Thursday, July 17, 2003
Goals:
I took a few minutes this week and decided on some goals. These goals are for some writing projects that I've had floating around in my head for a couple of years. You know the kind - "I'm gonna' write a book some day - when I have time to get around to it..." or "Sure would be nice to get those books written someday..". I've discovered something - just wishin' something will happen, sure don't mean it will - unless we make it happen. So, I decided the other day to start grabbing those book ideas and to write them down on paper, so I could look at them. Then I decided in what order I want to write those books - I actually already have a ton of written material that can go into those books. I also found a potential publisher - the compay is called Publish America, I did some exploring and so far everything about them looks legitimate. In fact, an author who has published seven books through them lives in a town just south of here (about 20 miles). I was thinking about touching base with her.
Anyway, here is the list of books (in order) that I plan to write:
Internet Safari - Vol. 1 (A compiliation of my best weekly newspaper columns)
Shepherd's Ink - Vol. 1 (A collection of Christian poetry that I have written)
Internet Safari - Vol. 2 (Internet Tips, Tricks & Terminology)
Shepherd's Ink - Vol. 2 (A collection of Christian short stories)
A Radically Transformed Life - (You guessed it, based on the events documented in this blog)
I think this is a pretty good start. My goal is to have the manuscripts completed for all of these by August of 2004 - that's a little over one year from now. I'm really gonna' do this - no more excuses, no more procrastination.
I took a few minutes this week and decided on some goals. These goals are for some writing projects that I've had floating around in my head for a couple of years. You know the kind - "I'm gonna' write a book some day - when I have time to get around to it..." or "Sure would be nice to get those books written someday..". I've discovered something - just wishin' something will happen, sure don't mean it will - unless we make it happen. So, I decided the other day to start grabbing those book ideas and to write them down on paper, so I could look at them. Then I decided in what order I want to write those books - I actually already have a ton of written material that can go into those books. I also found a potential publisher - the compay is called Publish America, I did some exploring and so far everything about them looks legitimate. In fact, an author who has published seven books through them lives in a town just south of here (about 20 miles). I was thinking about touching base with her.
Anyway, here is the list of books (in order) that I plan to write:
Internet Safari - Vol. 1 (A compiliation of my best weekly newspaper columns)
Shepherd's Ink - Vol. 1 (A collection of Christian poetry that I have written)
Internet Safari - Vol. 2 (Internet Tips, Tricks & Terminology)
Shepherd's Ink - Vol. 2 (A collection of Christian short stories)
A Radically Transformed Life - (You guessed it, based on the events documented in this blog)
I think this is a pretty good start. My goal is to have the manuscripts completed for all of these by August of 2004 - that's a little over one year from now. I'm really gonna' do this - no more excuses, no more procrastination.
Attitudes
I noticed something weird. It seems like ever since the folks around me found out that I was dieting and working out, they've gotten an attitude. It's like they've become defensive and then they lash out with negative comments. You know what I think it is - I think it's guilty feelings on their part. These same folks who react so negatively are the same ones who know they should be dieting and exercising themselves! They've had the same little voice in the back of their head - as I had in mine, telling them that they better do something quick - or it will be too late. At least, that's what my little voice was saying.
I noticed something weird. It seems like ever since the folks around me found out that I was dieting and working out, they've gotten an attitude. It's like they've become defensive and then they lash out with negative comments. You know what I think it is - I think it's guilty feelings on their part. These same folks who react so negatively are the same ones who know they should be dieting and exercising themselves! They've had the same little voice in the back of their head - as I had in mine, telling them that they better do something quick - or it will be too late. At least, that's what my little voice was saying.
Sweet Sensations
I concocted this really cool (literally) desert the other night - it's easy to fix, very low in calories and carbohydrates and practically sugar free, Oh yea - and very tasty. I took two bananas and cut them up (without the peel mind you) - and threw the chunks into a blender, then I sliced up some fresh strawberries (about 4 of them), finally - I added about a cup of Cool Whip Lite. Blended the ingrediants together and then poured the resulting liquid into a tupperware container. I placed the container in the freezer until the mixture got semi-solid like ice-cream and then I tasted it. It was very, very good.
