12 Tuesday Apr 2022
Posted in Ted Talk
22 Tuesday Mar 2022
Posted in Ted Talk
Tags
Brian A. Pavlac, Fear, Germany, Learning, Panic, Scapegoat, TedEd, Video, Witch Hunts, Witches
I found this interesting video about witch hunts. I hope you learn something. I always do.
Until next time…
Dave
14 Monday Mar 2022
Posted in Motivation Monday
Tags
Books, Do it yourself videos, how-to manuals, Learning, manuals, Monday, motivation, Tools, Udemy, YouTube
One of the biggest pitfalls to gain motivation is an inability to do something, particularly when we don’t know how to do what we are tasked to do by someone else or decide to do something. What do we do?
One of the steps we may need to take is to actually get out there and learn something about what we are tackling by learning from someone else who has already done it. Makes sense right? Why reinvent the wheel, when someone has already done it?
Some of the things I have had to learn are Microsoft Office. I needed to learn how Word works so I could write all the papers I had to write in school, and now as part of my official duties for the missionary role I hold for the Michigan Satsang Society. I also needed to learn Excel so I could complete the necessary monthly and semi-annual reports that are due to my boss. Besides these things I’ve had take course on graphic design, digital marketing, and statistics. I haven’t finished all of these courses, but these are the ones I’ve purchased. I’m going through an Excel course now.
What is holding you back? Is it typing? Is it reading more quickly? Or is it something that requires you to do some research and learning before you tackle that new thing you are about to work on. When you have the skills to do something, it is much more easy to be motivated to get that thing done. When you are struggling or resisting something, it is likely there is a little fear involved. I don’t know how to start. I don’t know how to do x, y, or z. Make it easy on yourself and get out there and learn what you need to know before you kick off that project. You’ll pick up a new skill(s) and it’ll be much easier to tackle that project when you have all the tools you need.
Well, folks, I hope all of you are having a great week so far. We got snow over the weekend, but today its in the high 40s and most of the snow we got is all melted away. This is common this type of year. There are probably a few more snow storms coming, but they tend to melt away very quickly.
Happy Monday, all!
Until next time…
Dave
14 Monday Feb 2022
Posted in Motivation Monday
Tags
Fatigue, habits, Learning, Loss, Love, memories, motivation, pain, Valentine's Day
After reading some posts on the blogs I follow, I was taken aback by some of the sentiments they expressed. One blogger posted about wishing everyone well. Another, explained that she felt better when she served other people, especially when she was in a mourning period.
One of my wife’s friends passed last week from a heart attack. She overdosed and expired in the ambulance speeding to nearby hospital.
How do we stay motivated when our lives are falling apart? I think both of my blogging friends offer some great advice.
When things are bad, you have to grieve. There’s no escaping that. It’s human. Some days it’s ok to just lay in bed and sleep. But all of us have responsibilities. We can only lay in bed and sleep or deal with our depression or sadness or whatever feelings you have for so long, before it disrupts all of your ability to live life.
I have discovered that habits play a huge part in this. When we have habits, we will do what we need to unconsciously. We may not do the best job we could do, but on days where we are really feeling it, doing something is better than doing nothing.
Building habits is something that takes time. You can’t build a habit overnight. Most of my readers have good habits. They write in their blog. Some do a lot of exercise. All do daily what their passions demand–crafting, photography, writing, or creating.
Life would not be life without suffering losses. We are all only here for a finite amount of time. As we age, we experience new pains, fatigue, lose our friends, lose our family, and all the rest. Where is the meaning you ask? The meaning comes from what we do with our lives while we are here. Do we serve others? Do we wish others well? Do we take care of ourselves?
Life is a beautiful thing. It is finite. It is fleeting, but it is a wonderful experience to learn from. Love given–love received.
I wish all of you a terrific Valentine’s Day.
Until next time…
Dave
04 Tuesday Jan 2022
Posted in Ted Talk
Tags
Character arc, Fiction, Learning, Lisa Bu, Nonfiction, Plot, Reading, Rooks, Story, Ted Talk, Tuesday
I wanted to share this video from TedED, because it touched on many of the reasons why I enjoy reading. Not only is reading a great way to learn, but it is relaxing, gives me an excuse to sit in my easy chair with a nice cup of coffee or tea, and engage with a story, learn something, or do a little of both.
I hope you enjoy this video and are inspired to get in a bunch of reading in this new year. For those of you who are unaware, Goodreads, a reading app, has a reading challenge every year. It’ll track every book you read and help you stay on track with your reading goals. I always shoot for 50-60 books a year. It’s a great challenge, but not one to get too stressed about. One year I read around 70 books, last year I fell short and only read 40 or so books.
