• Linking Park: 2007-W06, The V-Day and Adventure Planning Edition

    edited by Alexander Becker

    Intelligence, metaexperiences and life according to its lists, Ho'oponopono, Valentines and chocolate.

    Cognition is knowing something, like the answer in a test, while metacognition is knowing whether you know the answer or not. To cognate or metacognate -- Which is smarter? Learn to understand your own intelligence --

    Unless you're taking a test or playing Jeopardy, metacognition is more important to success than cognition. In real life, when you're faced with a question the first decision is whether you know the answer or not. With strong metacognitive ability this is easy. If you know the answer, but can't come up with it, you can always do a bit of research. If you know for sure that you don't know, then you can start educating yourself. Because you're aware of your ignorance, you don't act with foolish confidence. The person who thinks they know something that they really don't makes the worst decisions.

    In the battle of experience vs. metaexperience, experience definitely wins. Take a look at this truly inspirational life list (... and no, I wouldn't publish my son's life list) --

    To what degree do you think a young person increases his chances of a fulfilling life by seizing the freedom to dream big, imagining what he wants to achieve, and writing it down?

    John Goddard started this life list thing and he lives by and off of it ever since --

    One rainy afternoon an inspired 15-year old boy named John Goddard sat down at his kitchen table in Los Angeles and wrote three words at the top of a yellow pad, "My Life List." Under that heading he wrote down 127 goals.

    These were not simple or easy goals. They included climbing the world's major mountains, exploring from source to mouth the longest rivers of the world, piloting the world's fastest aircraft, running a mile in five minutes and reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica.

    Now, a generation later, he has accomplished 109 of these quests, and has logged an impressive list of records in achieving them.

    Whichever way you choose, however your list looks like, never forget to just do something, do anything and never stop --

    Once you participate in life, it really works.

    On the other hand, you may simply need a way to solve all of your problems --

    In Ho'oponopono, problems are viewed as replayed subconscious thoughts and memories from the past that are presenting themselves now to be released by us. These thoughts and memories within us cause all physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relationship, and financial problems in our lives. After we take 100% responsibility for these thoughts and memories (and their resulting effects and problems), we can then release them using Ho'oponopono and be free to act on the inspiration that follows.

    In related news, here is how to achieve blog nirvana --

    Once you write enough blog posts, and read far too many blog posts, you acquire an instinctive sense for the principle ingredients of an audience-pleasing offering. However, rather than itemize those ingredients, it's far easier to discuss this magical formula in terms of the instinctive emotional responses you hope to conjure in readers. The broadest of those responses are indignation, titillation, stimulation, and affirmation. Hitting any of the buttons is good. Ideally, you pack as many of those responses as possible into your content, even (and sometimes especially) if they're contradictory. Hitting the sweet spot in the center of all four virtually guarantees bloggy nirvana.

    Since V-day is near, what could come in more handy than a bittersweet guide to the best chocolate --

    White, milk, dark, fudge, with cherry, cherry bombs, truffles, more fudge, cherry fudge, chocolate from Java, coffee-infused beans -— even chocolate massage oil and chocolate lip gloss, with a dark, bitter flavor.

    Happy Valentines.

    Every thing eventually will pass, ... another good reason to NOT have a Blogroll --

    Make it easy on yourself. Don't have a Blogroll. If you like a blog, link to their posts when they write something interesting. Saves us all a world of pain and hand-wringing.

    To your excellent life.

    Tags

    Labels: , ,

    If you liked this post, please take the time to bookmark it or subscribe to get updates.

  • Linking Park: 2007-W04, The Remarkable Minimalist Edition

    edited by Alexander Becker

    Remarkable because of what's up this week and minimalist because of the sheer number of links presented. It's more like a featured article. Think quantity vs. quality.

    It is definitely possible to bury quality in quantity but to the same extent, it is worth the effort to dig out and separate and recognize the true gems that exist within quantity. Without quantity there is no recognizable quality. The more quantity though, the higher the value of determined quality, which compares to each and every instance produced. Being better than twenty is more valuable than being better than two.

    Now, take a look at what it really takes to be remarkable --

    1. Understand the urgency of the situation. Half-measures simply won't do. The only way to grow is to abandon your strategy of doing what you did yesterday, but better. Commit.
    2. Remarkable doesn't mean remarkable to you. It means remarkable to me. Am I going to make a remark about it? If not, then you're average, and average is for losers.
    3. Being noticed is not the same as being remarkable. Running down the street naked will get you noticed, but it won't accomplish much. It's easy to pull off a stunt, but not useful.
    4. Extremism in the pursuit of remarkability is no sin. In fact, it's practically a requirement. People in first place, those considered the best in the world, these are the folks that get what they want. Rock stars have groupies because they're stars, not because they're good looking.
    5. Remarkability lies in the edges. The biggest, fastest, slowest, richest, easiest, most difficult. It doesn't always matter which edge, more that you're at (or beyond) the edge.
    6. Not everyone appreciates your efforts to be remarkable. In fact, most people don't. So what? Most people are ostriches, heads in the sand, unable to help you anyway. Your goal isn't to please everyone. Your goal is to please those that actually speak up, spread the word, buy new things or hire the talented.

