Tomorrow Never Comes

If you're anything like me, there have been times when we've set a date for sometime in the future when we're finally going to do x, y, or z. 

• "I'm going to get in shape." 
• "I'm going to start eating healthy." 
• "I'm going to start watching my alcohol consumption." 
• "I'm going to start saving money."

Often, for me anyway, that date comes and goes and I'm stuck in the same position (or worse) without making any significant progress toward creating the life that I seek for myself.

The problem with setting future dates is that it gives us satisfaction that we did some sort of work. "Look, I created these goals." The reality is that tomorrow is going to be just like today if we don't do something about it. There's no magical switch that we can flip so that our vision becomes a reality. It's not going to make a difference that December 31st becomes January 1st.

Additionally, we need to stop waiting for somebody or something to come and save us. The only person that can save us is ourselves. The world-at-large is simply too busy living their own life to give a damn. We got ourselves into this situation and we're the only ones with the power and responsibility to fix it.

If it's truly important to us, we must start now. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Identify the smallest possible step and act on it immediately. Build upon it over and over again. Day in and day out. It's the only way. When we fall off the horse, we don't beat ourselves up. We accept it and move on. We learn. We do better next time.

Our best selves and the life we were meant to live is waiting for us. We have to stop wasting time and execute. Right now!

Note to Self

I want to live life freely and on my own will and accord. I want to have the freedom to do what I want (within reason.)

To be adventurous and truly enjoy life. To find the meaning of happiness as it pertains to me. To find meaning and joy in my work. To have a passion. To be an honest person, even if doing so has negative consequences. To take responsibility for my actions while not beating myself up over the past or things that I can’t control.

I feel as though the way we (Westerners) are living is pointless and devoid of meaning. Back in the day it was about survival. Today it’s about proving your "worth". And not even you’re value or worth as a person. It’s about what kind of financial value you can provide and how much one can accumulate for themselves.

What’s crazy is that some of the richest people in the world are the same ones that give so much of their fortune away. For them, money doesn’t buy happiness, it’s the amount of people they can help with that money that does. Sure, it's easy to give when you have so much -- but the underlying principle remains. Perhaps this is how I need to view it.  

Don’t make money for money’s sake. Do it for others. Do it for the "highest good." Give my time along the way. Money is great -- and can solve many problems -- but nothing will prove to be more rewarding than giving my time. Anybody can write a check. Give myself.

Focus on the present. I preach it but I don’t live it. Each moment I will never get back. It’s gone forever. Cherish each one.

Don’t harm my body. Treat it as a temple. My body is complex but it’s simple for me to maintain. Eat because I have to, not because I want to. Smaller portions, less frequently. Digesting food takes a toll on the body. Why not let it do other, more important things? Eat food that is healthy, locally grown, seasonal, organic-when-available. Exercise. Go out and play. At the same time, don’t take shit too seriously.

An occasional indulgence won’t hurt. When occasions become more frequent, though, it’s no longer an occasion but a regular occurrence. Save regular occurrences for things that are truly worthwhile -- the shit that will matter in 5-10 years and beyond. Ask myself, will this be meaningful? If the answer is no, consider not doing it. Sometimes, do it anyway. Fuck it.

Appreciate nature. It’s God's art. Make time to enjoy it. It will benefit me.

Remind myself that words without actions have no meaning, and all of this is bullshit if I don’t make an effort toward living it.

Journal Entry: April 27th, 2016 - On Being

Tim Ferriss said in a podcast that i listened to today (link here) that instead of trying to find our "true calling" we instead have to let it find us.  

We don't take the time to pause and reflect.  We don't meditate.  We don't let the stillness and quiet come.  This is when breakthroughs happen.  Opportunities to become our true selves are all around us.  We simply aren't aware.  We're not looking for the opportunities.  

We're so caught up with the day to day bullshit that we don't give ourselves the freedom that we desire. 

Freedom...from thoughts.  From to-do lists.  We have to allow ourselves to just stop and be.  

