Pennywise and Poundfoolish

Something Beautiful I read today

Today I read an Amish website.  Kinda strange, but cool at the same time.  I stumbled upon a diary by a college kid who lived with the Amish for three months.  Here is his final entry:

November 30

I’ll be leaving tomorrow after getting up at 5:30 a.m. for the last time, feeding the heifers for the last time, and eating my last meal here. I hope that our friendship can continue, and I wonder how different it might be when John and family are not so much something to be studied as people to respect and have as friends.

Even though I will be glad to get back to "my world," somewhere inside I feel a sense of losing something. Losing a close contact with nature, animals, plants, and the country. Losing the experience of being on a farm. I also feel I will be losing some values which I might be better off having... the closeness of family and friends, the appreciation of what you have, and realizing one does not need TV, radio, movies, and the you-name-it "necessary" items of American culture. There is something here, in being content with what you have, with hard work, with simple things, which I believe is being lost.

What have I gained? I have gained an appreciation for farmers, particularly Amish farmers, and the work involved for what I casually eat or buy every day and take for granted. I’ve learned what work is ---- work of the body, not just the mind --- and certainly to never look down on manual, physical labor.

I suppose in time I’ll get over some of the tendencies I now have to look at people like me, and be amused at their dress, or their wasting time on unnecessary things when there are important things to do. I am the same way, but for three months I was kept from these things, and now other people look different to me.

I hope that now more than ever I can try to understand people different than myself, respect them, put faith in something and stick to it, and try to keep a bit of the humility the Amish have. I also hope to maintain some of the idea of not judging people. I have never really heard John say that someone was good or bad. He has called people and their activities "ignorant," but he has never really condemned anyone.

Finally, I can’t help but think that if John had been born into my family, and I into his, I would probably be Amish now, and he a "typical" American. Each of us is a product of our culture, environment, and upbringing, with individual personalities, to be sure. I feel John is thankful that he was raised Amish by what he feels were parents who tried. I am now even more thankful for what I have been given by my parents. One may call John’s upbringing "brainwashing," and I may think mine was freer, yet I may have been brainwashed in more subtle ways. Each of us is, perhaps, glad he is not the other. John is secure in the Bible, his way of life, his religion, his faith. He has doubts and faults like anyone. I am one who is still, and may always be, seeking and searching, but the Amish have added to the light.

I think that there is a lot that we can learn from turning off the TV, computer, unplugging, and simply doing what needs to be done, as opposed to trying so hard to find the textbook answer before you begin.

Cost vs. Value: A Fitness Offer You Can't Refuse

I used to train Mixed Martial Arts last year when I moved to Portland, Oregon.  When I started, I had just graduated my military job-training (AKA- AIT) and was more or less out of shape.  Let me explain-- what happens when a person goes to military training is that they recieve intense physical fitness and nutrition "advice".  When recruits graduate basic training and go to Supply school (in my case), they become lazy and fat (I gained almost 30 pounds and almost 2 sizes).  Coming home, I didn't work out for a full month.

About the same time I got back and almost failed my physical fitness test at my unit, I found Oregon Martial Arts Club in Tigard, Oregon.  I walked in and saw that they were training harder than anything I had ever seen before in the military.  They pushed through pain and actually found new strength, whereas I had always seen people who pushed harder just getting hurt. 

The difference is in bang for the buck. 

We'll leave that behind for a second and fast-forward to my workout in an actual gym; twenty people all lined up without a drop of sweat on them, all "working-out" the same three body parts (biceps, pecs, triceps) with all of 20 pounds of super-slow-motion weight-lifting.  These people were going to look the same, with the same level of general health and strength for their entire time at the gym.  Why is it that the gym is typically a recipe for disaster while my mma classes generally turned out people who are often in their peak physical shape?

The difference is in the "intangibles"- as my step-dad says.  Intangibles are those things that you can't put a monetary value on, but provide significant benefits.  One of those is in joining a club that requires a high fitness level in order to participate-- in my case, mma.  Fighters will often swap tips on fighter-specific training, proper diet (which often encompasses organic, whole foods), and a balanced lifestyle (good recovery is very important!).  The average knowledge-base of many professional fighters rivals that of many in the health profession.  They are concerned with results that are both sustainable and immediately seen.

Joining a sport that is focused on results as much as on looking out for the safety of your training partners was probably the best investment that I could have made for myself.  I strongly suggest that all of you get involved in a sport that is physically and mentally challenging, rewarding, and that requires more than "just showing up"-- by doing so you are forced to be part of a team, develop camaraderie, and strive for a better you.

