Photo-of-the-Week #237 – In Solidarity with the French People, Friday, November 13, 2015

This week's photo, or actually a symbol, isn't about me or the places or experiences I've had. It's about the horrific experience the French, and especially the Parisians, had on November 13, 2015 . . . Friday the 13^th.

Leaders, Leaners, Loners & Losers

I enjoy a little alliteration occasionally. This title popped into my mind while doing some fitness walking earlier today. Walking is a great time to develop ideas and lay the foundation for ideas. I realized everyone, during parts of their lives, wears each of these labels. Two are positive, while two are negative.

Fortunately, the two positive types, while experiencing periods of the negative traits, usually don't remain in the negative realm long. Unfortunately, the two negative types often spend most or all their lives wearing negative labels.

Have you figured it out, yet? Leaders and Loners are the positive people and Leaners and Losers are the negative people. Remember, everyone will experience periods wearing each of the four labels. So, allow me to give you my descriptions of these four kinds or people and experiences. . . READ MORE

The Top 15 List of Life Thieves: Introduction

Are you being robbed?

Did you know there are thousands of thieves stealing your life from you everyday?

It's true! But, the worst part is that most of us don't realize it until we're at the other end of our life. At some point, we all begin taking stock and reviewing our memories and recalling all the things we never got to do. Why? Because something always seemed to come along that diverted us from the things we really wanted to do.

This Life Thief concept struck me like a lightning bolt the other morning when I was waking up. I realized there were so many things I haven't done in my life that I had really wanted to do. I also began thinking about friends, family and others I know who have experienced or are currently experiencing some thief stealing parts of their lives. . . READ MORE

Do You Have A Round TUIT?

Do you have a "Round TUIT?"

I do! I was sorting through another box of "Stuff" the other day, in my ongoing quest to downsize and
minimize (yep - I'm still at the process that seems never ending). In the box, I found a brass, stamped, flat, coin shaped object with the capital letters "TUIT" debossed in one side. The other side of the coin shaped object is irrelevant.

  

So, it's shape is round and it says "TUIT" on the object - why, that makes it a "Round TUIT." So, what the heck is a "Round TUIT," anyway? I can't spend it. It's not heavy enough to be a paperweight (and I don't have much paper anyway). I haven't seen a lot of these, so my guess is that most people never get a round tuit. . . READ MORE

Information Overload, Brain Drain & Writers Block

As regular readers of this blog, I'm sure you have noticed that I haven't been publishing much in the way of new articles for the past few months. I regret that. I have actually written several posts, however, after spending considerable time writing and contemplating each article, I just wasn't satisfied that I was delivering thoughts and ideas I felt would be useful for you. So, they sit in my draft file and may surface sometime in the future after I look them over again and possibly edit or rewrite them.

So, What Is My Problem?

I am back at my base camp in West Virginia. I arrived here about 9:30 PM this past Tuesday evening, July 22^nd after six weeks of travel. I realized that I just haven't been producing the way I normally do or the way I like to. Since I returned I actually wrote, yet, another article the other day. I wasn't happy with it either.

So, I realize that I'm in some kind of funk, phase or mode that I'm not very pleased with, after all, my life and philosophy are all about living free, yet, I don't seem to be able to write anything about it. Am I actually living free? Is my mind and creativity free? Or, am I trapped in some kind of black hole of my own creation.

I believe I've identified three causes for my writing malaise. The first is “Information Overload” or as some call it, “TMI” or “too much information.” It's basically mental clutter. The second is “Brain Drain.” The third is “Writer's Block.” Let me explore each of these a bit with the intent of helping emerge from my personal state of the literary doldrums and, perhaps, assisting you in climbing out of some kind of personal “black hole” you may be dealing with.

I might also mention that this kind of lethargy or mild despondency may actually be the manifestation of some (hopefully) mild form of depression. I'm not sure what specifically triggers various manifestations of depression, but I know that I have a genetic predisposition. So, while I don't feel particularly depressed, it may have nothing to do with how I'm actually reacting.

Information Overload

Let me first examine the idea of “TMI.” I am, by my very nature and as a 50 year veteran of the recording industry, an information “sponge.” While I was drawn into the recording industry by the music part of the business, I actually spent the vast majority of my life creating thousands of hours of information content. I guess I could almost say my middle name is Information. People often comment to me that I'm a fount of information. This can be very good, but it can also be a curse.

I am a voracious reader (though I really never classified myself as such), but not so much in book form as in articles, blog posts, newsletters and a variety of other forms. There has been so much going on in our country and our world, both recently and currently. My mind seems to never quit grabbing at and attempting to comprehend and order continuous sound bites both aural and printed. I have also shared time with an amazing array of very interesting people over the past six weeks on my just completed trek to New Jersey, Connecticut, New York (state) and Pennsylvania. By the way, if you aren't aware, I find just about everyone amazing and interesting since each person is so unique.

I learned so much on the trek. I took more than a thousand photos. I have about 150 hours (maybe more) of video I've captured with my dash cam. I explored old “stomping grounds” and witnessed the changes. I met, spoke with and learned from the numerous people I interacted with along the way. All this while traveling about 3,300 miles mainly in just one of the four states I visited. My mind may be having some issues with sorting, categorizing and analyzing this “data” to put to some tangible use. So, as I said, TMI!

Brain Drain

What I mean by “Brain Drain” might be considered by some to be numb or “brain dead” (not in the clinical sense, but psychologically and, maybe, emotionally). There is so much going on inside my head that I simply have needed to shut down for a while to take some time to sort, analyze and categorize all the accumulated new data. I need to discern that which is useful and valuable enough to to relate it to you and which is the chaff that I simply need to discard.

