This was originally written for a blog I no longer maintain. If you find this post interesting, there are many more like it at glassysix.blogspot.com.
9 FEB 2010
My most fundamental belief is this: Everything I do has an effect on everyone else in the world--we are all inter-connected in some way. We are all equal. We all have the same influence. The idea of philanthropy, therefore, is something we can be doing all of the time, as long as we focus our daily individual efforts towards achieving positive outcomes.
There are more than six billion people on the planet, which is enough to make all of us feel insignificant in the big scheme of things. But, we are hardly insignificant. If you were to consider the causal nature of my most fundamental belief, you will realize that whatever you are doing right now is similar to the effect an earthquake in Japan has on the California Coast two days from now. You have no idea how or where your actions today will end up next Tuesday.
I have always appreciated people that have attempted to hold me to high standards. There is little reason for me to approach life with a jaded or cynical view. Ultimately, we are all each other's mentors. The better I live my life, the better everyone else can live their own. And maybe someone reading this blog will do something that inspires greatness half a world away.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Hold It For One More Second
To become a Helicopter Rescue Swimmer in the US Coast Guard I had to endure some of the most grueling physical training you can find in the military. A year into my career I was placed in charge of training wannabe Rescue Swimmers at USCG Air Station Clearwater in Clearwater, FL.
I've been told by past trainees that the physical training I put these guys through was harder than what they actually experienced at Rescue Swimmer school. I'm not sure how true that is, but I do know I prepared them to be mentally strong enough to handle anything they might encounter at school. I was able to clearly communicate that they should never, ever quit and to always 'hang tough' because they would never know when the instructors were going to end the workout.
The attrition rate at school is more than 50 percent and only about 25 percent of those that begin the entire process of becoming a RS actually graduate. It is quite common that instructors end workouts immediately after someone DOR's (Drop on Request, quit). Their point in doing this is to get trainees to understand that they never know when the workout and the pain will end--they need to hold on for as long as they can. I'm sure hundreds of wannabe RSs were a mere second away from becoming RSs but just couldn't gut it out.
This is true to everyone in life. You just never know what might happen in the next minute, hour, day, week, month, etc...You might be in a place in life where you hate your job, miss your family, feel lonely or any number of things that could instantly change for the better!
This is especially relevant to me lately. One minute, one day, one week, one month can make all the difference--hang in there.
My Dad has a nice mantra: "Ride the highs and wade through the lows--life is cyclical."
I've been told by past trainees that the physical training I put these guys through was harder than what they actually experienced at Rescue Swimmer school. I'm not sure how true that is, but I do know I prepared them to be mentally strong enough to handle anything they might encounter at school. I was able to clearly communicate that they should never, ever quit and to always 'hang tough' because they would never know when the instructors were going to end the workout.
The attrition rate at school is more than 50 percent and only about 25 percent of those that begin the entire process of becoming a RS actually graduate. It is quite common that instructors end workouts immediately after someone DOR's (Drop on Request, quit). Their point in doing this is to get trainees to understand that they never know when the workout and the pain will end--they need to hold on for as long as they can. I'm sure hundreds of wannabe RSs were a mere second away from becoming RSs but just couldn't gut it out.
This is true to everyone in life. You just never know what might happen in the next minute, hour, day, week, month, etc...You might be in a place in life where you hate your job, miss your family, feel lonely or any number of things that could instantly change for the better!
This is especially relevant to me lately. One minute, one day, one week, one month can make all the difference--hang in there.
My Dad has a nice mantra: "Ride the highs and wade through the lows--life is cyclical."
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Next stop--less stuff!
Let's assume you are on your way to finding your passion. It's an endeavor, a challenge. It is possible to make the process much easier, though: Get rid of your 'stuff'!
Alright, that isn't as easy as it sounds. Humans are habit-forming creatures and collecting junk we don't need is something Americans are extremely good at. In fact, we are conditioned to believe that more is better. Bigger is better. With all due respect to my friends from Texas, bigger isn't necessarily better and acquiring mass quantities of possessions certainly makes very little sense.
