Day 10

"If you don't plan what you're going to do with the hours of the day,
the day will plan it for you.

You'll be led to do this, do that, this will get your interest, that will get
your interest, which leads to that, talking to this person, picking up
some groceries, filling up the car with gas, etc.

And at the end of the day, not a lot really gets done. Mostly running
around in circles.

Sort of like how people deal with money. Without giving purpose to their
money, they just spend it on anything that comes their way and then
they find it's all gone. "

- Brian Kim MIT of 4/30/13

Today is day 10, not day 11. This is because on Sunday, I slept late, around 11:45 and that morning my alarm was set for 7, but I capitulated. This is Tuesday and day 10.

Spectacular Hikes Around the World

I was looking at this website yesterday.

http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/iconic-hikes-from-around-the-world-214849211.html

                                                                             Top of Yosemite Falls

Europe

                                                                                     Matterhorn

Beautiful! And Of Course, Kilimanjaro! 

My Laptop Background:

                                                                    Among Many Others I Dream About!

I'm just sitting here this morning appreciating the quiet, peaceful sounds of nature, of birds chirping, some bird that makes a hoo, hoo, hoo sound (not an owl) that immediately stimulates my neurons and takes me back to the feeling of grandeur, splendid beauty, and unknown of Yosemite as a kid. It reminds me of very fond split images and memories that I have of sitting exactly where I am sitting now typing this and listening to this cassette of piano music and the sounds of nature together. I still remember the piano music, although I do not know the name of the pieces. And on a side note- this may sound silly- but it reminds me of the Berenstain Bears books I used to read as a kid and I always associated them with nature. Just reminiscing here. It's a cloudy day- so far at least- and I don't mind one bit.

Day 9 and Planting Seeds

"I'm a firm believer that the good things we experience in life can be traced
WAY BACK in time when we planted good seeds.

When we planted the good seeds of treating others right.

When we planted the good seeds of discipline.

When we planted the good seeds of patience.

The fruits didn't appear 2 minutes after we planted.

They appeared when we planted and cultivated them for a long period of time.

All the more reason to keep on planting and cultivating today as much as we can."

- Brian Kim MIT of 9/19/11

www.briankim.net

Today is Day 9. I was tired yesterday night. Fell asleep around 9:30, that's right, fell asleep. And this morning, before my alarm went off, I could tell I was already decently refreshed as I was awake from my slumber and wondering how much longer I had until the alarm would go off in the bathroom. To be honest, there are still times when I wish I could just snooze and relax to whenever I finally felt completely rested. But I remember that even though that can feel good when laying in bed, those who rise early are more productive in the morning and throughout the day, and are higher correlated with success. I'm also up 3 extra hours per day compared to sleeping at 2 and waking at 12, so that makes about a surplus of 21 hours per week where I can work on myself. That's pretty much a whole day right there! That's the power of doing the small things as they accumulate quickly over time that is going to pass regardless if you're sleeping or not! I'm not saying that I'll never stay up late again. If I should be out doing something I enjoy, then certainly, but I want to set in the 30 day lock to ingrain the habit into my subconscious.

I also want to mention that our family is going healthy eating-wise after recently reading an article that I very briefly mentioned about yesterday by Tim O'Shea. We are only going to be consuming foods that do not contain MSG, hormones, pesticides, herbicides (so we're going organic), GMO's, additives, and preservatives. In terms of water, I was startled by the fact that the water we purchase from the water store reads a 007 on the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) water meter because the water filtered through Zero-Water's 5-Stage Ion Exchange Filter should read 000. When the TDS meter reads 006, the filter needs to be replaced with a new one. Yet the water from the water store read 007 consistently! So now we are filtering the water from the water store before we boil it and drink it. Perhaps in the water store's defense, it does say on the Zero-Water's box that: "It may also be used as a simple method to compare water quality by displaying the TDS in pars per million only. The meter does not specify what substances comprise the total. The meter should not be used to assess the safety or purity of water, which should only be undertaken by a qualified laboratory." I used to think tap water was safe to drink. I swear I read that from what I thought was a reputable source. After using the meter, our tap water scored in the 300's. Can't believe that what Lucky used to drink.

Plant the seeds of waking early and eating & drinking truly healthy Michael, as they will grow into giants in the future.

