Crepes, Sweet potato baked fries, baked butternut squash

Did some cooking and shopping while on my 3 day weekend.

My phone also died and i couldn't find a charger. Hope it's at work, otherwise i don't know what my next step would be :)

It was at work at work, as i suspected. But the absence of the cell phone i felt a certain freedom or responsibility that we often put ourselves in relations to our phones. I myself get "mad" when someone doesn't call back or text within few hours. Our expectations of each other should not by large affect our own decisions.

As it turns out i didn't eat meat the whole week (excluding sunday) which was unintentional, I just didn't feel like cooking meat i guess, and packed my lunch with leftovers. I'm sure I'll have some in few days and I will enjoy it quite-quite!

My great lady is coming for the weekend today to enjoy the New Years. I happen to have a 4-day weekend: Friday is off, because we finished all on Thursday, and Monday is also off. This is going to be a great weekend :) I will meet people, relax, cook, go to movies, drink, probably dance, hopefully ice skate.

Currently listening to:

Christmas doings

Really great times and laughter at the lunch with coworkers in Indian restaurant on thursday. Can you say Kami-ka-zi?

I'm currently in search of a mentor, perhaps there is a person at work.

possibly celebrating Christmas alone?

It was great. I was able to enjoy silence and solitude and overall was able to experience something different - living alone for a few days. Always a good idea to refresh my senses.

I just want to dance right now (get busy living)
I hope some of my happiness and optimism rubs off of the people I am around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3Hg-Y7MugU
Freedom of speech



Great commercial, in case you're feeling anything:

"Winning Style" by Propellerheads

I think one of the greatest things about blogging is the ability to look back at my thoughts from a present perspective (whenever that may be). There is a great deal of learning through patterns and realized mistakes, assumptions and unforeseen plan-changers.
[Pattern recognition also just so happen to be one of most basic learning tools for humans in general.]

Thoughts on Boston visit:
It is interesting seeing some folks some 6 months after graduation. Some are doing better than others. i don't know. Great seeing some faces and having good conversations with those who hold the same values as i do. The weekend was fun and actually flew by rather quickly. I enjoyed the company of a special girl. We went to see Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows, which was even better than the 1st one, some may have said :)

Tuesday was a long day at work, but it also just so happens to be because this week is easy and ends on early Friday. Things are smooth sailing from here.
Went to Michaels with Julius, got some heavy machinery and finer plant-based decor. Needless to say: It shall be awesome :)

While driving:
My life is changing for the better now. I'm listening The Secret on audio book.

Questions I come up with at work for later  pondering :)
What is my comfort zone and how can i enlarge it?
Which steps am i taking outside my circle of stability?
Am I pushing myself enough to surprise myself?

"Genuine laughter is no less than a social orgasm. Provoke it and the world will drop its drawers for you."

We polished a bottle of wine while watching 500 days of summer. later went with friends to see "The Descendants" which was a very sad but really awesome movie. I enjoyed it a lot. There were many great quotes about how nobody is immune to life.

My absent lip balm got us talking about our childhoods and it's always interesting to share and listen stories from back in the day. It us important to slow down and remember interesting moments in your childhood. It gives such a new look about it since we have grown up and experienced more in life.



An interesting video that features a girl sitting on bed for the whole song. I like it, but i also wonder what the director of the video was thinking and why he/she approached it in such a way. Captivating.


Currently thinking:
what about the idea of having life coaching the neighborhood of wilbur peck, make some fliers, talk to the authorities(?) for space and time issues. make it sunday when most people are out of work(?)
but i would have to at least finish with one person.

and what about bridgeport?

Took a Visual (DNA) Personality Test

Really interesting Stuff with Visual (DNA) Personality Test
Instead of words, you choose from pictures. I enjoyed taking it and reading the results too.
This turned out to be an incredibly accurate test. I'm surprised in a good way and such :)


Spirit: (VERY ACCURATE)
You're a Striver. You're lively and enthusiastic with an infectious energy. It's all about seizing the day and living life to the full. You're fun to be around and your positive spirit is something your friends value and admire. You have tons of infectious energy and lots of natural enthusiasm. You tend to be committed when it comes to achieving your goals in life. You set high standards for yourself and others and like to keep your eye on the prize. Resourcefulness is definitely one of your finest strengths. When you get excited about something, you have the confidence and passion to inspire all those around you. You seem to have a really healthy attitude toward life! It takes a lot to throw you off balance, and you don't let much stress you out. Your sensitive nature means you value having deep connections with a few good friends. It's vital that you make the time to connect with the people who understand you. Life's all about options. Allow yourself to be excited by possibility and potential. Try not to push to know the answer all the time. There will be lots of twists and turns in life. Rather than wishing away the journey, try to live in the moment and enjoy every bump in the road! Challenge yourself to try new experiences and live life to the fullest. Remember that you can't be upbeat and outgoing 100 percent of the time. It's okay to tune out and look inward every now and again. In fact, we encourage it! You really appreciate the grounding force that a loving relationship can be in your life. For an extroverted people person like you, it's important to be able to retreat from the world from time to time and know that you can switch off and relax with your one true love.

Relationship: (AGAIN, VERY ACCURATE)
Allowing yourselves the space and freedom to be who you truly are is the foundation of a long-lasting partnership. Knowing that you can retain your individuality while being part of a strong pair is a valuable gift. You're a deeply passionate person and will go to extreme lengths for love. It's all about intuition and chemistry and being swept off your feet by your partner. Love means opening yourself up to intense experiences that you'll remember for the rest of your life. You are expressive and sensual, so a strong physical connection is important to you. It feels really good to lose yourself in the moment. There's nothing like being in love to put a smile on your face, butterflies in your stomach and a spring in your step. It's important to remember those magic feelings every now and again, no matter how long you've been together.
Relationship tips:
So you're Passionate but what tips can we give for keeping the magic alive in your relationship?
Say it loud and clear. Big romantic gestures are all part of the package for you. If you're in love, you want the whole world to know it so don't be afraid to shout it from the rooftops!
Who said fireworks have to be for a special occasion? Organize your very own fireworks display in your backyard, complete with barbecue and beers! Whatever the weather, sit out under the stars, or under an umbrella if you have to. It's all about being together!
Book tickets for a weekend away. Keep it a surprise to add to the excitement (just make sure you give little hints about what to pack!)
Take it easy. Hit a really great farmers market together, buy delicious ingredients and head home to cook up a feast.

Money: (Dead ON)
For you, it's important to make the most of life's experiences. You like to get out and about and really let your hair down whenever you can. The true mark of success for you is a happy home. It is the main focus of your life and the center of all your aspirations. You're happiest when you feel settled and comfortable. True fulfillment for you is in having strong, loving relationships with family and friends. If they're healthy and happy, that's all that matters to you.

