Reinvent Yourself: Try Something New!

I have a video series on YouTube called "Greg Eat$ $hit from the Dollar $tore". (Sometimes called "Greg Drink$ $hit from the Dollar $tore".)

Here's my latest video:

Azul Coconut Water with Chocolate Flavor - Greg Drink$ $hit from the Dollar $tore (Ep. 7)

I love PLAIN coconut water, so the chocolate-flavoring was a new twist for me. 

My cousin Steve really enjoyed the chocolatey flavor! 

But what did I think? CLICK ABOVE!  :)

Reinvent Yourself: Find Your ONE Thing

GTO's Thoughts:

Listened to The ONE Thing podcast today. Numerous episodes. It was great.

Good advice from Michael Hyatt, Shawn Stevenson, Eric Barker, Tammy Verduzco, etc.

It got me thinking about my ONE thing for 2018.

So here's the basic setup:

So I thought about it, and it really didn't take long for me to come up with my answer.

The ONE thing I can do that would make everything else easier is: lose weight.


My heart and lungs would be healthier. My blood pressure would return to normal. My sleep would improve. My clothes would fit better.


But I don't want to eat better. I'm still enjoying bad food and sweet, caffeinated beverages. I'm not ready to give them up.


So what else would help me lose weight & also help my heart, lungs and blood pressure?

Exercise.


What is the ONE thing I could do to increase the amount of exercise I get (which is currently none)?


Use my stationary bike each day.


What's the ONE thing I could do to increase the chances of me using my exercise bike?


Remove the piles of clothes, bills & computer peripherals that buried it alive over the last 6 months. 😆😛😜


See? Easy!


I decided that I will ALSO set a daily alarm for 2:30 p.m. to remind myself that exercise is the ONE thing that would most benefit my life right now.


This may change. I may decide at a later date that eating better every day is more important than exercising every day. That's okay.


For now I've decided that exercise is the ONE thing that I can do, and by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary.

What's your ONE thing for 2018?

GTO

#garykeller #jaypapasan #geoffwoods #theonething #the1thing

Reinvent Yourself: Feel Like a Kid Again

GTO's Thoughts:

I saw "The Last Jedi" this weekend.

And I was not disappointed.

"The Last Jedi" is full of wonder, excitement and, most of all, respect for the original trilogy.

And for these reasons, it's the best Star Wars film in 30+ years. *

I'm happy to be a fan of STAR WARS again.

Since Chris Gore (over at Film Threat) summed it up so well, why don't you read his review of the movie.

Click on Luke.

If you scroll down to the comment section of Chris Gore's review, you'll find a quick comment by yours truly.

I'm currently the only commentator under his review.

Why? I don't know.

Film Threat rocks!

Another group who had insightful things to say about this film were c|net's staffers from around the world.

I really liked hearing the different thoughts and opinions expressed.

Click the C-Net headline:

Now, I had some issues with "The Last Jedi" - a few in fact.

But there was so much great stuff in it, it's hard to focus on the negatives.

"The Last Jedi" feels like the final, third film in a grand trilogy.

It's epic and satisfying and well-made.

And it feels like a completion to the original films.

Please bear in mind, I was massively disappointed in the prior four films (those helmed by J.J. Abrams & George Lucas).

Upon viewing the prior "The Force Awakens" I declared that Star Wars was dead to me.

Not kidding.

I was done with Star Wars.

Ask my buddy Larry (Tweet him @theguestroompod).

Or my buddy Shawn (Tweet him @SVashaw).

They'll tell you.

I take this shit seriously.

So any new Star Wars film would have to come a long way to erase the anger and sadness I've felt over the last 30 years as a beloved sci-fi trilogy was ripped off, spat upon and robbed entirely of its magic.

The original Star Wars films had such a hold on me that they convinced me to devote my life to movies. To study film in college. To work in the film business.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

So for me to overlook the various flaws of "The Last Jedi" and to actually feel the hope in this film, and to relive the dreams of my teen years at the same time, is a major emotional achievement for me.

I'm excited to give "The Last Jedi" an 8 out of 10.

And the best part?

I will not argue with you if you want to rate it a 10.

(If you had spoken so highly of "The Phantom Menace" or "The Force Awakens" I would've politely never talked to you again for the rest of my life.)

So for the time being, I've turned away from the cynicism of the Dark Side that had been growing in me for 30 years.

I'm thankful for this cinematic return to the Light Side.

