11 Saturday May 2019
Posted in Bonus Content
Tags
Barbara Fredrickson, Connection, Coursera, health, Love, Micro-moment, Positive Psychology, UNC at Chapel Hill
This was a Ted Talk that was included as part of a Positive Psychology course I took from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Great course and great Ted Talk. Enjoy!
Until next time…
Dave
09 Thursday May 2019
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Today I am grateful for the ability to read, write, and learn. Think about some people on the planet that are illiterate or have suffered from a traumatic brain injury or a learning disability that precludes them from learning the same way you and I learn. My wife is a special education teacher, and she works with these kids every day.
I am grateful for my interest in learning new things. I truly enjoy learning something I didn’t know yesterday. I enjoy taking a trip with an author and walking through the mental libraries they have created in their books. “Look here”, they say. “Look there. This is really important.” I am also grateful for the free repositories of books online and my local library. So many books to read and so little time.
Online learning is also a terrific thing. Think about it. You can learn a great deal by reading other people’s blogs, reading books, and attending classes and webinars, most of which are absolutely free. Why learn you ask? It adds to you. It provides you with skills that you can continue to earn a living with. It gives you a wide berth of experiences through other’s eyes that you may not have the ability to do on your own.
I recently read a book about finding out what you love to do. Think about how many people are in jobs they hate. Can you imagine going to a job that stressed you out and made you unhappy? We all have to make a living one way or another. People who are trapped in a job they hate is a really bad place to be in. Yet, many do not take advantage of the learning opportunities that are available to them. I am grateful that I am not one of these people.
I am always looking to improve. I want to improve my physical body; I want to improve my spiritual practice; I want to improve my skill set, and I want to build my knowledge. I am grateful I have that drive to do these things, day in and day out. Recently, I started listening to albums on Spotify, starting with various jazz artists. I also enjoy the classics, but wanted to start with Jazz. I listened to albums by Miles Davis and Bill Brubeck. Wow! What a treat. I am going to listen to Dizzy Gillespie next. It will be a nice treat. When I listen I put in my earphones, close my eyes, and picture myself in some speakeasy, listening and watching the band and the people there. It is terrific how music takes you places when it is really good.
I hope each of you can find things in your lives you are grateful for. It is a great feeling to sit back and think about all the things that contribute to your life and how nice it is to have them. Gratitude for God, for family, for your life, with all of its difficulties, and the rich experiences each of our lives contain, if we only look and appreciate them. Life is too short to be pissed off or afraid all the time. Take some time each day to express your gratitude for even the smallest thing. It will change the way you engage with the world and interestingly, when you have cultivated the gratitude habit, the world will give you more things to be grateful for.
Life is grand.
Until next time…
Dave
25 Thursday Oct 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
Tags
Amazon Prime Video, Codecademy, Coursera, Goals, Movies, Netflix, TV Series, Udemy
Well, folks. Another week is almost gone. Before you know it, you’ll be bombarded with trick or treaters knocking on your door or hitting your doorbell. For me, Halloween is the beginning of my favorite part of the year—the Holidays! This year, I’m going to be good and continue to push forward with my weight loss. Last year, I took a hiatus from lifting and dieting and I paid for it, although it was fun eating all the cookies, cakes, and pies that go along with the holidays in my home.
This week is a week to reorganize my priorities. As you’ll see below, I’ve been binging quite a bit. I’m not neglecting my writing or my exercise, but I would like to do some more work on my learning sessions and my spiritual pursuits, which suffer a bit when I’m so engrossed in the next great series (It doesn’t help that my brother and sister keep passing along great shows to watch). Anyways, I hit the gym early today for my cardio. Tomorrow will be another cardio day. Then it’s off to week 3 for the Shortcut to Size program I’m on currently.
I’m up to a 14,000 word-count on my book and continue plugging away at it. One day at a time and I’ll get there! I’m also really enjoying my Calm Meditation App (see below in apps). My daily practice is really helping me with calmness and focus.
I had to help my Dad set up a new computer today. He loves YouTube. His other computer died yesterday, and I wanted to get it up and running for him. It took a while because we decided to use Mom’s laptop since she doesn’t use it much and it had a whole truckload of updates to do (around 6 hours or so).
One last thing. I baked my first batch of egg bites today, so I can get up nuke my eggs and eat them straight away. I love breakfast—but hate having to make something, particularly when I want to go to the gym. The batch I made today was just scrambled egg yolks, salt, and pepper. I’ll make another batch tomorrow and experiment with additives like cheese, bacon, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and kale. These are really easy to make and because I can bake 12 at a time, I can food prep my breakfast for the entire week in about 30 minutes.
Below are the things I’m doing to improve and change. I hope all of you have a great 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.
Ethics, Aristotle – Very dry, but required reading if you are seeking to learn from one of the world’s greatest philosophers. I enjoyed this book and found it really cool to find the quotes I like in the book.
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).
Classes:
Web Development Path – Codecademy – Currently learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and REACT.
De-mystifying Mindfulness Course – Coursera
Documentaries:
Movies:
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.
