31 May 2018 Is Trump Too Smart?

Is Trump Too Smart?

I mean this is a derogatory manner.  Trump truly believes he a smart guy.  He does not like briefings from people who do know what they are talking about because he relies on his instincts.  When you are ignorant but don’t know it, things can get screwed up real fast.

He was advised to not change NAFTA, but he knew better.

He was advised to stay in The Trans Pacific Partnership, but he knew better.

He was advised to not break the Iran Nuclear deal, but he knew better.

He was advised not to congratulate Putin on his “election victory,” but he knew better.

He has nothing positive to show for his “better knowledge.”  It is not that he has better knowledge, just a bigger ego. His ego is so fragile that he can’t ever be thought of as a loser or weak.  

So, we have a President whose has a fragile ego and is not as smart as he thinks. I usually would be ok with this due to Congress being able to help keep him in check.  Or at least the Vice President and some of his staff.  However, after 16 months in office I see no backbone from Congress.  In fact, I see devotion to someone who shows loyalty to anyone.  As to the VP, he is a lap dog at best to the President.  I used to respect the Chief of Staff, John Kelly, but he obviously condones everything Trump has done because he is still in his job. 

I wish there was a positive in the future to look forward to until the next Presidential election, but that won’t be the case.  President Trump will continue his way of doing things no matter advice he is given.  What is worse is the people who condone and assist him with that approach.  It is sad to see people sell their souls, but that is the choice they made.  Would love to hear how they explain that to their kids and grandkids.  I never want to hear anyone of them talk about integrity unless it is to point how they gave theirs up.

30 May 2018 What Is Your Favorite Sport?

What Is Your Favorite Sport?

Growing up we had the 4 professional sports available to go see; football, baseball, basketball and hockey.  I did get to see each of them.  As to playing sport, I participated in football, basketball, swimming and track while in high school.  

When I went overseas for a year to Australia I got exposed to other sports; Australian Rules football, what my family there called real football (soccer), rugby and cricket.   Each had its unique attributes.  I came enjoy them a lot.  I went to a semi-final match for the Australian Rules championship.  Over 100,000 people in the stadium. Lots of beer and yelling.  It was great.

I went to a cricket match between England and Australia. They were considered the best in the world.  A match takes place over 4 days.  Each day the game runs 5 hours.  A lot of people in the US might think it boring, but like any sport there is tremendous skill and strategy involved.   

I gained a loved for English league and international soccer.  I found out just how popular it is with the rest of the world.  I have been to an English Premier match in London.  It is hard to describe just how loud it is with the singing of the team’s songs.  

In my adult life, I enjoyed watching just about any competitive sport.  Today it is mostly NFL football and international soccer.

My favorite sport as a participant will always be football. The contact was what I enjoyed most. I always dreamed of playing in the NFL. I did not make it through high school level due to knee issues.  I had to find other sports that were not as hard on the knees. 

Sports were a big part of my youth.  I was always involved in one or another.  I remain a fan and will cheer any great effort.  I feel lucky I have been able to experience many as a participant as well as a spectator.    

29 May 2018 What Is Your Measure Of A Successful Life?

What Is Your Measure Of A Successful Life?

Everyone looks in the mirror and has that internal discussion of where their life is and is it what they want.  You can read all kinds of sayings about how to measure someone’s life; “were they a good person,” “did they make the world a better place?”  That is an outside measure, but is it your measure?  For the most part, it does not matter what others think. I do have an exception to that. If you meet your measures of success or not with your life is all that matters. It does not have to be one single measure either.  However, I think it should be very few.  

How content I am is one of my measures.  The word content can have different connotations to people, however, to me it means that I don’t desire anything else.  I don’t need anything from a material standpoint. I have a need at the emotional level that I am still working on.  So, I am not at the level of contentment to say I am successful.

