Category: Loopholes on Life

The axioms, milestones, the truths. These are the Loopholes on Life – the incomprehensible concepts we all seem, at some juncture, to comprehend.

Luck, Karma, & Naked on the Streets of New York!

Have you doubted Luck, questioned Karma, or ended up Naked on the streets of New York? 

If you answered “yes” or “no” to any of the above, then you’ll be glad your friends Stan and Stitch were here with you today!!

Together we explore the art of DUMPSTER DIVING and the humility of super-star comparisons…

Together we face a little about lotto, and a lot about luck!

Owls vs. Ravens? Richard Dreyfuss vs. Justin Timberlake?

The answers you know will help us grow!

You’re welcome in advance! 🙂

-Stan & Stitch

Turkey Day Hangover

Thanksgiving is one of America’s favorite Holidays.  I know many friends and family who consider this the best time of the year.  I think that it’s important to really enjoy yourself over Thanksgiving and to make the most of this time spent with Family, Friends or even just others who are fortunate enough to spend time with YOU on Thanksgiving.  I think that it’s inevitable after such a wonderful meal and perhaps a glass of wine or two 😉 that we take time to re-challenge ourselves to make the Holidays not just one of the most special times of the year but also one of the HEALTHIEST times of year.  No; I am not suggesting you don’t indulge on the Thanksgiving Day meal to its gluttonous glory!  I am saying that flip the switch heading into holiday cookie and egg nog season and enjoy all those things but keep healthy.  Mentally and Physically!  Mentally don’t stress about the Holiday season and the gifts you must get; the family you must host; the expectations of cooking.  It all really means nothing special if you choose to make it stressful you’ve lost the whole point of it even happening.  Let problems and issues that arise this time of year roll off your back.   Physically….Pick a few nights of the week to eat a healthy meal and not have a drink.    Get to the gym despite the 2 degrees outside and MAKE IT HAPPEN!  Lastly, when you are in doubt just remember those days when you were a kid heading into the holidays; the magic, the lights, the stories; Santa!  Allow yourself to feel that magic again vs. anything else thrown your way!

Signing off….

Stan

woman preparing christmas table
Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

Got off Track? Get back!

Photo by Vladislav Vasnetsov on Pexels.com
Photo by Chinmay Singh on Pexels.com

Have you ever made progress just to watch it wash away in a mere few days of busy life or fun times?   I have….Just when I achieved my goal of being in the best shape of my life in 2018 (which was my NYE resolution 12/31/17) I put a speed bump in place and took a week and a half to eat pizza, drink wine, eat ice cream, stay up late, enjoy bagels, devour steaks and eat burgers & fries.  Guess what…it was awesome…I don’t regret it !  But we have to get back on track to our health.  Even if FOOD isn’t how you define health bottom line was I didn’t go to the gym, run or even really walk.  I was just plain old lazy.  So I’m back now and you’ll be pleased to know if you put the time in on yourself in advance a nice week long break actually doesn’t set you back as far as you think!  I got some work to do….but I know I’m gonna finish this year meeting my goal 🙂

Good luck to you all!  In the trenches with you on life and thanks to #Loopholesonlife.com

Yours Truly,

Stan

An Umbrella, a Sasquatch, and Indecision

That deep cleansing breath you need, but just cannot seem to grasp.  That malevolent slave master lynching your limbic system and paralyzing every muscle in your body, the very moment you need to make a move. The sadistic Oz behind the curtain of our every day struggles.

Have you considered the impact umbrellas, Sasquatch, and Indecision have on your every day life?

Whether you have, or have not, listen to today’s episode of LoopholesOnLife to discover the proven 3-step methodology for overcoming indecision!

Otherwise, listen to today’s episode to engage in the heated debate on other key decision points of your life – from the car to your bedroom. From The Notebook to Rambo.

Leave the show knowing, with certainty, that Truffle Hunters, Scat Sniffers, and Sasquatch do indeed exist.

The Unenviable Life of Washing Machines, and Materialism

The Unenviable Life of Washing Machines and Materialism 2018-10-14 at 10.48.10 AM.png

Materialism is a disease that has infested society since the dawn of time… It is important we work to recognize how it shapes the lives of ourselves and our loved ones.

It is also important to pay homage to your appliances which work ever so hard for you as the unsung heroes behind the scenes in your daily grind.

Have you considered the Unenviable Life of Washing Machines, and Materialism?

