Are You More Materialistic Than Jesus?

Not sure why I choose Jesus but figured it'd get people's attention. He was obviously a cool dude and what did he own? A sheet, some sandals... and a jug of water in case he ever felt like drinking.

All joking aside, the point is I'm trying to make is do we really need all the materialistic objects in our lives? Do we need 10 different pairs of jeans, 20 different dress shirts and 10 pairs of shoes? I had a pair of shoes that I haven’t worn in years and convinced myself to keep it because, “I could use these if it’s muddy out and I don’t want to get my nice shoes wet.” Mud washes off! It’s needless clutter that could be put to much better use if donated. I had never really thought about it until I learned about Pareto's 80/20 Principle and applied it to many aspects of my life. I decided to reevaluate my belongings first. The 80/20 principle states that 20% of all my belongings are what I use 80% of time. Think that's crazy?

Well, I decided to put the theory to the test on my clothing first, mainly because I had been living out of three suitcases for the last 8 months. I had traveled to China for work and had never unpacked my belongings that had been in storage. Knowing that I had lived out of three suitcases for 8 months made it much easier to see that I had absolutely no need for all the apparel that I owned. So, I got all my clothes into one room, took out a garbage bag and started going to town. 2 minutes later one garbage bag was full!

I thought to myself, “O man, this is ludicrous. Why did I keep all this crap?!!”
By the time I had finished sorting through all my boxes and suitcases, I had filled three and a half garbage bags with shirts, pants, jackets and shoes. Some stuff was really nice and some stuff was average, but all of it was in perfect condition. I didn’t want to think about how much money was in those garbage bags but they were going to a good cause. There is a clothing donation box down the street that they found a home in.

I was so impressed with how much useless crap I got rid of with my clothes, that I decide to move on to the rest of my boxes. Board games, books, glassware, tv, papers, old bills, DVD's, my old desktop computer, etc. What did I really need? I have probably played the board games once in the 3 years I've owned them, never re-read any of the books, don't watch tv any more, never glanced at my old bill's and papers, hardly ever watch the DVD's and definately will never use my outdated desktop again.

They're all gone now. Either donated, thrown out or sold on eBay (good way to pull in a little extra cash) In a few hours I had reduced my materialistic belongings by 80%. I went from 10 boxes and three suitcases, to 2 boxes and two suitcases!! This did a few great things for me:

1. Reduced useless clutter in my life that took up a ton of space.
2. Made me much more mobile. If I want to move it will be much easier now.
3. Helped out those less fortunate than me.
4. Helped me realize that I don’t need to go out and buy new clothes, games, TV’s or other unnecessary materialistic items to make me happy.

So try it yourself. Judge yourself. Do you really need all the materialistic things you own?

Would you be better off getting rid of 80% of it? Would you be better off saving all the money you throw away on materialistic things? Maybe you could spend that money on something that will truly make you happy, like traveling to a new country, learning something new or joining that gym that is just “too expensive”.

Think about other aspects of your life that you can apply the 80/20 Principle to: work, email, texting, or athletics. Remember that 20% of what you do leads to 80% of your output. Let me any success stories after trying this out. Have at it!

Bet You Won't Do It- 21 Days Without Complaining Once!

(Read Time - 3 minutes)

“What the hell, $#&%*!” I yelled at the stereotypical “Masshole” driver that cut me off. I had just got off work and was on my way home. My mood had quickly changed from happiness to frustration and anger. “Why the hell do people drive like that?” I thought angrily to myself. Yet again, driving in Massachusetts had put me in a bad mood. I’m sure many of you can relate to this.

I had no choice but to yell and be put in this bad mood, right? The guy was an A-hole, right?

Wrong! We’ve just been programmed to think that way. From adolescence we have been taught that it is ok to complain about everything. “This soup is too cold”, “This tv show is terrible”, “My parents suck”, “John is so bad at baseball”, “I don’t have enough time to play”, and so on. It’s been engrained in our minds that it is completely OK. The funny thing is that all this complaining does nothing positive for us. It puts us in a negative state of mind as well as everyone around us. Most people are complaining at least 30-40% of all conversation! Really listen closely to what people say today and you’ll start to realize how true that statement is. Is there a solution to this life lessening problem? Yes, STOP COMPLAINING!

It’s an interesting thought right? Well, it’s completely possible… you just have to re-condition your brain. Will Bowen, a Kansas City minister and author, designed a way to stop complaining. He believes as do I, that word choice determines thought choice, which in turn determines emotions and actions. It’s not as easy as just not saying a few words, though. You can’t just tell yourself “I’m going to stop complaining today” and then do it. You need to train your brain to stop. Will gives a simple solution that comes in the way of a challenge: Go 21 days without complaining. He sells a special purple bracelet (I use a rubber band) that you are to wear and change the wrist you wear it on, every time you catch yourself complaining! If you do switch wrists, you also have to start the 21 days over again! (makes it really tough) This is known as metacognitive awareness training.

