Grizzly status

Indian tribes believed that each man and woman had his or her own totem (these were in most of the cases animals, such as eagles, bears...deers etc))...and it's not related to the name of today's post in any sense, except for the nickname that a friend of mine recently got on his new job. So they called him grizzly :) And immediately I had this Young Jeezy's song in my head saying "I'll be on my grizzly, I'll be on my grizzly..." :) Having said that previously , I didn't understand what the real meaning of "grizzly", and "grizzly status" in American slang is, now I felt that it was my urgent need to find it out :)  after a short research I found something like this :

"grizzly status " - According to urban dictionary, it applies to extremely extraordinary achievements which demonstrate high skill. (grizzly comes from "grind" or "game" in this phrase)



So even if this short idiom didn't contribute to my "business english" dictionary, I find it really amusing and funny how the word can have so many meanings in english.

So much for the intro, as the name of the post suggests, I'm gonna name and describe usefulness of the things that somehow are better that all the others in the same field. In other words, if I was to talk about smartphones, I would most  likely talk about battle between Apple and Samsung. But today, in my list I want to thank life for :

1. YERBATA - one and only soft drink that is a mix of naturally brewed Yerba Mate and old-school lemonade :) and yes, it contains the fair amount of caffeine (18mg per 100 ml ) in it :) I knew that this is gonna be my favourite soft frink from the first sip
..and although I prefer pure Yerba Mate brewed in traditional "calabash" gourd, this one is deffinitely the new RedBull for me :)

2. Deodorant with aluminium chloride . Now, while I can't call myself a heavy sweater, I recently noticed that some of my shirts have those unpleasent sweat "stains" that hopefully can be removed..but again, I knew that there is some of kind of a deodorant , that actually blocks your sweat glands and resolves the issue completely, if used properly. So I watched a couple of videos on youtube, then went to the nearest pharmacy, and asked for the deodorant with  aluminium chloride (as this is the defining ingredient that "does the job")) It didn't cost me much, something around 10 $. The only side effect is the skin irritation, which, provided you put too much deodorant on your skin, can be really annoying. But after some time, you learn how to use it properly (currently I'm using it in a very small proportion every night for 4 days in a row, and then can have a small 2 days break), and voila - no sweat stains on the shirts, even if it's really hot..in fact, you can try as hard as you can and be sweaty all over your body, but the drying effect under the arms is still at its best.

3. Ties and tie-knots :) 
Well...it's hard to say why some of us don't like ties (I've heard different answers, the most ridiculous of which was that ties are new "chains for dogs"), but for me there's no particular reason why I shouldn't wear thies. Besides, I like the process of tying the tie, and the fact that there are so many versions of knots. It's like origami (which I will probably mention in my next post) , where you can create something unique by following a precise instruction , step by step. And, although I use only one type of the tie knot for everyday work in office, someday I will definitely try this "rose knot" from the picture :



That's it for today, as I said , these three things I've described, are best among same products in their areas (Yerbata among soft drinks, special deodorant that decreases level of sweat produced during the day and unique rose knot) at least for me and for now :)

As usual, a good quote to start effective Monday :

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones "
― Confucius

Carry away your (or someone else's) small stones, and then move your mountain.
And, in possible, have fun along the way :)
Take care,

Bryvus

Keep Calm and Carry On

Just like that, keep calm and carry on. I chose this a the title of today's post as initially this was a british motivational poster produced by British government in 1939 just before the IInd World War started. Back then, it was little known, because it wasn't distributed among british citizens on a large scale. However, nowadays there are lots of variations of this iconic poster. One of my favourite is the one on the picture (no surprise it's related to tea :))


So, now that I started with the poster, that would probably be my first thing on the list of 3 things I am really thankful for :

1. Harvard Business Review posters...man these are absolutely unique. When I was working in one of the biggest banks in Poland, we, as auditors didn't have a room for ourselves, so we had to work from Director's office who was on vacation at that moment. And, believe it or not, he had 2 of those extraordinary posters in his office. One of them showed a scene from the Matrix movie, where Neo refuses to say the destiny is a good concept for humanity. And on the second Don Corleone talked about the values and their importance in our lives..and I was both surprised and amazed...surprised beacuse I couldn't believe that a Director of a multi-million dollar company would hang posters on his walls (even if they're in fancy frames)...and amazed because these posters had such a deep message in them , while at the same time might have looked childish and ridiculous :D Anyway, I really liked those , and after some time managed to find them : 

(originally the text was in polish, but for the purpose of this blog I've translated it to english)

2. Steven Covey's Week Planner. Now that we're living in times when there's an app for each and everything you could think about, starting from meditation timer to shopping mall guidances, traditional ways of planning and managing your time are becoming less popular. And by traditional I mean those that are handwritten, or at least printed.
S. Covey's Weekly planner is a spreadsheet that was created according to the rules described in Steven's Book "7 Habits of highly effective People" which I've probably mentioned earlier.
It has a section for Roles, another one for Goals connected with these roles, and of course 7 days to plan your week efficiently and effectively.
The planner is a very useful tool, and was created by one of the most successful authors in the world, that's why I don't need to promote it somehow or try to persuade someone that it's better that some other tools for organising your time.