Another measure is how well I prepared my child for her future?  Did I provide the necessary emotional support and opportunities for her to build a good life?  I was more successful than not here, but, there were challenges.  This is the exception I mentioned above.  I may view this measure as successful, however, someone else has a vote on it.  I made choices that had big impacts on her emotionally.  We have a great relationship; however, my previous choices do make this measure less than perfect.

Lastly, are my parents proud of what I have become.  I know this measure is dependent on their views and not mine. Why this measure?  Because of how hard they worked to give me the opportunity to succeed.  My dad passed away 7 years ago.  I was able to be with him at the end.  I was able to tell him how proud I was to be his son.  I felt how deeply he loved me and his family.  

This was not an easy question to answer.  It forced me to be truthful with myself.  It involved some soul searching. I still have a way to go before I can meet my success criteria.  I will work on it each day.  I will get there.   

28 May 2018 Is Fake News Protected Speech?

Is Fake News Protected Speech?

There is lawsuit started by families of the Sandy Hook tragedy.  They suing a guy named Alex Jones and his website Infowars and radio show.  Alex has said many times that Sandy Hook was staged and did not happen.  His website and radio broadcasts are not some obscure place for a few. It is massive.  Donald Trump came on as a candidate and praised this guy.  Infowars is the place for conspiracy theorists.  The moon landing was fake, 9-11 was staged, the Oklahoma City bombing was staged and so on.   Infowars followers have actually stalked families of victims of Sandy Hook and asked them to prove that it was true, that they lost a child.   

The lawsuit has huge 1^stAmendment consequence.  His speech is protected if he truly believes it.  But should he have to prove his theories? Can you just say things that are not true and have no consequences?  President Trump seems to be able to do this.  He says a lot of the news organizations tell fake news when in fact he is the leader in it. 

I am a strong defender of the 1^stAmendment.  It is a bedrock principle of our democracy.  However, limits have been imposed over time.  The one most stated is not being able to yell “fire” in a crowed movie theater.   This is for public safety.  

The challenge with making someone prove what they believe is true is that where do you stop?  Even though there is freedom of religion, should religious people have to prove what they believe is true in order to preach in public?  This is an example where putting limits on speech can have unintended consequences. 

I do believe there should be consequences for your speech if it can be proved to be false and causes great distress.  The families of Sandy Hook do not want to relive this tragedy in a court room.  It will be a media circus.  

Alex Jones is a despicable person.  He says a lot of stuff but can’t show facts to support it.  He brings emotional distress on people who have had events happens to them that most will never experience.  What is even more disturbing is that he has a vast following. That is sad.  Anyone with even a bit of intelligence and common sense would see what a fraud he is.  But, our President has shown that intelligence and common sense are in short supply.  

I hope the families of Sandy Hook are able to prevail in their lawsuit against Alex Jones.  Freedom of speech is vital, but truth is even more vital.

27 May 2018 How Would You Improve Productivity At Work?

How Would You Improve Productivity At Work?

I bet most people can name a number of ways to improve productivity at their work.  My workplace is the typical cubicle farm.  Not the half height ones where you can see everyone, but still open so you can hear everyone.   

The first change I would do is to provide small private offices that people can schedule in order to have a quiet surrounding. This is critical if “deep work” is to get accomplished.  There are far too many interruptions that make concentrated work periods difficult. Even a two-hour uninterrupted block will get as much productivity as a regular work day.

Another reality is that people “shoot the breeze” a great deal.  Now I know that banter within the workplace has a place and is positive, however, some of the conversations go on for more than 30 mins.

The smokers also take extended breaks.  Some of the heavy ones are down every hour or 90 minutes.  That adds up during the day.

I do laugh at people who say that they work hard at our space.  The environment is very laid back.  People come and go as they wish.  Everyone has every other Friday off and the Friday’s that half of the people are supposed to be there have a very quiet day.  I want people to go work for a year in the Pentagon and they will have such a greater appreciation of just how easy it is where we are.   The Pentagon is a soul sucking place that is a fast-paced treadmill that never stops.  There is no work-life balance.  Victories are rare in the Pentagon.  