Words to Remove from My Vocabulary

Words To Use Instead of "a lot":
Exorbitant, exuberance, plethora, surplus, overabundance of,

"It bothers me a lot":
considerably,

Words to supplant "important":
Imperative, paramount,

Words to supplant "I'm thinking about":
preoccupied with, engrossed in, captivated by, immersed in, obsessed with, grasping with the thought of

Words to supplant "angry":
exasperated with,

Words to supplant "annnoyed":
pestered with, 

Words to supplant "vocabulary":
vernacular, nomenclature,

"interesting":
captivating, intriguing, thought-provoking, mind-blowing, compelling, enthralling, consuming, spellbinding,

"Don't you give/feed me that, that's ridiculous" (colloquial sense):
manipulative, that's an affront to what I've suffered through, that's grandiose of you to say that..., unfair, petty, partisan, unwarranted,

"that's ignoring of the fact...":
evading, bypassing, circumventing, neglecting, to turn deaf to, that's slighting the facts that the side effects of chemotherapy are..., offsetting the fact that..., beating around the bush of the fact that...,

"significant" ("you are evading a very significant..."):
consequential, paramount, pressing, cardinal,

"You have to look at it as a whole":
entirety, holistically,

"That's stupid!":
asinine,

"surprising":
astonishing, extraordinary, startling, stupefying, stupendous, inconceivable, confounding,

Day 8 and Digestion of an Exorbitant Amount of Information

"When you CONSISTENTLY execute and follow through on something hard, every
single day, it's like you're slowly building a sun inside of you.

Weeks and a month later, the sun is starting to glow and radiate out of you.

You'll notice people react to you differently. Something's up. Something about you
people can't put their finger on, but it's good.

Your "aura" begins to shine ever so brightly.

It's a whole mix of things really - positive self image, self confidence, self esteem,
discipline, thinking, etc., and one of the greatest things about it is that it spills
over into other areas of your life, raising those levels to new unimaginable heights.

The best way to experience this?

Stop a bad habit. "

- Brian Kim MIT of 12/12/11
www.briankim.net

An "aura" that people will notice from you. Step by step will make all the difference. Today is Day 8 and I am reviewing my new knowledge on cancer for my professor's paper. BTW, I just happened to be browsing through Yahoo's slideshow when I serendipitously, I saw an article discussing the non-benefit and increased risk of getting mammograms where a day early, I read about the dangers of the screening procedure from "To the Cancer Patient: Natural Cures vs. Traditional".
http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/breast-cancer-awareness-story-asks--are-mammograms-necessary--194041170.html

http://www.thedoctorwithin.com/cancer/to-the-cancer-patient/
<--Exposes the truth about big and despicable pharmaceutical companies (Dr. Tim O'Shea)

Question that is Consuming my Mind this Morning:
How do you digest something when you feel there is an overload of information to grasp and make near-perfect sense of?

My first thought is by taking it step by step. One read at a time. Perhaps SQ4R's wRite's step. Perhaps Cornell Notes. Naturally, digestion of information will take time, I understand that. Perhaps I should try learning by outlining important and insightful parts with interesting questions like from many product advertisement pages nowadays where they convince you to purchase their merchandise by ask intriguing questions- like there is some huge secret, esoteric knowledge kept from the majority of the masses- that get you to really think and desire to know this lost, clandestine body of knowledge. After all, answers to QUESTIONS is an imperative step in SQ4R to accentuate our active participation and ability to retain information that you spend time on. I need to try this "mimicking of product advertisement questions" tactic. 

A Conversation to Remember and Day 7

"The difference in terms of how you feel about your dreams when
you have "space" vs. when you don't have "space" is scary.

When you have so many responsibilities and things to do and you
can't seem to keep your head above water, your dreams have no
spark. They feel like burdens. Like anchors.

But when you start simplifying, minimizing, creating systems,
becoming more efficient, and that space starts to grow, that
same dream has room to breathe.

It feels light. Energizing. Exciting.

It's not suffocating anymore."

- Brian Kim MIT of 4/26/13
www.briankim.net

When I just read it for the first time, I felt confused about what was being talked about. I read it again and all of a sudden it made sense. When you are swamped with things you have to do to achieve your goals, it can be a burden more than a blessing. People associate hard work with the feeling of burden often times. It's important to do the simplest yet most effective things that way we don't burn ourselves out. A process of taking things in manageable steps. A good example of this just occurred yesterday in fact. My brother and I had just a deep, honest, stimulating conversation about life, our topic that we proposed to write about which my brother and I are ardent about (cancer related) & books that she's read that relate to the epidemic of cancer (ex: the omnivore's dilemma), spirituality, the story of Lucky, her own nursing experience, the future of medicine, introversion (as she is also an introvert is what she said)/ why I am the way I am, the depth that I have, and she also recounted to us, for the second time, the effectiveness of a simple yet profound statement to ask people, especially patients. "What's important to you?". This simple question has yielded answers that she could never have thought of or expected. This simple question is deep and it truly allows one to build connection with that individual. Many times patients will love you for asking this question because they will see the discussion you have from this as signs that you care and are on the same side with the same goal: to get them back to as healthy as they can be.

I loved our talk. She is great with positive body language that encourages you to continue talking about what's on your mind. Head nods; voice tone of interest/curiosity; active listening; and circulating honest opinions from each one of allowed our conversation to go to its level of depth. Definitely my favorite professor and very likely still tops the list out of favorite teachers I've had throughout my 20 year life. Spectacular professor. Encouraging, and a definite a role model for me in the sense that she is a promoter of yourself, of your talents, of your ideas; a disciplined individual who thinks for what she wants in life and looks for the bigger picture instead of falling into the trap of materialism; a person who genuinely cares for other people in every sense of the word; an individual with the courage, integrity, humility, and compassion to do what is necessary to care for others; and a person, after all her experiences in life, is still motivated and lives with purpose. Respect.

