Showing posts with label optimism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label optimism. Show all posts
1/1/13
12/31/12
12/19/12
Dream Big
'Tis others lack of vision perceives wasteland...
Dream big
look up, never down
since we as it happens in this big land
are amidst desolation,
control your own hand...
Stand up
forward motion, do not hesitate
'tis others lack of vision perceives wasteland
we my brothers,
must not idly stand...
Move ahead
to stop advancing is taking risk
of losing what is at our command
rather make history,
therefore proceed freehand.
Dream big
look up, never down
since we as it happens in this big land
are amidst desolation,
control your own hand...
Stand up
forward motion, do not hesitate
'tis others lack of vision perceives wasteland
we my brothers,
must not idly stand...
Move ahead
to stop advancing is taking risk
of losing what is at our command
rather make history,
therefore proceed freehand.
5/9/12
Some Days Are Best Forgotten
Far better to move forward to the next day...
Life is short, don't waste it.
Life is short, don't waste it.
5/2/12
Back To Basics
Returning the emphasis where it originated...
This blog has been through several metamorphoses since I started in 2007 and the first few years posts aren't visible since they were correlated with my videos on YouTube and no longer relevant. The development to where it is today is logical to me although not easily perhaps to others. It has always been writing augmented with the visual for emphasis and explanation but above all whether it was telecommunications, history and economics, social networking, overcoming adversity and maintaining optimism, visual art...the underlying theme has been communication with others.
This year I've found myself increasingly enamored with using some freeware photo editing tools I discovered and spending more time on turning photographs into visual art and less time on writing. I don't regret it since I've discovered that I've revived a creative outlet I'd forgotten long ago I was good at. Although this has been a positive personal development I feel as if I'm losing connection with my writing and blogging skills. As I mentioned in yesterday's post I outgrew the freeware and am now learning Adobe Photoshop Elements and Lightroom 4. Eventually I'd like to grow into Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Creative Suite but it is going to take time.
Meanwhile I also want to focus again on writing the short missives I do as blog posts since the reaction to those has always been pretty positive. In that sense this blog will have come full circle once again and will be thoughts, ideas and commentary on what I'm thinking that very often a lot of people relate to in addition to displaying my developing skills on new editing platforms. My thinking is that many people had an affinity with that aspect of my work and are missing it as I now do. It seems to me it falls into the category of often when anyone is "writing out loud" somewhere out there someone else is mulling over the same thoughts. I miss that sense of affinity with others who are also constantly thinking. Some posts still may be solely visual art, others with a renewed interest in poetic verse but mainly a blending of my writing and visual art. Who knows? I may go back to doing videos again since I certainly have enough road trip footage to communicate how I arrived where I am from where I've been.
This blog has been through several metamorphoses since I started in 2007 and the first few years posts aren't visible since they were correlated with my videos on YouTube and no longer relevant. The development to where it is today is logical to me although not easily perhaps to others. It has always been writing augmented with the visual for emphasis and explanation but above all whether it was telecommunications, history and economics, social networking, overcoming adversity and maintaining optimism, visual art...the underlying theme has been communication with others.
This year I've found myself increasingly enamored with using some freeware photo editing tools I discovered and spending more time on turning photographs into visual art and less time on writing. I don't regret it since I've discovered that I've revived a creative outlet I'd forgotten long ago I was good at. Although this has been a positive personal development I feel as if I'm losing connection with my writing and blogging skills. As I mentioned in yesterday's post I outgrew the freeware and am now learning Adobe Photoshop Elements and Lightroom 4. Eventually I'd like to grow into Photoshop CS6 and Adobe Creative Suite but it is going to take time.
2/13/12
When Gray Is Gray
Not black and white or color either...
These past few months I've been struggling with some natural passages of life that a normal healthy person ought to go through. The wonderful thing about living is the longer you are here you recognize patterns of life and are able to recognize them. Sometimes dealing with them is another matter.
The tools for repairing the soul are within me and being a generally optimistic and self-reliant person I usually have no problem implementing them. At other times it's a matter of putting one foot in front of the other knowing that as surely as the clouds came in they will also eventually break and the sun will burst forth. These past few weeks my mood has been cloudy without even hint of cleansing rain while simultaneously very creatively productive for me. The creativity actually has been a result of my mood since creating colorful images seemed to be the only gleaming spots in dull days. While I'm in these period I tend to photograph my personal favorite classic iconic images in black and white or muted tones and then edit them to reflect my mood as I emerge into the natural luminescent light again.
These past few months I've been struggling with some natural passages of life that a normal healthy person ought to go through. The wonderful thing about living is the longer you are here you recognize patterns of life and are able to recognize them. Sometimes dealing with them is another matter.
1/14/12
Musical Aspirations On A Hook
Instruments in abeyance...
Waiting to be plugged in and fill the air with music.
At one time played by someone these four and five bass string guitars were pawned for one reason or another. Perhaps the owner lost interest, discovered they weren't very good at playing, were a trade in or worse needed the money and had to sacrifice a beloved instrument for cold hard cash. They hang waiting in silence to be become alive again and fill the air with their back beat sound to enrapture the player either alone, with a small group of family and friends or perhaps even in public performance. No matter the skill and ability of someone who might want to play one of these guitars, it is almost shameful they're in a landfill of silent musical equipment.
Ray Charles said: "I was born with music inside me. Music was one of my parts. Like my ribs, my kidneys, my liver, my heart. Like my blood. It was a force within me when I arrived on the scene. It was a necessity for me-like food or water."
All creative people feel that way I think, I don't remember a time I didn't want to create something and was fortunate who had parents and family that encouraged it. They endured my learning to play piano and guitar and learning to sing. They praised my writing, drawing, painting and photography efforts while offering kind and helpful suggestion on how to improve. Whether creativity is in the arts, in thinking and philosophy or sciences, whether the skill is small, level or great it should be encouraged to develop the mind and soul. It is a seed to enrich life and should be planted, cultivated and grown to its fullest potential if only to satisfy the individuals own essence to give it courage and enrich the spirit.
Waiting to be plugged in and fill the air with music.
At one time played by someone these four and five bass string guitars were pawned for one reason or another. Perhaps the owner lost interest, discovered they weren't very good at playing, were a trade in or worse needed the money and had to sacrifice a beloved instrument for cold hard cash. They hang waiting in silence to be become alive again and fill the air with their back beat sound to enrapture the player either alone, with a small group of family and friends or perhaps even in public performance. No matter the skill and ability of someone who might want to play one of these guitars, it is almost shameful they're in a landfill of silent musical equipment.
All creative people feel that way I think, I don't remember a time I didn't want to create something and was fortunate who had parents and family that encouraged it. They endured my learning to play piano and guitar and learning to sing. They praised my writing, drawing, painting and photography efforts while offering kind and helpful suggestion on how to improve. Whether creativity is in the arts, in thinking and philosophy or sciences, whether the skill is small, level or great it should be encouraged to develop the mind and soul. It is a seed to enrich life and should be planted, cultivated and grown to its fullest potential if only to satisfy the individuals own essence to give it courage and enrich the spirit.
1/11/12
I Want To Be Like A Tree
With skills to adapt wherever I am...
A Palo Verde adding value to the universe surrounding me.
A tree with a deep taproot for lean years and shallow surface roots for abundant years to sustain myself under different circumstances and keep the earth around me from eroding. With a trunk that is sturdy, sinewy and strong, protected by bark and able to withstand high winds and stormy weather. With a system of stems to support tissue and disseminate cells for good health and a reason to be optimistic about the world that surrounds me. Branches that grow long and hardy with twigs to grow leaves rich in oxygen production and carbon dioxide reduction.