There is a blog I read by Randy, titled Mobile Kodgers. Randy seems to have his act together, but he uses pictures to speak thousands of words. He has found his voice. I haven't met Randy, yet, but intend to when I get out west later this year. Another interesting blog is Waterfall Road by TJ Worthington. I've met TJ down in his territory in the mountains of northwestern North Carolina. I was down there this past New Years Eve and passed a brief pleasantry with TJ, but it was at a celebration of one of my closest and longest friend's wedding (on New Year's Eve – that's a way to start a new year). So, I didn't have the opportunity to get aside with TJ and really chat about – well, lots of things. TJ also seems to have his thoughts in order.

So, not only am I dealing with Information Overload, but I've allowed this overload condition to drain my brain, leading to . . .

Writer's Block

I'm sure, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, being at a loss for words has not been a problem for me. Actually, if anything, I need to get a copy of the AP Style Guide used by journalists and learn how to curb my words to make my posts faster, easier to read and comprehend and more interesting. (Maybe I'll order a copy for my Kindle library after I complete this post.).

Writer's Block is a real psychological problem, first described by a psychoanalyst in 1947. Many, if not all, writers including best selling, award winning authors have suffered the malady at some level at one or more times during their careers. So, while not exactly reassuring, at least I know I'm in good company and I can “recover.” I also read another article that enumerated ten types of writer's block and I can identify with at least four, if not five, of those.

I am going to post this article because it may assist you in overcoming some form of writer's block or even just some other challenge or even procrastination you may be dealing with. I know there are numerous other bloggers and writers who read this blog and, perhaps, you may also be going through some periods when writer's block sets you back a bit.

Ready! Set! Write!

I have a lot of things I want to write about. And, actually, writing this article has been educational and motivating for me. It has helped me focus my attention on the issue and recognize the things that may be blocking my creativity and productivity. So, be ready for some new articles with, what I hope will be, valuable and useful information. It's welled up inside this living free, location independent, nomadic blogger. It's about time, isn't it?

Are You Living Your Fake Life Or Your Real Life?

The other day, while I was making my way up one of the Blue Highways in north central Florida on my way to Osceola National Forest, I was listening to one of my favorite interviewers, Terry Gross on her show "Fresh Air." Terry was interviewing David O. Russell, the screenplay writer and director of the movie, "American Hustle", currently nominated for 10 Academy Awards. The interview itself was very interesting and I enjoyed learning about Russell, his biographical information, thoughts on his past movies and his philosophy of filmmaking. But, Terry Gross has an amazing way of really getting past the facade and superficial, pretty much stock questions and answers and getting inside the mind of those she interviews. She is very informal, laid back and doesn't mind exposing her own inner workings and idiosyncrasies to relax her guests and set them at ease.

However, beyond the overall interview, I listen for the little nuggets and pearls of wisdom that pop out. In this interview with David Russell, Terry reached a point where an appropriate topic for this particular interview was whether Russell was living his real or actual life or a fake life. I almost slammed on my brakes to pull the van over to write that down. It's not that this was that earthshaking a question or thought, it was how many people don't know the difference between their real life and their fake life and even deeper, how many people never reveal their real lives to even themselves? So, after the Interview, I spent the rest of the drive thinking about that question and how it applied to myself.

What Is Your Fake Life?

So, what is your fake life? The way I interpret it is that your fake life is the facade or mask that you put on for the outside world (anyone other than yourself) to see. This is the life you want them to view you by. You might even say that this is what you think they think of you and how you can fulfill that impression. The funny thing is that this fake life or self is often how you see yourself. In other words, you're not living the life of who you really are, you're living the life you want to believe you are and how you think want others to believe you are. I've referred to the idea of conforming to "The Committee of They," "they" being the ones who believe you should live your life a certain way. These are related issues. Even more interestingly, you may actually have more than one fake life or self. Let's examine a few examples of fake lives we may be living.

Work Life

First, is your work life. Who do you want your manager, supervisor, boss, the business owner, fellow employees, (if you're a business owner) employees, vendors, customers/clients, etc. to see. Just in that short list you may be representing yourself as several different lives or selves. If you're an employee of a business, you want to come across as the competent, capable, confident, efficient, productive worker to your manager, supervisor and boss. While at the same time, to your fellow employees, you may want to set an example, but you don't want to come across to them as a kiss-up brown-noser who separates yourself from the rest of the pack. Of course, in the middle management segment of the corporate world, you may want to be the do whatever it takes, aggressive, step on anyone necessary, survival of the fittest to climb the corporate ladder type person.

If you are a business owner you want to display yourself as a strong, capable leader who will build your business at any cost including using and abusing those you employ. Or, you may want to be a strong, capable leader who recognizes that your employees are your most valuable asset and do everything within reason to make their working experience a positive one. This means you must be an assertive and sometimes aggressive businessman, yet show compassion for those who are accomplishing the mission for you. I always liked the idea that a good leader was one who gave credit to his employees when things went right and accepted the blame and responsibility when things went wrong - and then, addressed the specific issues that went wrong privately with the individuals responsible and not in public.

But, these are examples of the fake life that you may be displaying in the work environment. The same holds true for athletic endeavors and military organizations. The question that pops up in my mind is how much of what my employees, vendors and customers saw of me was the fake life I wanted them to see and how much of it was the real life, that is, who I REALLY am, did they see.

Public Life

Move the scenario to the life you display in your religious organization, clubs, civic groups, volunteer work and your other activities. Don't we usually show ourselves as who we want others to see us as? Let's face it, no one is perfect. Not one of us has talents and skills in all areas of endeavor. How often do we want to become involved in something that we have little or no real experience or knowledge in and don't want to be rejected because of that factor so "we fake it until we make it?"

Home Life

Let's take this home, now. I see so many husbands and wives who are at odds with one another after they've been together five, ten, twenty or more years. Why is that? Could it be because when we were young and looking for our perfect mate we did the mating dance and courting ritual? I captured a shot of this bird just recently showing off.