Health: (WOW...)
You've got lots of positive energy and are definitely on the right track with your health. Woulda-coulda-shoulda just isn't in your vocabulary. You've learned that if you want to feel great, you need to take the positive steps yourself. It's all about valuing yourself enough to take the time to what's best for you and your body. You like exploring alternative therapies and the holistic side of things. The key is to keep your energy balanced - no sugar highs or caffeine crashes. It's all about having a twinkle in your eye and embracing every minute of the day.

Home: (SEXY ACCURATE)
If you were given the opportunity to live your dream life, chances are you'd feel more at home settled in a cute country cottage than living it up in a mansion. Your low-key attitude means you'd prefer to get away from the stresses of city life and take it easy, perhaps spending your time in a colorful garden. Fresh air, birds chirping and home-grown veggies for dinner...what's not to like?

Entertainment: (TRUE)
You're creative and inventive, with a flair for transforming everyday objects into something special. After all, what's the point on spending a heap of dollars on something you can probably make yourself? Plus, great homemade gifts have that personal touch you just can't get elsewhere.

Style: ( I DO have the legs for it)
You're active and like to get involved in life. If you feel great, you'll look great, and vice versa, so you know the importance of taking care of yourself. You're motivated and driven to succeed in all aspects of your life. For you, going running is a great way to unwind and get away from it all, and let's face it, all those endorphins don't hurt either! But why not kick back every once in a while and show off your athletic figure in some cool surf shorts? After all, you've definitely got the legs for it!

Travel: (KEWL)
You're inquisitive, open-minded and interested in history. You love to discover new things and experience new places. For you, the tourist trail is best avoided. After all, it's the hidden gems that make traveling so exciting! You love to thoroughly immerse yourself in culture, so chances are you'll end up in a museum or gallery at some point on your trip.

Character Strengths Profile

Another interesting free website about character strength is viasurvey . Here is my result:

Top Character Strength
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Second Character Strength
Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness
You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.

Third Character Strength
Perspective (wisdom)
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.

Fourth Character Strength
Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

Fifth Character Strength
Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

Finished listening to "Start Where You Are"

By Chris Gardner, "Start Where You Are: The lessons in getting from where you are to where you want to be". Chris Gardner is the author of memoir "The Pursuit Of Happyness", Will Smith played him. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome book. I really enjoyed it.
I am gathering all kinds of ideas about passion, cultivation of habits, success, goals, visions, experiences and all aspects of living, really.


I have started a quest of Creating Every Day(CED?.. hmmm..) , for the next 25 days to challenge my mind, my abilities, and to try something I haven't done before and see if I am capable :)
I Have a notebook, that my dear had kindly gave me. It's a Moleskine, that fits in my pocket. Page 1 contains:
- Brainstorming
- Creative Mode
I have started collecting words that catch my mind now and then. Let's do this!

Currently listening to:

Black Friday or Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving turned out to be not so awkward and weird as it could have turned out. We had both fried and non-fried turkey. They were yummy. Also had all kinds of salads, veggies, mash, and such. As shots continue to be refilled with cognac, the gobble contest arisen. Each person at a table had to do their best goble sound (3 times) and then the whole table judged. I won and got a paper turkey as a reward. My children would be proud. I know my mother was. It was a challenging time of my life.



Soup-off.
I don't even remember how we got into it (perhaps Michelle does) but we decided to to have a soup-off on a Friday and compete in cooking dishes of our choice. She went for French Onion Soup, with red and sweet onions, and some red wine. I tried making some vegetable soup that included carrots, cabbage, potatoes, onions, peas, green beans, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli and some chicken meatballs to tie it all up. To my surpsire, my soup ended up being super good. (first soup ever made). Michelle's created came out positive as well, though she knew she had made better soups before. Even my sister had some.

Went to see a movie - Hugo. It was a little slow in the beginning but the ending made up for it. It was an interesting movie, without much action packed. Certain mechanical themes were easy to spot and the overall concepts of passion and upbringing were brought in nicely.

pizza party lots of fun, wine and good company. was definitely taking notes on things to the activity, as it was fun and engaging. not to mention delicious.

My lady really enjoys strawberries, but had never had a rhubarb pie. I thought this disaster should be fixed and we decided to create the desert. Turns out, rhubarb is available during spring, so there was none in grocery store. No worries, we made a 4 berry pie instead, after all, you can't just abandon the idea of making a pie simply because one of the ingredients is missing. There is was: strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, homemade crust and everything. To say yum is to say nothing, people LOVED the pie, though it was a bit sweet (since we used a recipe from rhubarb, and it required quite some sugar).

2nd day of life coaching went much better, I thought, as first. We spent more time talking about goals, and issues in his life. 100 questions challenge was met with 66% chance of success (he only wrote 66) but that was enough to see the themes and lack their off in the exercise. It also opened up more ways to see why certain problems arise (time management). I voice recorded our session and will have to listen to it and go through it before upcoming Sunday, while creating my Day 3 Life Coaching sheets.

Mi madre also made some banging beef ribs over weekend.

On the last day (Monday) Michelle and I went bowling with Julius and W.B. I lost all three games but it didn't matter. Since it was Monday after 9pm, each game was something like $1.69. It was a fun time.

2 interesting videos

This first one is of a guy who takes a picture of himself for 6 years. Everyday. The video has only been watched 21million times.


The Second video is of a girl who did the same thing for 4.5years. This video has been watched over 6million times.



What a contrast in two people, one male, one female.

The Perks of owning a used car

On Wednesday, I encountered a flar tire while driving through the park. I had to stop and change it, replaced it with doughnut. Next morning I got a new tire before work and thought that was it. My battery also died while i was fixing a flat. Turns out I have a crappy no good battery. (But i don't find out about it until Sunday).
My mother's friend who's a mechanic took a look at Vincent. Yes, this is now the name of my Volvo :) Anyway, he was kind enough to check all that is wrong and fixed a bunch: driver's window now works, nothings hanging out at the front right light, oil tank leak fixed.

The audiobook "The Spark" (something about engaging creativity) is about curqe du soleiu "Ka" performance, which I attended while in Vegas in Oct. 2010. It is very interesting to listen about all the behind the scenes and people's lives. Great connection.

I also have been using my dichtophone for couple of days and I really like it. It recorded some interesting stuff already. I can't wait to continue using it.

Also, spent an exciting afternoon with a friend, talking about all kinds of ideas and concepts. Something about our minds being activated to full potential, and seeing things from very different perspectives.



