your own personal championship?  I’d say go for it.

1,2,3…Ubuntu!

Thanks for reading.

There are men who want to do everything that their fathers did. 

Others want to do the opposite.

Then there are others in the middle. 

Which one are you?

I have learned much from my father.  In things that I want to do by his example.  And things that I don’t because of his example as well.  I may not agree with everything that he has done and I’m sure he’d probably say the same thing. 

I don’t know if I’ll be as loving to my children when it is my time or if I push them as hard in academia. 

I don’t know if I’ll be as encouraging to my children to do their best or if I express disappointment when I know that my child has not given their all. 

I don’t know if I’ll tell my children to get a respectable job or if I encourage them to pursue what/who makes them happy.

All I know is I am the man I am today because my dad did his best.  And for this I am eternally grateful.

Thanks dad, and I love you.

So to my dad, and to the past, present and future fathers…

Happy Father’s Day :)

First Things First.  What is The Secret?

If you’ve been in a coma, trapped in the international space station, or been living under a rock for the past 2 years, you probably have not heard of the Secret until now.  It is a book by Rhonda Byrne about the Law of Attraction and talks about how you can have anything you desire by focusing your mental energies into manifesting it.  Weather it be money, power, companionship, etc.., if you believe it you will receive it.

It was an immediate success and was so popular that it spawned a DVD version and was featured on Oprah with Oprah saying that she is living proof that the Secret works (weather this is a positive or a negative endorsement is up to you ^_^)

Here is a link to the first 20 minutes of TS (I’ll be calling The Secret TS going forward), courtesy of youtube.

After the introduction, say around the 3:30 mark is when TS really shines because for the rest of the movie it goes into it’s self-promotion, infomercial mode.  Don’t get me wrong it’s awesome because of the unintentional comedy that abounds when these folks work themselves into a lather in promoting TS (the dude with the glasses and the white hair comes to mind:)  Entrepreneurs, visionaries, even quantum physicists!  That’s well and good by I have not heard of these people, how lovely they maybe.  I think it would’ve been better if we had some more accomplished individuals promoting it.  A few ones come to mind and what they might say about TS:

The Secret is the most advanced piece of desire manifestation around.  Results are guaranteed and it’s so simple to use - just set it and forget it!

- Ron Popeil, visionary inventor of the Vege-o-matic and Showtime Rotisserie

I am so convinced that The Secret will work for you I am sure that you will manifest 2 tubs of Oxyclean and a box of Kaboom absolutely free when you buy a bottle of Orange Glo

- Billy Mays, maker of the amazing Ding King, Lint-B-Gone and facial hair enthusiast.

It’s amazing, here I was bored out of my mind because we were shut down for the day.  And all I could think about was pizza, cigars, and thongs.  Then all of a sudden this chubby intern comes out of nowhere with a box of pizza on one hand and a cigar on the other.  And immediately I thought, “Aw shucks…The Secret really does work!”

- William Jefferson Clinton, commander in chief and cigar aficionado.

 

What Do I Think About TS?

I came away smiling from watching TS (actually I was holding my sides the entire time from laughing so hard).  While I do not agree with TS about the law of attraction being absolute, I did experience some interesting occurrences within a week after watching TS and making a concentrated effort to “manifest my desires”  

• I was undercharged $19 on some groceries.
• Found a $20 bill on an ATM machine before making a withdrawal.
• Won 3 bucks in the lottery.
• Got a great pair of shoes at 75% off.
• Had my drive-thru order “Super Sized” for free.
• Noticed that big pimple on my forehead had cleared up.

Now is this because of TS?  Or is it happenstance?  While there is no way of knowing, it makes for interesting conversation, no?

I also do not agree about the law of attraction not being able to discern between the positive and the negative.  In the video it gives an example that you will incur debt even if what you think about is getting out of debt.  Because the word debt is what you are “sending out to the universe” through your thoughts, that is exactly what you will manifest.  Same thing about the guy that has the thoughts, “Please don’t be late” going through his mind over and over on the way to work, because the universe cannot see his qualifier for the word late, he is given the gift of tardiness.