A bigger house means a bigger mortgage payment, more lawn to mow, more walls to paint, more carpet to lay, etc. More expensive cars mean higher insurance premiums, worse gas mileage and more expensive maintenance costs. I'm not saying we shouldn't want nice things. I am saying there comes a point where having things is exorbitant.
My bigger concern does not involve cars or houses--I use those as an example because everyone needs a place to live and most of us need a car to get around. What we don't need are trinkets! Hell. Trinkets make my skin crawl! Trinkets are like junk food--they serve little purpose, are addictive and weigh us down physically, financially and emotionally!
Here's my philosophy: The best things in life come from our experiences. The cruise to Jamaica is a good purchase. The "Jah Man" t-shirt is totally unnecessary. In fact, behavioral scientists have shown that possessions provide little value to our overall happiness. Initially we love the things we buy, but over time, we grow accustomed to our stuff, it loses its allure and makes us feel like we need to buy bigger and more expensive stuff.
Experiences are the opposite. The passing of time allows us to reminisce about a summer backpacking trip, for example. I've never heard anyone say, "Remember when we bought that flat screen tv"?
Consumer culture isn't bad. It breeds creativity. It creates jobs. It allows us to have nice things. But the ugly side to this culture is that it teaches us that we can never have enough. Marketers dupe us into believing that we are Un-American and socially unacceptable if we don't strive to have the latest and greatest junk. The result of our overindulgence is getting trapped by our possessions. Affluenza prevents us from truly experiencing life, making new friends, traveling to exotic places and learning about our world.
The prevalent mindset nowadays is to not want to leave the house when everything you think you need is on the tv or in the fridge. If we can't find it in the house, chances are it's in the car.
Let's bring this full-circle. How on earth is it possible to truly discover one's passion, what will make us the most happy, if we fence ourselves in with too much stuff?
The Salvation Army or your favorite local charity will be more than happy to give people who have nothing your unnecessary and nice stuff.
Nice article from the Matador Network.
Awesome Presentation!
Alright, that isn't as easy as it sounds. Humans are habit-forming creatures and collecting junk we don't need is something Americans are extremely good at. In fact, we are conditioned to believe that more is better. Bigger is better. With all due respect to my friends from Texas, bigger isn't necessarily better and acquiring mass quantities of possessions certainly makes very little sense.
A bigger house means a bigger mortgage payment, more lawn to mow, more walls to paint, more carpet to lay, etc. More expensive cars mean higher insurance premiums, worse gas mileage and more expensive maintenance costs. I'm not saying we shouldn't want nice things. I am saying there comes a point where having things is exorbitant.
My bigger concern does not involve cars or houses--I use those as an example because everyone needs a place to live and most of us need a car to get around. What we don't need are trinkets! Hell. Trinkets make my skin crawl! Trinkets are like junk food--they serve little purpose, are addictive and weigh us down physically, financially and emotionally!
Here's my philosophy: The best things in life come from our experiences. The cruise to Jamaica is a good purchase. The "Jah Man" t-shirt is totally unnecessary. In fact, behavioral scientists have shown that possessions provide little value to our overall happiness. Initially we love the things we buy, but over time, we grow accustomed to our stuff, it loses its allure and makes us feel like we need to buy bigger and more expensive stuff.
Experiences are the opposite. The passing of time allows us to reminisce about a summer backpacking trip, for example. I've never heard anyone say, "Remember when we bought that flat screen tv"?
Consumer culture isn't bad. It breeds creativity. It creates jobs. It allows us to have nice things. But the ugly side to this culture is that it teaches us that we can never have enough. Marketers dupe us into believing that we are Un-American and socially unacceptable if we don't strive to have the latest and greatest junk. The result of our overindulgence is getting trapped by our possessions. Affluenza prevents us from truly experiencing life, making new friends, traveling to exotic places and learning about our world.