It would be alright by me to be any tree, deciduous or evergreen, large or small, rainforest or desert, any climate in between. In a climate with a lot of rain opportunity is almost always there to make the most of. In an arid hot and dry one using resources wisely is paramount and advantageous.
My choice though is to be like a Palo Verde tree that has overhanging and sweeping branches that provide shade in the hot desert. My capital would be spent wisely and stockpiled for the dry spells and in rainy seasons bloom yellow flowers to germinate. I would live hundreds of years, see epochs of history, provide shade and shelter for people and animals, survive and thrive to benefit the geography of life that surrounds me.
A Palo Verde adding value to the universe surrounding me.
A tree with a deep taproot for lean years and shallow surface roots for abundant years to sustain myself under different circumstances and keep the earth around me from eroding. With a trunk that is sturdy, sinewy and strong, protected by bark and able to withstand high winds and stormy weather. With a system of stems to support tissue and disseminate cells for good health and a reason to be optimistic about the world that surrounds me. Branches that grow long and hardy with twigs to grow leaves rich in oxygen production and carbon dioxide reduction.
My choice though is to be like a Palo Verde tree that has overhanging and sweeping branches that provide shade in the hot desert. My capital would be spent wisely and stockpiled for the dry spells and in rainy seasons bloom yellow flowers to germinate. I would live hundreds of years, see epochs of history, provide shade and shelter for people and animals, survive and thrive to benefit the geography of life that surrounds me.
12/23/11
Know Yourself and Be Yourself
We each have an expedition, yours belongs to you...
It is an act of courage that enriches your experience.
The goal is to keep going and not stop. One step a day is progress while taking none is going nowhere. Sometimes that one step is a motivating pause of reflection and in that moment we then still move upward and forward. There are other days when almost maniacally we take many steps and we breakthrough barriers in leaps and bounds. Other times the grade of the climb is so steep that every stride seems purchased at a painful price. Each type of ascent has its own merit.
It is also perfectly acceptable, actually advisable, to occasionally look back and see how far you have come. The act serves as encouragement to keep climbing. The passage in this life is not to reach the end destination but to prepare for it and make the most of the exploration. Ultimately you will get there but on the way positive steps in the right direction will make the expedition enriching and worthwhile. On rough terrain when the hike is steep and the slope slippery looking up to where you are going is more helpful than looking down. The time will come when you have gone over the jagged rock and up ahead are able look back and revel in the accomplishment.
Regardless of where you are in life you can always look around and find someone better off, someone in about the same condition and someone worse off than you are. All three should be humbling experiences to motivate you to keep going rather than to rate yourself against them and allow you to halt. Others have their own journey, the one you have belongs to you and are responsible for each rung you make on the way up. It never hurts to reach down and give a hand to help someone else over the jagged rock, it is advisable since you will need the aid some day.
Positive thinking, optimism, self-reliance and mutual help are the mental tools that will keep you going and avoid stopping. As we move along our pilgrimage we collect and gather the means to take the next step. Know yourself and be yourself, it is an act of courage that enriches your experience, as well as giving you the wisdom to help others. All roads indeed do lead to a common destination but the mission on the journey upward is to make it worthwhile.
It is an act of courage that enriches your experience.
The goal is to keep going and not stop. One step a day is progress while taking none is going nowhere. Sometimes that one step is a motivating pause of reflection and in that moment we then still move upward and forward. There are other days when almost maniacally we take many steps and we breakthrough barriers in leaps and bounds. Other times the grade of the climb is so steep that every stride seems purchased at a painful price. Each type of ascent has its own merit.
It is also perfectly acceptable, actually advisable, to occasionally look back and see how far you have come. The act serves as encouragement to keep climbing. The passage in this life is not to reach the end destination but to prepare for it and make the most of the exploration. Ultimately you will get there but on the way positive steps in the right direction will make the expedition enriching and worthwhile. On rough terrain when the hike is steep and the slope slippery looking up to where you are going is more helpful than looking down. The time will come when you have gone over the jagged rock and up ahead are able look back and revel in the accomplishment.Regardless of where you are in life you can always look around and find someone better off, someone in about the same condition and someone worse off than you are. All three should be humbling experiences to motivate you to keep going rather than to rate yourself against them and allow you to halt. Others have their own journey, the one you have belongs to you and are responsible for each rung you make on the way up. It never hurts to reach down and give a hand to help someone else over the jagged rock, it is advisable since you will need the aid some day.
Positive thinking, optimism, self-reliance and mutual help are the mental tools that will keep you going and avoid stopping. As we move along our pilgrimage we collect and gather the means to take the next step. Know yourself and be yourself, it is an act of courage that enriches your experience, as well as giving you the wisdom to help others. All roads indeed do lead to a common destination but the mission on the journey upward is to make it worthwhile.
11/21/11
Guess That's Why
They call it the blues...
Blue is a color, an emotion and a form of American music. It is a primary color that mixes with two other primary colors to create a myriad of colors.
As a standalone color it is one of the most popular "favorite" colors. Everyone has a different concept of what feeling it evokes for them. "Feeling Blue" represents the down side of life. On the other hand it is an optimistic pigment, the hue of the sky is the limit, you can go as far and as fast as you want to go.
Blue is a color, an emotion and a form of American music. It is a primary color that mixes with two other primary colors to create a myriad of colors.
11/13/11
10/21/11
There Is No Place
Like Our Place...
Since 2008 I have been taking road trips through Arizona, New Mexico and the Inland Empire of California sometimes alone and other times with my partner. During my trips I talk with local people, observe local color as well as visit friends and make new ones. I've also watched the area change during this economic period and how it has affected people and the landscape. It is clear there has not been an economic recovery or that we are merely in a double dip but in some sort of disruptive economic contraction that is of greater magnitude and will take time to resolve. The question now is how do we cope and make the best use of what we have and keep ourselves alive and prosperous in mind and spirit?
There are pockets on the map that are doing fairly well, some in a temporary mini-boom. The majority of places of any size are at a minimum in a holding pattern of stagnation at best while there are areas that are clearly in a doomsday bust. You see it in small things such as service at a decent hotel is slightly degraded to entire blocks of buildings empty, broken down and facilities lacking. The most telling thing is people and what is in their eyes.
Many people are clearly not doing or handling the downturn well. There are others who keep going through their daily routine seemingly happy enough but you can sense by looking in their eyes many of them have troubles. Others eyes are clear and bright, full of the knowledge that times are getting tougher but there is still life to live and make the most of. Those are the people I'm drawn to and hold fascinating conversations with about the condition of our region and how to make the best of it.
The mainstream media, politicians and special interest groups would have us believe all kinds of things about each other. One thing that has been consistent in travelling this region as time has tattered and worn down structures and people is the resilience of a significant percentage of the population. That has not changed. They come in all sizes and shapes, colors and age but all of them carry a spirit that is healthy to be around. These are the people I'm surrounding myself with to maintain a high level of energy and optimism so I may return the favor. In the long term our place is in our minds and souls and how we choose to preserve and uplift ourselves and others.
Since 2008 I have been taking road trips through Arizona, New Mexico and the Inland Empire of California sometimes alone and other times with my partner. During my trips I talk with local people, observe local color as well as visit friends and make new ones. I've also watched the area change during this economic period and how it has affected people and the landscape. It is clear there has not been an economic recovery or that we are merely in a double dip but in some sort of disruptive economic contraction that is of greater magnitude and will take time to resolve. The question now is how do we cope and make the best use of what we have and keep ourselves alive and prosperous in mind and spirit?
