Christmas has passed and now it's time to get to work. I am back on my mission to organization. I've learned you start with your mind, not your desk. If your thoughts are disorganized (as mine have always been) you have no chance at organizing your world.
Lesson # 1: Amateurs remember, pros write it down.
Carry a notebook. I have always done this and I can tell you it could work, except that the notebooks I carry reflect what's happening upstairs: messy, disorganized, etc... It does no good to write down important information if you can't easily find it when you need it. I am learning this.
Lesson # 2: Listen Actively: In other words, ask questions.
When you are being given instructions, it's easy to zone out. If you make yourself ask questions, even simple, or stupid, questions, you're more likely to stay involved. I am learning this.
Lesson # 3: Create a system and stick to it.
Do whatever works for you. It may be a notepad, a PDA, or a spreadsheet. Whatever you do, just do it. As an old co-worker of mine used to say: a place for everything, and everything in its place. I am working on this one.
Lesson # 4: Have an accountability partner.
I work on my own and my office is in my house. I have enlisted Abby to help me stay organized. She warned me that she would be on my back constantly. I accepted because that is the only way this arrangement could possibly work.
Think of how much time you lose looking for papers, notes, whatever. Have you ever lost a deal because you lost a memo and didn't get back to someone on time. I have. I've made these mistakes and I am determined to never let them happen again. This is why I am creating the system.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas. God bless you. Make it a great day.
- Adolfo
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label discipline. Show all posts
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Day # 208 - A New Challenge
208 days of this and the complaint is still the same: I don't know what to write about. This may be the hardest thing I've ever committed to. And the next project just dawned on me: I am going to get organized. This is something I have half-heartedly worked on for a while, but now, I'm going to get serious about it.
I am a capable person. I believe I have a fair amount of talent, though I am not sure how to define my talent. I am a quick learner, a curious person. I could be great... if I could just remember where I left that piece of paper.
There is no doubt in my mind that I have lost deals or sales or money in my life time due to my lack of organization. Somehow that was never reason enough for me to straighten myself out. It should be reason enough, but even at this point it doesn't really motivate me. I want to organize myself because I know I should. Because it will make my life easier. Because it will make me more productive. Because my cluttered desk is making me bonkers!
So now the quest for neatness begins. I have already moved in this direction, but now I am being more serious and deliberate about it.
I'll let you know how it goes. Tomorrow and the day after, we'll talk about bridges.
God bless you. Make it your best, most organized day yet.
- Adolfo
I am a capable person. I believe I have a fair amount of talent, though I am not sure how to define my talent. I am a quick learner, a curious person. I could be great... if I could just remember where I left that piece of paper.
There is no doubt in my mind that I have lost deals or sales or money in my life time due to my lack of organization. Somehow that was never reason enough for me to straighten myself out. It should be reason enough, but even at this point it doesn't really motivate me. I want to organize myself because I know I should. Because it will make my life easier. Because it will make me more productive. Because my cluttered desk is making me bonkers!
So now the quest for neatness begins. I have already moved in this direction, but now I am being more serious and deliberate about it.
I'll let you know how it goes. Tomorrow and the day after, we'll talk about bridges.
God bless you. Make it your best, most organized day yet.
- Adolfo
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Day # 188 - Decisions Then and Now
I am a proponent of speaking the truth. I think everyone should. Lies, or even withholding the truth are destructive. If not to the person being lied to, then definitely to the liar. It is a shame that we sometimes find ourselves in situations where we have to hold back and not speak our minds. The result is typically having to swallow a bitter pill.
I find myself in such a situation right now. I find myself needing to keep my mouth shut about certain things I would rather not keep my mouth shut about. I call it eating sh_t sandwiches. And it's as bad as it sounds.
While I don't consider myself a blunt person, I am an honest person - or at least try to be. Having to bite my tongue is a very uncomfortable situation but ultimately I am responsible for this. I put myself in this situation and I have to ride it out. It's man-up time.
This is why it's important to weigh every decision you make because they all matter. Keep in mind that what you do today may have consequences that you will feel, if not tomorrow, years from now. Using personal finances as an example, the latte you spend five bucks on today, could cost you big time down the road when you're broke, just like the cookies and milk you have before bed can affect your health down the road.
The point is we should take a little time to plan things out so we don't paint ourselves into corners. Freedom is the most important thing you have and you should make sure that you make no decisions to jeopardize it. Be deliberate. Be thoughtful. Be responsible. Be free.
God bless you. Make the right decisions. Make it your best day.
- Adolfo
I find myself in such a situation right now. I find myself needing to keep my mouth shut about certain things I would rather not keep my mouth shut about. I call it eating sh_t sandwiches. And it's as bad as it sounds.
While I don't consider myself a blunt person, I am an honest person - or at least try to be. Having to bite my tongue is a very uncomfortable situation but ultimately I am responsible for this. I put myself in this situation and I have to ride it out. It's man-up time.
This is why it's important to weigh every decision you make because they all matter. Keep in mind that what you do today may have consequences that you will feel, if not tomorrow, years from now. Using personal finances as an example, the latte you spend five bucks on today, could cost you big time down the road when you're broke, just like the cookies and milk you have before bed can affect your health down the road.
The point is we should take a little time to plan things out so we don't paint ourselves into corners. Freedom is the most important thing you have and you should make sure that you make no decisions to jeopardize it. Be deliberate. Be thoughtful. Be responsible. Be free.
God bless you. Make the right decisions. Make it your best day.
- Adolfo
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Day # 184 - Black & Blue Friday
It's officially begun: the Christmas Shopping Season. Consumerism at its worst - or best, if you're in retail. For the next month or so, we will fight traffic, and each other, to get the best deals on things we don't need for people we don't really like. That ain't Christmas, that's X-mas.
We had decided a couple of years ago to scale down Christmas if only for the sake of teaching our children some humility. Kids in general are so spoiled and I don't want mine to be that way. I want them to learn to appreciate the many blessings they have and that will never happen if Santa keeps stuffing a truckload of toys down the chimney. (Yes, as a matter of fact, we do have a chimney, and a fireplace. And no, we never use it.)
The recession helped us along in our plan, or so you would imagine, but we didn't go nearly as far as we should have. Sure we cut back on expenses like the monthly trips to Disney World, but otherwise we kept living high on a very exhausted hog. Now that things had stabilized for us, we are finally applying the lessons of the last year.
We are teaching our kids responsibility, frugality, charity, community, and humility. They need to learn these things if they are to be the people God intends them to be.
So, when you go out shopping this season, don't be afraid to scale back a little. Let the gifts you give the young people in your life be more intangible, and therefore more valuable. Give real building blocks.
