Category Archives: Life Lessons

The Dude Seeks Life Advice from a Chain Email & a Farmer

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Old Farmer from Chain Email

Old Farmer from Chain Email

I hate chain emails as much as the next dude, but sometimes the chain just speaks to you!

I would imagine that I delete 99.99% of chain emails without a mere glimpse. Yet somehow this brilliant advice not only caught my attention, but convinced me to keep it lodged in my inbox for 51 days.

I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to pass on the chain email advice, and here we are…muy perfecto. Not sure what make this perfect other than I’m tired of looking at it after 51 days.

Are you excited?! Me too…I can finally delete this thing.

Here are some seriously wise words from a chain email…and a farmer.

Since an unknown troll under and unknown bridge creates chain emails, I have no one to credit except Tanta Linda. Thanks for clogging my inbox! 🙂

Life from the seat of a tractor – An  old farmer’s words of wisdom we can all live  by… 

  • Your  fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and  bull-strong.
  • Keep skunks and bankers at a  distance.
  • Life is simpler when you plow around the  stump.
  • A bumble bee is considerably faster than a  John Deere tractor.
  • Words that soak into your ears  are whisperedÂŚ….not yelled.
  • Meanness don’t just  happen overnight.
  • Forgive your enemies; it messes  up their heads.
  • Do not corner something that you  know is meaner than you.
  • It don’t take a very big  person to carry a grudge.
  • You cannot unsay a cruel  word.
  • Every path has a few puddles.
  • When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
  • The  best sermons are lived, not preached.
  • Most of the  stuff people worry about, ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
  • Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
  • Remember that silence is sometimes the best  answer.
  • Live a good and honorable life, then when  you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second  time.
  • Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t  bothering you none.
  • Timin’ has a lot to do with  the outcome of a rain dance.
  • If you find yourself  in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
  • Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
  • The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have  to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
  • Always drink upstream from the herd.
  • Good  judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from  bad judgment.
  • Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a  whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
  • If you  get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try  orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
  • Live simply,  love generously, care deeply,
  • Speak kindly, and leave  the rest to God.
  • Don’t pick  a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll  just kill  you.

12 Tips for a Bueno Casa

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You like that Spanglish title? I knew you would.

Last night I shared 10 Tips for Raising Little Dudes. So, it seems like a good time to keep dropping some knowledge in list form.

Tonight’s list offers some ideas for a happy home, and I’m digging these thoughts from The Happiness Project. There are some great tips here that we can put to use at the Dude casa right away.

Here are the bueno tips…with some added comments from the Dude. Enjoy.

12 tips for a Happier Home:

  1. Turn routines into games. No one likes picking up toys. Making it a game is much better.
  2. Control the level of noise. “Inside voice, quiet. Inside voice, quiet.” Yo Gabba Gabba, anyone? For real, keep the yelling to a minimum.
  3. Organize space so it’s attractive, well organized, and well lit. One of my most important Secrets of Adulthood: Outer order contributes to inner calm. – Not the Dude’s comment, but I agree. Get rid of that clutter!
  4. Plan times each day for relaxing activities. For real, relax. We’re all too stressed. Find a way to let it go and be calm.
  5. Encourage a feeling of belonging, e.g., by displaying children’s work and pictures. Love it. Having the kids art work around makes them proud and adds some awesome art to the walls.
  6. Consider children’s reactions when making an unavoidable change. It’s easy to forget how the kids feel. I tend to be the “suck it up” type, but I’m learning to think about feelings more…thanks Mrs. Dude. 😉
  7. Balance indoor and outdoor activities. Every day, outside. No exceptions. Get outside, even if it’s just a few minutes. Breathe fresh air. Remember that we’re all part of nature. Get outside.
  8. Make sure there’s plenty of time to get things done without rushing. Mrs. Dude, did you read that one? Just kidding, you’re perfect. 🙂
  9. Provide opportunities for curiosity and creativity. Same as getting outside, no exceptions. Be curious, be creative; everyday.
  10. Speak in a calm voice. Nice voice, always. Little Dude gets this reminder quite a bit…he’s at the MINE stage.
  11. Explain the behavior you’d like to see in a clear, respectful way. Not “Settle down,” but “Sit in your chair with your feet under your desk.” Not “I could use a little help around here,” but “Please unload the dishwasher so we can get the dirty dishes out of the sink.” – Not the Dude’s comment, but oooh, I dig this. Clarity is crucial….Dude is learning this too.
  12. Meet people’s basic needs. Children and adults need to eat, drink, go to the bathroom, rest, and spend time outside. That’s it. Don’t make life harder than it is. Solve the basic needs, the rest is gravy.

10 Tips for Raising Little Dudes

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Did you go vote today? The votes are being tallied as I type. Who will be named the next US Pres?

The Dude’s election prediction: The Man wins again.

The good news, we can finally stop talking about voting and elections very soon. And the 24 hour news cycle will find the next tragedy to focus on. Yay!

Let’s speed up this cycle here on DKB and focus on something meaningful – the kiddos.