Of course you can create your own planner, but just in case you're willing to try this one out, it can be downloaded for free from :
http://www.diyplanner.com/node/6060
*(both files are ok, but the second looks better when printed, that's why I'd suggest file nr.2)
Once again my huge respect for Dr Covey's work in general, and for all the tools that he predicted to be useful even in times of rapid growth of high-tech and innovative products and markets.

3. Websites and apps that help you to find the best route to get from point A to p. B in a particular city. Of course such app as google maps is well known all around the world, but web pages that help users of public transport in big cities are relatively new , at least in Poland. And these are so helpful and so easy to use, that almost everyone takes them for granted as if they were created long time ago. But the truth is that previously the only way to find the best route in such city as Warsaw, was to simply ask someone , or go to the nearest bus/tram station and check when and where next bus/tram goes..sounds like stoneage, but, believe it or not, this how it was like only two years ago. And now you don't even have to know where you are at the moment - www.jakdojade.pl , or it's app for smart phone will do it for you. Moreover, it'll estimate the approximate time it will take you to get where you want to get (including the time you will spend waiting for the next bus/tram etc).
Big credit to those who came up with an idea of providing such service absolutely for free for all to whom it may be related.

That's it for today, the list has 3 key things I'm thankful for. I really believe that without these things my life would be much more chaotic and stressful ...luckily, it's not ;)

A good quote to start Monday  :

"Fear, uncertainty and discomfort are your compasses toward growth "
― Celestine Chua

Of course there might be some fear and discomfort along the way, that's a normal process I guess, but as the wise title of today's post says " Keep Calm and Carry On" :)

..And of course don't forget to have some fun :)
Take Care

Bryvus

What goes around comes around

It's been a long time since my last post... Got a new internship in one of the major corporations, found a new workout routine that takes me only 12 minutes a day to go through, bought new tea and almost finished watching White Collar TV series. All I can say is that I'm starting to appreciate the information flow around me, the very diversity of the sources of information which are absolutely free and easy to reach. One of these I'll mention in my list of things I'm thankful for.
                        
The title of the post - what goes around, comes around is from the J. Timberlake's song, that has the same title - "What goes around comes around". I'm not a big fan of his music, maybe a couple of songs featuring some other artists, but I do like the meaning of this phrase. What I like to do, on every Sunday before the week starts, is to write a phrase, on my printed schedule for the week, which will remind about something, some principle or universal law, that I might forget about because of everyday's rush. Two weeks ago it was "Do at least one thing that gets you out of your comfort zone each day", and last week it said "What goes around, comes around". I don't subscribe to labels, therefore I can't say I'm a christian, or a buddhist, or a muslim, or a philosopher. But phrases that somehow remind me of universal laws, principles that help us live better lives and make this journey more enjoyable, are really helpful.

So now it's time to make a list of the things that I personally believe to be really helpful in life or just make it better, as simple as it sounds. In this post I'll probably be more specific, so instead of just saying in general "magazines" I'd name particular name of the one that I like ;)

1. CARMEX lip balm (or chapstick). Now if anyone has ever experienced dry lips or cold sores, he or she knows how uncomfortable that might be. And, believe it or not, most of the chapstick are just not good enough to heal your lips and act as good moisturizer at the same time. Created by Alfred Woelbing in the early 1930s and first pots of this amazing lip balm were made in his kitchen. Ingredients are still the same, simple and well-know, such as beeswax and cocoa seed butter, but with the price of around 3 to 4 euros, it's the best thing I've ever found for the dry lips. Thanks to my friend from US, I'm still using this amazing lip balm as a bedtime treatment.

2. Twitter. Yeah...I have to admit it, I didn't like the idea of "following" people or "twitting" about some non-meaningful events and things that happen to you, but recently (it took me ages to figure it out) I've discovered that I can literaly stay in touch with latest news and events from all over the world by "following" magazines and websites such as bloomberg, nasdaq, wall street journal , not the people ..of course it doesn't mean that I don't care about my friends, not at all, I'm just thinking more in terms of long term and sustainable relationships with others, and this means meeting people and talking to them in real life, not on twitter. So the point I want to make is this - my life has changed tremendously as soon as I started using twitter to follow the latest news. Thank you guys for such a great opportunity to be well informed.