God Bless You. Make it a great day.
- Adolfo
We had decided a couple of years ago to scale down Christmas if only for the sake of teaching our children some humility. Kids in general are so spoiled and I don't want mine to be that way. I want them to learn to appreciate the many blessings they have and that will never happen if Santa keeps stuffing a truckload of toys down the chimney. (Yes, as a matter of fact, we do have a chimney, and a fireplace. And no, we never use it.)
The recession helped us along in our plan, or so you would imagine, but we didn't go nearly as far as we should have. Sure we cut back on expenses like the monthly trips to Disney World, but otherwise we kept living high on a very exhausted hog. Now that things had stabilized for us, we are finally applying the lessons of the last year.
We are teaching our kids responsibility, frugality, charity, community, and humility. They need to learn these things if they are to be the people God intends them to be.
So, when you go out shopping this season, don't be afraid to scale back a little. Let the gifts you give the young people in your life be more intangible, and therefore more valuable. Give real building blocks.
God Bless You. Make it a great day.
- Adolfo
Friday, November 26, 2010
Day # 183 - The Hangover
What is it about Thanksgiving that makes pigs of us? Could it be that when it comes to turkey, there's no middle ground? You either make enough for a family of four, or enough for the U.S. Army. There seems to be no middle ground. I am much the same way. Yes, I am a turkey of sorts. I overdid it. Not with alcohol or anything, but with food, glorious food. I was like a goldfish: whatever was in my tank was eaten,
My daughter Melissa gave the blessing and it moved me to tears. She is eight years old and becoming an amazing young lady. One more reason to be thankful.
It's hard not to think of those who couldn't be there, because of distance, prior commitment, or whatever other reason. Why is it human nature that even when you're with people you love, you still want more people you love around you?
My sons are not around as much anymore. AJ was there with his lovely girlfriend, Ella, but Steven was not there and I missed him. If Steven had been there, we'd have no leftovers. That boy can eat!
So we came home, put the girls to bed, and I rubbed Abby's feet. She'd cooked up a storm and maintained her perfect record of creating the greatest of Thanksgiving dinners.
Leaving my in-laws' house, the main street a couple of blocks away was closed off. It was a major car accident. It makes me think about people drinking and driving and May 31, 2004, when a driver high on heroin nearly took what was most precious to me and I wonder what people are thinking. We talk about AIDS awareness and Cancer awareness and all kinds of awareness. You may not be able to control cancer, but you can control your level of self-awareness. Don't drive drunk. Don't let your friends or family do it. If you do and someone gets hurt or killed, you are responsible. It's that simple. You may not be punished by man, but you will be punished. Only an animal with complete disregard for his community would do such a thing. Don't be an animal.
So, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, and a safe one. I hope you counted your blessings. I hope you're not out shopping at this hour in the morning, but if you are, get me something nice!
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
My daughter Melissa gave the blessing and it moved me to tears. She is eight years old and becoming an amazing young lady. One more reason to be thankful.
It's hard not to think of those who couldn't be there, because of distance, prior commitment, or whatever other reason. Why is it human nature that even when you're with people you love, you still want more people you love around you?
My sons are not around as much anymore. AJ was there with his lovely girlfriend, Ella, but Steven was not there and I missed him. If Steven had been there, we'd have no leftovers. That boy can eat!
So we came home, put the girls to bed, and I rubbed Abby's feet. She'd cooked up a storm and maintained her perfect record of creating the greatest of Thanksgiving dinners.
Leaving my in-laws' house, the main street a couple of blocks away was closed off. It was a major car accident. It makes me think about people drinking and driving and May 31, 2004, when a driver high on heroin nearly took what was most precious to me and I wonder what people are thinking. We talk about AIDS awareness and Cancer awareness and all kinds of awareness. You may not be able to control cancer, but you can control your level of self-awareness. Don't drive drunk. Don't let your friends or family do it. If you do and someone gets hurt or killed, you are responsible. It's that simple. You may not be punished by man, but you will be punished. Only an animal with complete disregard for his community would do such a thing. Don't be an animal.
So, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, and a safe one. I hope you counted your blessings. I hope you're not out shopping at this hour in the morning, but if you are, get me something nice!
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Day # 181 - Trust
My son, AJ, works with me. He has for years, but the situation is a little different now than it used to be. For the last four years, he had worked for the family business. Now, he works for the same company I work for. I recommended him for the job, knowing he would not let me down. I trust him. Although he is only 18 years old, he is one of my closest confidantes. He has a wisdom that is beyond his years and a common-sense unmatched by many adults.
AJ came to me yesterday to talk about personal matters. He was nervous and I understand that, but I have always told him that he can talk to me about anything he wants to talk about and I would listen. I never promised him I would be okay with every decision he made, but I would not explode or judge him. We talked about his concerns and I feel better about things. I feel even closer to him.
Not judging a person is not the same as accepting every choice they make. I am not saying that if your child is thief or a murderer you should be okay with it just because they are your child. I am, however, saying that if your kid is afraid to talk to you, or simply doesn't want to deal with your drama, they will not talk to you, and you won't be of any use to them whatsoever.
AJ and I spoke about his faith. I find myself getting closer to God every day and I want him to come with me. He has doubts about his faith, he gets angry at God, as so many of us do from time to time. He needed his father to reassure him that this is somewhat normal. Until our faith is cemented and our relationship with God is well-established, there will always be room for doubt, and blaming God for your ills is an easy, convenient way to absolve yourself of responsibility. I'm learning this now, I am grateful for the chance to teach this to him at this young age.
I do not advocate being your child's buddy, cool parents are usually not very effective. Discipline is crucial and should not be set aside so that your kid will like you. The important thing is to love your children as God loves you: without condition, without judgment, without limit.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
AJ came to me yesterday to talk about personal matters. He was nervous and I understand that, but I have always told him that he can talk to me about anything he wants to talk about and I would listen. I never promised him I would be okay with every decision he made, but I would not explode or judge him. We talked about his concerns and I feel better about things. I feel even closer to him.
Not judging a person is not the same as accepting every choice they make. I am not saying that if your child is thief or a murderer you should be okay with it just because they are your child. I am, however, saying that if your kid is afraid to talk to you, or simply doesn't want to deal with your drama, they will not talk to you, and you won't be of any use to them whatsoever.
AJ and I spoke about his faith. I find myself getting closer to God every day and I want him to come with me. He has doubts about his faith, he gets angry at God, as so many of us do from time to time. He needed his father to reassure him that this is somewhat normal. Until our faith is cemented and our relationship with God is well-established, there will always be room for doubt, and blaming God for your ills is an easy, convenient way to absolve yourself of responsibility. I'm learning this now, I am grateful for the chance to teach this to him at this young age.