I feel like a kid again.

Thanks for reading.

GTO

* Apologies to "Rogue One" which is a good (8/10) Star Wars film. But because it exists outside the Skywalker line of stories, and because my heart is so attached to the original trilogy of characters, I consider it an outlier in the canon in the best possible way. No offense intended.

Reinvent Yourself: Relive Summer with an Easy Sangria Recipe

GTO's Thoughts:

I get into these moods.

Maybe once or twice a year.

Where I just need to remember summer.

Usually it's in September, October or November.

Winter is approaching.

June, July & August have faded into sweet memory.

My tan is long gone.

My skin barely remembers being licked by the warmth of the sun.

I barely put a dent in my bottle of sunscreen this year.

I didn't get enough time in my brother's pool.

I didn't get enough sand, didn't get enough surf.

And - dammit! - I have no memories of a sweet summer romance.

My John Travolta did not meet his Olivia Newton-John.
My Frankie Avalon did not find his Annette Funicello.
My Barbara Hershey never became the wind beneath her Bette Midler's wings.

Those warm, sunny months have come and gone, all in the blink of an eye.

And I miss them.

But there are a number of ways to remember summer.

You could try losing your $500 Nike glasses in the waves of Ocean City, Maryland in July 2012.

Like I did!

OR -

Even better,

Ignore the lessons of Ocean City 2012!

And lose another pair of $500 glasses in the gorgeous waters of Playa Paraíso in Mexico's Riviera Maya in July 2017. **

Yep! That's what I did!

So the summers of 2012 and 2017 are LOCKED in my brain!

For.

Life.

And as winter approaches in the Northeastern United States, how do I relive such wonderful summer memories as losing $1000 in prescription eyewear to the oceans of the world?!

I GET DRUNK  (ha)

What helps me get drunk are sweet and colorful adult beverages!

THIS is where SANGRIA comes in, because:

SANGRIA TASTES LIKE SUMMER.

I make it from time to time when I'm desperately trying to hold onto summer for a few cold, getting colder, weekends this time of year.

It's easy to make sangria.

WINE + FRUIT = SANGRIA

It's quick, delicious and refreshing.

If you don't like fruit, you're outta luck. More for me.

If you click on my photo below, you'll be taken to my 60-second easy sangria recipe.

Easy Sangria Recipe - Greg's Helpful Videos

** Upon losing expensive eyewear for the 2nd time in five years, I was completely and utterly embarrassed.

My family was there to witness it BOTH times!

And I was also very angry at myself.

SO ANGRY.

And there was swearing to be had.

Lots of swearing.

Lots of LOUD swearing.

And there were children everywhere!

And. I. Didn't. Care.

I was swearing with no thought of social decorum.

I was uttering profanities in the clear, warm waters of Mexico,

(Proud of myself, I am not.)

BUT -

After about 15 minutes, I finally calmed down and surrendered to the situation.

It was simple: I was going to be legally blind for my entire vacation in Mexico.

And then!

My brother, Doug, stepped on something buried in the sand near the shore.

He reached down, expecting to be bit by a crustacean, but instead he found my glasses.

It was amazing. Really amazing.

I'm still blown away by it.

My brother found my glasses!

They could have gone deeper into the Caribbean Sea.

They could have gone parallel to the shore.

Never getting closer, never getting further away, just keep moving to the right. Or to the left.

They also could have drifted just a few feet away from where I had lost them to the large wave.

Into water that was too deep to gain footing.

But -

They headed towards shore.

Where my brother was able to find them.

Amazing.

So,

As I sip my sangria,

This is one of the great memories I'll relive from the summer of 2017.

Thanks for reading!

GTO

What are your memories from the summer of 2017?

Reinvent Yourself: Help Others Solve Netflix Silverlight Error N8010.

GTO's Thoughts:

I was having trouble getting Netflix to work on my MacBook.

I kept getting Silverlight Error N8010.

Which means Safari's Private Browsing Mode was supposedly restricting Netflix from storing settings on my computer.

But there was more to it than that!

I finally figured everything out, made a quick video, and wanted to pass it along.

Just click the photo and you'll be taken to my YouTube video (3 min).

If this solution helps you, let me know. Thanks, GTO.

Using Safari to Watch Netflix? Getting Silverlight-Netflix Error N8010? Here's a FIX!