There are pockets on the map that are doing fairly well, some in a temporary mini-boom. The majority of places of any size are at a minimum in a holding pattern of stagnation at best while there are areas that are clearly in a doomsday bust. You see it in small things such as service at a decent hotel is slightly degraded to entire blocks of buildings empty, broken down and facilities lacking. The most telling thing is people and what is in their eyes.
The mainstream media, politicians and special interest groups would have us believe all kinds of things about each other. One thing that has been consistent in travelling this region as time has tattered and worn down structures and people is the resilience of a significant percentage of the population. That has not changed. They come in all sizes and shapes, colors and age but all of them carry a spirit that is healthy to be around. These are the people I'm surrounding myself with to maintain a high level of energy and optimism so I may return the favor. In the long term our place is in our minds and souls and how we choose to preserve and uplift ourselves and others.
10/18/11
America's Biggest Concern
Is not economic depression but a psychological one...
No fear, no defeatism, no going backwards.
Personally I think political, education, corporate and financial institution leaders want to keep the populace off balance as a method of control. They view the despair and anger that fuels different corners ranging from the Tea Party to Occupy Wall Street demonstrators as silly little distractions to keep the masses occupied with infighting. People need to wake up and channel their energies into a more proactive plan of action. The first place to start is with you. It behooves us to take stock of what we have or don't, what we owe and what we don't, own up to the mistakes we may have made with money and constructively deal with it. However you do it, whether it is liquidate everything and repudiate debt, give up the escapism of consumerism, complex relationships, drugs and alcohol and own up to who you really are and embrace a self image as a strong individual. The road to mutual help is laid by being a powerful person that can help themselves so they may help others. It is a matter of survival and will; individuals must fight to keep their inner fire burning and continue moving forward.
To stop is to risk never getting started again and I refuse to do that although it is a battle within at times. Personally it makes no sense for me to get mad at behemoth institutions I have no control over. If your temperament is to get involved and shake down the windows and rattle the walls then doing it as an ant on a hill of thousands doesn't do much for you personally. It is why the large power brokers prefer it.
Far better to note Tip O'Neill's observation that "All politics is local" as far more useful since getting involved locally empowers you as an individual that effects change. Everyone is different in goals. What is my "local" thing? During general election years I work for the County Elections Board running precincts as a non-partisan Inspector. Work for the local political party, any local organization to make change. There's plenty unattended situations needing help, leaders and an answer.
Do anything but stand still doing nothing or moving around making a lot of noise with little result for the effort. Our biggest concern as a country isn't just an economic one. It is an economic depression that leads to a psychological one because people fall into the trap of feeling like failures. They believe they failed because they screwed up their finances, education, income, career or wasted time on banging the drum at the bank, the school or employers to no avail. They mistakenly escaped into complex relationships, sexual arrangements or drugs and alcohol. Even if you have fallen into trapdoors there is always some way out but it is rarely easy and takes effort.
This does take work though. Personal hard work, one foot in front of the other with times that every step of progress is painfully bought. There is also satisfaction that you are moving forward going somewhere rather than running from something. Run towards the light away from fear. The biggest fear most people have is living in a weekly motel collecting change for food and splitting their blood pressure pills. That fear will carry you there as a self-fulfilling prophecy if you take it to its ultimate end. Conversely being optimistic, working at moving forward, putting effort toward reaching light is a foregone conclusion of destiny. Refuse to allow the government, financial institutions, consumerism, corporations, marketing, political class to force you into a life of submission and manipulation you don't want. In doing so you become a strong individual of character that as a consequence will be supported by others and surrounded by people you can influence to make real change occur.
No fear, no defeatism, no going backwards.
Personally I think political, education, corporate and financial institution leaders want to keep the populace off balance as a method of control. They view the despair and anger that fuels different corners ranging from the Tea Party to Occupy Wall Street demonstrators as silly little distractions to keep the masses occupied with infighting. People need to wake up and channel their energies into a more proactive plan of action. The first place to start is with you. It behooves us to take stock of what we have or don't, what we owe and what we don't, own up to the mistakes we may have made with money and constructively deal with it. However you do it, whether it is liquidate everything and repudiate debt, give up the escapism of consumerism, complex relationships, drugs and alcohol and own up to who you really are and embrace a self image as a strong individual. The road to mutual help is laid by being a powerful person that can help themselves so they may help others. It is a matter of survival and will; individuals must fight to keep their inner fire burning and continue moving forward.
To stop is to risk never getting started again and I refuse to do that although it is a battle within at times. Personally it makes no sense for me to get mad at behemoth institutions I have no control over. If your temperament is to get involved and shake down the windows and rattle the walls then doing it as an ant on a hill of thousands doesn't do much for you personally. It is why the large power brokers prefer it.
Do anything but stand still doing nothing or moving around making a lot of noise with little result for the effort. Our biggest concern as a country isn't just an economic one. It is an economic depression that leads to a psychological one because people fall into the trap of feeling like failures. They believe they failed because they screwed up their finances, education, income, career or wasted time on banging the drum at the bank, the school or employers to no avail. They mistakenly escaped into complex relationships, sexual arrangements or drugs and alcohol. Even if you have fallen into trapdoors there is always some way out but it is rarely easy and takes effort.
10/13/11
On The Other Side Viral
A lost week to some imported microrganism...
Since last Saturday afternoon for 15-18 of 24 hours in a day I have slept due to some kind of virus. I blame the winter visitors who annually always bring some unwanted gift from Back East. The bad news is I lost almost five days. The good news is apparently I didn't have it as bad as some people who didn't get a flu shot, therefore I missed the grizzlier aspects of it.
I'm determined to stay awake for the rest of the day with the help of pseudoephedrine and caffeine. Since I can't share the offending microbe I will share the unedited version of an unshaven bedheaded me. On the lighter side the last time I succumbed to anything was early 2006 and when I recovered I had a burst of creativity. My mind is already cranking, photos and videos that need editing with stuff in my head that demands to be written.
Since last Saturday afternoon for 15-18 of 24 hours in a day I have slept due to some kind of virus. I blame the winter visitors who annually always bring some unwanted gift from Back East. The bad news is I lost almost five days. The good news is apparently I didn't have it as bad as some people who didn't get a flu shot, therefore I missed the grizzlier aspects of it.
I'm determined to stay awake for the rest of the day with the help of pseudoephedrine and caffeine. Since I can't share the offending microbe I will share the unedited version of an unshaven bedheaded me. On the lighter side the last time I succumbed to anything was early 2006 and when I recovered I had a burst of creativity. My mind is already cranking, photos and videos that need editing with stuff in my head that demands to be written.
4/15/11
Living In America
It's not easy to stay motivated and positive...
The alternative however, is not a good choice.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling alright until I moved to get out of bed. At first I thought that allergies, which are prevalent and very bad this year and the medication I had taken before bed, had caused me to sleep hunched up. That was my explanation until I stood up and realized that my back hurt badly, in the kidneys-kind-of-way and not just sore but painful.
This always freaks me out because it is close to the pain I woke up with one Sunday early in 2008 to find out during a week of doctor visits, something I dislike, that my left kidney had failed and as a result the right one was failing. Sparing the details, I ended up with months of several operations and outpatient procedures. I've also been having these past few weeks other small signs that could be related that I've brushed off. OK, I can deal with it, knowing it's probably only at worst a kidney infection or a stone. I drink a lot of water (it's all I drink) every day and now drink even more now to try to clear it out. I'll wait until Monday to see how it goes and then decide how to proceed if nothing's improved. My theory is if I'm not unceasingly nauseous, passing blood or throbbing with intolerable pain, physical problems usually can wait a few more days.
