Reformation Of The Self

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Lately, all my foundations have begun to collapse. My filing systems, both physical and virtual, aren’t functioning at a proper capacity to keep me organized. I’m overloading them with great stuff but it’s becoming harder for me to keep up with everything. At least until the New Year, I’ll be working on refiling and reprocessing pretty much every aspect of my life. Since, I’ll be working on this the next two weeks I’ll be putting up some (older) introspective pieces on myself to let you get to know me a little better, these are some of the defining moments in my short life, thus far.

Physical Filing Objectives that I’ll be working on is finding a way to organize my books and films so that I don’t have to dig through piles to find what I’m looking for; right now, I count 15 stacks of books scattered around my room. I’ll be going through and organizing all my bank and credit statements, balancing everything out of course.

Virtual Filing Objectives that I’ll be working on are setting up a better system for RSS feeds, right now I’m satisfied with the system but, with 3+ hours a day it’s just too much. I’ll be redoing my bookmarking so I can find web pages that I use on a more consistent basis and links from others saved for reading. I’ll be redoing the majority of my computers filing system as it has files scattered in random folders.

With the blog I’m working on a redesign that fits who I am and provides a cleaner interface than the one that your reading this on, even I find it hard to read on. I’m also debating on adding more content that fits the innovation theme. Originally I had planned on this being a more technology focused blog with a few political and philosophically innovative ideas; if you look back that’s not how it turned out.

So for the next few weeks I’ll be doing some introspection, try and clear my mind, and get set to roll out some better content in ’09. This is mainly for my benefit but hopefully it results in some positive effects for you also. I think I may continue this process every year if it turns out something that is effective. This idea of redeveloping your internal and external systems is something that everyone should try to force change on themselves.

Compilation of Twinspiration Oct. 10-Nov. 10

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With the depression looming I decided that everyone needs to have some positive inspiration provided daily. So I began posting aphorisms, proverbs and quotes, a few from me. I know some people aren’t on Twitter that read this blog so I felt I should aggregate, latest first, them here.

“Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence. Where there is no change and no need of change.” ~ H.G. Wells

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” ~ Plato Do what you want but, don’t let fear stop you from starting now.

“All things are possible until they are proved impossible — and even the impossible may only be so, as of now.” ~ Pearl S. Buck

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone just remember that all the people in the world haven’t had the advantages you’ve had.” ~ Gatsby

“There never was a moment, and never will be, when we are powerless to alter our destiny.” ~ Steven Pressfield

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

“Don’t give up when you still have something left to give, Nothing is really over . . . till the moment you stop trying.” ~ Anonymous

“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” ~Zig Ziglar

“Have compassion for all beings, rich and poor alike; each has their suffering. Some suffer too much, others too little.” ~ Buddha

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.” ~Anonymous

Its hard for many people to believe that there are extraordinary things inside themselves as well as others I hope you can keep an open mind

“An efficient and valuable man does what he can, whether the community pay him for it or not.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

“Every organization must be prepared to abandon everything it does to survive in the future.” ~ Peter Drucker

“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“When you reach the top, keep climbing.” Enjoy the day. Keep reaching for the elusive fruit of success even after you grasp it in hand.

“Don’t worry about what anybody else is going to do. The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” ~ Alan Kay

“May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect.” ~ Fight Club

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”~ Confucius Everyone, let’s rise from this stumble.

“The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.” ~Winston Churchill

“Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

If a butterfly can change the weather on the other side of the world with a beat of it’s wings; why can’t you change your neighborhood

Our nature is to surround ourselves with those that bare semblance with us and, through them we can see our imperfections.

“Don’t handicap your children by making their lives easy.” ~ Robert Heinlein

“Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery.” ~ Bertrand Russell

“It’s only after you’ve lost everything that your free to do anything.” ~ Tyler Durden

At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.” ~ Lao Tzu

“The fear of death is nothing compared to the fear of having not lived authentically or fully.” – Frances Moore Lappe

“The young do not know enough to be prudent, and therefore they attempt the impossible and achieve it, generation after generation.” ~ Pearl S. Buck

“When the Power of Love Overcomes the Love of Power the World Will Know Peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix

A mans wealth comes not from what he carries in his wallet, but what he carries in his heart. Have a great day everyone!

“I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.” ~ Dalai Lama

The world is still colorful, even though the news may be gray. Hope, everyone enjoys their day.

If you like these and would would like to get them every day add me on Twitter: @jimminy.

Constrained Systems Are Key To Innovation

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A few weeks ago, I read a conversation about what innovation really is in a FriendFeed discussion started by Gregory Lent. He put the contents of the conversation up on his blog “PostLinearity“. The idea that some people think innovation is the result of strenuous work is kind of scary. So I’d like to give you all a view of what innovation truly is since I haven’t done that, yet.

Innovation (n.) That which is newly introduced; a change or, the act of innovating.

Innovating (v.) Beginning or introducing(something new); being creative.

In the conversation they discuss Innovation as being natural and being hard work. I find that it’s a natural change of thinking in order to adapt to the constraints that your facing. It is just as natural as evolution is, in fact it is real-time evolution of the mind. Anytime you grasp a new idea, your mind has innovated how you think, even if the idea came from someone else.

Innovation can’t be constrained by hard work, however, if that was the case evolution wouldn’t be possible. Look at the world, it has fauna and flora in locations where they can take the most advantage of their environs. Innovation is natural to the the universe, mathematics and sciences have reproduced constraints for this.

