work SMART, NOT Hard

by jmac on

Work Smart, Not Hard

What does that mean, to work smart, not hard? Does it mean to find the best way to do something? It will most likely make your life simpler? For me, it always meant, find the path of least resistance. Find the easiest way. At face value, it doesn’t seem so bad. As a matter of fact, it seems pretty good, like sound advice that everyone should take. Sadly, it might not be as safe as you think. I took that advice and took it to heart and paid the price in years.

I’ve always been pretty quick mentally. Maybe it was to make up for my lack of athleticism but I never had to put too much effort into scholastic advancement. If I saw it enough times not only could I remember the information, but I could also apply it to differing circumstances that seemed to fit the same mold. I didn’t have a straight “A” brain with no studying but with minimal effort, I could stay in the “B+” to “A-” range.

Elementary, middle, and high school, while socially not the easiest, were no issue academically. Even undergrad was survivable while spending all my nights up and out. I probably could have done better in organic chemistry but I figured if I could get the B+ and catch up on some sleep, it wasn’t the worst thing ever.

It was graduate school that started teaching me lessons that I was a bit too slow to learn. Academically, I could survive. I came in lacking information but once I got the hang of it, I was fine. Wasn’t at the top of the class or anything, but I wasn’t doing too badly. The problem was that I lacked a whole lot of work ethic that was a requirement for a PhD in organic chemistry. (Though I slept through most of it, I really did like the class. It was just crazy early for someone going to bed at 3 am.)

When it came to experimental research, I had the worst time. I would come up with a great idea, and watch it fail. Then I would try something else that seemed the obvious solution and it would fail again! It didn’t make sense! After a few months, I realized that colleagues of mine seemed to be getting good results but mine were always slow and pitiful. What was going wrong?

It finally occurred to me that all the people who seemed to be getting the most results didn’t seem “smarter” than me. Something else was contributing to their success that I was missing. They did seem to always be working but I figured that was because they needed to throw the kitchen sink at their stuff to make it work. I figured it made much more sense to have a solid theory so you could decrease the amount of stuff you had to do. (Do I seem arrogant? Don’t’ worry. That won’t last long…) These colleagues finished, defended their theses and left. So did the class after them. How do I know? I watched them all go. Can’t think of anything more humbling for a guy like me. My “smarts” were worth nothing. I couldn’t produce results because I didn’t have the consistent action necessary to make anything of my “bright ideas”. I wasn’t practicing my craft like there was no tomorrow so I could be the expert I needed to be to earn a PhD. I was doing as little as I could.

So I’ll give you some advice that you should definitely take. “Work smart AND hard.” People tend to think that the memorable people in our world are people born into talent. We look at their talent as if it were something we could never attain, as if it were something in their genes. In reality, the people who are most consistently successful are the ones who have become obsessive about their craft and have practiced it at a cost.

Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers, has done the science to back up my claims. He refers to people who don’t fit into our normal understanding of success as outliers. One of the common themes in the book is the “10,000 hour rule”. The idea is that greatness requires a lot of time – approximately 10,000 hours. He uses examples such as Bill Gates and the Beatles. Bill Gates put in programming time on a computer he had access to when he was in high school. The Beatles put in time in Hamburg, Germany performing over 1,200 times. He doesn’t suggest that talent has no bearing at all; merely that talent or genius alone is not enough. The time you put in will show. Obviously, if you like doing something and have a knack for it, you’ll be more likely to put the time in.

What’s the point of all this? Talent is great. Real work is greater. It will always be. Talent is great but it won’t make you famous and it definitely won’t make you successful. You gotta put in the work. So forget working smart as opposed to working hard. DO BOTH. It’s what the greats would have done.

What I think

After reading this post of motivation today – real hard|smart work is the best that you can do with every situation = life fulfillment. Does anyone not want to leave a legacy? Does anyone not want to have regrets? Do these things written here by this gentleman and I in the process but not far off. For life is roller coaster of emotions and struggles but as I have read in outliers and other books that the most growth that you will experience is when you are pushed to your highest of high stresses or situations and your lowest of lows when dreams and plans do not work out as you had thought.

