the long view

this is not about the short view –this is about the long view.  you have to learn to take the long view when looking at your life in the present moment and when making decisions in the here and now.  if you do not see the long view when you make a judgement now, then your view of the present world and your place in it will be off base.  when you say something, you obviously don’t want to over-analyze it, but of course this will happen naturally –so try to keep the analysis to a minimum.  you have to think about life as a series of steps and building blocks –whether it be you building the blocks for yourself or if you are building the blocks for your kids –you need to think in the long view when taking these steps.  you cannot get frustrated when looking at life in the short view–though you will inevitably go down this path of frustration when looking at the short view too much–which is, in essence, moving through the moments of each day.  each moment can bring on some sort of anxiety because you see an issue and you first see this issue in the short view –how will this moment of anxiety affect me now, today, tonight, tomorrow –all in the short view.  obviously we cannot control this reaction because we have to live each day through these moments of anxiety.  but after we react to the moment in the short view–it is wise to then take that moment and reflect it against the long view–this will help put the continuous moments of anxiety in perspective–thus making these moments less important in the grand scheme of things.  most of us can do this naturally, but most of also get lost in short view moments of anxiety –it is a dilemma that is part of human nature.  think long view more often to help remedy this human flaw.

evolution of stupidity

we start off stupid and each day we evolve from this first moment of ground-floor stupidity.  this is called the evolution of stupidity.  we are stupid at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, etc –but we do become less stupid in each year that we put behind us.  this of course is called gaining wisdom and maturity.  this allows us to stop and think before we blurt out answers or comments.  this allows us to look smarter as we grow older.  this is why older folks appear to answer in a more methodical manner.  they are thinking over the answer or the comment very carefully before letting the words come out of their mouth.  now sometimes they have answers canned and ready to go because they have already done the work of thinking about what is the correct thing to say –so in this case they appear to be quicker in their response –thus they appear, smart, fast and wise –all at the same time.  now that is the position you want to find yourself in –where you have enough experience to have all your answers or comments ready to go –already screened for stupidity –already evolved much further down the path of evolving stupidity.  try to think before you speak –though it is very hard for mental midgets before 50, 60, 70–which is it?  for some, they never evolve –and that is a shame.

get your ass kicked

i am finding that getting my ass kicked once in a while is good for me.  i am talking about life in the dojo again.  what a trip.  you pay money to literally get your ass kicked by the sensei.  at first i was scared shitless –i mean who wants to get punched in the face (of course with face protection on).  it freaks you out the first time and gives you flashbacks of 8th grade.  but as your time progresses in the dojo, you learn to accept it and actually start liking it.  this i believe is experiencing evolution real-time.  because if you remain scared shitless, you will in fact not progress in the arts of karate.  you need to embrace the ass-whipping!  that is what i did last night in the weekly ass kicking –and guess what–it worked–i enjoyed the whole thing. who would have thought that getting your ass kicked would be so much fun.  i mean the music is cranking and you and the master are going at it –he is trying to teach you and kick your ass at the same time–wild experience.  i feel more alive after this ritual and now realize that if i am ever going to reach black belt, i first need to embrace the ass kicking.  i am also sure this is not new info for boxers, etc –but to learn this first hand is pretty cool.  go join a dojo and get your ass kicked on a regular basis –quite liberating!  thanks sensei

the tone

we think of things and we want to make change.  we say we will change and we start off the next day in the change mode.  we don’t want to go back to a negative tone, we want to stay in the positive tone.  but, events kick in, the daily routine kicks in –life challenges your new tone and then you suddenly revert back to the old tone or the tone you usually follow.  but if the current tone is not working to create a positive flow in your life –you must change it or future results will not be good.  you can make change if you stop to think and not react as you always do.  set the positive tone in your house and with your family –the way you act now with the kids will set their tone for life –so be careful in the tone you set in the house.  these kids are soaking it all in and if you are constantly rushing around and always barking orders, it will be detrimental to the tone set in the house and the tone your kids set in their houses, etc.  you have a powerful position of influence that can affect generations –so set the positive tone in the house and do not let outside events alter the positive tone.  maintain a consistent tone –it will make all the difference.

cutting the grass

what a pain in the ass! we are trapped by this suburban BS where each week we have to cut the grass and trim the hedges and trim the driveway and weed whack the edges and blow it all into a pile. we sweat like dogs for 2 hours while we do this process over and over –week after week –all to keep up appearances in the hood. this hood is of course the doldrums of suburbia –where you might have a moment once a week to sit down and have a beer to contemplate your existence in this suburban plight. how did this all come about? we once lived a fast paced life out in the real world–and now we live a fast paced life in our own homes –keeping up with the kids, etc –but if you look out the window, you see the slow-paced life of suburbia –an invisible bubble that we are inevitably trapped in until all the kids leave home –then we sell the house and go back to the real world –if you have enough bread to actually do this –can you tell I’m bored? So bored that this post did not come from a spontaneous thought –so actually a boring post–sorry –I see a blade out of place on the lawn –have to run!! (I mean mow)

the dojo

the dojo is cool. it is a mix of american flags, ying and yang, U2 music, strobe lights, trophys, pictures of champions, mirrors, mats, cubbies for your shoes. it is a place where you learn shit that you have no idea about. it is a place where you find out more about how to use your body. it is a place where you gain confidence. it is a place where you meet cool people, providing that it is not some a-hole running the shop and fortunately in my case –the guy is cool. thus his dojo has a cool vibe and attracts other cool types –mostly musicians, surfers, carpenters –people that are used to using their hands–unlike me. each time in the dojo, i learn more. it is a fascinating experience to actually learn something new every week –but also to know that a new learning is guaranteed and expected. you also need the dojo master to be an exceptional teacher because if you do not understand what is trying to be taught in the dojo, then you will get lost. yes, there is discipline–but it is not extreme. do not go to a dojo with extreme discipline unless you need it. the dojo is cool –a bit strange, but still cool. try it , you only live once.

the struggle

guess what? when you  are in the early struggles of life, when you have just been married, when the bills are piling up, when the mortgage is twice as high as any rent you ever paid in your single days, guess what —these are the best days of your life.  you and your partner are in the greatest struggle of your lives, trying to make ends meet, trying to start a family, trying to get a footing in your career.  this is the greatest balancing act of your young life and you are making it, you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you are making it.  this is the struggle. some people never get beyond this phase in life, they still indulge in their fancies, they still go on fancy trips, they still pile up the debt, they live beyond their means, they have fun, but they always struggle, unless they get lucky. do not underestimate the challenge of this life struggle. do not attempt to be unhappy during this struggle.  you must embrace this time and relish every minute you are in the grocery store trying to stay within the budget by settling with eating chili for five days and having salad for lunch.  this is part of the struggle.  you must enjoy balancing the household budget every month.  guess what, you made it through another month and you got to have a few beers and a few laughs in between on the cape or skiing in vermont.  you know how it works.  you have been paid on friday, you pay your bills on saturday, you now have 40 bucks to spend on extras for the next 2 weeks.  but with the team working together, you always make it to the next paycheck…..more to come in next post –but keep up the struggle –it is the best time fo your life –don’t forget that –these are the good old days