Sunday, Nov. 20th reflection:
I guess i set a reminder on my phone to reflect on the week on Sunday. I'm glad i did that. The week has been interesting. On Wednesday, i worked alone because my partner took a break to catch up on some studying and whatnot. I made it fine, and it felt good. That evening i drove to friends house, stopped on the side to text, and apparently got a flat tire. Had to take care of that. It was a bit drizzling but relatively pleasant evening. Once the doughnut was on, i tried to turn the car on. The battery died. I had to call my friend to rescue me, since mi madre didn't have cables in her car. Next day, the battery died again, while a friendly mechanic was fixing all kinds of business with my window, oil tank, and body.

It's incredibly important to reflect on Sunday, because each week presents new and different ideas and circumstances. I need to remember that.

Anniversary and CT Wine Trail.

My dear lady and I celebrated our 3rd Anniversary this Friday, the 11th. We dressed up to go for a fancy dinner (fanciest I have ever paid for :)) at Valbella in Greenwich. We sat downstairs in the wine cellar room - really quiet, and romantic. The food was outstanding and the service was fantastic also. She had Veal filet mignon with truffle sauce and figs and I enjoyed Chilean sea bass with mustard sauce. We had some lobster & brie appetizer, and even Michelle had couple of bites of lobster (which is typically a no-no in her book.)


We may have polished half a bottle of red in a Walgreens parking lot right before dinner.
We chatted about our love, our relationships and other topics of desire.

Saturday was supposed to be our bungee jumping adventure, but i just couldn't find any place close enough that had working digits. It was like the internet was against me. Or bungee jumping. In any case, we decided to go unto a CT Wine Trail and planned to go into 5 vineyards. Though we made it to only three, it was super fun. We tasted 6-7 wines in each place, bought some great bottles and even some local honey - I got blueberry blossom, she got pumpkin-something. Weirdly, two of the vineyards were on Walnut Tree Hill rd.


Jones Winery in Shelton was our favorite.

It's been a month at Work

4 weeks, going onto 5th. I'm fairly comfortable with all that is happening around. My lab partner and I became more friendly and open. It's nice, because I have completely oversaw the whole "people" sphere when thinking about my lab tech position. Weird, because I am one to boast about importance of people and relationships.

Michelle's and mine anniversary coming up on 11/11. Thinking about a road trip and maybe even Bungee Jumping. Who knows, though, its just plans. And I've learned from experiences, that life happens while you're making plans.

Today (Tuesday, Nov. 8th) an asteroid YU55 came closer to Earth than the distance our Moon typically resides, to be precise 0.8 distance away. I went out to the nearby observatory, but no one was there, except a couple of curious individuals such as myself wanting to see the asteroid.

Currently I'm listening to "59 Seconds: think a little, change a lot" by Richard Wiseman (ISBN: 9780307707543) which is a really cool collection of studies that can help improve pretty much anything - creativity, relationships, time management, anything. I am really enjoying the audiobook.

October is over, Halloween 2011 - cancelled??

Just spend a good weekend in Boston. We made our costumes (i was a guy from minecraft, and she did a sweet jellyfish costume involving an umbrella, glowsticks, bubble paper etc.)
then went to a party and spend a night at the friends house. it was cool, lots of interesting costumes and weird people. (Small gathering, maybe 15-20 peeps total). Drank a bunch of brandy with ginger ale. Got quite waste-landed, woke up with a little hangover, so did Michelle :)

Sunday we went to see a play back at BC, saw "Into the woods". It was a musical based on Brother's Grimm stories combo. Quite awesome show. We were 5 rows away which was really cool. Went to a crepery(?) afterwords with Victoria and Sean a little place that makes crepes with all kinds of crap. 50+ choices of meats, cheeses, fruits, and various combos.
Hanging with a "couple" is interesting and quite different than with just one person. There is this interesting duality of all 4 being in convo, and breaks for 2 and 2 times. Comfortable I'd say.
Where we able to get back to Michelle's car after food? Nope. There were cops and cars parked right at our car, blocking it. The cop said we can't get to our car, and would have to wait for a conflict to be resolved. We went to a Good Vibrations across the street where I overheard that a guy hit a girl and that's why he's being taken out. Life is all about unpredictable detours.


A ton of people apparently lost power due to the past storm and i even heard that the state of CT is reschedualing halloween until thursday? What... Sure, I guess it's kind of weird to have snow in OCT, before halloween. But is it really that weird? I mean unlikely - yes, but out of ordinary? i doubt it.
hundreds of thousands of people were without power for a week. Damn. Luckily we didn't lose it for any periods of time. Always be thankful for what I have, before I lose it and it's too late.

I am also starting 7 days of daily (almost daily) writing from an audiobook "How to think like Leonardo Da Vinci". I am spending at least one hour of writing about a topic / idea:
Life-map
Day 1: Dreams
Day 2: Goals
Day 3: Values
Day 4: Purpose
Day 5: Assess Reality
Day 6: Connections
Day 7: Strategize for Change

A song about thanking people who let you merge while driving.

Yet another Self Assessment (of Leadership)

Relating Skills:
Most people would say that you are a likable person. You relate well to all kinds of people. You make other people feel at ease. You are genuinely interested in other people. And you naturally build relationships by inquiring about people’s interests, priorities, and perspectives. After spending time with you, people feel like they matter. Your positive, affirming nature makes others feel important and valued. People are quick to offer the same respect and consideration back to you.

Acting with Honor and Character:
You know what you stand for. Your actions are rooted in a stable set of values. You can be counted on to act consistently and stay true to your word. Others trust you because your beliefs and actions match. People see you walking your talk. They sense your authenticity and your character.

Managing Diverse Relationships:
You seek out people with different points of view and different backgrounds. Even though you acknowledge that it takes a little more time and more deliberate communication, you see the value that a diversity of perspectives and experiences contributes. You are open and collaborative. You share and communicate well. You seek to understand, accommodate, and leverage differences.

Dealing With Trouble:
You are willing to stick your neck out. You have the courage to challenge the status quo and bring up ideas that may make others uncomfortable. People count on you to stand up, speak your mind respectfully, and not let others off the hook. It’s something they admire about you because they know it’s not easy to do. With you, people know where they stand. You do not hesitate to confront problem performers, deal with conflict, or deliver negative feedback. Your approach is productive, not threatening. And you are able to keep your own personal feelings in check. Challenge, conflict, and hardship do not deter you from leading. In fact, you are energized by tough challenges.

Getting Organized:
You are steady and calm in situations that others find overwhelming. When you are faced with ever-increasing demands, when you are under pressure to keep up the pace, you approach your work with focused attention and careful planning. You manage your time well. You have the ability to call upon the appropriate resources at a moment’s notice in order to advance the project or deliverable. You are constantly monitoring, thinking ahead, and making timely adjustments in order to avoid obstacles and keep things moving on track.