I then froze the desert solid and then took it to work - put it in the refridge near my office. The mixture softened up (but not completly) and I was able to "sample" it a few times during the day (just a teaspon or two each time). Sure helps keep my sweet-tooth at bay!
I concocted this really cool (literally) desert the other night - it's easy to fix, very low in calories and carbohydrates and practically sugar free, Oh yea - and very tasty. I took two bananas and cut them up (without the peel mind you) - and threw the chunks into a blender, then I sliced up some fresh strawberries (about 4 of them), finally - I added about a cup of Cool Whip Lite. Blended the ingrediants together and then poured the resulting liquid into a tupperware container. I placed the container in the freezer until the mixture got semi-solid like ice-cream and then I tasted it. It was very, very good.
I then froze the desert solid and then took it to work - put it in the refridge near my office. The mixture softened up (but not completly) and I was able to "sample" it a few times during the day (just a teaspon or two each time). Sure helps keep my sweet-tooth at bay!
Staying Focused:
I was listening to an audio tape by John Maxwell - he's a very good speaker by the way. Anyway - here is something that he said that really caught my attention:
"Don't let the unimportant become important and don't let the important - become the unimportant."
Sounds like a great way to stay focused on our priorities doesn't it?
I was listening to an audio tape by John Maxwell - he's a very good speaker by the way. Anyway - here is something that he said that really caught my attention:
"Don't let the unimportant become important and don't let the important - become the unimportant."
Sounds like a great way to stay focused on our priorities doesn't it?
Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Life Category: Vocational
Dictionary.com defines the word "vocation" as follows - "A regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified."
We are what we do. Especially, in American culture and society - like it or not, we are defined by the job that we hold. A job seems to reflect how smart or talented that we are. For example, we look at the folks who work at a fast food restaurant a lot differently than we do a lawyer or a doctor. We know that the later have graduated high school, and have attended up to 8-10 years of college and beyond. We trust the lawyer and doctor's decisions much more readily than we would the fella' down at McDonalds - right?
IF you are in a job that you hate - change jobs. Now, I don't mean just up and quit your current job this afternoon. What I mean is - determine what kind of job you want, learn the neccessary skills required to perform it - and then get the job. Sounds simple, sounds like I'm looking at the world through rose colored glasses, but yet - it's actually that simple. Do you know that there are thousands and thousands of immigrants that have come to this country who have sacrificed and just barely scraped by, to get an education, to learn a trade and then to land a decent job. If they can do it - then by all means, we can do it.
I think one of the biggest obstacles for folks is time. As society has advanced - it now moves at a much faster pace. We are a civilization with an "I want it now" mentality - instant gratification - or nothing. Since it takes 4 years to complete college - people think that is to long and they don't go, they just take any minimum wage job that comes along, and they do that job until something else comes along. While working a full-time minimum wage job - we tell ourselves it's just too much hassle to try and take some night classes - it would just take way to long to get them completed. All along though, all we are doing is killing time - wasting time, frittering away our lives and just surviving.
Question: In the long run - which is harder, working a long string of low paying unsatisfying jobs for most of our lives - our busting our butts for a couple of years and then landing a great paying, highly satisfying job - doing something that we like?
Another question: Is it worth skipping a couple of hours of television a week to improve our skills and abilities? Home-study courses, night classes, online training progams - they are all available. Pell grants, student loans, work-study - just about everyone qualifies for one or more of these programs. An American citizen has absolutely no excuse for increasing their knowledge and skills and advancing in their carreers.
Here is another aspect of vocation. If we have a good job but we are not applying ourselves - if we feel a tinge of guilt because we are not giving our employer 100 percent - it's going to affect the rest of our life. Remember, how I said that each of life's categories was interweaved with all of the others? If we don't feel good about what we are doing - that is just another extra stressor in our life - the key here is to remove as many stressors from our lives as possible.