25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself: Form a Board of Advisers

Just as a corporation has a team of people who represent an array of specialties - marketing, finance, sales - an individual should have a similar set of personal advisers, according to Marti Smye, author of Is It Too Late to Run Away and Join the Circus?  (MacMillan, 1998).

This informal board should be made up of friends whom you respect and admire, whose opinions you value, and who would be willing to offer you their counsel when you need it.

[From "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000,
edited by Greg Olszewski]

Reinvent Yourself: A Motivational Lament

Why are my moments of highest motivation always, ALWAYS, just before I have to go to work - or just before I go to bed?

A smart friend of mine suggested that maybe it's a survival reflex. That our subconscious knows that's the only safe time to inspire us because it's the easiest kind of motivation to get out of.

"You have energy. You could start that thing you wanted to start. But darn! - you have to go to work! Oh well, we'll get 'em later, Tiger. Have a great day!"

"Thanks, subconscious! You have a great day too."

And you work.

And you intend to give that thing you wanted to start another go.

But at the end of the day, a funny thing happens.

Your work is done, you've eaten, spent time with the family & friends and now, now it's time for sweet sleep.

You've waited all day for this. The stress is gone. You're relaxed. Your inhibitions are down. You're in the twilight of consciousness, drifting off, and..

BAM!

A great idea hits you!

And your subconscious knew one was coming all along. But it reminds you:

"You have energy. You could start that thing you wanted to start. But darn! you have to sleep! Oh well, we'll get 'em later, Tiger. Have a great night!"

"Darn you, subconscious. Right again. You have a great night too!"

So you'll give that thing you wanted to start another go.

In the morning. Before work.

But for now, zzzz :: drool :: zzzz :: snore :: zzzz!

Election Day in America 2016. And a Promise to eat Maple Cookies.

I've been very quiet this election season, but I must break my silence & say this:

If Donald Trump is elected President of the United States, I will leave the country! **

Yes!

I'll take my passport -- the one I paid for & NEVER USED! -- and I will LEAVE this great country of ours, and I will finally.. 

FINALLY.. 

See Niagara Falls FROM THE CANADIAN SIDE! 

This I vow! YES! 

FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!

(... as a full-grown adult...)  

Sure, I went as a kid! And it was cool. Heck, I went to the Harry Houdini Museum! And Madame Tussaud's too! 

But that was 40 years ago! I don't remember anything!....

Except the super-cool Harry Houdini Museum & the kinda-creepy Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. 

.. Or was it Ripley's Believe It Or Not?.. 

That, and the fact that they had legal gambling in Canada! 

Oh, and there was some cool Animal Park & Amusement Park, MARINELAND! Yeah! We never made it there! But man, I really wanted to go! 

They also had this cool restaurant that spun around. I don't think we ate there either! 

OH, don't forget, they filmed "Superman 2" on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls! That's the one where Lois Lane is so sure Clark Kent is Superman that she throws herself into the raging floods, knowing that Clark will rescue her. (Spoiler alert: He DOESN'T! He uses his X-ray eyes to cut a tree limb loose so she can grab onto it. Something like that!) 

I DIGRESS!

If Donald Trump is elected as the President of the United States **, I WILL DO IT! I will leave this country! 

DO NOT TEMPT ME, AMERICA. I'M SERIOUS!

I ALSO WANT TO TRY THOSE AMAZING MAPLE COOKIES THEY HAVE UP THERE! MMM...

TRUMP! CLINTON! CANADA! HOCKEY! COOKIES! YUM!

AMERICA!

(** the same applies if Hillary Clinton is elected!)

(** a trip to the Bahamas would be nice as well)

The Artist Formerly Known As Prince

I know. I'm boring and unoriginal. But I'm going on the record & saying: 

"When Doves Cry"

is my favorite Prince song.*

The hypnotic, syncopatic keyboards, those dang, unmistakeably-Princely drum synths, the passion with which he cries out at himself and his lover, as they repeat the same behavior he sees in his parents' stormy relationship:

Why do we scream? Why? This is what it sounds like.

When doves cry.

LOVE  IT. LOVE IT. LOVE  IT. LOVE IT. LOVE  IT. LOVE IT. LOVE  IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT.
---

*Followed, so-closely-as-to-be-unmeasurable, by 

"Let's Go Crazy" 

Dearly beloved. We are gathered here 2day 2 get through this thing called Life. Electric word, Life, it means 4ever, and that's a mighty long time, but I'm here to tell U.. 

there's something else.