The prevalent mindset nowadays is to not want to leave the house when everything you think you need is on the tv or in the fridge. If we can't find it in the house, chances are it's in the car.
Let's bring this full-circle. How on earth is it possible to truly discover one's passion, what will make us the most happy, if we fence ourselves in with too much stuff?
The Salvation Army or your favorite local charity will be more than happy to give people who have nothing your unnecessary and nice stuff.
Nice article from the Matador Network.
Awesome Presentation!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
To Be Thankful
"Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine
The story is just beginning
I say goodbye to my weakness,
So long to the regrets
And now I know that I'm alive
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine
The story is just beginning
I say goodbye to my weakness so long to the regrets
And now I see the world through
Diamond Eyes"
--"Diamond Eyes" by Shinedown
Listen to the entire song:
It is evident that this song is about war and how incredibly brave all of our troops are. We are so fortunate. When I wake up in the morning, the first thoughts in my head are only positive 50 percent of the time. What is wrong with me?
We live in the greatest nation in the world that provides us with more opportunities than we can fathom.
Thank-you to all who serve. And to my USCG buddies--Ooh-rah. "So Others May Live."
The story is just beginning
I say goodbye to my weakness,
So long to the regrets
And now I know that I'm alive
Out on the front line, don't worry I'll be fine
The story is just beginning
I say goodbye to my weakness so long to the regrets
And now I see the world through
Diamond Eyes"
--"Diamond Eyes" by Shinedown
Listen to the entire song:
It is evident that this song is about war and how incredibly brave all of our troops are. We are so fortunate. When I wake up in the morning, the first thoughts in my head are only positive 50 percent of the time. What is wrong with me?
We live in the greatest nation in the world that provides us with more opportunities than we can fathom.
Thank-you to all who serve. And to my USCG buddies--Ooh-rah. "So Others May Live."
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Passion Hunting
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."
--Harold Whitman
In my post "Just Choose Anything," I suggested that our freedom to choose is extremely powerful which is why making any decisions in life can be daunting. We live with too many options! Making a decision means choosing one option and alienating many, many others. However, by not getting into the habit of taking actions that commit us to a specific direction (whether it turns out to be right or not) we run the risk of becoming habitual followers. I also indicated that having a passion can make decision making much easier, but didn't provide specific details on how to find it.
You may know what you are passionate about. If so, that's great! If not, here are some tips to get you on the path to pinpointing what turns you on the most.
1. Who are you? How much time do you devote to figuring out what principles and values to live by? If a friend of yours asked you to describe yourself, what would you say? And, would you feel comfortable with your response? Be honest.
2. What are you good at? For decades we've been told to improve our weaknesses instead of focusing on our strengths.
3. Keep a running list of things that make you smile.
4. Keep learning and ask questions! Knowledge is power, right? The consistent pursuit of education will allow you to build new perspectives that might provide a clearer picture of what you truly love.
5. Think harder. Why do you think what you think? (This will help with #1)
6. Tune out negativity. Your pursuit for passion has nothing to do with anyone else.
7. Don't quit. We all have passion for something. It is within us all.
------
This is a late addition to this post, but it's related to finding one's passion....
--Harold Whitman
In my post "Just Choose Anything," I suggested that our freedom to choose is extremely powerful which is why making any decisions in life can be daunting. We live with too many options! Making a decision means choosing one option and alienating many, many others. However, by not getting into the habit of taking actions that commit us to a specific direction (whether it turns out to be right or not) we run the risk of becoming habitual followers. I also indicated that having a passion can make decision making much easier, but didn't provide specific details on how to find it.
You may know what you are passionate about. If so, that's great! If not, here are some tips to get you on the path to pinpointing what turns you on the most.
1. Who are you? How much time do you devote to figuring out what principles and values to live by? If a friend of yours asked you to describe yourself, what would you say? And, would you feel comfortable with your response? Be honest.