Try something like this - take a week (5 days), and when you first come into work - jot down 5 ideas that you could use to make you a more productive employee (example: taking night classes) - now, try to write down 5 ideas that you could follow through on (or suggest to management) that would make your company a better company. At the end of the week - type up (in two categories) all of the ideas that you had written down. When you've printed out this list - post it where you can see it on a regular basis every day. You watch, within just a few days - your mind will start pushing you to follow through on some of those ideas! Let me see - writing down those ideas for five days - probably consumed a total of one hour. In one hour's time - you figured out how to radically change and improve your vocation, work environment, and most of all - your financial future. Do you think for one minute, that your employer or supervisor will not notice the difference in your productivity? You will quickly become a valuable asset to your company and you will stand out high above the other 99.9 percent of employees - who, by habit - are mostly content to just occupy a seat and babysit a desk for 8 hours a day. You will be remembered and rewarded.
Dictionary.com defines the word "vocation" as follows - "A regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified."
We are what we do. Especially, in American culture and society - like it or not, we are defined by the job that we hold. A job seems to reflect how smart or talented that we are. For example, we look at the folks who work at a fast food restaurant a lot differently than we do a lawyer or a doctor. We know that the later have graduated high school, and have attended up to 8-10 years of college and beyond. We trust the lawyer and doctor's decisions much more readily than we would the fella' down at McDonalds - right?
IF you are in a job that you hate - change jobs. Now, I don't mean just up and quit your current job this afternoon. What I mean is - determine what kind of job you want, learn the neccessary skills required to perform it - and then get the job. Sounds simple, sounds like I'm looking at the world through rose colored glasses, but yet - it's actually that simple. Do you know that there are thousands and thousands of immigrants that have come to this country who have sacrificed and just barely scraped by, to get an education, to learn a trade and then to land a decent job. If they can do it - then by all means, we can do it.
I think one of the biggest obstacles for folks is time. As society has advanced - it now moves at a much faster pace. We are a civilization with an "I want it now" mentality - instant gratification - or nothing. Since it takes 4 years to complete college - people think that is to long and they don't go, they just take any minimum wage job that comes along, and they do that job until something else comes along. While working a full-time minimum wage job - we tell ourselves it's just too much hassle to try and take some night classes - it would just take way to long to get them completed. All along though, all we are doing is killing time - wasting time, frittering away our lives and just surviving.
Question: In the long run - which is harder, working a long string of low paying unsatisfying jobs for most of our lives - our busting our butts for a couple of years and then landing a great paying, highly satisfying job - doing something that we like?
Another question: Is it worth skipping a couple of hours of television a week to improve our skills and abilities? Home-study courses, night classes, online training progams - they are all available. Pell grants, student loans, work-study - just about everyone qualifies for one or more of these programs. An American citizen has absolutely no excuse for increasing their knowledge and skills and advancing in their carreers.
Here is another aspect of vocation. If we have a good job but we are not applying ourselves - if we feel a tinge of guilt because we are not giving our employer 100 percent - it's going to affect the rest of our life. Remember, how I said that each of life's categories was interweaved with all of the others? If we don't feel good about what we are doing - that is just another extra stressor in our life - the key here is to remove as many stressors from our lives as possible.
Try something like this - take a week (5 days), and when you first come into work - jot down 5 ideas that you could use to make you a more productive employee (example: taking night classes) - now, try to write down 5 ideas that you could follow through on (or suggest to management) that would make your company a better company. At the end of the week - type up (in two categories) all of the ideas that you had written down. When you've printed out this list - post it where you can see it on a regular basis every day. You watch, within just a few days - your mind will start pushing you to follow through on some of those ideas! Let me see - writing down those ideas for five days - probably consumed a total of one hour. In one hour's time - you figured out how to radically change and improve your vocation, work environment, and most of all - your financial future. Do you think for one minute, that your employer or supervisor will not notice the difference in your productivity? You will quickly become a valuable asset to your company and you will stand out high above the other 99.9 percent of employees - who, by habit - are mostly content to just occupy a seat and babysit a desk for 8 hours a day. You will be remembered and rewarded.
Tuesday, July 15, 2003
Goal setting idea:
Besides setting up a scrapbook that uses visual imagery to list our goals and dreams, I've heard of another great method. The method consists of purchasing file folders (inexpensive at Wal-mart) and then labeling a folder for each goal that we have - no matter how simple or how far down the road we think that goal is. Then, either utilizing a file cabinet or an inexpensive cardboard filing box - organize those folders in alphabetical order. Now, as we go though life - as we come across newspaper articles, Web pages, or make notes to ourselves that pertain to a certain goal - place that information in the specific folder. We are basically building a resource of information concerning the accomplishment of that goal. It's easily accessible and can contain whatever information we feel is appropriate.