I do not advocate being your child's buddy, cool parents are usually not very effective. Discipline is crucial and should not be set aside so that your kid will like you. The important thing is to love your children as God loves you: without condition, without judgment, without limit.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Day # 175 - Pull
Inertia is one of the most powerful inside-of-us killers of potential. It's so easy to stay with what is comfortable. It's easy to stay on the couch in front of the TV and not read a book that will make you better. It's easy to gossip with your friends by the water cooler when you should be making prospecting calls. It's easy to eat cookies when you should be at the gym or riding your bike. With the exception of the TV, I am, to some degree or other, guilty of all of the above.
I get my work done, I go the extra mile, but I often pull over when on the extra mile and see the sights. I agree that you have to stop and smell the roses, but not until your work is done. You must fight the pull.
Pull comes in many forms. There are millions of productivity and personal-development thieves out there. Television is my pet-peeve, but the Internet can be as bad. News is a killer, gossip is a killer, laziness is a killer. The list goes on and on. In order to better yourself, you must resist pull. You must realize that your natural inclination will always be toward the easy, the lazy path.
I want to make a distinction between inclination and instinct. I trust my instinct 100%. You should listen to your gut. Listen to still small voice in your heart. Inclination is our body's natural, often lazy, tendency to do what is easy or pleasurable. Follow your instinct, but fight your tendency. Until your tendencies are all transformed into positive habits, it's an uphill, in-the-snow and driving wind battle. But once you create new tendencies, you will be better off.
I have won the battle against caffeine. I resolved on June 11, 2010 that I would never drink another drop of caffeine and I haven't. It's been five months and I can't imagine ever drinking caffeine again. I wake up early, I function perfectly, no crankiness, sleepiness, irritability, or any of the other things caffeine addicts experience when they don't get their fix. I know, I used to be one of them. I find myself rejecting alcohol, too. I used to enjoy the occasional glass of wine. Abby and I have quite a few very nice bottles in the house. Now, they all taste like vinegar to me. This is not to say I'll never drink another adult beverage, but I probably won't.
I resisted the pull of caffeine, suffered for days through the worst headache of my life, and now I'm free. I resisted the pull and I won. I resisted the pull of news and I am now a much more positive person. I am not an alcoholic and don't have a problem with alcohol, but I am not drawn to it. It can only be good for my health so I won't fight it. I welcome it. Now, about those cookies...
God bless you and thanks for reading. Resist the pull and you'll be on your way to a better you.
- Adolfo
I get my work done, I go the extra mile, but I often pull over when on the extra mile and see the sights. I agree that you have to stop and smell the roses, but not until your work is done. You must fight the pull.
Pull comes in many forms. There are millions of productivity and personal-development thieves out there. Television is my pet-peeve, but the Internet can be as bad. News is a killer, gossip is a killer, laziness is a killer. The list goes on and on. In order to better yourself, you must resist pull. You must realize that your natural inclination will always be toward the easy, the lazy path.
I want to make a distinction between inclination and instinct. I trust my instinct 100%. You should listen to your gut. Listen to still small voice in your heart. Inclination is our body's natural, often lazy, tendency to do what is easy or pleasurable. Follow your instinct, but fight your tendency. Until your tendencies are all transformed into positive habits, it's an uphill, in-the-snow and driving wind battle. But once you create new tendencies, you will be better off.
I have won the battle against caffeine. I resolved on June 11, 2010 that I would never drink another drop of caffeine and I haven't. It's been five months and I can't imagine ever drinking caffeine again. I wake up early, I function perfectly, no crankiness, sleepiness, irritability, or any of the other things caffeine addicts experience when they don't get their fix. I know, I used to be one of them. I find myself rejecting alcohol, too. I used to enjoy the occasional glass of wine. Abby and I have quite a few very nice bottles in the house. Now, they all taste like vinegar to me. This is not to say I'll never drink another adult beverage, but I probably won't.
I resisted the pull of caffeine, suffered for days through the worst headache of my life, and now I'm free. I resisted the pull and I won. I resisted the pull of news and I am now a much more positive person. I am not an alcoholic and don't have a problem with alcohol, but I am not drawn to it. It can only be good for my health so I won't fight it. I welcome it. Now, about those cookies...
God bless you and thanks for reading. Resist the pull and you'll be on your way to a better you.
- Adolfo
Monday, November 15, 2010
Day # 172 - As long as I'm up...
For so long, I've woken up in the middle of the night and made no use of the time, thinking of it as an inconvenience, or TV time, or time for mindless web-surfing. Now that I have no TV, I am putting the time to better use. I pray for a while and then I go online to write this blog.
I have written about those small hours when the rest of the world is asleep and you can listen to God but I have a hard time taking my own advice. I allow the anticipation of the noise ahead to steal the silence. I begin to think about work or other challenges and I drown out God's voice. I lose the opportunity to spend time with Him because I am too busy trying to figure out how to do it all on my own.
So I'm writing and soon, after I post, I will either go back to bed to sleep, or I will sit here in my office to pray, to let God guide me. Sometimes, we let our ego convince us that we don't need God. We believe we do everything we do on our own, without help, without divine protection. Maybe we can do it all on our own, but why would we want to?
For me, the hardest part of prayer is keeping my mind from wandering. The day, the stresses, the challenges, the negative voices, all creep in and distract me. It's like they're designed to keep me from speaking to, or more importantly, listening to, God. Even as I write this, in an effort to acknowledge the challenges, the distractions come up: a piece of paper of no particular importance catches my eye; a sound outside; the noise of the house settling or the breeze knocking a branch off a tree. The world conspires to keep me from God, to keep me from my best. I am complicit in this because I allow it to happen. Not for long.
Find your quiet time. Find time to be alone with God, alone with your thoughts. Quiet the noise and find peace. It is there that you'll find God. It is there that you'll find answers.
- Adolfo
I have written about those small hours when the rest of the world is asleep and you can listen to God but I have a hard time taking my own advice. I allow the anticipation of the noise ahead to steal the silence. I begin to think about work or other challenges and I drown out God's voice. I lose the opportunity to spend time with Him because I am too busy trying to figure out how to do it all on my own.
So I'm writing and soon, after I post, I will either go back to bed to sleep, or I will sit here in my office to pray, to let God guide me. Sometimes, we let our ego convince us that we don't need God. We believe we do everything we do on our own, without help, without divine protection. Maybe we can do it all on our own, but why would we want to?