That driving beat. The idea of celebrating even as the world is falling apart. 

And if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy!

PUNCH A HIGHER FLOOR!

And that kick-ass guitar-solo! That solo! 

That FREAKIN' solo!

TWO MORE-PERFECT SONGS HAVE NEVER BEEN WRITTEN!

---

I will also sing my guts out to "Raspberry Beret" and to "Kiss" 
(a song I very much disliked in 1986):

Ain't no particular sign I'm more compatible with, I just want your extra time and your (jangle-jangle-jangle) kiss.

You were mysterious & enigmatic. Some said shy.

I thought maybe a bit stand-offish & holier-than-thou. 

AND

let's not forget 
you were way too sexy for my fragile ego. 
You flaunted sex in a way that I was never comfortable with. 
You rubbed it in our faces. 

And then on top of that, 
you go and introduce us to 
*THE* *SEXIEST* WOMEN* of the 80's:

Sheila E, Apollonia, Vanity. 

My god, it was just too much for my hormone-rattled youth! 

(But you did introduce us to that dude in the headband. He seemed cool.)

(You gave him the line: 

Life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last

in the video for "1999".)

(I just found out his name is Dez Dickerson. Even his name rocks.) 

(I also always had a soft-spot for Lisa & Wendy too.) 

But I digress.

---

Please allow me to close by saying: 

Mr. Prince, 
sir, 
U were an artistic genius
and your music 
made an impact 
on my life and soul.

Thank U for that. 

Rest in peace.

GTO

Reinvent Yourself: LISTEN TO A PODCAST

I was a guest on this podcast! Come listen! You like Star Wars, don't you?

I drive for a living. So I spend a lot of time alone in vehicles. One of the benefits of working alone is that you can listen to whatever you want. Top-40. Talk. Sports. Politics. Satellite radio. 

And podcasts.

I've been a fan of podcasts for years, but most people still don't know what they are. I like to think of them as Internet radio shows. 

The vast majority of podcast are free, and they cover a variety of topics. Have you ever seen the many racks of magazines and periodicals at Barnes & Noble. There's a publication for nearly any subject under the sun. This is the same with podcasts. There's a show for nearly any taste & any interest.

Some of my favorite podcasts are (in no special order):

Smart Passive Income - 

Teaches you about starting your own business. (SPI has inspired me in so many ways.)

Ask Pat -

The founder of Smart Passive Income, Pat Flynn, answers questions from his audience.

Niche Pursuits -

A very informative"Starting Your Own Internet Business" podcast.

The Dave Ramsey Show -

A tough love approach to making better financial decisions. (Dave's show is also responsible for my getting out of debt.)

The Dan Patrick Show -

The only sports show I listen to now. A great balance of sports information & entertainment.

The ProBlogger Podcast -

Darren Rowse is a gentle, informative Aussie, who guides you to building a better blog. 

(I haven't applied his excellent tips to my blog yet - so don't blame him for this mess!)  ;)

Never Not Funny -

Hosted by Jimmy Pardo & Matt Belknap, NNF is one of the funniest shows I've ever heard.

Improv 4 Humans -

Matt Besser leads a cast of rotating comedians as they improvise scenes out of thin air. It's like comedy-jazz. All improv. No scripts. (I envy their comedic abilities; I want to be like them.)

The Confabulated Podcast -

A show about pretty much anything, from crazy scientific facts to strange jobs, from adult beverages & food to the host (Grant) & his wife (Kristi) having deep conversations about life, career & babymaking. (I've been a guest on this show a few times!)

The GuestRoom Podcast -

A show about music, pop culture, movies, drums & Star Trek. Star Wars too. Larry, the host, has a rotating cast of guests, and they have a good time discussing/arguing about all such topics. (I've been a guest on this show also!)

So - what do YOU want to learn about? 

Or maybe you just want a laugh?

Click any of the links above to get started!  or, 

Try Google and search: "funny podcast", "money podcast", "sports podcast" etc.  

or, try iTunes & search for podcasts there. 

You can stream them to your devices and/or download them for later.

If you're anything like me, you may find that listening is a better way to absorb information than reading. (As I get older, I don't enjoy reading like I used to. Not sure why. But I can listen to an entire book or podcast multiple times.) 

Podcasts have changed my life. 

I admit, I haven't put into practice everything they've taught me - and that isn't their fault. I have the knowledge and the information. I've learned a ton. (And laughed a ton.) And I hope to start utilizing this knowledge on a deeper level in 2016. 

