Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Books, Consistency, improvement, Learning, Movies, Small wins, Success, Tamara Taylor

“As long as you keep going, you’ll keep getting better. And as you get better, you gain more confidence. That alone is success.” – Tamara Taylor

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/tamara_taylor_884736?src=t_success

All of us start out in different places. This is what makes us human. You may a great artist; I may be a great speaker. The key is to recognize where you are starting from, set your sights on getting beyond your current talents to improve them.

Some advocate that we concentrate on our strengths and forget our weaknesses. I’m old school. Why should I fix what isn’t broken? Why should I neglect the parts of my make up that are not as strong as the others? I know what my weaknesses are, and I want to bring them up a bit, so they are no longer weaknesses.

Deciding is the key. Decide what you want. Decide what you want to work on. Decide on where you want to go and be. Then, formulate a plan, break it down into easy steps, and start working on each step daily. You’ll get where you want to go in no time.

Here’s what I’ve done this week:

Exercise Program:

Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size – (www.bodybuilding.com) – I’ve done this workout before and returning to it because it is just a good all-around weight routine. It’s 8 weeks in length, a 4-day split with 3 rest/cardio days mixed in.

Books:

Armor, Steakley – Recommended by an Army Buddy. A terrific book so far.

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell – This is my bible. I finished it and will re-read again. This book is a permanent fixture on my reading list.

Classes:

De-mystifying Mindfulness Course – Coursera – I’ve completed all the coursework so far and waiting until Nov 4, 2018, for the course to continue. One drawback of Coursera is the scheduling. Udemy allows you to buy the whole course, complete the whole course on your schedule and provide a certificate at the end.

Documentaries:

Movies:

Fun:

Ozark – Netflix – Season 2!

House of Cards – Netflix – Final Season. This was ok, but they ran out of gas. There were a lot of loose ends in the series and well, that’s all I got. I’d stick with the first few seasons and bail after that. Kevin Spacey made the show. After his trouble in the media and the law, the show would not survive.

Interesting Apps:

I hope all of you are having a terrific week! See you tomorrow for Funny Friday!!

Until next time…

Dave

 

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Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Books, Coursera, Learning, Movies, Netflix, Reading, self-improvement, Writing

Photo and Quote: www.brainyquote.com

We are either growing or shrinking. Our brain is a muscle, just like those we use to move about. Learning new things, reading, writing, and building your skill set all contribute to your ability to think, reason, and analyze. Learning is an entertaining, challenging, and rewarding activity.

I cannot stress how important learning is to each of us.

What should you learn? That’s up to you. What interests you? What skills could benefit you in your job, your overall career, your life? Pick something. Explore it. Learn something.

I make it a daily practice to learn something new each day. Whether it’s a piece of trivia or a deep topic like terrorism, philosophy, politics, or mathematics, they are all topics to learn about. Maybe you want to learn a new language, learn how to take better photos with your phone, or even learn how to program with HTML. Regardless of the topic or skill you pursue, all will benefit you. They will exercise your brain, they will keep you engaged, they will push your limits of capability.

Read daily. Write daily. Learn something new daily. Here’s what I’m up to this week:

Books:

Armor, Steakley – Recommended by an Army Buddy. A terrific book so far.

Ethics, Aristotle – Almost done with this one.

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell – This is my bible. I finished it and will re-read again. This book is a permanent fixture on my reading list.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe – Still plugging away on this one. I’ve put it on hold, not because it is a bad book but due to the nonfiction reading, I’m taking on (I love nonfiction books more than fiction).

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know That You Should Know, Paula Caproni. I just started this book in conjunction with the author’s course on Coursera.

Classes:

The Science of Success: What Researchers Know That You Should Know, Paula Caproni, University of Michigan, Coursera. – I started week 1 yesterday. A buddy of mine recommended this one and I’m glad he did. This is a good course so far.

Documentaries:

Movies:

Venom (Another Marvel Movie) is scheduled to come out on the 5^th. I cannot wait. This one looks terrific!

Fun:

Ozark – Netflix (in the cue) – Re-watching Season 1 to remind me what’s going on. I’ll kick into Season 2 when I’m back on track with this one.

Jack Ryan – Amazon Prime – This was ok but not as good as the hype that was advertising since earlier this year. Watch at your own risk. The story is entertaining but nothing to call home about.

The Newsroom – Wow! This was a terrific show. I highly recommend it. The writer for this show also was the writer for the West Wing. Great show.

