by w@dmind | Aug 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
My son has a pair of nasty blue shorts he calls his “energy shorts.”
I don’t know how this started, but (he claims) when he puts them on it gives him Great Energy that requires him to run around and ping off the walls like an idiot… which he is… because he’s 11.
I have been thinking a lot about energy lately, and if you have been in to see me you are probably sick of hearing about it.
Here is a bit of physics: (now hang with me, I am not going to get all college math on you. I don’t like that stuff either.)
The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energycan only be transferred or changed from one form to another.
If this is true; then why do we “run out of energy?” If energy cannot be created nor destroyed we can’t run out of energy.
We all know if we don’t get enough sleep, eat right and manage our stress we have “less energy” the next day. Don’t believe me? Stay up until 2 AM, drink a two-liter jug of Mountain Dew, eat a bag of Doritos and a box of donuts and lets see how zippy you feel in the morning.
So where did all your energy go? Well, maybe it didn’t go anywhere. Maybe it just changed forms. After all, the law states that energy can change forms. So maybe it changed from a positive, well-rested and optimistic type of energy to a negative, over-tired and pessimistic type of energy. It’s still there, it’s just not in the form that is most beneficial to us.
Scott Adams is a cartoonist and the creator of Dilbert. He also has written a number of books. He is a man of strong opinions (check out his blog) and I don’t agree with everything writes. But I do like what he has to say about energy.
From his book How to fail at pretty much everything and still win big; Adams writes: “Energy is a simple word that captures a mind-boggling array of complicated happenings. For our purposes I’ll define your personal energy as anything that gives you a positive lift, either mentally or physically.”
I tend to agree with Adams. Particularly when he talks about energy killers. You know, those activities or events that instantly make you feel exhausted. For me, it’s clothes shopping (a painful event that makes me want to go lie down in the car.) My wife, on the other hand, seems to get energized when she is prowling the mall. This is dangerous on a number of levels – mostly money related.
So what do we do here? Every day we are pushed and pulled from the moment we get up until we go to bed. Our energy is under constant assault.
Adams says, “The way I approach the problem of multiple priorities is by focusing on one main metric: my energy. I make choices to maximize my personal energy because that makes it easier to manage all of the other priorities.”
In other words; pick and choose. Avoiding, as much as we can, those things that transform our energy from the good stuff to the bad stuff is not selfish. (and we instinctively know what those things are) It’s a way of living a happier, healthier, and more energetic life.
Thanks for reading along so far. I really appreciate it and I would love your comments and thoughts on energy. If you know anyone who might like to get these blog posts, just click the green link below and I would love to add them to the list.
Dr. Dave
by w@dmind | Aug 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
I really did say that to Mary. The thing about having a rotten weekend.
OK. Here’s the deal. I don’t want any of you to have a bad weekend. It’s just that we are going to Arizona to visit my folks for a few days and I want the weather to be beautiful there.
Now the cruel flip side, is that while I am gone, I really want the weather to nasty here… and I feel kind of bad about that.
Why is that? Why do we (you can admit it!) get that little lift of pleasure when something goes wrong for someone else.
We have all watched celebrities, politicians and religious leaders go off the rails and over the cliff with a certain amount of satisfaction. There is a weird thrill in watching a slow moving train wreck. After all, isn’t that really the whole purpose of reality TV?
Christine Grimaldi has a great article about Schadenfreude in the themorningnews.org titled I’m Glad I’m Not You.
In her piece, she quotes John Portmann, University of Virginia professor and author of When Bad Things Happen to Other People. The German word schadenfreude is pieced together from two others—freude, the plural of joy, and schaden, the plural of shame or pity. “It’s literally joys that come from sorrows or sufferings.”
However, Grimaldi also goes on to say, “What I find interesting is that no such word or phrase exists in American English. (Whether the word “epicaricacy,” which has Greek roots, qualifies is subject to debate.) Certainly, there is no piecing together “shame” and “joy” to make “shamejoy,” as in German. Shame and joy are antithetical, distant, never meant to share the same bed.”
“That’s because schadenfreude does not square with America’s national obsession with the comeback story. Sure, we snicker along with the rest of the world when others stumble, but our culture is built on possibility. Here, the harder you fall, the greater the potential to get the hell back up—at least in theory.”
So maybe I’m being un-American when I hope the weather is bad here while I am lying by the pool there. Un-American? That’s pretty strong for just hoping for a little wind and rain!