I’m not sure who this Susan Sontag cat is, but she’s got a sweet top 10 list of tips for raising little dudes. (Tip o’ the hat to Brain Pickings for sharing the love.)

First, a reminder of how The Man views the kiddos – yes, this is what you voted for today…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=618U-_8o31k[/youtube]

 – Thanks for sharing the love Lew.

Ms. Sontag’s 10 rules for raising super rad little dudes…

  1. Be consistent.
  2. Don’t speak about him to others (e.g., tell funny things) in his presence. (Don’t make him self-conscious.)
  3. Don’t praise him for something I wouldn’t always accept as good.
  4. Don’t reprimand him harshly for something he’s been allowed to do.
  5. Daily routine: eating, homework, bath, teeth, room, story, bed.
  6. Don’t allow him to monopolize me when I am with other people.
  7. Always speak well of his pop. (No faces, sighs, impatience, etc.)
  8. Do not discourage childish fantasies.
  9. Make him aware that there is a grown-up world that’s none of his business.
  10. Don’t assume that what I don’t like to do (bath, hairwash) he won’t like either.

99 Problems But a Hack Ain’t One

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Have you noticed the word “hacking” creeping into everyday conversations lately?…or is it just me? Like when you get a new car and you start to see them everywhere?

I’ve been learning about different ideas for “hacking” lately, and it seems to apply to everything. Hacking is a computer term that in a general sense means to look at systems holistically to test and measure how the system can be improved.

The Dude digs the idea. It carries an anti-authoritarian connotation. Everything is part of a system, and everything can be improved. In a sense, we are all “hackers.” And we are all trying to improve our personal “systems” each and everyday.  Or, at least we should be.

In addition to the common idea of computer hacking, I’m starting to see the idea of bio-hacking, life-hacking, fitness hacking, etc. more and more. And I think it’s a pretty great development. It shows that we are taking control. We don’t need no stinkin’ authority to tell us what to do. Let’s hack a better future.

I’ll continue to share some “hacking” ideas, but for now, let’s focus on some great “life hacks”…

Here are “99 Life Hacks” that will leave you amazed. You can use just about all of them…seriously. So simple. So brilliant.

And let’s follow-up with a sweet “Life Hacks” infographic…

Amazing Life Hacks

Amazing Life Hacks

 

Make Good Art

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Growing up, I never really considered myself an “artist.” But over the years, that’s changed.

The Dude is now a believer that everyone is an artist. We all have great art inside of us. In fact, everyone has absolutely brilliant and unique “art” just waiting to be tapped and shown to the world.

Life is art, and our daily actions are the brush strokes we’re using to paint the world around us. If we can take ourselves seriously as artists, and not sabotage our efforts with negative thinking, we’ll be amazed by the art that we create.

This commencement speech by Neil Gaiman at the Philadelphia University of Arts 2012 graduation is a great artistic motivator. I’m not all that familiar with Gaiman, but I’m a big fan after this great talk.

His simple message: “Make good art.”

And a great secondary message: “Let go. And enjoy the ride.”

Nobody else is you. Paint the world around you with your unique strokes. Everyday. All the time. And have fun doing it.

Thanks for the great motivation Neil!

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/42372767#[/vimeo]

Is a 12 Year Old Smarter Than the World Economy?

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It only takes this 12 year little girl from Canada about six minutes to explain why we (i.e. most of the world) are getting screwed by the government and big banks/business – i.e. The Man.

Kids never cease to amaze me, and this princess is clearly mature beyond her years, but should she really have a better grasp on economics than bankers, economists, politicians, voters…? I think you get my point.

When 12 year olds need to alert us to broken systems, it’s probably time to listen. Unfortunately, my guess is walls will need to crumble before we realize.

Great quote to end her speech…

Margaret Mead – “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Great job Ms. Victoria Grant:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx5Sc3vWefE[/youtube]

Practical Tips from a Burglar

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The Dude has been burglarized on a few occasions; a few cars, a couple houses, and an array of locations. I recovered some goods, lost some, but overall none of the instances were earth-shattering. I did feel a bit unlucky – karma?…not sure for what.

While my life did roll on normally, I can say that it does leave a creepy, violated feeling that lingers for a while. However, I really don’t think of it much, and I don’t view the world as a negative place with thieves around every corner. Although, I do consciously lock my doors, and I have a baseball bat next to my bed – as a dad, these precautions just make practical sense.

These anomalies to my everyday life don’t come to mind too often, but I saw a neat post on swissmiss.com, and since I can relate, I figured it was worth sharing. Some common sense ideas that we should all have lodged in our mental space.

Tips from burglars. And after reading the list, I can say that if I followed these, I probably could have avoided some of the violations.

Worth a quick read…

13 Things a Burglar Won’t Tell You

Perception is Reality

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I heard the saying “perception is reality” years ago, and it’s been lodged in the back of my noggin ever since. It’s not something I think of often, although, it will jump to the front of my thoughts from time to time.