3. Dialy Art Android App - this one is of a great value for me. As I mentioned earlier, I found tv series "White Collar" very interesting and apart from the storyline I found myself really interested in art itself, especially paintings and famous painters of all times. Then I started to do some research on this topic and I found an app that is perfect for a person that wants to learn a small piece of information about a particular painting each day. It's updated daily, the descriptions are written in a nice and coherent way. No need for additional comments, all I can say is that I can't imagine my life without this app and a dose of art each day anymore.

4. Free MIT, Harvard and Georgetown courses - at Edx.org Thanks to the twitter, I found this amazing website. Free courses from best universities around the world that take you about 2 hours a week...that is something I could only dream about. And the topics of the courses can vary from "science in cooking" to "global sociology".. EDX.org, a non for profit organisation launched by Harvard and MIT (that eventually will charge students who want to pass the exam after the taken course and get a certificate that proves that the course was taken) is becoming my favourite social initiative, along with TEDx. A huge credit to all of those who were involved in the process of creating those organisations, and special thanks to Anant Agarwal (Edx President)  for letting us participate in it absolutely for free!


That would be it for today, a list was a bit longer than usual - 4 instead o 3 traditional points in it, but other than that it's still the same - simple thoughts and things that make my life better. Hope someone finds this useful for him or her.

As usual, a quote to start a productive and effective monday :

“Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” 
― Warren Buffett

Plant your trees, sow your seeds, and find a nice shade after that, to enjoy the process of reaping.
Take care and don't forget to have some fun :)

Bryvus

Flip Flops & Yerba

There's nothing like a summertime with fresh fruits, good music and nice people around you..well maybe there is something better, however I haven't experienced such a thing yet. As the philosopher Reggae Watts said once "I've seen, as much as I've seen" :))

That's why all the things I'm thankful for, in today's list would be somehow related to summer and/or holidays.

Today I came up with these three things I am greatful for  :

1. Yerba Mate :)) Getting up at 6, staying awake for 18 hours each day and being effective throughout the day in every single task seemed impossible and insurmountable task for me without coffee.....I had to have this nice cup of espresso every single morning until the day I discovered this amazing thing called Yerba Mate :) As I've mentioned earlier, I really love all sorts of teas, from Black Ceylon Oolongs to Green Chinese and even Peruvian herbs. But there's always been this issue with the small amount of caffeine in tea and not being able to stay fully energised and awake even after a few cups of tea. Coffee on the other hand made me dehydrated and exhausted after longer period of time. And that's when I started looking for an alternative, which to my amazement smelled good, had a great taste and didn't have as many side effects as coffee. Of course that was Yerba Mate. Appart from great taste and fatigue reduction, Mate tea is known to reduce appetite and blood pressure, break the fat cells to some extend, increase libido, contain anti-oxidants and more than 50 amino-acids, deliver more oxygen to the heart and lungs while working out and many many other beneficial things.

A big credit to all those who sell Yerba Mate, give instructions on how to prepare it properly and generally speaking to all Yerba Mate lovers!

2. Flip flops :) Probably no need to write an entire story about how/when/where I discovered how comfortable and nice these are :) All I can say, is that if I had to choose between regular slippers, sandals, boat shoes and flip flops, I would without a doubt choose filp flops :)

 I don't even know who the guy on the picture is, but I really love the combination of jeans, shirt and flip flops ;D

3. Diets and Fasts
Now before anyone could start thinking about weightloss and getting a "hollywood-beach-jason-statham-halle-berry-blablabla" body, that's definately not the point I want to make here. This third thing I'm thankful for - diets and fasts is more about taking care of your body and health, a holistic approach and principle behind short-term goals. For me it all started many years ago, when I tried "apple 3 day detox diet", that made me realise a couple of things. Firstly, I found out that our bodies are not just getting older and starting to look "older" as the time passes, but they're accumulating a big proportion of what we actually think is absorbed. In other words, the energy you need is absorbed and the rest is accumulated by the body, not only in form of fat, but also in different types of kidney stones and other unpleasant stuff. It's like brushing your teeth - you do it constantly, on regular basis, but it doesn't automatically mean that you don't need to visit your dentist from time to time. Same goes for body and eating habbits.

