What does being generous mean? According to the dictionary, it is to be liberal in giving and sharing (source: dictionary.com). So the question is, what does it mean to live generously in life?
Often times, for most of us, life is about gathering and making do with what we have. Much of our waking hours is spent working and essentially gathering, making, or working for the resources in life that allow us to survive. There isn't much room to give and share. And even if we give and share, it is with the idea of giving out of our excess.
Is this truly being generous? It is in a sense. But it fails in fulfilling the definition of being liberal. Being liberal implies that a person would not be counting their beans before sharing nor are they only sharing out of excess. Rather, it gives the impression that their giving and sharing is out of sacrifice rather than out of excess.
If this is the case with being generous, the idea of giving sacrificially, how often are we all truly generous? I would say, this is probably a challenge for all of us. When society is all about 'me' and 'what and how does it benefit me', it creates a baseline not of what is good for others or for the greater good, but rather a promotion of selfishness and narcissism.
And this is the issue that I am trying to bring to light, how can we learn to be truly generous in how we live? And how can we pass this key virtue of life down to our kids?
Maybe the first thing we need to do is be a bit more self-aware. Not the kind of self-awareness of knowing yourself more but rather the kind that you learn to be aware of those around you in relation to yourself.
And just learn to give and have a habit of giving to those in need, to those less fortunate, or just as a kind gesture to a stranger. It's the idea of learning to love our neighbors as ourselves. Care for those around you as you would want to be treated and to be cared for and as you would for yourself. Simple rules here.
And in passing it to our kids, remind them that they are not the center of the universe. Model for them generosity and show them when someone has been generous to you. Let them see what it means to love and to share love to those around you with no strings attached. And let them see you being willing to receive love.
Generosity is a lifestyle. It's a part of how a person lives their life. It is in a sense, a part of a person's worldview or system of belief. In essence, it's the idea of sacrificing for those around you, not for a return but for the genuine wish of giving someone else a better day or world.
Showing posts with label Discipline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Discipline. Show all posts
Thursday, February 09, 2017
Monday, December 19, 2016
Entering into the holiday season with little
A few months back, I wrote about a mom detailing her emotional pain of not being able to give to her daughter the things the little one has asked for due to the financial situation the family was experiencing at the moment (Read it HERE.) Little did I know that my family would be in a similar situation come this Christmas season. Over the course of this year, my wife and I have experienced a number of job changes and job loss and with this in mind, we are in a season of financial constraint, with neither of us officially working for a pay cheque.
For sure, there could be worse situations in life. And to be honest, despite the tightness of finance, we are still relatively positive in being able to find something before our finances become critical and run dry. And I am fully aware of families in situations that are worse off than we are. And here is the reflection that I have, we take so much for granted but life is not something we can take for granted.
In being placed in this relatively uncomfortable position (read about my thought of being in a state of discomfort HERE) of constraint during a season characterized by consumerism and entertainment, it is in itself a blessing and a curse. It's a curse in the fact that you feel you are not able to enjoy the holidays as much as people that are less constrained in their lifestyle. But it's a blessing in the fact that you are essentially sidelined from the consumeristic nature of the holiday season and are instead forced to focus on what the holiday is truly about.
Holidays for us now, with the material gifting and shopping taken away, along with some of the paid experiences being priced out of range, has become an intentional time of relationship and quiet reflection. When you are not able to compensate relationships with material, you are challenged to gift the gift of time and presence, a gift in its truest sense: priceless. You are challenged to reflect on what matters in your life, to reflect over the past year's experiences, relationships, and where life is heading in general.
For me, it truly is becoming a time of reflection. This is probably one of the first Christmases that I don't have to work the various Christmas services and events at my local church. The idea of the holidays and the Christmas season takes on a more pure meaning. It has become a time to reflect on the gift that was once given to us 2000 years ago in the form of a babe named Jesus. A gift of love and peace, a gift of salvation and reconciliation, a gift to which no other material gift can compare. And at the same time, in acknowledging this gift from God, I have come to challenge myself in reflecting how I have been a gift to other people.
Some of the questions that I have been asking myself recently:
We have been gifted so much in life but often times we don't realize how much we have been blessed until we truly are put in a position of little. And my challenge for all of us, including myself, is this:
This is what the Christmas spirit is about, whether we have much or little, we can give the gift of love.
For sure, there could be worse situations in life. And to be honest, despite the tightness of finance, we are still relatively positive in being able to find something before our finances become critical and run dry. And I am fully aware of families in situations that are worse off than we are. And here is the reflection that I have, we take so much for granted but life is not something we can take for granted.
In being placed in this relatively uncomfortable position (read about my thought of being in a state of discomfort HERE) of constraint during a season characterized by consumerism and entertainment, it is in itself a blessing and a curse. It's a curse in the fact that you feel you are not able to enjoy the holidays as much as people that are less constrained in their lifestyle. But it's a blessing in the fact that you are essentially sidelined from the consumeristic nature of the holiday season and are instead forced to focus on what the holiday is truly about.
Holidays for us now, with the material gifting and shopping taken away, along with some of the paid experiences being priced out of range, has become an intentional time of relationship and quiet reflection. When you are not able to compensate relationships with material, you are challenged to gift the gift of time and presence, a gift in its truest sense: priceless. You are challenged to reflect on what matters in your life, to reflect over the past year's experiences, relationships, and where life is heading in general.
For me, it truly is becoming a time of reflection. This is probably one of the first Christmases that I don't have to work the various Christmas services and events at my local church. The idea of the holidays and the Christmas season takes on a more pure meaning. It has become a time to reflect on the gift that was once given to us 2000 years ago in the form of a babe named Jesus. A gift of love and peace, a gift of salvation and reconciliation, a gift to which no other material gift can compare. And at the same time, in acknowledging this gift from God, I have come to challenge myself in reflecting how I have been a gift to other people.
Some of the questions that I have been asking myself recently:
- Have I been present for my kids and family? In a fashion where I am willing to sacrifice and gift myself for them?
- Have I been a gift for my friends, neighbors and acquaintances? How have I been serving them out of love with no expectations of gain or recognition?
We have been gifted so much in life but often times we don't realize how much we have been blessed until we truly are put in a position of little. And my challenge for all of us, including myself, is this:
Even with what little we have, or for some that have plenty, be willing to serve and be a gift to those around you this season in the measure that has been given to us by God.
This is what the Christmas spirit is about, whether we have much or little, we can give the gift of love.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Living in a state of discomfort
Everyone wants to live life comfortably. There's a whole industry and marketing on how to make life more comfortable. The idea of comfort, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing, but there's a danger with comfort that's often overlooked.
Comfort gives a picture of stability and calmness. But at the same time, this stability and calmness comes with a price. A price in which uncertainty and change doesn't have a place within the framework of comfort. And here is the Achilles' Heel of comfort, it is the inability to change, move and to grow organically in life. Comfort ends up being a sanctuary built and created by ourselves against the tide of the world around us. It is a place in which we are able to find stability and the knowledge of knowing what we know is enough and that we can rest comfortably in what we know.
So then, why is being comfortable negative? It isn't in and of itself, but if ever need to navigate change in life, and personal growth in and of itself is a process of continual change, it will rock the stability and comfort level in your life.
Most people and families operate on a level of certainty. We generally call them routines of life or patterns of life. However, the flipside to this is generally known as chaos and a breakdown of structure. I'm not advocating that living in a state of chaos and lack of structure is a good thing, that in itself is very counter productive due to the nature of not navigating with any intentionality or purpose or direction.
Rather I am looking at that in between place of life. The balance of being fully comfortable and fully basking in chaos. This is a very unique place. It's a place in which you haven't fully abandoned comfort and stability but you have jumped off the cliff into the storm of chaos. And here is the unique place where growth and change happens.
It is in the state of discomfort and intentionality that we are able to push toward growth and change. This isn't just within us personally but can be extended toward businesses, organizations and even our own family. In order to move forward and change organically, we have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone. We need to be willing to embrace a level of discomfort and chaos in life. We need a bit of the unknown. And it is within this unknown and discomfort that we find who we are, where we are going and who we can depend on.