That discovery would have been alright if I hadn't been told shortly thereafter that the person I've lived with for 15 years, suddenly realized that he couldn't find my Post Office Box key, the only one that exists. This required retracing his steps to all the places he'd been before the post office, at the post office and from the post office as well as searching the house. Still...no key. Later in the day I went back to the post office again to ask if anyone had turned in a key. To summarize, this is going to be a different kind of pain in the backside, since I've had this post office box for decades and the other key disappeared years ago. I am going to have to pay the Federal Government to replace my lock, which will also wait until Monday, when I plan by then to still be walking upright.
Why am I recounting this Too-Much-Information in a blog that could be read by anyone? One of the few YouTube video bloggers that I still subscribe to who is of the video online community I was once part of, Mean Black Dude, in the Washington DC/Maryland area, posted a video blog "Motivate Me!." In his vlog he asks "how does one stay motivated in this society?" and keep on going in this economy. (Careful if you're squeamish about the "BS" word.)
It's a good question I think everyone from all segments of our society ask themselves. Some ask it every day, all day and others of us just ask it every once in awhile on a bad day. My response to him was in the limited context of what YouTube allows in 500 characters. Essentially I commented: What keeps me motivated may sound really corny but it's staying positive. I'm a pragmatic, realistic man so I control what I can, myself and my attitude, letting the rest go. I avoid negative people and refuse to buy into bad attitudes. That said, it's not easy to do, it takes effort. You can read the entire comment section here to see his response and the variety of other comments.
Am I always positive? Am I one of those happy, upbeat people that drives everyone nuts? Absolutely not. It is work to stay optimistic sometimes and I have down days. Some of them have been down weeks these past few months but in the back of my mind there is always the thought, that the only other option to not being generally optimistic and positive is not a pleasant one. I know because I tried it for a time when I was younger. Fortunately I discovered that being an angry young man wasn't good for me and especially for anyone around me. The prospect of being an angry old man also meant being a very depressed and bitter old white guy we all recognize. I'm not sure what woke me up but I'm glad something did. Perhaps it was another dramatic medical event in my twenties, the early death of my father when I was starting college or a combination of a number of unfortunate things that happened then.
When I had a medical crisis in 2008, far worse than I let most people realize, I again recognized that my only option was to remain optimistic, positive and self-reliant. That is because when you send out those signals to people, they are returned to you, multiplied. It attracts people to you who will also provide you with support and mutual help. When I had a less than productive or good day such as today, I somehow manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other and stop it from being a negative day.
I also reminded myself that no matter where you are in life you are, high or low, you can always look and find someone better off than you are and someone worse off than you are. That is what keeps me motivated to stay optimistic and positive as well as considering that the alternative is not a good choice.
The alternative however, is not a good choice.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling alright until I moved to get out of bed. At first I thought that allergies, which are prevalent and very bad this year and the medication I had taken before bed, had caused me to sleep hunched up. That was my explanation until I stood up and realized that my back hurt badly, in the kidneys-kind-of-way and not just sore but painful.
This always freaks me out because it is close to the pain I woke up with one Sunday early in 2008 to find out during a week of doctor visits, something I dislike, that my left kidney had failed and as a result the right one was failing. Sparing the details, I ended up with months of several operations and outpatient procedures. I've also been having these past few weeks other small signs that could be related that I've brushed off. OK, I can deal with it, knowing it's probably only at worst a kidney infection or a stone. I drink a lot of water (it's all I drink) every day and now drink even more now to try to clear it out. I'll wait until Monday to see how it goes and then decide how to proceed if nothing's improved. My theory is if I'm not unceasingly nauseous, passing blood or throbbing with intolerable pain, physical problems usually can wait a few more days.
That discovery would have been alright if I hadn't been told shortly thereafter that the person I've lived with for 15 years, suddenly realized that he couldn't find my Post Office Box key, the only one that exists. This required retracing his steps to all the places he'd been before the post office, at the post office and from the post office as well as searching the house. Still...no key. Later in the day I went back to the post office again to ask if anyone had turned in a key. To summarize, this is going to be a different kind of pain in the backside, since I've had this post office box for decades and the other key disappeared years ago. I am going to have to pay the Federal Government to replace my lock, which will also wait until Monday, when I plan by then to still be walking upright.
Why am I recounting this Too-Much-Information in a blog that could be read by anyone? One of the few YouTube video bloggers that I still subscribe to who is of the video online community I was once part of, Mean Black Dude, in the Washington DC/Maryland area, posted a video blog "Motivate Me!." In his vlog he asks "how does one stay motivated in this society?" and keep on going in this economy. (Careful if you're squeamish about the "BS" word.)
It's a good question I think everyone from all segments of our society ask themselves. Some ask it every day, all day and others of us just ask it every once in awhile on a bad day. My response to him was in the limited context of what YouTube allows in 500 characters. Essentially I commented: What keeps me motivated may sound really corny but it's staying positive. I'm a pragmatic, realistic man so I control what I can, myself and my attitude, letting the rest go. I avoid negative people and refuse to buy into bad attitudes. That said, it's not easy to do, it takes effort. You can read the entire comment section here to see his response and the variety of other comments.
Am I always positive? Am I one of those happy, upbeat people that drives everyone nuts? Absolutely not. It is work to stay optimistic sometimes and I have down days. Some of them have been down weeks these past few months but in the back of my mind there is always the thought, that the only other option to not being generally optimistic and positive is not a pleasant one. I know because I tried it for a time when I was younger. Fortunately I discovered that being an angry young man wasn't good for me and especially for anyone around me. The prospect of being an angry old man also meant being a very depressed and bitter old white guy we all recognize. I'm not sure what woke me up but I'm glad something did. Perhaps it was another dramatic medical event in my twenties, the early death of my father when I was starting college or a combination of a number of unfortunate things that happened then.
When I had a medical crisis in 2008, far worse than I let most people realize, I again recognized that my only option was to remain optimistic, positive and self-reliant. That is because when you send out those signals to people, they are returned to you, multiplied. It attracts people to you who will also provide you with support and mutual help. When I had a less than productive or good day such as today, I somehow manage to keep putting one foot in front of the other and stop it from being a negative day.
I also reminded myself that no matter where you are in life you are, high or low, you can always look and find someone better off than you are and someone worse off than you are. That is what keeps me motivated to stay optimistic and positive as well as considering that the alternative is not a good choice.
1/18/11
Economic, Social and Geopolitical
Seventies Redux...
Best case scenario: We don't become like the UK in the seventies.
Worst case scenario: Hyperinflation due to full blown currency crisis.
Optimum scenario: We make the best of whatever happens.
This is not a happy blog but a hefty dose of reality with a heaping helping of positive hope at the ending. The challenges our economy faces in order for the mild recovery that occurred in 2010 to continue are myriad and not one of them must falter in order for the others to remain intact. They're economic indicator dominoes. They require a vastly improved employment outlook, GDP far greater than the two percent we're at currently, a stable currency, resolution of the mortgage foreclosure crisis, rapid debt deleveraging with simultaneous consumer spending, an increase in manufacturing and companies holding cash investing in equipment and new services. The reader gets the general idea. This means at best we're likely in for a stagnating economy, often referred to as stagflation, due to the certainty that unemployment will remain high, debt ratios will not be reduced and productivity won't increase enough, along with the wrong kind of inflation. We are already beginning to experience this type of inflation, in the products we most need, not the macroeconomic type of inflation the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is lamely trying to coax. He is playing a high risk game of quantitative easing, chancing hyperinflation in a quest to avoid the dicey pitfall of deflation.
