“Not-so-Smart Phones!” #120

Your most treasured memories are entrusted in them. 
They are your go-to for guidance, when you’re feeling lost.
No matter how obscure the question; you look to them for answers.
They know your interests, and share some common ones.

Whether delivering a laugh, or drawing out a good cry
You know that you’ve got ’em, right by your side!!

Kinda wild how we all became best friends with our cell phones, right?!?

Maybe you called it…?
Either way, connect with Stitch and Stan as they unravel the ONE device that we keep so close our other cells get jealous!!

It has been called a technological marvel and a necessary evil
…but is it technically evil or necessarily marvelous?

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

(1) “What is one fun use of the mobile device? I mean fun too, not like emergency contact information.” [2] “The Weather app is fun! I like to know what’s happening!” (1) “Not my definition of fun, but okay…”

“One time a phone is always safe to use — and more efficient too…?When you’re taking a dump! !”

You, or someone you know!

“Everything from Nothing and Hot Yoga!” #119

Have you ever had a moment, so beautifully malleable, that today’s outcomes seem to be yours to cast in the vastness of tomorrow’s best potential possibilities?!

Where society’s rigor, for a moment, can be molded as seamlessly as an infant can of Play-Doh?

Where you can fearlessly face and relentlessly forge the future, with the requisite conviction of Plato?

Where you can shape it, you can bend it, but you will never fold.

For you can manipulate the clay-of-today with the certainty that tomorrow will bring nothing less than a hardened state of your original vision… Memorializing your craft, as if your acts were an everlasting statue gifted to the past… Forever capturing the greatness of the goodness in that single, beautifully malleable, moment.

Have you had that moment? If so, give us a heads up next time!!! Because today Stan and Stitch simply attempted to play with some Play-Doh, which was then overtaken by Plato, who seemingly swayed Michelangelo to shape the possibilities into something far greater than either of us could have perceived!

Friends, join our #RiseBeforeFall campaign… get something outta nothing and so, so much more!!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

“Sure, I’d want to live forever if I could keep my youth and health”…
…”I don’t know man, vampires never seem too happy!”

“He was taking the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ approach to hot yoga? What a bastard!”

“A smile is a million dollars in a world of nothingness.”

You, or, Someone You Know!

“8 Babies, 1 Island, and Hope!” #118

Friends, do you recall?

4,000 years between the written language and the printing press.

300 years between the steam engine and reaching outer space, 

30 years between the internet and mobile technology.

Friends, can you imagine?

If there were 8 babies, an island,
and nothing more but a spring of hope?

How would society evolve differently?  Does history repeat? Would the New York Stock Exchange be recreated? (warning: a topic of heated debate ensues)

Friends… join us.
and let’s rebuild this baby TOGETHER,
to be EVEN BETTER………. FOREVER!!!

‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!

” …history is just a collection of the societies which made it up in the past;
and society is just a reflection of the individuals which make it up today. “

You, or, Someone You Know!

The Complacency Meter!

 

square analog meter
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Hello Friends!

Great to be back writing another article for #loopholesonlife and I’m still loving my role as co-host of The Loop Holes on Life Podcast which I encourage all of you to checkout and enjoy on our website loopholesonlife.com!

I remember once I was back at my alma-mater, The Ohio State University, where I stepped up to the bar with some old friends.  One of them told the bartender that me and my pal would love to try this new shot they were offering, the Tsunami, he proceeded to order two of them.  The bartender promptly agreed proclaiming “Two Tsunami’s coming right up” and before we could haggle our friend on why he didn’t order one for himself the bartender was already splashing two full cups of water into our faces.   We were soaked and speechless, taken aback and had probably about ten different feelings and emotions going through our heads in those ensuing seconds.  Anger, frustration, curiosity, stupidity, naivety and then in the end when we realized what really had just happened; we laughed our asses off and humor and even some joy and jubilation set in.

This is what I want my article to feel like when I talk about complacency today.  I look back on that moment of getting splashed in the face with water instead of receiving just another boring old shot on another same old day and the way it put me off track and set me back is what breaking complacency is all about!  I want us all to take a moment today, tomorrow or this week (can’t wait too long on this!) and check our complacency meter.  How would yours read?  Is it reading high up above 50% with lots of nervous yet exciting unknowns about what the future holds or is it trickling very low flickering around 10%?  What I mean by this is does your life challenge you or make you feel alive in ways that are exciting and maybe even uncomfortable?  This meter takes into account all aspects of life; work, family, physical fitness, friendships, hobbies and so much more.

So maybe work is something you aren’t satisfied in at the moment.  Each day is a doldrum of unmotivating work that goes in a circular motion day after day.  When someone bring up the “ole” work talk at a social event you cringe even talking about it.  Well then I say it’s time to do something about it and erratic that complacency!!  Maybe you don’t have to just quit….we all have financial obligations and rents to pay and mouths to feed.  But ask yourself what can you do?  Can you shake up the way things are done?  Can you get a promotion and take on more responsibility?  Is your boss holding you back and you’ve always said “he/she won’t change…he/she is impossible to work with?”  Well guess what you may  not want to hear….but have you sat down and shattered the complacency meter and straight up told your boss that you and the others feel that way?  It may not go to well but guess what;  ❝I really try to put myself in uncomfortable situations. Complacency is my enemy.❞ (Quote by Trent Reznor- yes I’m a big Rock Fan!).  I promise you this- if nothing else telling him or her this uncomfortable news will certainly shatter their complacency meter for a day!

I really do want to stress however this isn’t all about work.  Many of us have jobs that bring us some financial success and happiness and perhaps that’s what we are destined to do.  Even an pro-athlete who we would deem as the most successful of professions must feel immense complacency at times playing the same sport in the same cities over and over.  Sure it pays very well but who’s to say they didn’t want to be a Rock star or a Scientist or anything else.  What I mean is that we have to check our complacency meter on all of life’s aspect.  How’s your family life?  Do you let your wife give the kids a bath every night?  Shake that up and take your turn; make a game out of it and have a blast!  Do you need to take time for a date with your significant other and shake complacency up.  How’s your health?  Do you eat the same foods and never challenge yourself to get healthier or feel more fit?  Fitness is an easy way to shatter your complacency meter and really put yourself in a difficult situation from what your used to that will result in lots of jubilation and happiness in the end; much like that splash of water to the face I took.

Hobbies are a way I have found incredible outlets to keep from being non complacent.  Right now my career is very successful waiting for it’s next challenges that I know are forthcoming and I am actively pushing towards them.  So to get my complacency meter way up I challenge myself on home life (I travel to keep it exciting!) and I use my hobbies where I continue to get better and learn more about the guitar and try to practice and learn a new language in Spanish!  In my humble opinion; Television is one of the absolute detriments to the complacency meter.  I try to avoid TV at all costs and put my time into things that make me uncomfortable whether it’s travelling somewhere I haven’t been (even if just locally), eating a food I haven’t tried (ethiopian anyone?!), playing a song I haven’t mastered or trying to say something in a language I don’t know how to say.  These are small examples but I love the way they keep my life feeling on it’s “toes” and I challenge you all to try and take a similar approach wherever you can!

So good luck out there on assessing your complacency meter and feel free to drop us a like on this site if you enjoyed this article and give us any feedback you might have as well!  Look forward to having this complacency talk with my pal Stitch on The Loop Holes on Life Podcast real soon and wish all of you the best week ever!!

Sincerely,

Stan