Wow, time flies - It's been two weeks.

I have worked for two weeks already? Yeah, the days go by fast. Really fast. Gotta make sure I have enough time and effort to do the non-work things and such.

I made myself a deal, which I wrote on a piece of paper:
"If I stretch and meditate every day from Saturday Oct. 22nd to Saturday Oct. 29th (both days inclusive) I will order myself a dichtophone."
This should be quite motivational. I've been wanting one for some time, so I am using it as a reward to back into daily meditation and stretch, since I drive to work (about an hour sitting on my butt) and then sit on my butt for several more hours. Must use my body more!

Friday, a nice girl by the name of Michelle came to visit me. We ventured to friends house to play some Mario Party 6 (I believe), and later stopped by another's friends place. She left the car and started staring at the stars. It was dark and they were quite prominent. There was one that was a bit too bright and bigger than others. I suggested it might be a planet or something. She pulled out her intellectually-savvy phone and used an application to see what stars we were looking at. Turns out, the big and bright thing was Jupiter. Remember the time we saw Jupiter?

Hoping today to go see a movie, 50/50 with some peeps.

Some Stumble upon - Weekend after Work.

Six ways to make people like you:
1. Become genuinely interested in other people.
2. Smile.
3. Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
4. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
5. Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
6. Make the other person feel important - and do it sincerely.

Win people to your way of thinking:
- The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
- Show respect for the other person's opinions. Never say, "You're wrong."
- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Get the other person saying "yes, yes" immediately.
- Let the other person do a great deal of the talking.
- Let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers.
- Try honestly to see things from the other person's point of view.
- Be sympathetic with the other person's ideas and desires.
- Appeal to the nobler motives.
- Dramatize your ideas.
- Throw down a challenge.

I haven't painted in a while. I just don't feel like painting. I'm sure once i do feel like painting, i will start again. But for now I am on a little break. Perhaps now that I have noticed it, I will think about it more and eventually paint something. We'll see. Tomorrow is week two of my lab technician job. I'm also going to get my first paycheck in the middle/end of week. Exciting.
My favorite girl in town passed her NCLEX exam which means she's officially a Registered Nurse. That's really cool, all the work in school and after paid off. Exciting also.
So things are going. Occupation is growing. Eyes are glowing. Future? Not showing.
At least not yet :)

Attention, Awareness, Discipline

David Foster Wallace 2005 commencement speech

And Part II


And this wonderful article: 10 Things To Stop Caring About Today I enjoyed so much, that I am going to print it out.

Dictaphone

Day 1 - 992hours more to go

What do I do on my job? Viscosity check, pH check. Stock, restock, pour, cap, move, remove, label. Lot's of little things. The person who trained me is a temp herself (of three months) so I am assuming in three months, when she peaces, I will be training a fresh temp, since I already got all of halfway there to my 1000 hours. Or so I think will happen.
Past weekend I ventured to NYC with the girls. Michelle saw her host parents from France, and we talked a bit. Mostly they talked and I listened.




I am continuing reading "Nurtureshock" as well as listening to "Made to Stick" on audio tape, since the drive to work is about 45min each way. At least I am learning things every day, not just sitting in the car, listening to music.
I have a feeling that the lab work will become routine, once i figure out all the tasks and where things are located.
Also went to see "Drive" which was an interesting and somewhat odd movie. Thumbs up for some originality and random acts of brutal violence.

Had an array of feelings today

I was elated to get my own car, which I bought yesterday and was able to pick up today. Art drove me to New Britain, for which i got him some gas, and my company. I totally enjoy Volvo. It has so many things and gadgets, roof window, heated seats. Twenty saved radio stations.
I haven't came up with a name for it yet, but I'm sure something will turn out eventually. Gotta let it grow on me a bit.

Steve Jobs passed away. Any famous person's death is facebook notified. Within minutes. Strange, what we focus on reposting, what we find relevant to make our statuses. I wonder I wonder.

I'm going to attempt to do 50 push ups in ~ 1min, because Shawn bet me $20 that I may not be able to. I got a little nervious and wasn't really positive I can do it. But I managed to do 55 push ups in about 40secs. (Faster is much easier for me). Felt great, I am confident about that now.

Tomorrow I will fast, from about Friday 6.30pm to Saturday 6.30pm. I will not drink water, or eat anything. My Friday evening will be mostly easy, but Saturday afternoon is where things might get a bit tougher. I will try to meditate, read, and spend a good amount of time playing video games. Those are great suckers of time. Currently I am enjoying Team Fortress 2, which is free to play. That's baaad.

Occupy Wall St. is still going. I don't know where, but am confident something is going to happen. I hope for brighter future for the movement and some positive changes to this country. Who knows what will really happen.


My clothes smell like fire.

Are people really more excited about arrested development being back on TV than Wall St. Occupation???

This is quote extraordinary, that is happening out there. Just something that keeps me thinking this is quite something:
First:

Then

Now


The gathering started on Sept. 17th and it has been growing ever since. People unite and are powerful. I believe this is going to be quite the impact. Whatever this is, something will change. Occupywallst.org is where I get all the latest info and interesting videos and pictures. The reality of it, is many major cities are already gathering momentum and are organizing. Media purposely not covering it, because who knows why.

On Tuesday, I may go and look at a car and possibly buy it. Exciting stuff. Week of next I start working in the lab.
How interesting is this life thing?

Find 50 easy way to mix up mashed spuds, from Food Network Magazine.

I do enjoy making and consuming garlic mash. But what I just stumbled on may drastically change up my routine:

1. Classic
Cover 2 pounds whole russet or Yukon gold potatoes with cold salted water; simmer 45 minutes. Drain, peel and mash with 1/2 to 1 stick butter. Add 1 cup hot milk, and salt and pepper; mash until smooth and fluffy.

2. Chunky Red
Cover 2 pounds whole red potatoes with cold salted water; simmer 40 minutes. Drain; do not peel. Smash with 1/2 to 1 stick butter, 3/4 cup hot milk, and salt and pepper.

3. Tangy
Make Classic Mash (No. 1) or Chunky Red Mash (No. 2). Use 1 cup sour cream instead of milk; top with fresh dill.
Get the recipe

4. Pepper-Swirl
Saute 2 chopped red bell peppers and 1 teaspoon thyme leaves in olive oil, covered, until tender. Puree; swirl into Classic Mash (No. 1).

5. Low-Fat
Make Chunky Red Mash (No. 2); replace the butter with 1/4 cup cooking water and use nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead of milk.

6. Spicy Chipotle
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); add 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro.