THE RESULTS ARE ASTOUNDING! I have been doing this for 2 weeks now and have noticed a significant positive change in both my attitude and mood. Now rather than flip out at a driver that cuts me off I say to myself, “Hmm he was probably in a rush for a good reason. I’ve been in a rush like that before.” Or “He probably didn’t see me.” Why get upset over one silly insignificant event? I just bought Will’s book, “A Complaint-Free World ” to gain a better understanding of his theories.

For the Challenge:

It is up to you to define what a complaint is, but I use the rule of thumb that it’s anytime you gossip, criticize, complain or curse at someone/something. I find that gossip is actually the most constant offender for most people, and the hardest to overcome. You’ll notice how easy it is to run out of positive things to discuss. You’ll become a better person because of it, though. I’ve also decided that if think and provide a solution at the end of the sentence; it doesn’t require a wrist switch. Let me explain.

The following would require me to switch wrists:

“Damn it! Sean’s late again! What a f*cking surprise. I’m so sick of this.”

This alternative would not:

“Man, Sean is late again. He is usually late so from now on I’m going to tell him to arrive 1 hour earlier than I want him to.”

Training yourself to come up with these solutions on the spot will make you much more valuable to others, as you will ease their worries as well as your own. This is a tough challenge, but you’ll be in good company with the 7,000,000 other people that have undertaken it. Try it for a few days and if you don’t notice a difference… well you’re probably doing something wrong. Good luck!

Learn to Confront Your Fears

(Read Time- 3 minutes)

Like many people, I've always had a problem following through on things that I tell myself I'm going to do. I always found a "legitimate" reason to avoid or not learn certain things, just so I could feel good about myself at the end of the day. Really, it was just me avoiding my fears and weaknesses. I finally realized that living that way would have led me down the path of mediocrity, which is the last thing that I'm going to let myself do. Fear make you miss out on so many interesting and exciting life experiences. By understanding that, I've become more brave and started to attack my fears and weaknesses.

One of my biggest weaknesses has always been my ability to swim. I never learned as a child, and what I had taught myself was terrible at best. I didn't even know how to go under water without plugging my nose until I was 17. So learning to swim jumped to the top of my list. Again, I have to thank The Blog of Tim Ferriss for helping me to improve myself and leading me to the Total Immersion swimming method. It's already greatly improved my abilities and I would say by the end of the month I'll be a fairly decent swimmer. I could have went my entire life without learning just because I was scared. Looking back on it, I don't know how I had convinced myself that it was OK.

Next up on my list was sailing. I had never tried to learn how to sail because of one bad incident and telling myself I didn't have the time or the money. My swimming abilities didn't make me very comfortable either. (solved that problem) Deep down, I really wanted to learn though. One day I finally said "Screw it!", and bought a month long membership at Community Boating, Inc . After a few classes and some time on the water, I was comfortable sailing a boat by myself.

The last is a desire of mine that I've had forever. I like to fight. I used to love Tai Kwon Do and always did pretty well at competitions. I stopped way back when and had just never picked it up again. Why? The simple answer is fear. Not being strong enough, not being fast enough, not wanting to get my ass kicked. I had avoided starting to learn again because of these fears. Not anymore. I'm learning Muay Thai Kickboxing and Jiu Jitsu at Wai Kru in Allston. I'm going to get stronger and faster and I'm definately going to get my ass kicked a few times, but it's ok because I'm going to become a damn good fighter.

This new attitude of mine has made me reflect on my life and look back at all of the opportunities I missed due to fear. Football, dancing, college basketball, the banjo, hunting... all opportunities and life experiences I missed out on. Everyone has things like these that they've missed out on and regreted. It might take some soul searching and painful self-admittance but everyone has them. Sit down and think about what old fears you can still confront and how you will stop letting fear hold you back in the future! Then you can start feeling better about yourself and you're life!

Skydiving Can Save Your Life

(Read Time - 2 minutes)

From being lame. Just try it. It's just the rush you're looking for. Think of how monotonous most days in your life are, and take a chance on something new and exciting that you'll remember forever. If you're worried about safety, don't be. Skydiving has become extremely safe with todays technology. Your chance of dieing is roughly 1 in 100,000 . Not good enough for you? Let's compare it to an every day activity like driving your car. Guess what your chance of dieing in a car wreck on any given day is? 1 in 6,000! That's 17 more times dangerous than skydiving and you do it everyday!

