Not good news

The unemployment issues continue to amaze me. It seems that jobless claims are not really reported as urgently as I would expect. This week has claims back or 400,000 which is now the 26th week in a row with claims over 395,000!

Even worse, 1.6 million people have now dropped from extended benefits (99 weeks) in one year - these are people who likely have little hope of finding a competitive job having been out of the work force for 2 years.

Continue your education and provide value to your fellow citizens. Look for positions (even on the side) where you are the one making your employment decisions or become indispensable to your organization (which may never be 100% possible).

Look up and out, not down and back. Push forward.

Thank You

Yum

This article on Dealbreaker reminds me of a challenge that I discussed (but never executed) when I lived in Boston.

I always wanted to know if it was possible to eat one item from each stand in the middle building at Faneuil Hall.

Think of it as a foodie pub crawl.

I had made up all these rules (i.e. only one drink allowed in each of the four sections), but I was a broke college student and didn't want to have to explain to my parents why I had spent over $200 in an afternoon of eating.

I don't think that my wife would let me attempt that challenge. Maybe it's a suggestion for Adam Richman (a Emory alumn who was there at the same time as my wife).

Reality Present

The past only truly exist's in our mind's (its gone over), the future only exists in our anxiety and is not yet real.

BTW on the future - consensus doesn't belong in science nor investments as the future is too unknown and consensus never has much staying power in these fields.. The earth is round not flat, we go around the sun not the sun around us. (I think =). Always be somewhat skeptical of consensus too  many variables.

The only reality is the present. You are not your thoughts, if you make it habit to be present in the present your concerns diminish substantially and your enjoyment/happiness tends to increase (pending your surroundings)

This is why people enjoy immensely, athletics, nature and traveling. During these times it is natural for their senses to be heightened to a level in which they are forced to be in the present.

The situation does not permit them to dwell on the past nor worry about the future. They are free to simply be and experience. Such is the popularity with meditation

Since our brain lacks an off-switch we are conditioned to be in this zombie state of past/future thinking if we do not non-judgementally observe our thoughts and consciously decide how we should feel about it and choose to feel different if it suite's us. That doesn't mean necessarily that we need to choose to be happy, sometimes its perfectly legitimate to be pissed off.

Not an easy thing to do but a habit worth working to develop.

You cause how you feel... external circumstances contribute but you choose, its always your choice, choose wisely..

Carpe Diem: The Guy Who Built Bill Gates' Garage

Saw this article last week - Carpe Diem - Quote of the Day on Guy Who Built Gates' Garage

Cause and effect on overdrive (on the part of Elizabeth Warren). I'm thankful for the many out there that have enabled my success over the past 40+ years, but I would like to believe that I've had some hand in it.

I think that correlations have increased over the years, but I'm not about to give up my journey to take/create a path if one isn't paved for me.

You shouldn't either.

Continuing Education

With RSS readers/feeds available via Google Reader, seek out mentor's/professional's/mavens in your industry or otherwise and subscribe to their blog/newsletter if they have one. Filter your RSS feeds however you choose and create a quasi-real-time continuing education feed from the leaders in your industry.... people creating change.

Confident Indifference

Confident Indifference:  I am unequivocally certain and unapologetic that my service can help and will add value though I am indifferent as to whether you want that help. Its up to you to decide....