What was the bird saying? "Look at me! I'm cool! I'm cocky! I'm confident! I'm THE one!" When we see that young guy or young gal of our dreams, don't we do the same thing? Don't we want to put our best face forward and impress that person? Aren't we displaying the person we think they want to see in order to attract their attention and move to the courting ritual? Of course we do. But, is that the real you? No! In most cases it's the you you want that other person to see because that's what you think he or she is looking for. If you displayed the real you without the cool clothes, the make-up, the great hair cut or hair style, your brunette hair instead of your colored blond hair and whatever else we use to put on our best face, you might not be noticed.

Then comes the courting game, we call it dating. Once again, if both parties are interested in each other, they will do their best to keep their best face showing and hide any blemishes, actual and figuratively. Then comes the real test by fire, when you peel off the layers of clothing and share a bed together. If you get through the night, what will happen in the morning when the hair is all messed up, the make-up is gone and, well, you both may have morning breath. If you both get past this level, then comes the stress period before the wedding and more of the true you may start to be revealed. Finally, you reach the time when "the honeymoon is over." By this time pretty much most or the entire facade is gone and the real you is pretty evident or at least that which you are relaxed enough to reveal. Although, even at this period, you may both still be doing your best to put forth the best fake you. Amazingly, I've met both men and women, who after 15, 20 and more years, still haven't seen the real life of their mate. And, of course, when the children come along, both mom and dad want their children to see who each parent believes the children want to see, as well as the children's friends, their friends' parents and the teachers at school, dance teachers, little league coaches, etc. So, for all practical intents and purposes, the fake life is still the you that people see and know.

As an example, when my former wife, young son and I belonged to a very active and a bit less conservative Southern Baptist congregation in Annapolis, Maryland, she and I were members of a special Sunday School group that was formed because we were all a bit less than traditional Southern Baptists. It was an interesting, very active and pretty close-knit group of folks. After two or three years something happened that shook us up pretty significantly. One of the couples was a military couple. The husband was a Marine captain who was an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. He was a handsome guy who did the uniform proud. The wife was a very pretty woman (all of us were in the later 30's to 40's age range) with peaches and cream complexion that was contrasted by her dark hair and she was a full-time mother and homemaker. Their two kids, one pre-adolescent and the other an early adolescent, a boy and a girl, were as attractive and well mannered as their parents. Then one Sunday, we saw only the wife and the children in church and the wife was sporting an extremely obvious black eye. Of course, we learned that all these years her husband had been abusing and beating on her in such a way that it never showed. But, the night before he went after the children for the first time and she got between them and him. She called the Shore Patrol and he was taken away to the brig. We never saw any of them again after that Saturday morning. We had never seen or knew the real husband and wife. We only saw their fake lives.

You're Fake Life As You Live It

So, now we've reached the point where the rubber meets the road. How much do you live in your fake life? Do you see yourself as someone you're not? Are you so accustomed to living your fake life since you were a child and through all the other phases of life that you now believe your own public relations? Were you afraid to disappoint your father and/or mother as a child by not living up to their expectations or what you interpreted as their expectations. How often have you met a woman who still acts like a "Tomboy" because her father always wanted a son and never had one and she had to fulfill that requirement to be accepted by him, or worse yet, maybe even then not be accepted by him? Or how about the young boy who just didn't meet up to his mother's expectation that he be a perfect gentleman, the young man she had hoped to marry, but was later disappointed in her choice.

 Perhaps you didn't inherit the genetic cocktail that would result in you being 6'7" and able to leap 9' and slam-dunk a basketball so you could be a star basketball player (or football or baseball, etc.). Perhaps you just weren't cut out to be athletic and were always either left for last or sat out the sandlot ballgames on the sideline, yet you had an above average IQ, an analytical mind and could beat the pants of most others in debating or playing chess, but you didn't because you felt robbed that you couldn't be an athlete. Maybe you really aspired to be a rock or country musician and be part of a popular band, but you just weren't born with the "chops" to cut it in that field. But, through it all, you continued to deny the real you and kept trying to be someone you were not.

The same holds true for women. You thought all the girls with blond hair or red hair were prettier than you so you let that play on your self-esteem and as soon as you could, you became a blond or redhead. Maybe you wanted to be a downhill Olympic skier, but your parents wanted you to be a schoolteacher, get married and produce grandchildren. You developed a love of cars and wanted to take Auto Shop classes to learn to be a mechanic, but the school said girls aren't allowed to take Auto Shop, yet all along you kept telling yourself you'd just have to be what you were "supposed" to be.

So, have you kept living that fake life all these years? Are you in a marriage that isn't exciting and doing things that you've accepted as your fake life because you don't want to see behind the closed door to who and where the real you are? Do you say you're happily married because in your fake life you're trying to believe you're happily married . . . when you're not? Do you tell people you love your job, because you can't accept the real you would be guiding rafting tours down the Colorado River, but that's not going to happen so you just keep living the fake life.

I guess the really big question is - does your fake life make you happy and fulfilled? Or, do you feel like life is empty and you just move from one day to the next expecting nothing more than the day before? I dare say that you are not alone if that's where you are. I believe more people in our society and our world have convinced themselves that their fake lives are their real lives because they don't want to open that door and see whom they really are and what they really want to do. Why?

Change

Terry Gross said it herself during the interview I described with David Russell at the beginning of this article. Terry said she resists change. Terry is not alone. I believe everyone resists change. Yet, change is constant in our lives. Okay, some changes come along and we have no choice, they happen and we accept them, often reluctantly, though sometimes joyfully. However, making changes that only we can make are often very painful. Yet, most often, those who realize that in order to find, realize and accept their real life they have to make extreme decisions, choices and change and the, often painful consequences of those changes.