I'm writing about this now, because I just did my first jump and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. It was something that I'd been meaning to do and just kept putting it off. I'd come up with one reason or another, "I don't have the money" or "No one else can go this weekend so we'll just do it another time". I had a severe case of excusitis. It finally occured to me that if I just kept making excuses, I'd never go. So I stopped waiting for people to go with, and saving up money months in advance and just did it. I left work early on a Monday afternoon, went to Sky Jump in Pepperell and dove out of a plane at 6,000 feet. If anyone at work ever asks me if I have a "case of the Mondays", I'm going to say "Hell yeah! Let's go jump out of a f*#!ing plane!"

Speaking from experience, you have no idea what skydiving is like until you do it. You put on your suit, parachute and get in the smallest plane you've ever flown in. As you take off, your heart starts beating faster and it finally starts to set in that you're actually going to do it. Your heart really starts pounding when the door opens up at 6,000 feet and you know you're jumping out. You get chills, tons of adrenaline and think about your life and how good it's been. Then you get shoved out and you fall at 120MPH!! Imagine that you're walking into the strongest wind you've ever felt and then multiply that by 10. It's incredibly intense and a feeling of freedom that you've never felt before. It's the closest to flying that a human can get.

Once the parachute is pulled, it all slows down and you just look around in awe of the scenery that you're floating above. (Hopefully you're harness is more comfortable in the groin region than mine was) You drift down, do some fun turns and spins with the parachute, and have a nice, easy landing. When I was done, I had this great feeling of accomplishment and couldn't have been happier that I did it. I can't see anyone regreting the experience and I think it's one that no one should miss out on! Hope you try it out!

How to Survive Socially When You’ve Been Relocated

(Read Time - 4 minutes)

Moving to a completely new place where you don’t know a single person is easily one of the scariest things in the world! Don’t worry though; I’ve got the experience to help you get through your next relocation! Why does this 24-year-old have the experience to help you? Because my job moved me to three different US locations, to China, and then back to the US, in the last TWO years!!! It’s been tough at points, but I’m going to let you in on my secrets to successfully making new friends and connections.

I started my working career in East Walpole, MA, which was an easy transition from Worcester. I was around a lot of my friends and lived with my girlfriend at the time (story for another day), so needless to say I was very comfortable with my social life. But then when January rolled around it was time for my first move and you’ll never guess where I was headed … beautiful Perry, Georgia!!!

Never heard of it? Don’t worry, no one has. It’s smack dab in the middle of the state, 1.5 hours from Atlanta and 1.5 hours from Savannah (both awesome cities). I was skeptical of this place but decided I’d be fine since it was a new adventure and I’d never actually been south of Virginia. So, me and my beagle, Duke, got settled in Perry and started up our new southern lives.

In about a week I learned that it wasn’t going to be easy to meet new, cool people. I was the youngest person at work by 15 years, there were only about five bars within 10 miles of Perry and I was one of five people living in my brand new apartment complex. So what did I do? I started being abnormally outgoing. That’s the only way you can survive in a brand new place. Here are some ways to become that outgoing, confident person that you’ve always wanted to be.

Method 1: Go to random bars (Just reverse the sex if you’re female)

When you walk in the bar, talk to the first girl you see. She doesn’t need to be hot, just walk up and say hello. Ask her about the area, life, etc. If she’s cool, she’ll probably introduce you to her friends. If not, other people saw you talking to her and they won’t think you’re just the awkward, alone person at the bar. Just keep yourself talking to people and eventually you’ll meet someone cool. They key is just getting past the initial fear of being rejected or embarrassed. The best way that I have found to do that is to treat it like a game. Try to make it fun and just don’t care about the outcome. The more practice, the better you’ll get, the more confident you’ll get, and eventually it will work out.

Method 2: Join a gym, sport, or club (ex: golf league, karate, wine club, book club)

Walk up to any strangers and say “Hi, I’m completely new to the area and am looking for some fun things to do. Can you give me some ideas?” This may spur conversation about a similar interest, lead you to a new adventure or most importantly give you a chance to meet more people. That’s what it’s all about, expanding your social network. Nothing says you have to become great friends with everyone you meet, but if you’re nice to them for a little while they will definitely introduce you to others people.

Method 3: Find connections through your coworkers

If you’re like me and everyone at your office is 15 years older than you, you probably aren’t going to have that much in common with them. However, they might have some friends, relatives or acquaintances that are closer to your age. Ask around the office to see if anyone can hook you up with a contact. I believe that 99% of people are good-at-heart, will understand your situation and be willing to help you out.

IT’S AS EASY AS THOSE THREE METHODS!!!

Using those methods will at least triple the number of people that you would have normally met. It’s probably not going to be easy to do these things so I suggest writing down some inspirational reminders for yourself, and keep them in your pocket when you go out. Examples: “Say hi to someone new!”, “DON’T BE SCARED OF PEOPLE YOU PANSY!”, “That Girl Over There Definitely Wants You”, etc. Whatever works for you.