For me, the hardest part of prayer is keeping my mind from wandering. The day, the stresses, the challenges, the negative voices, all creep in and distract me. It's like they're designed to keep me from speaking to, or more importantly, listening to, God. Even as I write this, in an effort to acknowledge the challenges, the distractions come up: a piece of paper of no particular importance catches my eye; a sound outside; the noise of the house settling or the breeze knocking a branch off a tree. The world conspires to keep me from God, to keep me from my best. I am complicit in this because I allow it to happen. Not for long.
Find your quiet time. Find time to be alone with God, alone with your thoughts. Quiet the noise and find peace. It is there that you'll find God. It is there that you'll find answers.
- Adolfo
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Day # 142 - Prepare for the...
Yesterday was a great day - in spite of my expectations. I was so angry about what I was expecting that I didn't sleep on Thursday. It was a kind of nervous, anxious anticipation. Not the kind you feel when waiting to see the love of your life or before a big event. It was a death row kind of feeling. Not scared, but angry about being an innocent man about to ride the lightning.
Then I couldn't find my keys.
Since I hadn't slept, and I knew I was going to be pulled out of my office for several hours to be hazed, I decided to go into work early and get everything done. I am most productive in the morning, so I decided to head to work about 7:00 AM, but I couldn't find my keys. I did, eventually. They were in Abby's car. Always the last place you look, right?
I made it to my office by 7:30 and started on paperwork. Filing papers that should have been filed weeks ago. I didn't turn on my computer and I had even snuck in quietly so no one would know I was there. (I work in a hotel, so there's someone there 24/7.)I got so much work done that within an hour I was caught up. I had written my to-do list the day before and tackled all of it by 8:30. My day was done before most people's day would have been started. Now all there was to do was wait. And like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers told us back in the 80's: The waiting is the hardest part.
I had been in a bad mood since the night before, the thought of sitting on my hands while lesser mortals stood in judgement of me was eating away at my soul. I envisioned every possible outcome, including the Bruce Lee solution which consisted of me single-handedly pulverizing 30 black-belts.
I went to the meeting, taking one last look at my pristine office before going. I sat at the table and was praised from head to toe. I expected hell and the reality was not even close.
Now, I know I have preached about how we will get what we expect. One thing made the difference. I corrected myself every time those negative thoughts filled my head. I reminded myself that it was all in God's hands and that if God is with me, who dares to stand against me. I reminded myself that I am better than those thoughts, that while those thoughts might sneak in from time to time, I was the decider of whether they manifested or not.
Even better things happened to me throughout the day. I was relaxed, happy, and satisfied. I went to bed early last night and dreamt the strangest dreams and woke reluctantly, like a kid on a school day. Knowing how God and positive thinking (sort of) would make the difference. I am wiser today then I was yesterday, which means yesterday was a very good day indeed.
Of course, Abby called in the middle of all this to tell me her keys fell down a storm drain. More on that another time...
God bless you. Make it your best day ever.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Then I couldn't find my keys.
Since I hadn't slept, and I knew I was going to be pulled out of my office for several hours to be hazed, I decided to go into work early and get everything done. I am most productive in the morning, so I decided to head to work about 7:00 AM, but I couldn't find my keys. I did, eventually. They were in Abby's car. Always the last place you look, right?
I made it to my office by 7:30 and started on paperwork. Filing papers that should have been filed weeks ago. I didn't turn on my computer and I had even snuck in quietly so no one would know I was there. (I work in a hotel, so there's someone there 24/7.)I got so much work done that within an hour I was caught up. I had written my to-do list the day before and tackled all of it by 8:30. My day was done before most people's day would have been started. Now all there was to do was wait. And like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers told us back in the 80's: The waiting is the hardest part.
I had been in a bad mood since the night before, the thought of sitting on my hands while lesser mortals stood in judgement of me was eating away at my soul. I envisioned every possible outcome, including the Bruce Lee solution which consisted of me single-handedly pulverizing 30 black-belts.
I went to the meeting, taking one last look at my pristine office before going. I sat at the table and was praised from head to toe. I expected hell and the reality was not even close.
Now, I know I have preached about how we will get what we expect. One thing made the difference. I corrected myself every time those negative thoughts filled my head. I reminded myself that it was all in God's hands and that if God is with me, who dares to stand against me. I reminded myself that I am better than those thoughts, that while those thoughts might sneak in from time to time, I was the decider of whether they manifested or not.
Even better things happened to me throughout the day. I was relaxed, happy, and satisfied. I went to bed early last night and dreamt the strangest dreams and woke reluctantly, like a kid on a school day. Knowing how God and positive thinking (sort of) would make the difference. I am wiser today then I was yesterday, which means yesterday was a very good day indeed.
Of course, Abby called in the middle of all this to tell me her keys fell down a storm drain. More on that another time...
God bless you. Make it your best day ever.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Friday, October 15, 2010
Day # 141 - Better Late Than Never
I normally would have completed this post about 13 hours ago. I had a long night and a long day and here I am on a Friday night writing to you, dear reader.
Why am I doing this?
Because 141 days ago I started on a quest to better myself and to write for 365 days while not watching news.
Today was long, but productive. The lessons learned today are: Expect the best and you'll likely get it, and keep your promises.
More tomorrow. I want to go hug my daughters.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Why am I doing this?
Because 141 days ago I started on a quest to better myself and to write for 365 days while not watching news.
Today was long, but productive. The lessons learned today are: Expect the best and you'll likely get it, and keep your promises.
More tomorrow. I want to go hug my daughters.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Day # 139 - Stop Venting
You ever feel the need to vent? Of course you do. You have a bad day or you have a confrontation with a co-worker and you are seething. Oh, man are you ticked off! You can't control the rage. You're trembling and you want to strangle that person. So, you come home to your significant other, or your kids, or your dog, and you let it all out! Of course, the venting session typically lasts longer than the event that gave you the need to vent. Also, venting tends to escalate, doesn't it? You get more and more worked up as you tell the story and soon, it becomes personal about the person you had the episode with and you're remembering all the other things that person has done and your night is ruined.
I had one of those days yesterday. I chose not to vent. I chose not to get worked up. I dealt with the situation and then let it slide. No, it wasn't easy. No, I can't guarantee I will do it every time. It's sometimes healthy to vent, so long as it doesn't become a snowball of excrement. The difference was, instead of coming home and reliving the experience, I got home and lived. That's the better deal any way you look at it.