So what does this mean?  If one constantly wishes that they don’t want to get cancer, by this logic - they will get cancer?  If that is the case then what a terrifying secret this is. 

My verdict?  I’m sure they mean well but for all it’s intents and purposes the video of TS is a collection of self-promoters all saying the same thing:  If you believe in something strong enough, it will come true.  But is that all?

Hey, if all you need to get everything you want in life is to think about real hard, we’d all be billionaires dating supermodels.  My dream for one is to dunk a basketball, that dream has still to manifest itself however. 

Like every goal in life that you want to achieve, you will need more than just the desire for it.  You’ll also need focus, a plan, determination, and patience.  That my friend, is no secret at all.

For more takes on TS, please check out the following links:

• Tom Stine: Miracles and The Law of Attraction
• Leo Babauta: Why The Law Of Attraction is Wrong, But Why It Still Works (Go to the comments sections for the good stuff)
• Jonathan Mead: The Secret?  There is No Secret
• Steve Pavlina: The Secret

And as a parting gift, here is another video of TS.  May it inspire you, or at least provide a chuckle or two ^_^

Thanks for reading.

The biggest store specials always belonged in the first page.  Inventory that needed to be cleared to make room for newer models usually shows up in the last page.  Everything else laid in between.  I would quickly skim thru the pages then make mental notes of the things that catch my fancy then go back and go over those items in greater detail.  Inevitably some things will stand out and stay with me for the rest of the day.  Then the wanting starts.  I try to forget about it but I can’t.  Try to pre-occupy myself with something else but it doesn’t work.  I try to talk myself out of it, but by then it is too late.  The fascinating process of convincing myself has already begun and anything that I try to do or say only reinforces how bad I want it and make me act on it and buy it now! 

That my friends is what you call getting worked up in a lather ^_^  How worked up?  I’ve once blown over 6 grand in a weekend due to these ads furnishing my living room.  Say what you will about them (I know I have), they sure are effective though. 

The glossy paper, the vivid colors, the pretty pictures.  All designed to grab your attention and fill your mind with possibilities.  While some are more susceptible(raises hand) than others, everyone who looks at the ads usually sees something they like and is given that subtle “push” to at least think about it, if not act on it outright(again raises his hand).  That is the power of advertising.

Now I’m not saying that advertising is bad.  I plan on putting up ads on the site in the future to help keep it running, and maybe a add a little coin in my pocket :)  I’m just saying that if you’re a raging consumerist like I was(still a work in progress), and would like to lay off the ’sauce’, avoiding the ads is one of the little things that you can do to help turn things around.  You know what they say about the little things - they add up.

As for me, I’ve realized that it was a problem and admitted as such.  It’s been a difficult road but I can confidently say that Ive been clean and sober of the Sunday paper for almost 2 years now.  If I can do it, anybody can.

So what does one do to kick the Sunday paper ads habit?  Lots!

• Don’t buy the Sunday paper.  I know it sounds really simple but it works!  No Sunday paper, no ads!  No ads, no temptation to spend!
• Only look at the coupons:  Keep in mind coupons are only good when you use them for things you actually need.  Don’t use them just for the sake of using them.
• Go to church:  Pray for the strength to resist looking at those ads.  And for world peace of course.
• Actually read the news once in a while:  Wait a minute, the governor of California is who again!?!?
• Go jogging:  Get healthy, exercise.  A nice 30 minute fun run is better than sitting on the couch ogling at the new 7.1 channel, DTS-HD decoding, HDMI v1.3, 1080p upconverting, multi-room capable, XM-Satellite ready, THX-certified AV receiver, no?
• Don’t buy the Sunday paper:  I said it before and I’ll say it again.  You don’t want to keep feeding the monster (in this case, the spending monster).
• Clean the house and throw away the ads:  Idle hands are the devils playground.  Kill two birds with one stone.  A man’s house is his castle.  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.  A fool and his money are soon parted.  A rolling stone gathers no moss…
• Get a dog: Although this seems counter-intuitive to the above tip, according to my sister it is really effective.  She says having a dog is akin to having a shredder.  An undiscriminating, noisy, slobbering, leg-humping, pooping, shredder.
• Don’t buy the Sunday paper: Have I mentioned this already?  Help protect the environment in your own way by reading the news online.  Think of the resources that would be saved if we all switched to paperless news?  That’s a lot of trees people.
• Join a support group: United we stand, etc, etc…Hey if there are over eaters anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, gamblers anonymous, why can’t there be spenders anonymous?  Actually there is!  Here is a link to the website.