I learned to use those methods out of necessity, to socially survive in Georgia, but they have helped me adjust to all of my relocations and many other aspects of life. They have developed as a person and naturally made me a much more outgoing, confident and happy. You’re friends, family and coworkers will all start to take notice before long and then you’ll realize what your life has been missing. So try it out, do something out of your ordinary and I guarantee you that you won’t regret it!

Learn to Sail at Community Boating Inc. in Boston

(Read time - 2 minutes)
Ever wanted to learn how to sail? If you're in Boston, the fast, cheap and easiest way is to join Community Boating, Inc. (http://www.community-boating.org/). For $100, you get a 30-day sailing/kayaking membership that includes free classes from beginner to advanced sailing. The great thing about this deal, is that within a few days you can take a boat (Mercury) out by yourself. You just have to take two classes, Shore School and Rigging, pass the two corresponding tests (extremely easy) and you get your solo rating. I'll go through the basics you need to know ot pass these tests.

First is rigging, which is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I would definately suggest going to the class and then taking the test ASAP. You don't need to get it perfect, just be able to get the sail up the mast. Basically you get a sail, take the head (top of the sail) and connect it to the main halyard (rope going up the mast). Feed the clew (back edge of sail) into the slit on the boom and pull it all the way to the stern (back of boat) and secure with a double half hitch. Then pull the main halyard up until your sail is completely taut and tie it off with a cleat hitch. You're pretty much ready to go from there. Whoever is watching you, will point out helpful hints along the way. Then they'll ask you to furl the sail, (take it down and wrap around the boom), and remove and put away the sail. Pretty easy.

Then it's on to the oral test after Shore School. If you've been sailing a little, you can probly pass this test with your eyes closed. Any question they may ask you can be found here http://www.community-boating.org/documents/Solo%20Test.pdf, so just google questions that you don't know the answer to or ask someone at the dock. After passing the oral test, you get your solo rating and can take a Mercury out to sail on a green flag day (wind less than 10 knots), which is what I'm going to do now. Good luck if you decide to try!

The Four Hour Work Week Will Change Your Life!

(Read time - 3 minutes)

It happened 12 days ago. It started out as a normal day. I woke up tired as hell as usual, dreading my hour long drive to my depressing job in Groton, Massachusetts. After almost falling asleep three or four times, I pulled into the work parking lot. I walked inside and started the countdown,

“8 hours left”, I thought to myself. This is exactly how many of my days had started since I moved back to the US after working in Suzhou, China. (which was an amazing time) I went through the rest of the work day in my usual way. Quickly finishing all my work, chatting a little with co-workers, worrying about how much spending money I had and how I was going to spend it that weekend.

By 5 I had finished all my work and then it was time to get in my car and head home, completely unfulfilled. When I got home, my good friend, roommate and co-worker greeted me with a huge smile, a book, and the crazy look in his eyes that usually leads us on a wild adventure. He looked at me and said, “Dude, you see dis book? It’s wicked f*cking crazy! You gotta read this book right now! It’s gonna to change your life.”

“A book?”, I skeptically replied. “What’s so crazy about it?”

“Dude, just trust me. Read it.”

I read the title, “The Four Hour Work Week ” by Tim Ferriss , and thought “huh, that would be nice now wouldn’t it.” I was eventually sold by the headline on the back, “Don’t Read This Book Unless You Are Ready to Quit Your Job!”

“Hell yeah I’m ready.” I thought.

After the first Chapter, I knew that my life would never be the same. The business that I had dreamed of starting in a few years became a reality, the 8-5 life now seemed easy to escape, and activities that I’ve only dreamed of being able to do became possible. I couldn’t put the book down and finished it the next day. I felt like a new man, like I could be and do anything. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing in the last twelve days. A little sampling of the new me:

-Tripled my reading speed from a 10 minute lesson in speed reading in “The Four Hour Work Week”
-Completely changed my diet and workout routine based on the “Colorodo Experiment ” to gain 15 lbs in 30 days
-Went Skydiving and started the Skydiving AFF Certification Program
-Made a business plan for my first business and will be selling my product within 3 months
-Went on spontaneous trip to Saratoga Springs, ended up sleeping in the car, but had an unbelievable time
-Using the 80/20 principle, eliminated 80% of uselessness from my life

I’m happier than I’ve ever been, feel great about myself, and my confidence is through the roof. I never thought a book could influence my life this much, but now I know better. I will be frequently posting to this blog to update my future successes thanks to this new way of thinking. In the next few weeks expect to hear about me learning how to swim(yes, I’m a terrible swimmer), start learning a martial art, start making money from my business, learning to sail, and joining the Boston Wine School to get a little culture. I’m joining the “New Rich” and I would recommend that anyone who’s unhappy with their job or life joins as well.