The price and problems of commodities are telegraphing to us what we are incrementally seeing in our daily lives and will loom larger as 2011 progresses. Oil, steel, lumber, corn and wheat, utilities (electric and gas), copper, rare earth and other commodities are gaining in price along with looming currency problems, ours and other countries. This translates to everyday consumers as higher prices for food, gas, durable goods such as household items, clothing and personal products. It is no accident that the major wireless carriers are reducing perks and raising prices, not necessarily due to their costs going up much right now, it's because they know we've become dependent on them. Heed the economic signal these corporations are sending that outmatches the one broadcasting over their airwaves.
In other words expect inflation for things we consider absolute necessity goods and have a real need to use. Products such as gas to get to work if we have a job and food for nourishment and clothes to keep us warm and dry or cool and comfortable.
Our worst danger is devaluation of the US dollar which puts us at risk of not being the preferred reserve (anchor) currency of the world. China is making a serious bid for the Yuan to become the reserve currency within the decade. Then all bets are off. Until the late sixties the UK's pound sterling was the number one reserve currency until the US dollar became the preferred currency. Britain suffered greatly during the 1970s and we would do well to mind what happened there at that time. They have never fully recovered, since after Thatcher's valiant and mostly successful effort to return the UK to a more normal economy, Tony Blair and the Labour party then destroyed advances for short term political gains. The reader should be hearing a familiar ringing in the ears here.
Simultaneously, with the probable exclusion of items of precious metals and gems such as jewelry (an exception for several reasons), coins and bullion, most items that are not really necessary such as designer label clothes, brand name fine furniture, high end appliances and electronics, prices will drop. Since consumers will have to spend money on the absolute necessities, the lower cost of these goods will be irrelevant, since they'll be out of reach for most people.
The interesting thing about this era is that many of the things, bottled water for instance, that people now consider necessities will quickly be reduced to unnecessary goods in the blink of an eye, in a characteristically true American way. For example bottled water will go out of fashion because it will become more expensive but people will state the reason they no longer consume it is for environmental reasons, citing plastic bottles, carbon burning transportation, energy used to extract it from it's source, etc. The real reason will be that the outlay for more important things, basics like fuel, food and tap water, will take priority in a squeezed budget.
On the flip side, expect deflation in things we may have once considered necessary, have become inexpensive but not as necessary as we thought, in context of what we really need. We'll discover that the label on clothing or if the veggie's soil was organic is irrelevant.
An example is fuel costs will be high and hybrid cars will be expensive but you will be able to buy a gas guzzler on the cheap.
We may find ourselves, along with $8 a gallon gasoline, in a situation where electric power is rotated among substations or brownouts and wireless connections will be disabled during certain periods of time. In denial this could happen? Again, look to Britain in the seventies, where similar things occurred. Some people won't go to work due to wages versus cost of getting there. No US Mail, UPS or FedEx deliveries, because the earnings won't be enough to pay the costs of delivering the goods. A new found dislike for unions will be discovered amongst people who were previously neutral or pro on the topic of unionism. Police and fire unions will strike to demand they get pay raises to equal their cost of living. Think not? Think again.
We should learn from the past, relying on ourselves and each other.
Our best hope is we will be smart enough to avoid these confrontations and difficulties and learn to conserve and use wisely what we have and improvise what we don't. More importantly learn the value of cooperation and socializing with good people who will exchange one good turn for another. The art of bargaining is not as disdained in many cultures as much as it is in the United States but that could change. That is my hope but so far I'm not banking on it. After experiencing 25 years of unprecedented prosperity, we have become entrenched with a sense of entitlement, several generations have unrealistic expectations that it should always be that way. History does not bear that out.
The worthwhile benefit that I sincerely hope is this coming decade will serve as a catalyst for a significant number of people to reinvent themselves with the ingenuity this country was once attributed with. To be sure a lot of Americans will remain stuck in a rut of their own making, their choice, not collateral damage. For others that are suffering in ways not of their making, we should lend a helping hand. I'm hoping that in the long term though many will learn the creative skill of more than making do and improving what they have into something greater. Hopefully, much like a generation or two that was shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, we will learn through hard times to make life better, gaining values that stick with us for a lifetime and pass them on.
True, this thought is quite optimistic coupled with positive thinking. It is held together by hope and belief in the higher nature of many Americans, who in the long view of our history, get going when life gets down to the nitty gritty.
Best case scenario: We don't become like the UK in the seventies.
Worst case scenario: Hyperinflation due to full blown currency crisis.
Optimum scenario: We make the best of whatever happens.
This is not a happy blog but a hefty dose of reality with a heaping helping of positive hope at the ending. The challenges our economy faces in order for the mild recovery that occurred in 2010 to continue are myriad and not one of them must falter in order for the others to remain intact. They're economic indicator dominoes. They require a vastly improved employment outlook, GDP far greater than the two percent we're at currently, a stable currency, resolution of the mortgage foreclosure crisis, rapid debt deleveraging with simultaneous consumer spending, an increase in manufacturing and companies holding cash investing in equipment and new services. The reader gets the general idea. This means at best we're likely in for a stagnating economy, often referred to as stagflation, due to the certainty that unemployment will remain high, debt ratios will not be reduced and productivity won't increase enough, along with the wrong kind of inflation. We are already beginning to experience this type of inflation, in the products we most need, not the macroeconomic type of inflation the Chairman of the Federal Reserve is lamely trying to coax. He is playing a high risk game of quantitative easing, chancing hyperinflation in a quest to avoid the dicey pitfall of deflation.
The price and problems of commodities are telegraphing to us what we are incrementally seeing in our daily lives and will loom larger as 2011 progresses. Oil, steel, lumber, corn and wheat, utilities (electric and gas), copper, rare earth and other commodities are gaining in price along with looming currency problems, ours and other countries. This translates to everyday consumers as higher prices for food, gas, durable goods such as household items, clothing and personal products. It is no accident that the major wireless carriers are reducing perks and raising prices, not necessarily due to their costs going up much right now, it's because they know we've become dependent on them. Heed the economic signal these corporations are sending that outmatches the one broadcasting over their airwaves.
In other words expect inflation for things we consider absolute necessity goods and have a real need to use. Products such as gas to get to work if we have a job and food for nourishment and clothes to keep us warm and dry or cool and comfortable.
Our worst danger is devaluation of the US dollar which puts us at risk of not being the preferred reserve (anchor) currency of the world. China is making a serious bid for the Yuan to become the reserve currency within the decade. Then all bets are off. Until the late sixties the UK's pound sterling was the number one reserve currency until the US dollar became the preferred currency. Britain suffered greatly during the 1970s and we would do well to mind what happened there at that time. They have never fully recovered, since after Thatcher's valiant and mostly successful effort to return the UK to a more normal economy, Tony Blair and the Labour party then destroyed advances for short term political gains. The reader should be hearing a familiar ringing in the ears here.
Simultaneously, with the probable exclusion of items of precious metals and gems such as jewelry (an exception for several reasons), coins and bullion, most items that are not really necessary such as designer label clothes, brand name fine furniture, high end appliances and electronics, prices will drop. Since consumers will have to spend money on the absolute necessities, the lower cost of these goods will be irrelevant, since they'll be out of reach for most people.
The interesting thing about this era is that many of the things, bottled water for instance, that people now consider necessities will quickly be reduced to unnecessary goods in the blink of an eye, in a characteristically true American way. For example bottled water will go out of fashion because it will become more expensive but people will state the reason they no longer consume it is for environmental reasons, citing plastic bottles, carbon burning transportation, energy used to extract it from it's source, etc. The real reason will be that the outlay for more important things, basics like fuel, food and tap water, will take priority in a squeezed budget.