My workplace can do some small changes to increase productivity.  The work-life balance is strong.  The pace is easy.  Yes, like any organization it has its annoying aspects, but all-in-all it sure beats life in the Pentagon. 

  

26 May 2018 Does Either Party Matter?

Does Either Party Matter?

Does it really matter what party is in power? Where has any one party that had the majorities done well?  What seems worse is when one party holds one chamber of Congress or the Office of the President.  This has shown to be gridlock. 

No one wants to compromise to do best for the country.   So, we have two political parties that act the same when either is in the minority or majority.  I have not been energized by either party because each makes grand promises and then the reality of gridlock kicks in.

The Republicans had a great opportunity to craft legislation in the manner they wanted.  What has that got us? Very little.  They will claim the tax cut is a great achievement, but at what cost?  Yes, the short term may bring some positives but the debt they added by that legislation is staggering.  I never want to hear a current member of Congress from the Republican party say that they are fiscally conservative.  There is no way they can say that and be honest.   Also, they have to show they can fund the federal government on time.  It is all on their shoulders.  They can lead or whine about “obstructionist Democrats.”  Funny, the same charge the Dems labeled them when the Democrats were in the majority.   

Is there an end in sight?  Maybe.  A charismatic LEADER could make things happen.  I use the term charismatic to mean someone who gets a coalition of both sides to come together to legislate, not to mean their appearance or speaking ability.  Results count, all else is BS.  Will that person have flaws, of course?  There is no perfect leader.  I just want someone to lead and legislate.  If all they do is get a balanced budget done on time each year, that would be a monumental achievement. Anything else would be extra.  

I hope we find that leader for the next election. 

25 May 2018 Why Are There Separation Of Powers?

Why Are There Separation Of Powers?

The framers of the Constitution made a conscience effort to ensure that no one sector of the Federal government could run the country with impunity.  Each area, President, Congress and the Judiciary have certain powers.  Even Congress is broken up so that each state has a voice no matter the population.  

Today those powers are tested with the way President Trump views things.  He would like to think that he has imperial powers and that everyone should do as he pleases.  The country is in a much better place because the other two branches do not do as he wants. 

The President has shown a complete lack of knowledge of the Constitution.  For someone who claims he is smart, he has shown over and over how ignorance can “trump” intelligence.  His intelligence can and should be questioned when he tries to dictate how another branch of government should operate. 

Congress has shown itself to lack intelligence.  It can’t do its number one job which is to fund the federal government.  When it does pass a budget, it won’t make the hard choices to have that budget be balanced. Intelligent people make the hard choices.  Those who lack the intellectual capacity to do that hide behind party line and bureaucracy.

At times, the Judiciary is not a shining example either.  There are judges who try to make laws vice just interrupt ones that exist.  They are held in check by further reviews up the judicial chain and by updated laws from Congress.   

I am glad we have the separation of powers within the Federal government.  Though I am not happy with the results that are produced, at least the system allows for oversight of each.

24 May 2018 What Are Your Limits?

What Are Your Limits?          

What events in your life are more challenging?  The ones that involve more physical effort or the mental ones. I think the physical ones are easier to measure since you can only run so fast or lift a weight a certain amount of time before your body shuts down.  You may want to do more; however, the muscles won’t respond. 

The mental challenges don’t have the same physiological metric. The closest analogy maybe when you are working on some tasks and you fall sleep right on the desk.  Even your mind has a limit to the time you can consciously use it.  For me I can identify sometimes when I hit my physical limit, however I can’t remember when I tested my mental capacity to the limits.

All I can think of is a picture of a software coder pulling an all nighter to grind out the code. Bill Gates had the concentration ability to work 48 hours straight then lay down by the desk to get a little sleep and then get back to marathon coding.