Interesting Apps:

Calm – This is a meditation app and is awesome. It is a little pricey. It’s 59.99/year. I really enjoy the app. I began using it again to bolster my meditation practice. I dropped meditating for a bit and found my stress levels increased and focus waned. I use this app twice a day and love it.

Until next time…

Dave

Reference

Anthony J. D’Angelo Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved October 4, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Website: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/anthony_j_dangelo_153989

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday

Tags

Anton Chekhov, Application, Blogs, Books, Learning, online courses, Practice

Anton Chekhov was a Russian playwright and the author of numerous short stories (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Chekhov). Today’s Wisdom Wednesday addresses the importance of applying what we learn.

With the huge amount of information available to us in books, the web, radio, and television, it is easy to become overwhelmed. When you take a look at the number of available, free online courses that information overload becomes even greater. When you begin looking for something to learn, your search could be motivated by a need to know something or to learn how to do something.

How do we internalize new bits of knowledge? We read about it, we take notes, we study the material. If we have enough information to use, we stop gathering information. If we do not have enough information or have other questions, we continue our quest.

It is easy to be sucked into “useless” learning. It can be entertaining to learn about a really obtuse topic that you will never apply but it should not be habitual. Who has that kind of time? Instead, we should focus on learning something that we can use. Perhaps you want to learn how to market your skills. Perhaps you want to learn how to write non-fiction or fiction. Perhaps you’d like to be a better public speaker.

Chekhov’s point is to apply what you learn. I like Merriam Webster’s word of the day. I want to grow my vocabulary and this is a great way to do it. I listen to the word’s pronunciation, I learn about the word’s origins, and I listen to the announcer’s use of the word in a sentence. Then I use that word for the day. This is a simple example of applying what we learn.

There is some learning that cannot be applied directly. I am currently reading Aristotle’s ethics. I cannot apply this information directly but I can use it when I am thinking or tackling an issue that I am struggling with. Learning about history is another example of this kind of learning. We read history to learn about what our predecessors did. How did they handle the problems of the day? How did they deal with reality? How did they tackle the challenges that faced them?

Next month I begin my year-long adventure into character building. I’m going to use the same model that Benjamin Franklin used to work on his character. He simply listed out the characteristics he wanted to achieve as a person and then he worked on one of these each month. After the first month, he would begin working on the first and the second characteristic. As he moved into the third month, he would be working on character trait one, two, and three. This continued until he had built all of the character traits he wanted to. This is an example of using previous knowledge and applying it to one’s own life.

Take a few moments today and figure out what you would like to learn. Begin researching all of the sources of information that apply to your topic of interest. Once you have isolated a few sources (online course, book, etc.) you can begin learning this new skill. Once you have tackled some of the content, try applying what you know to your day-to-day life. You’ll be amazed by the results and how quickly you assimilate this information.

I hope each of you is having a terrific week so far. As always, feel free to comment and pass along my blog to others in your network.

Thanks for visiting!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Apps, Benjamin Franklin, Books, Courses, Movies, Series, Thinking Thursday

Retrieved from: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/benjamin_franklin_141119?src=t_knowledge

I enjoy learning. I put a lot of time and effort into growing my knowledge, honing my skill set, and just picking up interesting pieces of information. If you’ve been reading these Thinking Thursday quotes it is all about what I am reading, watching, and the online courses I am taking. I’ve also begun adding some of the apps I use or try with recommendations if one of my readers is interested.

My words try to motivate. I like to teach others and pass along some of the things I’ve tried out that have proven to be effective. I hope you enjoy the exercise suggestions, different techniques for dieting, the book and class recommendations, along with the various movies/series I am watching. I want everyone to know that I am not an affiliate of any website, product, or service. I recommend what I try out and have used for the benefit of my readers only. I may opt to pursue affiliation in the future but for now, these recommendations are simply that.

I also want to take a few moments to thank all of the new readers that have begun following Daily Ramblings. If anyone has suggestions or recommended changes that you believe would make Daily Ramblings better, feel free. I can’t make any promises but will give every suggestion that is offered serious consideration.

Here’s my progress on key reading, learning, and entertainment activities for this week:

Books:

Ethics, Aristotle

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe

Classes:

Western Heritage, Hillsdale College

Mini-Habits Course, Udemy – Great Course! I highly recommend it. I have read the book, so the course was sort of a refresher. The instructor is interesting and provides a lot of good examples on how to implement his strategies.

