Tragedies often sound a clarion call that get people to band together and be their best selves.
But how long will the good behavior last? Like exercise or showers, while it is good to do ... it is better to repeat.
It is time to take an honest look at ourselves ... and take appropriate action.
The 3 minute video below highlights some tough issues. The hard truth is that progress starts with honesty.
Do you think this painted an accurate picture of the current United States?
Urgent, please read ASAP.
That's what gets done, of course. The urgent.
Not the article you haven't gotten around to writing, the trip to the gym that will pay off in the long run, the planning for your upcoming birthday party, dinner with your parents (who would love to see you), ten minutes to sit quietly, saying thank you to a friend for no real reason... no, we do the urgent first.
The problem, of course, is that the queue of urgent never ends, it merely changes its volume as it gets longer.
Yes, we've heard it said that it's the important, not the urgent, that deserves attention. But it understates just how much we've been manipulated by those that would make their important into our urgent.
via Seth Godin.
We just finished the first quarter of 2013.
It's been three months since New Year's Eve, and most New Year's Resolutions have been forgotten. As you prepare to face the rest of 2013, ask yourself these powerful questions from Greg Bustin:
Now get going. It's not just the first day of a new Quarter ... it's the first day of the rest of your life.
What bothers you most about someone else is often a clue about what you don't like about your own circumstances ... or, a political cartoonist could point it out instead.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Are you happy how you spend your day?
Do you ever think about how most people choose to spend their time?
As you might guess, average Americans spend 8 hours at work, maybe half an hour in traffic, a few hours watching TV in the evening.
But what if you looked at it another way - what if you added up all those hours over the course of your whole life? The following infographic shows the tally.
That half an hour in traffic adds up to over a year of your life. And those innocent hours of TV? They add up to 9 years for the average American.
"It's not the years in your life that count ... It's the life in your years." ~ Abraham Lincoln
Are you giving time to the things you really care about?
Whether you think you can ... or you think you can't ... you're right.
~ Henry Ford
Slack-Lining is kind of like tight-rope walking (except the line isn't as taut ... so it moves and bounces around). The image to the right is of me trying it less than six inches off the ground.
It was harder than you might guess ... Perhaps fear of falling contributed to the heart racing and muscle tension that went along with it.
Josh Beaudoin (the guy trying to steady me) claims that slack-lining is not an adrenaline sport. It is about being composed in the moment. It is about finding the confidence to face your fear and the power to manage your emotions.
Listen to some wisdom as you watch an awesome video by Josh. It was shot in Rock Canyon near Provo, UT.
Imagine the experience of being up there ... and what we do down here doesn’t seem risky.
To see something else a little crazy. Check out this link about Fire-Walking.
Who put Washington in charge of the ball drop this New Year?
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Doing the same things, the same ways, has predictable results. Sometimes it is important to do things differently.
Here is a photo of me at the National Society of Black Engineers' Professional Development Conference, where I had the opportunity to present and participate in several panel discussions.
That is me, the Mitchell brothers, and Steadman Graham
I'm neither black, nor an engineer, and they aren't traders; so why would they ask me to present... and why would I say yes?
Value is often added at the edges. Likewise, good things often happen when you travel outside your comfort or habit zone.
I gained a lot from the experience. For example, I had a discussion with the nuclear physicist who talked about how they use computer simulations to model the effects of a nuclear explosion. That gave me great ideas about how to measure the effect of a particular trading system or algorithm on a market.
Luck does favor the prepared. That conversation could just as easily have been me simply saying 'hello,' shaking hands, and moving on to the next person. To some extent, the ability to take advantage of opportunities comes from the intent to find them.
Is Luck Something That You Can Maximize, Or Would You Consider It Random?
It's possible that luck is both random and something you can maximize.
To explain, let's examine the
decision to purchase Apple Computer stock. Regardless of whether that
decision was based on gut instinct, fundamental analysis,
or a technical chart pattern ... whether price moves up or down the
moment after that purchase is for the most part random.
However, if you make 10,000 trades over time, then your ability to make and keep money is about how you manage risk and opportunity. At that point, your system is not necessarily random. Consequently, it is something that you can improve.
Transform Results By Getting Un-Stuck.
Improvement means getting better and different results. And, as you already know, it doesn't make sense to continue to do the same thing, yet to expect different results. So, a key skill is learning to recognize when things are "stuck" in rut.
The trouble with many "ruts" is that you don't know you're in one, while you're in one. Consequently, it often takes a different perspective to become aware of new possibilities, opportunities, or best next steps.
Implications.
The interesting thing that this implies is that those opportunities were always there ... they just weren't there for you in your current state of awareness.
Similarly, recognize that many of the processes that we rely-on limit our "luck" or opportunities precisely because they limit our choices. When this is done consciously it can be helpful. However, when it's an unconscious act, it can be dangerous.
In general, you can categorize many tools as either being multipliers or diminishers. Neither one is good or bad in and of itself. The trick is to recognize that you have a choice, and that not choosing is still a choice.
Here Are Some Links for Your Weekend Reading
Some things are harder than others ...
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye. Hope you find something interesting.
Lighter Links:
Trading Links:
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