On the flip side, expect deflation in things we may have once considered necessary, have become inexpensive but not as necessary as we thought, in context of what we really need. We'll discover that the label on clothing or if the veggie's soil was organic is irrelevant.
An example is fuel costs will be high and hybrid cars will be expensive but you will be able to buy a gas guzzler on the cheap.
We may find ourselves, along with $8 a gallon gasoline, in a situation where electric power is rotated among substations or brownouts and wireless connections will be disabled during certain periods of time. In denial this could happen? Again, look to Britain in the seventies, where similar things occurred. Some people won't go to work due to wages versus cost of getting there. No US Mail, UPS or FedEx deliveries, because the earnings won't be enough to pay the costs of delivering the goods. A new found dislike for unions will be discovered amongst people who were previously neutral or pro on the topic of unionism. Police and fire unions will strike to demand they get pay raises to equal their cost of living. Think not? Think again.
We should learn from the past, relying on ourselves and each other.
Our best hope is we will be smart enough to avoid these confrontations and difficulties and learn to conserve and use wisely what we have and improvise what we don't. More importantly learn the value of cooperation and socializing with good people who will exchange one good turn for another. The art of bargaining is not as disdained in many cultures as much as it is in the United States but that could change. That is my hope but so far I'm not banking on it. After experiencing 25 years of unprecedented prosperity, we have become entrenched with a sense of entitlement, several generations have unrealistic expectations that it should always be that way. History does not bear that out.
The worthwhile benefit that I sincerely hope is this coming decade will serve as a catalyst for a significant number of people to reinvent themselves with the ingenuity this country was once attributed with. To be sure a lot of Americans will remain stuck in a rut of their own making, their choice, not collateral damage. For others that are suffering in ways not of their making, we should lend a helping hand. I'm hoping that in the long term though many will learn the creative skill of more than making do and improving what they have into something greater. Hopefully, much like a generation or two that was shaped by the Great Depression and World War II, we will learn through hard times to make life better, gaining values that stick with us for a lifetime and pass them on.
True, this thought is quite optimistic coupled with positive thinking. It is held together by hope and belief in the higher nature of many Americans, who in the long view of our history, get going when life gets down to the nitty gritty.
1/3/11
Geography of the Mind
If your time to you is worth savin'...
Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
We are in an epoch where I believe people will be distinguished not as much by status and financial worth, income from employment or other means (or little to none), looks or personal bearing, community or style of life, rural or urban, although those things will always matter to some degree. Rather it will be if they are coping with the times or they are not, regardless of what populace they are from. The world is rapidly changing and living in it, at it's basest, is either acceptance or denial.
The darkest angst of most people is being alone, with no social significance, income or money and living in a weekly motel splitting pills and dumpster diving. How you cope with that reptilian fear determines how well you will fare in difficult times. There is a grain of truth in what you believe will happen to you, actually will. If you encounter your lizard brain fears, you will likely overcome them. Among us are many people, who have never experienced life during a significant economic downturn that affects most of society. They probably are in most need of examining their innermost dread, if they're smart and they dare to, to avoid being surprised in the worst way. As a matter of fact it is worthwhile for everyone to explore, far better to be surprised in the best way, whether or not you believe the world is turning a different direction.
Everything that I needed to learn about life I learned during the turbulent times of the late sixties through the early eighties during my teens and twenties. For me the years spanning between 1968 and 1982 were packed with racial strife, assassinations, political scandal, war, riots, anti-draft movement, hostage-taking and terrorism, energy crisis, labor difficulties and unrest. All of those things seemed distant to me at the time though, although it was ever-present in the news and the topic of conversation among everyone. What directly affected me was the economy and how I was going to not only survive but thrive in it. I had to face what I was afraid of.
Every once in awhile you feel a tap on your shoulder and turn around only to face yourself.
There were technical recessions in the years 1969-1970, 1973-1975, 1978, 1980 and 1980-1982 but to me it was one long economic haul of "stagflation" and constantly figuring out ways to keep my head above water and staying afloat. I started working and paying taxes and social security in 1968 when I was 14 years old. In 1972 I went to work for the Bell System which from 1974 onward, operated in constant surplus and layoff mode. I eyeballed my fear that life would be a long treadmill of deprivation and resolved that I would not let it be like that. The amazing thing is that it forged me into living in ways that not only made ends meet but more often than not, improved what I had, while also still being happy and not feeling deprived.
That time period forced me into a life of thinking creatively, learning self-reliance, independence, motivation, problem solving, never giving up and always going forward. I learned how to take what I had and make it into something better, enjoy life without an excess of material consumer goods and often more than enough. I managed to be comfortable in my living situation and obtain what I needed and wanted in innovative alternate ways. It was very often difficult and I sometimes thought life would always be that way. In hindsight those years prepared me for how to deal with all kinds of difficult situations, not just economic, as I encountered them. It also made me more original and I created my best early art, photography, writing and music.
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
It is my belief that people will either learn to live ingeniously and do the best with what they have, figure out ways to obtain what they don't have if they really need or want it, or they won't. There are many people living more innovatively now, many who aren't but will and many who never will. Those who don't will remain stuck in a time warp the rest of their lives and there is little the rest of us can do about it. There is still enough "America" in the United States to rise above difficult times for most people. The knowledge is out there to figure out means, although it may require significant changes in attitude and approach to life, to rise above hardship and difficulties. Very often what some people consider a catastrophic lifestyle change isn't that at all, their expectations are out of alignment.
If some do not want to confront their basest reptilian fears, no one else can force them. Our only obligation is to make what is known available to them, it is their obligation to mobilize themselves and actuate their reality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrVkEKcSoFE
Then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone
We are in an epoch where I believe people will be distinguished not as much by status and financial worth, income from employment or other means (or little to none), looks or personal bearing, community or style of life, rural or urban, although those things will always matter to some degree. Rather it will be if they are coping with the times or they are not, regardless of what populace they are from. The world is rapidly changing and living in it, at it's basest, is either acceptance or denial.
The darkest angst of most people is being alone, with no social significance, income or money and living in a weekly motel splitting pills and dumpster diving. How you cope with that reptilian fear determines how well you will fare in difficult times. There is a grain of truth in what you believe will happen to you, actually will. If you encounter your lizard brain fears, you will likely overcome them. Among us are many people, who have never experienced life during a significant economic downturn that affects most of society. They probably are in most need of examining their innermost dread, if they're smart and they dare to, to avoid being surprised in the worst way. As a matter of fact it is worthwhile for everyone to explore, far better to be surprised in the best way, whether or not you believe the world is turning a different direction.
Everything that I needed to learn about life I learned during the turbulent times of the late sixties through the early eighties during my teens and twenties. For me the years spanning between 1968 and 1982 were packed with racial strife, assassinations, political scandal, war, riots, anti-draft movement, hostage-taking and terrorism, energy crisis, labor difficulties and unrest. All of those things seemed distant to me at the time though, although it was ever-present in the news and the topic of conversation among everyone. What directly affected me was the economy and how I was going to not only survive but thrive in it. I had to face what I was afraid of.
Every once in awhile you feel a tap on your shoulder and turn around only to face yourself.
