I've always thought of myself as a positive person. A "glass is half full" kind of guy. A lot of times when you look in the mirror, you apparently see through rose colored glasses.
In the past couple of years I've been called pessimistic and a control freak. Talking to people that have known me for a while, I've apparently always been a control freak. I used to be more subtle in my manipulative ways, but they were always there.
But, the pessimistic negativity was just recently brought to light. I've got all these ideas for starting businesses, software ideas, inventions, etc. I always shoot them down before I even start. I think it stems from being overly careful. I don't like failure. With little risk, I can try stuff all day long, but when you start talking about risk, I start thinking of why things will fail. Or reasons not to risk it.
I want to be filthy rich before I die. I don't care if I'm only filthy rich for a year or even a month. I just want to see what it's like. Perhaps I should start playing the Texas Lottery. It's minimum risk, but also minimum hope of success.
So, anyway, this starts sounding like New Year's resolution material. Obviously, you can't make a resolution to become rich. I can make a resolution to try. Or perhaps I could make a resolution to do something (like implement an idea) that may lead to riches. So, I did a quick search on resolutions to see if I could find some guiding light. I'm so afraid of risk, that I normally don't make resolutions.
Someone wrote these for Obama. He's already filthy rich. One of them is: I will let Sean Hannity and anyone else who wants to, regardless of political persuasion, buy me a beer.
Here are 5 "easy to keep" resolutions. Read "low risk". One of them is: Carve out 15 minutes for quiet “me” time. I think I can do that one! But why stop at 15?
Here is this one for entrepreneurs. This might be right up my filthy rich alley. I think I'll do number 7: Read more, learn more.
The guy that said my haircut was bad 7 or 8 years ago has mentioned I should read more history books.
Maybe I should just make a resolution to take more risks. Worst case, I won't have to make resolutions for 2010.
You hair was bad 7 or 8 years ago. It was not a debatable issue. I think I made that assessment in 2003, which would be 6 years ago.
ReplyDeleteYes I think it would behoove you to stop reading children's science fiction books, like those Harry Potter books. Or at least quit admitting you read such things. That admission wreaks havoc with your erudite reputation.
I think you should move gradually towards reading reality based books. Let's start you off with Gore Vidal. That should get you hooked.
Get Vidal's Burr. It is all historically accurate. But the story is framed from the point of view of a fictional character.
Once you are hooked on learning your country's actual history, get Vidal's 1876. He wrote a series of these type books that had continuing characters running through them. I think they are called the Narratives of Empire.
Now, if you would do yourself the favor of reading this type stuff, the next time you take one of those civics type tests you won't embarrass yourself with such an embarrassingly low score. I hope.
I got my hair cut in June of 2002. Which means you would have complained leading up to that momentous occasion (2001-2002).
ReplyDeleteMaybe I shouldn't be listening to your advise on history books. Apparently they skew the timelines.
As for reality based books, I've read several books like Killer Angels, Gates of Fire, and a series of books by Bernard Cornwell based on the Holy Grail. Gallow's Thief is my favorite Cornwell book based on Old English law. You'd probably like it.