Lets do a combo of both each and everyday!

live.love.life

-jmm

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Common dream meanings

by jmac on

What are your most common dreams and what do they mean?

I used to have really intense dreams that masked as common dreams about various really great things about my life and also the bad. Dreams are letters from the unconscious mind. If only they were written in the same language we use in waking reality. Fortunately, we do have the ability to study our dreams and interpret the common dream symbols they contain. Although there is no hard-and-fast rulebook of universal definitions, the following dream meanings offer a sound starting point for most people to create their own personal dream meanings.

Common Dream symbolisms

Animals often represent the part of your psyche that feels connected to nature and survival. Being chased by a predator suggests you’re holding back repressed emotions like fear or aggression.

Babies can symbolize a literal desire to produce offspring, or your own vulnerability or need to feel loved. They can also signify a new start.

Being chased is one of the most common dream symbols in all cultures. It means you’re feeling threatened, so reflect on who’s chasing you (they may be symbolic) and why they’re a possible threat in real life.

Clothes make a statement about how we want people to perceive us. If your dream symbol is shabby clothing, you may feel unattractive or worn out. Changing what you wear may reflect a lifestyle change.

Crosses are interpreted subjectively depending on your religious beliefs. Some see it as symbolizing balance, death, or an end to a particular phase of life. The specific circumstances will help define them.

Exams can signify self-evaluation, with the content of the exam reflecting the part of your personality or life under inspection.

Death of a friend or loved one represents change (endings and new beginnings) and is not a psychic prediction of any kind. If you are recently bereaved, it may be an attempt to come to terms with the event.

Falling is a common dream symbol that relates to our anxieties about letting go, losing control, or somehow failing after a success.

Faulty machinery in dreams is caused by the language center being shut down while asleep, making it difficult to dial a phone, read the time, or search the internet. It can also represent performance anxiety.

Food is said to symbolize knowledge, because it nourishes the body just as information nourishes the brain. However, it could just be food.

Demons are sneaky evil entities which signify repressed emotions. You may secretly feel the need to change your behaviors for the better.

Hair has significant ties with sexuality, according to Freud. Abundant hair may symbolize virility, while cutting hair off in a dream shows a loss of libido. Hair loss may also express a literal fear of going bald.

Hands are always present in dreams but when they are tied up it may represent feelings of futility. Washing your hands may express guilt.

Houses can host many common dream symbols, but the building as a whole represents your inner psyche. Each room or floor can symbolize different emotions, memories and interpretations of meaningful events.

Killing in your dreams does not make you a closet murderer; it represents your desire to “kill” part of your own personality. It can also symbolize hostility towards a particular person.

Marriage may be a literal desire to wed or a merging of the feminine and masculine parts of your psyche.

Missing a flight or any other kind of transport is another common dream, revealing frustration over missing important opportunities in life. It’s most common when you’re struggling to make a big decision.

Money can symbolize self worth. If you dream of exchanging money, it may show that you’re anticipating some changes in your life.

Mountains are obstacles, so to dream of successfully climbing a mountain can reveal a true feeling of achievement. Viewing a landscape from atop a mountain can symbolize a life under review without conscious prejudice.

Nudity is one of the most common dream symbols, revealing your true self to others. You may feel vulnerable and exposed to others. Showing off your nudity may suggest sexual urges or a desire for recognition.

People (other dream characters) are reflections of your own psyche, and may demonstrate specific aspects of your own personality.

Radios and TVs can symbolize communication channels between the conscious and unconscious minds.

Roads, aside from being literal manifestations, convey your direction in life. This may be time to question your current “life path”.

Schools are common dream symbols in children and teenagers but what about dreaming of school in adulthood? It may display a need to know and understand yourself, fueled by life’s own lessons.

Sex dreams can symbolize intimacy and a literal desire for sex. Or they may demonstrate the unification of unconscious emotions with conscious recognition, showing a new awareness and personal growth.

Teachers, aside from being literal manifestations of people, can represent authority figures with the power to enlighten you.

Teeth are common dream symbols. Dreaming of losing your teeth may mark a fear of getting old and being unattractive to others.