So because I am a Good American, I hope you all have a great weekend!
(Especially Mary!) And I really hope you have Great Weather while I am gone. And I will be back in the office on Wednesday morning…which is all I was trying to say anyway. (Other than I am going to work on that schadenfreude thing.)
*** Side note: Forecast for Fargo this weekend calls for close to 50 degrees with some sun. Not too bad. ***
Thanks for reading so far. I really appreciate it! If you know anyone who would like to receive these posts, just click the green link below and send me an email.
Dr. Dave
by w@dmind | Mar 1, 2017 | Uncategorized
pro·cras·ti·na·tion
prəˌkrastəˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: procrastination; plural noun: procrastinations
1. the action of delaying or postponing something.
“your first tip is to avoid procrastination”
But this is the real definition:“
If something is hard to do, then what’s the point?” – Homer Simpson
Procrastination, I know thee well!
I have GRAND PLANS in the morning, and I can make a very impressive to-do list. If I have enough time and coffee and paper, I can pretty much solve all your problems and most of mine.
But then I go on-line (for just a minute!) to look up a diagnosis code for TMJ syndrome and end up in a Youtube death spiral…an hour lost watching “Good Mythical Morning.” Oh, the internet.
*** Side note on Good Mythical Morning. These guys taste-test pet food, make popsicles out of animal fat.(yep) Eat burritos made from literally anything and are really gross, stupid and funny. My 11 year old son got me hooked. This doesn’t say much for me. ***
But it’s not my fault. It’s the Instant Gratification Monkey that lives in my head. He wrestled control of my brain from my more responsible self…he’s terrible.
Tim Urban has a blog called “Wait but Why” and he has a terrific post about procrastination. Here is what he says about that monkey:
“The Instant Gratification Monkey is the last creature who should be in charge of decisions—he thinks only about the present, ignoring lessons from the past and disregarding the future altogether, and he concerns himself entirely with maximizing the ease and pleasure of the current moment.”
And also:
“In the monkey world, he’s got it all figured out—if you eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired, and don’t do anything difficult, you’re a pretty successful monkey.”
Unfortunately, we don’t live in that world. You can read the whole post here. and even better, Mr. Urban gives a great (and very funny) TED TALK on Procrastination. You can watch it here.
Urban also has a subsequent post where he outlines his method for beating the Instant Gratification Monkey and actually accomplishing what we set out do.
He says: “No one “builds a house.” They lay one brick again and again and again and the end result is a house. Procrastinators are great visionaries—they love to fantasize about the beautiful mansion they will one day have built—but what they need to be are gritty construction workers, who methodically lay one brick after the other, day after day, without giving up, until a house is built.”
Nearly every big undertaking can be boiled down to a core unit of progress—its brick. A 45-minute gym visit is the brick of getting in great shape. A 30-minute practice session is the brick of becoming a great guitarist.”
It’s all about bricks. One after another. Until the project is done. That’s how you beat procrastination. You can read the whole post here.
If you remember my last email about the Mortality Calculator. I’m going to die Tuesday September 16, 2042. I have a lot to do and I am really going to have to get this procrastination thing under control. One brick at a time.
Thanks for reading so far. I really appreciate it. If you know anyone who might like these posts, just send me an email – Green link below – and I will be happy to add hem to the list.
Have a great day!
***Huge “thank you” to Jake J. from Myriad Mobile for the Blog help! ***
by w@dmind | Feb 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
“I tell you, nothing concentrates your mind
like knowing how many days you have left.”
Kevin Kelly
I’m 54 and I am dying. According to a mortality calculator, I will die on Tuesday, September 16th, 2042. I guess I’ll miss the World Series that year.
I don’t know for sure that the above date is the exact scheduled time for my greatly lamented passing. I’m not sure I’ll make it through the night.
Sir Isaac Newton says time is constant, but I think our good frizzy-haired friend Albert Einstein had it right when he said time is relative. It speeds up or slows down. You can read about it here.
I’m no physicist. ( I needed spellcheck to spell physicist.) And I am probably the last person who should get into a discussion on time-space and all the mathy-math stuff that goes with it.
But I know, and we all know, that the older we get the faster time goes. It might not be a scientific fact. But I don’t think any of you are going to argue with me.