I guess a lot of people who are really passionate about the work they are doing get lost in it and lose all track of time, sometimes for very long periods. I have not found a job I am passionate about that I have worked extremely long hours on. I have read books that have absorbed a lot of time.  I’ve had that “can’t put it down” feeling and go on and on. This is especially true on weekends when I did not have to go to work.  Reading is not working the mind in the way as say solving calculus problems.

I’ve had times when I had to have deep focus and concentration.  Landing a plane on an aircraft carrier during the night did get my attention.  However, that was for a limited time.  Now I see the benefits of deep concentration, for say one to one and a half hours and then take a break.  If I did two of these periods in a day I can get a tremendous amount of work done.  Those three hours produce more than in a regular day due to the elimination of distractions.  Also, this routine can go on day after day, there is not bad effects.  It gives me time to workout, read and get a good sleep.  

I still want to test myself every now and then just to see how far I can push my limits.

23 May 2018 Are You Judgmental?

Are You Judgmental?

 One part of my life that I’m working on is not being judgmental.   I was always quick to say something negative about someone when I perceived some flaw in him or her.   What I’ve come to understand is that I didn’t know their story. 

Everyone has a story that got them to where they are today. I’ve come to realize that I was just projecting insecurities I had onto others.  Who was I to judge anyone else? I have more than enough skeletons in my closet.  Did it give me some smug satisfaction to judge someone else?   It must have.   Did give me anything positive in my life? Absolutely not.  In fact, it put a barrier between me and that person. I did not take the time to hear their story. That person may have been someone who could have had a positive impact on my life, but I did not give them a chance. 

Often my judgmental comments would be in some humorous vein, or what I thought was humorous.   If that person was to hear it, they might not think it funny.  It could have hurt them.

I strive to understand someone, to hear their story and then not judge. 

How many times when growing up did I hear “if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”   How very true those words are.   I would’ve been a much better person if I had just followed them. 

Am I judgment free, well, not completely.  The president has made it very challenging on this.  I work at being an informed citizen, however, the words I hear from him bring out strong emotions in me. Let’s just call people like him a work in progress. 

At my work and my direct interactions with people, I strive every day to live up to say only nice things.  I have become very aware when I hear others say negative things.  I walk away or try to redirect the conversation. I do not support or add to a discussion like that. 

I have to make behavioral change a habit. That is each day I have to assess how well I did in not being negative towards someone.  

I have to say it feels so good do not say certain things. It is all part of being a better person.

22 May 2018 What News Is True?

What News Is True?

Growing up, getting the news was pretty easy.  For national news on tv you had the 3 major networks who each had a half hour show around dinner time. The local news was covered by the 3-4 stations in the nearest city.  For print news, if you lived near a major city there was usually a morning paper and an evening one.  There were local papers too, even in small towns.  Radio had a wider audience as some signals covered vast sections of the country.  The sources of radio news usually were the same for tv.  Most stations had a few minutes at the top of the hour for news. 

For the most part, the news was assumed to be true.  There was trust factor if it came from tv, radio or print. Occasionally there will be a big deal if one of the mediums got a story wrong, but this was rare.

Today, one can get bombarded from “news” sites from all over the world 24 hours a day.  Each major, and some minor, newspapers from every country and city in the world have web sites. Same for tv stations and radio.  Facebook is the news site in some locations.   The issue is, can the sites be trusted? This is very hard to figure out.  If the country is a democracy with a free press then generally I would believe a lot of the news given out on these web sites. Any country were free speech and free press are in doubt then no, I would not trust them.

Facebook is a whole different issue.  Anyone can pretty much post about anything.  Yes, they have reviewers but if it sounds real and is not “offensive” according to them then it get posted.  This is where “fake news” really came from.  I saw items that were posted as “real” but I knew they weren’t.  I also knew people who saw the same posting and they believed it was real.  Not only did they believe it real, but they re-posted it to their friends.  This creates a very dangerous situation.  How do you keep people who would be considered rational from being sucked into the fake news world?   I wish I had a good answer.  I usually would think that common sense would make it easy to filter out untrue news, but I was shown many times how faulty that reasoning was by people who I thought had common sense.