So I'm really happy that nowadays people are getting more educated on this subject whilst the healthy lifestyle along with eating healthy food is promoted all over the world. Personally, I've tried the mentioned above "3 days detox" , and a "WaiDiet", that requires you to eat mainly fruits and raw fish. I'm also aiming to try Paleo Diet someday. Mainly I do it out of curiosity, buy who knows, maybe one day, as famous author and athlete Dan Millman I will turn to vegan lifestyle.

That's all for today, as usual I add a quote to start a good Monday tomorrow :

“The journey is what brings us happiness not the destination.” 
― Dan Millman,

Take care everybody, and of course,
Have some fun :P

Bryvus

E=mc²

Yes, of course A. Einstein is one of my role models, mainly because of the fact that he talked about imagination and creativity a lot...But the formula written in the title of my post stands for smth else than his original formula :D

E=mc²  - Energy = Milk x Coffee² :D  Not my own formula, I mean, I'm not the creator of
it :D However...
when I worked for one of the major corporations and often had to work late hours, I saw

this formula on a  sticky note on someone's desk and it made my day :D 

So here's my list of the things I am greatful for  : 

1. Guarana fruits/powder/pills ... Guarana, or "Paullinia Cupana" is a plant, common in Latin America, esp. in Brasil. It's fruits & seeds are rich in caffeine, and for me personally  the stimulating effect of those is better comparing to coffee. Although it's the same substance or  ingredient - caffeine, in my opinion and in my personal experience, Guarana's effect is more subtle but it lasts longer I think. And it probably doesn't dehydrate you as much as coffee does. Well, anyway, it's a really great alternative to coffee :) ...oh, and the funny thing about those fruits - they look like eyeballs a bit ;D 

That's what wikipedia says about it : 
"The guarana fruit's colour ranges from brown to red and contains black seeds which are partly covered by white arils. The colour contrast when the fruit has been split open has been likened to eyeballs; this has formed the basis of a myth"  

Here's a pic : 

Freaky :D

2. Trance music...As I said earlier, I'm studying for my MA exam, which I'm  having in a week time, so right now it's all about focus, concetration, eating  healthy , getting a good sleep, drinking tons of tea and coffee, and of course  at the end of this list there's Trance/House music:) I saw I video on YT , where a guy, among a lot of studying tips tells that it's a great idea to listen to  the music (before or while studying , depends on a subject) that you really like or that you are "attached to" and have some great memories connected  with it.

For me that is trance/house music, such as Tiesto, Alesso, Above&Beyond, Avicii, of course A. van Buren, D. Guetta and many others (whom I don't know by name but listen to religiously :)
Thank you guys for making my stydies mangable and clubbing enjoyable even without alcohol :)

3. Umm...don't get me wrong but I have to say it  - shower :D You see, last week I was reading about Middle Ages , history of France etc. and I realized, that even those who were rich at that time and had fancy estates and bathrooms made of gold, had only one option - to take a bath! How boring is that :D That sounds ridiculous for me, I love taking a shower, and , believe it or not, one of my dreams/goals in life is to have an appartment with a modern and extraordinary shower.
But the point I want to make here is that 15 mins of shower are just a perfect thing to do while having a break between...yeah between studying :D


As you can see, all of the things mentioned today are somehow related to my studies and the goal of staying awake :)

As usual, a quote to sum up this week , and todays post  :

"Always do your best.What you plant now you will harvest later"  (Og. Mandino)

Take care everybody..... get a good sleep, drink a lot of water, eat your vitamins, say your prayers ...and...
Don't forget to have some fun :)

Bryvus

Inch by inch, play by play...

Maybe some of you have seen the movie called "any given Sunday", or just heard the famous Al Pacino's speech in this movie. Really inspiring, amazingly simple and true. The name of today's post is a quote from his speech..

A good quote to start today's list of things I am greatful for :


"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it" (Goethe).

Today I am happy to experience and really thankful for :

1. Websites that allow you to give smth to other, in other words to help others by simply clicking. There are probably a lot of those, currently I'm "clicking" on two actually, one is local (Polish) and the second one is American, I mean it helps you give the funds to animals, veterans etc. in US. In our lives it all starts with giving, only afer giving, recieving process can be launched but it's not just about recieving. For me it's a good way to lift my mood and reasure me that browsing the internet can be useful.