Designing Your Own Weight Loss Plan – Case Western University – Coursera – I do not recommend this course. It is outdated, and the instructor is very dull. If you are interested in this topic area I would recommend searching for another course. I could not get through it.

Documentaries:

Movies:

Black Panther – Netflix: I’m a huge Marvel fan and this one doesn’t disappoint. My sister was lukewarm about it but I liked it.

Fun:

The West Wing (Currently on Netflix)

Ozark – Netflix (in the cue)

Jack Ryan – Amazon Prime (in the cue)

U.S. Open Tennis (when I have time to catch a good set here and there) – I enjoyed this. The finals were exciting to watch and so was some of the match play I got a chance to see.

Interesting Apps:

I just discovered Curious.com. It has mini-courses, daily words, daily poems, interesting articles, daily content-specific podcast content, and puzzles like crosswords, up and down words, and many others. It’ll run you $9.99/month or an annual fee (can’t remember the price), but this is worth it. I have been playing with this for a week and really like it.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday!

Tags

Books, Communicating, Connecting, Entertained, History, Language, Learning, Lisa Bu, Reading, Time period

I have always been an avid reader. I tend to read many books at once because I like to learn new things but also like a good story. Reading can do a lot of things for you. It can improve your vocabulary. It can open your mind to new ideas. It can also help you connect with an author from a time period long gone. When I read a book from an author who has passed away I try to envision what it was like to be alive when they wrote the book. I look at the differences in language. I look at what was going on in the world when they wrote the book.

If you have never performed this exercise, try it out. It can be very informative and provides a greater backdrop to why an author wrote the book, what the language was like, and so many other aspects. Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a book I’m reading now. It was written at a time when slavery was commonplace in the United States.

This book was written around 1851. The civil war would not begin for another 10 years. Many believe that her work, along with the many works provided by other abolitionists helped provide the moral framework and impetus to end slavery in the United States.

The next time you read a book, look at the publication date. Go to your library or do an online search of things that happened in that year. You’ll be amazed at what you find and this exercise will make reading your book so much more meaningful.

I hope you enjoy this short Ted Talk on reading books. It is inspiring, funny, and provides numerous reasons for sitting down and reading a good book.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Amazon, Books, Diet, Exercise, Netflix, Plato, Reading, Writing

“Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.” – Plato

Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/thinking

I’ve really begun to enjoy my reading sessions each day. Sometimes I pick out a string of books that are just not that great, but the last few months I’ve been getting my hands on some terrific ones—books you look forward to reading each day. Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed so much that you took your time reading it to expand the time you could enjoy it? That’s what it has been like with the books I’ve been reading. Kobo and Uncle Tom’s Cabin are two books that I’m enjoying tremendously.

I just started the Mindshift course a while ago. It is a lot of fun. The teachers are the same as my previous course – Learning how to Learn. This course is about different techniques for learning new things, like a language or picking up a skill you do not have any experience with. It is terrific!

One of the things I’ve learned about low-carb diets is my energy level. It is easier to do endurance work, but lifting weights is much tougher than it was when I was eating a decent amount of carbs. I have been getting comments about my trimming down, which always feels good. I’ve adjusted my workout routine to every other day to adjust to this diet. This is a temporary adjustment, but one that should expedite my body’s adaptation to this new eating pattern.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Feel free to comment below with any of the things you are doing well, any goals you have set or accomplished, and even course or book recommendations. I’m always on the lookout for the next great online course or book.

Books:

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, Harold Klemp – Just finished this book yesterday. Boy, what a collection of exercises that can help solve some of life’s little challenges.

Kobo: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War, Herbert Strang

The Thirty Years’ War 1618 – 1648, Samuel Rawson Gardner – Religious differences and intolerance, coupled with greed and vanity and you get 30 years of conflict along with the civilian suffering that followed. Very interesting read if you would like to learn about the 30 years’ war.

Classes:

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential

Public Policy, Hillsdale College

Mini-Habits Course, Udemy

Documentaries:

I’m a Killer (Netflix)

Movies:

Ready Player One (Amazon Prime) – I haven’t watched this yet. My sister recommended it and it is on my hit list.

Fun:

The West Wing (Currently on Netflix)

Keep pushing, only today and tomorrow before the weekend!!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Books, Exercise, Movies, Series, Writing

I am making great progress on my book projects. The outline and topics are almost completed for my nonfiction book on technical recruiting and the story I am fleshing out for my fiction book is also coming along nicely.