A wise man said, "Don't listen to your critics. Don't even ignore them." I think this can apply to all the negativity that is thrown at us each day. Don't even ignore it. By choosing to ignore something, we are acknowledging its existence. For example, I don't ignore unicorns. Why should I? They don't exist.
We assign value to people and events by the attention we give them, by the space in our life we allow them. It's like the monster under your bed: it only exists as long as you let it exist. End it.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
I had one of those days yesterday. I chose not to vent. I chose not to get worked up. I dealt with the situation and then let it slide. No, it wasn't easy. No, I can't guarantee I will do it every time. It's sometimes healthy to vent, so long as it doesn't become a snowball of excrement. The difference was, instead of coming home and reliving the experience, I got home and lived. That's the better deal any way you look at it.
A wise man said, "Don't listen to your critics. Don't even ignore them." I think this can apply to all the negativity that is thrown at us each day. Don't even ignore it. By choosing to ignore something, we are acknowledging its existence. For example, I don't ignore unicorns. Why should I? They don't exist.
We assign value to people and events by the attention we give them, by the space in our life we allow them. It's like the monster under your bed: it only exists as long as you let it exist. End it.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Day # 138 - Ideas
There are two schools of thoughts when it comes to those sudden flashes of brilliance we call ideas: some say write it down immediately; others say don't write it down. If the idea has merit, you won't forget it.
I have written creatively for years, although I haven't done much of it the last couple of years. I am starting again and I have had a couple of good ideas in the last few weeks. I have developed them in my head. Last night, I was woken by a very vivid dream - one that would make a great movie, or screenplay. I thought of writing it down but decided to let it stand on its own legs. Lo and behold it is still here and the idea is developing.
I have a lot going on at this time, but there is always room for a little more, I guess. Especially if creative writing is something I truly care about. How could I not make the time?
Ideas are all good to some extent or other, but rarely are they complete when first hatched. They are always in need of development. If you are willing to work on the idea, first in your head, then on paper, you can usually clear away the rough and find a diamond in there. The question, as is so often the case, is how hard are you willing to work for it? What are you willing to trade for your idea? For the accomplishment of your goal? For making your dreams come true?
Write it down or let it marinate? The answer is do what words for you. But do something.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
I have written creatively for years, although I haven't done much of it the last couple of years. I am starting again and I have had a couple of good ideas in the last few weeks. I have developed them in my head. Last night, I was woken by a very vivid dream - one that would make a great movie, or screenplay. I thought of writing it down but decided to let it stand on its own legs. Lo and behold it is still here and the idea is developing.
I have a lot going on at this time, but there is always room for a little more, I guess. Especially if creative writing is something I truly care about. How could I not make the time?
Ideas are all good to some extent or other, but rarely are they complete when first hatched. They are always in need of development. If you are willing to work on the idea, first in your head, then on paper, you can usually clear away the rough and find a diamond in there. The question, as is so often the case, is how hard are you willing to work for it? What are you willing to trade for your idea? For the accomplishment of your goal? For making your dreams come true?
Write it down or let it marinate? The answer is do what words for you. But do something.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Monday, October 11, 2010
Day # 137 - Boys Will Be Jerks
Yesterday was my daughter's birthday. We ended the day at the park. There we other kids there. Abby and I walked the track adjacent to the playground while the girls played. At one point Melissa comes over and tells us that there is a boy messing with her, calling her names, etc. His mother is within earshot. We're not, so we decide to sit down near the playground.
Soon enough, Melissa and the little boy are wrestling. We break it up. The boy was actually physically attacking my daughter. The mother tells him to apologize and he refuses. We leave. Melissa is very upset, crying, and we spend the next hour trying to get her to understand why the little twerp wasn't worth the aggravation.
What aggravated me was his mother. If I ever caught one of my sons hitting a girl, I would have gone to jail for whipping the kid to within inches of his life. No way would I permit that. It leaves me with questions like, where did he learn that it's okay for a boy to hit a girl? When is it okay to disobey your mother? After all, she told him to apologize and he flatly refused.
I was never one to hit my kids, but if that had been my son, he'd be out there right now with a flashlight looking for his teeth.
Part of me wanted to laugh and I wasn't rude about it, I just took my daughters home. It was getting late and today being a school day, they needed to shower and get to bed. The truth is, part of me wanted to let her sucker-punch the little snot. Put him on his hindquarters and traumatize him real good.
But, what does it solve? I can't use my children to discipline other people's kids, but that kid better watch his but.
If you are a parent of boys, teach them to be gentlemen. The things we are allowed to get away with as kids are the things we will expect to get away with as adults. If there are no consequences for a boy hitting a girl, why should that boy expect consequences when he becomes a man and he strikes a woman?
This doesn't just apply to domestic violence, but to all behaviors. We let our kids eat whatever they want, then we lose it when they're fat or won't eat their vegetables. We let them stay up late and yell when they don't wake up for school. We curse in front of them and wonder where the gutter language comes from. I have witnessed the cycles of ignorance and poverty perpetuate themselves my whole life. I have seen people who have nothing want the same for their kids. People who made the wrong choices in life refusing to accept responsibility for their choices by telling their kids that it's because of their race, ethnicity, gender, or social status, and telling their kids they can expect the same. What greater sin is there than to condemn your children to repeat your mistakes?
By not disciplining her child, the woman at the park was planting a strangler vine in the garden of his life. By allowing him to bully a girl, she is teaching him that this is the way to get a woman to fall in line. The punishment should have been harsh and severe. Not because it was my little girl, but because twenty years from now, it will be someone else's little girl.
Spare the rod, spoil the child. Oh well, better theirs than mine,
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Soon enough, Melissa and the little boy are wrestling. We break it up. The boy was actually physically attacking my daughter. The mother tells him to apologize and he refuses. We leave. Melissa is very upset, crying, and we spend the next hour trying to get her to understand why the little twerp wasn't worth the aggravation.
What aggravated me was his mother. If I ever caught one of my sons hitting a girl, I would have gone to jail for whipping the kid to within inches of his life. No way would I permit that. It leaves me with questions like, where did he learn that it's okay for a boy to hit a girl? When is it okay to disobey your mother? After all, she told him to apologize and he flatly refused.
I was never one to hit my kids, but if that had been my son, he'd be out there right now with a flashlight looking for his teeth.
Part of me wanted to laugh and I wasn't rude about it, I just took my daughters home. It was getting late and today being a school day, they needed to shower and get to bed. The truth is, part of me wanted to let her sucker-punch the little snot. Put him on his hindquarters and traumatize him real good.
But, what does it solve? I can't use my children to discipline other people's kids, but that kid better watch his but.