It is a unique position in life. It is a posture of allowing what you have built to be destroyed and rebuilt. It is a gamble that the outcome will be better than what you had before. But without this, you will only continue being where you were and who you were before. There would be no change, no growth.
Some of this growth will demand us to give up something or let go of something. And it'll be alright. You're learning to move beyond to something greater.
So the thought and challenge I want to leave with you today is this:
Are you so comfortable and stable that you have ceased to grow and improve? And how are you maneuvering your life so that you can keep growing, improving and changing?
Comfort gives a picture of stability and calmness. But at the same time, this stability and calmness comes with a price. A price in which uncertainty and change doesn't have a place within the framework of comfort. And here is the Achilles' Heel of comfort, it is the inability to change, move and to grow organically in life. Comfort ends up being a sanctuary built and created by ourselves against the tide of the world around us. It is a place in which we are able to find stability and the knowledge of knowing what we know is enough and that we can rest comfortably in what we know.
So then, why is being comfortable negative? It isn't in and of itself, but if ever need to navigate change in life, and personal growth in and of itself is a process of continual change, it will rock the stability and comfort level in your life.
Most people and families operate on a level of certainty. We generally call them routines of life or patterns of life. However, the flipside to this is generally known as chaos and a breakdown of structure. I'm not advocating that living in a state of chaos and lack of structure is a good thing, that in itself is very counter productive due to the nature of not navigating with any intentionality or purpose or direction.
Rather I am looking at that in between place of life. The balance of being fully comfortable and fully basking in chaos. This is a very unique place. It's a place in which you haven't fully abandoned comfort and stability but you have jumped off the cliff into the storm of chaos. And here is the unique place where growth and change happens.
It is in the state of discomfort and intentionality that we are able to push toward growth and change. This isn't just within us personally but can be extended toward businesses, organizations and even our own family. In order to move forward and change organically, we have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone. We need to be willing to embrace a level of discomfort and chaos in life. We need a bit of the unknown. And it is within this unknown and discomfort that we find who we are, where we are going and who we can depend on.
It is a unique position in life. It is a posture of allowing what you have built to be destroyed and rebuilt. It is a gamble that the outcome will be better than what you had before. But without this, you will only continue being where you were and who you were before. There would be no change, no growth.
Some of this growth will demand us to give up something or let go of something. And it'll be alright. You're learning to move beyond to something greater.
So the thought and challenge I want to leave with you today is this:
Are you so comfortable and stable that you have ceased to grow and improve? And how are you maneuvering your life so that you can keep growing, improving and changing?
Thursday, November 03, 2016
Shared Calendar: Being on the same page
I'm not sure about you but for me, life is hectic. Living life as a single was bad enough. When you live life as a couple it gets even more complex. Then throw in the kids and it gets downright hectic. Life just never stops. There's always that next appointment or event that you are all trying to get to. And to make it more complex, sometimes events and appointments are for just one person or one kid, and sometimes everyone's individual schedules start conflicting with each other.
This is where having a shared calendar system comes in. I know many families already have some type of system. And many people have some form of system at work to keep track of things. But here is where the breakdown comes in to play, they are all different systems. And eventually something will fall through the cracks and an event or appointment gets double booked or forgotten. The shared calendar or "family calendar" is where it all comes together.
The shared calendar is something that I have used with my wife since we got married. At first it was not so much for avoiding scheduling conflicts or double bookings. I was a grad student at the time and she wanted to know when I get out of class and when my assignments are due. It was a system to keep me in check and to keep me accountable for what I was doing. However, as we started to add to the calendar, we started to add in particular work events that my wife had or nights out with the girls that she had. It was essentially a heads up for me to know what is up in her life so I can react accordingly.
Eventually, this calendar of ours evolved to not only include all our events and work stuff but also chores that we have at home. Chores such as vacuuming and laundry that are done on a more scheduled basis. Then when the kids came along, it included the kids' events and play dates and such.
Having everything on the same page helps with planning and coordinating. It helps us know what we have agreed to with other people without necessarily needing to consult with each other first. In a sense, it allows the freedom of knowing that we wouldn't be overfilling ourselves or creating conflict. The calendar system allows for us to note down what is happening and when. It becomes a good place to consult when we plan for family time and events. It allows for us to know who is able to pick up the kids when and if one of us will not be home for dinner or will be coming home late for any reason.
We execute this shared calendar system through Google Calendar. Using iCal or Microsoft's Outlook Calendar works too. The point is to have a place that all of you are able to access and edit with the devices that you own and use.
The beauty of Google Calendar is the ability to use it on essentially any mobile device and tablet, while being accessible on the website and also on most computers' default calendar program. As an added bonus, although I do not personally use this function, it also has the ability to allow for other family members to subscribe to it or to share it without editing capability.
Most of us have various digital devices ranging from smartphones to tablets to computers, and all these devices are connected. This connectedness allows for the ability to share and connect in a way that we weren't able to before. It's allowed my family to leverage technology to help simplify our life. It's allowed us to be on the same page on what is happening and when. It's allowed us to mitigate potential conflicts that may arise from miscommunication and poor planning. It's created a system of trust and accountability as both of us know what is happening in the other's life. And if something happened outside of the scheduled events, it promotes talking to grow closer together. The fact that we know what is happening in each other's life, we now can move on from asking what is happening to asking what happened during those said events in life.
I'm not sure about you, but having a shared calendar system is a life saver and a time saver for us. And I hope that this has been an inspiration for you to start something similar if you haven't already. And for those that have a system that works for them, I would love to hear about it.
This is where having a shared calendar system comes in. I know many families already have some type of system. And many people have some form of system at work to keep track of things. But here is where the breakdown comes in to play, they are all different systems. And eventually something will fall through the cracks and an event or appointment gets double booked or forgotten. The shared calendar or "family calendar" is where it all comes together.
The shared calendar is something that I have used with my wife since we got married. At first it was not so much for avoiding scheduling conflicts or double bookings. I was a grad student at the time and she wanted to know when I get out of class and when my assignments are due. It was a system to keep me in check and to keep me accountable for what I was doing. However, as we started to add to the calendar, we started to add in particular work events that my wife had or nights out with the girls that she had. It was essentially a heads up for me to know what is up in her life so I can react accordingly.
Eventually, this calendar of ours evolved to not only include all our events and work stuff but also chores that we have at home. Chores such as vacuuming and laundry that are done on a more scheduled basis. Then when the kids came along, it included the kids' events and play dates and such.
Having everything on the same page helps with planning and coordinating. It helps us know what we have agreed to with other people without necessarily needing to consult with each other first. In a sense, it allows the freedom of knowing that we wouldn't be overfilling ourselves or creating conflict. The calendar system allows for us to note down what is happening and when. It becomes a good place to consult when we plan for family time and events. It allows for us to know who is able to pick up the kids when and if one of us will not be home for dinner or will be coming home late for any reason.
We execute this shared calendar system through Google Calendar. Using iCal or Microsoft's Outlook Calendar works too. The point is to have a place that all of you are able to access and edit with the devices that you own and use.
The beauty of Google Calendar is the ability to use it on essentially any mobile device and tablet, while being accessible on the website and also on most computers' default calendar program. As an added bonus, although I do not personally use this function, it also has the ability to allow for other family members to subscribe to it or to share it without editing capability.
Most of us have various digital devices ranging from smartphones to tablets to computers, and all these devices are connected. This connectedness allows for the ability to share and connect in a way that we weren't able to before. It's allowed my family to leverage technology to help simplify our life. It's allowed us to be on the same page on what is happening and when. It's allowed us to mitigate potential conflicts that may arise from miscommunication and poor planning. It's created a system of trust and accountability as both of us know what is happening in the other's life. And if something happened outside of the scheduled events, it promotes talking to grow closer together. The fact that we know what is happening in each other's life, we now can move on from asking what is happening to asking what happened during those said events in life.
