I am copying and pasting from other information, but I think this is important stuff so I want to include in my own blog as well.  Besides, I think that Karma dictates that I ought to re-post the 12 Laws, so that I may learn from them and I can share them with others.  Any way, here they are:

The 12 Laws of Karma

1. The Great Law

“As you sow, so shall you reap.”

Also known as the Law of Cause and Effect – whatever we put out in the universe is what comes back to us.

2. The Law of Creation

“You attract what you are, not what you want.”

Life requires our participation. Do what you want to have in your life. Or, like Ghandi, “be the change you want to see in the world.”

3. The  Law of Humility

“What you resist, persists for you.” If we speak badly about other people, than those same values will be cast upon us.  In other words, except others for who they are, don’t judge, and worry about your own actions.  “The path to liberation is the path of humility.”

4. The Law of Growth

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

If we are unhappy in a current town, then moving to a new town won’t necessarily make us happier.   We must change who we are within our heart, and then our lives will changs, too.

5. The Law of Responsibility

“Whenever there is something wrong, there is something wrong in me.”

Also known as The Law of Mirrors – we mirror what surrounds us.  We must take responsibility for what is in our lives.

6. The Law of Connection

“Whatever you do may be insignificant, but it is still important that you do it.”

Each step leads to the next step and so forth and so on.  Someone must do the initial work to get a job done.  Neither the first step nor the last are of greater significance.  They are both needed to accomplish the task.

7. The Law of Focus

“You can’t think of two things at the same time.”

Be pure of thought and pure of intent.  Stay single-minded and focus on tasks at hand.

8. The Law of Giving and Hospitality

“If you believe something to be true, then sometime in your life you must demonstrate that truth.”

In other words, practice what you preach!  In order to have values in life, we must first practice those values.

9. The Law of Here and Now

“You can’t go home again, but you must try.”

We must examine our past in order to learn from it, but we can never go back into our past. Dwelling on old dreams prevent us from having new ones. Life moves forward, and so must we.

10. The Law of Change

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

History will repeat itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path. Sort of like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day.”

11. The Law of Patience and Reward

“When you focus on your life, good things will happen.”

All rewards require initial toil.  Anything that is good and worth lasting value will require patience and persistence.  True joy follows doing what we’re suppose to be doing and waiting for the reward to come in its own time.

12. The Law of Significance and Inspiration

“What you put into it, you will get back.”

The Law of Reciprocity, Cause and Effect, and Karma! The value of something is a direct result of the energy and intent that is put into it.  Every personal contribution is also a contribution to the whole.

Good stuff

Laws of Karma

I know the secret to inner-peace.

I haven’t achieved inner-peace myself.  But I do know the path to get there.

I came upon the path following a fight with someone I know.   There was a big blow-up, a protracted argument.  Names were called. Feelings were hurt.  I went to sleep angry that night. And when I woke up the following morning, I opened up my email and wrote a long message, and pretty soon the words just started flowing out.

And it was at that point that I knew what the true meaning of happiness was. And it is this happiness that leads us all to inner peace.

The path to inner peace is through the pursuit of happiness.

It is so profoundly simple and yet complicated at the same time.  The whole point of life is the pursuit of happiness. As individuals, we must all discover what makes us happy.  And this is not always easy to come by.  First of all, how do you define happiness?  How do you know when you found happiness? And it isn’t possible to be happier?

It is a rather nebulous and arguable topic.  But let me try to define it. In a very broad, all-encompassing sense, I believe that happiness is what justifies our existence.  Our reason for living is what makes us happy. In another cliched phrase, it is our “purpose in life.” What makes us most happy is also what makes us most fulfilled, doing things that challenges our senses, but also brings us joy.

If you can discover your purpose in life, and then strive everyday to fulfill that purpose, then you are living a life with intention, with meaning, and with joy.  Although it is important to note that this purpose has several divisions.  There is a career, which is how you choose to earn a living and support yourself. There is also a hobby, or outside interests.  I often find that people who are really happy have several interests, often things that have nothing to do with their professional lives.  And of course there are relationships. This is how you choose to treat others, especially those who are closest to you.  It is interesting that a lot of what constitutes your happiness is measured by your relationships with others.  Even people we don’t know can bring us happiness.  Haven’t you heard had kind words from a total stranger that made you feel good?