The list is so long that to enumerate the entire list here would turn this into a book (maybe an idea for a book, huh?). But, here are some that will illustrate the point. We may have to move from our current home to a smaller or larger home. We may have to stop owning a home and rent a place to live. We may have to move from our current location (town, city, state) to another location a significant distance away. We may have to sever our marital relationship. We may have to take our kids out of traditional schooling and home school them. We may have to quit our job, take a pay cut and find the work that is really your life's work. We may have to sell off everything we have, gather all the money we can and start our own business, perhaps in another place or even a foreign country. Do you get the point? Change can be painful, but the results may provide the happiness and fulfillment that has eluded you for your lifetime.

Your Real Life

So, do you know who you really are? What is your real life? Are you courageous enough to open the door, see your real life and who you really are and accept it? And even more important, once you open that door, are you ready, willing and able to manage the changes you'll have to make to realize your real life. Life is short and finding your real life and living that life instead of a fake life that is only make believe can be the very essence of fulfillment. But, as I said, it requires courage, breaking down barriers and all kinds of fake beliefs that you've been perpetuating for decades. I keep breaking down my own barriers, making changes and finding out more about who I really am and I'm liking my real life better then pretty much any of my former fake life. But, I still have more of me to get to know. Good luck with your quest.

Friday Finds #1

This week I've decided to be a "copycat" and implement an idea that I enjoy on another blog. The other blog is written by a 50 year old woman, Lois Field, who is a minimalist and has downsized to 300 square feet of living space. Her blog has a similar title to mine. Hers is "Living Simply Free." Our focus is very different in many ways and similar in a few." Lois also deals with Muscular Dystrophy that she was born with. She calls her regular Friday post "Friday Faves." During the week she collects assorted information and blog posts from others that she really found valuable and shares them with her readers on Friday.

I also find, receive, read and discover all kinds of interesting and useful information throughout the week. I often want to write about much of it, but I simply can't make the time to do it all. So, I'm copying the "Friday Faves" idea and I'm going to begin collecting the information during the week and on Fridays (I know, today is actually Saturday, I have to build this into my schedule) I'm going to post the URL's with a short description of what the piece is about. I'm calling my series "Friday Finds." I'll share what I find with you and if you're interested you can go to the sites yourself and read or view the info.

I hope you find this useful. I certainly have and I wish I had thought of copying the idea sooner. A lot of really great info has passed and you haven't benefited from it.

This first week will be fairly short as far as URL's to check out, however, I received an interesting email from an old college friend about the human body. It's long, but it's basically in numbered bullet points. I learned some amazing things about this aging hulk I'm using to haul my essence around.

But, first, here are some Web sites I hope you'll find useful, if not fascinating in some cases.

Using Amazon Price-Matching to Save Money While Shopping       

This information was posted by Trent on his "The Simple Dollar" blog. Since we're now officially in the holiday season and one of my 12 Steps for Living Free is economizing, this is some excellent information. I can't say how much you'll save, but becoming a more savvy shopper and using tips and technology like this can help make your holiday season (and any time during the year, realistically) a more  joyful time for all. You save money and can either save some money or stretch what money you have in your holiday budget a lot further.

Eighty-Six Your Clutter   

Courtney Carver is an expert in doing more and being more with less. She writes the "Be More With Less" blog. In this post she describes a formula she uses for decluttering. You can use this in your home, apartment, office, garage or any other space you occupy. In this post, Courtney has a load of tips on freeing up more space and reducing stress by eliminating stuff you don't need. It's really amazing how some of these ideas are.

Just ForToday

Marelisa Fabrega is the author of the "Daring To Live Fully" blog and always has some interesting concepts on doing just that. In this post she describes how we can live fuller, happier lives just doing something for today. Often when we look at a job, project, book or other challenge we may face in life, we'll take a negative approach and decide we can't do something. Marelisa shows you how you can do it, "just for today."

So, there are three interesting blog posts that I believe you'll find useful in your daily lives and especially in your pursuit of living free and happier. These are just starters. As I get more organized, I'll be providing more and more useful information in this series.

Now, as promised earlier, here is the article my friend emailed me. I found some of it very fascinating.

50 facts about your body....

      

The Human Body is a treasure trove of mysteries, one that still confounds        doctors and scientists about the details of its working. It's not an  overstatement to say that every part of your body is a miracle.

Here are fifty facts about your body, some of which will leave you stunned...or... 

1. It's possible for your body to survive without a surprisingly large fraction of its internal organs.   Even if you lose your stomach, your spleen, 75% of your liver, 80% of your intestines, one kidney, one lung, and virtually every organ from your pelvic and groin area, you wouldn't be very healthy, but you would live. 

2. During your lifetime, you will produce enough saliva to fill two swimming pools. Actually, Saliva is more important than you realize. If your saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it. 

3. The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm. The egg is actually the only cell in the body that is visible by the naked eye. 

4. The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue and the hardest bone is the jawbone. 

5. Human feet have 52 bones, accounting for one quarter of all the human body's bones. 

6. Feet have 500,000 sweat glands and can produce more than a pint of sweat a  day. 

7. The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razor blades. The reason it doesn't  eat away at your stomach is that the cells of your stomach wall renew themselves so frequently that you get a new stomach lining every three to four days. 

8. The human lungs contain approximately 2,400 kilometers (1,500 mi) of airways and 300  to 500 million hollow cavities, having a total surface area of about 70 square meters, roughly  the same area as one side of a tennis court.   Furthermore, if all of the capillaries that surround the lung cavities were unwound and laid end to end, they would extend for about 992 kilometers. Also, your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make  room for your heart. 

9. Sneezes regularly exceed 100 mph, while coughs clock in at about 60        mph. 

10. Your body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil. 

11. Your body has enough iron in it to make a nail 3 inches long.  

12. Earwax production is necessary for good ear health.  It protects the delicate inner ear from bacteria, fungus, dirt and even insects. It also cleans and lubricates the ear canal. 

