The 4 rules

here are the 4 rules for success. I wanted to write them out to solidify them too so here is an attatched photo.

here is a quote from reddit that this is from

Ouch. Sounds like you're having a tough time max. That sucks. I've been there, so I kinda know what you're talking about. I've been in the ever circling vortex of self doubt, frustration, and loathing. It's no bueno. I know. If you don't mind lemme tell you a couple things. You can read em if you want, read em again later if you feel like it. But honestly man, if I spend all this time typing this out to you and you don't let it be a little tinder for your fire, well, you're just letting us both down. And you don't HAVE to do that. You don't HAVE to do anything. But you get to choose.

(Who am I? My name’s Ryan and I live in Canada. Just moved to a new city for a dream job that I got because of the rules below. I owe a lot of my success to people much cooler, kinder, more loving and greater than me. When I get the chance to maybe let a little bit of help out, it’s a way of thanking them. )

Rule numero uno - There are no more zero days. What's a zero day? A zero day is when you don't do a single fucking thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros. I'm not saying you gotta bust an essay out everyday, that's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. Didnt' do anything all fucking day and it's 11:58 PM? Write one sentence. One pushup. Read one page of that chapter. One. Because one is non zero. You feel me? When you're in the super vortex of being bummed your pattern of behaviour is keeping the vortex goin, that's what you're used to. Turning into productivity ultimate master of the universe doesn't happen from the vortex. It happens from a massive string of CONSISTENT NON ZEROS. That's rule number one. Do not forget.

La deuxieme regle - yeah i learnt french. its a canadian thing. please excuse the lack of accent graves, but lemme get into rule number 2. BE GRATEFUL TO THE 3 YOU'S. Uh what? 3 me's? That sounds like mumbo jumbo bullshit. News flash, there are three you's homeslice. There's the past you, the present you, and the future you. If you wanna love someone and have someone love you back, you gotta learn to love yourself, and the 3 you's are the key. Be GRATEFUL to the past you for the positive things you've done. And do favours for the future you like you would for your best bro. Feeling like shit today? Stop a second, think of a good decision you made yesterday. Salad and tuna instead of Big Mac? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME. Was yesterday a nonzero day because you wrote 200 words (hey, that's all you could muster)? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME. Saved up some coin over time to buy that sweet thing you wanted? THANK YOU. Second part of the 3 me's is you gotta do your future self a favour, just like you would for your best fucking friend (no best friend? you do now. You got 2. It's future and past you). Tired as hell and can't get off reddit/videogames/interwebs? fuck you present self, this one's for future me, i'm gonna rock out p90x Ab Ripper X for 17 minutes. I'm doing this one for future me. Alarm clock goes off and bed is too comfy? fuck you present self, this one's for my best friend, the future me. I'm up and going for a 5 km run (or 25 meter run, it's gotta be non zero). MAKE SURE YOU THANK YOUR OLD SELF for rocking out at the end of every.single.thing. that makes your life better. The cycle of doing something for someone else (future you) and thanking someone for the good in your life (past you) is key to building gratitude and productivity. Do not doubt me. Over time you should spread the gratitude to others who help you on your path.

Rule number 3- don't worry i'm gonna too long didnt' read this bad boy at the bottom (get a pencil and piece of paper to write it down. seriously. you physically need to scratch marks on paper) FORGIVE YOURSELF. I mean it. Maybe you got all the know-how, money, ability, strength and talent to do whatever is you wanna do. But lets say you still didn't do it. Now you're giving yourself shit for not doing what you need to, to be who you want to. Heads up champion, being dissapointed in yourself causes you to be less productive. Tried your best to have a nonzero day yesterday and it failed? so what. I forgive you previous self. I forgive you. But today? Today is a nonzero masterpiece to the best of my ability for future self. This one's for you future homes. Forgiveness man, use it. I forgive you. Say it out loud.