Maybe you can too!

Start listening to podcasts!

Here's to a great new year!

GTO

Reinvent Yourself: Look at Life with a New Perspective

GTO's Thoughts:

Ran across a series of illustrations by artist John Holcroft (via Wired Magazine (Facebook) via Good).

Holcroft takes mundane nuances of modern life and juxtaposes them against the larger societal message.

Holcroft has his detractors (many on Facebook said his work was too focused on the negatives in life, others said his work was childish or too "grumpy old man"-ish), but these illustrations spoke to me & felt like a good fit for my blog's theme of making small, positive changes in one's life.

Especially this one:  --------------------------------------->

I WANT A HAPPINESS KIT!

Friendship, laughter, ethnic cuisines, personal freedom, quiet moments, pinball - these are just some of the things that would make up my Happiness Kit.

What would be in yours?

Check out John Holcroft's work here.

Peace out,
GTO

Reinvent Yourself: Learn About Favicons & Free Graphics Sites, Pablo & Canva.

GTO's Thoughts:

I've been exploring ways to make my blog more interesting, visually.

So I've downloaded some free tools from SumoMe & they've immediately added some eye-catching functionality to this old dinosaur of a blogspot blog. I'm very happy with the results.

I've also been exploring free graphic-creation websites. Two of my favorites are Pablo and Canva.

Both have been instrumental in helping me define my brand. Not that I have much of a "brand" at this point. But working on it.

While tinkering around in my blog, I discovered an area where I could upload a favicon.

A favicon is a tiny graphic that loads into the URL of a webpage. Some people call them website icons or bookmark icons (you'll find out why below), and they can look very professional and quite snazzy.

Here's an example:





Notice the blue "F" logo there? That's Facebook's favicon.

Here's another:





Notice the little sumo wrestler dude? That's AppSumo's favicon.

When you save bookmarks to your favorites list, you'll see favicons there also. (Hence the name "bookmark icon".)

They're a really nice way to let your readers know that they're in the right place. They're like your little sign post on the web: "This is where '25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself' lives!"

I finally created my own favicon & it was very fast & easy (enlarged to show texture).

created with canva

You should also see it in the URL of your web browser above. What do you think?

If you want to create your own favicon for Blogger (or any other site), sign into Canva.com, choose a template (I like using the Instagram template for nice, square-shaped graphics), choose a layout, add some text, and click "Download".

Can't get much easier.

If you have a Blogger blog (like me) you know that Blogger limits the size of your favicon to 100kbs. So what you'll have to do (what I did) is import your Canva graphic into a photo-editing program, reduce its size until it is below 100kb (obviously), and save it with a new name (to prevent writing over the original).

Then in your Blogger blog, go to Design/Layout/Favicon/Edit and upload your favicon there. (Other platforms allow you to update your favicon as well in a very similar fashion.) (I'll be learning WordPress next week, so expect an update on this post.)

Even if you don't want to make a favicon, definitely explore making some nice graphics for your blog, Facebook page or Instagram account. Attractive photos with inspiring quotes and sayings are easily shared - and a great way to spread a bit of sunshine or inspiration. You can also share a laugh, or even make announcements. Sky's the limit.

So explore Pablo, Canva and the tools at SumoMe. They're free! (I may not have mentioned that.) :)

See ya soon.  GTO

Reinvent Yourself: Bob Goff quote

made with buffer.com/pablo - #madebypablo

Reinvent Yourself: Try Pablo

Created with http://www.buffer.com/pablo - great tool!

Here's a graphic I wanted to share. (Looks pretty good, right?)

I'm blowing the dust off the blog, and wanted to try a few free graphic resources.

This graphic was created with Pablo (#madebypablo).

Use Pablo to spruce up your blog, Facebook page, Twitter account - anywhere!

(It especially looks good on Facebook! - the place where photos usually go to DIE!)

Feel free to share the love. :)

GTO

Reinvent Yourself: FLOSS IN THE SHOWER

GTO'S Thoughts:

Yeah, I do this! What of it?!

Yeah, I admit it... 

I floss in the shower. 

Not all the time. 

(Just most of the time.)

I have 3 reasons for doing this:

(1) At the bathroom sink, the tiny container of floss gets lost amongst the bottles of pain relievers, toothbrushes, toothpastes, combs, hairsprays, colognes, handsoaps, razors, hand lotions, medicated powders, etc.