It is critical that people take a much harder view at news.  Don’t accept the first sites version of things.  Give it a day or two to see if it really is a news story.  If it is, it will be covered by the established news organizations.  Our democracy is in danger if fake news can drive public opinion and public action. 

21 May 2018 Why Is There Still A Royal Family In England?

Why Is There Still A Royal Family In England?

If there is one thing that is way out of date is the need for a royal family in England.  Yes they have a history that can be traced back a thousand years, but so what?  They have no real power.  At best they are there for the tourism.  

So why do the Brits continue with the upkeep of having a royal family.  I think most do not have any thoughts of them being in any way superior.  The prestige of royalty has been fading for half a century.  What have they earned?  The same can said for children of rich people (i.e. Pairis Hilton).  But, royalty in England is on a whole different scale. The vast amount of land owned and castles puts them in a league of their own.  

Some of the royals try to live “normal” lives.  Prince Harry was in the military and served overseas just like anyone else.  He is marrying a “commoner” from the US.  In fact, the differences between the in-laws has probably never been so great.  Though he is just a normal guy, his standard of living is beyond most people’s comprehension.  

Now the life of a royal in England is not always fun.  They are hounded by the press.  They have untold official functions they have to attend to.  The idea of privacy in public is just not going to happen. A lot of people may think they would want to trade places, but after a while would probably prefer to go back to normal life.

Slowly the concept of a royal family will fade.  It just serves no purpose.  The castles can become museums to show life of an earlier time.   Though I enjoy the history of the royal family in England, I would want it to go away if I lived there.  Make the royal family earn their keep like everyone else.

20 May 2018 Is An Embassy Location A Big Deal?

Is An Embassy Location A Big Deal?

There is a lot of controversy about the US embassy in Israel moving to Jerusalem. This a big deal because it officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.   The Palestinian people also claim it as their “capital.” 

I have always felt that the Old City of Jerusalem should be a United Nations controlled site and not owned by a specific country due to the sensitivities involved.  The Old City contains the holiest site for Christians and Jews and the 3^rdholiest site for Islam.  Now the Old City is a really small piece of real estate within greater Jerusalem.  We are talking about a square kilometer in size (about 220 acres).  In fact, until 1860 the Old City was the total size of Jerusalem.  But this small piece of real estate has been center of wars and disputes for millennium.  

I have also felt that what happened in the past, especially centuries ago, has no relevance today.  Just because the Israeli people had a “capital” in Jerusalem when they “owned” the land over two thousand years ago does not mean they are owed it today.     

The move of the US embassy was a big deal, however, I feel the outrage of the Palestinians with this move can be mitigated if a Palestinian State can come to fruition. Especially if the Old City can be owned by no one and free access is offered to everyone.   

19 May 2018 Did President Obama Have Any White Privilege?

Did President Obama Have Any White Privilege?

I know that sounds incendiary.  However, people tend to forget that he was just as much white as black.  Now, I concede that the average person who looks at him would say he is black.  Did he get any advantage from being raised by his white grandparents?  That is hard to say.   

He attended one of Hawaii’s most prestigious schools from 5^thgrade through high school.  He attended Columbia University and Harvard Law school.  He excelled at Harvard.  After undergraduate university and law school he chose to work on the south side of Chicago. He wanted to improve the housing and opportunities for people living there. 

Now there is no doubt that his opportunities for education were a lot higher than the people he was working for on the south side.  Education is key to stopping the cycle of poverty that exists in a lot of inner city areas like the south side of Chicago.

President Obama chose to identify as a black man and worked hard to assimilate into the black community.  There is a great part of the country that would not let him identify as anything else. “He looks black so that is what he is” mentality.   I think he would not have been as successful if he chose to identify as white and worked to assimilate into a majority white community.  Not as successful at the political level I mean, he was always going to be successful in the legal field.  