If you are able to focus on these three things with purpose and intention, and block out everything else, then you are leading a life that is pursuing happiness.  Can you find a career path that is fulfilling and that challenges you everyday? Can you do activities or hobbies that bring you joy? Can you follow the Golden Rule, and do unto others as you would have done unto you?

Although happiness can be a rather nebulous concept, the achievement of inner peace is real.  And it is powerful. And it may be hard to achieve, but at least you can put yourself on the right path, and hopefully everything else will just fall into place.

Smile with the rising sun

I am currently reading (that is, books on CD) The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki. The basic thesis is that a group of people, when thinking independently, can create a result that is often better than that of any individual group member.  So if you hold a jellybean counting contest, then the average answer of the 100 people that participate will be closer to the exact amount than any one person’s individual answer.  And on a broader scales, the opinions and interests of a mass group of people is more important than the decisions of any single, dominant individual.  And this notion has been able to drive and to shape business, politics, and society in many cultures.

I  previously wrote about Crowdrise, a unique site for crowd-sourcing, fund raising, and social networking.  And I can’t stay away from the subject, because I believe crowd sourcing is one of the most powerful trends currently on the web.  Currently I have been very interested in my friend Josh Tetrick’s site, 33Needs, a crowd sourcing site using social investing and entrepreneurial spirit to solve  the world’s biggest needs. The site enables the masses to make small donations in powerful entrepreneurial projects taking place throughout the world.

Of course, there is also Kickstarter, the largest funding platform for start-up projects around, in which thousands of investors can invest money to “kick start” an individual’s creative idea or business proposal. An interesting twist to Kickstarter is that a project must reach its funding goal before time runs out or no money changes hands.

Those are a few small examples.  There are literally hundreds of sites that apply crowd sourcing to various genres, sectors, and industries.  Here is a wonderful list of crowdsourcing projects on this Wikipedia Page – also a great resource if you need to find a site in a hurry.

What does all of this mean for society? The revolution is already underway. It started with Linux and has been gaining steam ever since then. New forms of creation taking place all over the web, powered by everybody.  There are new forms of trade, new forms of commerce, new forms of capitalism, and new forms of construction.  A movie can be created by the masses online.  A house can be built. A 100 mpg car.  A political campaign.

It is a powerful concept.

 

The power of crowds

 

 

 

I’ve been athletically fit my whole life.  I played three sports competitively in High School, two sports in college, and since then I continue to workout and stay active.  But after college, I more or less stopped lifting weights, and I haven’t felt the need to go back to a weightlifting program to build muscle.

Instead, about two years ago, I found the perfect workout:  Yoga.

It took me a long time to discover yoga.  I let all of my stereotypes and prejudgments prevent me from doing yoga.  It’s not masculine. It’s for girls. It’s for hippies.  Things of that nature.  But once I finally got around to going to my first class, it changed my life.  After that first class I immediately started going three times a week.  Now I go about five times a week.

I do yoga because it makes me feel more relaxed, while also giving me energy at the same time.  But even more importantly for me, it has increased my muscle growth.  Yoga builds and strengthens connective tissues  in ways that weightlifting cannot. Yoga poses force you to assume positions that elongate and strengthen simultaneously while applying that torqued dimension of tension on the entire  body. I’ve never felt this strong before, especially in my core. Three years ago I was seeing a chiropractor for my twisted back, and now I’ve never been this flexible and pliable.

Benefits Of Yoga

1. I feel more relaxed
2. I feel more energized at the same time
3. A stronger core, a stronger spine, and better alignment.
4. Expanded lungs and better breathing practices.
5. Stronger muscles and stronger cardiovascular system
6. More awareness of my body.

The final point is probably the one that I had never realized before, which was self-awareness. It is amazing how much more aware I am of my self and my body.  It’s kind of hard to describe.

I wanted to write this post to emphasize how appreciative I am that I got over my  own stereotypes and I discovered yoga early on. I really don’t talk about it much with other people, especially the fact that I think yoga changed my life. but by this point I consider myself a yoga dork, and I can’t imagine not doing it five times a week. I encourage everyone to try it who hasn’t already.