2. What are you good at? For decades we've been told to improve our weaknesses instead of focusing on our strengths.
3. Keep a running list of things that make you smile.
4. Keep learning and ask questions! Knowledge is power, right? The consistent pursuit of education will allow you to build new perspectives that might provide a clearer picture of what you truly love.
5. Think harder. Why do you think what you think? (This will help with #1)
6. Tune out negativity. Your pursuit for passion has nothing to do with anyone else.
7. Don't quit. We all have passion for something. It is within us all.
------
This is a late addition to this post, but it's related to finding one's passion....
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Just Choose Anything
A good friend of mine and I chose to work together on a high growth venture about six months ago as part of an entrepreneurship course within our MBA program. I learned multiple life lessons along the way, none of which were as profound as the following:
At multiple points (in life, while working on a project, in a relationship, etc.) you have the option to pick a direction--any direction. Or not. Of course, it makes perfect sense to weigh your options by considering their consequences and benefits, but there is a point where deliberation ends and stalling due to fear of the unknown begins. This is what I consider "No-Man's-Land." This is a scary place because it is an easy place to get stuck. In "No Man's Land", it is far too convenient to delay making choices and much easier to make excuses. As excuses mount on top of excuses our lives stagnate and pass us by. As we feel life passing us by and less and less within our control we give up on our passions, succumb to our fears and fall victim to a lack of confidence.
What my friend and I discovered was that the decisions we made, the directions in which we chose to steer our venture, didn't always appear to work in our favor. However, we made the conscious decision, on multiple occasions, to choose action over inaction. Ultimately, we learned what did not work for us when we failed. Failure, it turned out, was equally as beneficial to our progress as success.
Nothing about my commentary in this post is revolutionary. But, it is important that we not forget the old adage, "You'll never know until you try."
You get one chance at life.
I strongly believe everyone wants to be passionate about something. We all want to find what makes us 'tick'. Finding one's passion isn't easy--I work to find mine every day. It's a process. It's a struggle. It's a challenge. And it requires taking risk by making decisions and choosing paths without knowing their outcomes.
I haven't discovered my passion yet. However, I am positive that my life is not stagnating. I am motivated by all of the things I plan to experience. I am excited about the choices I get to make. I look forward to failing because it can only lead to success. I like to get out of bed in the morning!
Do you share my enthusiasm?
-----------
At multiple points (in life, while working on a project, in a relationship, etc.) you have the option to pick a direction--any direction. Or not. Of course, it makes perfect sense to weigh your options by considering their consequences and benefits, but there is a point where deliberation ends and stalling due to fear of the unknown begins. This is what I consider "No-Man's-Land." This is a scary place because it is an easy place to get stuck. In "No Man's Land", it is far too convenient to delay making choices and much easier to make excuses. As excuses mount on top of excuses our lives stagnate and pass us by. As we feel life passing us by and less and less within our control we give up on our passions, succumb to our fears and fall victim to a lack of confidence.
What my friend and I discovered was that the decisions we made, the directions in which we chose to steer our venture, didn't always appear to work in our favor. However, we made the conscious decision, on multiple occasions, to choose action over inaction. Ultimately, we learned what did not work for us when we failed. Failure, it turned out, was equally as beneficial to our progress as success.
Nothing about my commentary in this post is revolutionary. But, it is important that we not forget the old adage, "You'll never know until you try."
You get one chance at life.
I strongly believe everyone wants to be passionate about something. We all want to find what makes us 'tick'. Finding one's passion isn't easy--I work to find mine every day. It's a process. It's a struggle. It's a challenge. And it requires taking risk by making decisions and choosing paths without knowing their outcomes.
I haven't discovered my passion yet. However, I am positive that my life is not stagnating. I am motivated by all of the things I plan to experience. I am excited about the choices I get to make. I look forward to failing because it can only lead to success. I like to get out of bed in the morning!
Do you share my enthusiasm?
-----------
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