There were technical recessions in the years 1969-1970, 1973-1975, 1978, 1980 and 1980-1982 but to me it was one long economic haul of "stagflation" and constantly figuring out ways to keep my head above water and staying afloat. I started working and paying taxes and social security in 1968 when I was 14 years old. In 1972 I went to work for the Bell System which from 1974 onward, operated in constant surplus and layoff mode. I eyeballed my fear that life would be a long treadmill of deprivation and resolved that I would not let it be like that. The amazing thing is that it forged me into living in ways that not only made ends meet but more often than not, improved what I had, while also still being happy and not feeling deprived.
That time period forced me into a life of thinking creatively, learning self-reliance, independence, motivation, problem solving, never giving up and always going forward. I learned how to take what I had and make it into something better, enjoy life without an excess of material consumer goods and often more than enough. I managed to be comfortable in my living situation and obtain what I needed and wanted in innovative alternate ways. It was very often difficult and I sometimes thought life would always be that way. In hindsight those years prepared me for how to deal with all kinds of difficult situations, not just economic, as I encountered them. It also made me more original and I created my best early art, photography, writing and music.
Your old road is rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one if you can't lend your hand
It is my belief that people will either learn to live ingeniously and do the best with what they have, figure out ways to obtain what they don't have if they really need or want it, or they won't. There are many people living more innovatively now, many who aren't but will and many who never will. Those who don't will remain stuck in a time warp the rest of their lives and there is little the rest of us can do about it. There is still enough "America" in the United States to rise above difficult times for most people. The knowledge is out there to figure out means, although it may require significant changes in attitude and approach to life, to rise above hardship and difficulties. Very often what some people consider a catastrophic lifestyle change isn't that at all, their expectations are out of alignment.
If some do not want to confront their basest reptilian fears, no one else can force them. Our only obligation is to make what is known available to them, it is their obligation to mobilize themselves and actuate their reality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrVkEKcSoFE
12/29/10
Geography of the Mind
Your Choice: In the mirror darkly or with clarity...
Paul's New Testament Biblical scripture 1 Corinthians 13:12 refers to the present and the future:
"For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know fully as even I am fully known."
It alludes to the veil that is placed over us as we see ourselves and this world as opposed to the lifting of that veil to see ourselves and the world in full light in the afterlife. How you interpret that or make use of it depends on your religious beliefs. My thought is that it worth it's original face value as intended but also, interpreted slightly differently, in another more practical daily perspective.
We all view ourselves as in a mirror and the way in which we view ourselves in light of the present world, religious decisions aside, is also how we react to the world and in return how it reacts to us. Lifting the veil to view ourselves practically and pragmatically helps us understand ourselves better for self-improvement. It is not a new concept and accepted in contemporary society as psychologically sound. Should we see ourselves darkly, we will view and be viewed in our interactions with the world accordingly. The same is true if we see ourselves with as much clarity as possible and view ourselves more assuredly, in turn our interactions will reflect that.
What I see in this difficult era is how people view themselves very much determines the course they will take during a turbulent, uncertain period of their lives and the ongoing outcome. You can view yourself as a casualty and injured party in this economic downturn, which may be true if you've lost a job, income, home, family...most especially if it's been uneven and unfair. The difficulty is getting beyond the point of feeling like an underdog and getting to a place in your mind that rises above that thought in order to move on. Otherwise your reflection of yourself will only mire you even more into a downward spiral.
This requires taking possession of the dominion of yourself and claiming control over your emotions and thoughts, never an easy task but required to get a better impression of yourself to project to others. It requires the tough actions of claiming and occupying your own decisions, taking charge of your attitudes and actions by creating original thoughts or borrowing some and adapting them to your situation, regardless of external circumstances. If you are prepared for challenge, change and adversity, the more often it occurs and you cope with them, then it becomes more natural to you and subsequently less difficult.
It's building character, which is never easy but always rewarding in the long term.
Paul's New Testament Biblical scripture 1 Corinthians 13:12 refers to the present and the future:
"For now we see in a mirror, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know fully as even I am fully known."
It alludes to the veil that is placed over us as we see ourselves and this world as opposed to the lifting of that veil to see ourselves and the world in full light in the afterlife. How you interpret that or make use of it depends on your religious beliefs. My thought is that it worth it's original face value as intended but also, interpreted slightly differently, in another more practical daily perspective.
We all view ourselves as in a mirror and the way in which we view ourselves in light of the present world, religious decisions aside, is also how we react to the world and in return how it reacts to us. Lifting the veil to view ourselves practically and pragmatically helps us understand ourselves better for self-improvement. It is not a new concept and accepted in contemporary society as psychologically sound. Should we see ourselves darkly, we will view and be viewed in our interactions with the world accordingly. The same is true if we see ourselves with as much clarity as possible and view ourselves more assuredly, in turn our interactions will reflect that.
What I see in this difficult era is how people view themselves very much determines the course they will take during a turbulent, uncertain period of their lives and the ongoing outcome. You can view yourself as a casualty and injured party in this economic downturn, which may be true if you've lost a job, income, home, family...most especially if it's been uneven and unfair. The difficulty is getting beyond the point of feeling like an underdog and getting to a place in your mind that rises above that thought in order to move on. Otherwise your reflection of yourself will only mire you even more into a downward spiral.
This requires taking possession of the dominion of yourself and claiming control over your emotions and thoughts, never an easy task but required to get a better impression of yourself to project to others. It requires the tough actions of claiming and occupying your own decisions, taking charge of your attitudes and actions by creating original thoughts or borrowing some and adapting them to your situation, regardless of external circumstances. If you are prepared for challenge, change and adversity, the more often it occurs and you cope with them, then it becomes more natural to you and subsequently less difficult.
It's building character, which is never easy but always rewarding in the long term.
12/28/10
Only In America
On the onset of 2011...
Many Americans have lost their confidence, one of the traits we are most known for. Our moxie has lost it's nerve and it's easy to understand why with the economic, social and political problems we are facing that, alas, are intertwined. Then again, many other Americans are in a happy recovery mode, which somehow seems surreal and more like denial.
I think I know why there are these two juxtaposing viewpoints.
Read or watch any media outlet and you can find both good news and bad news about the economy, social problems and political issues. Take your pick which you want to believe. My favorite example is the seemingly opposing stories, very often on the same page, headlined something like "Unemployment is down and job outlook improving" and another story with the seeming flip side headline "Personal income is down."
Well, yes...both are true because some people are getting jobs but they are lower paying. It's good news that is not coupled with the countering bad news in the same story. The media outlets spit the news in half chunks. Some people read the chunk they want to and others read both and either make connections between the two or they don't, for a variety of reasons.
The actuality is that we face significant social, economic and political problems in the coming year. The sovereign debt crisis in other countries will affect us, unemployment is still high and stagnant, the mortgage/foreclosure crisis is unresolved, debt overhang threatens financial institutions, we're at peak oil, there are global currency problems and the stock market is flirting with highs far too dangerous for the underlying fundamentals of the economy are among the major ones. The biggest problem is that postponing the inevitable by "Quantitative Easing" and keeping the money printing presses rolling, isn't working quite as hoped, preventing us from getting on with clearing up the certain aftermath that is coming after it all inevitably falls apart, which is likely to occur in 2011.
Which leads back to confidence, which I think we can regain. My belief is Americans are struggling with confidence because they feel a sense of pending doom and rightfully want to get it over with. The American way is to face a challenge head on and overcome it, not dilly dally with it like some European diplomat. The dominoes are lined up and with one slip they all fall. Let it happen so we may commence with picking up the pieces and rebuilding a real and sustainable recovery.
That's the kind of confidence and determination that Americans are best at. The malaise is caused by the political and business classes stretching out to maintain the old while the new is overdue waiting to be born.
