"The ends justify the means..."

So it's been awhile. I think I am going to use that as my opening phrase for the rest of these blogs lol. The past three weeks have been quite interesting. The challenges have revolved around some interesting issues in my life. The challenges from the past three weeks were:

-Negotiating
-Politics
-Economics

I know, not terribly exciting. But for whatever reason, the past few weeks started off with me reading about John Adams and Benjamin Franklin and then that became an off shoot of reading about the aforementioned topics.

The most interesting book of the bunch I read was "Winning at Office Politics" by Marie G McIntyre. What a great read. I also read Freakonomics  and a few books on Negotiating and Economics. A good one being "The Little Book of Economics" by Greg Ip.

Now I'm the type of guy who kind of just deals with life in a "go with the flow fashion". I never really paid attention to how the interplay and dynamics of people come together. I learned that I dealt with life from a small bubble of my consciousness and instead of dealing with life as it really was. Now I don't want to come off like I've become all paranoid and I really feel that I've only scratched the surface of what is possible with this newfound revelation. But like I've mentioned before, 7 days is not a long time.

Anyhow a few things inspiring me lately:

Latest Update

I am writing this on my iPhone at a Barnes and Nobles enjoying a green tea and almonds. I am currently listening to the film scores channel on Pandora. I had a couple of free hours to kill before work and I figured I really need to update the blog more often so I am trying my best to try different ways to do that.

First off some updates. Last weeks challenge for me was to take time and actually do some chores. Yes, like when I was 12 and had chores to do. Tasks such as everyday cleaning and scrubbing to paying bills and finishing projects around the house that needed tomget done. Tell you the truth, I found it kind of relaxing. In a sense it was almost grounding. From doing laundry to scrubbing my bathroom (which I realized I should do more often). I put on my headphones and pretty much got everything I wanted to get done. If I could only keep this up lol.

This weeks challenge is gonna lead to he next few challenges. I would consider myself a relatively creatI've person (lol), but with that comes certain tasks that I do not enjoy. Activities that are more left brained in theory. These are areas I have avoided in one way or another my whole life. The specific tasks being in no particular order:

-negotiating
-networking
-dealing with difficult people or situations
-social and political awareness

I realize this specific objectives and challenges are gonna be harder to quantify by I realized that these area will definitely help me out in some major areas of life. This week I have been reading negotiating books and hopefully in my line of work I will be able to practice some of these things. Otherwise I'm gonna have to get creative in how I approach these specific "arts". Anyhow my hands are cramping up. So for now i say adieu...

And so it goes...

I am posting a pic of the Green Lantern Emblem because one, he was my fave when I was a kid and two, I like the whole symbolism of creating anything from your imagination. Enuff said...

I've been doing private journals as of late which made this page a little bit less inspired. I am hoping to journal in this blog more and try to catch up with where I am now.

As for last weeks challenge and this week challenge. Last week I focused on passion. They do say follow your passions. I was doing a lot of little challenges as well. I failed one of the big ones. I didn't realize how big a task a 1000 piece puzzle was but I definitely was not able to finish it in a week. As for the passion part, I started thinking what I would do if no decisions could be made because of money but from straight passion. Almost as if passion were the new currency. I have to admit, it was tougher then I thought it was gonna be. I had to start thinking in different terms and after a while I would revert back to making money or at least how it could possibly turn into something lucrative. I also enjoyed a few books and a such. Had some new foods I haven't had and add to that it was my birthday led to me having more fun then I really should have lol.

This weeks challenge is about giving. Something in line of Random Acts of Kindness. I felt resistant  somewhat with this one. I thought I was more generous. I guess we are always more of something in our minds. It is the little things I guess, and in some ways I believe that some people may misinterpret some of these acts but I do think it is important to trod through. I still have a few days to on this one.

I have been busy in a lot of ways and somewhat scattered in my focus. It's been affecting me in little ways. I know that there is a benefit in doing these little challenges but I have to say that they are taxing on the "mental game". One of the things I have been looking at are some of the Buddhist types of beliefs of accepting what is. The total embracing of everything going on in ones life. I guess this lack of focus has something to teach me about focus ironically. I may be incredibly tired right now so much of this may not be making sense, but I accept that. I have to say that I learned a lot this week. It was a trying adventure but many lessons were gleaned. I will definitely have to post that story next time. Till then, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..........

Insight

Watching "Good Will Hunting" and realizing a lot of things in my life. I feel the movie has always hit a spot with me. I think that there is a lot of this movie in my life. Not the genius elements of the movie, but more the life growth in it. Damn late night television.

It's been a weird couple of weeks. More in a good way. Spent the better part of the past few weeks analyzing things that kind of through me. I would notice very subtly things in that I was resistant to. It was little things. Not that there are things that I don't want to do and I am indifferent to. More like I am resistant to and I am slightly on the left of afraid of doing it. Not fear just a pull towards not wanting to do it even when it shouldn't make a difference. Okay now I sound sort of crazy. Oh well.