If I don't see it, I won't use it.

But in the shower, I actually see the tiny container of floss. 

It's sitting there by itself, right on that handy little shelf that's supposed to hold a bar of soap. 

(The soap always slips off! - but that little container of floss stays right where I can see it.)

And if I can see it, I have a better chance of using it. Score!

(2) Flossing in the shower protects your mirror -- from FLYING DEBRIS.

I pride myself on not flinging food particles out of my mouth at high rates of speed. 

But you do! (Admit it.) I'm just trying to save you from yourself here! okay? 

Also, cleaning a food-spattered mirror is kinda disgusting if you think about it.

Yet - getting food from our teeth isn't the main point of flossing... 

We floss. To remove plaque. And to strengthen our gums. 

(And for some to fling food from their teeth at high rates of speed!) (Not naming names. Y-O-U.)

 

If your gums bleed after flossing, it's because you attacked them like a maniac with that razor-sharp floss! Try using dental tape instead! - like my buddy Bob prefers. It's more gentle.

Another reason our gums bleed is because they're not healthy. The more you floss, the stronger your gums become and the less they'll bleed. Win!

And finally, (3) - When you floss in your tub, the shower head offers an immediate, powerful cleansing rinse. It takes some getting used to [see: avoid drowning in the shower] - but once you get the hang of it, the rinsing action of the shower really helps your mouth feel clean. 

Sure, you could use a Waterpik. I almost bought one. My dentist, Dr Spatz, said water flossers don't do a good-enough job of removing plaque. (My buddy, Bob, agrees.) Doctor said there is no substitute for flossing.

My dental hygienist told me that flossing is actually more important than brushing. A lot of research backs this up. Dentists don't tell us this because if they do, we'll stop brushing and flossing!) (Admit it!)

Flossing is important. We all need to do it more often. We know this.

(Yes, we still need to brush too.)

When you floss and brush on a regular basis it makes having a laugh an even more enjoyable experience!

SO LET'S DO THIS, PEOPLE! 

FLOSS! FLOSS! FLOSS!

Thanks for listening.

Sincerely, GTO

Reinvent Yourself: FIND A SHORTCUT

Subtitled: But Stay In the Game

GTO's Thoughts:

I was having a pretty rough night.

The weather in Pennsylvana has not been conducive to safe driving. A serious issue for me since I drive for a living.

Suffice it to say, everything that could've gone wrong *did* go wrong.

Until I discovered...

A SHORTCUT!

I've been doing my route for over a year. I was absolutely certain that I was running it as efficiently as possible. I was wrong.

Tonight I found out that the first two east-bound exits on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (from the Ohio border to the Cranberry exit) are FREE!

After a year of being locked in my own mindset, of being stuck in what I thought was the ONLY way to get from here-to-there, I found a SHORTCUT.

Utilizing the PA Turnpike's 65mph speed limit (& reliably safe road conditions) may shave 10-15 minutes off my normal running time(!).

And now I ask:

Are you locked in a particular way of thinking?

Are you absolutely sure you're doing something as well as you could be?

Are you convinced there's no way to make life better?!

Perhaps you're overlooking a shortcut that will help!

It could be as simple as:

Chilling your beverage in record time.

But - it doesn't have to be a physical shortcut!

It could even be as important as:

Asking someone for help.

If you think life is hard, you're not alone.

I think life is hard. Much harder than I was expecting.

My best friends think life is hard.

(So, trust me, you're not alone.)

Find a shortcut. It may help you get through the day.

But also - keep looking for little ways to make life better, one step at a time, one day at a time.

(Wow. This is not the way I was expecting this blog post to go. But there you are.)

These are my thoughts for today.

I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Thanks a lot.  GTO

Reinvent Yourself: REUSING BEATS RECYCLING

McCormick's Sea Salt Grinder

I love McCormick's Sea Salt Grinder.

It's a pricey little bottle, but man, I love a coursely-ground salt sprinkled on salads, over popcorn, or on the baked potatoes (& broccoli) I've started to enjoy.

Yep. I've purchased a fair number of these little bottles over the years.

And always, when I'm finished with the product, I'm faced with something of a dilemma. How do I recycle the thing? It's glass and plastic. Is there a way to get the grinding cap off? It's not an easy task to do by hand. In fact, I'd already decided that it was impossible.