Today is Day 7 of my 30 day challenge to build the habit of becoming a habitual early-riser.

Establish the Habit First, Then Refine It

"For something to change in your life, obviously you have to DO something
different.

You have to take action.

And then you have to take that action DAILY.

You need that consistency.

And once that's established, you refine that action. You refine it until
you do it well.

You do it well daily - and the sky's the limit. "

- Brian Kim MIT of the 4/25/13

briankim.net

Today's MIT speaks to the core of my thoughts right now. It is Day 6 of my 30 day marathon to become a habitual early-riser. I was tired when I got up, which was only a few minutes ago, but I've noticed that my process has been working to get me out of the drowsy state of mind that we experience when the alarm clock disrupts us out of our  slumber. I set my alarm in the bathroom so I must get up to go turn it off. So I walk in, turn on the light, turn off the alarm, and now I tell myself, "Just sit down and go empty your bladder", and while I void, I tell myself, "Just go wash your face and you'll feel more alert", so I do that, and I remind myself of the fact that I know from my past few days of experience that an hour or two later after I've gotten up, I feel glad that I got up early to work and improve myself. That's my process, and it's worked for the past few days. However, I do need to look at the research again that I did before starting this 30-day habit building challenge and make adjustments.

Day 5 and Personal Power

"The trouble with competing is that your effort is based outside of you.

It's determined externally.

If the competition is tough, that can be a good thing because it causes
you to excel.

But if the competition isn't tough, it's easy to slack off and not try
as hard - thus leading to so many "upsets" in games.

If you play to the level of your competition, your development won't be
consistent.

It'll yo yo up and down.

And what happens when you run out of competition?

Then there's nothing left to "power" your development.

The drive to get better must come from within because only then will
it become consistent."

- Brian Kim MIT of 4/24/13

Today is Day 5 of my 30 day challenge.


Brian Kim's Article of "Why Depression Is On the Rise Today" Points of Emphasis:

http://briankim.net/blog/2007/06/why-depression-is-on-the-rise-today/

"The reason why depression is on the rise is that fewer and fewer people are exercising their power of choice and personal responsibility."

"The best thing you can do right now is to define who you are, who you want to be, what you believe in, what you stand for, what you want to do with your life, in other words to create your own center, your own foundation, to work on yourself and your life."

"It amazes me that people spend enormous time and energy in planning events that last for a day such as a birthday party, anniversary, or wedding, but when it comes to planning their LIFE, very few people will put in that same amount of time and energy.

"Rather, people “float” through life, doing this and that, being easily manipulated by those forces around them to the point where they feel they have no control. No center. No anchor. No foundation."

"Sit down with a piece of paper and decide what kind of person you want to be. The best way to do this is to imagine your own funeral and write down what you want your friend to say about you. What you want your parents to say about you. Your boss. Your clients. Your co-workers. Your relatives. This will give you something to strive for, a sense of identity that is yours, instead of slapping on identities that the media and corporations have sold us on.

Imagine the work you want to do. Work accounts for half our life so if you have to work, which you must, you might as well do work you love and enjoy. Work that you hate doing is probably one of the biggest causes in the environment that contribute to depression.

When you start doing this, when you start sculpting who you want to be, what you want to do, what you stand for, you have effectively cast an anchor overboard and grounded yourself in this tumultuous sea we call life.

You now have a destination to aim for and a course to chart and you slowly use your engines to help get you there. Sure, storms will come and go but they will not become the focus. The focus will be on the journey and the destination.

When you do this, then you’ll find all the pieces you need that will help you fit together the picture you’ve created in your mind. You’ll find new friends that will fit into your lifestyle, work that fits into your lifestyle and your environment will slowly conform to support YOUR vision of your life.

And nothing outside of you in the environment can adversely affect you because you have already determined from within the kind of person you are and wish to be and the life you want to live."

"exercise your power of choice and personal responsibility. Stop blaming things outside of you. Take control of your life."

"The point I want to make is that it’s really easy to point the finger at your environment to blame for your depression. When you do that, you rob yourself of personal power because you are essentially saying you have no control and that the things outside of you do."

"take back control of your life. Create your center. Create your own life. And start to define the world you want to live in and what you'll find is that the world will conform to your wishes."

http://briankim.net/blog/2007/06/why-depression-is-on-the-rise-today/

Day 3 and SQ4R

"When you look back at your life right now, you're going to be
able to connect the dots.

You're going to be so glad X, Y, Z happened because if they didn't,
you wouldn't be where you are today.

X could be good, Y, could be "bad", Z could be "real bad", but
nonetheless, they were all necessary.

Let those thoughts comfort you as you look forward to the future
because history is going to repeat itself because who's the one
that writes the history of your life?