If you are a parent of boys, teach them to be gentlemen. The things we are allowed to get away with as kids are the things we will expect to get away with as adults. If there are no consequences for a boy hitting a girl, why should that boy expect consequences when he becomes a man and he strikes a woman?
This doesn't just apply to domestic violence, but to all behaviors. We let our kids eat whatever they want, then we lose it when they're fat or won't eat their vegetables. We let them stay up late and yell when they don't wake up for school. We curse in front of them and wonder where the gutter language comes from. I have witnessed the cycles of ignorance and poverty perpetuate themselves my whole life. I have seen people who have nothing want the same for their kids. People who made the wrong choices in life refusing to accept responsibility for their choices by telling their kids that it's because of their race, ethnicity, gender, or social status, and telling their kids they can expect the same. What greater sin is there than to condemn your children to repeat your mistakes?
By not disciplining her child, the woman at the park was planting a strangler vine in the garden of his life. By allowing him to bully a girl, she is teaching him that this is the way to get a woman to fall in line. The punishment should have been harsh and severe. Not because it was my little girl, but because twenty years from now, it will be someone else's little girl.
Spare the rod, spoil the child. Oh well, better theirs than mine,
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Day # 133 - Disconnect
I was having a wonderful evening, working on the new family business and Abby's website when my phone chimed, letting me know I had an email. I won't go into it, but this email ruined my mood. There are people in the world who are lousy communicators, and there are the jerks. Sometime you run into people who are both. I know we should not allow these people any power over us, but I have a hard time letting things go - especially when the situation is far from over.
The problems presented by the email are going to be eventually solved, I know that. I also know when I'm being screwed and that is what's most upsetting: knowing it and having no options. I don't intend to let this ruin my life. I will make the best of it and move on and up.
In this age of 24 hour connectivity, it's hard to avoid distractions and interruptions. Hard, that is, unless we make a conscious effort to turn off the noise. You know the emails are either gossip, BS, or bad news, so put the phone far from your place of relaxation. Close the email program. Don't answer when the Bad News Bears are calling. You know who they are. Ignore them. Run like hell when you see them coming. Do not allow lesser people to ruin your day. You let them do it often enough and they will have ruined your entire life. Of all the worthless reasons to ruin a perfectly good life, these people are the worst of the bunch. Eliminate them from your life. If they're family or co-workers, limit contact to the absolute essentials and see the improvement in your life.
Promise yourself a little no-electronics time every day. At least an hour when you don't go online, update Twitter or Facebook, and you don't look at email. If you can make it several hours, it's even better.
Even as I write this, I fell into the trap. Avoid it. Avoid it like the plague it is!
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
The problems presented by the email are going to be eventually solved, I know that. I also know when I'm being screwed and that is what's most upsetting: knowing it and having no options. I don't intend to let this ruin my life. I will make the best of it and move on and up.
In this age of 24 hour connectivity, it's hard to avoid distractions and interruptions. Hard, that is, unless we make a conscious effort to turn off the noise. You know the emails are either gossip, BS, or bad news, so put the phone far from your place of relaxation. Close the email program. Don't answer when the Bad News Bears are calling. You know who they are. Ignore them. Run like hell when you see them coming. Do not allow lesser people to ruin your day. You let them do it often enough and they will have ruined your entire life. Of all the worthless reasons to ruin a perfectly good life, these people are the worst of the bunch. Eliminate them from your life. If they're family or co-workers, limit contact to the absolute essentials and see the improvement in your life.
Promise yourself a little no-electronics time every day. At least an hour when you don't go online, update Twitter or Facebook, and you don't look at email. If you can make it several hours, it's even better.
Even as I write this, I fell into the trap. Avoid it. Avoid it like the plague it is!
- Adolfo
http://www.cakewhimsybyabdaliz.com
http://www.adolfojimenez.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Day # 128 - No News is Good News
I am a Yahoo! user. If you're familiar with Yahoo! you know that their home page is loaded with information including news headlines. I'd call them deadlines for what they do to your spirit. This is not a dig at Yahoo!, this is a comment on the nature of the stories being reported. The headlines right now are about 36 people dead in a train crash and bank robbers killing a poor security guard. Has nothing else happened in the world in the last 24 hours? In the last 24 minutes?
This is what we are force-fed, and I believe it is destroying dreams and happiness. Further, I believe the helplessness one feels as a result of this feeds the government and the "news" organizations, giving them more and more power over our lives.
I used to be one of those people, reading news all the time, pausing whenever a TV was tuned to CNN, my car radio was always tuned to the news station. I feel as if God was trying to do good things in my life but I was so focused on all the bad things happening in the world that I ignored Him.
If you are a news junkie, stop. I'm not saying become uninformed or ignorant, just cut down on the amount of garbage you consume. Think of it as eating one cookie instead of a whole box of cookies. Satisfy the craving without overdoing it. Since I have cut out the noise, I have noticed an incredible difference in my life. I am more positive, closer to the people I love, I don't lose my temper the way I used to. Part of this, of course, is because I committed to make my life better in every way, but there is no doubt in my mind that I would not have made these strides if I was still eating garbage three hours a day.
Replace the news with a positive, uplifting book, or dedicate the time to learning a new skill, something you've always dreamed of doing but thought you never had the time. Every minute spent glued to the idiot box is wasted and does not improve your life one bit. Put that time to better use.
Start right now.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
This is what we are force-fed, and I believe it is destroying dreams and happiness. Further, I believe the helplessness one feels as a result of this feeds the government and the "news" organizations, giving them more and more power over our lives.
I used to be one of those people, reading news all the time, pausing whenever a TV was tuned to CNN, my car radio was always tuned to the news station. I feel as if God was trying to do good things in my life but I was so focused on all the bad things happening in the world that I ignored Him.
If you are a news junkie, stop. I'm not saying become uninformed or ignorant, just cut down on the amount of garbage you consume. Think of it as eating one cookie instead of a whole box of cookies. Satisfy the craving without overdoing it. Since I have cut out the noise, I have noticed an incredible difference in my life. I am more positive, closer to the people I love, I don't lose my temper the way I used to. Part of this, of course, is because I committed to make my life better in every way, but there is no doubt in my mind that I would not have made these strides if I was still eating garbage three hours a day.
Replace the news with a positive, uplifting book, or dedicate the time to learning a new skill, something you've always dreamed of doing but thought you never had the time. Every minute spent glued to the idiot box is wasted and does not improve your life one bit. Put that time to better use.
Start right now.
- Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Friday, October 1, 2010
Day # 127 - Taming the Wild Bureaucrats
The last couple of days I have focused on happiness. It is the main reason why I am writing this blog and it's the aim in our lives. Think of anything you want, a spouse, a dog, a million bucks, and you'll see the reason you want those things is for happiness. We each define our own happiness, but I can tell you without a doubt that if we can't control the little things, the big things mean absolutely nothing.
I was in Downtown Miami yesterday in court, taking care of a small, but fairly significant legal issue. I don't like the government, I dislike bureaucracy and I hate intentional inefficiency. These things are part of my nature. I can't help it. I went to the government office on Wednesday to start this process. Due to the rain, it took me two hours to get there. I made the most of the time, making phone calls to clients and listening to positive books on CD.
I felt like the devil himself was trying to turn me back. I even made a wrong turn on the way. I thought of leaving it for another day, but decided it was too important. The lady who helped me was so extremely helpful, I thought I was checking in to a 5-Star hotel. She gave me all the documents I needed, instructions, and even found me an appointment for the next day, when most times you have to wait a month to be helped.
I returned and was helped by another charming lady, who was extremely patient in helping me fill out the forms and getting them in order. Problem essentially solved. Bureaucracy tamed!
Why do I tell you this? Because I believe this went as smoothly as it did because I walked in with a smile and a positive expectation. I told myself this was going to be a pleasant experience. I got what I expected. If I had gone in there expecting it to be bad, it would have been. In fact, I would probably still be sitting in an uncomfortable chair waiting for my name to be called.
If this can work with the government, it can work with anything. Go in with the right mindset and you can do anything - and more pleasantly. Raise your expectations. Smile and choose happiness. Take a book wherever you go so the wait is not so unbearable and the time is used intelligently. I was shocked (eh not so much) that no one else in that waiting room had a book. There were plenty of people playing games on their cell phones, or chatting, complaining about the slow service, but no one was taking advantage of the time to enrich their lives.
Which one of those people are you? Are you the one with the book? Are you the one with the phone? Are you the one complaining to the person next to you?
Simply put: are you happy or unhappy?
Make the better choice.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
-Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
I was in Downtown Miami yesterday in court, taking care of a small, but fairly significant legal issue. I don't like the government, I dislike bureaucracy and I hate intentional inefficiency. These things are part of my nature. I can't help it. I went to the government office on Wednesday to start this process. Due to the rain, it took me two hours to get there. I made the most of the time, making phone calls to clients and listening to positive books on CD.
I felt like the devil himself was trying to turn me back. I even made a wrong turn on the way. I thought of leaving it for another day, but decided it was too important. The lady who helped me was so extremely helpful, I thought I was checking in to a 5-Star hotel. She gave me all the documents I needed, instructions, and even found me an appointment for the next day, when most times you have to wait a month to be helped.
I returned and was helped by another charming lady, who was extremely patient in helping me fill out the forms and getting them in order. Problem essentially solved. Bureaucracy tamed!
Why do I tell you this? Because I believe this went as smoothly as it did because I walked in with a smile and a positive expectation. I told myself this was going to be a pleasant experience. I got what I expected. If I had gone in there expecting it to be bad, it would have been. In fact, I would probably still be sitting in an uncomfortable chair waiting for my name to be called.
If this can work with the government, it can work with anything. Go in with the right mindset and you can do anything - and more pleasantly. Raise your expectations. Smile and choose happiness. Take a book wherever you go so the wait is not so unbearable and the time is used intelligently. I was shocked (eh not so much) that no one else in that waiting room had a book. There were plenty of people playing games on their cell phones, or chatting, complaining about the slow service, but no one was taking advantage of the time to enrich their lives.
Which one of those people are you? Are you the one with the book? Are you the one with the phone? Are you the one complaining to the person next to you?
Simply put: are you happy or unhappy?
Make the better choice.
God bless you. Make it your best day yet.
-Adolfo
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Day # 115 - Off To Church We Go
I am not particularly religious. I don't have many rituals. But I am spiritual and I am always in need of a boost because the road ahead is always challenging and full of temptation.
So, in spite of the exhaustion and the pain in my ankle that won't go away, I will be in church at 9:30 this morning. The music, the message, the feeling of being around other, positive people, will give me the boost I need. And this feeling will last me all week. The lessons will last me all my life.
I am not here to witness to you. I am not going to try to convert you. If that happens, great, but it was never the intention of this project to do so. I write this for posterity. I want my children to understand me. I want to make it possible for future generations who come from me but never meet me to know who I was and why I did some of the things I did.
But, like most of the reason for this project, I go to church for me. It's a wonderful way to release emotion, to gain perspective, to grow as a person, and a Christian.
Find yourself a spiritual home, whatever it may be - church, synagogue, whatever. The benefits outweigh the "sacrifice" of waking up early on a Sunday (or Saturday.) Besides, I'll be home in time for football.
Go Dolphins!
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
So, in spite of the exhaustion and the pain in my ankle that won't go away, I will be in church at 9:30 this morning. The music, the message, the feeling of being around other, positive people, will give me the boost I need. And this feeling will last me all week. The lessons will last me all my life.
I am not here to witness to you. I am not going to try to convert you. If that happens, great, but it was never the intention of this project to do so. I write this for posterity. I want my children to understand me. I want to make it possible for future generations who come from me but never meet me to know who I was and why I did some of the things I did.
But, like most of the reason for this project, I go to church for me. It's a wonderful way to release emotion, to gain perspective, to grow as a person, and a Christian.
Find yourself a spiritual home, whatever it may be - church, synagogue, whatever. The benefits outweigh the "sacrifice" of waking up early on a Sunday (or Saturday.) Besides, I'll be home in time for football.
Go Dolphins!
Make it your best day yet. God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.honeybeepartyrental.com
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Monday, September 13, 2010
Day # 109 - Alarm clock? Never!
I overslept this morning. Have I been away from my home planet too long? This tiredness is a little odd. I slept until 6:30 this morning. That's about 90+ minutes beyond my normal wake up time. Am I going to have to do what I have never done? Am I going to have to (gasp!) use an alarm? Heaven forbid. This is a matter of mind over matter. If I choose to wake up early, I will. If I do not make the conscious choice to wake up by a certain hour, I will sleep until...whenever.
And isn't that how it works? I slept until an hour when most of the world is starting to get up and I feel like I have wasted half the day. I rely on that extra 90 minutes every morning. It's my productivity time. It's my "Me" time. It's the time I use to stay sane, stay connected, stay myself.
So, I'm rushing because I have a meeting to get to. I have a long day of meetings, lectures, etc. I'm looking forward to it. No, really, I am. It should be interesting.