This week I’m focusing on a book about the Thirty Years’ War. I have never really understood this conflict, so I wanted to learn more about it. The book is on my list below and is free on Amazon.

I’m headed off to the gym. Have a great Thursday everyone!

Books:

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, Harold Klemp

Kobo: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War, Herbert Strang

The Dual Between France and Germany, Charles Sumner – This was an interesting book. I thought it would be more specific to the war aspects but was more of a report by Charles Sumner to President Grant about the war and the recommendations he is making to him. I enjoyed the read.

The Thirty Years’ War 1618 – 1648, Samuel Rawson Gardner

Classes:

Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential

Public Policy, Hillsdale College

Learning how to Learn, Coursera – Just finished this course. Wow! It was terrific learning about the brain, test-taking tips and tricks, and the best ways to learn new material. I highly recommend this one!

Mini-Habits Course, Udemy (putting this one on hold until August)

Documentaries:

None are on my hit list this week.

Movies:

None are on my hit list this week.

Fun:

The West Wing (Currently on Netflix)

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Books, Coursera, Courses, Hillsdale College, Movies, Netflix, Reading, Udemy, Weightlifting, Writing

I don’t know about you folks, but weightlifting is therapeutic for me. It relaxes me, helps me build on my focus, and I just feel so accomplished when I walk out of the gym. Currently, I am doing a full body workout. Here’s what it looks like:

Exercises are all 3 sets of 10. Since I am working out every day I am not working to failure, simply burning off energy and stimulating the muscles. It’s working quite well. I’ll provide you with weigh-in results on Monday.

• Leg Press
• Standing Leg Curl
• Leverage ISO Row
• Seated Back Extension
• Leverage High Row
• Machine Bench Press
• Machine Shoulder Press
• Leverage Shrug
• Dip Machine
• Machine Preacher Curls
• Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine
• Ab Crunch Machine
• Elliptical Trainer (25 minutes)

I also got a good start on my book. I’m currently working through content ideas using an online app called Asana. It works well. I’m going to keep plugging away on the content headings, ideas of what I want to talk about and continue organizing. The goal is to get this skeletal outline completed by the end of the month. In August, I begin the actual writing.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

Books:

The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell

The Orion Plague, David Vandyke – Finished. This is a book in a series. If you are interested, check out David’s books on Amazon. He’s terrific!

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe

The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles – Just finished this one. It is old but has some interesting points in it.

The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, Harold Klemp

In My Time, Dick Cheney – Enjoyed this book. I like memoirs and things, particularly when I served under this guy as the Secretary of Defense and the Vice President.

Kobo: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War, Herbert Strang

The Dual Between France and Germany, Charles Sumner

Classes:

Public Policy, Hillsdale College

Learning how to Learn, Coursera

Mini-Habits Course, Udemy (putting this one on hold until August)

Documentaries:

The Staircase, (Netflix Currently) – Just finished this one. This is worth a watch if you like a courtroom drama.

Movies:

None are on my hit list this week.

Fun:

Hell on Wheels (Currently on Netflix) – Finished. This is one heck of a ride. If you like a lot of plot twists and enjoy a good Western, I highly recommend.

The Hollow (Currently on Netflix)

The West Wing (Currently on Netflix)

Workout Routines and Other Weightlifting Knowledge:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/

For access to every supplement on the market, access to the top trainers in the world, and gain access to their training routines, this is the one-stop, shop for anything related to fitness. This one will cost you if you want access to the trainers and their workout routines. It runs me about $8.99 per month.

Well, that’s it for this week folks! I hope some of this information has been helpful to you.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Amazon Prime, Books, Movies, Netflix, Weight Loss

It’s another Thinking Thursday!

Already crushed my Back and Biceps workout today, along with 26 minutes of Cardio. I’ll do another session later today. My eating is on track and I’ll be updating my weight on Sunday. Currently, I’m at 221 lbs. I’m tracking my macros diligently as carbs will always throw off my diet. I’m trying to minimize my carb intake to 50 grams a day. It seems like a minimal amount, but if you stick with green leafy vegetables, you can eat quite a lot of volume without spiking blood sugar. I am avoiding all grains for now—they kill my weight loss, even when I work with the complex carbs.