So this evening, as I was gathering up my recyclables, I decided I'd better find an answer to these questions for the sake of "proper" recycling.

And then it hit me! 

Why the heck was I taking another McCormick Sea Salt Grinder to the curb?

Market District Cypriot Sea Salt

Earlier in the month, I'd taken a chance and purchased some Market District Cypriot Flake Salt. I didn't notice it at the time of purchase, but when I got home I realized: it didn't have a grinder! It was difficult to hand-grind its hardened flakes to the consistency I prefer. And I had already regretted switching from my beloved McCormick's.

But you have to understand. The Giant Eagle Market District Cypriot Flake Salt looked so intriguing. It was crystalline & beautiful & exotic-sounding! ha So I took a chance, grabbed it off the shelf and didn't notice the lack of built-in grinder until it was too late.

Then thankfully tonight, the light finally went off.

Why not figure out a way to reuse the McCormick grinder with the Cypriot Flake Salt?

It'd save me a whole lot of hassle.

After a quick internet search, I found a very helpful page on how to remove the McCormick Sea Salt Grinder for proper reuse:

here's the link:  How to Reuse a McCormick Sea Salt Grinder

And it worked perfectly! (Click the link for DynoChick's (Jan's) technique.)

Which leads me to the real point(s) of my post: 

(1) I saved money ($3)

(2) by reusing a product (a salt grinder)

(3) that I've not only purchased many times already (??)

(4) but then always just mindlessly set it at the curb for someone else to recycle.

Yes. I know it's just a silly salt shaker. (With a super-sweet grinder!)

I know this doesn't change the world.

But how many other items are we throwing away or recycling at the curb that we could just easily reuse ourselves?

Could you save yourself more money than I did by retooling (and/or thinking of new ways to reuse) common items?

Give it some thought. The internet is a great resource for finding new ways to look at our old ways.

Perhaps next time, before we take the recyclables to the curb, we could do a quick search on Google to see if there's something cool we could do with them instead: 

"How to reuse a pop can"

"How to reuse newspaper"

Maybe we'll discover other useful, fairly obvious ways to reuse our junk without relying on someone else to do it for us.

We'll cut out the middle man. Keep more money in our pockets. And make less trips to the curb. ha

If you know of any great ways to reuse a product (especially the ones I keep buying over and over again! ack!) please let me know ASAP!

Thanks for letting me ramble. I feel better.

GTO

Reinvent Yourself: STOP LIVING FOR "SOMEDAY"

Subtitled: A Scary Phrase (That's Haunted Me For Years)    

I was listening to the Internet Business Mastery podcast today, and Jeremy and Jason mentioned a phrase that has haunted me for years.

They mentioned it in passing, so it clearly wasn't something that they've wrestled with to any degree.

But the fact that this phrase actually had a name distracted me for several minutes as I wrestled with guilt, and the feeling that I had wasted so much time already, clinging to a belief that told me over and over again:

"Someday, I'll be happy."

I rewound the podcast. And listened again.

The phrase they mentioned was the Arrival Fallacy.

(Just typing it makes my blood chill.)

What is the Arrival Fallacy?  (brrrr...)

It's the belief that you will achieve happiness and fulfillment only after certain, future criteria have been met. You cannot be happy now. You will only be happy after this happens. Or when that happens.

Or when this and that happen!

Perhaps it's after you get the raise you wanted. Or after you finally buy a home.

You've decided that you will only be happy when you've arrived.

Are you like me?

Does your happiness lie just around the corner, or in some distant future?  Does it always seem to be out of reach?

Perhaps you believe in the Arrival Fallacy too.

"How can I be happy now? I'm clearly not the person I want to be yet."

"I'm overweight." "I don't make enough money." "I haven't found love yet."

Oh, yeah.  I know all about this kind of thinking.

Do you live for a happier time? A better place? Are you wishing you were somewhere other than where you are right now?  Do you secretly think: "Someday..."?

"Someday, I'll start making those changes."

"Someday, life will be better, and I can start fresh."

"Someday, I'll be happy."

These thoughts echo in my mind, and have for years. 

Of course the fact that the world is a miserable place isn't helping us at all. How can we possibly be happy right now? While people hurt, or kill, or die?

It's true. The world isn't a perfect place. Not even close.

I think that's why it's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking, "Someday". 

It gives us an excuse, perfectly wrapped in a shiny package. "I'll wait until life is just a little bit better before I start doing that important thing I've wanted to do all my life." "I'll wait just a little bit longer before I start doing the things that make me happy."