Stop trying to force things to happen.  Stop trying so hard to find it.  

Let it come to me.  Be open.  Be aware.  Look for opportunities.  Don't be passive.  Be active.  Be in the moment.  

Move away from instant gratification and be willing to put in the work required.  

Nothing is given and nobody owes me anything.  I have to make it for myself.  

I have to deserve it, as well.  I know i often focus on the people who seemingly have it all and didn't earn it.  No names need to be named.  But i have to refocus that energy on positive thoughts.  I can choose my thoughts.  Are the majority positive or negative?  

What do i talk about?  Am I optimistic and happy or pessimistic and negative?  

We are what we think about.  More like, we are what we think about and are able to follow through with.  Thoughts are things.  And things are real.  

Continuous improvement.  Kaizen.  Implement Kaizen in my own life.  Find those blockages in my personal life and take measures to improve upon them.  

I know that i'm not like an assembly line, but the underlying theme of Kaizen still stands.  Find the problems, fix them.  Improve improve improve.  

Work toward something higher than myself.  Fuck me.  Fuck my ego.  Why can't i detach and live for the sake of existing as opposed to trying to fulfill my own wants and needs?  

I think like a Democrat but act like a Republican.

I'm not Jesus-like.  That dude had it right.  He was willing to give his life for other people.  
Jesus was able to rid himself of his ego.  There's nothing more egoless than dying for the sins of other people.  Well, I guess he was killed because he was a religious extremist.  Everybody was a Jew and he was preaching this other shit.  The Jews were like, "Nah, Son!" tracked him down and stuck him on a cross.

Apparently nailing people to crosses was sort of common thing back in the day.  We were some barbarians.  Hard as fuck.  

We're soft now.  But soft for the better.  We're able to understand the oneness and how cooperation is better than competition.  A rising tide raises all ships.  We must work together to raise the tide.  Everybody must do their part. 

Lose the ego.  Be Jesus-like. 

Journal Entry: April 18th, 2016 - On Mortality

I know that my time on this earth is limited. 

I know that everyone must die.

I should use that as motivation to take advantage of each moment. To appreciate the "small" things. 

On second thought, nothing is small, we just ignore the things that really matter. We get distracted. 

Entire industries are dedicated toward telling us how to live. what to buy. who to be. 

But that's why the contemplation of death is so important.  When we understand that our time here is so short, that other stuff won't matter. 

What should matter is getting the most out of your life and being the best person you can be. We are all unique, so my best person isn't going to be the same as your best person.

Regardless, we should each try to strive toward becoming our best (or highest) selves. If each of us lived in alignment with our highest selves, the world would be a better place.

Journal Entry: April 8th, 2016 - Misc Rant

Don't get angry at the people you don't want to be like.  I don't look up to evil, greedy fucks.  I trust that karma will take care of them.  

Karma and faith.  Real or just a way to subdue the masses?

I wish that somebody smarter than me could explain that.  I want to believe that karma exists and that evil people will be punished, but if i'm being fleeced i'm going to be pissed.  There's not much of a worse feeling than being betrayed by somebody that you trusted.

I tend to assume that people are hard-wired to act with the Golden Rule in mind, but there's too much shit that i see going on around me that tells me otherwise.  Suicide bombers, for example.  Sociopaths.  People who do more harm than good.  People who are more interested in personal gain.  These people are lost.  I can help them get back on track but don't prefer to be used and abused in the process.  

And my life is easy compared to many, many, many people.  If i had to guess, i'd probably be in the top 97% of all humans on the planet in terms of "comfort."

I'm a white, straight male in America.  I have a Bachelor's degree.  I don't have any visible tattoos.  

I'm where it's at in terms of opportunity.  

However, it's not okay.  I choose not to take that advantage.  I prefer an even playing field.  Equal opportunity.  

