Inspirational Quote – Topic: Kindness and Giving

The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.

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Stop Procrastinating: It’s Not That Complicated

Photo Jigsaw pieceI experienced a huge breakthrough in my quest to stop procrastinating. It happened after I listened to my thoughts – and truly heard those thoughts – about repairs on my “To Do” list. I realized I was complicating simple tasks. Here’s how it went down:

On Sunday, November 20th I woke up with the intention of getting some things done around the house, many of which I’d put off for months.

I read the item, “Replace duct cap in yard’s northwest corner.” Then I heard, “Man, that will take forever and I want to play Just Dance 2 with my kid instead.”

I read the item, “Install hook and eye type ‘lock’ on pantry door.” Then I heard, “Man, that will take forever and I want to read instead.”

I read the item, “Prepare spring bulbs for winter storage.” And then, you guessed it, I heard the same over-exaggerated time to completion and what I’d rather be doing.

That’s when it hit me: I was putting off all these less-than-15 minute tasks because I perceived doing them right then and there would take up so much time I wouldn’t be able to do anything “fun” that day. When in reality not one of those repairs / maintenance would take me longer than 15 minutes (each) to complete.
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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Kindness and Giving

A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.

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Tomorrow I’m Not Doing Anything

Photo Picnic Table in Deep Woods by Aron HsiaoWhew! That headline was hard to write. But it’s true. Tomorrow I’m going to practice the art of doing nothing. “Art?” Yep, in a world of constant stimulation and connection, knowing how to do absolutely nothing is most definitely something you practice and eventually master.

The principle first caught my attention while reading Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, and then again reading the Good Vibe blog. At first I thought, “Pfft! That’s easy.” Then I dug deeper and realized “doing nothing” meant no reading, no writing, no gardening. Whoa. “They” really mean nothing.

I’ll admit not writing down my thoughts and observations is going to be hardest of all. My kid will be joining me as well. We’re starting out small – one hour – and after that we’ll practice daily for 15-20 minutes. An interesting exercise in being present that I hope teaches us both something.

Photo credit: Aron Hsiao

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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Time Management

Those who make the worst use of their time are
the first to complain of its shortness.

~ Jean de La Bruysre

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Monsters (2010) – Movie Review

Poster DVD Cover Monsters (2010)You may recall Monsters (2010) as one of my suggestions in “5 More Must-See Indie Movies.” Well I’m happy to report it most definitely *is* a must watch film for anyone who enjoys an alien invasion sci-fi thriller.

Photo: Yellow starPhoto: Yellow starPhoto: Yellow starPhoto: Yellow star
4 stars out of 5

Now, having said that, if you watch this movie expecting a Hollywood-style alien movie then you will be disappointed. This is not WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005) or DISTRICT 9 (2009). You will not experience typical sci-fi horror scenarios or scares like those in CLOVERFIELD (2008) or ALIEN (1979).

What you will get from MONSTERS is Continue reading

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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Success

The best place to succeed is where you are with what you have.

~ Charles Schwab

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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Worry

Let our advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.

~ Winston Churchill

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The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2011

Banner The Christmas Spirit Reading ChallengeI just signed up for The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge! Okay, so I told myself no more challenges for 2011. But then along comes such a fun one that I couldn’t resist. And besides, I planned to read the first book and watch these movies anyway.

The details for this challenge are as follows:

  • Challenge will run from Monday, November 21, 2011 through Friday, January 6, 2011.
  • Cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!
  • These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and for the first time…a children’s Christmas books level!
  • Visit THIS POST for a list of new Christmas books for 2011.
  • The most important rule? HAVE FUN!

Click here to sign up for The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge 2011.

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Inspirational Quote – Topic: Productivity

There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.

~ John F. Kennedy

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