It's you.

So don't be afraid to make those big moves now."

- Brian Kim's MIT of April 1st, 2013


This thought inspires me to continue my 30 day marathon. I'm not going to lie. I thought about sleeping in today. Today is Day 3, but I know adjusting my lifestyle is something I'm going have to do this summer regardless.


Learning about SQ4R method today to study. Let's see if I can take advantage of this!

Reminding Me of Bruce Lipton's Work

The Secrets Of Healing *Cancer -Official Trailer (What they don't tell you!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBcsaaFbFt0

I am subscribed to YouAreCreators YouTube channel and just saw this video. Watching it reminded me of Bruce Lipton's work which sounds very synonymous to the content of this video. I should be picking up my writings about his work soon as it falls under my goal of writing about the different, independent fields of science that are triggering light bulbs to go off in my head, and I'm sure, the heads of many other people out there who are reading and are connections between the quite contemporary and novel discoveries in science and spirituality.


http://www.turnoffcancerturnonlife.com/

http://www.turnoffcancerturnonlife.com/blog/#


   

Day 2 & Feed the Side You Want to Grow

"The reason why it feels really uncomfortable when you're making a big
change in your life is that there's two sides doing that tug of war in your mind.

On the one hand, you've got your tried and true (at least that's what you think)
beliefs of the past and on the other, new behavior that doesn't mesh with
your "tried and true beliefs".

Which side is going to win?

Well, it's the one you feed consistently.

If you let that uncomfortable feeling stop you from taking the actions
of the new behavior, it's an easy victory for your current tried and true beliefs.

It's a good "feed" that just adds to its already strong strength.

But if you feed the new behavior, that side will win the tug of war and now
you've got a brand new set of "tried and true" beliefs.

And going back to your old "tried and true" beliefs will seem impossible. You
can't imagine doing it and you have a hard time believing you actually
believed and lived by those things.

Feed the side you want to grow. "

- Brian Kim's MIT of the day for Friday; April 19th, 2013


When we are kids, are beliefs and values are molded by our environment and those around us. But when we choose to become completely responsible adults, we are responsible for learning and changing, and with this realization, it is essentially our choice. It is our choice, which belief(s) we choose to reinforce. Today is Day 2 of my 30 day marathon of becoming a habitual early riser.


Writing Out the Goals:

To become a great nurse who heals and saves lives in medically emergent and non-emergent situations. To be a nurse who knows what he is doing , and makes a difference in times of need.

To become a great nurse who heals and saves lvies in medically emergent and non-emergent siuatons. To be a nurse who knows what he is doing, and makes a difference in times ofneed

To become a great nurse who heals and saves lives in medically emergent and non-emergent situation. To be a nuse who knows what he is doing, and makes a difference in times of need.

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

TO become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To have a body as defined as brad pitt in the movie troy

To have a body as defined as brad pitt in the movie troy

To have a body as defined as brad pitt in the movie troy

To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom

To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom

To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom

To build upon my vocabulary to improve my abiluity to articulate exactly what I am thinking

To build upon my vocanbluary to improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking

To build upon my vocabulary to improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.

To become an active DC QHHT practioner AND write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituatliy

To become an active DC QHHT practioner AND  write about the sciences that are merging science with siriltuatly

To becme an active DC QHHT practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging with spirituality.

What am I grateful for today?
I am grateful for feeling like I have a whole chunk of new time on my hands. It's nice to be able to work in the early morning hours and gets lots done.

Feedback:
Done with early morning routine at 5:38 AM. I feel like writing out each goal three times is repetitive and not entirely helping me visualize it. But perhaps the purpose of it is to get in down into my subconscious. I'll see.

Nursing Goal: To-Do List to Work On For This Summer

What do I need to do every day (independent of assignments specific for that week) that will distinguish myself and make me a better nurse than those around me?

-          Invest time everyday to study Saunders Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN® Examination, 5e by Linda Anne Silvestri (Author) and Medical-Surgical Nursing Made Incredibly Easy! by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (Author)

(My classmate said that this book is better than our professor’s notes because it gives you exactly the information that you need to know, will remember throughout your nursing career, and doesn’t bombard you with excessive details of pathophysiology like our textbook does)

-          Set up time to go over Professor Debourgh’s notes. Answer any questions you may have through textbook or via internet.

-          Set up time to review old notes (notes that you just went over for this past test so you build and solidify the knowledge; don’t let it just slip away and have to re-pick up all over again due to not touching it for a long time!)

-          Go over fundamentals! Meaning, study Jarvis book to improve your assessment skills! (ex: Lung Sounds; Abnormal Heart Sounds; percussion, what to look for EXACTLY and understand what is EXACTLY going on with the patient) 

-          Invest time to run over the steps of performing Skills in your head. (Ex: Trach. Suctioning, catheter insertion, wound dressing change, etc.) Clarify any questions!  