2. Headphones :D Yep , I've given my tribute to all those who create audiobooks recently, but I didn't mention the most important thing - the HEADPHONES!! If I were to describe headphones without actually using the word "headphones" I would write smth like this : " it's a device that allows you to find your peace in a most crowdy and loud place, a device that makes each moment unique and allows you to be aware that you can change your mood easily by using it properly" :D Yep , this is about headphones!!! Without them my workouts would be boring, my language skills would be on a much lower level and...well...as someone once said - "without music life would be a mistake" : D

3. Book scripts. Oh yeah, I'm so thankful for such a thing  as book script as right now I studying for my MA exam and reading all the books that I am required to wouldn't be physically possible. But the scripts, created by those who spent their time writting notes, reading and/or listening attentively, allow you to learn (after reading more or less 50 pages) the essence of the information that initially was written on more than 400 pages. For me that's a saviour and I will definately write at least one script by myself in future, to help other students achieve their goals. Thank you all for writting those useful scripts, and , what is more important - for sharing them.

That's it for today, the weather is not so good, so I've decided to finish today's post with words from the song "Sunshine" by Matisyahu :

Reach for the sky
Keep your eye on the prize
Forever by my side
You're my golden sunshine
It's raining in your mind
So push those clouds aside
Forever by my side
You're my golden sunshine

Take care everybody, get a good sleep or at least take a nap :D And , of course, don't forget to have some fun :)

Bryvus

Did you smile Today ?

Just that simple: ) Did you smile today ? Cause the kid on the picture below will most definately kick your ass if you didn't :) 

A quote to start today's post  : 
" Live simply, so that other people can simply live" (check the video on YT called "Most inspirational  Video Ever" and you'll understand where this quote comes from)

Today I want to thank Life for the : 

1. Motivational videos that people create on their own. I mean, a motivation is something that can be present at the moment, and just after a few seconds - it's gone. So I like the fact that there are so many people all around the world who dedicate their time, collect inspirational quotes, music, episodes from movies and create something that pushes us beyond limits and allows us find more strength within to move forward.

Here is a video that made my day today:) No comments needed .

2. Android apps... or maybe I should say "free android apps" :) I'm not a Mac/iPhone user, and this is because of the great variety of android apps you are allowed to use for free. A huge credit to all those people who make apps (all of a kind, from pdf-reading apps to guitar-loopers etc) and to those who write reviews for those apps. 

3.  Volunteers...and here I'd like to thank both - the volunteers that take part in different activities in order to help somehow or to change someones life and also the organisations that gather volunteers and allow them to do what they feel is right. Last month I had an opportunity to be a volunteer on a huge event called T. Harv Eker - Millionaire Mind Intensive. During all 4 days I had a max. of 4 hours of sleep, but still I was so excited about my impact into the outcome and about all the energy around me , that even after 4 hours of sleep I was able to smile and keep doing what I was supposed to do :) It wast one of the best experiences in my life and it all started with the idea "Maybe I should first GIVE something and ONLY THEN expect to GET smth". Leaving my comfort zone and volunteering is one of the most important steps in my life. Thank You.

A quote to finish todays post and sum up the whole week :

"All negativity is an illusion created by the limited mind to protect and defend itself" (A. Wauters)

Don't limit yourself, challenge yourself instead, and of course don't forget to ..
...

..

Have some fun :)

Take care

Bryvus

Freedom Writers

It's been a few days since my last post and from now on I decided to post just twice a week. First post - on Sunday, to start a good week full of nice expectations and emotions, and second - on Friday to sum up everything that happened to me during the week.

My today's post title is the title of the movie which I really like and like to think about as one of my favourite movies. All the characters in this movie are unique, the storyline and the approach that teacher used...man, writing this right now made me realize I want to watch it again :) So the quote from the movie to start today's post is:

Marcus: I've never had a hero before. But you are my hero.

Miep Gies: Oh, no. No, no, no, young man, no. I am not a hero. No. I did what I had to do, because it was the right thing to do. That is all.

The first thing in my today's list would be related to the quote, cause I'd like to thank for : 

1. Ordinary sperheros. And by the word "ordinary" I mean unusual, not fitting to the stereotype of superhero. These are such people as:

Jim Carrey in the movie "Yes Man" (an ordinary guy who is committed to saying "YES" in every situation), 

Connie Herman - a teacher at Perry Meridian High School who was suspended for year and a half for using Freedom Writers Dairy against the wishes of the school board, 

Dick Hoyt - a 73 year old father who has pushed his son Rick(who has cerebral palsy) in a wheelchair along the 26.2 mile marathons for more than 30 years! no comments here :)
David Blaine  - an illusionist who didn't stop after failing for so many times and managed to hold his breath for more than 17 minutes in 2008!!..this World Guiness Record was broken 4,5 month later, but for me David is an example of an enormous dedication , committment, and an approach that says "so if someone could do that, I can..in fact, I can even do better". Thank you David for your inspirational speech on TEDmed :)

Nick Vujicic - a guy famous for his saying "no leg, no hand no worries" ...man, it's hard to watch any of his shows without a tear in the eye..He was , as Lady Gaga sings "born this way" , and while getting through depression and trying to understand " why ? " he decided that his condition (tetra-amelia syndrome) would be his advantage, not a disorder. Appart from being a motivational speaker, this guy has a double Bachelor's degree in Accounting, he is the director of his own non-profit organisation "Life without Limits", and in 2012 he found his spouse!.. No need to tell you how great his shows are, just watch one and you'll be amazed how your complaints seem stupid and meaningless now.