From a big picture perspective, the Dude has come to understand this as the basic glass half full vs. glass half empty view of the world. And I believe this is true. I think at the most basic level, we have a choice between seeing all of the greatness in the world or focusing on all the bad juju.

Look at life either way, and you’re going to find what you’re looking for; good or bad. From the most broad perspective, that’s what “perception is reality” means to me.

But the below video has me digging a little deeper into this saying. Perhaps there is a much more granular way to look at perception. Maybe we can consciously study methods to leverage our behaviors and beliefs to capitalize on perception.

I’m sure companies with big marketing dollars are leveraging perception, and we probably fall into their traps on a regular basis. But maybe we can/should start to be more conscious about psychology and the way our realities are perceived on all levels.

Rory Sutherland’s “Perspective is Everything” talk at TEDx was definitely eye opening for the Dude.

A countdown at red lights or waiting for a train changes everything! Brilliant. Wifi on a train rather than billions spent for a shiny new train that gets you there 30 minutes faster?…duh! And these are just scratching the surface.

Perception truly is our reality. Maybe we should start to pay a bit more attention to it.

Now extrapolate that to economics, healthcare, taxes…you name it. Seems like a bunch of great uses for leveraging perception.

By the way, I was surprised when Sutherland mentioned Ludwig Von Mises. Since the world’s economic “issues” started around 2008, I’ve been following economic/political lines of thought a bit closer, and Ludwig Von Mises name has come up quite a bit. He is the big name behind “Austrian Economics,” and I’ve been pretty impressed with the thoughts I’ve come across. Interesting that Rory digs him too. Worth a little digging if this is the first time you’ve come across the name.

Great talk Rory…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iueVZJVEmEs[/youtube]

Finish Strong

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I’m a big fan of the story of this dude Nate Ebner.

I spent a large portion of my life living outside of Boston. And as a result, Boston sports have been ingrained in me.

Boston is a pretty crazy sports town. Die-hard fans of all sorts. I’ve had the luxury of cheering for some  amazing teams, but I am happy to say that now that I’m removed from the daily sports talk, it’s nice to be a casual fan rather than a die-hard. There are more important things in life to think about.

However, you can’t remove the fan altogether, and I’ve already started to brainwash the kiddos. Although, considering we don’t have TV, there’s really not much sports watching happening anyway.

So, what does all this Boston sports talk have to do with Nate Ebner? Nate is a new draft pick by the New England Patriots. He was a standout rugby player, and went on to play special teams at Ohio State as a walk-on.

Not all that impressive considering amazing NFL athletes, but Nate has the “intangibles.” He’s got a great attitude and an amazing work ethic. He may have spent most of this time on special teams for Ohio State, but his coach says that he was without a doubt the most valuable player on the team.

That’s the type of person you want on your team, and that’s the type of player Boston fans love to root for. Underdog with the heart of a lion.

So, I’m looking forward to seeing how Nate does in the NFL. But more than that, Nate’s story struck a chord with me.

I’ve carried a “finish strong” mantra with me since I was a kid. As I was playing sports, my Padre would remind me to finish strong. He helped me understand that this simple mindset is what makes someone a leader and pushes you above the pack.

It’s easy. You’re going to finish anyway. Just put in that last bit of effort to finish strong.

This mantra has stuck with me. I still say it to myself when I’m working on a challenging task, physical or mental, and now I’ve caught myself passing these sage words onto the kiddos.

It turns out that these are the same words that Nate lives by. Nate’s dad instilled these same words in him. Unfortunately, Nate’s dad has passed away, but “finish strong” has lived on in Nate, and he’s brought that message to all of his teammates as well.

It’s also great to see how much love and respect Nate has for his father. Great people finish strong, and they make other people great along the way.

Here’s a nice video about Nate. Looking forward to seeing you on the field Nate…when I visit someone that has TV. 🙂

Finish strong.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIq-MaR5rCM[/youtube]

Getting Old is Comical

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That title is true, but it’s not the whole truth. Getting old can be hard too, but maybe with the right perspective the hilarity can outweigh the challenges.

I’m not old enough to face the full onslaught of age, but the Dude has entered the “Dude, I’m old” stage.

Age is definitely a state of mind more than anything, but there are some realities that are unavoidable.

1. Concerts take on an entirely new perspective as a parent. I love music, and live music is amazing, but these days the Dude is happy to trade a great Pandora station for a live show. That just seems like a lot of work. 🙂

Questionable Skills does a great job capturing this.

Questionable Skills - Concert for Parents

2. The mid-30’s is an interesting stage. Not young, but not old.

Whoa! Did I just define myself as mid-life?!

Below is a comical video about the mid-30’s. The Dude’s peers. I’d like to think that I’m better off, but I can definitely relate. It’s interesting to see where people are in their mid-30’s.

Luckily, I fall into the “Parent Concert” category. And I couldn’t be happier to be here. Being young and dumb is fun. But it’s nothing compared to having fun as a parent. And the comparison to mid 30’s and looking for fun at an improve class isn’t even in the same universe.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HWHXMBDs5U[/youtube]