I'm not sure about you, but having a shared calendar system is a life saver and a time saver for us. And I hope that this has been an inspiration for you to start something similar if you haven't already. And for those that have a system that works for them, I would love to hear about it.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Dealing with burnout
Burnout is one of those things that people talk about and people seemingly understand but when you dig deeper, no one can seem to explain what it is. If you've been following some of the new studies, there's a close relation between burnout and depression. But either case, burnout is a state in which you feel a lack of enthusiasm, lack of motivation and a drop in productivity. Whether or not this is a true condition is still being debated by the professionals.
Most people focus on the occupational aspect of burnout and it's true that this is where you will find it most often. But I want us to focus on life as a whole, meaning some of us may experience burnout or burnout-like symptoms in other aspects of our life such as being a parent, being a student or just life in general. I think thinking of it holistically is very important because life isn't just about work. Rather, work is a part of life as a whole.
Often times, the path to burnout is not so much about the work that's being done or the situations in life leading up to it but that there isn't enough rest and balance in life. Without the rest that your body, mind and soul desperately needs, you will eventually run yourself to the ground via exhaustion. Some people call this burnout, some call it running yourself into a rut and some just see it as life and that you just need to get over it. This lack of rest is a tell-tale symptom of imbalance in life. Imbalance often starts with the mis-allocation of our life's resources, our energy, or our time toward something, which then becomes overdrive and suffocates our own ability to reassess, rest and balance life.
The cost of imbalance is devastating. The fact that you are continually mis-focusing your energy, time, relationships and resources will impact your life whether you admit it or not. Or more like we are so used to it that we don't know what being healthy and balanced is anymore. It will put strains on your relationships, your family, your job and your work. It will affect your physical and mental health. It will affect your inner soul, your spirit and your spirituality.
This continuation of mis-focus or imbalance will eventually break you. Why do you think mental illness, depression and anxiety is at an all time high? It's because with the nonstop world around us, we haven't had a chance to just step back and take a break anymore, refocus and maintain balance. With the increased demand of our attention and the demand of an instantaneous response, we have forgotten how to wait, be still and just listen to the world around us.
Stepping away from it all is imperative for your health and mine. I have seen the edge of the cliff, I have seen the depth of the cliff, and I have seen it in others. Sometimes, we are so used to performing that we lose sight of what we are working toward. Other times, we have invested so much into something that we can't see anything else. And I'm not just talking about work as in occupation but also about the other aspects of life - being a parent, being a spouse, being a friend, etc. We all work toward something but when it becomes imbalanced, you walk a fine line.
You can't do any of that without taking a step back. You need it. Your family needs it from you. Your work needs it for you to perform optimally. And those around you need it from you to help maintain a healthy relationship.
Stepping back is hard. It's an intentional time. A time to take a mental break. A time to take a physical break. A time for your soul, mind and body to catch up again. What this break looks like will be different for everybody. Some just need a hobby. Some just need sleep. Some just need quiet. It is different and very personal.
But the fact of the matter is, whether you are on the road to burnout or not or whether you believe in burnout or not, you need balance in life. And balance in life is only achievable if we are intentional in what we are doing.
What does living intentionally look like?
An article of interest pertaining to using and finding intentional rest and space in life is HERE.
Most people focus on the occupational aspect of burnout and it's true that this is where you will find it most often. But I want us to focus on life as a whole, meaning some of us may experience burnout or burnout-like symptoms in other aspects of our life such as being a parent, being a student or just life in general. I think thinking of it holistically is very important because life isn't just about work. Rather, work is a part of life as a whole.
Often times, the path to burnout is not so much about the work that's being done or the situations in life leading up to it but that there isn't enough rest and balance in life. Without the rest that your body, mind and soul desperately needs, you will eventually run yourself to the ground via exhaustion. Some people call this burnout, some call it running yourself into a rut and some just see it as life and that you just need to get over it. This lack of rest is a tell-tale symptom of imbalance in life. Imbalance often starts with the mis-allocation of our life's resources, our energy, or our time toward something, which then becomes overdrive and suffocates our own ability to reassess, rest and balance life.
The cost of imbalance is devastating. The fact that you are continually mis-focusing your energy, time, relationships and resources will impact your life whether you admit it or not. Or more like we are so used to it that we don't know what being healthy and balanced is anymore. It will put strains on your relationships, your family, your job and your work. It will affect your physical and mental health. It will affect your inner soul, your spirit and your spirituality.
This continuation of mis-focus or imbalance will eventually break you. Why do you think mental illness, depression and anxiety is at an all time high? It's because with the nonstop world around us, we haven't had a chance to just step back and take a break anymore, refocus and maintain balance. With the increased demand of our attention and the demand of an instantaneous response, we have forgotten how to wait, be still and just listen to the world around us.
Stepping away from it all is imperative for your health and mine. I have seen the edge of the cliff, I have seen the depth of the cliff, and I have seen it in others. Sometimes, we are so used to performing that we lose sight of what we are working toward. Other times, we have invested so much into something that we can't see anything else. And I'm not just talking about work as in occupation but also about the other aspects of life - being a parent, being a spouse, being a friend, etc. We all work toward something but when it becomes imbalanced, you walk a fine line.
You can't do any of that without taking a step back. You need it. Your family needs it from you. Your work needs it for you to perform optimally. And those around you need it from you to help maintain a healthy relationship.
Stepping back is hard. It's an intentional time. A time to take a mental break. A time to take a physical break. A time for your soul, mind and body to catch up again. What this break looks like will be different for everybody. Some just need a hobby. Some just need sleep. Some just need quiet. It is different and very personal.
But the fact of the matter is, whether you are on the road to burnout or not or whether you believe in burnout or not, you need balance in life. And balance in life is only achievable if we are intentional in what we are doing.
What does living intentionally look like?
- Learn to say no and yes based on your priorities and abilities.
- Learn what fuels you and what drains you. Make sure you are balanced.
- Learn to listen to your soul and your body. Sometimes, it knows us better in terms of what we need to rebalance.
- And most importantly for me, learn from and lean on your relationship with God and allow that to overflow to the rest of your life. With God as the source and center of your life, you can trust that you will never be depleted nor imbalanced.
An article of interest pertaining to using and finding intentional rest and space in life is HERE.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
Taking time out
Taking some time out and away from it all. Don't we all dream about this? I'm not talking about just a vacation or a trip. I'm talking about taking some time out and walking away from life.
Why walk away from life? Life is always moving and going. Life doesn't ever take a break. So the question and often the guilt is 'Can I afford to just walk away?'
And my answer for you is yes, you absolutely need to take a step away from life every so often and you can't afford not to. You can't afford to keep going. You can't afford to keep up with the race and pace of life. You must stop, drop and walk.
So why am I such a strong advocate for this? Because when we keep going and running, we often lose sight of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Or for some, we become so absorbed in what we are doing that we haven't taken the time to see what we have done. We need to step back and reassess. Reassess what we are doing. Reassess where we are going. Reassess if it is worth it. Reassess how and what we need to change to realign ourselves.
So what have I gotten from taking these 'steps back' and 'time outs' in life? I have gained clarity. I have gained a healthier psyche and spirituality in life. I have gained more energy to pursue what I feel called to do. I have been able to improve the relationships around me.
Without the step back, you wouldn't know what is wrong. Without the step back, you wouldn't know what it is that is great and central in your life.
So my challenge for you is this, take an intentional step back and intentionally schedule it in your life. How do I do this?
This is what some call taking a Sabbath or a Sabbatical. You need it.
Why walk away from life? Life is always moving and going. Life doesn't ever take a break. So the question and often the guilt is 'Can I afford to just walk away?'
And my answer for you is yes, you absolutely need to take a step away from life every so often and you can't afford not to. You can't afford to keep going. You can't afford to keep up with the race and pace of life. You must stop, drop and walk.
So why am I such a strong advocate for this? Because when we keep going and running, we often lose sight of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Or for some, we become so absorbed in what we are doing that we haven't taken the time to see what we have done. We need to step back and reassess. Reassess what we are doing. Reassess where we are going. Reassess if it is worth it. Reassess how and what we need to change to realign ourselves.
So what have I gotten from taking these 'steps back' and 'time outs' in life? I have gained clarity. I have gained a healthier psyche and spirituality in life. I have gained more energy to pursue what I feel called to do. I have been able to improve the relationships around me.
