How to achieve success by being mediocre

Many people set their goals so lofty that they are unattainable. Even small businesses, they don't all set out to be Fortune 500 companies, but many are successful by being among the Fortune 5000 or even 1 million. Instead of setting oneself for failure, we all can achieve some measurable success by going for incremental goals. We don't have to be the best, we can win just by being slightly better than one's competition.

Someone sent me an interesting article a few days ago, it talked about how if we just invest $350 per month, with a compound interest of 8% for 35 years, we can become millionaires in 35 years. Granted, a millionaire in 35 years isn't that big of a deal, but it'll still be better than slaving at a job that one doesn't like. So instead of trying to be rich by scamming one's friends/colleagues/chumps, people can live a relatively comfortable and happy life by setting up a budget with allocation for savings and investments. We don't have to have the millionaire mindset, we just have to be realistic; we have to focus on actions that are doable and goals that are achievable.

When I first started this blog, I just needed a place to vent because of so much insanity and stupidity that I allowed into my life. There were so many that jumped on the blogging bandwagon in the local scene, several thought that they will become some multi-state / international conglomerate by taking over the world, it has been nearly 1.5 years, I think this is the only surviving blog. I don't have to write well or to come up with some grandiose ideas, just with a little bit more passion, persistence, and consistency. My blog has not been about being about the best or better than anyone else, I try to focus on what is probable than what is possible.

Just as I didn't set out to be where I am today professionally, all I did was directing my focus on getting things done, going the distance, and doing what is required. Sure, I was slightly better now and then, but I certainly have never been the winner all the time, just sometimes. I'm sure there are so many that fell by the wayside because their goals were not about themselves but to be better than everyone else, to be the best, by going after others or tearing down others.

This came up in my conversation with a friend last night, he was telling me that he worked at his job for nearly a decade, he is not the CEO, but with his company undergoing downsizing, his job is quite secure while earning a relatively stable and comfortable income. But the friend he went to school with, she has been struggling, hustling for over a decade, she is where she was then. That's the thing about people who aim too high, reach too far, there are countless stories of failure, the only reason we don't ever get to read or hear about them is because we are so obsessed with the few success stories.

Instead of failing to become among the winner, or be among companies that make billions, we can be just as successful AND happy by making millions, or even just a few thousands per month.

Going online and off the wagon to find love

Most people live a very mundane periodic Groundhog Day existence. That's why so many find ways to escape. They can range from going on vacation, getting drunk/high, taking workshops/seminars, to going online; these are just various forms of spicing up their lives.

I recently had a discussion with a friend about the popularity of Eckhart Tolle, Oprah, self-improvement, wealth-building seminars, seduction workshops, to reading blogs like this one. This goes back to our inherent biological drive for novelty, to find something new, to be different, and to be that special unique snowflake. Day in and day out, most of us pretty much repeat the same activities/tasks everyday. On the one hand, we find comfort in doing the habitual, but on the other, we also have this deep seated yearning for something different, and may be it's better. Are there more to life than just this?!

Some seek answers in spirituality, others in religions, and many more in certain sets of beliefs. If I can trace this phenomenon to one thing, it's another of our biological drive, that we are, after all, pack/herd animals. So we often participate what is already out there rather than creating something unique. That's why, at a fundamental level, almost all activities in life are about popularity, winning the approval of the group. And for many people, when they have failed to win that approval, whether the love that one desired to being the popular person that everyone talks about, they often turn to other ways to fulfill that need. Many engage in chemical means of escaping, e.g. alcohol, narcotics,... to go into state that is free from the current reality and to absolve responsibilities from one's behaviors and conduct. This is why women drink to have fun and of course, to hook up with random strangers. Almost every culture has a way of allowing this: alcohol, smoking, dances,...

What drove me to blog about this was another article about how people are now finding love online. Then I thought, being online, this activity is yet another way for people to escape. This is why it's proliferating so quickly. So instead of dragging ourselves to go out, people are getting online to get their fixes. This would include finding that special someone. Someone who will appreciate us, someone who gets us, someone who we can relate to and have this amazing connection with.

The reality is that we are just satisfying two biological needs. Our desires to be popular, to seek approval, and for something new, something different.

5 tips from the check forger himself

Most computer/net savvy people probably don't use/write checks anymore... but if you do, here are 5 ways to avoid being a check-fraud victim.

We don't value what is free

That is just horseshit. Another favorite that I get from idiots is, "You get what you paid for." There are so many brainwashed dumb asses out who have bought into the marketing speaks. Is everything free bad? Do people truly don't value what is free?!

We don't have to look far away or to imagine something hypothetical. The two most influential persons in our lives, they gave us advice for free, they might even have fed us, and raised us to be who we are today. For most of us, these two individuals might have even biologically conceived us and gave us life. Guess what, they did all that for free. Are they useless? Do we NOT value their advice?!

There are always exceptions. But in a world that is flooded with marketing bullshit and everyone seems to be brainwashed to believe that free is bad and we don't value "stuff" unless we have paid for them. I'm sure I'm not the first, but I'll have to call bullshit on it.