    For # 7 through 10, read the full article in the Guardian. By Seth Godin, who adds --

    The alternative sounds scary, but I don't think it is. The alternative is to just be remarkable. Go all the way to the edge. Not in a big thing, perhaps, but in a little one. Find some area where you have a tiny bit of authority and run with it. After you succeed, you'll discover you've got more leeway for next time. And if you fail? Don't worry. Your organisation secretly wants employees willing to push hard even if it means failing every so often.

    And when? When should you start being remarkable? How's this: if you don't start tomorrow, you're not really serious. Tomorrow night by midnight or don't bother. You're too talented to sit around waiting for the perfect moment. Go start.

    Seth Godin is also responsible for the book of the week: Permission Marketing.

    To your excellent life.

    Tags

    Labels: ,

    If you liked this post, please take the time to bookmark it or subscribe to get updates.

  • Linking Park: 2007-W03, The Moody Edition

    edited by Alexander Becker

    Status and longevity, you're only human, how to stress and push your edge with yoga.

    WOW: Status becomes an even more valuable asset, now that even Nobel Prize winners live longer --

    Anyone can see that the rich and famous tend to live better and longer than the poor and ordinary, but scientists have been unclear on whether social status was an indirect or direct cause of longevity.

    Find out about your potential longevity and keep some benchmarks to assess and eventually improve your trends --

    There are only three general, observable directions for any given, measurable, progression.

    Are you only human? Doesn't matter much --

    A community where people share stories about mistakes they've made in life and their advice to others. The premise is that its just as important to know what NOT to do, as what to do. Mistakes make the most compelling stories, the funniest jokes, the best movies and provide the easiest advice to accept because of their ability to evoke empathy. People naturally use stories about mistakes to pass on knowledge to their peers and to future generations.

    P.S.: I was human too. By the way, do you know where this line is from? Tell me.

    Just in case you were wondering, here are 5 ideas for stressful living --

    ... a short list of ideas for those who wish to add a dash of stress into their lives -- all fairly easy to implement, not to mention widely encouraged by society at large and often easily observed in the behavior of those around you.

    1. Attempt to control absolutely everything
    2. Believe in the possibility of "making it"
    3. Look for satisfaction out there
    4. Emphasize yourself
    5. Be more and have more

    Some stress occurs when it comes to pagerank and its fluctuations. Matt Cutts has his -- or Google's infrastructure status for January 2007 --

    The executive summary is that things are relatively quiet. The quarterly-ish PageRank export is underway.

    Another gem from the same kitchen is a productivity tip: Make "howto" files --

    ... a good trick from Russ Taylor in grad school. He kept a "howto" directory, and any time he ended up doing a bit of research to find out how to do something, he'd document it in a tiny file in a howto directory.

    Yoga is not guided relaxation. I really like the quote and in particular this way to take care of your body... --

    You will often hear yoga teachers say in class that you should "take care of your body" or "listen to your body." I think this is more or less pretty good advice. But all too often, I think this advice is taken by students as license to wimp out. Taking care of your body or listening to your body does not mean "come out of the pose the instant you feel any discomfort." In fact, my own personal philosophy with respect to discomfort and pain in yoga is "push your edge, and then some." If we don't push or test our edge in yoga, our practice becomes stagnant, as will our bodies and our minds. This is not yoga, in my book. This is something like guided relaxation, and, unfortunately, this is what is being called yoga in a lot of places today.

    Check out Disease Proof from time to time. Fat is always an issue, good or bad: Trans fat free brings new problems --

    New research has determined that replacing unhealthy trans fats by modifying fat in commercial products can raise blood glucose and depress insulin in humans.

    A little fun? I am fish: What kind of meat are you? --

    You have a well formed palate and a daring appetite. If it's served to you, you'll at least try it. People are pretty scared of your exotic ways. But once they get a taste of you, they're addicted!

    The book of the week is the classic by Napoleon Hill: Think and Grow Rich (The Original Version, Restored and Revised).

    To your excellent life.

    Tags

    Labels: ,

    If you liked this post, please take the time to bookmark it or subscribe to get updates.

Subscribe to the new format to have the latest items conveniently delivered for free. You can also subscribe by E-mail.

Previous Posts

Free Download

Peer pressure, vanity and behavior, motivation tricks and hacks, success and pain, and how to excel, Celebrate Your Beauty -- whatever it takes. Download your free ebook.