Without the step back, you wouldn't know what is wrong. Without the step back, you wouldn't know what it is that is great and central in your life.
So my challenge for you is this, take an intentional step back and intentionally schedule it in your life. How do I do this?
- Schedule in your time away. Set aside the time on your calendar. Doesn't have to be long, but enough for you to focus and refocus.
- Inform those closest around you why you are doing this and what it is for.
- Use that time to contemplate and reflect. Use it to meditate and pray.
- Write/Draw. Have a log/journal and write or doodle out your thoughts. It isn't so much for you to read but for you to just release your brain and its burdens.
- Lastly, take what you have learned about yourself and the renewed energy you gained and put them toward the things that matter in life, your family, yourself and your calling.
This is what some call taking a Sabbath or a Sabbatical. You need it.
Thursday, October 13, 2016
Core Words: Duty
This is the last of the series on Core Words, knowing and understanding yourself in order to define what is important in your life and reframing your life around those things. The last topic to cover is the last pillar or conduit. For me it's the word "Duty."
There's a foundation from which everything in life stems and a goal towards which you aim in everything you do. Family is a place where you learn and grow in these two aspects. The other parallel is duty. Duty is a big word with different meanings for different people. And if you were to throw a stone at any one person on the street and ask them to define duty, they will probably have a different answer for you.
Duty for me is two fold. It's what you do in life, as in your profession, your calling, or whatever else you busy your time with during your waking hours. And it's the obligations of life. Here we will explore both and how they are interrelated.
First off is your profession and/or calling or just what you do. This is your job and work, either what you get paid to do or what you have decided to do because you have a passion for it. This is probably the next heaviest use of your time in life, aside from family. This is probably the place where you spend most of your energy and waking hours. This is the place where if you were intentional in what you're doing, you can make an impact on the lives of those around you, those you work with or those you serve in your work. Work is often viewed as just a way to pay the bill, and this isn't wrong, but work can be so much more if you take it intentionally as a place where you can make an impact on the world around us.
Think about it. Whether you are the cashier at a big box store or the executive of a multi-million dollar enterprise, you will interact with people. Your attitude at your position and how you interact with those around you will say much about what is grounding your life and what you are aiming for. For the cashier that is more likely than not making minimum wage and probably not fully making ends meet in life, this job can be a get-it-done-to-get-the-cash-and-move-on or it can be a platform in making the lives of those that spend those couple minutes with you at the checkout a nightmare or a paradise in shopping. When you are aiming for excellence, your attitude and your ethics will reflect it. The people that come to you will see a difference that you ain't working just for the cash but rather you are also working to make this essential part of life better. And if you are the executive? Yeah, you have power, prestige and worth, in the world's eyes, but how do your clients and workers view you? Do they view you as the monster of a boss that they need to gravel and kiss up to? Or are you an executive that is known to care and take care of the staff, one that wants to help build up those around you and move them on to a better place in the world? It makes a difference.
Our work place is often like a second home for most of us. Our coworkers can either be competition in a cut-throat world in the advancement of yourself. Or they can be the family away from home that is working mutually together to make the world a more humane and liveable place. A place where you can make a difference and an impact, no matter how small or isolated, is still an impact.
Moving on to duty as obligation, this is the part where duty isn't so much about what you do, but what you have committed yourself to. Yes, your work and your volunteering is a form of obligation but what I want us to delve deeper in is this idea of a deeper obligation in life. The type of obligation that you make within your heart and your mind. The type of obligation that you are willing to stake down and take a stance for.
These obligations take many forms. For some, it is the obligation that they will be there for their family no matter what. For some, it is the deep belief that is driven by their foundations of life to live a certain way or to make an intentional decision on how life is to be done. It's a heart issue. Where are you going to place your life on? What are you fighting for in life? Are you fighting for something that is worthwhile?
In pulling back and understanding the two aspects of duty, you may see why I have chosen this as one of my Core Words. Duty in what you do, how you do it and why you do it. It's the place where you live out what drives you, and the place where you practice and work toward the goal of life.
I'm not sure about you. But as we close this series on Core Words, I hope that you have been challenged to reflect upon life, on what your foundation is, your goals, and how you're going to get there. For me, my foundation is built upon faith in something greater and bigger that creates purpose and I am working toward integrity in all I do, via the means of family, the place where I have learned both and where I can practice both, and of duty, making an impact on the world in which I live.
I hope this has been an eye opener. I hope that you too would reflect and select your Core Words in life.
I would love to hear back on your thoughts, comments and what you have selected as your Core Words.
(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)
Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself
Part 2: What is Integrity
Part 3: Baseline of Faith
Part 4: Family
Part 5: Duty
There's a foundation from which everything in life stems and a goal towards which you aim in everything you do. Family is a place where you learn and grow in these two aspects. The other parallel is duty. Duty is a big word with different meanings for different people. And if you were to throw a stone at any one person on the street and ask them to define duty, they will probably have a different answer for you.
Duty for me is two fold. It's what you do in life, as in your profession, your calling, or whatever else you busy your time with during your waking hours. And it's the obligations of life. Here we will explore both and how they are interrelated.
First off is your profession and/or calling or just what you do. This is your job and work, either what you get paid to do or what you have decided to do because you have a passion for it. This is probably the next heaviest use of your time in life, aside from family. This is probably the place where you spend most of your energy and waking hours. This is the place where if you were intentional in what you're doing, you can make an impact on the lives of those around you, those you work with or those you serve in your work. Work is often viewed as just a way to pay the bill, and this isn't wrong, but work can be so much more if you take it intentionally as a place where you can make an impact on the world around us.
Think about it. Whether you are the cashier at a big box store or the executive of a multi-million dollar enterprise, you will interact with people. Your attitude at your position and how you interact with those around you will say much about what is grounding your life and what you are aiming for. For the cashier that is more likely than not making minimum wage and probably not fully making ends meet in life, this job can be a get-it-done-to-get-the-cash-and-move-on or it can be a platform in making the lives of those that spend those couple minutes with you at the checkout a nightmare or a paradise in shopping. When you are aiming for excellence, your attitude and your ethics will reflect it. The people that come to you will see a difference that you ain't working just for the cash but rather you are also working to make this essential part of life better. And if you are the executive? Yeah, you have power, prestige and worth, in the world's eyes, but how do your clients and workers view you? Do they view you as the monster of a boss that they need to gravel and kiss up to? Or are you an executive that is known to care and take care of the staff, one that wants to help build up those around you and move them on to a better place in the world? It makes a difference.
Our work place is often like a second home for most of us. Our coworkers can either be competition in a cut-throat world in the advancement of yourself. Or they can be the family away from home that is working mutually together to make the world a more humane and liveable place. A place where you can make a difference and an impact, no matter how small or isolated, is still an impact.
Moving on to duty as obligation, this is the part where duty isn't so much about what you do, but what you have committed yourself to. Yes, your work and your volunteering is a form of obligation but what I want us to delve deeper in is this idea of a deeper obligation in life. The type of obligation that you make within your heart and your mind. The type of obligation that you are willing to stake down and take a stance for.
These obligations take many forms. For some, it is the obligation that they will be there for their family no matter what. For some, it is the deep belief that is driven by their foundations of life to live a certain way or to make an intentional decision on how life is to be done. It's a heart issue. Where are you going to place your life on? What are you fighting for in life? Are you fighting for something that is worthwhile?
In pulling back and understanding the two aspects of duty, you may see why I have chosen this as one of my Core Words. Duty in what you do, how you do it and why you do it. It's the place where you live out what drives you, and the place where you practice and work toward the goal of life.
I'm not sure about you. But as we close this series on Core Words, I hope that you have been challenged to reflect upon life, on what your foundation is, your goals, and how you're going to get there. For me, my foundation is built upon faith in something greater and bigger that creates purpose and I am working toward integrity in all I do, via the means of family, the place where I have learned both and where I can practice both, and of duty, making an impact on the world in which I live.
I hope this has been an eye opener. I hope that you too would reflect and select your Core Words in life.
I would love to hear back on your thoughts, comments and what you have selected as your Core Words.