7. Olive Butter
Pulse 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, 1/2 stick soft butter and 2 tablespoons each parsley and cilantro in a food processor. Dollop the olive butter on Classic Mash (No. 1).


8. Orange-Fennel
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil with the grated zest of 1/2 orange, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes. Drizzle over Classic Mash (No. 1) or Pepper-Swirl Mash (No. 4).
Get the recipe


9. Tex-Mex
Make Chunky Red Mash (No. 2); add 1/2 pound grated Monterey Jack, 1/4 cup sliced scallions and 2 minced seeded jalapenos. Top with sour cream and more scallions and jalapenos.
Get the recipe

10. Applesauce
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); top with applesauce and sprinkle with grated nutmeg.

11. Bacon
Cook 1/2 pound chopped bacon until crisp. Make Classic Mash (No. 1); replace half of the butter with 2 to 4 tablespoons bacon drippings. Fold in some bacon; sprinkle the rest on top.


12. Bacon-Cheddar
Make Bacon Mash (No. 11). Add 1/2 pound grated sharp cheddar and 1/4 cup each minced parsley and scallions.
Get the recipe

13. Pancetta-Rosemary
Cook 1/4 pound diced pancetta in olive oil with 1/4 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 2 smashed garlic cloves; drain and spoon over Classic Mash (No. 1) or Chunky Red Mash (No. 2).

14. Horseradish-Chive
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); use 1 cup sour cream instead of milk. Mix in 1/4 cup horseradish and 1/3 cup minced chives.

15. Smoky
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); mix in 1/2 pound grated smoked gouda and 1/4 cup sliced scallions.

16. Mediterranean
Cover 2 pounds whole russet potatoes with cold salted water. Simmer 45 minutes; drain and peel. Mash with 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Finish with 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 teaspoons each chopped basil, tarragon and parsley.

17. Crispy Garlic
Fry 8 thinly sliced garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil until crisp; drain. Drizzle the oil into Classic Mash (No. 1) or Mediterranean Mash (No. 16); top with the fried garlic.

18. Golden Saffron
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); add a pinch of saffron to the milk as it heats and steep 10 minutes. Garnish with smoked paprika.

19. Pesto
Make Chunky Red Mash (No. 2); stir in 1/2 cup pesto. Garnish with pine nuts.

20. Hummus
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); stir in 1/2 cup hummus. Top with parsley and toasted sesame seeds.

21. Fennel
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil with 1 tablespoon fennel seeds and 3 small dried chiles. Saute 1 diced fennel bulb in the oil until tender. Make Classic Mash (No. 1); top with the fennel and fennel oil.

22. Italian Cheese
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); salt lightly. Add 1/2 cup each grated parmesan and romano cheese.


23. Greek
Make Chunky Red Mash (No. 2); add 1/2 pound crumbled feta cheese, 1/4 cup each minced dill, parsley and scallions, and 2 teaspoons minced oregano.
Get the recipe

24. Chorizo
Fry 1/2 pound crumbled chorizo until crisp; stir in 2 tablespoons paprika. Spoon, with drippings, over Classic Mash (No. 1); top with scallions.

25. Rutabaga-Brown Butter
Make Classic Mash (No. 1); replace half of the potatoes with 1 pound rutabaga.
Brown 4 tablespoons butter with 3 tablespoons chopped parsley and a pinch of nutmeg; drizzle over mash.

26. Squash-Swirl
Peel and cube 1 pound butternut squash; boil 8 minutes. Drain, puree and swirl into Classic Mash (No. 1).

27. Butternut-Sage
Make Squash-Swirl Mash (No. 26). Brown 4 tablespoons butter with 1/4 cup chopped sage and 1 teaspoon salt; pour over mash.

28. Stewed Leek
Make Classic Mash (No. 1). Thinly slice 1 bunch leeks; stew in melted butter until tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir the leeks into the mash.

29. Broccoli-Cheddar
Boil 1 bunch broccoli florets until tender; drain. Add to Classic Mash (No. 1) with 1/2 pound grated cheddar.

30. Rosemary-Lemon
Make Italian Cheese Mash (No. 22); top with 2 teaspoons minced rosemary mixed with the grated zest of 1 lemon.

31. Roasted Tomato
Toss 1 pint grape tomatoes with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet; roast 20 to 30 minutes at 450 degrees, turning. Add to Classic Mash (No. 1).

32. Italian Sausage
Saute 1/2 pound crumbled sweet Italian sausage until crisp. Make Classic Mash (No. 1). Stir in 1 cup parmesan; top with the sausage.

33. Indian Spice
Toast 2 teaspoons each mustard, cumin and coriander seeds in a skillet. Add 1 stick butter and 1/2 teaspoon each ground turmeric and salt. Make Classic Mash (No. 1) with the spiced butter.


34. Shiitake-Squash
Saute 12 ounces sliced shiitake mushroom caps in butter until golden. Serve over Squash-Swirl Mash (No. 26). Garnish with chopped parsley.
Get the recipe

35. Indian Green Pea
Make Indian Spice Mash (No. 33). Warm 1/2 cup frozen peas in the butter; remove with a slotted spoon. Top the mash with the peas.

36. Crispy Shallot
Slowly cook 8 thinly sliced shallots in 3 tablespoons olive oil until crisp and golden; drain. Sprinkle over Classic Mash (No. 1) or Italian Cheese Mash (No. 22).

37. Celery Root
Cook 2 cubed peeled celery roots in 2 cups milk until tender; puree. Make Classic Mash (No. 1) but replace the milk with the celery root puree. Garnish with parsley.

38. Swiss Chard
Remove stems from 1 bunch Swiss chard; boil 5 minutes, then add the leaves and cook 3 more minutes. Drain, chop and add to Classic Mash (No. 1).


39. Blue Cheese-Walnut
Make Classic Mash (No. 1). Brown 4 tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons each chopped rosemary and parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; add a pinch of sugar. Crumble blue cheese over the mash; drizzle with the browned butter.
Get the recipe

40. Poblano Pepper
Broil 3 poblano peppers until blackened. Peel, seed and cut into strips. Saute 1 cup chopped onion, the poblanos and 1 sliced garlic clove in olive oil until golden. Serve over Classic Mash (No. 1); garnish with sour cream.

41. Wasabi
Mix 1 to 3 tablespoons wasabi powder with equal parts water to make a paste; cover. Make Classic Mash (No. 1); stir in the wasabi paste.

42. Sweet Potato
Roast 2 pounds sweet potatoes at 400 degrees until tender, 1 hour. Halve, then scoop out flesh. Puree with 4 tablespoons butter; add salt.