The primary reason for using this system is that it keeps our goals fresh in our minds. If we just list our goals and then shove that piece of paper away in some nook or cranny - that's where those goals stay, out of sight and out of mind. If we use this method that I just proposed, it causes our minds to constantly search out information that pertains to our goals - it keeps our goals fresh in our memory. I think that this is an awesome way to reach our goals and I plan on to begin using it now. One thought came to mind as I was writing this entry - why not, when we create a folder for a particular goal, write down on a piece of paper what we think would take for us to accomplish that goal? Maybe additional education, cost estimates, time estimates, training of some kind - the items are endless.
OK - time to stop reading this Blog and to start listing your goals!
Besides setting up a scrapbook that uses visual imagery to list our goals and dreams, I've heard of another great method. The method consists of purchasing file folders (inexpensive at Wal-mart) and then labeling a folder for each goal that we have - no matter how simple or how far down the road we think that goal is. Then, either utilizing a file cabinet or an inexpensive cardboard filing box - organize those folders in alphabetical order. Now, as we go though life - as we come across newspaper articles, Web pages, or make notes to ourselves that pertain to a certain goal - place that information in the specific folder. We are basically building a resource of information concerning the accomplishment of that goal. It's easily accessible and can contain whatever information we feel is appropriate.
The primary reason for using this system is that it keeps our goals fresh in our minds. If we just list our goals and then shove that piece of paper away in some nook or cranny - that's where those goals stay, out of sight and out of mind. If we use this method that I just proposed, it causes our minds to constantly search out information that pertains to our goals - it keeps our goals fresh in our memory. I think that this is an awesome way to reach our goals and I plan on to begin using it now. One thought came to mind as I was writing this entry - why not, when we create a folder for a particular goal, write down on a piece of paper what we think would take for us to accomplish that goal? Maybe additional education, cost estimates, time estimates, training of some kind - the items are endless.
OK - time to stop reading this Blog and to start listing your goals!
Goals:
If I've learned anything in these past 44 years - its the fact that if we don't have goals, we will never get anywhere in life. If I were to have no goals and I simply got up every morning and just went through the motions of life - those things neccessary to survive (work, eat, provide shelter, etc.) - that's all we will do - survive.
It seems to me that all of us, no matter what our backgrounds - have this little seed planted in us at birth. I call that seed "Significance" and I think that it really begins to grow as we develop into teenagers. I also think that at about the same time that seeds starts to grow - events in our lives begin to hammer away at the seed, pulling out all stops to prohibit it from growing. Somewhere along the line, most of us just seem to quit fighting those forces and we just let that little seed stay little. We tell ourselves that we were just fantasizing, that we really don't offer anything that would be signficant - that we are just common everyday people and that's all we will ever be.
If that is what be believe - that is all we will ever be.
Anyone, who has ever successfully accomplished a great task - inventers, explorers, researchers, doctors - had one primary thing in common, they set goals. Our ability to set goals for ourselves is strictly limited by our own thoughts - that's it. There is absolutely no one or no force in existence that can stop us from setting goals. Nothing can limit us from the type of goals that we set - we have complete control on whether or not those goals are low or high. We are free beyond measure - to succeed, or to fail - and we can blame no one, no matter what circumstances we are in or have gone through in the past. Every morning when we wake up - is a new day to set new goals, a fresh start - we have thousands of chances, until we die.
If you are unfamiliar with goal setting, begin today - just listing some basic things that you would like to accomplish this week, this month - tackle them head on, complete them - and then make a new list. When you've gotten "warmed up" - start writing down goals that you would like to accomplish in your life time - everything and anything goes here - don't limit yourself based on your present circumstances. Who knows where you will be in 10 years, or how much money you will be making - life changes, frequently. A goal that might seem light years away or nearly impossible to ever reach - might actually be right around the corner, simply because your situation changes.