Madam Secretary (Netflix) – I just finished season 4 of this show and have to say I really liked it. If you like Designated Survivor or West Wing, this show is right up there.
Haunting of Hill House (Netflix) – I just finished this one and if you’re in the Halloween mood like I am you’ll enjoy it. This is not scary because of gore or anything, it is just eerie. You will have to pay a lot of attention as there is a lot of jumping back and forth between characters and time periods. I had to watch a few episodes over again to catch what I missed. Great cast and good writing.
The Man in the High Castle, Season 3 (Amazon Prime) – All I can say is: “Wow!”
Interesting Apps:
Calm App – This is a meditation assistant application and comes packed with all kinds of great features, soundscapes, and guided meditations. There are so many features available I do not have enough space to tell you about it. All I can say is try it out if you like Headspace or any of the other meditation apps that are out there. By far, this is the best app I have ever used. Annual price: $59.99. The price is well worth it.
I hope all of you are having a terrific week! See you tomorrow for Funny Friday!!
Until next time…
Dave
11 Thursday Oct 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
Tags
Amazon Prime, Coursera, Exercise, Netflix, Reading, Will Rogers, Writing
“There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.” – Will Rogers
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/will_rogers_393513?src=t_reading
I enjoy reading because it allows me to listen to an author through the words of their story. Think about all the great authors and thinkers of the past. When you pick up a book you are reading what they wrote decades if not centuries ago. You learn about what it was like when they were alive. You learn about how they spoke, what was entertaining for them, what they ate, listened to, the whole thing.
Some of the older books tend to drag a bit because of this language barrier but they are well worth the read. If you are not someone who can sit down with a good book and become engrossed in the work for hours on end, who cares? Read a chapter or a few pages a day. You’ll read more over time. The reading will open your mind to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and broaden your horizons.
I really enjoy reading books that are written by people I typically disagree with. This solidifies my beliefs and values. I have also been surprised when I find myself agreeing with them. I read broadly across many subjects because I am naturally curious and want to learn and open my mind to these other ideas. I hope you become an avid reader too!
I’ve added a few sections to thinking Thursday. I’ve added the workout routine I’m following under Exercise Program, and I’ve added a section called interesting apps. I have my core of apps that I’m satisfied with currently but do, from time-to-time, find another app to add to my inventory.
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.
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:
Inside the Free Masons – Netflix
Movies:
Venom (Another Marvel Movie) is scheduled to come out on the 5th. 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.
Designated Survivor – Netflix – Finished the first two seasons. I hope they have another one but who knows? If you liked the “24” series, you’ll like this one. It’s a good show with lots of plot twists and will keep you at the edge of your seat.
Interesting Apps:
Nothing to note this week…
I hope you take up reading, even if it is solely focused on your interest areas. Reading does so many things for you. Have a great Thursday.
Until next time…
Dave
04 Thursday Oct 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
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 5th. 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
27 Thursday Sep 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
Tags
Coursera, Education, Learning, Martin Luther King, Netflix, Poetry, Reading broadly, Thinking Critically, Udemy
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more at – https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/martin_luther_king_jr_402936?src=t_intelligence
Learning is a great thing! I enjoy picking up new things, learning about different topics, learning about myself, and opening my mind to other ideas, peoples, places, and concepts. Recently, I began reading poetry. Wow! I really enjoy it. If you want a great venue for poetry, check out this website: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/
I’m also enjoying a new app I found (mentioned earlier on this blog). It is called www.curious.com. This one will cost you money—29.99/year, but for me, it’s worth it. You get daily puzzles (up and down words, Unolingo, crosswords, and Ken Ken). You get podcasts about money, science, business, culture, art, and you get access to what I would label minicourses. These courses aren’t the best quality, but you may find a cool topic that you haven’t found elsewhere. I like this site and have made going through what is called the daily challenge part of my daily ritual. Check it out. You may join me.
As mentioned earlier, I will begin my character development this upcoming month. Like Benjamin Franklin, I will begin with a new character trait in October and add one new trait each month, focusing on the new one and maintaining the previous one. This will be a 12-month adventure. I’ll be updating you on my progress on Sundays, which will be labeled Series Sunday. On Sunday, I’ll be giving you an update on my progress weekly. This will keep me honest and help me chronical my challenges as I tackle each new character trait.
Learning does cause us to think more deeply. It opens us to new ideas and new ways of looking at things. At times I run across ideas or topics that really upset me. These are the times I push myself through the material and really pay attention to my internals. Each time I read a new chunk of content that I disagree with it changes me just a little. Some of the material gets through. I consider this to be one of my important learnings. Open-mindedness is truly a great thing. I recommend this to everyone. Read broadly—read books and articles written by people you disagree with. You will learn something—I promise.
Books:
Rediscovering Americanism and The Tyranny of Progressivism, Mark R. Levin – Decent book, but heavy on the quotes. I don’t know what this guy really thinks because 80% of the book is literally a copied quote from one of the folks he cites. I wouldn’t waste your time on this one.