If there MUST be winners and losers, i'd rather flip the script.  Make the 99% well off and the 1% struggling for survival.  The exact opposite of where we're at now.  At current, there are like 50 people in the world who own the same amount of wealth as the bottom half.  This is downright disturbing.  How can so few hoard so much?  And why are these people idolized?  We should be knocking down their walls and demanding our fair share.

Nature is based on balance.  

I wonder how animals would act if one in their tribe was hoarding everything.  Would they revolt?  Would six others gang up on the one and take him down?

That'd be an interesting experiment.  however, i do not condone the use of animals in experiments.  they are not here for our gain. 

Abrupt ending, but that's what i got for today. 

Journal Entry: April 3rd, 2016 - Blame

Today i want to talk about blame. People, including myself, like to blame everything but themselves for things that go wrong in their life. Amazingly, these are often the same people who don't want to give anybody else credit for their successes when they happen. They are fully responsible when things go right -- but they look to blame anybody or anything else when things go wrong. Perhaps a virtuous person would be the opposite. Taking blame for things when they go wrong and looking at everybody else when things go right.

I'm no longer going to blame other people -- nor am I going to allow other people to blame me. I'm going to do what i'm supposed to do and if i do that then i'm not worried about being blamed.

When people blame other people or things, they likely just didn't do enough background work. They didn't plan or prepare for that outcome, so when it happened they felt powerless. And since they felt powerless -- they feel as though is was out of their control. (not their fault) However, all of those possible scenarios need to be thought of and steps taken to mitigate the risk of them happening. There is always going to be the unexpected -- but the more we plan and prepare the less things will catch us off guard.

For example, if you're trying to be strict about your diet and something comes up at work and you didn't get to go to lunch as expected -- you'll still have a healthy option at your desk. Instead of telling yourself you'll pack your lunch in the morning before work -- pack it when you're putting away dinner the night before.

When event Z happens, go back and look at Y, X, and W to figure out what could've prevented it. In many cases, there will always be something that you, personally, could've done.

Be radically proactive. Insanely proactive. Set myself up to succeed in 65 years.

Jocko Willink said something along the lines of, when your boss thinks of something, report it already done because you'd already planned for that, thought of it, and accomplished it before he even thought about it. "Done, sir!"

But i'm not really talking about be beholden to somebody else. This is more for my personal life -- but the essence remains. Pro-activity over re-activity.

Journal Entry: April 2nd, 2016 - Personal Development

Chip away in small pieces.  For it's the repeated tapping of the sculptor's hammer that eventually brings out the beauty.  I can think of each of these areas as 6 huge pieces of stone. (mind,body, assets, relationships, karma, soul)  Each day is another opportunity to take a small tap.  You would never see a sculptor taking huge strikes with his chisel -- the whole thing would crumble.

Minimally, make the smallest amount of progress possible in each category on a daily basis.

Mind.  This could include writing, reading, watching educational documentaries, taking classes, learning, teaching, etc.

Body can include yoga, stretching, lifting weights, running, cardio, playing sports, walking the dog, and even doing meal preparation.  Diet is 90% of the problem/solution.

Assets are things that have the potential to earn money.  This includes typical employment but also things like investing and finding other random ways to make money.

Relationships are about the other people in my life that are important.  My fiance and our dog.  My family.  My friends.  My coworkers.  Other people i interact with regularly.  I need to make sure that i'm paying attention to this area and trying to create as much value for these people as possible.  Life is about giving.  It's about other people.  Nobody exists on their own.

Karma is how ago about my day to day life.  It's about seeking opportunities to help people.  Does the driver in the car behind me look like he's in a hurry?  Move over and let him pass.  See somebody with a handful of boxes walking toward a door?  Go out of my way to open the door.  Trash can half full?  Leave it for another week so the garbage man doesn't have to stop at my house.  