If you have, you probably should have done this podcast first…

If not… let’s consider the mystical and magnificent roles that both have in our day to day lives together!

 

 

 

The Mysterious Culture of Canada, Swingers, and FEAR!

Why does the “Star Spangled Banner” play for the winner of the National Anthem Olympics?

How is Canadian wine? What is “the trade”? Where do almonds grow?

…and when a well-dressed creep asks for a raw steak on a cold plate… how does he tip?

Have you experienced the mysteries
of Canada, Swingers, or Fear?

If not… more mysteries are to come!

If so… no need to relive these questionable memories!  Buuuut, if you must, might as well do so with your friends Stan and Stitch in this episode of Loopholes on Life!

Getting Back in the Groove!

It’s not easy getting back into the regime of finding time to keep healthy, happy and successful in your personal goals and being a parent!  Whether you are a parent or not we all have a lot to juggle and the upcoming fall/holiday season typically challenges us all with more work and social commitments.  I suggest to make the healthy lifestyle choices to eat really well, keep positive, try to exercise (even if for ten minutes!), get as much rest as possible and most importantly be the best parent, friend or family member you can be!  I challenge myself and all of you to set some goals set NOW (instead of on New Years Eve 😉 to make ourselves happy & healthy in our busy groove starting today and thru the fall!

 

adult baby celebration child
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com

Dreams, Floss, and the Importance of Depeche Mode!

How to master your dreams and learn to lucid dream!

How did a Disney Villain help Stitch lucid dream?

What if we neglected a third of our woken day the way we do a third of our life?

and why are cheap beers, old man shoes, Depeche Mode, Ace of Base, and good dental hygiene relevant…?

Answer all of these questions and win a prize. Learn the rest by listening to todays podcast “Dreams, Floss, and the Importance of Depeche Mode“!!

Don’t Play from Behind! Be healthy and Be happy – Here’s How!

run in new york

Health is not about being sexy or in shape or anything further.  It’s about being the most true form of yourself,  the form that CARES for yourself.

When you care about yourself you’ll try to work harder to make yourself better.  Don’t ever do it for anyone else, anything else or beyond.  Do it because your amazing, God-given body, wants to fly and sail on its own.

Let’s fly and Sail together !

The Butterfly, the Spider Licker and Addiction

What is addiction?

How do we overcome it?

And what would inspire Stitch to lick a spider?

Join two lifelong friends as they seek answers to these physiological, psychological, and troubling questions, in the inaugural podcast of Stan & Stitch!

Keeping Trust, Needing Love

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Trust those who keep it;

Love all who need it.

When your kids ask… “What’s life all about?”

What’s the hardest question a kid has ever asked you?

The simplest questions sometimes seem to be our hardest to answer, especially when children are doing the asking!

This was my attempt at an “ALL ENCOMPASSING” response to that question: “INFINITY BACKWARDS”:

What it takes to Love… from falling in to staying in

those who fall in love, learn to kiss nice and hug tight.

those who stay in love, learn how to fight right.

uncharacteristically concise for me….why?

knowing what it takes is simple.

doing what it takes? the second that feels simple, one of you is not trying hard enough! 🙂

 

Happy 2017 world!

Measure of Goodness

For GOODNESS sake!

goodness-overcoming-evil-2016“Measure the goodness of an individual…
…by their reaction time, to their own evil!”

The GREATEST Gift you can Give to Humanity?

greatest-gift-to-humanity_conquer-your-own-demons

“The GREATEST gift you can give to humanity?
Conquer your own Demons…
…so you do not pass them down to the next generation”

Want to improve the world?  Improve yourself… the rest will follow.

The Wisdom of Master Splinter

Master Splinter Quote: We Choose What Holds us Back, and what Moves us Forward

“We choose what holds us back…
…and what moves us forward.”

~Master Splinter

What once was Black and White is now Fifty Shades of Gray

WARNING: As the herd of Valentines weekend movie-goers eagerly prepare to contribute to what is sure to be jaw-dropping box-office numbers — the following point of view may be as controversial as the film itself…

CLASS was once black and white, now its fifty shades of grey!

The inevitable success of Fifty Shades of Grey is essentially a raised glass to the moral decline of values in the Western world.

BUT WAIT!  Make no mistake… or better yet make mistakes: humanity is not perfect!  And in a world where our experience is based on polarity and relativity, we never will be….AND THAT IS OKAY! Being perfect is not our purpose… nor is that point the purpose of this article.