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:
Western Heritage, Hillsdale College – I finished this course. Since Hillsdale has altered its online format (no quizzes, no discussions, etc.), I have decided not to do their courses anymore. I enjoy engaging in a course not just watching videos. If you still care to pursue some of the online courses on Hillsdale.edu, you have been warned. I’m going to focus on courses offered by Coursera and Udemy going forward. I learn more when I am engaged by the content, not an by being an inactive participant.
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 5th. I cannot wait. This one looks terrific!
Fun:
Ozark – Netflix (in the cue) – Re-watching Season 1 to remind myself what’s going on. I’ll kick into Season 2 when I’m back on track with this one.
Jack Ryan – Amazon Prime (in the cue) – Still pending.
Interesting Apps:
I didn’t find anything new in the iPhone app realm this week.
Until next time…
Dave
06 Thursday Sep 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
Tags
Amazon, Case Western University, Coursera, Curious.com, Groupthink, Hillsdale College, Netflix, Patton
“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton
Read more at https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_s_patton_130444?src=t_thinking
I enjoy reading broadly and trying new things. Recently I ran across a website called www.curious.com. It is a site that provides stimulating ways to exercise your brain with puzzles, interesting articles, a word of the day, a poem of the day, and a whole lot of other activities. I am not an affiliate but highly recommend it if you are ok with the $40/year or $10/month subscription. I was because I like a diversity of things to do and look at each day.
Patton was a stickler for out-of-the-box thinking and pushing his subordinates to come up with their own solutions. He was well-known for pushing the envelope with his commanders during all his exploits in WWII. Patton is referring to a term we now call “groupthink”. Groupthink occurs when a group of people all think alike without refuting one another or challenging each other’s ideas. You typically find this type of thinking in organizations where politics reign and people are stifled or ostracized for coming up with ideas that are not in alignment with a leader’s or organization’s thinking. Some of the results of groupthink have been devastating.
We can do this with ourselves as well. We stifle our own ideas before we entertain them. When you brainstorm individually give every idea an equal weight during the session. You will evaluate each idea later. Use every resource you have at hand when you are seeking a solution. If you keep an open mind, you’ll be amazed at the ideas that come in. Some of them will be exactly what you need to solve your problem.
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:
Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential, Coursera – I just finished this one. This is sort of a continuation of the Learning how to learn course I finished a bit ago and it was terrific. Learning how to learn and Mindshift are both worth your while if you are interested in taking them. They can both be found on www.Coursera.com.
Western Heritage, Hillsdale College
Mini-Habits Course, Udemy
Designing Your Own Weight Loss Plan – Case Western University – Coursera – Just finished week 1—pretty good so far.
Documentaries:
Movies:
Fun:
The West Wing (Currently on Netflix)
I’ve been playing a video game with my Army buddy called StarCraft II. It is great fun.
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).
Until next time…
Dave
19 Thursday Jul 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
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.
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:
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
21 Thursday Jun 2018
Posted in Thinking Thursdays
Tags
Books, Coursera, Hillsdale College, Movies, Netflix, Online Classes, Podcasts, Udemy, Weight Loss, Weightlifting
Hello, all! Welcome to another Thinking Thursday, where I’ll give you an idea of what I’ve learned this week, what I’m watching and reading.
This week has been tough. I’m in week 8 of Kris Gethin’s Hardcore Trainer and have literally lost between 1 and 2 pounds daily since Monday, considering the very restricted carbohydrate intake. Today, I’m only allowed a little over 70 grams. Not much. This is the equivalent of about 10 rice cakes. I’ve started the workout routine at 245 pounds and now weigh 229 lbs, with 3 more days to go.
My body thrives in a very, low carb intake type of diet, so I’m all in. This is the last week, then I’ll take a slight breather, raising my carbs up about 50 grams per day and reducing my cardio sessions from 55 minutes twice a day to 45 minutes twice a day.
I’m heading to my sisters this upcoming weekend to go to a comedy show. I’ll have access to one of the gyms I’m a member of while there, but don’t want to be in the gym the entire time I’m at my sister’s house (that’s no fun for her). Anyway, I’ll be lifting daily and hitting my cardio, but taking it a little easy, as I’ve decided to hit this hardcore trainer for another 8 weeks starting on July 3, 2018, when I’m back home. That’s about it on the weightlifting front.
Books I’m reading:
Movies I’ve seen:
Netflix:
Classes:
Podcasts:
I wanted to add this to my weekly list because I’m a big fan of Tim Ferris and Kris Gethin, who is currently one of the weightlifting trainers I follow on Bodybuilding.com.
Well, this is it for my week thus far. I’m headed to the gym to knock out Lower Back, Upper Abs, and Hamstrings today. Today is Day 53 of the Hardcore Trainer and I’m stoked!!
Until next time…
Dave
29 Tuesday May 2018
Tags
Coursera, Dan Gilbert, Happiness, Surprising Science of Happiness, Ted Talk, Wellness Course, Yale
Do you want to learn a little more about happiness? If so, be prepared to be startled by the findings of Dan Gilbert. His Ted Talk is funny and informative. I was prompted to use this one this week because it was recommended by the Wellness course I am taking at Yale via Coursera.
Enjoy!
Until next time…
Dave