 

I still can't do this though

 

 

 

 

I don’t like the Oscars because I never can guess them accurately.  I love watching movies, and I like to think I know when I see a good movie.  But apparently I don’t.  In the past 10 years,  I have accurately chosen two winning movies (Gladiator in 2000, and The Departed in 2006).

When Do The Right Thing was snubbed by the Oscars back in 1989 (by Driving Miss Daisy?  WTF?), Spike Lee said something like “They now teach that movie in film classes.  Are they teaching Driving Miss Daisy in film class?”  I’m paraphrasing, but he point is clear.  Oscar winning movies should presumably stand the test of time, so that students will be learning about those films in classes 10 and 20 years from now.  They should be landmark films.

Last year, The Hurt Locker won the Oscar.  It was a bad ass film, awesome direction and editing.  But in my mind, I consider The Avatar to be a landmark film.  That is a movie that people can look at 20 years from now and say that it changed the game for digital effects and 3-D rendering.  I know a lot of people didn’t particularly like Avatar, but in my mind that’s a landmark film, and the most deserving of the Oscar.

The same goes for 2007, when No Country For Old Men won the Oscar.  Again, a competent and well directed film based on a novel.  But I don’t understand how There Will Be Blood didn’t win, which was an original story, a completely original production, an incredible feat of direction and a landmark film.

I guess my point is that I have no idea who will win the Oscar this year.  Even in a larger field of ten films, not one really sticks out.  If I were to choose a landmark film in the group, I would have to say Inception.  There are very few movies now that can combine summer blockbuster spectacle with an intelligent and creative story. But seeing as Christopher Nolan was already snubbed in Best Director category, I don’t see how that film could win.  That is why I think that Social Network is going to win.  I don’t know why exactly, but I think that’s what the Academy will go with.

But I suck at picking these things, so don’t listen to me.

And The Kings Speech won. I was wrong once again

“I have three kids and no money.  Why can’t I have no kids and three money?”  -Homer Simpson

I spend my money on good and productive things, like food and drink and fun travel and rent. But living in an expensive city like L.A., I spend too much money. All of us spend too much money, really.  Such is life.

But it’s also easy to save money, in the right places.  And remember, nobody likes the cheap skate, so save money and don’t be cheap.  Here are 5 things that I do to save money:

1. Buy used. As soon as a car is driven off the lot, it loses at least 50% of its resale value. So it’s idiotic to buy a new car, especially when there are so many good deals out there.  The same goes for appliances, electronics, toys, basically anything.  If it’s on Craiglist, at a yard sale, or a used product shop, then go for it. Buy used.  The one place to draw the line is clothes…clothes should  be new.
2. Shop at Trader Joe’s. It still blows my mind how much cheaper the food products at Trader Joe’s are than at regular grocery stores.  The only things that I don’t really like to get there is produce.  But all other products are usually superior than name brand products, and they are so much cheaper. Especially the wine.
3. Happy Hour. Obviously it’s not the same as going out to eat at a nice restaurant.  And obviously it’s a little too early in the night for binge drinking.  But if you’re not taking out a hot date, then you can get a meal for half the price.  And if squeeze in a few extra drinks, then that just means a couple less expensive drinks that you’ll have to pay for at the bar later in the night.  Take advantage of the happy hour deals.
4. Use the Internet. Nowadays, when you do have to shop, it is so much easier to use the Internet to do comparison shopping. You can usually find the same product on three or four different sites.  And sometimes, because of tax and shipping cost, it will just make more sense to buy it at the store.  But why not search the Internet first, it isn’t hard to do.
5. Enter more free contests. I know people who have made an art form out of winning sweepstakes and contests.  They are happening all the time, for trips and vacations and special deals and whatever else there is.  They usually don’t take too much time to enter, and the only thing you need to give up is an email address.  And that is what your AOL account is for any way, to use for junk mail and unwanted newsletters.  Give it a shot and see what you win.

Let me know if any of these techniques work for you, and what else you can do to save money.  And I’ll be sure to write a future blog post on how to quickly blow all of that money that you worked so hard saving.