I didn't even realize I had this mindset.

I thought I was just being hopeful.

Someday things'll get better. Someday I'll achieve the things I want to achieve.

Sure, it's hopeful thinking - but at some point, if you're not careful, it can become an avoidance technique.

That's what it became to me.

I've pushed so many of my dreams so far into "someday" that I've never had to worry about actually achieving them.

So I just stay right here. Where it's safe. Locked in thoughts of a happier future. Never having to put my neck out there. Never having to risk failure at achieving my goals.

... because someday it'll all be okay. One of these days, I'll find that elusive confidence I've been seeking. I'll give voice to the artist inside of me. One of these days, I'll create! I'll Do! I'll Be! Go me! Yeah!!

Sounds wonderful. Like heaven on earth.

But there's bad news. (You knew I'd have bad news. You probably already know what it is. You're smart like that.)

The bad news is one of these days we're going to die.

(I hope it's a peaceful death for us. In our sleep, surrounded by family.)

But what if we end up with a lot of time to contemplate the things that might've been, could've been... weren't? What if we were able to see what needed to be done, but we hadn't done it?

Don't know about you, but that would be pretty crushing. Living in the shadow of goals unpursued.

That's the way I've been living. (Have you been living that way too?)

[insert long sigh of sad realization] [ha]

There are a few cures to this scary scenario.

You could try reading this (hysterical and vulgar).

Or try this (not hysterical or vulgar).

Or I could just cut to the chase and tell you to:

START

I don't care how crappy it is.

I don't care how scary it is.

I don't care who'll laugh at you.

SOMETHING

Take a first step toward a worthy goal.

Do something that matters. Right now.

It doesn't have to matter to anyone else but you.

But start doing it. Whatever it is.

TODAY.

Do it because arrival is a fallacy.

You're already here. You're on the planet. You're breathing air. You're reading these words.

You've arrived. 

You've arrived at the start of a beautiful new day. 

And this day is all we have.

And unlike "someday", TODAY is not a fallacy.

START. SOMETHING. TODAY.

It could just make you happy.

Thank you. Sorry for rambling, ha.

GTO

Reinvent Yourself: MAKE A HAPPINESS JAR

Subtitle: Ditch the New Year's Resolutions! Make a Happiness Jar! In 3 Easy Steps!

I'm not making any New Year's Resolutions this year.

There. I said it.

I've been doing resolutions every year for decades now, but dammit!... it's time to admit the truth.

I FAIL at New Year's Resolutions!

And because my friends & I review our resolutions on New Years Eve each year, I begin nearly every new year on a disappointing note by stewing on my failures of the past 356 days.

And what makes it worse is that I've often recycled the same resolution from year to year because: (1) it's usually a great goal on some level, and (2) it deserves another shot at being accomplished. I think most people have done this.

But we shouldn't recycle our goals.  We should accomplish them!  Then move on!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I had one resolution for 2012

Start School.

Did I start school?  NO.

Am I happy about not starting school?  NO.

Did reflecting on "not starting school" start my New Year off with a bang?  NO!

Get the picture?

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So I want to try something different for 2013.

I love the idea of making a "Happiness Jar". (It goes by many names.)

It's a simple idea. And there's only 3 Easy Steps.

(1) Get a jar.
(2) When something good happens to you in 2013, write it down on a scrap of paper, and
(3) Put it in the jar!

Then on New Years Eve 2013-2014, you & your friends can take turns reading notes from your Happiness Jars. (You can even do this alone.)

To me, this is a great way to honor a year. So much better than reflecting on the failures, don't you think? You get an opportunity to remember and acknowledge and reflect upon the good things that happened to you in a year. I love it.

Of course if you're really good at setting goals and accomplishing them at New Years, by all means KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

But since the context for my message is that New Year's Resolutions are more like fun ideas that aren't structured to be taken seriously (not like focused goal setting), and since many of us are tired of slamming our heads against a wall come New Year's Eve, and since many of us would like a boost to kick-off a new year, consider making a Happiness Jar.

Already started mine.

"1/1/13: Heard (& Saw) a Trilling Screech Owl!"

Hey, it made me happy!

But you need to find the things that make you happy!

Then write them down & throw them in the jar.

Maybe, just maybe, 2014 has a chance to start off really great!

Happy New Years to you, World!

Action to Us All!
GTO