Being trapped (physically) is a common nightmare theme, reflecting your real life inability to escape or make the right choice.

Vehicles may reflect how much control you feel you have over your life – for instance is the car out of control, or is someone else driving you?

Water comes in many forms, symbolizing the unconscious mind. Calm pools of water reflect inner peace while a choppy ocean can suggest unease.

Change your day to be more more powerful and if you start having negative dreams fight the struggle in your sleep. The unconscious mind is you and only you can control how you wake up, why you wake up, when you wake up and how the rest of the day is. With that being known knowledge try to make everyday your best day.

ONLY YOU CAN DO IT

Smokey3

love.live.life

-jmm

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Dreams will come true

by jmac on

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Today, I found a very inspirational story with the idea of “Dreams will come true” that I believe needs to be shared – live.life.love – jmm

As a child, my parents, by their example, instilled in me a love for reading. I dreamed of being a writer but the pursuit of dreams was never discussed or encouraged – leaving me to write in secret in my room.

Life progressed, however, and an interest in interior design surfaced in my teens. However, at my parents’ insistence, I enrolled in secretarial school and worked in that area contentedly, for twenty years.

Married with two children at thirty-eight, I grew restless. I was unhappy with my job and felt exhausted at the end of the day. I wanted to do something creative with my life. “Life begins at forty” became my mantra.

A growing addiction to decorating shows on television reawakened my teenage interest. As I devoured every word and every scene, I vowed that I would let nothing deter me from becoming an interior designer.

With my fortieth birthday ten months away, I signed up for a two-year interior-decorating course. I crammed two years of work into nine months to ensure that I received my diploma for my fortieth birthday. I met my self-imposed deadline with twelve days to spare and I was ecstatic.

The next step was to get some hands-on experience at a design firm. A visit to a newly opened interiors showroom ushered me into a dream job that opened more opportunities for me than I could have ever imagined. I donned the hat of a decorating consultant at the showroom and I was on my way to creating the career I envisioned.

Opportunity knocked at my door in 1997. I peeked and saw the possibility of writing a decorating column for a woman’s magazine. The editor liked the idea and the monthly column debuted in February 1998.

Writing did not only open doors for decorating projects, it also provided me with the opportunity to teach interior decorating classes. A three-year teaching experience added a new dimension to my career while the confidence and reputation I gained were invaluable.

In the midst of the enjoying my new career and the diversity of experiences, I realized that I was involved in doing something I dreamed of as a child. I was writing. To master the finer skills, I signed up for a freelance writing course. Encouraging feedback from tutors gave me the confidence to submit my work for publication on the internet.

An online newsletter published the story of my mission to redefine myself and pursue my dream. The response from readers was unexpected and overwhelming. From around the world, people emailed to say that they identified with my experience. Some even asked for advice. They inspired me to write self-care articles and motivational pieces, especially for women. Soon, this hobby had developed into a passion that consumed me–and my writing.

Nevertheless, working a fulltime job and struggling to write at night while fighting sleep and fatigue did not whittle away at my determination to be a fulltime freelance writer. I hung on because I had another dream — to retire at fifty, even though my fifty-first birthday was staring me in the face.

Prompted by my husband and grown, working children, I handed in my resignation on the 8th of August 2006. The next day, knowing that I will have the time to do the kind of research and writing I enjoy, I sent my writing resume and copies of my published clips to the three local newspapers in my country. I contacted every editor I had worked with before to let them know that I would be available for assignments.

One week before I left, the oldest and largest newspaper in my country commissioned me to write a weekly motivational/inspirational column for their Sunday pullout magazine for women. On the 30th August 2006, eighteen days before I turned fifty-one, I left my office for the last time.

I now write two regular columns while researching and writing feature articles on a variety of other topics, mostly for publication in online magazines. Three books are works in progress and my website is under construction.

My family tells me that I look younger and seem more energetic. I am living my childhood dream, doing what I love. I am a fulltime freelance writer with yet another dream — to be a motivational speaker.

On my journey, I have learned that it is never too late to pursue, and live your dream.

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