 

Lookin' good, money bags

 

 

Great leaders are great storytellers.  I have personally found this to be a general truth.  When you walk into a room, it is generally easy to find the most charismatic and engaging person.  It is the ones telling the best stories.  The best presenters are usually the ones that are relaxed, can speak off the cuff, and are full of personal stories.  In a sales meeting, the salesperson is often able to convince the client on a product or service using real, emotional, human interest stories.  Politicians running for office are judged on their public speeches, and their ability to deliver a message.

Many people say that their greatest fear in life is public speaking.  Which may explain why it is so hard to do.  But whether you are a stand-up comic trying to warm up an audience, a business leader addressing a group of employees, or the guy telling a story at a party, the same techniques apply.  It starts with an  understanding of your audience, and an understanding of your message. “Who is the audience and what is the goal in engaging them?”

And after that, follow these 5 Rules for Great Storytelling:

1. Be Authentic. Stories are never quite as good if you are telling somebody else’s story. For some reason, it is always easy to tell if a speaker is not being truthful or authentic.  And that automatically hurts your cause.
2. Be Detailed. The best written stories are full of rich details, be it novels, essays, are self-help books.  The same is true of public speaking.  The more pertinent details you can provide, the more rich the story becomes.
   
3. Be Visual.People respond so much better to visual cues.  That is why a pictures is able to tell a story better than a 1,000 words ever could.  In a public speech, the more visual props the better.  In a small gathering, use your gestures and words to paint a visual image in people’s heads.
4. Be Engaging. Easier said than done.  To be engaging is really about combining all of these different elements.  But on a more primal level, the best way to engage an audience is to make direct audience.  Try to make eye contact with every single person in the room.  Also speak slowly. Enunciate your words.
   Pause between sentences. A dramatic pause is a great speaking device.
   
5. Be Brief. The best thing you can do is be brief.  People will appreciate – and remember – a shorter story much better than a longer one.  Think of a good joke that isn’t a one liner. Most jokes follow the rhythm of three, because any thing more than three points, and a person will immediately forget it.  We are really only capable of remembering three points in any given story.  So use that.

And by the way, I don’t know if picturing the audience members in their underwear has ever worked to make you feel more relaxed in your speech.  What does make you feel more relaxed, however, is preparation.  If you practice anything enough times beforehand, then it will come much more naturally in a public setting.  Always practice.

 

Anybody on a podium is automatically a public speaker

Want more on storytelling? Check these stories out:

• Great Leaders are Great Storytellers
• The Power of Real People: Using Customer Profiles to Sell Your Story
• Write a Book, Build Your Business

I don’t know why I’m writing this post. My girlfriend probably doesn’t know why I’m doing this post, either.  But after two years in our relationship, at least I have learned what is not romantic, what you should not do, and what you should never, ever say.  And I’ve also learned that Valentine’s Day is a judgment tool.  Even if they say it is not, this day is quite important, and women use this day to interpret a man’s actions and determine how much he values the relationship.  On one hand, you are being judged.  On the other hand, it isn’t that hard to do things right.  Ultimately, she will want you to succeed, so you shouldn’t be that cynical about it.  If you love your woman, then you’re going to do the right thing.  And I do love my girlfriend lots.  So with that, I present five ways to not screw things up, or the DO NOTS of un-romanticism.  And the fact that I’m a week late in posting this probably says something about me as well.