The purpose is to use the latest of many points on our social trend line to reflect on the real threat our humanity faces: desensitization…. Evil needs to exist in order for “Good” to prevail… We will make mistakes, we will do evil… but will we recognize it?

The biggest obstacle which stands in our way of becoming a more loving and unified world is the blurred lines. Good and Bad used to be two opposing but clear perspectives, now its controversial. Right and wrong used to be Black and White, now it’s many shades of grey.

I admittedly have not read this book, so am not passing judgement on it — and CERTAINLY not on it’s readers or movie watchers.  I wrestle with my own demons — and they would gain ground on me if I focused too much on the wrestling matches of others.

I am however using the controversial buzz as a springboard to remember that the single most important thing to do on the road to becoming a good person IS NOT to be flawless, but rather, to recognize your flaws.  As long as we, as individuals and as a society, can be true to ourselves and discern what is making us weaker or stronger — then by simply recognizing our negatives becomes a positives…

There is NO greater strength than the recognition of one’s own weaknesses.

I HOPE ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND! It’s okay to indulge in a drink, some not-so-healthy eats, or the guilty pleasure of your choice, but as you do, I challenge you to challenge yourself with some self-evaluation and ask yourself the question “why”?  Our weakness is demonstrated in how we ‘chase those highs’ — we enjoy the junk food so eat more and more of it, we enjoy the drink so go from 1 to 5…  We lose ourselves in the chase of those highs, and become prisoners of our own device. Our strength, however, is demonstrated in our ability to enjoy those guilty pleasures with the discipline to do so in moderation.

And if you’ve already chosen to see it, then…

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW!  And as you do, I challenge you to challenge yourself to recognize how the message of it, or other creations, can change you and/or others around you. Then discern whether or not the change reflects the type of person you want to be and/or the type of world you want to live in.

I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR LIFE! It’s okay to make mistakes — we are not perfect, on purpose! Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.  As you enjoy your life, I challenge you to challenge yourself to simply acknowledge them!

After all, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES... the best of us will work on them, the worst of us won’t recognize them.

“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
~Kevin Spacey, “The Usual Suspects”

There’s only two sides; from Day to Night, Dark to Light, and Death to Life…
But between the extremes we lose site of what once was Black and White.
So why would you and I use the grey-scale for weighing Wrong and Right?

ENJOY!

Lord, help me to be great

Saying this prayer, OUT LOUD, (most) every night, is the single most important contributor to making me a (somewhat) better person than I used to be.

Lord, help me to be great -- or at least better.

 

Lord, help me to be:
Courageous, Selfless, Loving,
Patient, Peaceful, Humble,
Hard working and Forgiving.

Help me to be a great husband,
a great father, and a great human being.

And help me to always remember.

 

PERSONAL TIP:
Every small epiphany I have in life, I ‘assign’ to this prayer… Every time I say I’ll pray for someone, I assign it to “always remember”…. So every time I say it, in my heart, those folks share a piece of my prayer…

I also wear, thanks to my wife, a necklace with the word “REMEMBER” on it — so I remember to never forget ;).

A touching life, tragic death, small gesture, and big surprise

Big and small; long and short…do you know what these words mean?  However you  may define them today, you will redefine them tomorrow.   Our perspective and relative perception of these words changes as we go and grow — the trick is to avoid letting these words become part of your decision making process.  A recent experience of mine reinforced just how relevant this ‘loophole’ is, as my close friend’s younger brother passed away. Here is the story, or the long and the short of it:

A SMALL GESTURE IN THE WAKE OF A LOVED ONE’S DEATH

After hearing the news that his younger brother passed away unexpectedly at 23 years old, I attempted twice to speak to my friend without breaking down myself, to no avail.

Even if I had ‘words of wisdom’ at the time, which I did not, it was not the time for them. Sometimes it is just time to mourn.  I couldn’t offer some profound advice that would change his perspective on the loss, and yet, I couldn’t merely be the friend that sends a fruit basket or some flowers.

As I contemplated what to do, I read his brother’s facebook wall… the messages were amazing.  The amount of people that were inspired by his brother was inspiring itself.  I decided my small contribution would be.