13. Everyone has a unique smell, except for identical twins, who smell the        same. 

14. Your teeth start growing 6 months before you are born. This is why one out of every 2,000 newborn infants has a tooth when they are born  

15. A baby's head is one-quarter of its total length, but by the age of  25 will only be one-eighth of its total length. This is because people's heads grow at a much slower rate than the rest of their bodies.  

16. Babies are born with 300 bones, but by adulthood the number is reduced to 206. Some of the bones, like skull bones, get fused into each other, bringing down the total number. 

17. It's not possible to tickle yourself. This is because when you attempt to tickle yourself you are totally aware of the exact time and manner in which the tickling will occur, unlike when someone else tickles you.  

18. Less than one third of the human race has 20-20 vision. This means that two out of three people cannot see perfectly. 

19. Your nose can remember 50,000 different scents. But if you are a woman, you are a better smeller than men, and will remain a better smeller throughout your life. 

20.The human body is estimated to have 60,000 miles of blood vessels.  

21. The three things pregnant women dream most of during their first trimester are frogs, worms and potted plants. Scientists have no idea why this is so, but attribute it to the growing imbalance of hormones in the body during pregnancy. 

22. The life span of a human hair is 3 to 7 years on average. Every day the average person loses 60-100 strands of hair. But don't worry, you must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs before it is apparent to anyone.  

23.The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as an encyclopedia. 

Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream, and is itself made up of 80% water. Though it interprets pain signals from the rest of the body, the brain itself cannot feel pain. 

24. The tooth is the only part of the human body that can't repair itself.  

25. Your eyes are always the same size from birth but your nose and ears never stop growing. 

26. By 60 years of age, 60% of men and 40% of women will snore.  

27. We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening, because during normal activities during the day, the cartilage in our knees and other areas slowly compress. 

28. The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb, even while you are sleeping. In fact, the brain is much more active at night than during the day. 

29. Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 170 miles per hour. Neurons continue to grow throughout human life. Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons. 

30. It is a fact that people who dream more often and more vividly, on an average have a higher Intelligence  Quotient. 

31. The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger. 

32. Facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body. This is true for men as well as women. 

33. There are as many hairs per square inch on your body as a chimpanzee.  

34. A human fetus acquires fingerprints at the age of three months.  

35.By the age of 60, most people will have lost about half their taste buds.  

36.  About 32 million bacteria call every inch of your skin home. But don't worry, a majority of these are harmless or even helpful bacteria.  

37. The colder the room you sleep in, the higher the chances are that you'll have a bad dream. 

38. Human lips have a reddish color because of the great concentration of tiny capillaries just below the skin. 

39.Three hundred million cells die in the human body every minute.  

40. Like fingerprints, every individual has an unique tongue print that can be used for identification. 

41. A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it has been decapitated. 

42. It takes 17 muscles to smile and 43 to frown. 

43. Humans can make do longer without food than sleep.  Provided there is water, the average human could survive a month to two months without food depending on their body fat and other factors.  Sleep deprived people, however, start experiencing radical personality and psychological changes after only a few sleepless days. The longest recorded time anyone has ever gone without sleep is 11 days, at the end of which the experimenter was awake, but stumbled over words, hallucinated and frequently forgot what he was doing. 

44.The most common blood type in the world is Type O. The rarest blood type, A-H or Bombay blood, due to the location of its discovery, has been found in fewer than hundred people since it was discovered 

45. Every human spent about half an hour after being conceived, as a single cell. Shortly afterward, the cells begin rapidly dividing and begin forming the components of a tiny embryo. 

46. Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do. 

47. Your ears secrete more earwax when you are afraid than when you aren't. 

48. Koalas and primates are the only animals with unique fingerprints.  

49. Humans are the only animals to produce emotional tears.  

50. The human heart creates enough pressure to squirt blood 30 feet in the air. 

51.  Here is one more amazing thing the human body can do:  If you remove half of your liver, it will grow back to the same size (it has memory) within 4 to 6 weeks.  And, if they removed half, part of your liver is  transplanted into another person, that half a liver will grow back to the same size as the donors liver in 6 to 8 weeks in the recipient. 

Surprise! You actually had a bonus, a 51st fact you probably didn't know. I hope you gained a useful idea somewhere in this batch of information. Next week I'll expand the offering. Let me know what you think.

Five Great Regrets

Sometimes inspiration just jumps up and smacks you in the face, like this morning. I've been working on ideas for posts on "Conspicuous Consumption," "To Be Free or Not To Be Free," "Extravagant Frugality" and "Positivism vs. Negativism." Yes! I often am working on more than one idea at a time for posts. This morning as I was glancing over my email on my smartphone before jumping out of the sack (I get a lot of reading done very early this way), I noted a post on one of the Vandwelling forums I'm active on from my, yet to meet in-person, friend, VWRob. Rob travels these United States in his version of a van. Well, from what I can gather, it's actually a motorhome, but vandwelling is as much about philosophy and attitude as it is about the kind of vehicle one chooses to enjoy the lifestyle with. Rob is also a Living Free reader and offers excellent thoughts to me from time to time.

This morning, he included a link to a Facebook post from a nurse who has spent part of her recent career (and may still be) caring for those individuals facing the end of life, typically within a relatively short period of time, like weeks. Here's the direct link if you're interested in looking at it yourself: http://bit.ly/1i4qxb2. Thanks for the inspiration, Rob.

Regrets 

The dictionary says that a regret is a feeling of sadness or disappointment about something that you did or did not do. Now, I don't think I've actually every met someone who hasn't expressed some kind of regrets at one time or another. We all do things we regret doing after the fact or have missed opportunities to do one or more things and we live to regret it. So, it's not like any of us are unfamiliar with the word, the manifestation or the feeling of regret.