(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)
Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself
Part 2: What is Integrity
Part 3: Baseline of Faith
Part 4: Family
Part 5: Duty
Thursday, September 22, 2016
Core Words: What is Integrity
Integrity. That word holds a pretty heavy punch. It's a loaded word. It's a word that most people would want as a word that describes them.
It was in 2001 when I learned this word and what it actually means. Not that I have never heard of or known of the word before, but in 2001 was when I finally got it. Finally got it through a mentor, a friend, a boss. For him, integrity is who you are and what you are when no one is looking or keeping you accountable. Integrity is your character. Integrity is who you really are and what you really are.
This definition of integrity stuck. It struck a chord with me in life. Does it really matter who you are and how you act when no one is there and no one cares? I'm not even invoking the idea of a higher power or God. Just on a very human level, does it matter? It's like asking the age-old riddle, "When a tree is cut in the middle of the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound?" or "When there is a four way stop in the middle of the desert and you can see mile after miles of barrenness, do you still stop?"
This is integrity. When it still matters even though no one is there or holding you accountable. You are holding yourself to a higher calling and a higher road. This is integrity. You set your standard of living and you live by it. You set your mind on what to do and you do it. Your word is your action.
Integrity is one of my Core Words in life. It is in a sense the pinnacle of what I aim for.
Am I a paragon of Integrity? No, I'm a work in progress. I'm a constant change and challenge to become who I have envisioned myself to be. It's the act, the thought, and the heart of continually holding yourself higher that is important.
Is this all? No, this is but one of four parts that form the Core Words I live by. This is the pinnacle, the aim. But there is still the foundation and the two pillars that I will talk about in the coming posts.
How does this living with Integrity as a Core Word look like:
So the question I want to leave you with is this, "Will you take up the ideal of Integrity and make it one of your Core Words in life?"
(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)
Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself
Part 2: What is Integrity
Part 3: Baseline of Faith
Part 4: Family
Part 5: Duty
It was in 2001 when I learned this word and what it actually means. Not that I have never heard of or known of the word before, but in 2001 was when I finally got it. Finally got it through a mentor, a friend, a boss. For him, integrity is who you are and what you are when no one is looking or keeping you accountable. Integrity is your character. Integrity is who you really are and what you really are.
This definition of integrity stuck. It struck a chord with me in life. Does it really matter who you are and how you act when no one is there and no one cares? I'm not even invoking the idea of a higher power or God. Just on a very human level, does it matter? It's like asking the age-old riddle, "When a tree is cut in the middle of the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound?" or "When there is a four way stop in the middle of the desert and you can see mile after miles of barrenness, do you still stop?"
This is integrity. When it still matters even though no one is there or holding you accountable. You are holding yourself to a higher calling and a higher road. This is integrity. You set your standard of living and you live by it. You set your mind on what to do and you do it. Your word is your action.
Integrity is one of my Core Words in life. It is in a sense the pinnacle of what I aim for.
Am I a paragon of Integrity? No, I'm a work in progress. I'm a constant change and challenge to become who I have envisioned myself to be. It's the act, the thought, and the heart of continually holding yourself higher that is important.
Is this all? No, this is but one of four parts that form the Core Words I live by. This is the pinnacle, the aim. But there is still the foundation and the two pillars that I will talk about in the coming posts.
How does this living with Integrity as a Core Word look like:
- You do what you say, and you say what you do. (eg. If you make a promise with your wife, you keep that promise even if it hurts.)
- You aim high in how you expect yourself to be. (eg. You submit yourself to a discipline of achieving and moving forward, not allowing yourself to have excuses in life.)
- You allow yourself to be known by this virtue. (eg. Live a life in which people know you mean it, you're not a fake and you ain't hiding, you admit your wrongs and you fix them.)
So the question I want to leave you with is this, "Will you take up the ideal of Integrity and make it one of your Core Words in life?"
(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)
Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself
Part 2: What is Integrity
Part 3: Baseline of Faith
Part 4: Family
Part 5: Duty
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Core Words: Defining and knowing yourself
Core Words. Core words are words that describe you, words that reflect who you are and who you want to be. They're words that resonate with your life. They're words that you build your life around. They're words that are you.
It is interesting to see through history - we find families, countries, organizations and companies that all had key words or mottos. These are their core words. In the Game of Thrones, House Stark is known for the words, "Winter is coming". These words embodied who they were, the guardians of the North. They are the shield against the evil of winter. The church in which I am the pastor at, Community Table, we have the words, "Faith, Community, Service." And when I was working at a recreation department at a Big 12 university, their motto was "Where Character Meets Competition."
These core words embody who the family is. These core words speak of the organization or entity that they represent.
So the question is, "Do you have core words for your life?"
I have four core words in my life: Integrity, Duty, Family, Faith.
These four words make up my world. Everything I do, every decision I make, is framed by these four lenses. This helps to simplify life a lot. When life is framed by the core words of your life, you start weeding out the unnecessary parts of life or the parts of life that don't add value to you and those around you.
This is the first in a 5-part series focusing on core words and how they impact and provide a field of operation for me. I invite you to be a part of that journey in seeing how having core words can help you simplify life and start focusing on those things that matter most to you. For me, I know it has.
So I leave you with this challenge:
What are your core words?
(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)
Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself
Part 2: What is Integrity
Part 3: Baseline of Faith
Part 4: Family
Part 5: Duty
It is interesting to see through history - we find families, countries, organizations and companies that all had key words or mottos. These are their core words. In the Game of Thrones, House Stark is known for the words, "Winter is coming". These words embodied who they were, the guardians of the North. They are the shield against the evil of winter. The church in which I am the pastor at, Community Table, we have the words, "Faith, Community, Service." And when I was working at a recreation department at a Big 12 university, their motto was "Where Character Meets Competition."
These core words embody who the family is. These core words speak of the organization or entity that they represent.
So the question is, "Do you have core words for your life?"
I have four core words in my life: Integrity, Duty, Family, Faith.
These four words make up my world. Everything I do, every decision I make, is framed by these four lenses. This helps to simplify life a lot. When life is framed by the core words of your life, you start weeding out the unnecessary parts of life or the parts of life that don't add value to you and those around you.
This is the first in a 5-part series focusing on core words and how they impact and provide a field of operation for me. I invite you to be a part of that journey in seeing how having core words can help you simplify life and start focusing on those things that matter most to you. For me, I know it has.
So I leave you with this challenge:
What are your core words?
(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)
Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself
Part 2: What is Integrity
Part 3: Baseline of Faith
Part 4: Family
Part 5: Duty
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Project 333: 3 Months - End of Cycle Update
I have now completed a whole 3-month cycle with the Project 333 Challenge. It was an interesting journey of downsizing my wardrobe to only 33 pieces of clothes, notwithstanding underwear, socks, sleeping and sporting-only gear. You can follow along with my journey from these prior posts: The Beginning, Week 1 Update & Week 3 Update.
It has been an educational experience in that it shows me I don't actually need that many clothes. To be honest, I can't even remember most of my other clothes that I had put into storage. This brings to mind that often times we just end up getting more and more then hoarding it.
That isn't to say this wasn't also a challenging experience. With the premise of Project 333 as having only 33 pieces of clothes for 3 months, I learned that I need a bit more thoughtfulness on what those pieces should be. Running out of a certain type of clothes is a very real experience that has challenged me to be more forward thinking in terms of weather and activities throughout the week and taking stock of what I currently have.
Will I be continuing on this Project 333 challenge? Of course. I will be continuing on with the present set of clothes till the end of the summer season, then align my Project 333 closet with seasonal changes.
So the take-aways from this experience:
Overall, I think Project 333 is a definite recommendation for anyone looking to simplify life and being more intentional in how they live.
It has been an educational experience in that it shows me I don't actually need that many clothes. To be honest, I can't even remember most of my other clothes that I had put into storage. This brings to mind that often times we just end up getting more and more then hoarding it.
That isn't to say this wasn't also a challenging experience. With the premise of Project 333 as having only 33 pieces of clothes for 3 months, I learned that I need a bit more thoughtfulness on what those pieces should be. Running out of a certain type of clothes is a very real experience that has challenged me to be more forward thinking in terms of weather and activities throughout the week and taking stock of what I currently have.