Although I don't have experience with prostitutes/escorts, but from what I gathered, the best sex that people can have is still free... not necessarily with your typical Spitzer girl. So, stop drinking the Kool-Aid, and wake the fuck up!

Seriously, next time I hear someone promulgate that bullshit, I will send that dumbass to meet Ayn Rand. Another parasite on society that I wouldn't want to touch with a ten-foot pole, even when she was alive. That woman has done more harm to this world than Microsoft. She created a generation of secret admirers who are destroying our countries today. Before anyone label me a pinko-communist, seriously examine the miserable existence of Ayn Rand and tell me we can learn from her. Furthermore, I have yet to meet a decent human being who admires her. If you have or think you are a decent human being who also admires her, step up and prove me wrong...

"Oh, I met this great girl last night, you should meet her!"

"Oh yeah? Is she crazy?" That should be the default answer. If there's one symptom that we can ascribe to being creepy, i.e. being needy or falling for every bait someone throws out. Another good response is, "Is she hot?"

Quite often, I see people fall for every little breadcrumb that someone else dropped. Instead of being at the mercy of what someone else does, people would appear much less needy, hence, less likely to come across as creepy, if they stand back a little bit, and start from the evaluator frame. We should have some standards and not be subjected to the whims of others.

Girls who are used to being chased or guys who have choices with women tend drop hints and bait others into these traps. The world would be a simpler and nicer (but a boring) place if people don't play games. The reality is that people enjoy the whole cat-and-mouse game of chasing and getting chased... it's what normal people call flirting in the dating scene, people in business call negotiation, and what your parents call arguing. But of course, if gurus didn't have a name for these behaviors, e.g. "banter" "negging" "push-pull", they wouldn't be able to sell their workshops. In fact, give something a name, brand it, and then you too can market it.

Lawl!

This is laugh-out-loud funny!

Stuff people like

When people get together, they want to be reinforced and be validated for their characters and their beliefs. That's how I pissed off some readers here because I blogged about "stuff" that contradicts or challenges their whole world view. Case in point, the whole American dream idea, that anybody can be somebody if they work hard enough and all they need is more self-improvement. Or worst yet, they can learn to smooth talk and hustle people if they can just acquire the skills, be that through books, seminars, workshops, bootcamps, or some silly monthly subscription. The reality is that there are very few smart people in this world, only a few will emerge as leaders, and even rarer are those who can hustle, i.e. bypassing the traditional routes to success; the majority of the world is filled with your average joe's and followers, i.e. losers.

Instead of keep beating people's heads about those depressive subjects and trying to convince them to see reality objectively, this blog and its companion book are great in giving us a glimpse of one particular ethnic group in America likes and talks about! It has been an endless source of discussion for myself, friends, and more times than I can count, strangers. If only people are less predictable, then I don't feel as though I can mess with them like a kid could with his pet hamsters.

Let's compile ethnic profiles for different groups in America: white people, blacks, urban, asians, hispanics, catholics, gays,...

Self delusion and the Secret

Someone sent this to me and I started seeing the similarity between it and the Secret.

Briefly, the article says that conservatives tend to be happier because they find ways to rationalize for the way things are rather than start with the premise of things are wrong and they must be improved. In many ways, I see this as "The Secret." The secret is really about reframing one's perception and thus, changing our interpretation of what we observe. Instead of seeing reality, say you accidentally lose a leg, which happens quite a bit to many children (and adults) around the world in many war-torn countries. Oh, I didn't lose a leg, I lost some weight! Actually, for those religious conservatives, they would see this as god's will. What's more, they interpret this as god's way of testing their faith, and so they have to step up to meet that challenge!

Is this a good way to view life? Or is it our duty to correct their self-delusion? I personally don't see a problem with it, diversity in opinion is a good thing and if this is how some people find peace and comfort in order to accept their station in life, why not?!

Hunger and lack of sleep

Due to some recent changes in my life, I am working more than usual, which isn't that much! I notice that in sleeping less, I've been eating more. Sometimes I wonder if what I read / learn also affect how I am.

There's a growing corpus of literature that shows that appetite inducing hormone, ghrelin, is not only fluctuating throughout a 24h period, but it also increased due to lack of sleep. This was reported awhile back and my recent lack of sleep has also increased my appetite. Is this real or am I buying into the hype?

Another line of evidence that shows the importance of ghrelin is in patients who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Not only do these patients have decrease ghrelin, but they also have increased release of GLP-1. Although not a direct antagonist to ghrelin, GLP-1 increases insulin secretion and thus, lowering blood sugar while suppressing appetite. Intriguing eh?!

The malaise

I didn't realize how bad things are out there until I went out to spend my economic stimulus check like any (mindless) patriotic American should be doing. That's when I discover that fashion is so blah and entertainment sucks. Seriously, think back, what was the last good movie you saw in the theater? Juno?! And fashion, it looks like we have finally ran out of ways to put stripes together for collar shirts. I suspect the war we are fighting is draining our creative energy.

We should be grateful for the war, for sending young Americans to die for nothing. That's right, we are fighting over there, so we can pay more for gas here. I'll go back to pursuing my American dream... knock me out and let me dream.