Imagine that you really want to get to the top of mountain with a semi-low grade, simple right, you just walk up. Now imagine that the mountain is a mesa, you can’t find a point were you could just walk up, you have to climb. That’s innovation, it’s a change from what you are used to doing with a mountain, because of the constraint of steep cliffs.

Now, many people think of innovation as changing something that is complex to make it simple. This is easily one of the most paradoxical constraints; as the solution becomes more simple, the problem gets more complex. The constraints in this case are constrained by their variability which makes it even more complicated to see the natural solution. This is why many people today see innovation as hard work, their dealing with problems that are increasingly complex.

Innovation is naturally simple and complex.

Some Inspiration From The Web Oct. 20 – Nov.7

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Several articles that are all quite connected in that they are pushing the basic concepts to fight fear and become an idea generator. These articles all can help you be more innovative, insightful, better business person, or just a better person, apply the knowledge where you can in your life.

Last week, The Next Web published an article entitled The Era of Entrepreneur!, in which they discuss 5 defining elements of an entrepreneur. These 5 elements don’t just apply to an entrepreneur but, anyone wishing to change something. The discussion won’t help too much if you’re not interested in business so, I provided the list below.

  1. Be Independent
  2. Think Different
  3. Be Prepared
  4. Be Patient
  5. Ignore Everyone

Over at theBridgeMaker, they have written 7 Must -Have Personal Growth Strategies. This article has a more focused thought into Thinking Different and Being Independent in order to grow as a person.

The NYT has an article on Pursuing Big Ideas that has 10 items that will help anyone seeking to get the creative juices flowing. These different approaches will provide you with plenty of ways to think differently or “not think at all “.

Spiritual Blog provides 2 articles, the first is 10 Paths to Individualism. The article analyzes 10 Socratic quotations into finding ones Individuality.  The second is a set of 10 Insightful quotes from Plato, no analysis.

That is all of the inspiration and now I’d like to take a moment to point out another element of economic stupidity, in the secondary-education’s foundation. The NYT has posted a story that states the Downturn is driving tuition UP. The fact that multiple stories have been written on the subject of tight lenders even to students means that the majority of this money will be coming from the government. I’ve already done several articles, College is Taxing Our System and Education pt 2. on the shear absurdity that is government subsidization in this sector

The 50 Who Now Stand Under the 44th As 1

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As everyone should know by now we have a president-elect that will be inaugurated January 20, 2009:

Barack Obama

Over the last year, we have seen such a division between the parties. We have faced the trials of separation on many levels, belief, color, sex, and age. This was a plague that swept our land and it was going to be hard to repair.

Tuesday Night, November 4 2008

We had two men stand up and destroy these divisions with their speeches, McCain, with his Concession Speech, and Barack Obama, with his Acceptance Speech. It does not matter any longer who you wanted to win, because with these speeches they have UNITED us as the American people. We are now 50 states standing under Barack Obama, as the 44th President of the United States, as one UNITED country.

Barack Obama’s  Acceptance Speech

Acceptance Speech Part 1, Part 2

McCain’s Concession Speech

Concession Speech

One phrase is ringing with a deafing roar in my head, right now.

“I am proud to be an American!”

As I was editing this I came across from52to48withlove, an Idea from Ze Frank.

Get Out And Vote! 3 Choices Pirate, Zombie, Ninja

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So the elections are now less than a week a way and I’m still confused so I have decided to make a chart with possible candidates. Now I just have to decide which I’d rather have leading the country. Also this will be my last post until after the election. I’m trying not to offend anyone as I opine about who I want. Don’t worry I have plenty of stuff in the wings it just needs editing to be done. Enjoy!

The World We Take For Granted

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Going to give you a choice, if you don’t care about the little details about my world all you have to do is read the first paragraph and the last paragraph. I’ve made it easy and quick for you.

How often do you take note of the world around you and its details of what it has offered the world? I come from Lewisburg, a small town of less than 8000 people, in West Virginia, that has been the center of so much I was shaken by the fact. Mind you I’ve lived here nearly 20 years and knew most of these things but, never really gave a damn. Then everything just starts to fall in and you realize that it isn’t as small as you once thought.

It’s amazing how people can change a town’s history. This kind of kicked off last week when I heard someone at work mention Seth McClung, the Brewers relief-pitcher. Today, Patch Adams, the one the movie was based on, came through our airport on his way to his property a few miles down the road. There was also Bimbo Coles, retired basketball player for several NBA teams and on the 1988 Olympic team. Mason Patrick, a major general, highest rank military officials had received during his time period(1918-1927) received his brigadier general and major general status within a one month period.

The town and surrounding area also have quite the history. The area was a very intensely disputed area during the Civil War with a cavern that was used as a salt-peter mine and multiple battle grounds within the area. Just on the edge of the town is a cemetery with unmarked Confederate soldiers. We have the one of the only continuously used Carnegie Halls in the world and it is also booked with world renowned acts though at a less frequent pace than the one located in New York, for obvious reasons. The Greenbrier Resort, the famous government bunker and the host of the first Ryder Cup, lies just a few miles away.

Almost all the people who have lived here all their life know about these things, though some are hidden just off the beaten path, even for regulars. Those that have moved here probably know of the big ones like Carnegie Hall and the Greenbrier. Look around your town, city, or even neighborhood, you never know what you might find out about your community and it’s history.

Honestly, this post wasn’t about what we have it’s about not caring enough to realize what you have. The little things in life are what truly matter, even if you don’t notice them. Little things may be something huge and astounding to someone who doesn’t experience them every day.