Category: topics

The Value of Time

Time: one of our most valuable and limited resources we have as individuals. Sometimes we forget that with each other, like wasting someone else’s time out of their daily lives by being careless, taking for granted, or maybe just lacking the self awareness that you’re actually doing it. And I get it, life happens. But at least if you have people waiting on you, just keep them informed.

As I’m sitting here at work with my own thoughts and some (more or less, depending on the day) spare time to myself, I begin to wonder if I would rather work a job that keeps me busy often versus having the possibility of a lot of free time and trying to figure out what to do with it or running out of things to do to stay busy.

What I mean by this is yes, I could work an 8 hour a day job for roughly 40 hours a week and hopefully with that, keep a roof over my head, my stomach fed and maybe enough extra money to enjoy life and not struggle to get by.

The other thing is doing a job that works several hours a day where you do stay fairly busy but have that extra time on your hand afterwards to… work a second job! 😄 just kidding! (But probably not)

Assuming you make a decent wage, you will have more freedom to do what makes you happy. That or use the time that could lead to a better lifestyle that maybe when you have moments to think to yourself, if you’re like me, breakdown what your current lifestyle/living situation is and imagine what you could do to be more productive or even just chill, read a book, watch a movie or play video games.

Honestly, I would like to try to learn something new, maybe pick up a new skill or do something to challenge myself more (when I have the energy from not constantly working multiple jobs and feeling slightly burnt out). If not that, it would be a great opportunity to explore my passions in life or see if there’s something I have yet to explore that could become a new passion.

All that being said, it really comes down to time. What you do with your time matters. I know everyone has their own situation they have to deal with. But this is just mine and it doesn’t hurt to dream a little. Just imagining the possibilities of what you could do with your life when you’re not spending most of it at work… and not have to wait until you’re retired to finally explore the world, when your body is already on the verge of decomposing!

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Making Someone’s Day

I live in a world where I have a job that allows me to see many people throughout the day. Lots of strangers and lots of familiar faces. Whether they are regulars or fellow colleagues. When it comes to codes, I never really thought about it… until now. My code: making moments. Working in retail, almost everyday I will see hundreds of customers and have a little chat with most of them. No matter how brief or extended the time we have together, I’m always trying to have a connection (if they give off the right vibes). Not every person feels like they’re in the talking mood, so I don’t force it. But for those who do, I am here for it!

My biggest problem is because I see so many people on a daily basis, I will forget that I had a lot of the same conversation with one too many of our regulars. Just recently though, I was told by a customer how I made their day just by being… well, there. My smile makes them feel so much better and just sometimes just by asking if I could do anything to make their day better was enough if they seem to be struggling. It doesn’t take much, but sometimes that’s all you need. Nobody really knows what people go through on an everyday basis and what their life is like… except for if you’re someone’s therapist.

Maybe that’s where I come in. Honestly, I’m all for giving people a free consultation. Our time will be short but I’m hear to listen to you just so you could get things off your chest if you would like. Making someone’s day is more than just my job, it’s an experience. Take care!

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Dear Me in 5 Years…

assuming you’re alive and well, please… do more. I understand that life has been difficult but it’s no reason to keep you from going after your dreams and aspirations. You gave yourself goals in life but have made no effort to achieving them. What is it going to take for you to start doing? That’s if you haven’t already by this time. I know what you’re capable of and whether you know it or not, you do bring joy to many people. Even if you don’t feel like you have and feel worthless at times. But who doesn’t think that about themselves from time to time? I want you to know that I know you are wonderful and extremely talented. And don’t forget I was also there to witness how impress our colleagues were just from your conversations with the customers. They were entertained by you!

Another thing, I’m also really confused writing in this first-, second-, or third-person narrative, or whatever it is at this point. But at least there’s journalbuddies to help give us this topic so we have something to write about.

Whether or not this might sound cliché, but when you put your mind to doing something, you’re creating a work of art. Granted, not everything you make is a hit. But it’s still art. Good or bad, wonderful or dreary, perfect or the many mistakes you make. That’s what makes you who you are.

So, let’s not do nothing. Start by starting. Before you know it, you’ll be incredibly pleased with the person you become if you just do it.

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World Peace Day

I have a question. Why is it that peace among worlds, let alone our world, has to be just celebrated for one day? Why not for all eternity? The sad thing is that the way we see ourselves in this world right now, is how we differ because of race, because of sex. Just because someone doesn’t share the same opinion as you doesn’t mean you have to judge them whether they are right or wrong. I mean, how do you know you’re right? We are just sharing our opinions. It’s called a disagreement. Something that I feel is lost in this world. That’s why people are so sensitive nowadays. They take everything seriously. It’s called a debate for a reason.

Of course, we aren’t going to agree on everything. That’s what makes us human. We live and we learn. To this very day, I’m always learning. Learning from my mistakes. The sad thing is, for the most part, nobody told me about the mistakes I made, I just had to figure it out for myself. Years go by and you learn by reading people’s body language how they feel about anything you have said to them, how they reacted from it. It’s not something that you’re taught, but rather, from living. That’s life.

As a species, we have to be better. Don’t let one day define who you aren’t. Let the world know who you are… and you are beautiful. You are exceptional. “World Peace Day?” How about just… world peace?

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Imagine Our World Today, Without the Internet

For starters, I’m not saying we had the internet and now it’s gone. It’s 2023 and the internet just never existed. What kind of world would we live in? Where would we be with our technology now? The post office may be a great place to have a career, with all the handwritten letters we would write to each other, of course, unless you have a typewriter. But what does that mean when it comes to cell phones? Or smartphones as we call it. Would texting be a thing? Does that actually require the internet to send messages? I honestly really don’t know. But yes, there are so many questions to ask, so let’s just at least start with putting together my hypothesis and see where that takes us.

