No pain, no gain. So reads the wall of many high school locker rooms. The application is obvious - if you do not push your body in practice to the point that it hurts, you will not be getting any better. On the track and in the weight room, there is no gain without pain.
Then we step into the real world. There is no slogan about pain in my home. Or my office. Or in my corporate handbook. Does that mean it does not apply?
Afraid not. Pain is the prerequisite for gain. If I want to lose weight, I suffer the pain of hunger. If I want a promotion, I suffer the pain of long hours. If I want a retirement fund in the future, I suffer the pain of present-day deprivation.
There is no gain without pain. There is no growth without pain. A pain-free life is only possible through stagnation, which may be the worst pain of all.
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
Acting with intention
CNBC was on in the break room of the training class I was in recently, which was eye-opening for me. Watching this financial hysteria over lunch made me wonder about how effective it really is. Do avid financial news network watchers have improved results (profits)? Somehow I doubt it.
Like all information we take in, it is worth thinking about the motivations of the people providing it. CNBC makes money on ads, which rely on viewers watching, not viewers making money. So even if the reporters and analysts have the best of intentions for providing useful financial information, their priority will always be toward keeping you watching.
That means excitement, crises, newness, not necessarily useful information. Yet the way to make money is generally to make a good decision and then wait (think Warren Buffet). So the constant barrage of information will more likely lead to losing money, rather than making it.
The question we should ask ourselves is, are we reacting to hysteria, or acting with intention?
Like all information we take in, it is worth thinking about the motivations of the people providing it. CNBC makes money on ads, which rely on viewers watching, not viewers making money. So even if the reporters and analysts have the best of intentions for providing useful financial information, their priority will always be toward keeping you watching.
That means excitement, crises, newness, not necessarily useful information. Yet the way to make money is generally to make a good decision and then wait (think Warren Buffet). So the constant barrage of information will more likely lead to losing money, rather than making it.
The question we should ask ourselves is, are we reacting to hysteria, or acting with intention?
Friday, October 02, 2009
Why should freaks have all the fun?
I just finished reading the Freak Revolution Manifesto. Worth reading for all, and it raises the question:
Why should freaks have all the fun?
The authors are self described as "a poly bisexual lesbian kinky pagan transgender unschooler gamer geek and a lesbian poly unschooler geeky edgewalker witch." I know some of those words, but can only guess on the meanings of several.
They go on to preach a message of connection rather than control, rejecting dominant paradigms and living the life you want, not the one you are told to live. All great stuff, except that I'm not a freak.
I am a mono heterosexual straight-laced Christian male engineer. I have no interest in a raw lifestyle, an open marriage, or neopaganism. At the same time, the dominant paradigms of modern America don't do much for me, either.
Fortunately, challenging the dominant paradigm is possible for even non-freaks. All it takes is a little thought. Think about what you drive. Think about how your kids are being educated. Think about what you eat. Sometimes that thinking leads to a revolution. Sometimes not. The important thing is that you (we) are thinking, challenging, and not doing things only because "that's they way they're done."
So be a freak. Or not. Just as long as you think.
Why should freaks have all the fun?
The authors are self described as "a poly bisexual lesbian kinky pagan transgender unschooler gamer geek and a lesbian poly unschooler geeky edgewalker witch." I know some of those words, but can only guess on the meanings of several.
They go on to preach a message of connection rather than control, rejecting dominant paradigms and living the life you want, not the one you are told to live. All great stuff, except that I'm not a freak.
I am a mono heterosexual straight-laced Christian male engineer. I have no interest in a raw lifestyle, an open marriage, or neopaganism. At the same time, the dominant paradigms of modern America don't do much for me, either.
Fortunately, challenging the dominant paradigm is possible for even non-freaks. All it takes is a little thought. Think about what you drive. Think about how your kids are being educated. Think about what you eat. Sometimes that thinking leads to a revolution. Sometimes not. The important thing is that you (we) are thinking, challenging, and not doing things only because "that's they way they're done."
So be a freak. Or not. Just as long as you think.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Pen - good for you, good for the world
Following up on yesterday's post on disposable goods, I want to encourage everyone to go buy a nice pen. Get something with some heft that you will enjoy writing with. Maybe even try a fountain pen! Nice pens are more pleasant to use and better for the environment. Not only that, they can help you recover the joy of handwritten notes, which can be good for your relationships, both personal and business.
Join me in rediscovering the pleasure of pen on paper. Buy the pen (I can recommend Levenger as a great place to start looking) and then write me a note. You'll be glad you did.
Join me in rediscovering the pleasure of pen on paper. Buy the pen (I can recommend Levenger as a great place to start looking) and then write me a note. You'll be glad you did.