1. Do Not Try to Wing It. Have a plan. This is probably the most important point of them all. What you do doesn’t matter as much as the fact that you have a plan.  And that rule applies if you’ve been married for years, or if you just started dating.  The biggest way you’ll screw things up is if you don’t have a plan.  At the very least, have a dinner reservation.  If you’re too cheap for dinner, then have a plan on making dinner at home.  And plan on doing flowers and/or chocolates.  And if that’s too cliche, then plan on a card and a clever gift.  Just make a plan, and make sure that plan is with her.
2. Do Not Allow Her to Preempt You. If she has to bring it up, then it’s already too late.  If she says “you never get me flowers,” then you can’t get her flowers.  If she says “how come you never make me a mix CD,” then you can’t get her that the next day.  A good rule of thumb is to wait 2-3 weeks before making her the CD.  The thing that is tough about this rule is that even if you were planning on getting her flowers, or doing something romantic, as soon as she mentions it and preempts you, then she will believe that every action you take thereafter was only in response to her complaint.  So be proactive and beat her to the punch before she gets the chance.
3. Do Not Take Your Attention Away From Her. When taking her out to a romantic dinner, do not allow your eyes to wander to other tables, even if there’s a lull in the conversation.  Do not allow a lull in the conversation. Do not check your cell phone, unless it’s a family member calling from the emergency room.  If you are out at a bar or a party, do not strand her to engage in conversation with someone else.  And God help you if you’re caught checking out another woman.
4. Do Not Criticize. Do not criticize her body. Do not criticize her looks.  Do not say anything other than sweet things and compliments.  This should seem obvious to us guys by now, but it bares repeating. Never say anything that would make her otherwise believe that she is the most beautiful girl in all of the world.
5. Do Not Disgrace Your Fellow Man. It’s still good to adhere to The Guy Code.  Don’t do anything that is degrading or disgraceful that you couldn’t tell your guy friends about it the following day.  I guess what I’m trying to say here is that it is still possible to be romantic, plan a memorable Valentine’s, and still maintain your testicles.

Be a man.  Take control.  Love your woman.  And don’t screw things up.  Good luck.

 

Weak Valentine's Day Advice

Since I’m on the trend of happiness, I want to now comment on an article I saw in Yahoo Travel about The Worlds Happiest Countries (here).  I wasn’t going to do it, but the article was on the front page, and I couldn’t resist.

Without any drum roll, here are the Top 5 Happiest countries in the World, according to this article:

1. Norway
2. Denmark
3. Finland
4. Australia
5. New Zealand

And in case you’re curious, the United States is no. 10 on this list.  Canada is no. 7.

Think about it for a minute: For most, being happy starts with having enough money to do what you want and buy what you want. A nice home, food, clothes, car, leisure. All within reason.

Personal happiness is more than money, as we all know.  It’s about having good health, having freedom, and having friends and family that care about you.

Collective happiness – or happiness for a country as a whole – is a combination of stability and opportunity.  A stable government allows the citizens to prosper.  This provides opportunities to better themselves, make a difference, or achieve their dreams.

My takeaway from this list is a realization of just how lucky I am. Living in the United States, I feel like a lot of us get caught up in complaining, in bad politics, in  cynical news stories.  It can feel like everything is going wrong all the time.  But when you step back and compare yourself to other individuals in less prosperous or less stable countries, we have every opportunity to improve ourselves, work hard, and achieve our dreams.  And that’s pretty cool.

Be a Happy Traveler

You won’t find your dream job online. Or in the Classified section. Somebody isn’t going to magically call you up and offer it to you.  But despite that all of that, it is still possible to land your dream job.   The first step is to know what it is.  And if you don’t know exactly with crystal clarity what your dream job would look like, at least have an idea of where you would want it to be (say, the position and the industry).

And then, here are 5 ways to land that job:

1. Set an intention. I’m always told to do this at the beginning of my yoga class in the morning. Set an intention for the day.  It helps to focus your thoughts and your energies on a particular idea, or a goal.  It really works.
2. Do your research. After you have though hard about what it is you want to do. Think about who you want to be.  Are there people out there who are doing what you want to do.  Find out who they are.  Research them. Learn about them.  Follow them in social networks.  Get in touch with them.
   
3. Go to events. The job search is a contact sport.  The only way to do it is to put yourself out there.  After you have researched the people who are doing the things that you want to do, go meet them in person.  Go to the same events as them. Introduce yourself.  Make your face known.
4. Be personable and memorable. To build on the comment above, you do want to be aggressive in meeting the people that you want to meet.  If they are successful, then they will often be in high demand at an event. But you don’t want to be pushy and have an agenda. You build connections with people by finding commonality. Even at business events, talk about her personal interests. Ask different questions, outside of business.  Children and puppies are good topics. That will make you friendly, personable, and memorable.
5. Try something new. If you want to meet new people, you have to try doing new things. Time and time again you hear stories of finding new opportunities in the unlikeliest of places.  So keep yourself open minded to new experiences and new people.  It might end up leading to something great.

Dream Job coming up in 2 miles