Weekly:

-          Set up time to review CPR

-          Invest time to review EKG strip interpretations

***Write out nursing goal to-do list in a place where you will easily see it every day.  

How much time should I spend on each per day? I need to challenge myself AND be realistic simultaneously. 

Problems From This Past Test and Ways to Improve Upon

Problems:
- Still had questions late yesterday night before test

- Could not verbalize answers satisfactorily to more in-depth pathophysiology related questions if tested myself due to not enough time going over all the pages of notes (not that i did not know that testing myself was important but that i had so many pages to go over in the limited time span so testing myself, i imagine at least, would have taken too long and i would not have been able to look over all the slides)

- Some questions or parts of the notes that i previously assumed to be not worth paying attention to, when late yesterday i finally took the time to go over, i found out i had questions on (again, this is b/c i felt i lacked the time and decided to go over the seemingly more important slides with focus)

- Lacking knowledge in the "how to" or "how it's done" for procedures. Ex: continuous bladder irrigation, peritoneal dialysis, epicardial pacing, etc.

Lesson from this test is that I need to start earlier b/c I noticed on the last day studying for the test, I still had questions that for some reason, before when going over, just did not come into my awareness. If you start even earlier than you did for this test (1 week), you will have time for these types of questions to come into your awareness as you are studying. It's the same as re-reading a book as you will pick up on information that you just missed last time.And this way, you won't feel rushed to skim over "insignificant" slides, you'll have time to go over the "how it's done", be able to actually test yourself by verbalizing or writing out the pathophysiology of diseases w/o feeling like you're crammed for time to finish the rest of the slides, and you won't likely have any problematic questions the night before the test.

Way to Improve: Start Early!

Day 1 & Be the Hero In Your Own Story

“We all love the good hero story.

The person who had it all stacked against him/her.

The person who kept on getting up after getting knocked down.

The person nobody thought would ever make it.

And then they do it all despite it.

Never forget that you can be the hero in your own story.”

- Brian Kim's MIT of the day of Wed.; April 3^rd, 2013 

http://briankim.net

Today is Day One of my 30 day marathon of establishing the habit of waking up every day at 5 AM. Again why am I doing this? To distinguish myself through my work ethic, desire, and wisdom to achieve goals that will serve myself and others. To distinguish myself to the point where, when people think of my name, they understand it stands for something with high regard. That is what I want, and it can’t be disregarded that those who wake early tend to be more productive with their time. Perhaps Aristotle said it best, “It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” Certainly I will be adapting my early morning routine as I go along here to suit my preference and I will not rush it. We can all be the hero in our own story. 

Writing Out My Goals:

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To become a habitual early riser and be productive with my time.

To have a body as cut as brad pitt in troy without flexing.

To have a body as cut as brad pitt in troy without flexing.

To have a body as cut as brad pitt in troy without flexing.

To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom.

Tp wirte and contemplate about life’s wisdom.

To write and contemplate about life;s wisdom.

To build upon my vocabulary ti improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.

To build upon my vocabulary to improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.,

To build ipin my vocabulary to improve my ability to articulate exactly what I am thinking.

To become an active DC QHHT practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituality.

To become an active DC QHH practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituality.

To beome and active DC QHHT practitioner AND  write about the sciences that are merging science with spirituatly.

What am I Grateful for?

Grateful for the opportunity to have the resources that I've had to improve my life. I'm grateful for the opportunity to really be able to make a difference in the lives of others. Grateful that I'm up this early and MAKING the conscious decision to dictate my actions based off my goals and to choose not to be dictated by the circumstances of every day life and the need to be in a 100% state of "everything is going right" to live my life based off what I want to pursue. Grateful to understand that I can choose to overcome obstacles, and that they cannot thwart me if I choose so.


Time today after finishing my early morning routine: 5:55 AM

My Early Morning Routine today:
5 min. to check basic news; play motivational music; read MIT, contemplate, write about it briefly; write down your goals; visualize and understand the opportunity you have right now to distinguish yourself, especially when compared to the majority of others your age; think over what I'm grateful for; and begin your To-Do List of Objectives to complete today

I wonder what parts I can or need to shorten down or cut out?

My Many Goals: Now and in the Near Future

1. To be the nurse who makes the difference in a crisis.  

To be the leader, a life-saver, and the difference maker in a crisis.

Motivation for this goal: I want to be the hero; to save lives; to act in an emergency when others can only watch, wishing they knew what to do; to make a positive and inspiring difference in the lives of others.

For clinical: to conduct thorough assessments, practice hands-on, to ask for what I need, to understand what interventions should be done based off priority, to understand why I am giving each medication, and to take my time to get it right.

2. To become a habitual Early riser and be productive with my time. To minimize the amount of time I NEED to sleep to have more time during the day.

Distractions to be Expelled From My Life: the television <-- the most prominent distraction in my life  

Motivation for doing this: I want to be seen as someone who has discipline, determination, ambition, desire and this makes an obvious first hand statement with just the eyes when someone sees you up that early at such a young age when it’s just not the norm, and of course, this helps me be more productive and disciplined in my mentality towards other goals.