Plain and simple, the internet made our lives… lazier. Yes, many, many things were easier. But we got lazy with how easy it made things. And with how much we utilized it to where it is today, it also took away what once was valuable to us. Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to make any sense of it all with my blog without the internet, but we would all be living different lives. Most people would freak out if the internet shut down for even just a day. As long as electricity still worked, I would be just fine. That’s just one of the many reasons why I like to collect hard copies of movies & TV shows on blu ray and DVD. And if the power went out for just as long (or longer), I would look for sticks on the ground that looked like guns to play cops & robbers… I’m not sure where I’m going with this anymore. But I digress.

There’s plenty more of what I can say about having internet or not, but one thing we should all at least cherish, the things that made us happy without being obvious. The era that I grew up in involved going to a friend’s place to see if they were home and wanted to hang out. Or using a landline house phone and having to talk to someone else to reach the person you’re trying to talk to. And this one may be a bit of a reach or it’s just me, but neighbors you actually talk to and befriend.

At the end of the day, we live in the world we live in. Sometimes, it’s not much, but it could also be spectacular. You never know what you’re going to get. Isn’t that part of a quote from Forest Gump?

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The Problem Being a Perfectionist

Nothing ever gets done. Well, eventually things will get done. Even when it comes to writing my next post. No matter what the topic is (for the most part), there’s a lot of research involved. It really can be time consuming. And because of that I’m back to doing what I normally do, which is nothing.

OCD

I believe when it comes to being a perfectionist and having OCD, they tend to go hand-in-hand. Whatever the project you are currently working on, there’s this sense of feeling that everything just has to be right. But it also depends on what the project is. If you’re designing blueprints for buildings, that absolutely makes sense.

As a writer too, it’s pretty much the same. And that goes for just about everything else. In its’ own ways, you want to make sure that what you are doing is at least up to your standards. Writers should always remember to proofread what they wrote before finalizing. Sadly, I’ve seen one too many times with articles on the internet where a simple grammar mistake threw off my reading completely.

Don’t worry though, we’re not perfect. Mistakes happen. And I’m pretty sure I’ve had some grammar errors in some of my previous posts. Which is the point I’m trying to make as well. When you work so hard at making things right, you tend to forget what you’re actually doing. That is when you are too disciplined, and you are no longer enjoying yourself and what you do.

Take it from me; learn to relax a little bit more and loosen up with your work. Sometimes the best ideas or work can come from just going with the flow. But you don’t need me to tell you that. It’s already within you!

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Naps: The Good, The Bad, and The Drowsy

As the weekend is coming to an end, you go through your routine to prepare for the work week. Whether you’re doing some grocery shopping or your laundry, by bedtime, you’re not tired. Could it be that you slept in the morning of? Thus, leading to you having more energy than you were hoping. Maybe you just stay up then. But by the time you’re at work, you tell yourself that a nap just sounds so good. So, after work that’s what you end up doing. Problem is, you took too long of a nap and then you’re right back to square one. The vicious cycle that never ends. So, how do you break out of this cycle? Assuming you don’t enjoy it at all.

The Problem

As an unlicensed and self-proclaimed Professor, the reoccurrence of napping is a sign of a health issue. “What is that?” you didn’t ask. Speaking from someone who is currently going through this problem, it means you lack the energy to go about your day. And your tolerance to caffeine has taken on a new level where you may find yourself needing too much of it to make it to the end of the day. What you might be asking though is, “Where is this issue coming from?” For those who don’t already know (or assume), we have to go back to the origin. As you lay there unaware of life, you’re probably sucking on that breast to attain the nutrients needed to survive… okay, that maybe too far back! Fast forward a little bit, from our childhood to adulthood, it’s what we put into our body, food and drink-wise. If it ain’t healthy for you, it’s more than likely going to slow you down in life.

The Solution?

Naps are intended to re-energize us. That’s the simplicity of it. If you had little to no sleep, then it makes sense why a nap was needed. But if this is on-going, then pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking. Consume foods that are good for you with plenty of nutrients and vitamins. You may not know it, but some of them give off natural energy so you don’t have to have one or more energy drinks daily, or an entire pot of coffee to yourself. Exercise is another plus. Whether you’re lifting weights, going for a jog, or taking up a dance class, you’re moving your body and getting that blood flowing through your system. And no excuses! That means me as well. When something like not having the time to exercise or cook a healthier meal is involved, just remember that we all have the same amount of time in the day. That’s not changing in our lifetime.

For those of you who have kids, and even if you don’t, just think back to when you were. Like how you started out having all this energy. There were naps involved, but also probably a lot of sugary foods and drinks as well. Those naps that were taken were probably from the sugar crash after using up the energy received from it momentarily. For you car enthusiast, think of it like NOS, it’s brief, but quite the adrenaline high. The big takeaway from this is that these kids were being incredibly active. Using up their energy each day, tiring themselves out, and more than likely having some of the best sleep ever. Of course, with that they didn’t have responsibilities or many, many adult issues that has to be dealt with.

So just remember, we all have this energy we need to use up each and every day. It’s like the energy bar from The Sims if any of you are familiar with. Other than being able to force your Sim to just sleep, I suppose there are medication for that. But as long as you’re doing it right, naps can be extremely beneficial. Just depends on if it’s better for you or not (or maybe your neighbor got a new dog that they don’t know how to raise correctly, so the barking wakes you up much earlier than you would like when the owners aren’t home).

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