I hope everyone is enjoying their week and crushing their goals. I’ll update you again on my progress next week.

Books:

• The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell
• Andersonville: A story of rebel military prisons, John McElroy: Finished this yesterday. What a horrific story. If you are interested in learning about the atrocities committed against Union POWs during the Civil War, this is a must-read.
• The Orion Plague, David Vandyke
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe
• The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles
• The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, Harold Klemp
• In My Time, Dick Cheney
• Kobo: A Story of the Russo-Japanese War, Herbert Strang
• The Dual Between France and Germany, Charles Sumner

Classes:

• Public Policy, Hillsdale College
• Learning how to Learn, Coursera
• Mini-Habits Course, Udemy (putting this one on hold until August)

Documentaries:

• The Civil War, Ken Burns (Netflix currently) – Finished. Great documentary from Mr. Burns. Very informative and told from the viewpoint of soldiers who were involved in the conflict.
• The West, Ken Burns (Netflix currently) – Finished. Great documentary. I really learned a lot of new things in this one. Our treatment of the American Indian was horrific at best.
• Vietnam, Ken Burns (Netflix currently) – Finished. Another heart-breaking documentary about the Vietnam War. The insightful pieces of this documentary relate to the many opportunities all of the parties had to avoid the conflict altogether. Alas, we missed these opportunities.
• The Staircase, (Netflix Currently) – Just started this one.

Movies:

Fun:

• Hell on Wheels (Currently on Netflix)
• The Hollow (Currently on Netflix)
• Wimbledon and World Cup Soccer

Workout Routines and Other Weightlifting Knowledge:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/

For access to every supplement on the market, access to the top trainers in the world, and gain access to their training routines, this is the one-stop, shop for anything related to fitness. This one will cost you if you want access to the trainers and their workout routines. It runs me about $8.99 per month.

Well, that’s it for this week folks! I hope some of this information has been helpful to you.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

Tags

Amazon Prime Video, Books, Labrada Trainer, Movies, Netflix, Netflix Series, Online Classes

Well, I started the 12-week Labrada Trainer and it is good so far. It’s a 7-day workout, with a little less cardio then my previous workout routine (1 session a day) but has a 2 day on and 1 day off schedule. The split looks like this: Back and Biceps, Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders, Legs and Abs. Again, the goal is to lose between 1 and 2 pounds per week, resulting in about 12 – 24 pounds of weight loss.

Books:

• The Shariyat Ki Sugmad, Paul Twitchell
• Turn your passion into a thriving business, Gundi Gabrielle: I finished this one last week. It has some great ideas on how to monetize your passion, including writing a book, creating and managing a blog, affiliate programs, networking, and all the rest. It was a pretty good read with lots of links to training videos provided by some of the best marketers/bloggers in the business.
• Andersonville: A story of rebel military prisons, John McElroy
• The Orion Plague, David Vandyke
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe
• The Science of Getting Rich, Wallace D. Wattles
• The Spiritual Exercises of ECK, Harold Klemp

Classes:

• Public Policy, Hillsdale College
• Learning how to Learn, Coursera
• Mini-Habits Course, Udemy (putting this one on hold until August)

Documentaries:

• The Civil War, Ken Burns (Netflix currently)
• The West, Ken Burns (Netflix currently)
• Vietnam, Ken Burns (Netflix currently)

Movies:

I went to the show to watch the movie SOLO and it was a lot better in my opinion than what the critics were saying. I’m a big Star Wars fan, so this was a no-brainer for me. I also watched The Last Jedi on Netflix and it was again a big surprise. The story was terrific! I won’t give you any spoilers, but if you are a Star Wars fan, both movies were great.

Fun:

• Hell on Wheels (Currently on Netflix)
• The Hollow (Currently on Netflix)
• Goliath (Currently on Amazon Prime) – Finished Season 2. Wow! If you had the opportunity to watch Goliath Season 1, you’ll enjoy this one as well. They did a great job and the story was full of twists and turns. I don’t want to spoil this one for everybody, but it’s worth a look if you are a fan of the first season.

Workout Routines and Other Weightlifting Knowledge:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/

For access to every supplement on the market, access to the top trainers in the world, and gain access to their training routines, this is the one-stop, shop for anything related to fitness. This one will cost you if you want access to the trainers and their workout routines. It runs me about $8.99 per month.

Well, that’s it for this week folks! I hope some of this information has been helpful to you.

Until next time…

Dave