......and many many others I will eventually name in future posts. Thank you all for doing what you do, inspiring others and sharing your stories and experience. Big credit to all of you!

2. The Audiobooks :) Once again a big credit to those who spend their time recording audiobooks (and often not getting paid for that) and letting us listen to amazing things while driving a car,ridding a bicycle or while simply laying on the bed comfortably and staring at the ceiling. I love audiobooks and I am really thankfull for all those people who make a contribution to the recording and distribution process of those. Thank you very much!!!

3. The web-sites that allow you to convert files eg. from "pdf" to "jpg" etc. I know that it seems like no big deal but for me it makes my life much easier therefore I had to mention it here. Thank you all for creating these web-sites and making it (sometimes) absolutely for free. 

That's it for today, seems like I've summed up my week with three things  - internet (web-sites) , education (audiobooks) and heros among human beings ;)

A good quote to start an effective and positive weeek :
            

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." (F, Nietzsche)

Be insane, hear the music, and don't forget to have fun!
Bryvus

New Era

Yep, maybe not all of you know but the title of today's post is the brand that makes baseball(nowadays not only) caps. But still there should be a quote to start , so , considering the fact that the title of the post is somehow "fashion-related", here's a quote to start today's list of "thank-you-life-for..." things :)

It's a new era in fashion - there are no rules. It's all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together.Alexander McQueen 

Ok, so automaticaly first thing I'm gonna thank for is :

1) New Era caps:) I started being a fan of these since I was like 13 or even 12 , cause at that age I listened to Limp Bizkit , famous red cap guy who in "Take a Look Around" called himself "New Era committed". New Era caps are nowadays sort of mainstream, but still for me these caps have special meaning and bring nice memories.

2) Free courses of...well in my particular situation it's a meditation course. Today I've found out that a great meditation course, called Vipassana is available  absolutely for free in my city . The course's duration is 10 days, and during these 10 days you're provided with food, acommodation and of course the teachings of Vipassana. Amazing how great things are nowadays given for free! (btw Vipassana meditation is a specific 10 days course during which you can't speak to anybody , meditate and focus on your innes self..there's a great documentary about Vipassana in US, where a group of volunteers started these teachings in...prison. That's right, the'ye meditated with murderers, rapists etc. and helped them understand all the insights of the meditation.The movie (documentary) is called "The Dhama Brothers" if you'd like to watch it, of course I highly recommend it :))

                                   

3) Reggie Watts stand-ups :_) Actually I like a lot of comedians , such as Louis C.K., Katt Williams, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Aries Spears, George Carlin and others, but this guy (Reggie Watts) makes something different, he combines story-telling with singing and some funny dancings and in all this I as usual can find some deeper meanings. On of his stand-ups , actually just a story told by him in his unique manner was about a girl who tought him how to be himself. He said the being "who you are" and loving yourself just the way you are is one of the most amazing feelings in the world.
Thanks Reggie for great and new art you're creating. Humor + music +afro = Reggie Watts:)

As usual, a quote to start a nice and sunny Tuesday :

I guess, in a way, I grew up mixed race: half white, half black. That question's always been on my mind: 'What are you? Are you this or that? Are you a white dude or are you a black dude?' In a strange way, music and comedy is kind of the same thing. I'm both.They're just different modes of expression.

Reggie Watts 


That's all for today, stay focused, drink good tea and some coffee when you need it and don't forget to have fun!
Bryvus

Ip Man & Immigrants

The title of todays post is the title of the movie I find really interesting. Of course, as every movie about martial arts it has a lot of scenes with fighting etc, but for me it's meaning is a little bit different. A quote from the movie to start my today's post :


Miura: [after witnessing Ip Man single-handedly defeat ten Japanese fighters at once] What's your name? 
Ip Man: I'm just a Chinese man. 