I've discovered this really cool way to list my goals and dreams - a scrapbook. For example, I want to visit Sicily someday - so, I've printed out a map of Sicily and I've posted it in my scrapbook (I call it my "Dreambook"). Same goes for a trip to Vermont, a motorcycle, a completed screenplay, a screenplay turned into a film, etc. I've even created a mock financial statement showing my monthly income (my goal that is), and my future savings account balance.
Did you know that when we imagine these things coming to pass (before they do), our brains don't know the difference between those imaginary images and reality? If we run those images through our brains enough times - our brains will start to think these things are actually happening or subconsciously - our minds will begin to work out ways to accomplish those things - sorta' like being on autopilot!
There is a verse in the Bible that part of it states "when my people lack vision, they will perish..." (I'll try to find the specific verse later on...) or something to that affect. We have to have solid concrete goals or all we will do is what I call "flog about" - we can even "flog about smartly", which basically means we can look and act like we've got it all together but deep down inside, we know we don't. We know that we are just coasting and surviving.
I want to do something, many things that have a significant impact on other people's lives - not for fame or fortune, but for a deep satisfaction knowing that my life meant something. That God will be pleased that although I've had plenty of tough times to get though, that I've still had a positive impact on some of His other "children" - my fellow mankind.
If I've learned anything in these past 44 years - its the fact that if we don't have goals, we will never get anywhere in life. If I were to have no goals and I simply got up every morning and just went through the motions of life - those things neccessary to survive (work, eat, provide shelter, etc.) - that's all we will do - survive.
It seems to me that all of us, no matter what our backgrounds - have this little seed planted in us at birth. I call that seed "Significance" and I think that it really begins to grow as we develop into teenagers. I also think that at about the same time that seeds starts to grow - events in our lives begin to hammer away at the seed, pulling out all stops to prohibit it from growing. Somewhere along the line, most of us just seem to quit fighting those forces and we just let that little seed stay little. We tell ourselves that we were just fantasizing, that we really don't offer anything that would be signficant - that we are just common everyday people and that's all we will ever be.
If that is what be believe - that is all we will ever be.
Anyone, who has ever successfully accomplished a great task - inventers, explorers, researchers, doctors - had one primary thing in common, they set goals. Our ability to set goals for ourselves is strictly limited by our own thoughts - that's it. There is absolutely no one or no force in existence that can stop us from setting goals. Nothing can limit us from the type of goals that we set - we have complete control on whether or not those goals are low or high. We are free beyond measure - to succeed, or to fail - and we can blame no one, no matter what circumstances we are in or have gone through in the past. Every morning when we wake up - is a new day to set new goals, a fresh start - we have thousands of chances, until we die.
If you are unfamiliar with goal setting, begin today - just listing some basic things that you would like to accomplish this week, this month - tackle them head on, complete them - and then make a new list. When you've gotten "warmed up" - start writing down goals that you would like to accomplish in your life time - everything and anything goes here - don't limit yourself based on your present circumstances. Who knows where you will be in 10 years, or how much money you will be making - life changes, frequently. A goal that might seem light years away or nearly impossible to ever reach - might actually be right around the corner, simply because your situation changes.
I've discovered this really cool way to list my goals and dreams - a scrapbook. For example, I want to visit Sicily someday - so, I've printed out a map of Sicily and I've posted it in my scrapbook (I call it my "Dreambook"). Same goes for a trip to Vermont, a motorcycle, a completed screenplay, a screenplay turned into a film, etc. I've even created a mock financial statement showing my monthly income (my goal that is), and my future savings account balance.
Did you know that when we imagine these things coming to pass (before they do), our brains don't know the difference between those imaginary images and reality? If we run those images through our brains enough times - our brains will start to think these things are actually happening or subconsciously - our minds will begin to work out ways to accomplish those things - sorta' like being on autopilot!
There is a verse in the Bible that part of it states "when my people lack vision, they will perish..." (I'll try to find the specific verse later on...) or something to that affect. We have to have solid concrete goals or all we will do is what I call "flog about" - we can even "flog about smartly", which basically means we can look and act like we've got it all together but deep down inside, we know we don't. We know that we are just coasting and surviving.
I want to do something, many things that have a significant impact on other people's lives - not for fame or fortune, but for a deep satisfaction knowing that my life meant something. That God will be pleased that although I've had plenty of tough times to get though, that I've still had a positive impact on some of His other "children" - my fellow mankind.