Soul.  Soul is the arguably the most important.  Although the system works better as a whole.  Anyways, soul is about discovering the essence of my being.  It's about getting back to who i was meant to be before i grew up and forgot.  Soul is meditation.  Soul is not getting angry when somebody cuts me off in the highway.  Soul is the ability to take a step back and see myself from a third-person point of view.  Soul is understanding the vastness of the universe and how unimportant i really am.  Soul is being comfortable knowing that fact but still being the best person possible despite it. 

Journal Entry - March 28th, 2016 - Trade-offs

Trade-offs.  

When we begin to look at things from this perspective we are better able to make decisions that align with our higher selves.

Everything is a trade-off.  The fact that I'm sitting here right now writing means that i'm not doing an infinite number of other things.  

We need to constantly check-in with ourselves and ask whether what we're doing in this moment is getting us closer to, or further away from, becoming our highest selves.

We can take this a step further and ask ourselves whether or not this is the BEST use of our time.  But, fuck it.  As long as we're in the positive I'm willing to roll with it.

Of course, going to the extreme is the quickest way to burnout.  So we also need to remind ourselves to let go once in a while and do whatever the fuck we feel like doing. (within reason)

But we should strive to maintain an 80/20 balance.  The famous Pareto Principle.

Spend four-fifths of your time doing things that align with your highest self.  Spend 20% unwinding or doing things that you like doing -- but know that it's not helping you reach your highest self.  For me, PlayStation jumps out as an obvious example.  I enjoy gaming. 

I think it's the quick-feedback loop that gets me hooked.  Instant gratification and the chance to hit the reset button.  Again, from the perspective of trade-offs, playing PlayStation means that i'm not spending time reading, or studying, or prepping meals, or exercising, or or or...infinity.

But at the same time, if i enjoy it and i'm sticking to the 80/20 then i need to allow myself that luxury.  It's good for ME in the long-run.  You can't possibly be a marathoner all day.  At some point you have to stop and take a fuckin' break.  

Think of the "highest-good" activities as the marathon and everything else as the sprint.  

The 80% is the grind, the 20% -- unwind.

80 -- grind.  20 -- unwind.

Balance, in this case, isn't 50/50.  But 80/20.

Where is 80% of our effort being directed?  Is it getting us closer or further away from self-actualization?

I'd argue that many people would be on my side.  A far worse ratio than 80/20. 

But it's only with the realization of trade-offs and constant self-reflection will we be able to change this ratio and start turning it more toward the positive.

Journal Entry: March 23rd, 2016 - Sarifice

I have a story to tell.  We all do.  Since we're shaped by our experiences, no two of us are exactly alike.  Even identical twins aren't the same.  We have to appreciate each other's differences instead of breaking each other down by them.

Come from a place of love instead of a place of fear.  Fear breeds hate.  

We have nothing to fear.  Especially when it comes to other people.  

Everybody is just a different degree of broken.  

Heal one another.

This concept isn't very difficult.  It starts with my actions.  I have to lead by example.  If I'm coming from a place of love then it will be apparent to those around me. 

My actions must reflect love.  I get on Facebook and scroll through my newsfeed and see a bunch of hate.  I want to fight back.  Instead, i can't let it get my worked up.  If that person is interested in a genuine conversation then I'll entertain that.  However, most aren't.  I'm not going to change their minds by arguing facts and opinions.

The best way is to show people how living the way that i do is simply a better way to live.  
How are my actions being interpreted?  Am I coming from a place of patience, love, and acceptance?

If i'm not then it's everybody's best interest that i change my ways.  

The highest good or the ego?  The highest good is the obvious answer.  But ego tries to dominate.  It's in our nature to want to take care of ourselves.  To be selfish.  However, we have to have the wisdom to realize our insufficiency and be willing to sacrifice.  

Good parents understand this.  They sacrifice for their children.  They understand what it means to live for something/somebody other than yourself.

We must take this feeling of responsibility and extend it to everyone -- not just our children.  Everybody deserves this treatment.  

One day, I will be old and weak.  I may have to rely on the kindness of others.  Therefore, i must pay it forward.  