It is very difficult to hypothesize as to any advantage President Obama gained from being raised by his white relatives.  As Morgan Freeman points out, he is not the first black President.  He is the first mixed race President.   

I may not agree with a lot of his political positions but whether or not he gained any “privileges” is irrelevant. He got elected President twice, that is enough is my book.

18 May 2018 What Is Your Moral Compass?

What Is Your Moral Compass?

At the confirmation hearing for the next CIA Director, the democrats kept asking the nominee about her moral values.  She led a CIA black site in 2002 that water boarded an Al-Qaeda suspect three times.   At the time the “enhanced interrogation techniques” were deemed legal due to the “extraordinary circumstances” during that time.  Now let me make clear, water boarding is torture.  The nominee discontinued that technique.  Her predecessor had one suspect water boarded 83 times.  So the Senators wanted to know if in hindsight she would admit it was wrong. She made it very clear she would not allow it to happen today.  She is extremely qualified for the position and I know will do an excellent job.

Senator John McCain said he would not support her nomination.  I understand his position.  If he voted yes, that means he agreed that the methods used back then were ok. This would mean that the torture the North Vietnamese did to him was then ok.  

But what about the moral compass or values question?  Is there a standard that fits all cultures?  What I think may be morally questionable you may think is ok. Abortion is a prime issue.  It is not a binary good or bad position.

The closet to a universal position would be “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  But even that has grey areas.  What you might say is ok to have done to you may not be ok with someone else.   

Moral values are very important at times when you are tested.  It is like the saying “it is what do when no one is looking that defines your ethics and values.”  I am sure I have values that other people may disagree with.  The conflict is when a groups values get precedent over another.   That leads to conflict.

Would you bend or break your moral values in “extraordinary circumstances?”  That is one of the toughest decisions a person has to make.  If there are loopholes to your values, then are they values?   I hope you are never put in that position. 

17 May 2018 Are You Doing Or Settling?

Are You Doing Or Settling?

I have had these ideas in my head of what I thought I wanted to do.  I have been to the conferences where you get motivated to act.   Have read a lot of books, heard the podcasts, visited the websites, but have I finished anything I started……..no.  

I think I heard Tony Robbins say that a significant portion of the people who by a product of his do not open it.  I have done that with a couple of peoples’ products.

The reality is, what I thought was a desire of mine was just that, a thought. It was not a burning passion that I would do anything to accomplish.   The list is long, and at times expensive, of things I started on but never finished.

So, have I decided to just settle for the life I have?  Now I have to make it clear, I live a very good life.  I have more than enough stuff.  I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to a lot of places around the globe.  

So why can’t I identify something that excites me?  I have made many choices that excited me at the time but were not “good” choices and they had consequences.  

I have never really taken a big risk.  I have changed jobs or bought a house that at the time felt risky, but most would not view them as such.  Maybe it is because I have never had to take a risk or been put into a situation that had risk that has led me to being comfortable and thus settling.   

I know it is never too late to start.  I believe that.  But I also need to have that idea that drives me.  I view myself as an underachiever as I have not taken the risks.

So, my doing has been minimal and my settling more the norm then the exception. As my coach once said… “begin again and again, don’t look at anything as a failure.”  I try to take those words to heart, but………   

16 May 2018 Why So Much Hate In Politics?

Why So Much Hate In Politics?

I have written before on this but it still needs to be discussed.  Why has politics become so corrosive?  It is like battle lines are drawn between the two parties. Woe be it to the politician who is friends with or acts friendly to someone in the other party.  They aren’t the enemy.  Do you really feel someone who has different political views than you is so bad for the country that you hate them?  What does that say about you and the country?

Our country is great because we have diverse views. It is a critical part of what makes our democracy work.  Group think would be the eventual death of the country.  