Here's today's list of the things I am thankful for  :

1. Rubik's cube :) It started in my college, when one our teachers said it's not really a big deal to solve a 3x3 cube. After he said so, everybody in the class wanted to prove he's right (or wrong) and bought their own cubes. It turned out that solving a 3x3 cube is not as hard as it seems at first, as a lot of people did actually learn how to solve it, after one or two weeks. A nice cube's cost back then was like 25 PLN's or smth, (equal to 8$) but I didn't want to spend that much, so I bought a cheaper one that successfuly broke in 5 minutes:D That was the end of the rubik's cube story for me until last year when I bought a small one which can be eassily hidden in a pocket. Of course now with internet access and some free time I've learned how to solve it in just one week. But for me it has two meanings : first, really simple - it improves memory, imagination etc. Second, more personal - for me it means moving forward and "sharpening the saw" as S.Covey said in his book. I look at myself 5 years ago - shy, financially unstable with not really high self-esteem. Now , of course not everything, but a lot has changed. And thanks to the memories connected with rubik's cube, I am sure about that:) 

2. The stories of success of people who were or are immigrants. I also percieve myself as immigrant as I'm not living in country of my origin which is Ukraine. So first year of studies in a foreign country was a bit difficult. But only now I've realized that these "so-called" problems I've experienced are normal when moving to another country. And stories of such people as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzeneger, and Levi Strauss are a good proof for that. So yeah, although it wasn't easy at the beginning, I feel I've made a right choice and stories of people mentioned above help as a motivation when I sometimes feel down :)

3. Free Wi-Fi (nowadays in most of the restaurants). It might sound silly, and I might sound like a grandpa saying  "in my days there was no ...blahblahblah" but once again - thank you life for free wi-fi in public places :) I try to stick to the rule "hustle while you wait" and if sometimes I have a choice of "doing nothing and staring at the wall  OR reading an interesting article/book online" I definitely choose the second. Yep, there are pros and cons of constant access to internet, but today I don't complain and just appreciate the fact that I'm writting this post in a cafe sipping on my favourite rooibos tea...cheers :)

As usual, nice quote , also from "Ip Man" movie to start a good Saturday (or have nice thoughts before going to sleep on Friday) :

Yip Man: Kung fu is more than a system of fighting. It's a system of thought. You must outthink your opponent, whatever form he takes... because some of them will be more than just men. 
Voice of Young Bruce: What else could it be Si Fu? 
Yip Man: We all have inner demons to fight. We call these demons 'fear', and 'hatred', and 'anger'. If you don't conquer them, then a life of a hundred years... is a tragedy. If you do, a life of a single day can be a triumph

Take care everybody and don't forget to have fun:)
Bryvus

Wordless Chorus

As the title of my today's post is the title of the song by "My Morning Jacket" , I will start with a quote about music :

"One good thing about music - when it hits, you feel no pain" (B. Marley)

As you can see I'm a big fan of Bob Marley's music, so one of the things I would like to thank for today would be reggae music. So here's my today's list of things I am thankful for and which I percieve as very meaningful :

1. Earplugs for sleeping :) I don't have any specific brand that I use constantly, in fact I've started using these things just recently when I realized that the quality of the sleep is in direct proportion of two main things : your level of fatigue after the whole day, and the comfort you have(or don't) while sleeping. And while the first does not always lie in our "circle of influence" , the second can be controlled by such things as soft and comfortable pillows or - wait for it... earplugs for sleeping :) And here's a little bit of history :

The first recorded mention of the use of wax earplugs is in the Odyssey, wherein Odysseus's crew used wax earplugs to avoid being distracted by the Sirens' songs. In 1907, the German company Ohropax, which produced earplugs, was started by German inventor Max Negwer. 

Thank you guys :)

2. Reggae music..for me it just means a very special period of time in my life, a time when I learned that Love is actually something more than emotion or feeling, when I learned what real patience is and all that I've done by accidentaly finding a Bob Marleys "Gold Collection CD"..I think I was 16 at that time, so no weed , no drugs, just pure music and funny to say , but understanding of so many important things came to me.

 Thank you Bob, for reggae and philosophy it has brought us.












3. Tv series that promote intelligence and staying true to who you are. Maybe some people might disagree becasue for example one of the most popular tv series " Dr. House" didn't actually show us a new role model to follow, or if it aimed to, such role model is unacceptable in our society...maybe that's true, but that's not the point I wanna make. I am thankful for such Tv Series as "Dr. House" , "Lie to me" , "Psych", "Sherlock", "Elementary" because they show individuals who are unique and excel at particular things without worrying of others opinions. And these tv series promote inteligence as something that you can really work on, something you can improve and use in everyday life (for making money). I know that watching tv series might be percieved as a waste of time, but I don't regret of any episode of these listed above, as they proved me that being smart can and should be "cool", but it also requires great effort.