The lesson is: There is always time if you are willing to make time. What are you willing to sacrifice? T.V.? Hanging out? News? Sleep? If you will dump something you don't really need, you will be amazed at how much time you give up. I sacrifice sleep and it makes me more productive. And sacrifice is not really the word. There'll be time to sleep when I'm dead. (a hundred years from now!)
Make it your best, most productive day. God bless you.
Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
And isn't that how it works? I slept until an hour when most of the world is starting to get up and I feel like I have wasted half the day. I rely on that extra 90 minutes every morning. It's my productivity time. It's my "Me" time. It's the time I use to stay sane, stay connected, stay myself.
So, I'm rushing because I have a meeting to get to. I have a long day of meetings, lectures, etc. I'm looking forward to it. No, really, I am. It should be interesting.
The lesson is: There is always time if you are willing to make time. What are you willing to sacrifice? T.V.? Hanging out? News? Sleep? If you will dump something you don't really need, you will be amazed at how much time you give up. I sacrifice sleep and it makes me more productive. And sacrifice is not really the word. There'll be time to sleep when I'm dead. (a hundred years from now!)
Make it your best, most productive day. God bless you.
Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/adolfojimenez
Friday, September 10, 2010
Day # 106 - Obstacles and Outlook
Yesterday could have been one of those days. There were some ups but a lot of challenges. I exercised the timeless advice offered by Monty Python and I looked on the bright side of life. I worked on controlling what I could, and made the best of it. I accepted what I couldn't change, and celebrated the small victories. I spoke from my heart and in spite of what I faced, I kept smiling.
Now, what my challenges were are irrelevant, as are my victories. We each face our own, and we must each find our own solutions. The difference-maker for me was my outlook. I didn't tell God how big my problems are, I told my problems how big my God is. It really is that simple.
Choose not to let the little things ruin your day. Stay positive and resolve to work through whatever the challenge is. It's amazing how much easier it is to solve a problem when you keep smiling and avoid complaining, crying, whining, bitching, pissing and moaning. Smile. Work. Be happy!
Make it a great day and keep a positive outlook. Remember, obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
God bless you.
- Adolfo
http://www.facebook.com/adolfojimenez1
http://ayearwithoutnews.blogspot.com
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Now, what my challenges were are irrelevant, as are my victories. We each face our own, and we must each find our own solutions. The difference-maker for me was my outlook. I didn't tell God how big my problems are, I told my problems how big my God is. It really is that simple.
Choose not to let the little things ruin your day. Stay positive and resolve to work through whatever the challenge is. It's amazing how much easier it is to solve a problem when you keep smiling and avoid complaining, crying, whining, bitching, pissing and moaning. Smile. Work. Be happy!
Make it a great day and keep a positive outlook. Remember, obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.
God bless you.
- Adolfo
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Monday, September 6, 2010
Day # 102 - Books
A City in South Florida recently built a library. Beautiful structure. Only one thing. No one remembered to order books. Part of me thinks it's okay. Most people go to the library to go on the Internet anyway. When I was preparing to take my Series 7 exam, I would ride my bike to the library, carrying all my study materials in my backpack (green JanSport backpack - lasted me ten years and someone who shall remain nameless borrowed it, never to be seen again - I miss that bag!) I chose to go to the library because there were to many pitfalls at home (TV, refrigerator, bed, etc.) Last week, I wrote about how being in a room full of strangers motivated me to keep going during spin class. Being in public while studying kept me from slacking. No one needed to know what I was doing, but I would never allow anyone to see me slacking.
Sometimes, when I need to get away, I'll get out of my office for a while and wander through a bookstore. Sometimes I'll buy something, but often, it's just a comfort to be surrounded by so much wisdom and discipline. (I've written five novels and six screenplays - it takes massive amounts of discipline even to write a lousy book! And don't even get me started on editing!)
I have two nightstands next to my bed. There are about thirty books on them, plus another dozen inside the drawers. I also have pens, high-lighters, and notebooks. There is a bookshelf in my room that holds about two hundred books, and close to 1,000 magazines. Did I mention the stack of magazines on the floor? (I've got to do something with those, I know.) I have two bookshelves in the living room holding at least a thousand more books. And then there are a couple of dozen on my desk and a few hundred in the cabinets in the garage. My kids have at least 500 books in their room, plus more at their grandparents' house. A couple of months ago, I gave a few boxes of books (mostly novels & literature) to Goodwill.
Why? Because I find comfort in this. I like having Ernest Hemingway, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson in my house. I even like having Stephen King around if you can believe that! Since I never went to college, I have had to teach myself anything I wanted to know. Tom Hopkins taught me to sell (or how not to in some cases), Herb Cohen taught me to negotiate, Napoleon Hill taught me how to Think and Grow Rich, Joel Osteen taught me how to stretch my faith, and Tom Clancy taught me how to build a submarine. You never know when the need will arise.
I can't live without books. I wouldn't want to. When was the last time you read a book? Was it good? What did you get from it? Let me know. I'm always looking for my next bedtime story.
God bless you. Make today your best day yet.
- Adolfo
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Sometimes, when I need to get away, I'll get out of my office for a while and wander through a bookstore. Sometimes I'll buy something, but often, it's just a comfort to be surrounded by so much wisdom and discipline. (I've written five novels and six screenplays - it takes massive amounts of discipline even to write a lousy book! And don't even get me started on editing!)
I have two nightstands next to my bed. There are about thirty books on them, plus another dozen inside the drawers. I also have pens, high-lighters, and notebooks. There is a bookshelf in my room that holds about two hundred books, and close to 1,000 magazines. Did I mention the stack of magazines on the floor? (I've got to do something with those, I know.) I have two bookshelves in the living room holding at least a thousand more books. And then there are a couple of dozen on my desk and a few hundred in the cabinets in the garage. My kids have at least 500 books in their room, plus more at their grandparents' house. A couple of months ago, I gave a few boxes of books (mostly novels & literature) to Goodwill.
Why? Because I find comfort in this. I like having Ernest Hemingway, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson in my house. I even like having Stephen King around if you can believe that! Since I never went to college, I have had to teach myself anything I wanted to know. Tom Hopkins taught me to sell (or how not to in some cases), Herb Cohen taught me to negotiate, Napoleon Hill taught me how to Think and Grow Rich, Joel Osteen taught me how to stretch my faith, and Tom Clancy taught me how to build a submarine. You never know when the need will arise.
I can't live without books. I wouldn't want to. When was the last time you read a book? Was it good? What did you get from it? Let me know. I'm always looking for my next bedtime story.
God bless you. Make today your best day yet.
- Adolfo
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Follow A Year Without News
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