People would have a much better view of Congress if the members worked together in order to create legislation.  That does not mean they can’t have differences.  It means they have respectful debate.  That they have and follow a process where each side presents their case.  You can’t have the majority ram stuff through just as you can’t have tyranny of the minority.   That is the minority can block everything.  Compromise is what makes things work.  The majority is never the majority for ever so they should act and respect the minority.  

The attack ads used during the campaigns also go a long way to poison the political process.  You can disagree with someone’s politics, but to personally disparage the opponent is bad. To me it says a lot a lot about the character of the person or organization running the attack ads.  If the only way you can defend your political views is by attacking the other guy, then you must not be qualified to hold the office.  Make the case why you are better and not just because the other person is not.    

I don’t see the climate improving in politics until a viable third party is established.  To me, that is the only way to get things to improve.  Until then, we will have politicians who are more concerned about scoring political points vice legislating for a better county.      

15 May 2018 What Does Minimize Mean To You?

What Does Minimize Mean To You? 

There are a lot of books, podcasts and websites that deal with living a minimalist life.  As with any lifestyle, two people can interpret what that means in very different ways. 

I look at as it as having what you need to live with a little of what you want. Now my needs are different someone else’s.  Some of the things that are important to me are having a space in my home I can go to when I want to be alone.  I rarely watch tv.  My wife watches it constantly, it is what she enjoys and counts as a need.  It is not a need of mine.  I love and need quiet.  I get a great sense of calm in silence.

I am reducing the number of clothes I have.  I donated several large bags of clothes that I knew I was not going to wear again.  Same with shoes, I have reduced that a lot too.  I would be comfortable wearing the same clothes to work each day.  It would make getting dressed that much easier.

I like eating out at least once on the weekend.  That is one of the wants I have because it is not a need.  I also like to splurge and go to the movie theater every now then vice waiting until it comes out for tv.

There are some travel needs/wants.  I try to go to Australia at least every 2 years.  I want to see some more of US.  For a long time, I wanted to live out of a suitcase and roam the world, however, that desire has diminished.  I am now happy to go on shorter trips.

My material possessions are going down.  I still have too much stuff.  It is an on- going project.  It is a great feeling to purge the house of stuff.  It will remain a “battle” between my wife and I on what constitutes as needed and wanted.  Slowly but surely, I will get to a minimalist level I want.  I recommend you try it too. 

14 May 2018 Do You Read?

Do You Read?

Reading has been one of the favorite things I do since I was a teenager. Before my senior year in high school I did not read books.  Newspapers and magazines, yes, but a book no.  I have a vivid memory of reading 2001 A Space Odyssey in sixth grade.  I can’t remember reading any other book for several years. I was never a science fiction fan so I did not get into those books in my youth. 

When I was 17 I really became interested in books.  I still had a large interest in newspapers and current event magazines, but most of my time was spent lost in a book.  History and biographies have always been in rotation but also a lot of fiction by Robert Ludlum and Fredrick Forsyth.  

A few years ago I began listening to audio books during time in the car, on airplanes and working out.  It is not quite the same as reading but it does allow me to use the time ore effectively. 

Today, podcasts compete with my reading time. I have to be careful in getting sucked into the podcast world too far.  It is easy to listen to a lot of those.  

I get my most joy with holding a book in my hands.  I could recommend many books or authors but I found that peoples tastes vary so much that what I like others may not.  

I want people to go a local bookstore and just take in the environment. Walking amongst the shelves looking over the vast number of titles is a great experience. Try out something that catches your eye, but do read.  You will be rewarded in so many ways.     

13 May 2018 How Old Are You Planning To Live?

How Old Are You Planning To Live? 

Do you do the planning necessary to make it easier on your family if you die? That is, is everything documented so someone can close out your life.   I am amazed at the people I have met who have children but don’t have a will.  Do you know how easy it is to make a will?  A few sentences can save your children and family a lot of challenges.

If you ask most people how long they plan to live most look at you with a confused gaze.  It is like they have not even considered it.  However, it is a very important question.  Your retirement savings and major purchases are greatly influenced to the date you plan.  Yes, I know you can’t plan your death date exactly, but you can make a big mistake by outliving the date you do choose. 