Monday, July 14, 2003
Status Report:
I'm beginning the third week of my diet and exercise plan - no regrets. My clothes are getting looser, my skin tone is very much improved, I have so much more energy than I did three weeks ago. Hemmoroids are a thing of the past - not a hint of them since day one of this endeavor, prior to that I suffered miserably every day. I sleep better, I've had no depression and I've not taken an anti-depressant since the day before I started this program. I've only had two bouts of stomach problems in three weeks - prior to beginning my diet, my stomach hurt just about all of the time and I'd have BAD bouts of indigestion probably three times a week. Shortness of breath, dizzy spells, nausea, and anxiety attacks have completely stopped - what a relief! I'm begining to feel like my age (44) and not 64 - hopefully, in the not too distant future - I'll feel like I'm 24!
No sugar
No caffiene
No alchohol
No white four
No tobacco
No pop (sugared or artificial)
No fried food
These things are blatant enemies of our bodies - bent on destroying us and making us old before our time. Poisons just waiting to be consumed so that they can wreck havoc on our health. This is the kind of mind set that I have developed - a mindset that makes it easier to avoid these substances and to stay focused on improving my health and ultimately my entire life.
I'm beginning the third week of my diet and exercise plan - no regrets. My clothes are getting looser, my skin tone is very much improved, I have so much more energy than I did three weeks ago. Hemmoroids are a thing of the past - not a hint of them since day one of this endeavor, prior to that I suffered miserably every day. I sleep better, I've had no depression and I've not taken an anti-depressant since the day before I started this program. I've only had two bouts of stomach problems in three weeks - prior to beginning my diet, my stomach hurt just about all of the time and I'd have BAD bouts of indigestion probably three times a week. Shortness of breath, dizzy spells, nausea, and anxiety attacks have completely stopped - what a relief! I'm begining to feel like my age (44) and not 64 - hopefully, in the not too distant future - I'll feel like I'm 24!
No sugar
No caffiene
No alchohol
No white four
No tobacco
No pop (sugared or artificial)
No fried food
These things are blatant enemies of our bodies - bent on destroying us and making us old before our time. Poisons just waiting to be consumed so that they can wreck havoc on our health. This is the kind of mind set that I have developed - a mindset that makes it easier to avoid these substances and to stay focused on improving my health and ultimately my entire life.
Feeding our minds:
While on the road this last weekend, besides stopping at a garage sale - I also visited a couple of thrift shops. While exploring all of the goodies, I came across some sets of audio tapes - one set was from the "Weigh down" weight loss program and the other was a series of self-improvement tapes from Earl Nightingale. These original sets, sold for at least $50 to $100 - I'm sure of it. I picked them up for $1.50 each! What a deal - and deals like that are available all of the time, you just have to explore. I actually visit the local Salvation Army thrift store here in Clovis about once week - last week I picked up a very, very nice tape series by John Maxwell. You would really be surprised at the bargains that are available in thrift shops and garage sales.
What is my point - that the cost of resources that would help us improve ourselves is very small, and yet the benefits are limitless! We can turn our offices and our vehicles in vast libraries of knowledge. I sit at my desk for 8 hours a day - 5 days a week - that is a lot of time to be able to listen to self-improvement tapes and CD's. I purchased a used tape deck and put it on my desk, I feed the audio through my computer and so I listen to tapes while working. I don't listen for the whole 8 hours mind you - but even one hour a day is an accomplishment, it's doing something that 99.9 percent of the rest of the human race isn't doing.
Here is a list of some of my favorite motivational speakers - you can easily find their work available at Amazon.com and/or www.nightingale.com :
John Maxwell
Earl Nightingale
Dennis Waitley
Stephen Covey
Anthony Robbins
Zig Ziglar
These very same tapes and CD's can be played in your automobile also - I freqeuntly keep a tape available and listen to it a couple of times during the week while driving to and from work or out running errands. There have been times that I have purchased a tape for 25 cents, listened to it and learned something so significant as to be able to earn a couple of extra hundred dollars or to have a positive impact on my relationship with my wife or kids. We never know what is just around the corner - if we don't keep searching.