Here’s to many literary adventures and much learning in 2022!
Until next time…
Dave
29 Wednesday Sep 2021
Posted in Wisdom Wednesday
Photo Credit: Published by Teachers Journal Printing Co, Marion, Ind, 1908 – Some Indiana Writers and Poets (free pdf from archive.org)
There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no defeat except from within, no really insurmountable barrier save our own inherent weakness of purpose.
Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.
It’s pretty hard to tell what does bring happiness; poverty and wealth have both failed.
Don’t knock the weather; nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation if it didn’t change once in a while.
We would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate.
I hope you enjoyed these quotes today. I try to find people that are not familiar to most people, including me. Here’s a wikipedia link to learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kin_Hubbard
Until next time…
Dave
20 Monday Sep 2021
Posted in Motivation Monday
Tags
Conservative, Curiosity.com, Documentaries, Learning, left, Liberal, right, school
The weather is sticky today in Michigan. Dad had a hearing aid appointment, and Bella (our dog) and I are holding down the fort. Today, I’ve got some homework to do, my exercise routine, reading, taking a class, and all the rest. I’m in my last class for a Masters in Sociology. Why college, when I’m retired?
I love to learn. I don’t take student loans. I pay cash for my courses and materials. I also attend online, so I don’t have any commuting to do. It’s a good feeling to knock out a degree. I just enjoy reading broadly. When I left the Army I was pretty conservative (politically). Over time, however, I have moved more left. I have experienced a great deal in my life, and have opened my mind a great deal, particularly because of the assignments and reading in school.
Have I been indoctrinated, like so many conservatives would posit? No. When you read broadly, however, you take time to hear the arguments of the other side. Instead of being close-minded, like so many on the social media feeds, who are constantly bashing the other side, I have discovered that both sides of the political aisle have legitimate positions. Compromise, however, left our political discourse years ago. You just do not see it anymore. Maybe some of our elected officials should go back to school? (Ha)!
What’s the message of today’s posting? Read broadly and continue to educate yourself. You are not too old to learn new things. We are always learning new things anyway. Why not learn something specific? I try to learn something new each week. I like learning about other people, who I post about on my Wisdom Wednesday article. I like to watch documentaries. You just pick up so much stuff when you watch a good documentary. I really enjoy the documentaries on history. I would recommend curiosity.com for my documentaries. This is one terrific channel and it only costs $20 USD a year.
Well, that’s it for my Motivation Monday posting! I hope you have a terrific day!
Until next time…
Dave
01 Wednesday Sep 2021
Posted in Wisdom Wednesday
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.
For those of you who would like to learn more about Confucius and the time he lived, here’s a Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucius
I hope you have a terrific Wednesday!
Until next time…
Dave
26 Thursday Aug 2021
Posted in Thankful Thursdays
Tags
Books, creativity, Fiction, habits, Learning, Reading, Scribd, Thankful Thursday
I enjoy reading. It is one of my hobbies. My favorite fiction genres are science fiction and fantasy. My non-fiction genres are history, military history, political history, and anything else that teaches me something. Books are a terrific getaway, particularly during the winter months and hot, muggy, summers of Michigan, when going outside is a no-go.
I am grateful to my parents who got me reading at an early age. That habit never left me and it came in real handy during college. Now, I read to keep my mind active and continue to learn new things.
Reading is creative, particularly when you are reading fiction, because you have to create the scenes in your mind. When I am reading a gifted author, the scenes are easy to create. For some self-published authors, it is a little more difficult, because they lack the craft of the greats. I read them anyway. I figured if someone takes the time to write a book, why not give them some of my time. I have come across some great books in the self-publishing space.
So today, I am grateful for Scribd. I am not an affiliate, but have been a Scribd subscriber for a few years. It has a great selection of books, magazines, audio books, and a whole lot more. You won’t find recently released works, as the authors need to make their money, but after a book has been in circulation for a bit, Scribd will get the title.
If you read voraciously like I do, you may want to check them out. Here is the link: https://www.scribd.com/home
It runs me 9.00 USD a month, but is really worth it, particularly if you find a great book that is still selling on Amazon. The savings are tremendous, particularly when you add the magazines you have access to, and the comics.
Well, that’s it for now. Have a terrific Thursday!
Until next time…
Dave
24 Tuesday Aug 2021
Posted in Ted Talk
Well, folks. We thought we had beat this COVID thing, but the Delta variant has risen and is causing all kind of problems across the globe as science scrambles to respond. Check out this video on Small Pox, a plague that hit us in the 1900s.
Hopefully it’ll shed some light on what we are doing to beat COVID this time around.
Enjoy!
Until next time…
Dave
Daily Ramblings... 