The cost for assisted care is a lot more than most plan for.  That is, care that meets a standard one would be happy with. 

How about work?  How long can to do the job you do?  Do you even like what you do?  Is there an option to slowly reduce from full time to part time?  I was very sad when my dad went to work for a Home Deport like store when his job of decades went away.  He was lifting heavy boxes.  It was hard work.  Fortunately, it was onlt for a short time and he was able to get a job in line with his previous skill set.  He had a lot of good years doing that until he was unable work.  He was very happy and good at what he did. 

I am planning to live to 90.  Why 90? I don’t know, just seemed like a good compromise between being overly optimistic and pessimistic.  I am in a career that I could work at well into my 70’s.  Some things are not in my control, but if I am healthy and a position is open I will continue to work.  

Due to my current situation I do not see a scenario that allows me to retire until well into my 70’s.  I made some choices that were not forced on me but necessitate tradeoffs from a real retirement life until much later.  I am ok with that.  The key is only having the debt of a mortgage.  I have a nice amount of equity in my current place, so I could get rid of it and still get some money.

Thinking and planning about how long you are going to live is critical to being able to retire at a point of your choosing.  Take some time and do it.  

12 May 2018 What Are Your Principles?

What Are Your Principles?

The book “Principles” by Ray Dalio details the lessons he has learned and documented in running one of the worlds largest hedge funds.  It is a very extensive list covering life, work, and investing.  In outline form the list is 20 pages.  

This is not something you can just scan and say “I like that one” or “I will incorporate that one.”  No, these take some thought.  Some may already be part of your daily life, others will take some significant changes.   

What ones did I find that impacted me the most?  “Be radically open-minded and radically transparent.”  If you do at least these two he says your life will change for the better.  The challenge is, making these part of everyday life will be a big change.  I am not close-minded, but I do hold onto my own opinions too strongly at times.  I need to spend more time to elicit the views of others and give them a full review and not just pay lip service.  

The radical transparency will be the toughest.  Now, he means this more from the business side.  That is, you don’t need to do this on the personal level. You can keep your deepest inner thoughts to yourself.

Can I be radically transparent at work when it is not the way things are done by everyone else?  Can my organization even begin to try this?  I need to come up with a way to test this out.  In order for this to even have a chance I can’t go into it with preconceived notions.  I just have to see how it goes and assess how to adjust.  However, I do accept the idea behind this principle and want to see it work.

As I said the book lists a lot of criteria. I need to define my principles and see where changes are required.  I think everyone should do this so they can understand and can articulate just what is important to them.       

11 May 2018 What Is The Value Of A Life Coach?

What Is The Value Of A Life Coach?

Now the term life coach can have a lot baggage associated with it.  However, it is a profession just like any other. There are good people at it and others who should not be in it. Each coach brings unique skills and perspectives. Just like all athletic coaches have different styles and approaches.

When I was younger, the idea of a life coach seemed liked a joke.  You really needed someone to help you do stuff? As I gained more knowledge of the role of a life coach the more I came to see the value in it.

You have a coach/trainer at the health club.  You have a “coach”/minister for your spiritual life.   You may even have a coach/mentor at work. So why not a life coach?  Though it is important to define the difference between a coach and mentor.  At times, a mentor makes choices for you because he/she knows what is best for you. A life coach provides the structure or process, so you can find the choices but does not make the choice.

I think life coaching should be introduced in high school and definitely offered as an option as a course last semester in college.   

If I knew then what I know now, I would have engaged with a life coach at various times during my adult life, say every five years.  If for no other reason than to have an accountability person in my life. 

I am a strong advocate for life coaches.  However, people need to spend time with a few to find out who is a good fit.  This person can have a major impact on your life so you want to make sure it is a positive one. Getting the right life coach is one of the most important decisions you can make.