Posted by Raul on November 29, 2010
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It is surprising when we see all the possibilities available with the actual problem of a falling economy.
At one hand it seems that stability in a job is no longer possible, and even if someone have such stability, the continuous reductions in pay rate, benefits, etc. make the future a “little” obscure.
Yet, if we consider that, together with the problems people are facing these days, also there is a new set of possibilities for those who dare to take the problem of this situation in their hands.
For instance, no longer can someone rely in society structure to receive a comfortable way of life just by integration, but rather the time has come to become the builder of the system around oneself and, unfortunately, somebody else’s despair could and will become someone else’s advantage.
When services had a set cost under the policy of “take it or leave it” (I have enough business), you had to have more money to spend in such services. Nowadays, with less and less business available for the many companies struggling to survive, the reduction in charges and “great deals” has become part of everyday life.
When just a couple of years ago a car dealer negotiated between 6 and 18 percent interest rate (depending on credit score) as a normal rate, today is more and more common to find zero percent interest for 60 months (five years) as a way to just get some sales.
When restaurants used to charge between 18 and 30 dollars a dish just five years ago, today they have reduced their prices (and sizes) to 7 to 15 dollars a dish. You just receive a smaller amount of food in the dish (which should be good to fight the long accumulated overweight!).
When companies like landscaping didn’t go out of their specialty and didn’t reduce their prices, today they are willing to even do wall repair inside your house for a discounted amount. Anything these days to just remain alive!
Houses that used to cost a huge amount of money are now reduced to half their original price. The areas where I deliver, when houses used to cost one million dollar, now are for sale in half a million, even after their owners spent lots of money in many improvements after moving in.
So what would happen to someone who discards the traditional way of employment and get into creating a small business in his/her area of expertise? He/she doesn’t have to make a ton of money, but just a stable, decent income to take on the benefits of the falling economy that is affecting so many business, and with it, have a chance to live better than before with even less money than what was required just a couple of years ago.
I’m not saying it is a good thing what’s happening these days to so many business that are struggling to survive, but under the actual condition, it is possible to those who take the challenge, to reach an even better financial situation and way of life that they could achieve before, when the economy was stable and growing.
Of course, not everyone will succeed in reaching an independent way of generating money, so many more will have to remain in the employment system and adapt to the changing down condition of life that the actual economy is going to.
“The struggle of the majority becomes the advantage of the few who dare to think and act out of the box.”
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 25, 2010
About commenting in other blogs:
Stopping commenting in other blogs that I read was because of being really busy with many things, including my vehicle that started to ask for many more repairs after the initial ones. What supposed to be a winter preparation, with the addition of an “ice breaker” in front, and the re-doing of the wiring for the emergency lights, turned into a complete front suspension replacing and the 30,000 miles interval maintenance (the vehicle reached 260,000).
At the other hands, and without even thinking about it at first, the no commenting issue became a test on its own. How many of the comments we make in other blogs are mostly because of being nice, rather than being really impressed by the post?
From what I can see, there are many different plugins that help to see statistics such: Where the commenters come from; the time of the day, etc. But they don’t say anything about the thoughts and feelings the commenter might have when making a comment (helpful, supportive, selfish, or simply boredom). So how do we really know? (Besides of the comment itself).
There are ways to analyze the data so to get different conclusions about this, but in my opinion, just letting the water rest will tell us if it’ll remain, or secretly (slowly or quickly) drain out.
You see, it is very easy that overtime, what started as genuine mutual support, turns into a routine action that cannot be easily be away from by the fear of being expelled of the circle. If we create a round holding hands, dancing and singing together, turning around with a smile and a sense of community and support, and then we decide to release ourselves from the circle, we risk to be left out and forgotten by the ones still in the circle.
How many bloggers remain commenting by the fear of abandonment? (I know I can be very nasty sometimes!).
I’m not saying people who keep commenting are afraid of being forgotten. I’m sure most of the times the continuous commenting comes from a genuine interest and have nothing to do with sustaining a “round”; but there is a possibility that, in some instances, some people might be commenting more as a task in the process of blogging to sustain readership, than a real desire of participation.