Will I be continuing on this Project 333 challenge? Of course. I will be continuing on with the present set of clothes till the end of the summer season, then align my Project 333 closet with seasonal changes.
So the take-aways from this experience:
- I don't need that many clothes in life and life is a lot more simple when you have fewer pieces to pick from in the morning.
- In order for the simplicity of having less to pick from in the morning to work well, you need to plan ahead in life. Dressing becomes more of an intentional activity in life and less of a throw-it-on-and-go.
- With less clothes comes the possibility of freeing up more space in the house and having less clutter.
- Although having less is great, it means more frequent loads of laundry. But at least the folding part becomes a bit quicker and the machine is less likely to be overloaded.
Overall, I think Project 333 is a definite recommendation for anyone looking to simplify life and being more intentional in how they live.
Thursday, August 04, 2016
Regulating life with the Fitbit Charge HR
For Christmas of 2016, I got a little gift for myself. A fitness tracker. It wasn't because I believed it would change my habit of getting off the couch more or the fact that I'm not moving enough. I know all these already.
The reason I got the fitness tracker was because it was free. I had collected enough loyalty points to redeem it. And to be honest I have been curious about what all the rage was about. So I traded in my points and redeemed myself a Fitbit Charge HR.
I will have to confess, I wasn't particularly interested in moving more. But I am a data junkie. A data junkie in the sense of hitting those optimal numbers and seeing how to improve myself. Now I have a method of actual quantification that doesn't require manual data keeping or entry (which often boils down to guesswork and half-truth).
Here's a machine that once strapped to my wrist will tell me all the stats I need. My heart rate, my sleep cycle and amount of sleep, the number of steps I took, how hard I actually worked out. It's a marvel in technological innovation for nothing more than a self-glorified self-quantification device. And it was glorious indeed.
[embed]https://youtu.be/A7Y3kUl0N2Q[/embed]
Over the course of the last half year I have learned some interesting things about myself with this Fitbit Charge HR. I wasn't actually as lazy as I thought I was. I required at least 7 hours of sleep to function. And apparently my heart rate spikes when I am under the weather or about to get sick.
This isn't to say that the core function of tracking my fitness was not useful. It was. I have been able to let it automatically track the intensity of my jogging and of my home body-weight workouts. Especially with the latter. I am now able to not just feel the burn but also quantify it with the fact that my heart rate has risen accordingly. Or conversely when I have been too lax with the intensity of my workout and thus need to push it up a notch. There is no hiding anymore.
But for me, the main takeaway from this device was the heart rate monitor. The monitor has been able to log and pick up on situations where I have been stressed or when emotions have been running high. It has been able to pick up on whether I was coming down with a cold. Although unfortunately, the device does not inform of these things ahead of time, it does allow me to check the history or and to check it real time while in the situation with a quick tap on the device. This has allowed me to step back from situations before they escalated and also allowed me to take preventive care prior to getting sick.
The last function that I have been pretty dependent on is the silent vibrating alarm on the Charge HR. It has been a key way for me to wake up in the morning now without waking up theWife or the Little Girl (that may have made her way into our bed). I found the gentle buzzing of my arm has been enough to wake me out of deep sleep without the noise associated with a normal alarm and this has been a plus for everyone.
Overall, the Fitbit Charge HR has been a keeper for me. It may not have revolutionized the way I live life but it did help me regulate it and help me maintain productivity in a core way by keeping a log of and watching over my body.
What about you? How have you been using a fitness tracker in your life? Got any tips to share?
Look out for a post on my review and thoughts of the Misfit Flash for helping to regulate life in the near future.
*feature photo and youtube belongs to Fitbit.com
Regulating life with the Fitbit Charge HR
For Christmas of 2016, I got a little gift for myself. A fitness tracker. It wasn't because I believed it would change my habit of getting off the couch more or the fact that I'm not moving enough. I know all these already.
The reason I got the fitness tracker was because it was free. I had collected enough loyalty points to redeem it. And to be honest I have been curious about what all the rage was about. So I traded in my points and redeemed myself a Fitbit Charge HR.
I will have to confess, I wasn't particularly interested in moving more. But I am a data junkie. A data junkie in the sense of hitting those optimal numbers and seeing how to improve myself. Now I have a method of actual quantification that doesn't require manual data keeping or entry (which often boils down to guesswork and half-truth).
Here's a machine that once strapped to my wrist will tell me all the stats I need. My heart rate, my sleep cycle and amount of sleep, the number of steps I took, how hard I actually worked out. It's a marvel in technological innovation for nothing more than a self-glorified self-quantification device. And it was glorious indeed.
Over the course of the last half year I have learned some interesting things about myself with this Fitbit Charge HR. I wasn't actually as lazy as I thought I was. I required at least 7 hours of sleep to function. And apparently my heart rate spikes when I am under the weather or about to get sick.
This isn't to say that the core function of tracking my fitness was not useful. It was. I have been able to let it automatically track the intensity of my jogging and of my home body-weight workouts. Especially with the latter. I am now able to not just feel the burn but also quantify it with the fact that my heart rate has risen accordingly. Or conversely when I have been too lax with the intensity of my workout and thus need to push it up a notch. There is no hiding anymore.
But for me, the main takeaway from this device was the heart rate monitor. The monitor has been able to log and pick up on situations where I have been stressed or when emotions have been running high. It has been able to pick up on whether I was coming down with a cold. Although unfortunately, the device does not inform of these things ahead of time, it does allow me to check the history or and to check it real time while in the situation with a quick tap on the device. This has allowed me to step back from situations before they escalated and also allowed me to take preventive care prior to getting sick.
The last function that I have been pretty dependent on is the silent vibrating alarm on the Charge HR. It has been a key way for me to wake up in the morning now without waking up theWife or the Little Girl (that may have made her way into our bed). I found the gentle buzzing of my arm has been enough to wake me out of deep sleep without the noise associated with a normal alarm and this has been a plus for everyone.
Overall, the Fitbit Charge HR has been a keeper for me. It may not have revolutionized the way I live life but it did help me regulate it and help me maintain productivity in a core way by keeping a log of and watching over my body.
What about you? How have you been using a fitness tracker in your life? Got any tips to share?
Look out for a post on my review and thoughts of the Misfit Flash for helping to regulate life in the near future.
Thursday, July 14, 2016
What Would the Kids Do?
What Would the Kids Do? (Yes, this is a play on the WWJD, What Would Jesus Do?) Have you ever asked yourself that? It wasn't till recently that it popped in my head.
Over the course of the last few years, theWife and I have been trying to figure out how to parent our kids, in particular the older one. He's a bit more of a stubborn one with a lot what we call behavioral issues. But boys being boys, it may be more of a phase in life than an actual behavioral issue. However, it got me thinking as how or more like what we can do to
What popped in my head was "What Would the Kids Do?" At first it made no sense but the more I thought about it, the more sense it actually made. I refocused my thoughts on what I wanted the kids to do to what they would naturally do. And I think that is everything. In asking this, I started to think of how they act and what the premise was.
I started to notice a trend, that it all comes back to theWife and I. We were in a sense exhibiting some of these same behaviors. The issue at hand was really a "monkey see, monkey do" type of thing, except as opposed to just copying, they were exaggerating it and playing it off in a different way. So what was a minor idiosyncrasy is now a behavioral issue.
And in realizing this, I found a few things that I needed to work in my life.
1. Think before you say or act - this is easier said than done but it will save a lot of headache in the future. Every little overreacting or nonreacting we give them will be copied and multiplied.
2. Don't do or say something just cause the kids aren't physically present - this got more to do with habit. You are you when no one else is looking. And this you will come out under stress or when you least notice it. And kids catch on quick.
3. Be patient with the kids - after all they are still learning and imitation is the best learning. Essentially, they don't know what they're doing, they just know what they're copying.
4. Be willing to change and to point it out for the kids - let the kids know we were wrong and we are working on change. Let them be your helper in keeping you accountable.
What about all of you? Have any of you come to the same realization? How have you handled it?
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
So long Evernote, thanks for the all fish.