Last rule. Rule number 4, is the easiest and its three words. exercise and books. that's it. Pretty standard advice but when you exercise daily you actually get smarter. when you exercise you get high from endorphins (thanks body). when you exercise you clear your mind. when you exercise you are doing your future self a huge favour. Exercise is a leg on a three legged stool. Feel me? As for books, almost every fucking thing we've all ever thought of, or felt, or gone through, or wanted, or wanted to know how to do, or whatever, has been figured out by someone else. Get some books max. Post to reddit about not caring about yourself? Good first step! (nonzero day, thanks younger me for typing it out) You know what else you could do? Read 7 habits of highly successful people. Read "emotional intelligence". Read "From good to great". Read “thinking fast and slow”. Read books that will help you understand. Read the bodyweight fitness reddit and incorporate it into your workouts. (how's them pullups coming?) Reading is the fucking warp whistle from Super Mario 3. It gets you to the next level that much faster.

That’s about it man. There’s so much more when it comes to how to turn nonzero days into hugely nonzero days, but that’s not your mission right now. Your mission is nonzero and forgiveness and favours. You got 36 essays due in 24 minutes and its impossible to pull off? Your past self let you down big time, but hey… I forgive you. Do as much as you can in those 24 minutes and then move on.

I hope I helped a little bit max. I could write about this forever, but I promised myself I would go do a 15 minute run while listening to A. Skillz Beats Working Vol. 3. Gotta jet. One last piece of advice though. Regardless of whether or not reading this for the first time helps make your day better, if you wake up tomorrow, and you can’t remember the 4 rules I just laid out, please, please. Read this again.

Have an awesome fucking day ☺

tldr; 1. Nonzero days as much as you can. 2. The three you’s, gratitude and favours. 3. Forgiveness 4. Exercise and books (which is a sneaky way of saying self improvement, both physical, emotional and mental)

Edit: Wow reddit gold? Thanks! No idea what to do with it or whats the deal but many thanks!

Edit2: Someone asked what I meant by "much more when it comes to how to turn nonzero days into hugely nonzero days". The long and short of it is a simple truth, but it's tough to TOTALLY UNDERSTAND AND PRACTICE. It's this: you become what you think. This doesnt mean if I think of a tree, I'll be oakin' it by august. It means that the WAY you think, the THINGS you think of, and the IDEAS YOU HOLD IN YOUR MIND defines the sum total that is you. You procrastinate all the time and got fear and worry goin on for something? You are becoming a procrastinator. You keep thinking about how much you want to run that 5 k race in the spring and finish a champion? Are ya keeping it in mind all the time? Is it something that is defining your ACTIONS and influencing you DECISIONS? If it is, then you're becoming the champion you're dreaming about. Dreaming about it makes it. Think and it shall be. But do not forget that action is thought's son. Thoughts without actions are nothing. Have faith in whatever it is you've steeled your mind to. Have faith and follow through with action.

Ok, Ryan that's a bunch of nice words n shit, but how does that help me turn slightly nonzero days into hugely nonzero days. Do you believe all these words you just read? Does it makes sense to you that you BECOME WHAT YOU THINK OF? Ask yourself: What do I think of? When you get home and walk in the door. (how quickly did you turn that laptop on? Did turning it on make you closer to your dreams? What would?) At the bus stop. Lunch break. What direction are you focusing your intentions on? If you're like I was a few years ago, the answer was either No direction, or whatever caught my eye at the moment. But no stress, forgive yourself. You know the truth now. And knowing the truth means you can watch your habits, read books on how you think and act, and finally start changing your behaviour. Heres an example: Feeling like bunk cause you had zero days or barely nonzero days? THINK ABOUT WHAT YOURE DOING. and change just a little bit more. in whatever positive direction you are choosing to go.

Bike bling

Picked up some new cranks for my bike. Were pretty expensive buy I got em for a steal of a deal so I couldn't pass em up. Hope to put some miles on these baby's and have some fun this summer!