I compiled pictures from his wall, batched up the quotes, looked at his ‘musical likes’ and mixed an audio based on two Modest Mouse songs (as well as some covers which transitioned them together well).   Since they have family in Mexico, I did  my due diligence to try to translate some of those quotes so they were not overlooked — they were some of the most profound sentiments in the end.

I finally had the words, through others, to put together a message… Nothing that has not been done before in one capacity or another, but something I thought was a good summation of his life and impact.

A BIG SURPRISE IN THE WAKE OF A SMALL GESTURE

Long story short – my friend greatly appreciated the gesture… That is all I hoped for, giving my friend just a small bit of peace in a very tough time — by providing a him something he could reference to remember how his little bro left his mark on this world and in others.

Then — a week later, 2 days before mothers day, it was me who was touched.

I received a call from my friend, who said his mother would like to talk to me.  I had not seen her for over a decade, since we’ve lived states apart ever since college.  I immediately expressed my condolences.  And then his soft-spoken mom said to me words that I will never forget:

“I just wanted to thank you very much for the video. It makes me sad then happy, and it was the only thing that has given me peace. It helped me to believe in God again”.

Once again I cannot speak on this topic without shedding a tear – but this time, because it was amazing to me how something I almost considered NOT doing because I didn’t know how it would be received, could be the one thing to give a brokenhearted mother a bit of peace.

My friend told me his family watched the video together on Mothers day, and his mothers day gift to his mom was a tablet with a link to the youtube video, so she could watch it any time…

My lesson learned is to never assume that any gesture is too small if your heart is in the right place… Just as my friend’s little bro had a long lasting effect in a short life — sometimes even the smallest decisions can have the biggest impacts.

Why Cater to the Valleys?

Throughout our peaks and valleys,
we kept calling it our prime…
But all the evolution we saw in writing,
was really in our eyes!

If I got better for you today,
it might make me worse in time;
Since living for other standards,
may take sacrificing mine.

Why cater to the valleys, when you can wait for them to climb?

Why God Exists (The God Question part 2)

My response to a debate thread on a board regarding “Why God Exists”…

God is the Answer, is he the Question?
Is God the Question…or Answer?

Debate: Why does God Exist

Because life is a fractal relationship between infinite micro and macrocosms; as above, so below; the good and bad we see in others is also in ourselves, and that inter-connectivity is also a reflection of what is more and what is less. 

And that inter-connectivity manifests onward and upward, inward and outward, at an exponential rate and fractal shape.

The fractal is all encompassing, “we were created in His image” – and thus, we create in our image. Whether through genetics – or whether through innovative feats of exceeding our own brain processing power and storage. 

Neither good nor bad – He is wholly holy and holy wholly; as we continue to perceive ourselves as finite pieces and not perceiving the infinite puzzle we are apart of. 

The yin and the yang of infinite and finite create the infinite decimals between 0 and 1 — the gray area between “yes” and “no” — which enables us to experience… it sets the stage for polarity — and relativity, both scientifically and emotionally. 

…it also sets the stage for making us perceive ourselves as ‘separate bodies’ from the greater body.

…we are afraid of the unknown, and yet, the unknown is only known by overcoming that very FEAR!

Alas, the inter-connectivity of all things across infinite microcosms, macrocosms, and ALL TIME echoes the same truth ‘time and time again’ — but we deafen our ears to these timeless truths because of FEAR – and our NEED to hang on to our individual puzzle piece… the need to validate our ego. 

YET even that FEAR itself, which prevents us from seeing the truth that is quite literally in us (et al.), nonetheless REFLECTS the same TRUTH! Fear itself is made of the same structure all things are made of — it too is a series of micro and macrocosms.  And for human beings, one of the most recognizable ‘macrocosms of fear’ to overcome — the overarching fear from which all our mortal fears stem from — is our FEAR OF DEATH!  Our need, once again, to ‘hang on to our ego’ — the concept of what we are today — because we cannot perceive the world without us… We are afraid of the unknown….

Face your fear of death, and unveil the face of God.

…we are afraid of the unknown, and yet, the unknown is only known by overcoming that very FEAR!  Overcome this chicken-and-egg circumstance by finding peace. Find peace through love.  TRULY confront this fear and relinquish your individual puzzle piece to be one with the puzzle itself – and you will not only believe in God. You will know Him as you know yourself.

This particular fear binds together all fears in the worlds of time and timelessness.  Face your fear of death, and unveil the face of God.

We are parts; we are connected; He is whole; We are one. Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

Part 1 – The God Question

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