I'm one of those guys that use several note-taking and digital scrapbooking methods and programs to keep myself productive and organized. I've used them for everything from school, projects, work, church, personal life or just keeping a tab of interesting things. Evernote was one of those programs that I have tried and used. Evernote was simplistic yet powerful as a tool especially with its tagging and search features. (As a disclaimer, I have used and still use OneNote since the early paid versions till now and Google Keep on and off depending whether I was using an Android smartphone, as well as abandoned Apple Note and Palm's note)
Evernote for me was the middle ground of the full featured titan that is Microsoft OneNote and the simpler note-taker that is Google Keep and Apple Note. It filled a nice niche. It scratched an itch. Simple enough to make notes but powerful enough to database and search.
All this time I have been a free user since I wasn't ready to commit to one particular platform and as such I had information littered across various systems and apps. However, in the past month I have been working on transitioning and simplifying my usage to only key apps with little to no overlap in function and features. And Evernote made the cut as my default notetaker and key productivity tool. I was in the process of transitioning the rest of my notes in Google Keep over to Evernote or Onenote depending if it was for gathering of thoughts, ideas and lists or for gathering larger project information. It was also with the idea that I may possibly subscribe for the paid mid-tier as needed in the future after consolidation.
This decision to consolidate over to Evernote is now under heavy review as of June 28, 2016. On this fateful day, Evernote announced that they will be reshuffling their price structure and also the benefits for each tier.
The free tier that I have been a part of have now lost the ability to sync with unlimited devices down to only two designated devices which is a kick in the shin for someone like me with multiple devices and often sharing the same account with my wife for our family and home management (on a side note, their web-based interface does not count as a device). The paid tiers also took a substantial price hike, close to 40%, which makes me less willing and wanting to upgrade to a paid tier now until it has proven its true worth.
So in essence, Evernote, you have been a good app and system but your restriction and long term cost is too much for me to possibly want to continue my experiment with you. It's just too hard to experiment and tell whether something works well with my workflow when there are restrictions and costs with the experimentation.
For me, I will most likely be consolidating all my notes over to OneNote and my lists to Wunderlist. But for the time being I may try a month or two using the web-based interface on my laptop and desktop while maintaining the two device quota for my phone and for my wife's. If it works, I may stay, but I'm already halfway out the door.
I'm not sure how all of you are affected by this but I would love to hear your thoughts and feelings. How have you found Evernote to be in your life? Or have you found something better to help optimize, organize and simplify life?
Why I use a Windows Phone
Often time people see me pull out my phone and they would ask me what it is, and I would have to explain to them that it is a Windows phone. And then they would ask why compared to either an Apple iPhone or the various Android phones available.
When you think of your smartphone, what is it that you think of? Apps? Email? Social media? Media? A tool to get the job done? Or a combination of them? I would think that for most people it would be a combination of various functions and various problems that they are trying to solve. I know for me, the smartphone has been an invaluable tool for information, communication and occasionally relaxation.
I have been one of those guys that have been trying to optimize my workflow or just the flow of life in general. I have tried various phones and systems with different results. For those interested I have been with Symbian, iOS, Android and Windows Phone 7, 8 & 10. Of them all, I found that they each serve differing purposes or what I like to call 'problems in life that they are aiming to solve'. Out of all of them, I have found that I keep returning back to the Windows Phone platform.
The Windows Phone experience ain't perfect and I don't expect them to be able to compete head-to-head with the other two titans in the mobile space. iOS from Apple has a definite advantage with their massive library of quality apps. Android is flexible from the start but I found that the experience varies a lot depending on the manufacturer of the phone and whether it was a low-end versus a flagship or somewhere in between. The Android experience in essence is a pick your feature and poison experience.
Like I said, I have been able to try various iterations of the modern Windows Phone experience and it is important to note this for the fact that each iteration was a distinct move and transition in how Microsoft saw and used the smartphone. However, what initially drew me and still holds me is the fact that the platform as a whole throughout the three main iterations have been built with communication and quick information capture as a premise. Their premise and philosophy is to give a system and a phone that requires you to use it less, to look at it less, so that you can focus on the important things in life, as in your real life, your family, your job and your hobbies.
I can't say that I didn't miss the multitude of apps that both iOS or Android have within their app stores but at the same time, the Windows experience has all the key apps for me to communicate and to keep in touch with the things I need on a day to day basis for living and for work.
For me, Windows Phone provided a system that can give me a quick glance at what is happening in my life with the ability to either respond or move on with life without the need to start apps or to pull down notification menus etc. All it requires is a wave of the hand or a tap on the power button and I could either have the basic notification or a more detailed list of what is happening, all presented within the main screen. I know, some of you are probably thinking that the usage of widgets on the Android system can do the same thing, and this is partially true, but it comes with a cost. A cost of extra resource on the phone that cuts into the experience. A cost of needing extra swiping motions. Either way, it is not as optimized as having a system built on this premise as a cornerstone.
Overall, Windows Phone is not right for everyone. It is a spartan experience. It is an experience where productivity and efficiency is key. It is a place where you don't need the multitude of apps but rather a key handful to get life done. It is an experience and a lifestyle choice that frees you more to live real life. For me, it has freed me from the temptation of playing or looking at my phone and allowed me to focus on my wife, my kids and my job. It has decreased the need to look at my phone for long periods of time and still able to accomplish the same thing with a glance.
If you are curious, start your exploration here. It is a journey down the rabbit hole. A journey to turn your back on what is popular in life. A journey of discovering what is important in life.
For those wondering I use a Microsoft Lumia 650.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Life without TV (more like attempts)
For full disclaimer, we do have a TV but it is without antennae or cable or anything of the sort although we do have a Roku to stream on-demand. And even this was only a relatively new development in life from a year ago.
Ever since my wife and I got married, we had made a purposeful decision to do life without TV. The decision was based on two things: 1) The wife doesn't particular like or have a habit of watching TV or movies, and 2) I was spending an unhealthy amount of time watching TV, streaming things online or watching movies during our dating and engagement process.
So the decision was made to forego TV as we were forging onward with our new life, in the attempt of creating more time and interaction and purposefulness in life. And I would say it went alright. Without the temptation of a big screen and the ease of just hitting the power button on a remote, I wasn't able to create a means of escape from life. And even with streaming media, it was hard watching on an iPod Touch or on the laptop, you can only squint your eyes so much. Additionally, I found that I was more discerning about the quality of the story and content in films and shows than before as all the fancy digital effects and whatnot was too small to notice on a small screen like an iPod or smartphone or even on a 13" laptop. It only takes so long before eye-fatigue sets in.
What we did learn during those years without a TV was that real live conversation was the order of the day and board games was the go-to entertainment and God forbid, we actually went to the gym to work out too (although, I have to admit I did spend a disproportionate amount of time watching the Food Network while "working out"). Overall, I do have to admit that our quality of life and our relationship did improve. Granted, we were often out of the loop with current TV shows and media or even what was showing in the theatre, but with that, discussions with friends were focused more on life and what was actually happening instead of just want we have seen on the tube.
However, this all changed a year ago. We were good on following the recommendation of no screen time with kids under two. However, as the older one started daycare and preschool, he was often out of the loop on what all the other kids knew. He had no idea who Batman, Spiderman or any of the other superheroes are. Instead, he recognized logos and made up his own story. Kudos to him for being imaginative but it didn't help with his social integration since no one knew what he was talking about and he didn't know what everyone else was talking about.
So we went and got a TV. And with that, we were also offered a 6-month cable subscription for free. During those ensuing 6 months, we learned that as a couple we loved watching the Food Network and the Home and Garden Channel. And guess what, we watched it almost every night after the kids went to bed. The deeper conversations of life kind of stopped or at most just trickled. And we stopped moving (another word for exercising). It was all kind of surprising. It was so easy to just plomp ourselves on the couch and hit the power button and just tune out life. It was great.
As the 6-month promotion came to an end, we decided not to continue on. It was sad to see the cable box get picked up and leaving our lives. Now our TV is dormant 90% of the time, despite still having a streaming media box hooked up. Life is returning back to normal. Evening time is now spent on chores, conversations and just relaxing (without tuning out the world and each other).