Nobody can make it on their own.  Receive thankfully, don't take greedily.  

Realize that we wouldn't be here today if it weren't for other people.  I'm typing on a computer that somebody else made on a website that somebody else made.  Somebody had to drive the computer to the store in order for me to purchase it.  At the store, somebody sold it to me.  

I can't create a fuckin' computer, or perform surgery, or fix my car.  I need other people to do that.  Other people allow me to have the quality of life that i enjoy.

What am i doing to improve the quality of life of others?    

That's the most important thing.  Only by taking care of others can i fulfill myself.  Without others i am not whole.  I wouldn't want to live on this planet alone.  It's everything else that makes it special.  Appreciate those things.  

Come from a place of love, not from a place of fear.  

Be the change.  It starts with me.  If my outer world is turmoil it's most likely a reflection of my inner self.  The Dalai Lama doesn't get bogged down with the details of whether or not the world is ruled by a limited number of elites.

That simply doesn't worry him. 

What you focus on is your reality.  Are you focusing on abundance or scarcity?  Competition or cooperation?  Fear or love?

It's a choice.

We just have to train ourselves to recognize that fact.  Once we ingrain it in our memories it becomes second nature and no longer takes up so much mental capacity.  But we have to be willing.  

Willing to improve ourselves first.  When we focus on personal development, the external shit isn't as important anymore.

Journal Entry: March 16th, 2016 - Overcome

We all have the same 24 hours in a day.  It's what we do with those 24 hours that separates us.  

I haven't played PlayStation in a while and i don't really miss it.  There's a time and place for it but it's not definitely not every day.  It's an instant gratification type of thing.  I get a sense of victory (or defeat) instantly.  And I can always restart if shit isn't going my way.  
Life isn't a video game, though.  Or maybe it is -- but we don't get to hit restart and we only have one life.  

Maybe I should treat life more like a game.  Ultimately, in many games -- the idea is that you start out with a character and then develop as fully as possible that character in the time allotted.  That's what life is.  Trying to develop as fully as possible in the time allotted.

Why and when do we lose sight of that?  Eventually, the doldrums of the world take over and we get stuck in a routine.  Forgetting who we are and what our purpose is.

But we have to get back to our ikigai.  It's the only true path.  

Does this activity get me closer to becoming my true self or does it take me further away?  That should be the basis of all decision making.  

It's really that simple.  But simple isn't easy.  And human beings like easy.  It's probably against our nature to develop ourselves -- yet it's the only way.  People prefer comfort but comfort doesn't lead to fulfillment.  

Fulfillment comes from hard work and conscious effort.  Day in and day out.  With no promise that we'll ever actually self-actualize.  But we have to trust the process and get as far as we can.  

I've read that each person is born with at least one "obstacle" to overcome.  I like to point to the 7 Deadly Sins as an example.  You're born wit, say, "gluttony."  If you're able to overcome this, your life becomes easy.  If you fail to master that which you were born to overcome you eventually die.  In your next life, not only will you have to overcome "gluttony" but now you also have to overcome "lust."  If you are able to overcome both, your life will become easy.  If not, you start over with even more burdens.

Examine our obstacles and take strides to overcome.  It may be painful to admit our weaknesses, but only by acknowledging them are we are able to move past.

Personal development needs to be the goal of every individual.  No matter our external circumstances we can always improve ourselves.  Don't let the world get in the way of self-actualization.  Better yourself -- better the world.  But we must work on ourselves first.  It's the only way.  It starts at home.

Journal Entry: March 13th, 2016 - Ikigai

I often write on a site called 750Words.com.  It's a journaling site where one is tasked with writing at least 750 words each day.  While I don't write every day, I write often.  I decided that I'm going to start sharing some of the entries here.  Although those are written for myself, and aren't necessarily to be shared -- I hope that you'll be able to get some valuable information out of it.  Here's what I wrote on March 14th:

There must be a focus on developing myself during the week outside of normal working hours. I want to set myself up to have no plans on the weekend. If i work hard enough during the week, i shouldn't have to spend the whole weekend doing chores and running errands. I have to find freedom for myself. To be able to do that which i want to do and not feel bad about it.