43. Sweet Potato Pie
Make Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42); stir in 1/4 cup maple syrup. Top with toasted pecans.


44. Cheesy Chard
Add 1/2 pound grated gruyère to Classic Mash (No. 1); top with roasted tomatoes (No. 31) and cooked Swiss chard (No. 38).
Get the recipe

45. Prosciutto
Cook 1/2 cup diced prosciutto in olive oil until crisp, 6 minutes. Spoon over Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42).

46. Pumpkin Seed
Make Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42) with just 2 tablespoons butter. Saute 1/2 cup diced roasted poblanos, 1/4 cup green pumpkin seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin in
2 tablespoons butter; season with salt and spoon over the mash.

47. Sweet Potato-Apple
Make Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42); while the potatoes roast, simmer 2 chopped peeled apples in 1/4 cup apple cider with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon until soft. Puree with the potatoes.

48. Sweet Spice
Make Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42); stir in 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and the grated zest and juice of 1 orange.


49. Curried Sweet Potato
Make Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42); puree with 1 tablespoon curry powder and 3 tablespoons each plain Greek yogurt and mango chutney. Top with toasted coconut.

50. Root Vegetable
Make Sweet Potato Mash (No. 42); while the potatoes roast, boil 2 each peeled and diced parsnips and turnips until tender. Puree with the potatoes and butter; garnish with chives.



From Food Network.

SCORE

I got a temporary lab position as a technician, starting OCT 10th. Yay, finally a "real" job after college. Pays well, but i am only going to work there for 1000 hours (about 6 months) and after that, they're required to fire me, so they don't have to pay benefits. Though If I am proactive enough, ask enough questions, and show initiative, I may be able to to get a permanent position there. But one step at a time.
The position, from what i understood, is really tedious, boring, and unappreciated. I will have to test stability of chemicals, which is same routine over and over and over again. Gah. I hope it doesn't suck as much. But hey, the company is really awesome and I hope to make new connections and enjoy my environment as much as I can. As usual, there will be much more to learn and find out than I anticipate.
On the bright>(?) side, I am most likely is going to get a car. This will be the most expensive things I own. Right now my graphing calculator holds #1 place. There is also a good chance that Michelle will move with me to Central Connecticut, which would make commute to work better. But I'm not going to count my horses until they crossed the road. One step at a time.

I also finished painting this really good piece, but am yet not sure how much I want for it.

Yom Kippur Fasting

I used to be Jewish (since it is a religion that you can enter and exit at onces will, and not a nationality or ethnicity as others may think) when I was younger. I went to Jewish school and all the stuff with it. Some traditions were good, others not so much. As I became a non-believer, as I am today, I still continued to do one thing - fast during Yom Kippur. My motivation is different, however: I am testing my body to see if I am able to abstain from food or drink for 24 hours. (That includes water as well) This is a type of self check. If I am not sick and circumstantially able, I will do my best to fast.

This task is as much mental as it is physical. Throughout this week I will be thinking and reminding myself that on Friday, OCT 7th I will not eat anything after 6.30pm and abstain from ingesting anything in my body until about 6.50pm on Saturday. Times indicate the sunsets, which I feel is a good way of doing it. In previous times I would indulge myself into 8+ hours of World of Warcraft. Time flies when I played that game, so the task was relatively simple. Because I don't play that game anymore I will have to occupy myself with other things: I will try to sleep as much as i can, abstain from physical exercises and other energy related depletions. I will most likely read, meditate and reflect, and try to keep my mind off the food as much as possible. Perhaps I'll stumbleupon for hours :)

Why do I do this? It's is a kind of self check: am I able to go without food for 24 hours? Am I able to go without water for 24 hours? Am I mentally strong enough to abstain from such simple and important pleasure? This surely will make me appreciate foods and how simple we have it today with fridges and supermarkets. Or so I think :)

Strength Finder Part 2

Here are my results:

Learner

You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices you. Your excitement leads you to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables you to thrive in dynamic work environments where you are asked to take on short project assignments and are expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one. This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that you seek to become the subject matter expert, or that you are striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”

Communication

You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. This is your Communication theme at work. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so you turn events into stories and practice telling them. You take the dry idea and enliven it with images and examples and metaphors. You believe that most people have a very short attention span. They are bombarded by information, but very little of it survives. You want your information—whether an idea, an event, a product’s features and benefits, a discovery, or a lesson—to survive. You want to divert their attention toward you and then capture it, lock it in. This is what drives your hunt for the perfect phrase. This is what draws you toward dramatic words and powerful word combinations. This is why people like to listen to you. Your word pictures pique their interest, sharpen their world, and inspire them to act.

Strategic

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path—your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

Input

You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

Relator

Relator describes your attitude toward your relationships. In simple terms, the Relator theme pulls you toward people you already know. You do not necessarily shy away from meeting new people—in fact, you may have other themes that cause you to enjoy the thrill of turning strangers into friends—but you do derive a great deal of pleasure and strength from being around your close friends. You are comfortable with intimacy. Once the initial connection has been made, you deliberately encourage a deepening of the relationship. You want to understand their feelings, their goals, their fears, and their dreams; and you want them to understand yours. You know that this kind of closeness implies a certain amount of risk—you might be taken advantage of—but you are willing to accept that risk. For you a relationship has value only if it is genuine. And the only way to know that is to entrust yourself to the other person. The more you share with each other, the more you risk together. The more you risk together, the more each of you proves your caring is genuine. These are your steps toward real friendship, and you take them willingly.

Now I am going to continue reading the book and see what other stuff I can extract and learn from it. I do quite enjoy these types of exercises. I believe it is important to know who we are before trying to improve or shape us.

Strength Finder

So, I am in the process of reading yet another book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" and there is a unique code at the end of the book that allows me access to strengthsfinder.com. There is a questionarie that helps you discover my signature themes. Here is the info about it:

Your Signature Themes
Many years of research conducted by The Gallup Organization suggest that the most effective people are those who understand their strengths and behaviors. These people are best able to develop strategies to meet and exceed the demands of their daily lives, their careers, and their families.

A review of the knowledge and skills you have acquired can provide a basic sense of your abilities, but an awareness and understanding of your natural talents will provide true insight into the core reasons behind your consistent successes.

Your Signature Themes report presents your five most dominant themes of talent, in the rank order revealed by your responses to StrengthsFinder. Of the 34 themes measured, these are your "top five."

Your Signature Themes are very important in maximizing the talents that lead to your successes. By focusing on your Signature Themes, separately and in combination, you can identify your talents, build them into strengths, and enjoy personal and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.