But, why do we have these regrets? It's because everything we do in life is about choices. The only things we have no choice over are the involuntary functions of our mind and body. Everything else, even as simple as getting out of bed (or not) when we wake up, whether we will eat and what we will eat, to when and if we'll go to bed at the end of the day is a choice. It's likely we'll experience one or (most likely) more regrets everyday. We ordered the hamburger, but when you smelled the chicken sandwich someone near you was eating, you regretted not getting the chicken sandwich. That's a pretty simple example. But, it could be that you never made your true feelings known to that gal or guy you went to the college or high school prom with and you later realized that you missed the person you should have been spending your life with. Or, you studied in college or vocational or technical school and after completing your studies and receiving your degree or certification, you realized that what you spent the time learning is not what you really want to do with your life. The list of regrets can go on forever.

Here's the reality, some regrets are benign and will be forgotten quickly as a new day begins. Others are more important and may be with you for a lifetime. The regrets expressed by the dying patients to the nurse from this article are probably the worst kind. They are the regrets that you will go to your grave with and no longer have the opportunity to change the course of your life to alleviate the sting of these regrets. I'm calling them Five Great Regrets. It was these regrets, though I hadn't actually articulated them or even realized they were motivating forces, that were the major reasons I made the dramatic and, to some people, drastic change in my life and lifestyle in 2008. Five years earlier I dealt with my own mortality when I dealt with the prostate cancer I was diagnosed with. I took time for myself that year and realized that life wasn't as serious as I had been making it all my life. I was committed and driven. I, subconsciously, believed that I was going to change the world through my entrepreneurial endeavors. The bottom line finally began to hit home. A very tiny, fraction of a fraction of the people who have, do and will walk on this planet will make those Earth changing contributions. If I were destined to be one of them, then something should have already have manifest itself. Now, that's not to say that I may still make an Earth changing contribution between now and the time I take my last breath. I'm a firm believer in saying, "never say never." But, now I'm focused on not having to face these Five Great Regrets (or at least all of them) when it's my time to go.

So here they are as reported by the nurse, Sina Anvari

Five Great Regrets

#1. Wishing one had the courage to live a life true to himself or herself instead of living the life others expected of them.

This seems to be the biggest regret of all those reported. I've quoted Shakespeare several times in this blog, specifically from Hamlet, "To thine own self be true . . ." What amazes me, as I think about this, is that this is not a new discovery or some modern revelation. Shakespeare was speaking about this some 500 years ago. And, if you search back, you'll find references going back to the ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese philosophers among others.

The biggest part of this regret was that most people die having not lived out even half of their dreams. I dare say that a large percentage of those lived out only a very small number of their dreams. Instead, they lived up to the expectation of others including parents, siblings, spouses and, yes, even offspring. I always refer to all those who know what's right for you as the "Committee of They." They know better. They may not know your dreams, but even if they do know them, they will make sure you know that your dreams are impractical or unrealistic.

The worst part seems to be when the individuals realize that they have this regret because of their own choices. I can completely relate to this because I can recall any number of choices that I've made that actually curtailed my personal dreams. What's even worse is when you do follow your dreams and heart and then feel guilty because others feel you didn't respect their advice or wishes.

#2.  Wishing one hadn't worked so hard.

Wow! This is a real guilt trip. We of the Greatest Generation and the Baby Boomer Generation were taught and had it drilled into us that hard work would insure us of success in life - at least, at some level. Think about it. We nominally have a 40-hour workweek. Add roughly an hour for lunch and a couple breaks and between a half hour and an hour a day each way for commuting to and from work. On the five-day workweek schedule, that accounts, nominally, for 60 hours a week. Deduct another 45 hours for rest/sleep and now 105 hours of our week are gone. That leaves approximately 63 hours and 35 of those are the balance of the weekend. So, there are approximately 5.5 hours per day to spend time with the kids and spouse, prepare and eat meals, help with homework and get ready for work in the morning. Of course, the weekend is typically spent taking care of laundry, cleaning the house, fixing the house and car, shopping and other utilitarian things. Viola! There goes another week.

After spending about 40 years of my life in business working 10 to 16 hour days, six and seven days a week, seldom taking any recreational time off, I really understand what this is all about. Now, in my case, I did make a choice to work from my home for all but about ten years of my life. I did that so I could be around for my son and spend time with my wife. Of course, she worked about as hard as I did since we both worked together in our businesses. So, for me, this regret will be a little less than for others.

But, really, were we really blessed with the bounty of this planet and all the beauty it offers and given a finite amount of time, more for some, less for others - just to work most of that time away? I think not. There's something wrong with the picture and this model.

#3. Wishing one had the courage to express one's feelings.

This is another big one. I don't know why we have so much trouble telling each other we love each other - sincerely. Or I guess, if we're being honest and expressing our feelings, we should be able to tell someone that we dislike or despise them, do or don't agree with them, accept or reject their philosophies or whatever it might be. Actually, many people may shorten their lives or endure illnesses of various kinds due to carrying around unresolved resentments and bitterness throughout, what can often end up being, the majority of their lifetimes.

So, instead of carrying that burden, why can't we simply be honest with those we have unresolved issues with? Sure, it is going to change the relationship, most likely, but maybe that's what should be. Either opening doors of honesty can develop new levels of trust, respect and appreciation for one another or, maybe, it will just end a relationship that's been toxic for too long and is poisoning you and shortening your life. It's too late to find out on your deathbed.

#4. Wishing one had stayed in touch with his or her friends.

How often do you find yourself going through old photos or yearbooks or letters or memorabilia and recalling memories of old friends and great times? Well, I'll tell you, now that I'm considered a "senior citizen," I find myself doing this fairly frequently. I might be traveling through a town I haven't been to in decades. Perhaps, as I did recently, one will return home to a hometown that was left behind decades before. As you drive past your own homes and those of your friends from childhood, school, church or other religious institution, college, restaurants, movie theaters, etc., what memories arise? Do you remember the people you hung out with, the guys or gals you dated, the sporting events, movies, church retreats, etc.? Whatever happened to all those people?