"If you will do what most people are not willing to do for the next few years, then
you'll be able to do what most people won't be able to do for the rest of their lives.

Extremely concentrated effort in a short period of time builds enough rocket fuel to
help you escape the gravity of mediocrity that entraps everybody else."

3. To write and contemplate about life’s wisdom. (Brian Kim’s MIT’s of the Day, articles, Books; Steve Pavlina; Anthony “Tony” Robbins; Personal Excellence Blog (Ex: article on overcoming shyness article mentality change); Self-Improvement Individuals)

Motivation for doing this: B/C the more you can learn from the wisdom and life lessons of others, the more you will amplify your potential for the attainment of your own goals.

4. To become an active DC QHHT practitioner AND write about the sciences that are merging with what DC’s work has found as well as other sources regarding Spirituality.

I also want to write about how these modern chronic diseases that Western medicine has no cure for is being covered up for profit by powerful pharmaceutical companies as well as how it's related to our modern day lifestyles. <-- How we are making ourselves sick and why medicine is not the answer to these chronic illnesses. (Relates to DC and spirituality b/c it's talked about how we shouldn't be sick, and how we do it to ourselves; how people have been healed by DC's work, thus understanding that medicines and chemotherapy of Western medicine is not the answer; and worst of all, the travesty that is going on by drug companies for money)  Write about BL's work, DC, Tom Campbell, and the likes who are proving how science is moving us into an age to spiritual enlightenment, growth, and health.

Motivation for doing this: to change lives, heal people in ways that medicine hasn’t been able to, and to grow even more spiritually.

-          To write about the story of my dog and the legacy to leave. 

Motivation for doing this: B/C I want her story told, b/c her life and how it has and will impact me positively deserves to be known

5. To cut down on body weight and develop a strong body weight to strength ratio. To train my body towards a mountain climber's level of fitness.



Goals to Pursue Later in Life:

6. To live a life of excitement by pursing Adventure-related activities, hobbies, and travel. (From Lion King Days)

“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances without own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.” - Joseph Campbell

http://coachingtohappiness.com/follow-your-bliss-a-collection-of-joseph-campbell-quotes.html

7. To develop strong, deep, emotional connection with others based off honesty and the sharing of intimate thoughts, feelings, experiences (life and everyday exp.), beliefs, and values. (From Lion King Days)


8. To develop my personality in ways that benefit me, ways that I desire, and in ways that has a positive impact on those I come in contact with. To challenge my negative beliefs and to therefore change my attitude, thoughts, feelings, mindset, and actions for the better. (Inspired by the Domestic Disturbance Incident)

            One Area I Want to Change: To be able to confidently and intellectually articulate about topics of importance to me in front of a large group and audience. To deliver speeches (public speaking) with resonance, cogency, satisfactory economy of language, and be able to express myself in the moment, off the cuff, with the right words that come to mind and do justice to how I feel about what I am thinking about.  


9. To learn about the difficulties others are experiencing in their lives AND to step outside my own needs for the needs of others by portioning, saving up, and donating part of my salary to animal and human needs organizations monthly.

(Make sure the organizations actually make a difference vs. organizations where most of the donations go into the pockets and salaries of those not in need! i.e. Susan G. Komen Foundation)

Motivation for doing this: B/C animals and humans out there are suffering. To learn to be grateful for what I have and at the same time, taking advantage of the opportunities I have in this life to maximize my potential. 

Now that I have written out in clarity and specificity what it is I want to achieve in my life, what do I need to do everyday to take me one step closer? Also, continue to experiment with morning routine.

A Desire to Be Noticed in the Long Run

As I sit here at the law library typing this, I am wondering about a question I thought about an hour ago. First of all, I want to remind myself that no more than an hour ago, I wasn’t likely to be sitting here in the library, writing this. Less than an hour ago, I was sitting in my boxers after taking a bath, took out my contacts as my brother did and myself following suit without making the independent decision to do so, and started feeling my mind go into a state of drowsiness. The blinds being closed certainly didn’t help. Yet, I am here now. Why? Because I sat there thinking to myself, “I can go lie down and watch successive episodes of Two and a Half men and Rules of Engagement, or I can go do what I need to do to improve and distinguish myself. Why do I feel motivated lately, besides the fact that I witnessed Kobe Bryant’s own dogged determination to succeed and prove his doubters wrong after recently rupturing his Achilles? A few things. This past Saturday, I just had an exam, so the past week prior to the test, I was already in a state of discipline where I was practicing self-discipline. The fact that I did not do as well as I’d hoped for does not help either. Seeing the Man of Steel Trailer in theaters before the Jurassic Park movie in 3d played a part as it certainly reminded me of the hero’s journey that I learned about from my Mythology class this past summer. Learning about my upcoming senior one semester’s schedule is definitely contributing to my desire to pursue one of my goals here. And besides the recent seemingly trivial sources of motivation that has slightly lit a hotter fuse in my subconscious mind that ever so gently waiting to go off, I can’t say I’ve felt this way just now. I’ve felt motivated and determined for self-improvement and goal-attainment all my life. And I mean, all my life. Of course, no one huge event is responsible for my ambition but the question that I precluded this post with is something that is, has been, and will be my main source of motivation. And what is that question?