There is a simplicity to life when you are able to unplug and untune. There is a connection with a real life person that is so much different from tuning in to something on a screen. There is merit in thinking through what is worth my time and how it is best spent, on other people or achieving something. I think life without TV was a good call in the beginning and with the brush of TV, it just confirmed it a bit more. Although I do have to say, TV-babysitting was a lifesaver at times.
What about you? What are your thoughts on TV or no TV? Would love to read about your experiences.
Wednesday, June 08, 2016
Project 333: Week 3 Update
It has now been three complete weeks since I started on this journey of Project 333. For those that aren't sure what I am talking about, you can catch up HERE for the original post and HERE for the Week 1 Update.
As noted during my Project 333 Week 1 Update, it seems to be easy-peasy and I noted that I may need to start planning ahead a bit so as to prevent running out of clothes when I need it. However, it seems like I did not take my own advice or more to the point I did not follow through on it. So to the point, this past weekend, I did run out of appropriate clothing.
So what happened? Well, apparently after Week 1, I had washed clothes and was able to essentially reset for the start of Week 2 however I ended up needing to do laundry a bit early during Week 2. Originally I thought this would be alright since it kind of reset the laundry schedule anyway but it was actually not the case. I actually ended up not doing laundry again until yesterday night which essentially meant I ran a few days longer than anticipated. And this was coupled with the fact that it was a relatively hot week and I had needed to change more often due to sweat and working on the yard. This seemed to deplete the clothing stock quite a bit. So by the time the weekend rolled around, all I had were collar shirts. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing except for that fact that the laundry basket last night when I had needed to wash it was actually only about 3/4 full. The only reason a wash was needed was because I had only one polo left for today and if I didn't wash last night or today then I would actually really run out of clean clothes.So now, looking back, the lesson is a need for more thoughtfulness of my schedule and also weather and potential activities for the week. In essence, I need to plan ahead a bit on my outfits and when I need to wash stuff. Which this kind of runs into the question of whether I should wash based on a weekly schedule (which is generally how long it takes to fill a basket) or more along the line of just whenever I seem to be running low on clothes (which could potentially mean more frequent washing). Anyhow, I will be seeing how this coming week goes as I will have three days in a row where I will be having different and more professional engagements that I haven't had in the past few weeks.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Project 333: Week 1 Update
So it has been a whole week since I started on this journey of Project 333. For those that aren't sure what I am talking about, you can catch up: HERE.
Anyhow, it has been an interesting start. For this first week, it started off with a Bang!, everything was easy-peasy. The first few days didn't really yield any need for decision making as I just threw on the first T-shirt and jeans in the drawer. However, I did notice that as the week went by, that I was starting to having a limited number of choices of what to wear. And then came the weekend, this was where it got interesting, I ran out of T-shirts. So my decision is now on whether I want a polo or button-down short sleeve. Either way, this was when I realized that I can't just start throwing clothes on each day without thinking ahead of the week to come. So now, as I enter into the 2nd week, I have a done laundry and have a fresh set of clothes again and I have come to the realization that I may need to start planning a bit based on my calendar and events so as to not end up using something that I may need later. Either way, this experiment has been interesting to say the less and I think as I get a better handle on it I may start lowering the limit.
So till next time. Enjoy.
Anyhow, it has been an interesting start. For this first week, it started off with a Bang!, everything was easy-peasy. The first few days didn't really yield any need for decision making as I just threw on the first T-shirt and jeans in the drawer. However, I did notice that as the week went by, that I was starting to having a limited number of choices of what to wear. And then came the weekend, this was where it got interesting, I ran out of T-shirts. So my decision is now on whether I want a polo or button-down short sleeve. Either way, this was when I realized that I can't just start throwing clothes on each day without thinking ahead of the week to come. So now, as I enter into the 2nd week, I have a done laundry and have a fresh set of clothes again and I have come to the realization that I may need to start planning a bit based on my calendar and events so as to not end up using something that I may need later. Either way, this experiment has been interesting to say the less and I think as I get a better handle on it I may start lowering the limit.
So till next time. Enjoy.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Intro: Project 333
For those that didn't know, I am a stickler for optimization. I love to work with systems and try to improve upon them. And another thing that I have been known for is attempting to live a minimalist life style. I will admit that it has not always worked in all areas of my life as I am also a pack-rat and apparently having kids throw part of that lifestyle out the window. I am one of those individuals that have things still in boxes from grade-school. Not that I still have much sentimental value to it but rather I just don't like throwing away stuff. And clothes has been one of those areas of my life that I have been very bad with. I have lots of clothes but in the past couple years I have noticed that I am normally cycling through only a few things that I prefer or like or feel matched well together or with me. To be honest, I have clothes from my elementary and high school days. They may not all fit properly. They are rather snug and quite a bit worn over the years. But the fact is I don't throw much out or better yet donate them like I should to someone that needs it more than I do.
Anyhow, recently I run into a site that was promoting a Project 333 Challenge. The premise of the challenge is that over the course of 3 months, you are only allowed to have 33 pieces of clothing items excluding gym-wear, sleep-wear, house-wear and underwear. So essentially it is 33 piece of clothing or accessories that you would wear when you are out doing life, whether just out for chores, work or leisure. And at the end of 3 months (season), you switch it out for seasonal things. Anyhow, I decided to take the plunge. I took the effort with the help of my wife to par down my clothes to 33 items. These are items that will serve for me when I work either in a more formal setting as a clergy or in the more informal setting of leading, teaching and mentoring and it will also allow me to professionally meet with professionals, officials and representatives of other organizations, government and companies. Also, these will be pieces that will serve for more casual days out with the kids and family. So it needs to be pretty versatile set of 33 pieces. Anyhow, it took about an hours but I feel I have it down.
Here is the list of things I have choose:
2 Polo shirts
2 Long sleeves button down shirts
3 Short sleeves button down shirts
1 Blazer
1 Long sleeves t-shirt
6 T-shirts
2 Blue jeans
1 Dress pants
1 Khaki pants
1 Cargo shorts
4 Pairs of shoes
2 Jackets
1 Zip-up hoodie
2 Track jackets
2 Belts (dress & casual)
1 Pair of flipflop
1 Baseball cap
Anyhow, wish me luck. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes and if I need to make any switching out of items midway through the 3 months cycle. It is my hope that this will help me filter out the used from the unused so that I can give away the ones I don't use to someone that would use it.
If you want more info about the challenge you can google up Project 333 or go here to this site: http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/
Anyhow, recently I run into a site that was promoting a Project 333 Challenge. The premise of the challenge is that over the course of 3 months, you are only allowed to have 33 pieces of clothing items excluding gym-wear, sleep-wear, house-wear and underwear. So essentially it is 33 piece of clothing or accessories that you would wear when you are out doing life, whether just out for chores, work or leisure. And at the end of 3 months (season), you switch it out for seasonal things. Anyhow, I decided to take the plunge. I took the effort with the help of my wife to par down my clothes to 33 items. These are items that will serve for me when I work either in a more formal setting as a clergy or in the more informal setting of leading, teaching and mentoring and it will also allow me to professionally meet with professionals, officials and representatives of other organizations, government and companies. Also, these will be pieces that will serve for more casual days out with the kids and family. So it needs to be pretty versatile set of 33 pieces. Anyhow, it took about an hours but I feel I have it down.
Here is the list of things I have choose:
2 Polo shirts
2 Long sleeves button down shirts
3 Short sleeves button down shirts
1 Blazer
1 Long sleeves t-shirt
6 T-shirts
2 Blue jeans
1 Dress pants
1 Khaki pants
1 Cargo shorts
4 Pairs of shoes
2 Jackets
1 Zip-up hoodie
2 Track jackets
2 Belts (dress & casual)
1 Pair of flipflop
1 Baseball cap
Anyhow, wish me luck. I will keep everyone posted on how it goes and if I need to make any switching out of items midway through the 3 months cycle. It is my hope that this will help me filter out the used from the unused so that I can give away the ones I don't use to someone that would use it.
If you want more info about the challenge you can google up Project 333 or go here to this site: http://bemorewithless.com/project-333/
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