I just can't get behind doing something I'm not that interested in for 40+ hours each week. The only way to escape it is to work my ass off outside of typical employment and figure out how to benefit people in a way that's meaningful to me and that those people are willing to pay for.

I have to be comfortable in the fact that I'll never fully escape the system -- for I am a part of the system. However, I can do my best to stay as far away from the mainstream as possible.

My goals are not obvious. My reason for being is not obvious. This creates a real struggle. Even when I try to write down goals -- they're usually something that i feel like i should be doing as opposed to being the things that i actually want to do.

I want to get out of debt -- but i don't want to stop spending or get a part-time job.

I want to get fit -- but i want to eat bad food and drink alcohol.

I like the idea of discipline -- but i don't like doing things that i don't want to do.

I'm a walking contradiction.

Anyways, what i think i want and my actions are not in alignment.

But what does that mean? Supposedly, anything is capable -- but you have to want it bad enough.

I don't know what i want bad enough. I don't really want anything bad enough. Freedom -- but i'm not doing what it takes to find it. So i mustn't want it bad enough.

The ability to dictate how my day is spent. That's what it boils down to. That's my everything.

How can i make this happen? Income seems to the be the obvious biggest issue. If I had the funds, i'd have the ability. Cutting expenses has a limit -- earning money doesn't. I can only cut things so far. But the world is one of abundance. I just have to find my ikigai and go all in. Everybody has their own unique reason for being but many of us never figure out what it is.

It's our responsibility, though, to figure it out. That's what we're here for. To figure out and to fully embrace our reason for being.

Nothing else matters. When our reason for being is discovered and we live fully in alignment with that reason -- everything will then fall into place. The money will come. Relationships will improve. We become attractive.

What does it take to figure out my purpose? It starts with being able to sit and think about it. Meditate. Also, by doing a bunch of different things and exposing myself to as much as possible. I obviously don't know what my purpose is now so the more shit i'm willing to do the more likely i am to stumble upon something that i can appreciate.

Subtraction is also an integral part of the equation. What can i do less of in order to do more of the things that matter? Alcohol is something that needs to be more of a spontaneous activity than an every day occurrence. I can't be at my best under the influence. Examine trade-offs and focus on what's important. Don't get caught up in things that provide instant gratification. Instant gratification does not lead to fulfillment. It's a trap.

What else could you be doing right now?

Instead of reading this blog, how else could you be spending your time?  

We have a choice in each moment to decide how we fill the precious moments of our lives.

Opportunity cost is defined as, "the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen."  Basically, when you make a decision to do X, you are simultaneously making a decision not to do Y, Z, etc.  When you decide to sleep in, you are also deciding not to exercise or give yourself time to eat breakfast.  When you choose to watch four hours of television, you are also choosing not to spend quality time with your children.

It's also important to note that by "not" making a decision you ARE making a decision.  You are choosing not to choose.

The good news is that it's up to us.  As Kelly Starrett quotes his wife, "make a better decision!"  Life is simply a series of decisions, one after the other.

It's Going to Rain Regardless

I went on a bike ride in the pouring rain the other day.  In hindsight, it may have not been the safest thing to do as visibility was compromised but i'm here to write this post so fuck it.

I couldn't help but think that all the people in their cars or in a restaurant are probably feeling sorry for me.  What they didn't realize is that i chose to do it.  It was sprinkling when i left and the clouds were looking serious but i decided to get a short cardio session in anyways.  As it started to rain, i had the option to take the short route and go back home or simply to continue on the ride.  I ended up staying out and came home soaking wet!  I had a great time.

It's going to rain regardless.  We can sit inside and sulk or we can go outside and play in the rain.  It's all a matter of mindset.  The choice is ours.