In your heart of hearts, what do people think about quiet people? Regardless of what people might say when publically asked on the spot, I feel like quiet people are looked down upon in our society. Quiet people are looked as loners. Quiet people are less thought about, less talked about, and if talked about, not likely to be regarded in a positive light. Quiet people are less noticed, and considered to be nobody. Quiet people are unintentionally ignored by girls, all the while, us noticing them. I don’t think people expect us to make noise- not literally of course- in life. As I type this, I surmise this reason as to why Kobe Bryant, who has been perceived to be quiet and reserved, has become such a fierce competitor, besides his love for the game. “When it comes to the game, the thing that is most important to me is winning. I want to win, I want to win by any means necessary, I want to be the best. I want to be the best, simple and plain. And to be the best you have to win. That’s why I play the game. That’s what drives me.” Also, does it surprise me that the bulk of my music playlist consist of two types of songs? Songs with elements of sadness to them, and music that motivates me. Certainly I have songs that may not fall into these two categories, but those are far and few in between. Songs with a jolly, upbeat attitude have their place, but lose their vigor and conviction faster than songs of despair and motivation. Do I want to be sad? After experiencing the passing of my beloved dog, the answer is a surefire NO! I listen to sad songs because they serve as the fueling ground for motivation. I love that feeling of determination and ambition. The thought of going for a run at 5 in the morning and having one of my old high school classmates, who just had to coincidentally be up early for that one day, see me working with a passion gives me a feeling of satisfaction like little that I’ve experienced. It’s similar to the feeling of being in the zone when playing basketball and no matter WHAT the defender tries to do, it has all been futile for them. Followed by the bonus of seeing and hearing signs of self-contained amazement and frustration from someone that has never noticed you or thought much of you gives me such satisfaction! That respect for being noticed NOW after time has passed and the tables have switched is what I want. No wonder self-improvement has been such a big focus for me in life. The desire to be the hero, to stand apart, to individuate myself from the crowd, this is what I work for! I want to live my life to my greatest potential and be admired. I want to live a life where others, who were too good for me, will talk about in a commendable or envious manner. Don’t get me wrong, not all my goals revolve around self-desired goals that will only benefit myself. It’s far from that. I know that a life lived to pleasure ourselves solely is a life that has made no impact on anyone. We all have to decide who we want to be in our lives. We can all change the world, for better or worse.         

The Type of Motivation & Inspiration I Want Others to See in Me

Kobe Bryant- on the night/early morning hours (Friday; April 12th/ Sat.; April 13th) after suffering a ruptured Achilles:

"This is such BS! All the training and sacrifice just flew out the window with one step that I've done millions of times! The frustration is unbearable. The anger is rage. Why the hell did this happen ?!? Makes no damn sense. Now I'm supposed to come back from this and be the same player Or better at 35?!? How in the world am I supposed to do that??
I have NO CLUE. Do I have the consistent will to overcome this thing? Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that
was. Maybe this is how my book
ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me...Then again maybe not! It's 3:30am, my foot feels like dead weight, my head is spinning from the pain meds and I'm wide awake. Forgive my Venting but what's the purpose of social media if I won't bring it to you Real No Image?? Feels good to vent, let it out. To feel as if THIS is the WORST thing EVER! Because After ALL the venting, a real perspective sets in. There are far greater issues/challenges in the world then a torn achilles. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, find the silver lining and get to work with the same belief, same drive and same conviction as ever.
One day, the beginning of a new career journey will commence. Today is NOT that day.
"If you see me in a fight with a bear, prey for the bear". Ive always loved that quote. Thats "mamba mentality" we don't quit, we don't cower, we don't run. We endure and conquer.
I know it's a long post but I'm Facebook Venting LOL. Maybe now I can actually get some sleep and be excited for surgery tomorrow. First step of a new challenge.
Guess I will be Coach Vino the rest of this season. I have faith in my teammates. They will come thru.
Thank you for all your prayers and support. Much Love Always.
Mamba Out                                                                                                                                              "

https://www.facebook.com/Kobe/posts/10151563315250419

I desire to be seen in this fashion by others. To prove myself. RESPECT.