Many Americans have lost their confidence, one of the traits we are most known for. Our moxie has lost it's nerve and it's easy to understand why with the economic, social and political problems we are facing that, alas, are intertwined. Then again, many other Americans are in a happy recovery mode, which somehow seems surreal and more like denial.
I think I know why there are these two juxtaposing viewpoints.
Read or watch any media outlet and you can find both good news and bad news about the economy, social problems and political issues. Take your pick which you want to believe. My favorite example is the seemingly opposing stories, very often on the same page, headlined something like "Unemployment is down and job outlook improving" and another story with the seeming flip side headline "Personal income is down."
Well, yes...both are true because some people are getting jobs but they are lower paying. It's good news that is not coupled with the countering bad news in the same story. The media outlets spit the news in half chunks. Some people read the chunk they want to and others read both and either make connections between the two or they don't, for a variety of reasons.
The actuality is that we face significant social, economic and political problems in the coming year. The sovereign debt crisis in other countries will affect us, unemployment is still high and stagnant, the mortgage/foreclosure crisis is unresolved, debt overhang threatens financial institutions, we're at peak oil, there are global currency problems and the stock market is flirting with highs far too dangerous for the underlying fundamentals of the economy are among the major ones. The biggest problem is that postponing the inevitable by "Quantitative Easing" and keeping the money printing presses rolling, isn't working quite as hoped, preventing us from getting on with clearing up the certain aftermath that is coming after it all inevitably falls apart, which is likely to occur in 2011.
Which leads back to confidence, which I think we can regain. My belief is Americans are struggling with confidence because they feel a sense of pending doom and rightfully want to get it over with. The American way is to face a challenge head on and overcome it, not dilly dally with it like some European diplomat. The dominoes are lined up and with one slip they all fall. Let it happen so we may commence with picking up the pieces and rebuilding a real and sustainable recovery.
That's the kind of confidence and determination that Americans are best at. The malaise is caused by the political and business classes stretching out to maintain the old while the new is overdue waiting to be born.
12/17/10
Geography of the Mind
A renewed American Individualism...
Returning to traditional American self-reliance and individualism is key to everyone surviving this economic downdraft and its related psychological impact.
Although I'm a generally optimistic person who usually figures out a way to make the best of things, under the assumption that in the long term things do work out for the best, I am also a realistic guy. I have trouble ignoring facts that are in front of me and actually get quite annoyed when people live in happy denial of bad circumstances. This is because I prefer to deal with actualities head on, resolve them as best as possible, to authentically move on with day-to-day life.
In general however, I'm not optimistic about the world and our country overall for the foreseeable future, especially 2011, for a variety of reasons. It seems to me that we are going to be forced to deal with a multitude of issues that stem from economic problems that have been forestalled by happy deniers. At the forefront in the US is unemployment, the mortgage crisis, heavy laden debt problems and a currency crisis international in scope. All other difficulties stem from those brass tacks. Additionally I recognize this means that a lot of people will be burdened with arduous and formidable hardships that I'm not impervious to and have myself experienced.
To me a renewed American Individualism is the most pragmatic down-to-earth way, that as singular mortal people, we can cope with what may occur to us or those around us. The larger entities of government, business, social service agencies, can do what they are able but it will necessarily be limited, leaving us as individuals to our own devices. As an immigrant, at its core, to me this is what being an American is all about.
Our minds and our hands are our best assets and not our possessions or bank accounts, although the latter two can help. In order to overcome turbulent and challenging times it takes a resolve to strengthen our minds and not fall prey to weak thinking which leads to bad decisions and poor character judgments. Doing this is not easy, nothing worthwhile is, it takes work and effort.
I believe that we are in an economic depression that can easily lead to a national group mentality depression, if it hasn't already started. As a country, in the Spirit of America, we cannot as individuals allow that to happen. Many of us have suffered from episodic depression and there is a lesson to be learned there, many of the coping skills in overcoming depression are the same ones we will all need to rise above adversity. We cannot let minds go to waste during this epoch and let it become an era known not only as an economic downturn but as a psychological breakdown of the American people.
This means we have to actively protect ourselves from unnecessary negative input and also avoid the poison of small minded thinkers who would have us fall into their web of lies and disaffection. This exists everywhere, from mainstream media to online commenters to political mongers of hate. Our best defense is sorting the wheat from the chaff and averting away from this destructive disinformation. Idle minds and bodies are the factories for discontent and discord for the soul.
A return to the tradition of American self-reliance and individualism is paramount to all of us surviving this economic downdraft and its related psychological impact. It is a practical and realistic way of dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life in unusual times. This does not mean every man for himself but rather that for each person who is able to maintain composure, another hand becomes available to lift someone else up who needs it. If we are always learning, doing something with our hands, keeping our bodies healthy and staying occupied with something useful and meaningful, no matter how large or small it seems, it is a contribution to everyone.
Returning to traditional American self-reliance and individualism is key to everyone surviving this economic downdraft and its related psychological impact.
Although I'm a generally optimistic person who usually figures out a way to make the best of things, under the assumption that in the long term things do work out for the best, I am also a realistic guy. I have trouble ignoring facts that are in front of me and actually get quite annoyed when people live in happy denial of bad circumstances. This is because I prefer to deal with actualities head on, resolve them as best as possible, to authentically move on with day-to-day life.
In general however, I'm not optimistic about the world and our country overall for the foreseeable future, especially 2011, for a variety of reasons. It seems to me that we are going to be forced to deal with a multitude of issues that stem from economic problems that have been forestalled by happy deniers. At the forefront in the US is unemployment, the mortgage crisis, heavy laden debt problems and a currency crisis international in scope. All other difficulties stem from those brass tacks. Additionally I recognize this means that a lot of people will be burdened with arduous and formidable hardships that I'm not impervious to and have myself experienced.
To me a renewed American Individualism is the most pragmatic down-to-earth way, that as singular mortal people, we can cope with what may occur to us or those around us. The larger entities of government, business, social service agencies, can do what they are able but it will necessarily be limited, leaving us as individuals to our own devices. As an immigrant, at its core, to me this is what being an American is all about.
Our minds and our hands are our best assets and not our possessions or bank accounts, although the latter two can help. In order to overcome turbulent and challenging times it takes a resolve to strengthen our minds and not fall prey to weak thinking which leads to bad decisions and poor character judgments. Doing this is not easy, nothing worthwhile is, it takes work and effort.
I believe that we are in an economic depression that can easily lead to a national group mentality depression, if it hasn't already started. As a country, in the Spirit of America, we cannot as individuals allow that to happen. Many of us have suffered from episodic depression and there is a lesson to be learned there, many of the coping skills in overcoming depression are the same ones we will all need to rise above adversity. We cannot let minds go to waste during this epoch and let it become an era known not only as an economic downturn but as a psychological breakdown of the American people.
This means we have to actively protect ourselves from unnecessary negative input and also avoid the poison of small minded thinkers who would have us fall into their web of lies and disaffection. This exists everywhere, from mainstream media to online commenters to political mongers of hate. Our best defense is sorting the wheat from the chaff and averting away from this destructive disinformation. Idle minds and bodies are the factories for discontent and discord for the soul.
A return to the tradition of American self-reliance and individualism is paramount to all of us surviving this economic downdraft and its related psychological impact. It is a practical and realistic way of dealing with the ups and downs of everyday life in unusual times. This does not mean every man for himself but rather that for each person who is able to maintain composure, another hand becomes available to lift someone else up who needs it. If we are always learning, doing something with our hands, keeping our bodies healthy and staying occupied with something useful and meaningful, no matter how large or small it seems, it is a contribution to everyone.
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