Index Card in My Pocket

I've started to carry around an index card and a writing utensil with me everywhere that i go.  I use one side of the index card for note-taking.  Jotting down anything that seems worthy throughout the day.  The reverse side is reserved for goal tracking.

On the goal tracking side, i've been keeping track of my daily food, drink, and supplement intake.  I also have 5 "daily deeds" that i try to accomplish.  These deeds are to create (producing content), consume (take in content), clean, exercise, and meditate.  I try to do one thing from each category on a daily basis.

I've found that tracking the food and deeds keeps me accountable.  I'll stop myself from eating something because i don't want to write it down.  I'll meditate for a couple minutes so i can cross it off the list.  Eventually these things will become ingrained, at which point i can stop writing it down.  Until then i'll continue to use one side of my card for this purpose.

I figure at the very least, it will be cool to start amassing a collection of these cards.  They'll be paramount to writing my autobiography one day. *wink*

Choose a tool to record your thoughts and make it an extension of your body.  Never leave home without it.

Soaring Eagles and Other Lessons from Nature

Okay, so that title reads more like a college essay or a journal article but it's the best i could come up with.

Secondly, the motivation for this post wasn't actually the flight of an eagle, but it was definitely a bird of prey.  The eagle thing just sounds more majestic.

Anyways, i was observing one of these birds flying around and was reminded at how they barely use any energy because they will allow a thermal to do most of the work for them.  In nature, we can find plenty of examples of plants and animals using nature harmoniously.

The biggest, mightiest, trees are flexible and sway with the wind else they'd snap under their own tremendous weight.

Water can be docile as in a pond or it can move with tremendous force as in a waterfall. 

Plants adapt to their environment and grow toward the sunlight.

These are just the ones that i'm thinking about right now and can witness with with my own eyes.

When we're willing to be a student, nature has plenty of knowledge to impart.

Do you have any examples to add?  Toss them in the comment section!

Kill It to Eat It

If you can't kill it or witness it being killed, you shouldn't eat it.  

In our modern society, we are very far removed from the food we eat.  How often do we eat a steak at a restaurant and think about the actual cow that it came from?  I'd argue that for the vast majority of us, the thought of the animal never crosses our mind.

Some people cringe at the thought of seeing an animal being killed but will eat a cheeseburger.  To me, that doesn't make sense.  Ordering that cheeseburger is ordering an animal to be killed.  

"But the animal was already dead."  Sure, but now the restaurant will order one more burger next time to meet their inventory needs. (this example works for leather and fur, too)

We should at least be willing to recognize the sacrifice of the once-living being.

Vegetarian?  Plants are being killed for you to eat, too.  We can't escape death.  It's a part of life, as they say.

Planned Obsolescence

I was first introduced to the concept of planned obsolescence in the initial movie of the Zeitgeist Film Series.  In the movie, a printer breaks down for no apparent reason.  A computer-savvy guy investigates the code and finds that there is something written in it so that the printer stops working.  He removes the suspicious code, or whatever it was, and the printer works fine.

The idea that a company would artificially manipulate the lifespan of a product is disappointing albeit not surprising.  After all, if a product lasts forever the consumer would never have to buy new.  Not so great for a company’s bottom line.  However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

When one wikipedias (yeah i used it as a verb, similar to “i googled that”) planned obsolescence, one will find that it goes much deeper than that.  There are a ton of different ways to ensure that a product becomes obsolete.  

This is also applies to disposable products.  How many disposable products do we use in our normal lives?  Disposable doesn’t mean biodegradable.  We treat our trash as “out of sight, out of mind” but the reality is that the garbage has to go somewhere.

Products made a really long time ago stood the test of time.  Our grandparents talk about how solid products were made when they were little.  We’ve found artifacts from thousands of years ago.  The only thing that will stand the test of time nowadays are Twinkies and McDonald’s hamburgers.

Sad that it’s come to this.  Earnings over Earth.  Profits over People.  Money over Everything.