Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – The Power of Music

Tags

Benefits, Genre, memories, Movies, Music, Nostalgia, Spiritual

Could you imagine watching one of your favorite movies without the music? It would change the experience dramatically. The music adds layers to the story by the pictures and the feelings the music brings to us.

I use music for all kinds of activities. When I am reading, instrumental music works the best, as long as it is not too heavy. I enjoy calming music while I read. Sometimes classical, most of the time sound scapes.

When I’m in a bad mood, I like to listen to upbeat music. When I’m feeling nostalgic, I like to listen to music that reminds me of something. Try listening to the music you liked when you were in high school and then tell me you didn’t see pictures of your proms, trips, and football games playing through your mind.

Then there is the music that is special to you, like a song you and your first boy or girlfriend chose to be yours. I guarantee you’ll see that person in your mind when the song kicks off, along with the things you did together.

Music is also a huge motivator for me. When I’m in the gym, music drives me from one exercise to the next. If I’m lifting weights, there’s nothing like a good heavy metal tune. If I’m doing cardio, my music genre of choice is trance.

I try to listen to music every day. I enjoy the feelings associated with the music I listen to. I don’t have a favorite music, but definitely am not a Country Music fan. I can attribute this to all the country music my grandmother tortured me with when my brother and I stayed over. To this day, I cannot stand Conway Twitty, Gene Autry, or Johnny Cash.

If you have not tried it, try listening to music when you read, write, study, or exercise. It will give you a huge boost. It does for me, at least. I’ll stop here.

I hope all of you are having a great 2020 and getting some rest and relaxation today, after returning to work.

Until next time…

Dave

 

 

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursdays – Ah, Holidays!

Tags

Christmas, Coffee, family, Friends, Good Conversation, Good Food, Good times, Grateful, Holidays, Movies, Snow, Thankful, TV

Today, I’m thankful for the holiday season. I don’t really care about the gifts and such, but I enjoy relatives visiting, the Christmas lights, the tree, the snow, and all the food that comes this time of year.

This year my brother and sister are coming to town and it’ll be great. We’ll watch movies, talk as a family in the living room, eat out a few times, and maybe even catch a movie at our local movie theater. Then there’s the Christmas dinner, which will be Mom’s recipe for roasted duck! Yummy!!

Obviously, the gifts are fun, but I get a kick out of people opening my gifts, not so much the gifts I get. It’s nice to get people something you think they’ll like. It’s also fun to just enjoy the vibe of the family being together, reminiscing about times past.

I realize we should all be giving to one another all-year long, but because this time only comes once a year, it is special; you know?

I realize for some this is a traumatic time of year. It brings back memories of family members who have passed and the gaping hole they have left in the family. This is just tough and my heart goes out to all of you who are experiencing this. That being said, I would recommend throwing yourself into a charity or volunteering. I’ve always found that when I give of myself, my problems fade a bit. I know this is probably a simplistic solution to your problem, but I wanted to throw that out there, in case you have never tried it. It works. At least it does for me.

Well, that’s it for today. I hope all of you have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spread Your Wings Sunday – Do Something Fun

Tags

Do Nothing Day, Fun, Good Food, Internet, Movies, Spread Your Wings, Weekly Challenge

Challenge #1 (provided by Five-minute Journal): Be extra wonderful to yourself today. I’m talking almond lattes and extra delicious food.

Challenge #2: Treat yourself to a movie and get that popcorn, gummy bears, or ice cream. Make it an event!

These should be easy. Everyone likes movies and good food. Try one or do both. As always, feel free to comment when you have completed one.

 

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Holiday Season

Tags

Christmas, Eating out, Exchanging Gifts, family, Friends, Good Food, Holidays, Movies, New Years, Thanksgiving

Today, I’m grateful for the holiday season that is fast approaching. My family celebrates Thanksgiving and Christmas. I used to be a big New Year’s Day fan, but frankly, my religious New Year occurs on the 23rd of October, so other than watching the ball drop on TV if I remember, it’s not that big of a deal.

 

I think the best part of the holiday season for me is the ability to just do whatever on these days, eat what I want (think potatoes, cranberry sauce, pies, cakes, and cookies), and hang out with family that comes to town.

This year, my Brother is coming to visit for Christmas. Mom and Dad are obviously excited about their middle son coming home, but so am I and my sister who is also going to be coming up to hang out with us. It’ll be a grand time!

During the times family comes home we gather in our home theater and watch movies, hang out in our living room over coffee in the morning, and go out to dinner once or twice during their stay to give Mom a break from cooking. If my brother comes, it guarantees us to get in some time on the Xbox.

What is so interesting about this venue is the ability to interact with so many people around the globe. What are the holidays you celebrate in your part of the world, and what do you do?

 

Post these in the comments below!

Have a great Thursday, everyone!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday – Watch what you See and Listen To

Tags

Influences, Inputs, Movies, Music, Negativity, Reading, Surroundings, The News

Sri Harold Klemp discusses how negativity in music and other inputs can pollute the body. It is wise council.

If you are not feeling well or seem to be in a bad mood, look around at your surroundings. Is there someone in your life that is exceedingly negative? Is the music you listen to filled with negativity? Are you watching a lot of violent shows or movies?

I love heavy metal when I work out. I love to watch a great action movie with lots of violence. I like politics and the news. One of the areas I began to notice that had a dramatic effect on my well-being was the news. Every time I would watch CNN, MSNBC, FOX news, or even catch Rush Limbaugh on the radio I would become very angry and stressed out. I decided to cut back on this stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I still scan the news. What I changed was getting too involved in the stories. When I did that, my life smoothed out a bit. I was less anxious and angry. I was more relaxed.

These are just examples. For some of you, none of these may have any effect on your overall outlook. This is individual. If you do get into a funk, start monitoring what you’re watching and listening to. Watch what you are reading. Many of the things you may be exposing yourself to may be harming you, without your knowledge. Experiment. Cut down on the sad or negative music you’re listening to. Watch movies that are uplifting instead of violent. If any of these changes, lighten your mood, you have solved the mystery.

I’m posting this early today, because I have some things to do tomorrow and wanted to get this posting out of the way in advance. If anything in this article helps you, leave a comment. I’d like to hear about what you learned.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Until next time…

Dave

 

Daily Ramblings – Phoenix – Final Day

Tags

family, Friends, Games, Good Food, Happiness, Joy, Movies, Phoenix Trip

I’m writing this early because I’ll be busy cleaning up my brother’s house and getting packed up for my flight on Thursday the 13th. This trip was a terrific time. It started with my niece’s wedding. It was a wonderful ceremony and went off without a hitch.

Then it was a full week of reconnecting with friends, good food, and lots of laughs. It was also a great time to hang out with my brother, play some games, and binge watch some shows on Amazon and Netflix. I also got in some writing, reading, and some much-needed quite time to think about things and reflect.

I like my reflection time. I think about all kinds of things, like what my life would be like if I did this or that in my past or what I could change today and what effect that would have on my future. I like thinking about my family, my friends, books I have read. I even like to think about thinking sometimes.

I hope all of you enjoyed my Phoenix trip! I did. Friday, I’ll be back to my posting schedule. I really appreciate all of the new followers and the time you took to investigate and learn about my blog.

Until next time…

Dave

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

 

Daily Ramblings – Thinking Thursday

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

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 – 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