If you liked this article, read about some other intangible benefits of fitness here.

Buy into Human stock now while the price is low

I won't go into the gory details, but just skim through this article defining the Genuine Progress Indicator (or GPI).

I am no economist, but the key points that I took away from it:

• GPI is the measure of a lot of the things which make up our level of "happiness" and good outlook, independent of income level-- things like consumption of personal goods,  amount of natural resources used, pollution costs, accidents and hazards caused by the economical activity, etc.
• If GDP measures the amount of economic activity in the country, the GPI measures the human activity of that country.  What real good has that country done for itself, the planet, and each other. 

• As the graph on the page clearly shows (I wish I could paste), the Genuine Progress Indicator has essentially stagnated since the 70's.  What that tells me is that people in the US are contributing more dollars to the economy, and getting less human satisfaction out of each dollar made.  Doesn't that sound like the tone of the last 35 years?  Vietnam, Nixon, Big oil, conflict upon conflict minimally tied to US average joe's interests, more oil, downsizing, burst bubbles, and now massive criminal activities and war going on right in front of us, daring us to say anything and risk "treason"-- it can really be somewhat of a downer!

But not for me!

I took a different message away from this report-- I think that the current trends bear out what the market has been telling us for years!  Sell high, buy low.  Right now, every dollar spent making you a happier person, a more sustainable environment, or more educated, or in general minimizing the costs section on page 3, is worth more than working that extra hour for that extra $7.50 - $14.

What this boils down to is this: once you've got enough coming in to satisfy your basic needs, you've got a cash flow into a retirement/savings, and you've got your emergency fund, spend your leftover money on things that make you happy, and find ways to minimize your ecological footprint, and minimize your costs that don't give you pleasure.

So I guess that if ever there was a time to invest in people, now would be it!

Wisdom from Bruce Lee--"I am the weapon, everything else is accessories"

"I am the weapon, everything else is accessories"

There's some truth to that statement (I want to it was Bruce Lee who said it) and it extends to personal finance and environmentalism.  When you are willing to change your life, you must continue to drive forward and surround yourself with solutions you've created.  There's a lot of marketing out there working to convince people that they need accessories; there's also people--perhaps you're one of them-- that feel that you need this gadget or that gizmo.

Try an experiment.  Go for half a week writing down your normal day, lifestyle and thoughts.  Then turn off as many things in your house that run on electricity as possible for the rest of the week (this includes the weekend) and write down in your journal what it's like.  The coming Monday, start fresh with your regular daily, plugged-in routine.  Again, keep your thoughts in your journal.

If you noticed a difference, your life may be off balance.  If you felt bored, you may be a tech-addict (NOT a good thing, despite being somewhat humorous-- believe me, I know).  If you were totally inconvenienced, then you are definitely a tech-addict and in need of serious help.

If the above experiment is unpalatable, try this: keep the journal, but this time write down how ads make you feel for a few days.  I bet you never knew how many of them there were!  Then eliminate as many sources for advertisements and marketing as possible-- take side streets to avoid businesses, turn off the tv altogether, keep the computer use to a minimum, and cover any diet books you may have with a cloth.  Record your thoughts for about a week.  Now go back to your everyday lifestyle the way it was.  What happened?  Any difference? 

Putting it together

Listen to me carefully here: Your life is not dependent upon anything but your own creativity, imagination, hard work, and the consequences (good and bad) of the way you live your life.  No gadget or amount of money or luck (good and bad), new haircut, or anything else is going to change your life.  You must be the weapon of change in your life.

Get out!

From time to time, I'll tell you about some

of my mistakes. It's supposed to be part of me facing reality instead of shirking it.  It's been reasonably good weather here lately and I've spent a good portion of the day indoors or else in my car.  Some sound advice: get outside!  Not to get to your car or from your car to work, but just to be outside.  Sometimes exposure to weather- good and bad- will make you feel better.  If you can't do that, then curl up with a cup of hot coco and watch the world.

Either way, this is your life and if you don't take a few minutes out of each day to simply "be" with the world you're in, you're not going to find much happiness at any level of income.

image by g.h.vandoorn

Pennywise defined: what this blog is really about

This blog seems to cover a lot of topics.  Health, fitness, personal finance, environmentalism, career building and so much more.  My plan for this blog is so provide valuable content for an individual to implement in their daily lives.  In a sense, it's lifehacks that are important to creating a better world.

If there is something that you believe would make this blog really valuable to you, please let me know.  Otherwise, I plan on continuing to provide tips and tricks to balance my life (and yours).