That's all for today, as alwasy, good quote to start Thursday :

“I guess sometimes you have to lie to find the truth. ” 
― Scott Westerfeld

Take care everybody, get a good sleep and have fun :)
Bryvus

Two ears and one mouth

Well the title of this post might be a little bit confusing, but it's about listening and it's importance in our lives, and the quote below describes it fully :

“We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.” 
― Zeno of Citium, as quoted by Diogenes Laërtius

Last week I gave a presentation on effective listening, as I think it's a great and really useful skill and tool that most of us are missing nowadays. Anyway, that was a small intro to my list of things/people I want to thank for :

1) Those who spread the idea of bodyweight workout throughout the world. A so-called "calisthenics workout" or "barstarz workout" means more than just building muscles. It's very symbolical for me : first of all because you don't need any extra weights, barbells etc - you're free of even thinking about that stuff. Secondly it's always about "raising the bar" which in this case means doing the maximum amount of reps and than some more. Because when working out with weights, to increase your strength or build more muscles you can simply add some weights , in calisthenics you have to be creative, think of some different approaches and lastly - work your ass off. (of course I don't mean that bodybuilding with weights is bad or smth, is just that nowadays everybody is searching for smth unique, something extraordinary and at the same time simple..for me that's calisthenics)
                                           
2) People who have good manners when it comes to such simple things as seats in the buss/tram or opening the door for somebody. I know it might sound old fashioned, but nowadays everybody seems to be in a hurry constantly, which doesn't make sense cause it doesn't necessary make them "busy", it's just might be the sign of bad time management...whatever...thanks for those who respect "old school rules" and show some respect to older people , don't interrupt others, say "please" and "thank you", are there on time etc.

3)A new way of drinking wine I've recently was introduced to :D I was on a small banquet with a lot of foreigners, and the thing is that next morning I had to get up really early so there was no option for me to drink a lot. And then girls from France showed their way of dealing with such problem - they simple poured some white wine into my glass and added soda to it !:D brilliant. just like scotch and soda, but it's wine & soda" . It tasted great, I wasn't percieved as "strange person who doesn't drink at banquet" and of course I didn't get drunk at all! Many thanks for the French girls from IESEG school for this simple but brilliant drink that I would call "win(e)oda" :D
                                       
That's probably all for today, and as usual , a nice quote to start an effective Tuesday :

"I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do."

Robert A. Heinlein 

Take care everybody and have fun!
Bryvus

Hustle while you wait

The title of my today's post comes from Stephen R.Covey's book "7 habits of highly effective people". In the chapter , where dr Stephen described how important it is to write your own "life mission" he gave some examples of his clients' and friends' life-missions. In one of those examples, someone wrote this quote "hustle while you wait" as on of his or her most important rules in life. To me it means not waisting precious time or simply "doing stuff while waiting for another stuff is to be done" :)))

Today I want to thank Life for  :

1) S.Covey's book I've mentioned above - "7 habits of highly effective people". At first, because of the title, I thought it would be about some time-management techniques and money-making schemes. But it surprised me, and to this day I claim that it's the best book I've ever read. If you doubt it - read it. If you've read it - use the principles described there and you'll make a great change in the world , starting from your own life.

2) An unknown person who writes beautiful quotes in front of our university. They're written on the stairs in a way that you can read the whole phrase, word by word while going from the subway station upstairs. Last year there were two phrases : "You've got nice haircut today" and "C'mon and smile". This year he/she wrote "Do what you want to do, as I do" and "This is it.This day is special". It really makes my day each time I go to the university (not that often this month but still:))) Thanks a lot misterious artist!

3) People who share their knowledge, and here I'm talking about all kinds of video lessons that are available online. I don't remember exactly when YouTube was started , probably some 6-7 years ago (too lazy to google it:)) but before that happened, it seemed impossible to find anything. And after YouTube was launched, it allowed thousands of people to share their knowledge - that's how I learned how to play guitar. Now , from time to time I play some new pieces, but I am sure that I wouldn't be able to do that without special knowledge and confidence that videolessons on YouTube gave me. Here I would also like to give special thanks to MikeHerberts, John H. Clarke and mrFake - three of them inspired me to play the guitar and helped with learning process by distributing music sheets etc. Thank you very much.

That's all for today. Tomorrow would be Friday, and in 1995 there was a nice movie with Ice Cube called friday. I guess it would be ok to finish today's post with a quote from "Friday" movie :

 "Weed is from the earth. God put this here for me and you. Take advantage man, take advantage." (Smokey)

Take care everybody and remember to have fun!:)