Things that I am slight resistant to:

-Submerging myself in freezing water (conquered)
-Fasting with no food or water for 24 hours (to be attempted on Yom Kippur)
-Playing speed chess against the people in the park
-putting together a 1000 piece puzzle
-BJJ Tournaments

Well that's all I could think of for now. Anyhow, some of these might not be specific challenges but just small here and there challenges which I will take on along with the other stuff I will be doing.

Last weeks challenge was to post on eBay. How stupid is that? But I am resistant to dealing with the trouble of doing it and getting ripped off. I had a few bumps in setting  it up and I am only selling some books. Still learning my way around it. I had to get a book and still don't know all the stuff on it. But oh well.

This weeks challenge involves body language. I am doing the program of "You Say More Than You Think" by Janine Driver. After talking to some friends about this, I realize that I come off a little aloof. Some people have said that before they met me I came off as unfriendly. I have to agree. I think it is more shyness than anything else. After reading the book I realized that there are a lot of things that we say subconsciously. Anyhow, it's late, I'm delirious and time for bed.

Much Ado...

Week 21 and 22:


Well last weeks challenge was really weird. For most people it would have been relatively easy but for me it was kind of tough. My challenge last week was to do nothing. Huh Rey, you really lost it now. Now I know that sounds dumb and somewhat of a copout. But not for me. Let me explain.


I was going into last week thinking I should do some rah rah motivational, goal-setting sort of week. Problem with that. That is my normal response. I always do that. I also got injured last week and couldn't move the left side of my body. So I made the decision. Nothing...

I basically  did not go to jiu-jitsu, yoga. I didn't run or workout in anyway. I read only fiction and tv. I was somewhat normal. I have to admit, it was probably the most profound week I have had so far. One day, it was pouring and I spent 4 hours in Barnes and Nobles with a cup of coffee (okay a few cups of coffee) and books. It occurred to me that I was free to make decisions. I wasn't reverting to my normal self and I was coming from somewhere else. Inspiration. And it was also something else affecting me. My lack of trust. The trusting of life. The trusting that life was working the way it was supposed to. I mean, I am always going to be working on something, that is a given. It's just now I let go of outcome (somewhat). I really have to dwell more on last week, because it was more profound than I am capable of putting into words.

Week 22 Challenge:


This weeks challenge comes from reading author Joe Vitale's "The Awakened Life." It comes from the first section. It is to think optimistically. It involves, not thinking like a victim (tough). It means that I can't complain (damn...just kidding). It means reframing things as positive. It means I can't say that this is gonna be a tough challenge, but I get to do something cool for my life. So far, things have been awesome. Technically in the book, the challenge is to not complain for 30 days. I think that's possible. The challenges lie in looking at my life this past week. Reading the book made me realize that I have a victim mentality in certain areas of my life. I guess I subconsciously kind of fell prey to certain ways of thinking. For the next week at least I have to take responsibility for everything that happens in my life, good and bad.

I am also gonna do a few other exercises he mentions because they do sound somewhat beneficial.

Anyhow, it is late and I have had a pretty cool week. I'll keep you up to date in a separate post. Till then...laterrr

Week 19 and what's up for Week 20

So I am late yet again for another blog, but on a positive note I am consistently late. Okay maybe that was a bit cheesy, but then again so is the word cheesy.

Anyhow, this past weeks challenge was to meditate. I was, and to a certain degree still am kinda scattered in all the things that I should be doing. I really needed to meditate and get some kind of focus. Well let me tell you, it was tough. I haven't meditated in a while and it was really tough. Maybe it's due to the circumstances in my life currently. I also feel like I took on a lot of activities and am doing a lot of new things.

As for other areas of my life. I have been doing really well working out as of late and getting some momentum. That is until a few days ago. I have been a bit aggressive in my workouts and kind of put myself out of commission for a few days. I decided to make this week about getting myself healthy again and get more rest and do workouts that are a bit more restorative. I do want to change up this week to a large degree due to the fact that I have been going so strong for a while. Nothing fancy just more rest really. I like to be proactive in life and keep going but I am learning that being proactive is knowing when not to do something.

As for other areas of my life, I was thinking back to what I have done so far this year. I mean to think about it, it is almost the middle of the year (if we make it past judgement day that is... May 21st End of the World Humor). I had lots of flashbacks to some of my prior challenges and it actually felt like something from which I could draw from. Whether I was successful or not, I found that since I did something similar, I would be able to take action in ways I normally wouldn't. I have to admit, it's been tougher as of late and I really have to chose some challenges that push me in different directions. Really the lessons I am learning are about doing different things. If it doesn't work, try something else. That and learning to adapt to different situations. But the only way you can learn to adapt to different situations is putting yourself in a variety of situations. Anyhow, I will post this weeks challenge in the next blog due to that fact that I am losing consciousness. Anyhow, till the next one...later.