Why Torture Matters

This past Wednesday, I attended a lecture on War and Its Effects on Society. Here are my thoughts. (Writing all this while listening to the Man of Steel trailer)

              Why does torture matter? This is a serious question with significant implications. The more appropriate question is, why wouldn’t torture matter? Besides the obvious fact that torture yields an automatic gut reaction so vile that is beyond contempt- in the vast majority of us at least-, should there ever be a time or situation where torture is appropriate? Rebecca Gordon argues that torture matters because of what it does to a nation. It matters because it is not an isolated event. It matters because torture is a practice, and torture engenders in us habits that not only ruin the image and perception of this overly proud nation when exposed, if exposed, but it instills in the torturers, values that are thrown into grave questioning, and nations that allows this to happen behind the shadows will certainly be questioning their own values as well, regardless of the values this nation supposedly stands for beyond all else. What does it say about a nation who covers up the veracity of what really goes on inside or behind enemy lines? It would devastate the nation’s reputation for one thing, but the individuals who participate in the abuse are guilty of cruelty to its fellow mankind. After all the changes and uprisings between groups of superficial difference this nation has seen, you would think we would all understand to treat each other with courtesy and respect, as we are not so different. But apparently when it comes to institutions of power such as the military, where information of what really happens can easily be kept a secret from the public, we can lose the common decency we show for each other. One may say, “Hold on a minute, they are the enemy! Why should we care? They deserve it!” And while I can understand the anger and hate against our “enemies”, and may even agree on an emotional level that these people should be treated horrendously for what they have done, we shouldn’t. Why? Because of what it does to us as individuals. Because of what it does to our character and values. Certainly the acts of war may be as criminal as murder, as soldiers are motivated to kill the enemy out of differences in what they believe (e.g. religion). One can argue that soldiers only go to battle because they have orders to follow, and while this is true, when we are in the midst of a heated firefight, and we see our comrade go down, it becomes personal. It is not about just following orders. We are increasingly motivated to murder the enemy in a heated moment in time. Certainly the murder is not planned like a calculated cold-blooded serial killer who stalks and executes his plan to fill some obsessive, twisted desire, but as a Delta Force soldier named Hoot in the award-winning film, Black Hawk Down, stated, “Once that first bullet goes past your head, politics and all that s#!t just goes right out the window”. And even better stated, is another quote from this same soldier when talking about how he responds when every day people ask him why he goes to war. “When I go home people ask me, ‘Hey Hoot, why do you do it man? What are you some kind of war junkie?’ You know what I'll say? I won't say a goddamn word. Why? They won't understand. They won't understand why we do it. They won't understand that it's about the man next to you, and that's it. That's all it is”. I bring this up not to try and turn the acts committed in war into something that is glorious save the fact that the values of soldiers such as trust, teamwork, valor, courage, and loyalty are certainly tested on the battlefield, but because to remind us that torture instills values of deceit (making it hidden from the public); cruelty to our fellow mankind; hate and truculence towards people of difference; along with the self-doubt, self-questioning, shame, and guilt in the minds of people who commit acts of torture. 

What about the ticking time bomb or Jack Bauer scenario? Is torture acceptable then? My answer to this is quite straight forward and simple. I would respond that if it has come to this, if it has to come to the point where there is a calamitous threat where the number of lives impacted would be colossal, we have already failed. The fact that if we have a ticking time bomb on our hands with an enemy that hates us with that much intensity, we have severely failed as a species with the intelligence and capacity to be compassionate and help each other live life more optimistically and peacefully. At this point, whether torture is acceptable is purely a decision based off your values and beliefs. If you believe in doing what it takes to save the greatest number of people, torture is absolutely what you are going to promote for the individual with “knowledge”. Is it despicable? It doesn’t matter anymore by this stage. The fact that we cannot help each other out as the human race, the fact that there are people who are so lost in greed and power to the point where we can’t solve our differences with compassion and understanding for each other is entirely reprehensible and much more worthy of scorn than the torturing of an individual with knowledge of where the bomb is. It’s the same with these massive school shootings. People are all about the gun control debate, vehemently arguing that guns don’t belong in the household. But where are all the people who are vehemently promoting to get help for these individuals who are at risk of committing these crimes? Many of these shooters acted out of incredible rage built up from years of bullying, loneliness, hopelessness, and a feeling of being unloved and uncared about. Certainly these shooters are responsible for their actions, but how blameworthy are they? What I am saying is that we are all interconnected. We all affect each other and that while massive killings are acts of horror, we need to be on the offensive on helping people who are getting bullied at school or in the work environment, or anyone who is in distress. We have to have options and people who will care about those who are going through times of difficulty so they don’t feel so alone. We need to be there for each other and that happens through compassion and understanding. 

Torture is a result of a lack of compassion, understanding, and a willingness to put aside our own desires to help others. Torture matters because it is the epitome of savagery. And understand this, savagery is worse than primal instincts because you know the impact and the damage that you are inflicting while ignoring the needs, perspectives, and reality of others. Torture matters because of what it does to our character. Our character matters because it is the key that will sustain us. Our character is what will sustain our species and our children to live in a better world than the way we found it. Our character is what we all individually have to live with. We will never escape ourselves. We all have to decide what type of person we want to be, whoever that person is.  We can all help to change the world. The philosopher Lao Tzu said it best, “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”