So what’s the point in knowing when I am going to (maybe) die? I think to help me live. To focus my mind on the important things. When you know the clock is running(According to the Mortality Clock I have now have 9345 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes left to live. When I started this email I had 9345 days, 7 hours, and 12 minutes to live…an hour gone.) it makes very little sense to waste time on things ( people ) that really don’t matter.
Back when I was in elementary school there was a little section in our report card where we were graded on ” Using Time Wisely.” Not a bad thing to think about.
Thanks for reading so far. I really appreciate it! If you know anyone who would like to receive these emails, just send me a note and I will happily add them to the list!
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!
by w@dmind | Feb 3, 2017 | Uncategorized
char·i·ty
noun
An organization set up to provide help and raise money for those in need.
Hang with me here. This is going to be a bit backwards because we are going to be talking about Anti-Charities.
Quick definition: An anti-charity is an organization who’s very existence makes you crazy. These are the LAST people you would support in any fashion. The thought of making a monetary donation to this group makes you want to throw up!
Perfect. Exactly what we need.
We talked a bit about New Year’s Resolutions a few weeks back and how hard it can be to push that rock up the mountain. According to Yougov.com, about 33% of people were already at least cheating on their resolutions…by Jan 6th. You can read the article here.
So, with that in mind, enter the anti-charity.
In a nutshell, you pick the organization(s) that you dislike so much that you would rather do anything than give them money. And, bonus pain, end up on their mailing and call list!
Give your spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend or trusted buddy some of your hard earned cash and make the deal: “If I don’t stick to my goal ( Whatever your goal is: Exercise 4x week. Lose 15 pounds, Walking the dog daily. Taking piano lessons etc….) you will send my money to ( Fill in the blank.)” There is a good article about this on Forbes.com. You can read it here.
This is the old carrot and the stick with HARD emphasis on the stick. In fact there is a website that will set this up for you called – wait for it – StickK. But you don’t need them. All you need is someone who will know if you don’t follow through and be DELIGHTED to send your money to the Republicans or Democrats. Or Greenpeace or the NRA. You get the picture.
Sometimes negative motivation can be a strong force. Just the thought of Senator xxxxxxxx tucking our check in his or her pocket and smiling might be enough to get us off the couch and out the door.
Thanks for reading so far. I really appreciate it. If you know someone who might like these notes. Just have them send me an email and I will be thrilled to add them to the list.
Have a great weekend everyone.
by w@dmind | Jan 27, 2017 | Uncategorized
“Failing doesn’t have to mean not succeeding. It can be, ‘Hey we tried that. We can go forward, smarter.” Astro Teller
Astro Teller is a pretty smart guy. He is the Captain of Moonshots (CEO) for “X”. For those who don’t know – and I didn’t – X is the Moonshot factory for Google ( You may have heard of them.)
According to their website, this is what X is about: “This is our blueprint for X moonshots: we look for the intersection of a big problem, a radical solution, and breakthrough technology. We start with a large problem in the world that if solved could improve the lives of millions or even billions of people.”
That’s changing the lives of a lot of people. Maybe I take too many naps…
In addition to being a scientist, Teller is also a prolific writer and a serial entrepreneur. (again, the nap thing.) He’s been a pretty successful guy and I pay attention to successful people.
Here is a very interesting fact about Astro and Google and X. They try to fail.
Yep. they do everything they can to kill a project. Because the one’s that survive change the world. Self-driving cars anyone?
Teller gave a great TED talk on failure and what it means. Or probably more accurately, what it doesn’t mean.
Side Note: If you are unfamiliar with TED, you are in for a treat. TED stands for Technology Entertainment and Design. It is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization founded on the concept of spreading ideas.
Want to listen to a talk on space exploration? TED’s got it. How about philosophy, medicine, cybersecurity or magic? Whatever you are interested in, you’ll find it.
Check out TED. I promise you will spend way more time there than you thought! ( And learn a lot more too!)
Back to Astro and failure. I think we ( at least I ) spend far too much time thinking about the things that didn’t go right. How we “failed.”
But what we don’t think about it what that “failure” may have saved us. In time, in money, in aggravation. You have probably heard the saying: ” Be very careful what you want, you just might get it.” Sometime failing saves from ourselves.
Check out Teller’s short TED talk. ” The unexpected benefit of celebrating failure.” A few minutes might change your whole perspective. It changed mine.
Thanks for reading so far. I really appreciate it. Again, if you have someone who would like to receive these notes, just send me an email and I will happily add them to the list.
Have a great weekend!
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