Escaping the Black Hole of circumstance

I was talking to one of my best friends last night, and we were discussing her messed up life (as we often do, since it's right out of a comic book).  I got to thinking during this discussion that it's very easy to get caught up in the things in your life that are weighing you down: lack of job, lack of self-esteem, money, significant-other troubles, kid troubles, car troubles, legal problems, coworkers. . . the list goes on and on.  I asked her how she keeps her head screwed on straight during all of these troubles that she's having; she laughed and offered this:

"It doesn't matter what happens, I just deal with it as it comes."

Of course it's easy to simply pass this advice off as generic and uninteresting, but let's assume that this really is the big secret to handling situations-- what does that mean?

When I graduated Basic Combat Training for the Army, and my AIT school (where I learned my military job), I came home to more responsibility than I had ever tangled with-- a larger task list than I had imagined.  Those who know me are aware that I stress out easily if something doesn't get done on a task list.  This stress makes me less capable to do the next thing on the list, then I get too worried to complete that task, leading to added stress.  The effects snowball until very quickly I become paralyzed with indecision, anger, fear, and worry.  Well not anymore!  I had graduated from the Army and I wasn't about to let life get me down.  I seized each task completely and followed through each one with a single-minded focus until completion.  If there was an obstacle in my way, I either moved it or bull-rushed through it, or ignored it (if it was somebody telling me "no").  In short, I was living my friends advice of "dealing with it".

Fast forward to now: I'm starting again from scratch, I have a family to provide for this time, and my self-confidence is shaken by being back in a city that is scary to be looking for a job in.  I had forgotten not just the lesson of dealing with life and my problems one at a time, but also the feeling of that focus.  I have forgotten the "failure is not an option" portion of that lesson.

Maintaining a positive outlook

One thing that my friend said that struck me was that she didn't maintain a positive outlook.  She kept her finances in order, her life was kept in order, all without keeping that fake sense of "it's not so bad!".  While I don't agree with that, the very fact that she didn't have a positive outlook means to me that they are independent of one another.  Handling a situation requires a sense of responsibility, not platitudes or overtures; life requires action and accomplishment, not excuses.

As callous as it may sound, the best solution to your life (and my own) spiraling out of control may be to just "deal with it as it comes".

The Cost of Junk

My last post was about using your own relationships to decrease the manipulative effects of the market for items that could easily be borrowed.  Today I got to thinking about how it is commonly said (in my circle of friends at least) that we are slaves to the things we own, and I realized that the time spent cleaning up, cleaning around, getting mad about losing, and working towards buying could be spent doing something productive.  However that's not the whole picture-- the time spent using many products that we take advantage of to the exclusion of the people in our lives can turn us into that strange cat-lady the lives across the street.

Don't become this woman

But that's not the real point here is it?  What this is all dancing around is that attachement to things is so intrusive, and at the same time so subtle, that it takes somebody pointing it out for the world to realize it.  Here I am at 11:00 pm blogging about how our we need to spend more time building community, while my pregnant wife is asleep in bed. . . alone!  In that respect, I am not saying that I'm perfect, far from it; I am merely saying that revalations are easier to see as important as they are encountered along the journey of life, not at the end-- when you've presumably figured it all out (unless you're cat-lady).

Time spent using

Indulge me a little. . .

There are 24 hours in a day.  Figure nowadays with 6 of those being taken up by sleep (reference here) that leaves 18.  Working and commuting for about 10 hours every day (maybe you want to include lunch with that?), then coming hope, that leaves 8 more hours.  1 or 2 for getting ready, and another 2 for "in-betweens"- those lost hours when you wonder "where did the day go?" leaves. . .  4 hours.  That's 4 hours left in your day!!!

---

Just in case you missed this, here it is in math-ese:

24    <--- the number of hours in a day (duh)

-6    <--- the average amount of sleep a working person gets

18

-10    <--- your workday + commute

08

- 2    <---  getting yourself ready for the day

  6

- 2    <---  the "where'd my day go" factor

  4    <--- the amount of time you vegetate in front of something shiny.

 

---

That 4 hours leftover is a part time job!  That's the garden you've been missing, the romantic walks you've been wanting, time enough to cook and clean up after yourself, and *certainly* time enough to get to know somebody that you live next to.

Wrapping up

I would like to get some hard facts on just how much waste we produce, not just materially, but also wasted time; that time you spent on WoW could have been spent on learning a marketable skill, a better hobby, or. . . meeting a girl.  A real one this time.  In part that is what this blog is about: bringing into the reader's awareness the opportunities that abound around the regular person.

She will won't show her guitar-hero without at least dinner and a movie first