Contrary to "Entitlement Society" Rhetoric, Over Nine-Tenths of Entitlement Benefits Go to Elderly, Disabled, or Working Households — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Contrary to "Entitlement Society" Rhetoric, Over Nine-Tenths of Entitlement Benefits Go to Elderly, Disabled, or Working Households — Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

Do work that matters to you, there is plenty to be done.

find what you love and let it kill you - charles bukowski 

Cleaning

Cleaning is a pain. I have such a hard time with it sometime as I can become so distracted with all of the trinkets I have collected. It is fortunate that I have so much stuff, but on the other hand it begins to control you if you are not careful.

screens

I have come to the realization that I have too many screens.
am I going to do anything about this?
no...
I am just another wrapped up in the false, simulacra of this world.
all in the same room I have :

• a computer
• tablet
• laptop
• smartphone

the plugs indeed run deep.
this reminds me of the allegory of the cave, with so many representations and fantasy worlds at our fingertips it is too easy for me to allow myself to become disconnected from the world (with the irony that I have become more connected to the internet). am I any more happy or self actualized as a person because of this? arguable no.
am I better off because of this technology? questionable.
I am glad that I have come to this realization. now to just actualize this realization is another problem in itself.

not an act but a habit

just finished watching "jiro dreams of sushi" on netflix with dad and found it to be very inspiring and interesting. the film chronicles the life of a top tier sushi chef in Tokyo and his strive for excellence, which when brought to a level as his is infectious.
I am inspired by his constant dedication and focus in his work, how is genuine lobe of what he does channels into excellence in his life. through his constant and diligent hard work he has attained a degree of excellence that stands in contrast to the mediocrity of the world around him. his work is inspiring to me to achieve even a small degree of his excellence in my life and stands as a role model to me. definitely a movie to watch again when inspiration is needed in the future. as for now I am struck in awe and thought as to how I can achieve excellence in my life. am I missing opportunities for excellence in my life? where is excellence in my life? at what cost should I strive for excellence?
I am reminded of the quote by Aristotle that

"We are what we repeatedly do . . . excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

what habits do I have the bar me from achieving excellence?
this is something I will have to give some thought...

Business

Are businesses successful due to the genuine ingenuity and utility of their business model or to the willingness of their employees to compromise.

Photo roll

winter

thoughts come to me.
it has been overdue for an update of my comings, goings, and thoughts that I feel at this time compelled to share.
fall semester is over and with it the bittersweet feeling of accomplishment and failure to live up to certain expectations. accomplishment because I have finally finished my anatomy class strong. So much I have learned and appreciate of anatomy. I have come to respect this study but also to yearn for more knowledge, knowledge of not the fancy "official nomenclature" that I have racked my brain over, but a thirst of the how things work.
failed expectations of my failed math class. yet another black mark on my transcript. the third so far. spring semester I return for my mathematical penance.
but to top it all off I have been accepted (barring external forces) to be a student teaching assistant for the anatomy lab program at UVU. this is an experience I look forward to as I will reinforce and expand my anatomical knowledge as a teach and assist the learning of anatomy. I am looking forward for the opportunity to teach peers as it has become something that I think I rather enjoy doing, yet it will stretch me as I will have to meet expectations that are unknown to me as of yet.

holiday break
thankful for the time to recuperate and pursue leisure at my pleasure for a change. I have managed to keep a decent sleeping schedule despite my habitual nocturnal affinities. company has not been too far thankfully and have kept loneliness at bay for the most part.
Christmas brought familial friction as things have not improved between mom and dad, I am just thankful for a wonderful brother that I have. I get teary eyed just thinking about his return to alabama with elisa. looking forward to heading to the south rim of the grand canyon with dad tomorrow. hopefully it will be a good time for us to have. updates to come of our adventures.

new year
I cant decide if new years resolutions are a good thing or a bad thing for me, just another exercise in futility. its not that I feel restricted in my capacity for change but that change is so difficult to enact in ones life. not because of ones inability but of ones own tendency to fallow the known and trodden path.
things I wish to change to avoid the slide into mediocrity