I know in my case I like to leave comments when I feel I have something to say; and that’s’ why I might seem to be away from visiting sometimes. And the same seems to happen with the people who visit this blog; which I thank you for that…receiving comments without meaning are not what we expect, right?
So what started as a short break to complete some other tasks in the physical world quickly became another experiment of mine, in order to see what would happen, and what would be the reactions.
What I noticed is that, even though the comments received were reduced, statistics showed an increase in readership. (plop!)
And about receiving comments?
Those are fun, aren’t they? It gives us a sense of being heard, even if statistics show twenty visitors only. And when statistics show a continuous increase in readership, but there’re no comments received, logic will say things are going good, but feelings get hit by a sense of loneliness.
We are such weird creatures! Aren’t we? 
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 22, 2010
A short one:
I don’t chew gum, so I don’t know. To try to find an answer, sometime ago I “tested” a chewing gum and found no difference.
What I’ve seen is that people who eat with their mouths closed, chew gum with their mouths open; have you noticed? Why is that?
Any enlightening? What makes the difference? Just curious
Raul
Posted by Raul on November 15, 2010
So thick, so strong! Not just to leave the same old behind, but even to keep moving in the same plane of nowhere to go.
Fighting, pulling; using every muscle with every ounce of energy left, if any; just to be back at the original point, only tired and disillusioned.
Resting for a minute; collecting breath once more; thinking, planning, deciding; gathering energy and creating a new triggering moment to give still another try; another attempt at the perfect escape; the precise set of planned movements that will give the so desired freedom from that ugly, sticky mud.
While clouds go by, while the sun keeps moving around in the sky, and the eternally walked clock that leaves just the round and round trail to follow for eternity.
Then the changes in mind: Another attempt but using a different approach. Does the planned strategy work? Why not just raw force?
So the collected energy once more; the triggered moment; heart and mind together, concentrated at a single point…jump!
———-
Seating in that favorite chair by the porch, sipping a cold drink while watching the clouds go by; enjoying the view and the warm autumn breeze; remembering those crazy younger years of dreams and desires, so long left behind.
Time to appreciate the real meanings of life and the most important parts of it all, with wisdom acquired by the final appreciation of the sticky mud. Like a rusted ship sunk by the beach, that finally becomes a proud monument on its own.
Posted by Raul on November 11, 2010
There is such a fuss nowadays about self growth and reaching a perfect state, where we can be at peace and balance with life and nature. The idea seems to be reaching a point where we don’t get affected by the negative situations around us, so we can remain in a state of happiness and inner balance
If we reach a state of never being mad, never being sad, never being scared, how we suppose to call ourselves real human beings? Wouldn’t we become just smiling robots? Courtesy people all around, that flows in a society where a full range of human feelings are an uncivilized custom from the past? Could that be called “Living Life”?
I’m not saying we should let our anger flourish at any time we feel it, so we are being human, but rather accept the experience while we remain polite in the outside to those who have no part in it, and politely argue with those who might be the reason for our anger.
One thing is to have control over our emotions, and another completely different is suppressing them.
So, in my personal opinion, it is not about learning and adapting to always be happy and seeing the good in every situation, but rather learning to control our reactions to our feelings rather than suppressing them.
Reality is harsh and ugly sometimes; there are wars and crime and deceive in society, so closing our eyes to it in order to see just the beauty and good will (which does exist) will only promote selfishness in everyone.
“My personal world of happiness”
Closing our eyes and mind to the bad things of reality in order to see and feel just the good, so we can remain in a happy state permanently it is not just perceiving half of life and thus, living half a life, but with it we are being just half a human being.
So my point is: Is it the right direction to go on and pursue the perfect balance in the way of retreating to an idyllic state, where we can shut off the commonly considered negative feelings by the way of training our perception to filter the given situations, and become capable of only perceiving the happy part of it, discarding the (still real), ugly side of things?
Or should it be a more realistic approach to learn to deal in a more civilized manner with the ugly side of things, in order to retain the full range of feelings a human being is capable of, instead of just creating a shortcut and just eliminate part of ourselves?
Raul