My top five were Learner,Communication, Strategic, Input, Relator. (other 29 were: achiever, activator, adaptability, analytical, arranger, belief, command, competition, connectedness, context, deliberative, developer, discipline, empathy, fairness, focus, futuristic, harmony, ideation, inclusiveness, individualization, intellection, maximizer, positivity, responsibility, restorative, self-asurance, significance, woo (winning others over))
I totally thought that I posses talents of positivity and analytical, but maybe they were my 6th and 7th talent, and since I am aware of these traits, I will incorporate and expand on those as well.

This post is a bit long, so I am going to post the results of what my themes mean in the next entry.

Renaissance Faire in MA

The weekend turned out to be a great time spending in Boston with a lovely girl-love. I arrived on Friday, went to BC to check out Stokes Hall construction. It already has walls and it's a pretty large building. It was refreshing to know that the deadline hasn't moved and things are on their way.
Also stopped by Grecliff to see a fellow OTE student and sell one of my paintings. It was only $15 but it's breaking the ice. I already have several other people inquiring about my work. So that's fun! Yay! Once I become famous someone-someone, these pieces of art will be more expensive, hopefully. Who knows.
The evening continued with a little party of Michelle's friend in Voute. My first official party as a grad student. It was weird. But not totally bad. Just knowing that I'm not in school yet on the school grounds was an interesting concept. I don't really miss BC. Some things yeah, but it was more the interactions, not schooling.

Saturday Natalie joined us at King Richard's Faire. We saw "Torture Show" and Joust 'til Death. I threw some axes at the target. All in all, it was a great time, I was smiling throughout. People in costumes and souvenirs and giant turkey legs. Saw some white tigers too. Really good time, too bad i didn't dress up.

Sunday we stayed in, watched "The Green Hornet" and "127 hours". Interesting movies. It was a lazy day, we cooked some food, and since i had a sore throat, Michelle kept applying nursing spells on me.

Today I had an interview with a company, and I may be able to score a job in a near future as a lab technician for next six months. What does that say about Nashville? I don't know, the future will tell, but I still think it will be cool to move there, even for couple of years.
One day at a time.

An interesting Quote i read from "Now, Discover Your Strengths":
"We don't change. We simply accept our talents and refocus our lives around them. We become more self-aware."

Sore Throat

Very interesting way of Art. Ursus Wehrli is a Swiss artist, that takes art of others and tranforms it in a way. Check it out.

Going to Boston tomorrow to visit a friendly face of a girl i enjoy spending time with. We shall be going to visit BC on Friday and adventure to King Richards Fair on Saturday. Or so the plans are. Future is so predictable.

Also, bringing one of my art pieces for sale. It's pretty awesome that the ice is broken and I can tell for sure that not only people like my art, but they are willing to pay some cash to have it.

Went by Boys and Girls club earlier today to fill up an application to see if there are any positions I may be able to score. It's only 15min walking away, so if there is a chance, I am probably going to take it. Also, have an interview with Unilever on Tuesday. Who knows where any of this will go.
Still quite interested in going to Nashville as a place of destination. To live there for couple of years and experience a new place is something yet again exciting.

Success is a Choice, Step 10 - Survive Success

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

10. Survive Success

What:
There is no end point to my dreams, there is never an end to opportunities to get better, to learn more, to push further. Every day.

Tricks/How:
Don't fall into tendency to get lazy or complacent
Сontinue working hard, don't get comfortable (remind myself of basics)
Get ready, continue adapting for a change
Make a one-year contract with myself (no luxury of postponing)
Don't lose focus, always be competitive against myself.
Commit myself on constant improvement
Eliminate mediocrity

Encouragement:
Remember the work it took to get to the success, not the achievement itself. Success doesn't make me immune from failure. Contentment can be dangerous. Don't take success for granted. It only matters what I am doing today.

Maintain excellence with better methods and more creative ways to accomplish the tasks.

Work Ethic:
Rise earlier
Stay up later
Read more books/improvements
Eliminate more distractions
Make sure the goals are still demanding
Stay true to methods as in the beginning

Write down what made me successful: Why's and How's (things that worked and didn't work)
Study them, (clues to what to do in future) + find ways to improve (build on existing formulas).
What did I do right? (take inventory: How did I do it? What steps taken?)
Break it, break it again, and keep breaking it, to make it better.

Create new goals, set higher standards (separates good from great = refusal of satisfaction) Do more accomplish more, get more creative and better at what I do (new ideas and stimulating situations).

Creativity
Motivation
Responsiveness


Do I tend to go back to complacency after achieving? Yes or No

Do I have an adequate work ethic? Yes or No

Have I studied my previous successes? Yes or No


You're reading Step 10 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success


End Note for over-achieving:

These are blue-prints for a lifetime of over-achieving, the steps to be followed over and over in an ongoing process. There is no limit to what I can achieve.
Hard work pays off.
Organize my plan of attack, and have great motives written down.

Can I transform my life and achieve heights I only fantasized about? Yes or No

Can I reach my dreams? Yes or No

Do I choose success and make it happen? Yes or No

My real journey begins now.

Success is a Choice, Step 9 - Learn from Adversity

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

9. Learn from Adversity

What:
a part of life, overcome circumstances, own or others' misfortunes,
Must have: will, hard work, belief in myself, strength of character, and stay Positive

Tricks/How:
Don't run from adversity, meet it head on
Accept responsibility for my actions (avoid blaming)
Never give up on goals / plan of attack
Examine failures and ask questions
Start again & Keep moving forward
Stick to the organized plan of action
Repetition of right technique is key
Have courage & faith in my path & vision

Encouragement:
Major setbacks leave me wondering if things can be back the way they were again, but I should not let it stomp my dreams. I create my luck, my future, my success by actions and non-actions, and by doing the work. Ignore the critics.

Conduct myself with utmost respect, leave a positive & honorable image.

How am I going to deal with it?
Every time I fail, I must ask questions:
Why did I fail?
Did I work hard enough?
Was it the goals or the means?
Did I stray too far from my goals?
Did my attitude get in the way?
Did I adequately plan for changes?
Could I have foreseen it coming and started doing something about it sooner?
Did I not follow through because I wasn't disciplined or organized enough?
Did I miss the one key point that may have made a difference?
This enables to keep self-confidence, and start moving forward again.

Today's failure can be turned into tomorrow's success.

I must focus on what I have, instead of what I lost. Attitude change. Mental toughness – awareness that everything doesn't always have a solution.