• become more open and sharing. this is something that I would like to change as I tend to have a hard time with it. being reserved is simply a more natural state for me but it limits the human interaction that I need to grow.
• serve more. I remember fondly of the opportunities I had to serve,namely my experience working with nick in the special needs class at timpview. the time we shared together I think were beneficial for both of us and for me made me a more compassionate and patient person. a reminder that my life is to be lived to the fullest with excellence and virtue in abundance.
• diet. this is something that I have slacked on this past semester as I more than would like to admit found solace from the pressures of school and work in food rather than in facing them with constructive matters.having a good diet, regular exercise means abundance of joy and tranquility in my life. not having the feeling of strength and vitality through diet and exercise means unhappiness is sure to follow.

thanks for listening...

Bike rides and finals

Just got back from a short but fairly rigorous bike ride and man let me tell you I feel GREAT. taking a break from studying to go for a ride was the best decision i have made in a while. It always amazes me how good I feel after a fast ride like this.
I need to make the time to do these things more often.

More updates to come soon.

soticism

came across an interesting post on reddit discussing the characteristics of a stoic and thought them to be interesting enough to share them here.

mentioned are the criteria for what a stoic is, or more importantly the characteristics of a stoic

• the "Sufficiency Thesis": virtue is the only good

• the "Indifferents Thesis": externals do not affect human happiness

• the "Herculean Thesis": a life with hardship is preferable to an easy life

• the "Rationality Thesis": one should attempt to remove (not moderate) the "wrong sort of emotional activity"

• the "Oikeiotic Thesis": virtue entails realizing (both in the senses of understanding and becoming) ones place in the universe as a whole, and helping other to do the same

and further

• a cluster of doctrines traceable to the central elements of classical Stoicism

• eudaimonistic: happiness, flourishing, and excellence all entail each other

• intellectualistic: virtue and reason are identical 

• naturalistic: "facts about the natural world" are the "substance of practical deliberation"

• a "profound formal unity of the virtues"

• an emphasis on the "full particularity" of each individual, and each persons role on the "grand system of nature."

• an emphasis on self-mastery

Politics, like religion, is a topic where there's no threshold of expertise for expressing an opinion. All you need is strong convictions.

As a rule, any mention of religion on an online forum degenerates into a religious argument. Why? Why does this happen with religion and not with Javascript or baking or other topics people talk about on forums?

What's different about religion is that people don't feel they need to have any particular expertise to have opinions about it. All they need is strongly held beliefs, and anyone can have those. No thread about Javascript will grow as fast as one about religion, because people feel they have to be over some threshold of expertise to post comments about that. But on religion everyone's an expert.

Breakfast of champs

The Adventures of Accordo from Jeff Nixon on Vimeo.

Didn't make it up to get to school before 1.
I need to get back on track with my studies. It's just really tough that I have lost motivation to study anatomy. I know I am capable its just come down to rote memorization rather than a desire to learn. I can't stop now. I can't give up. I have invested too much time for me to just stop and give up. 
I still have the rest of the day to salvage my mistakes. I am not going to feel guilty about this as that just sucks my motivation.  I am going to be proactive about doing what it takes to make the grade. I can't let myself become distracted or down on mistakes.
Just head down and study.

Yet another wasted night spent surfing the net.
I have too much to study to be goofing off so much.  I am trying not to be negative about this.
Stayed up too late to make it to school. 
Goal for tomorrow: get to school before 1pm!

Ukiyoe Heroes

such a cool video! apparently this this dude in provo (jed henry) posted a wildly succsesful kickstarter campaign where his original prints of videogame characters are reimagined as traditional japanese woodblock prints.
I love seeing this process and would be interested to try it out for fun sometime. this video really shows a great craftsman at work.
really inspires me to waste less time as spend more time crafting!

here is the original kickstarter campaign video that shows more of the work