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Why you need a vacation

Filed under Note to Self by on April 12, 2010 at 8:00 am {no comments}

Vacation.  The ultimate in escapism.

This isn’t a fantasy, this isn’t a daydream.  You are truly escaping your normal, everyday, routine life.  A break in what’s normal.  Sometimes, you just have to get the hell out of Dodge.

You don’t toss a hot pocket in the microwave and park in front of the tv, you explore a new location and dine at new restaurants. You go on adventures, you see new places.  It’s all very exciting.  Or relaxing.  Or some fantastic mix of them both.

Leaving home for a while can change your perspective.  Usually I disagree with the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder.”  In this case however I think it really applies.  Getting away for a few days can make you appreciate what you have.  Coming home is sometimes the best part of a trip.

So take a trip.  Even if its not far.  Even if you don’t stay the night.  Take an afternoon vacation, and get away.

I need a vacation.

(Photo by: me if you must know!)

Inspiration from Film: Fight Club Edition

Filed under Note to Self by on April 8, 2010 at 8:00 am {8 comments}

In my random internet encounters I stumbled upon an old article that uses “Fight Club” quotations to highlight some tips on life.  The author “tones down” some of the better quotations and avoids others all together.

On the surface, “Fight Club” acts as a testosterone driven summer action movie, and as such appeals to the typical 14-21 male demographic.  But just under the surface there is some fantastic subtext.  Author Chuck Palahniuk becomes a great philosopher of our times through the voice of Tyler Durden.  The voice of a  psychotic, homicidal manic, but still somehow brilliant.

“This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

Get off your ass and do something.  Make the changes in your life that you need to be happy.  Do something.  I love this quote.  There are days that I just scream it inside my head while I waste away at work doing mind numbing and repetitive tasks.  Life is short and its happening now.  Do whatever you can to enjoy it.

“I see all this potential, and I see squandering. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don’t need. We’re the middle children of history, man. No purpose or place. We have no Great War. No Great Depression. Our Great War’s a spiritual war… our Great Depression is our lives. We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off.”

Ah, the consumer frenzy.  I am such a victim of this insanity.  I don’t need most of the crap I own, or want to own.  But everywhere you look you are bombarded with the impulse to buy.  Truthfully its probably what keeps the economy going.  But its also what keeps us in debt, and what traps us in jobs we don’t like or want.

You’re not your job. You’re not how much money you have in the bank. You’re not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You’re not your fucking khakis.

The things that define you are deeper than these material things.  Those things are statistics, circumstances, and they can all change.  I hate the way our culture demands we be defined by our economic status or our career.  I hate my current career, and I certainly hate my bullshit, bland, meaningless Khakis, why would I want that to define me?

“I don’t wanna die without any scars.”

Life is kind of supposed to be messy.  You have to get hurt sometimes to know the difference.

Am I missing any great quotes?

(Photo by Robert S. Donovan)

I am Jack’s wasted life.

Gratitude: If you do Nothing Else…Do This

Filed under Note to Self by on April 5, 2010 at 8:06 am {2 comments}

Next to my bed there is a journal.  I haven’t written in it for over a year.  I’m a slacker that way, but I intend to start again.  The journal is supposed to be what is called a “Gratitude Journal.”  If you Google this term, you will have more information than you can deal with.

The basic idea is this:  Choose a journal and every night before you go to sleep write down 5 things that you are grateful for today or things that made you happy.

You are not allowed to write negative things in this book.  Though occasionally when I’ve had a bad day I will write something like….

1. Air

2. No one stabbed me

3. I didn’t get eaten by Dingoes

4. Water

5. Was not abducted by aliens

The longer you keep at it, the easier it will be to put positive experiences in your list.  I find myself making the list in my head throughout the day and frequently had more than 5 things.  The great thing about this little, insignificant exorcise is that it helps you to focus on the good things in your life, and it creates a record of things that make you happy.

You can write a short list or paragraphs or pages.  It doesn’t really matter what the format is.  Just try it.  How could remembering things that make you happy be a negative thing?

I love to re-read the things Ive listed in the past to give myself some perspective on a bad day. Unfortunately, I got distracted from this plan a while back.  I was probably too drunk and too tired, too many nights in a row and I broke the habit.  But its a habit I will re-start now, and I encourage you try it too.

(Photo by Barnaby)

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Choose to Change Your Life Today

“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” Everyday is a choice.   Everything you do is a choice.  You can choose to have a good day.  You can choose to change, or not to.  If you are dissatisfied, you can choose differently. Circumstances are usually beyond our control, but you decide what to make of [...]

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John Crichton: My grandmother used to say life is a great wheel. Sometimes it grinds you down into the mud, other times it lifts you up into the light. Ka DArgo: Are we strapped to this wheel? John Crichton: That’s a given. The point is, is that most times you get a second chance. You [...]

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How’s the Hangover?

Hopefully those of you nursing hangovers this morning are able to sleep it off.  If you’re back to work this morning, here’s hoping your boss has a hangover of his own he’s trying to conceal, and will therefore leave you alone. So for your Irish flavored hangover, here are 2 Irish flavored quotes to enjoy. [...]

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Written by Note to Self

Kevin Smith verses Southwest showdown

If you haven’t heard about the Kevin Smith vs. Southwest airlines debacle… then… you really should go catch up.  Or just watch the above video and subsequent 23 videos in the queue, which ends up at about an hour.  If you haven’t heard of Kevin Smith… go educate yourself.  The man makes hilarious movies and [...]

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