Passion and goals
Coming from Wired.com this is a great speech on goal setting and underwear. Okay, mostly goals, a brief mention of passion, and a really weak analogy involving underwear. I pasted the speech below. Something I've given a lot of thought to lately is the idea of passion, interestingly, mostly in regards to dating and the type of person I want to date. I'm a very passionate person and have many things I'm passionate about, in fact so many that I get frustrated that I can't find enough time to do everything I love. Earlier in my 20's I would have told you I only wanted to date someone that shared many of the same interests, but if you ask me today I would say that while common interests are nice, finding someone that is truly passionate about something (anything!) is far more important (and passion for one's job doesn't count). I haven't yet figured out why this is such a turn on for me, but I'd have to guess it has something to do with personality attributes such as determination, loyalty, and that inner fire to make the most of life.
So what is my goal at the moment? I'd like to run my first marathon, and do so in less than 3 hours and 5 minutes to qualify for the Boston Marathon. That will take me at least a few years to achieve, and still makes me shudder a bit about how hard that will be to train for. You probably know where to find me most weekend mornings though...
Grit is not just about stubborn persistence. It’ no use persisting, after all, if a goal is truly impossible. While you’ve no doubt been bombarded with successful people telling you that dreams always come true, that we just need to believe, that if you can imagine it then it can happen, the dismal reality is that not every goal is worth pursuing. I might want to play in the NBA, but I’m not Spud Webb. I still want to compose the Great American Novel, but I also know that my college creative writing professor was right: I have no talent for fiction. Unless I’m honest about my limitations, I’ll waste time chasing a farfetched future, which quickly gets very very frustrating. Because dreams do come true. But first we need to pick the right one.
So how can we sort the useful long-term goals from the futile ones? How can we make sure that all of our struggle and practice and sacrifice will be worth it? Well, here’s my advice: ask yourself if the goal passes the underwear test.
Let me explain. One of the most deep seated features of the human mind is that it quickly takes things for granted, becoming numb to the predictable perceptions and pleasures of the world. Just think of your underwear. Do you feel it? Are you conscious of it? Of course not. That’s because you’ve adapted to the feel of underwear, habituated to the touch of cotton on your bum.
And this isn’t just about underwear. Psychological adaptation also explains why the first bite of chocolate cake is better than the second, and the second is better than the third. It explains why the first time you use that new iPhone you’re pretty excited, but before long it will just be another thing in your pocket. And then, a few weeks after that, you’ll start complaining that your phone (your phone!) can only hold 10,000 songs or that it downloads streaming videos from Netflix so slowly. The delight has vanished, replaced by the usual dissatisfaction. This is because our brain is designed to be ungrateful, every pleasure a fleeting thing.
What does this have to do with grit and long-term goals? Well, the only dreams worth pursuing are those that pass the underwear test. These are the pursuits that don’t bore us, even after we put in 10,000 hours of practice. They contain the kind of subtle thrills that don’t get old, that we don’t adapt to, that keep us motivated and interested for years and years at a time. Sure, there will be frustrations along the way, but these frustrations don’t feel permanent, which is what allows us to keep on working and learning and improving. Because that’s what it takes to succeed, to accomplish something interesting. Perhaps you want to invent the cure for malaria, or bake a perfect baguette, or create the next Facebook. Whatever – don’t apologize for your obsession. Just be grateful you are obsessed with something, that you’ve found a goal worth getting gritty over. Because if your goals ever feel tedious, if you find them as unnecessary as that last bite of chocolate cake, then you’re never going to put in the necessary work. Grit requires passion. Grit requires love. And love is just another name for what never gets old. Love is the opposite of underwear.
Source - Wired.com
Best feature ever from American Express
I'm sure this has happened to everyone: your favorite toy suddenly stops working unexpectedly and for no reason. This past Sunday I got into my car, pulled my GPS from its neat little carrying case that was sitting in my glove box, and turned it on. Nothing. Dead battery? Nope, absolutely nothing. Thankfully I knew where I was going that day. I had bought the device in December 2009 for $160 from Amazon.com. It came with a one year warranty from Garmin. So what do I do? Sunday night I call up American Express (I have the Blue Cash card), and file a claim, which takes about 5 minutes. Monday afternoon I get an email from them saying they are crediting my account $160. Tuesday I buy a new GPS with updated maps and features and I'm back in business by Thursday. This great service by American Express adds one year warranty to the manufacturer's warranty and it really is that easy. How much does it cost? Absolutely nothing. No annual fee, no service fee, no headaches, no hassles. And seeing that I always pay my balance in full, I don't even pay them interest. Yet it has probably saved me $700 in the 10 years I've had this card.
So, next time you buy something that might break, consider putting it on your Amex card (note: a few other cards also offer this service). They also offer some other cool perks such as 90 day theft/loss protection.
Fresh Tomatoes!
I've heard and read many complaints the past few 
years about how crappy tomatoes are that you buy at a grocery store these days. Well, three years after I started my garden I FINALLY got my first real full-sized tomato to grow (year #1 it rained the entire summer, year #2 squirrels ate them all).
As for the complaints, they are all very justified. I ate it tonight and I can't believe the difference compared to what I'm used to from a store, the flavor was almost over powering. Can't wait to have more ripen and make make some guac with them.
Mountain Dew, candy, and chips. Seriously?
One can buy junk food and soda with tax payer money? Watching this first hand the other day really gave me a shock, this sure does seem pretty sad, huh? Social welfare programs like government paid for food, housing, and medical care are obviously a very big partisan issue lately, and in many respects are at the heart of the "raise taxes vs. cut spending" budget debate going on right now with the Federal government. As a liberal, I believe that the people that can afford it (like myself) should help support those who can't. Yes, I know there is abuse and the system in place is not perfect, but when push comes to shove I'd rather know that I'm helping those that truly need it (unfortunately alongside those that likely don't) instead of just leaving everyone out to dry.
With that said, and knowing I'm a supporter of welfare programs, I was very disappointed the other day when I watched this purchase that indirectly used my money. It just killed me to learn that this was allowed. It would be great to see the various welfare programs working a little more collaboratively. If you cut publicly paid for junk food, you will cut health care expenses in the long term: I really think it is that simple.
Welfare programs should pay for what people need, not what people want, and if those using food stamps want junk food they will either do without or find another way to pay for it. For example, public money should pay for programs such as the "Boston Bounty Bucks" (details), which is a program sponsored by the non-profit "The Food Project" and the City of Boston to allow discounts at Farmer's Markets for those paying with food stamp programs.
In case you were curious what is or is not offered as guidance, below is what the official website says (here for details):
You can buy any food item except food that is hot when you buy it, or food that is sold to be eaten in the store like restaurant food. Eligible food items include:
- any food products or ingredients used to prepare meals at home
- cold prepared sandwiches, salads, and other deli items
- ethnic and health foods
- snack foods, candy, soda, and ice