Okay, with the Internet and services like Facebook, Google+ and even LinkedIn, to mention a few, you may be able to reconnect with some of these old friends. Perhaps, some were very close friends. Others may have simply been part of the group you hung out with. All these years have gone by. You know what's happened in your life. In most cases, it's been an eventful life you couldn't have imagined when you knew these people. But, what's happened in their lives. I have one friend I was in the Air Force with in San Antonio, Texas. I left Texas for my assignment in Washington, DC. My friend was first assigned to Thailand and then to Korea. We kept in contact by letter for a year or so. Then we went our ways and on with our lives. Interestingly, both of us wondered whatever happened to the other. Then, a quarter century later, with the help of a new thing called the Internet, we reconnected. It turns out we'd only been separated by distances of between 35 to 70 miles all those years. Since we reconnected in 1996 we've been there for each other, helped each other through many life challenges, have traveled around the U.S. and some international places and we just count on each other being there through good times and bad.

I've been reconnecting with many old friends over the past few years. Some were high school, college and graduate school friends. Some worked for me as employees. Some were business partners. The list of connections and friendships from a lifetime is very long. It doesn't take much to do some searching and hopefully locate them through the various Internet services now available. Drop a card in the old snail mail if you can't find an email address, but have a street address. Send an email if they do have an email address. Connect with them on the social networks. Pick up the phone and call them and just chat for a while. Don't wait until it's too late and regret it. One of my high school buddies whose email address I had and had planned to connect one day, died rather suddenly at age 65 a couple months before he planned to retire at 66. I now regret that I never made the effort to contact him.

#5. Wishing one had allowed himself or herself be happier.

This is very common according to the nurse who wrote the article. And, I guess you could say that I've harped on this being happy idea for several years on the blog. As the nurse pointed out and so have I, happiness is a choice we can all make. It's a state of mind, an attitude, if you will. Why do so many people wait so long to realize this and then regret they hadn't spent most of their lives happy? Why do we feel we must be like Job from the book of Job in the Bible? Why do we feel like we have to carry the burdens of the world on our shoulders? If our brother or sister or adult children or living, aged parents or close friends or professional co-workers or employees or employers are unhappy, why do we feel we have to carry all, part or any of their burden? Lots of questions here, but this is what so many of us do, I dare say, for at least part of our lifetime, if not most of it.

Believe me when I tell you, you and I cannot, let me add emphasis to that - CANNOT - make anyone else happy. Everyone has their own lot in life and their own burdens to bear. Money doesn't solve it. Taking the responsibility for someone else's actions does not solve it. We can try our hardest to show others the answers, solutions, alternate routes or whatever to their ultimate happiness, but if the individual chooses to remain in their own situation, muck and mire, you and I will not make them happy. And, certainly, by us putting on our own sack cloth and ashes and being miserable (as the saying goes, misery loves company) we don't do anything to change their attitude or state of mind, we're simply making twice as many people miserable and unhappy.

Interestingly, some of the happiest people are those with the least amount of money and material possessions. Once they accept what they actually have and choose to be happy about what they do have, they change their attitude and state of mind. On the other hand, those who have very large amounts of money, even fortunes and material possessions, often are some of the unhappiest people because they have all kinds of concerns and worries about what they have, keeping it and getting more. I still don't get people who use drugs, alcohol, shopping, eating, gambling and other addictions to numb their unhappy state. None of these things will provide happiness, only misery down the road. And, I'm sorry. I refuse to consider any of these things "diseases." You don't get an alcohol or drug or gambling - name your addiction - bacteria or virus. You make a conscious choice to partake in this dangerous game. Few win, many lose, many hurt or destroy other lives and then they want society to fix them because they are "sick." Wrong and I don't care what the AMA or American Psychological Association says.

BE HAPPY - NOW! Don't wait until you're lying there thinking of all the things you allowed to pass you by and regret it now. Simply make a decision to be happy. Think happy thoughts. Stop watching the news. Stop listening to all the political claptrap. Don't take life or yourself seriously. Don't bear your employer's burdens - if you choose to work for someone else (yes, it's another choice), do it joyfully and do the best job you can, but don't take on the employer's responsibility. That's his or her choice. Life is way, way too short (and some have it cut off very prematurely) to not be happy most of the time. It's an attitude, a state of mind and YOUR CHOICE!

So, there you have it. My take on Five Great Regrets. Everyone will have some regrets when they die. There are some things that it's just too late to do anything about, even now. And, please, if you haven't realized it, understand that virtually everyone dies with "unfinished business." But, why not make your death bed regrets small ones and work on eliminating these Five Great Regrets now while you still have, hopefully, plenty of time. 

Life Editing

Today I received a link from someone on one of the several Yahoo Groups I participate on. I learned an interesting new phrase, "Life Editing."

Most of those of us who are taking steps toward living freer and happier are familiar with the term and process called downsizing. But, Graham Hill, in this TED Talk, introduced me to the term Life Editing. Watch the short video and then pick-up the rest of my thoughts after you've listened to Graham. Here's the link to his TED Talk.

Watch Video Now!

Okay, I hope you've watched the Graham Hill TED Talk. I found it to be very inspirational. Sure, I'm in the third half of my life and Graham Hill appears to still be in the first third of his life, but he gets it, already. We live in a very different and complicated world than the world I grew up in. Life was still pretty simple and the post World War II economy was booming. Of course, there were societal problems and there was government controversy, but it was still a gentler, kinder time. Most of our products were still made in the United States back then.

Today's world is so complex. As Graham pointed out, our homes have expanded to three times the size they were when I was growing up. There is more stuff to fill those homes, so much stuff that we've birthed a new $22 billion industry, the 2.2 billion square foot self-storage business. Of course, so many of the products we used to make at home are now made overseas in the countries that we used to say made junk. News is instantaneous 24/7, 365. Cost of just about everything increases while our incomes have stagnated for decades. We owe trillions and trillions in mortgages, car loans, credit card debt, student debt and payday loans. Our governments (federal, state and local) spawn new controversies and scandals as fast as rabbits multiply.