While on the road this last weekend, besides stopping at a garage sale - I also visited a couple of thrift shops. While exploring all of the goodies, I came across some sets of audio tapes - one set was from the "Weigh down" weight loss program and the other was a series of self-improvement tapes from Earl Nightingale. These original sets, sold for at least $50 to $100 - I'm sure of it. I picked them up for $1.50 each! What a deal - and deals like that are available all of the time, you just have to explore. I actually visit the local Salvation Army thrift store here in Clovis about once week - last week I picked up a very, very nice tape series by John Maxwell. You would really be surprised at the bargains that are available in thrift shops and garage sales.
What is my point - that the cost of resources that would help us improve ourselves is very small, and yet the benefits are limitless! We can turn our offices and our vehicles in vast libraries of knowledge. I sit at my desk for 8 hours a day - 5 days a week - that is a lot of time to be able to listen to self-improvement tapes and CD's. I purchased a used tape deck and put it on my desk, I feed the audio through my computer and so I listen to tapes while working. I don't listen for the whole 8 hours mind you - but even one hour a day is an accomplishment, it's doing something that 99.9 percent of the rest of the human race isn't doing.
Here is a list of some of my favorite motivational speakers - you can easily find their work available at Amazon.com and/or www.nightingale.com :
John Maxwell
Earl Nightingale
Dennis Waitley
Stephen Covey
Anthony Robbins
Zig Ziglar
These very same tapes and CD's can be played in your automobile also - I freqeuntly keep a tape available and listen to it a couple of times during the week while driving to and from work or out running errands. There have been times that I have purchased a tape for 25 cents, listened to it and learned something so significant as to be able to earn a couple of extra hundred dollars or to have a positive impact on my relationship with my wife or kids. We never know what is just around the corner - if we don't keep searching.
The weekend:
Dieting and exercise - for me, always seem to be more difficult to focus on, during the weekend. Especially this last weekend for - I drove to west Texas to visit with my brother and his family. I didn't get any exercise but I did strive to watch what I ate. First of all, before leaving on the trip - I packed up a bunch of freshly cut-up fruits and vegetables and put them in a big tupperware container, that way - I'd have something to snack and nibble on while driving (it's a four hour drive). For lunch on the way down, I stopped at a Chinese food place and purchased two freshly cooked egg rolls. I ate the egg rolls while continuing on my drive. I've checked the Web for information and egg rolls are low in carbohydrates, high in protien and loaded with vegetables - and they taste great! I'm concerned about eating the frozen "just pop in the microwave kind" though - they seem to be high in sodium and preservatives - I'll stick with the fresh "homemade" kind that the Chinese make!
Being a guest in someone else's home also makes it difficult to not stray from the course. My brother's house is always full of junk food and high calorie/carb food - what a temptation. I did give in twice and have two (one each time) homemade oatmeal cookies. I just made a decision, that I would find whatever was the lowest in carbs to eat and so I settled for sandwiches - using multi-grain bread and lean turkey and ham lunchmeat. I didn't have any negative reactions from the food, it (sandwich) was filling and held me for quite a long time. My brother and his family did not take offense to my choices in food after I explained to them about my diet, and my goal to lose a lot of weight. In fact, my family began to show an interest in possibly establishing an exercise and diet program for themselves.
I again stopped and picked up some egg rolls on the drive home. While I was driving, I spent some time thinking about some of the options that one has - while traveling on the road, to be able to eat right and to maintain their diet. The first thing that came to mind was that most of the popular fast food places now offer salads - regular salads and salads with meat in them (chicken mostly). Then you've got the Chinese establisments - though I'd really stick to the egg rolls and salad bars. The stir fry is OK but avoid the heavy sauces - also, for me - Honey Chicken and Sesame Chicken, two of my very favorites - are loaded with sugar and cause me major problems with my digestive system - I guess I won't be eating them anymore. Finally, the steak places - a lean piece of steak, a baked potato and some salad - that's a real good meal. You could just leave out the steak and eat a baked potato with salad, that's a good combo also. We do have choices while traveling - it just takes a lot more focus. I think one key is to not let ourselves get too hungry before we start tracking down some food. Once we are starving it's a lot easier to justify grabbing a big fat greasy burger and some fries at the drive-up window.
