2015 resolutions

2015...a year of major changes for me. From student to 社会人.

→　Read 60 books:
- a russian classic
- a book series (still not sure which, probably something on zombies or spies)
- 3 japanese books (I can read in japanese without much problem, but I just don't feel like reading in it, dunno why...)
- get hooked in one genre (other than dystopian)
- read a bunch of business books to get fired up for 就職活動
- read a book in spanish (100 years of solitude)
- read more books in portuguese (mother language)
- continue reading genre and literary fiction, but mainly read non fiction (lately the opposite is happening...)
- experience more physical books and not only ebooks
- read a book on a completely random subject (I seriously doubt I can do this)
→ continue learning new japanese words
→ graduate
→ get a job (either in japan, or back home or some other country, the world is mine)
→ get into some sort of combat sports gym (wanna release all the bad emotions and feel alive fight club style - that is after I get a job)
→ use facebook less (I read the news through facebook, need to start reading them though other place exclusively, like feedly - seriously, you should see how I have my facebook organized...#highmaintenance #neatfreak)
→ play a shoot'em up to enhance my focus and speed of thought
→ change to a more mature look and not the western college student archetype
→ find more inner peace by facing my fears and taking more risks. There are no negative implications, so why the fear/anxiety? (probably from things I was used to feel anxious for that no longer exist, but the head is still set up to fear them)
→ get back to organizing my life with notepads
→ be confident on a daily basis and not sporadically, feel good and get better everyday (改善)

dog → wolf

 Reading this baby. Really good and insightful book! More than I expected! I love it when books do this. Just as this book explained, this feeling of novelty, of mindfuck, changes our perception of the world for a moment.

"your awareness sharpens and your attention zooms in on the unexpected scene - "what the hell!" your preconcious brain utters, and in that very instant your world morphs from an indifferent and impressionistic background into a scene of hyperrealism".

Interesting...

 

 Morning ritual :-)

Story of my life. Let's change it.

7 Stupid Ways Smart People Sabotage Their Success

hey hey hey

Nothing new, but still worth the mention.

Pokem'ambition

Where does your fire, your passion, your ambition, your mindset, your self come from? 

Lately I've been in a pokemon mood and a while ago I was listening to pokemon songs. And check it out. I like all the songs, they're obviously catchy (otherwise wouldn't be appealing). I saw the TV show in portuguese and the songs were in portuguese, but the lyrics were very similar. And I would often listen to the english version in the pokemon official website.

(I LOVE THIS ONE)

 

I could make research on this...how the Pokemon tv series was culturally adapted to the English and Portuguese versions. How the Japanese values were adopted by the English/Portuguese dubbing.

ECONOMICS 101

Even after all this time

The sun never says to the earth,

"You owe me."

Look what happens

with a love like that,

It lights the Whole Sky.

-Hafiz

This poem is in the book "Sacred Economics" that I started reading today.

 

The author has a different perspective on economics, that's why I chose this book to read.

I am also reading "Brave New World", a dystopian fiction work. I love this genre. Another genre I'm going to get into soon is detective/noir fiction. 

So I've been reading some fiction. And I noticed it slows my reading levels down to massive levels but also raised my vocabulary and with this an increase in inner confidence and an improvement in facial and social cues reading skills (because now I can name a whole lot more of facial expressions and emotions, etc). 

But I still need do something about it. I need to read more. And faster. There are many subjects that catch my attention, but that until now (the past year) I never really had the resources/will to read about them.

Books on self development are boring now. There's nothing new to learn. They all look the same to me. Today I started reading one but soon quit because there was nothing new to it I haven't read yet in other books. 

. 

Anyway, this semester I'm taking this class, "Development Economics". Just because I want to have classes on that campus, because I'm interested in economics and want to learn more about it and just because. And I also had another economics class last semester.

Well the thing is, I already had a keen interest for economics and I am fascinated how the world works "economically" and now, because knowing I things work makes me feel good, I decided to read a book about it (if you don't count the three "freakonomics" that is). 

Economics is cool because it makes me feel more in control. In control of what I don't know for sure, but it somehow gives me that feeling. 

I guess both me and economics make up a good marriage. And business. And intercultural communication.

My reading concentration is getting better, I feel like my content retention is somehow getting better, or I just feel that (probably thanks to my better concentration) my comprehension is getting better too. Another thing I feel is that I think this concentration improvement (also from riding bicycle and the "tunnel view") is now presenting itself not just in reading but in other things as well.

Skills Enhanced Abroad

Identify Skills Acquired / Enhanced While Abroad, such as:


"Enhanced cultural awareness and sensitivity to customs and cultural differences * Foreign language proficiency * Adaptability * Ability to identify and achieve goals * General improvement in communication skills * Increased confidence, initiative and independence * Greater flexibility and sense of humor * Awareness of global, economic and political issues and realities * Ability to maintain an open mind and be tolerant of others * Clarification of goals and improved self-awareness * General travel skills * Resource management * Organization * Problem solving and crisis management * Patience * Listening and observation * Specific professional skills and/or knowledge base * Greater cultural understanding and sensitivity * Ability to work in cross-cultural teams and function in ambiguous environments."

http://www.bw.edu/academics/study-abroad/reentry/career/resume/

2 cents on creativity

Just something I've been noticing lately.

Eminem + reading (self development) = high motivation levels and highly creative/inspired state of mind

Reading + morning walk + daft punk = highly creative/inspired state of mind

Going to continue to realize my inner workings from now on. The possibilities are endless. 

Not doing this for any goal attainment but just for the joy and inspiration I feel. For how spontaneous I become and how everything suddenly seems easy. And things that used to scary, don't scare me anymore.

I also realized that up until now I used to excessively over-think.  Lately I've been trying to just stop thinking about things to do, but rather think only about the things I read. As for the real world, I just kind of let it happen. Somehow the world just flows betters when you don't think about it.

One's brain is god. 

Fall is here!

"Good news everyone!" (I hope someone gets the reference)

My beloved Fall morning walks are back! During Summer is already really hot in the morning so my walks are very unpleasant, but now it's really nice again!

A thing I have been noticing lately is that self development books (still reading "Awaken the giant within"...) now all seem equal to me. I still learn a lot don't get me wrong, but many of the "new discoveries" are things that I have already reached conclusions about already by myself. So I wither need to find new kinds of books or other kinds of activities to get my creative and ambitious blood flow running. 

burn burn burn

I've been meaning to read Jack Kerouac's "On the road" for some time, but this passage, in another book that I am now reading (Little Brother) made me change my mind into doing it sooner. The way W1nst0n (the main character of the book I'm reading) depicts Kerouac's work is so very well done that, well, I'm convinced.

The two young lovers discussing the book and the circunstances surrounding them was one of the good moments of this piece called "Little Brother".

I need people like those. With a burning desire for something. These are the people that make the world function. That are able to change the world.