The road to recovery is long and filled with trials and tribulations but take heart dear reader.  With patience and perseverance, you too can get the paper monkey off your back :)

Thanks for reading.

“I want to live in Hawaii and live happily ever after”  A friend of mine once told me. 

(Humoring him) “Alright.” I said.

“I just have to wait till the time is right” He added

“So when is the right time?”  I asked him.

“Once I get my ducks in a row.”  He replied

“When will that happen? ”  I asked.

“When I tidy up some loose ends.” He said

(Getting annoyed) “Sigh..and when will that happen?”

“I don’t know, I’m just afraid I might f%# it all up”

It was at this point that I slapped him upside the head.

We first had this conversation in 1997 and he would bring it up every year.  Every year he puts it off again, and every year I slap him upside the head as a motivational tool.  Like the changing of the leaves in the fall, it became a recurring phenomena.  

Looking back on it now, whacking him in the noggin was not the most constructive thing I could’ve done (however satisfying it may have been).  It does present an opportunity to write about taking risks, something that I’ve been putting off for a while now :)

Let’s face it, there are some aspects of our existence that we would like to modify.  Some popular ones are but are not limited to:

• Finances: An opportunity to make more money.
• Relationships: Fix one, end one, start one (or 2 or 3 ^_^).
• Innovation: A groundbreaking idea or an improvement on an existing one.

But the timing isn’t right, you don’t have enough money, or you’re just not ready yet.  These are some of the excuses that we use to put it off.  So we put it off for a few days.  Which turn into weeks, months, and years.  Next thing you know it’s 2004 and you’re coming over to your friends house for an annual slap-a-thon.

So why do we put these things off?  Based on my unscientific research (asking friends and family) as to why, I’ve been told that they:

• Were afraid to get turned down
• Were afraid to lose money
• Were afraid to get embarrassed
• Were afraid to fail

While there are many other reasons as to why people procrastinate to take action, there is an underlying element of fear.  And while fear is a great motivator to play it safe,  I present you with an even greater motivator not to…

Regret.

That’s right dear reader.  If you think you’re sparing yourself from pain by not doing you are quite mistaken.  A life filled with regret is much, much  worse.  The pain of not knowing what might have been - the “Couda, wouda, shouda” complex.

Think about the following people and how their lives, and by extension ours been different if they didn’t take risks of because of fear.

• Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights)
• Bill Gates (computers and the digital age)
• Albert Einstein (theory of relativity and it’s applications - both good and bad)
• Alexander Fleming (penicillin)
• Alexander Graham Bell (the telephone)
• Henry Ford (assembly lines and mass production)
• Thomas Edison (an economically viable light bulb among other things)

And so on.

Now I’m not saying that these people didn’t have fear.  I’m sure they felt fear and doubt at one point or another before making their breakthroughs.  The important thing is that they understood the risks, but also knew the rewards that would be waiting at the end if they succeeded.  And that was enough for them to soldier on.  And it should be for you and me too :)

Realize in life dear reader that in order for you to improve upon yourself you have to go out of your comfort zone.  To leave the familiarity of what you are used to and explore the unknown.  That is how you grow.  While you should always excercise caution and good judgement, don’t take it to the extreme that you avoid taking risks alltogether.  Note the difference between playing to win and playing not to lose.

Armed with this knowledge, next time an opportunity presents itself (a beautiful stranger, an opportunity to make money, an idea that you think may change the world) look at and acknowledge the the risk that you may fail.  But focus on what you have to gain - everything.

Which one would you rather have - some failures on your belt or a life full of regret?

And as for my friend, he moved to Hawaii in 2004, found the love of his life, got married, and are now expecting their second child.  Not bad for a guy that I used to whack on the noggin, right?

And for you procrastinators out there, check out Tina Su’s article on “The Panacea for Putting Things Off”

Thanks for reading.