Do I meet adversity head on? Yes or No

Do I often analyze/examine my failures? Yes or No

Do I blame my circumstances more than my own actions? Yes or No


You're reading Step 9 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success

Success is a Choice, Step 8 - Be Ferociously Persistent

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE


8. Be Ferociously Persistent

What:
allows me to accomplish and outperform, refuse to quit, never stop learning,

Tricks/How:
Success doesn't happen overnight
Take the extra step (beyond expectancy)
Get PHD (poor hungry driven) attitude
Pay the dues first, then taste results
Don't get sidetracked / distracted
Don't lose sight of goals
Be flexible, adaptive, always re-adjust
Eliminate “Quit” from vocabulary

Poor – curious of knowledge, constantly searching for more to find more wisdom
Hungry – tremendous desire to succeed, who won't be satisfied with ordinary level of accomplishment
Driven – ambitious goals and pursue with great ferocity

Encouragement:
Keep raising the bar, don't settle for a plateau. Take an extra step, beyond expectancy. (Meet with my boss on weekly basis) Personal excellence is a lifelong commitment. The harder I work – the tougher it is to surrender.

Failure is fertilizer for future success. Learn why I failed.

Organization
Dedication
Confidence
Commitment

Am I performing outside my comfort zone? Yes or No

Am I satisfied with ordinary level of accomplishment? Yes or No

Do I need someone else to keep pushing me? Yes or No


You're reading Step 8 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success

Success is a Choice, Step 7 - Thrive on Pressure

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

7. Thrive on Pressure

What:
continuous pressure → doubt (if not prepared, low confidence) → stress

Tricks/How:
Don't doubt myself (think of all accomplished)
Pressure = ally (rejuvenates). Stress = enemy
Be prepared to handle pressure
Time management is critical (priorities)
Don't exaggerate the repercussions of failure
Create a measuring stick that keeps me to higher standard
Believe in my discipline
Don't let people tell me what I can't do

Encouragement:
Stress lessens with time, and everyone around experiences it too. Spend more time doing, and less time complaining. The better I'm prepared for any situation – the more I believe I can succeed - the more I will succeed. It's very difficult to maintain excellence as an abstraction, there is a need for specific, short-term, goals to work on and focus on every day.

Having something at stake makes me focus and care. When nothing's at stake, extraordinary efforts rarely occur.

Apply the pressure to self (competition)
Set higher standards
I get more if I demand more.

Stress occurs when I'm asked to do something I'm not sure I can do.
How will I react to the situation filled with pressure and uncertainty?
What is actually causing me pressure?
What are my pressure points?


Do I perform better than expected under pressure? Yes or No

Do I often think of failure as negative? Yes or No

Will I set higher (harder to reach) standards for myself? Yes or No


You're reading Step 7 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success

Success is a Choice, Step 6 - Learn from Role Models

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

6. Learn from Role Models

What:
Study successful people I admire, not necessary celebrities or entertainers

Tricks/How:
Learn and understand what got people there (achievement and hard work)
Don't be afraid to ask/interview people
Don't be afraid to adapt/adjust ideas or traits
NO shortcuts, NO gimmicks
NO easy way, NO luck
Reaffirm own traits with others' experiences
Learn on mistakes from past
Surround myself with wise/older people

Encouragement:
Modeling is how we learn in life. Take essence of what makes them successful and incorporate/apply to my philosophy. Deserving victory takes hard work. My way is not the only way. Put my own methods under a microscope. Adapt, make better, change. It's important to like to work had.

Learn from others. Learn from people who have made the journey before me. Learn from their wisdom.

Where do their qualities come from?
Who inspires me to seek new heights?
Who are my role models?


Can I learn from failures and achievements of others? Yes or No

Am I afraid to adjust my own ideas and traits? Yes or No

Will working hard give me results? Yes or No


You're reading Step 6 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success

Success is a Choice, Step 5 - Master the Art of Communication

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

5. Master the Art of Communication

What:
learned/mastered, interaction with others, right thing at right time, effective & clear


Tricks/How:
Listen and don't take eyes off the person
Address the situation myself
Don't let problems fester, confront immediately
Admit and own up to mistakes
Explain my goals and needs with reasons
Reinforce good always

Encouragement:
Misunderstanding has a potential of magnifying problems. Never underestimate just how important that personal connection is. “Because I told you so” is the biggest turn off.

Life is about dealing with people.
Winning approach – arrive to a common ground

Is confrontation of myself and others necessary? Yes or No

Do I deal with people on daily basis? Yes or No

Will effective communication bring me results? Yes or No




You're reading Step 5 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success

Success is a Choice, Step 4 - Establish Good Habits

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

4. Establish Good Habits

What:
act in certain way, repeated enough, reinforced behavior

Tricks/How:
Organize my day and actions, make a systematic plan (day, week, month)
Write everything down
Have a purpose
Discover and break bad habits
No excuses
No distractions in the morning
Don't put things off (unpleasant things first!)
Get myself in shape

Encouragement:
I can never be over-prepared. I must do the necessary research. Make a great first impression. People make opinions based on looks. Knowing why I fail is important. Habits develop consistency and prevent laziness. Arrive half hour early to be ready. Gossip – waste of time.

There are no days off in life.

Excellence is the unlimited ability to improve the quality of what I have to offer.

What am I trying to be?
What's my purpose?
Self education. How can I do it better?



Am I a creature of conscious & unconscious habits? Yes or No

Does writing things down really help me in achieving? Yes or No

Should I have a backup plan in case things don't work out? Yes or No




You're reading Step 4 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success

Success is a Choice, Step 3 - Always Be Positive

Ten Steps: The Plan of Attack to be More Successful.
Catalyst for Over-Achieving
Notes from “Success is a Choice by Rick Pitino"

ATTITUDE
ACTION
PERSISTENCE

3. Always Be Positive

What:
positive approach, block negativity, the precious present

Tricks/How:
Being positive – discipline
I can control my mood (reflection of attitude)
See the positive in situation – each day is an opportunity
Confront or cut loose disruptive/negative people
No cynicism
Surround self with positive people & influences
Recognize why I am down.
Live in present without past/future problems

Encouragement:
Bring the aura of excitement to the job. People will want to be around me. Never allow obstacles dominate my life. Only I have the power to make myself happy. Create vision of the self and work toward. Get into the positive zone. Live in a present tense. Don't let negativity cloud my thinking.

Ability to handle change determines the quality of our lives. Change is opportunity.



Do I have the power to make myself happy? Yes or No

Is positive attitude one of the most important factors? Yes or No

Do positive people rub off of one another? Yes or No




You're reading Step 3 out of 10, check out the rest here:
Step 1 Build Self-Esteem
Step 2 Set Demanding Goals
Step 3 Always Be Positive
Step 4 Establish Good Habits
Step 5 Master the Art of Communication
Step 6 Learn from Role Models
Step 7 Thrive on Pressure
Step 8 Be Ferociously Persistent
Step 9 Learn from Adversity
Step 10 Survive Success