Speaking of problems - I learned last night, after arriving back home - that pork and I don't get along very well either. That's one benefit to dieting and limiting food and food types - that it's much easier to figure out what bothers me and what doesn't. I grilled some pork patties for my father, wife and I - they tasted pretty good but boy did I get sick. I only put a tiny smidge of barbque sauce on mine while grilling so I'm don't think it was the sauce. Spent a couple of hours swallowing charcoal pills and drinking peppermint tea last night - lousy way to end a pretty good weekend.
Finally, while I was traveling this weekend - I stopped at a garage sale that was taking place alongside the highway. I purchased a used 10 speed bike for $15 - it's in great shape. I'm going to start riding it a couple of times a week. Now I can walk, hike, bike, do calistenics, and lift weights every week. I think for me, the more variety that I have available, the more apt I am to exercise and stay active.
Dieting and exercise - for me, always seem to be more difficult to focus on, during the weekend. Especially this last weekend for - I drove to west Texas to visit with my brother and his family. I didn't get any exercise but I did strive to watch what I ate. First of all, before leaving on the trip - I packed up a bunch of freshly cut-up fruits and vegetables and put them in a big tupperware container, that way - I'd have something to snack and nibble on while driving (it's a four hour drive). For lunch on the way down, I stopped at a Chinese food place and purchased two freshly cooked egg rolls. I ate the egg rolls while continuing on my drive. I've checked the Web for information and egg rolls are low in carbohydrates, high in protien and loaded with vegetables - and they taste great! I'm concerned about eating the frozen "just pop in the microwave kind" though - they seem to be high in sodium and preservatives - I'll stick with the fresh "homemade" kind that the Chinese make!
Being a guest in someone else's home also makes it difficult to not stray from the course. My brother's house is always full of junk food and high calorie/carb food - what a temptation. I did give in twice and have two (one each time) homemade oatmeal cookies. I just made a decision, that I would find whatever was the lowest in carbs to eat and so I settled for sandwiches - using multi-grain bread and lean turkey and ham lunchmeat. I didn't have any negative reactions from the food, it (sandwich) was filling and held me for quite a long time. My brother and his family did not take offense to my choices in food after I explained to them about my diet, and my goal to lose a lot of weight. In fact, my family began to show an interest in possibly establishing an exercise and diet program for themselves.
I again stopped and picked up some egg rolls on the drive home. While I was driving, I spent some time thinking about some of the options that one has - while traveling on the road, to be able to eat right and to maintain their diet. The first thing that came to mind was that most of the popular fast food places now offer salads - regular salads and salads with meat in them (chicken mostly). Then you've got the Chinese establisments - though I'd really stick to the egg rolls and salad bars. The stir fry is OK but avoid the heavy sauces - also, for me - Honey Chicken and Sesame Chicken, two of my very favorites - are loaded with sugar and cause me major problems with my digestive system - I guess I won't be eating them anymore. Finally, the steak places - a lean piece of steak, a baked potato and some salad - that's a real good meal. You could just leave out the steak and eat a baked potato with salad, that's a good combo also. We do have choices while traveling - it just takes a lot more focus. I think one key is to not let ourselves get too hungry before we start tracking down some food. Once we are starving it's a lot easier to justify grabbing a big fat greasy burger and some fries at the drive-up window.
Speaking of problems - I learned last night, after arriving back home - that pork and I don't get along very well either. That's one benefit to dieting and limiting food and food types - that it's much easier to figure out what bothers me and what doesn't. I grilled some pork patties for my father, wife and I - they tasted pretty good but boy did I get sick. I only put a tiny smidge of barbque sauce on mine while grilling so I'm don't think it was the sauce. Spent a couple of hours swallowing charcoal pills and drinking peppermint tea last night - lousy way to end a pretty good weekend.
Finally, while I was traveling this weekend - I stopped at a garage sale that was taking place alongside the highway. I purchased a used 10 speed bike for $15 - it's in great shape. I'm going to start riding it a couple of times a week. Now I can walk, hike, bike, do calistenics, and lift weights every week. I think for me, the more variety that I have available, the more apt I am to exercise and stay active.