We're blessed and cursed with fantastic new technology that makes our lives easier and at the same time more complicated and stressful. Supermarkets that once had hundreds of products now have 50,000 products or more. It seems the mantra of the last several decades has been "less is never enough, more, much more, is way better."

I Relate

I relate to the points that Hill made in his talk. I know exactly what is in that box he was sitting on. I moved that box (times 30 or 40) many times myself. But, even worse, I paid people to move the box(es) for me. And worse, yet - I stored the box(es) in too much of those 2.2 billion square feet of self-storage space. I still have some of those shirts he displayed and other stuff that I no longer have any use for, as well.

After viewing the video a couple more times it dawned on me that in order to live freer and happier I had to focus even more than ever before. The BIG downsize that I did toward the end of 2008 was one of the most stressful experiences of my life. But, the stuff that left my possession as a result of that effort only left the things behind that were more difficult to part with either for sentimental reasons or because they were more esoteric. So, that means paying to store stuff that I know has to go. I'm more ready than ever to get rid of the rest of the "stuff." I haven't needed any of it or even looked for it. Just like Graham Hill's box, I haven't opened the box, either.

Life Editing Expanded

The basic premise that Graham made about life editing equated mainly to the 5th step of my 12 Steps for Living Free, "downsizing." But, in expanding my thinking about the term "live editing," I found that it really is all encompassing. I thought about how "life editing" is really an active process for each of my 12 Steps. Look at it like this:

Step#1 Dreams and Reality - isn't it a constant process of evaluating and "editing" what our dreams are and what our realities are?

Step#2 Self-discovering - isn't self-discovery an editing process of learning about ourselves and focusing on our strengths and downplaying our inadequacies?

Step #3 Taking a Personal Inventory - don't we constantly remember and edit our talents, skills and experience we can apply to our future life, while setting as aside those that no longer apply?

Step #4 Simplifying - once we've determined that our lives are too complicated don't we begin editing out all those things that take extra time, create stress and in general hold us back/

Step #5 Downsizing - not much more to say about this, it's pretty obvious from the video

Step #6 Economizing - economizing, being thrifty, living frugally seem to be buzzwords these days, but isn't it another editing process to determine what we really need to spend our hard earned money on and what just isn't important?

Step #7 Avocations & Vocations - the editing process here is pretty clear, determine what you like to do and what you don't like to do, coordinate that with Step #6 and do what you love, the "required" money will follow.

Step #8 Relationships - Perhaps this part of our lives may be harder to edit when we're very young since we want to be popular and accepted, but it becomes easier to edit when you get older because you realize your time is growing shorter and you want to spend time with those people who really matter, those you really care about and who really care about you.

Step #9 Making Amends - what a great editing process, making amends to someone you hurt or offended and relieving yourself of the energy consuming guilt. Letting go of the pain and grudges you may carry against those who may have hurt or offended you is also a huge relief.

Step #10 Giving - how one edits the process of giving depends on your definition of giving - do you give of your time or money or talent? Edit the things that don't provide you with a level of joy and fulfillment so that you can focus more giving energy on those that do. Never allow yourself to feel guilty because you don't choose to give to everything or something that others think you should. We all have a place in the puzzle.

Step #11 Spirituality - How do you edit your spirituality? Well, remember, most of us brought up in some form of organized religion assumed a certain mantle of guilt from the dogma of that religion. But, to be a spiritual person or even to believe in a personal relationship with God or the universe doesn't require connecting to or adhering to any organized group. The editing process requires you to find your own truths and follow them to your satisfaction and on one else's.

Step #12 Creating Your Life List - this is probably the most fun and fulfilling life editing process of all. You get to make the list. You get to cross off everything you accomplish on the list. You get to drop things off the list and add new things to the list when your thinking, attitude, philosophy or any other significant reason appears. You get to edit your future life in real time.

Right To Return

The best thing about living free is that in many situations you have the right to return. Return where? You can return to any of the 12 Steps. You can return to Graham Hill's TED Talk video and watch it again to refresh your thinking about what you're doing. You don't have to do what he's doing, but look at the creativity he displayed in making a very comfortable and inviting living space out of only 420 square feet. Many people who are reading this are living in motorhomes and other forms of RV's. Many are living in vans or even cars and SUV's. These are spaces that may range from 20 square feet or so to maybe up to Graham Hill's 420 square feet. Those who live in vans typically have between 50 and 60 square feet. Some may be in one room efficiency or studio apartments or condos. While others may be following the "Tiny House" trend.

The point is there is no right way or wrong way for anyone. It's always about how your shoe fits you. It doesn't matter what anyone else has or how much space they need or whether they have a California King bed or a fold down Murphy bed. It doesn't matter if they require a four-burner stove with a full-sized oven or a hot plate, rice cooker and a small microwave oven. What matters is what fits you. And, remember, if your thinking, attitudes and philosophies change in six months, a year or five years, you have the "right to return" to do some more life editing and make whatever changes you choose and are right for you at that specific time.

And why not try lots of different things? I've comfortably lived in a one-room efficiency apartment and I've lived in a 5,000 square foot house with more than 14 rooms, 3 1/2 bathrooms, storage space and a three-car garage. I've lived on mountains, I've lived on a lake, I've lived in a townhouse community and I've lived on a 50-acre horse ranch. Each experience was fulfilling, but when it was time to move on, I did. And the few times when I didn't move on when I should have, it took my energy level down, created depressive moods, reduced my creativity and in general, I was not at peace with myself, not feeling free and not very happy. Change is the only constant we can count on, so embrace it and allow it to set you free. Edit your life whenever you feel the urge.

Let me know what you think and how you may be able to apply this life editing process in your specific life and lifestyle.