greggillis

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  • Journal – 5/16/15: Dull Humans, Order and a Rant

    HeadIconI sit here on a Saturday afternoon, reveling in getting all my life minutia squared away, and wanted to a moment to reflect. It’s a brilliantly lovely day, with a hint of the swamp-blanket soon to cover the region till September and for some reason it got me thinking “hey, aren’t you supposed to journal today?”.  (Yes, my mind works that way, I just roll with it.) (more…)

  • Noodling: Dormant Passions

    IntenseFaceSome passions die a natural death, while others are allowed to languish, and forgotten. I’ve been thinking about the idea of passion lately, in part because of a realization I had related to my current set of goals, but mostly noticing I just wasn’t feeling it. (more…)

  • 90 Day Transition: Week 9 Report

    90_Day_Transition(Read the overview for the basics of this 90 day push.)

    Proficient-ish

    With two-weeks left on this goal set, I’m back in a productive groove, so I think the primary purpose (of these goals) has been met. But I was WAY off on my goal formulation for my creative projects – I chide my clients and others for cutting corners on the “thinky” part of goal setting, so it’s only fitting I out myself! I set the goal intellectually – it was what I “should” do – leaving out the all-important emotional motive.

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  • Journal – 5/9/15: Gratitude, Skin and Ultron

    Me_IconHow my day starts: first thing I check is if I’m still breathing, if yes – everything else is gravy. Because it’s challenging, the act of living delights me, knowing it’ll end just adds a zesty element of mystery.  Which has got me thinking, and when I think, I do it here!

    I began writing this on an overcast Saturday morning, a cool breeze reaching me past the pollen coated windowsill (which I’ve since scrubbed clean) – I immediately got distracted. I did some chores, talked with friends, ran some errands, ran to the rescue of an old four-footed friend, and now it’s a sunny Saturday early evening. Not the day I had planned, but a good one. (more…)

  • Out of the Past: Mouse-mageddon

    MouseIconIf you’ve know me for any length of time, you’ve heard this story, but I’ve never committed it to writing And such things need to be remembered.

    In my younger and more vulnerable years, I followed somebody else’s dream to the nightmare city of Indianapolis. We were there to open three gyms, and make our fortune. We succeeded in opening three gyms. (more…)

  • 90 Day Transition: Week 8 Report

    90_Day_Transition(Read the overview for the basics of this 90 day push.)

    Changing Paradigms

    I’m taking a break from my regularly scheduled reportage on the day-to-day of tracking this 90-day goal set to discuss an important benefit that results from paying close attention to your life. Having formal goals isn’t just about the goals, it’s about noticing what in your life supports or hinders succeeding at your goals.

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  • Noodling: Politically Correct

    Face_Icon“Political Correctness” is one of those weasel terms that can be used to mean whatever you want it to. Most commonly it’s “…being careful not to offend or upset any group of people in society who are believed to have, or to have had, a disadvantage.” And, like almost everything in American politics it’s a good intention without a clear outcome, horribly executed by people naive, incurious and intellectually lazy. (more…)

  • Psych-Hack: Solving Difficult People

    Barney_SquareOkay, you can’t “solve” people, I’m indulging in a literary framing device, but you CAN make decisions who you keep in your life. Surrounding yourself with positive, supportive people is easier said than done – but couldn’t be more vital to living the life you want. Managing your emotional ecosystem isn’t just an inner game, you need to stay aware of the inputs too. (more…)

  • 90 Day Transition: Week 7 Report

    90_Day_Transition(Read the overview for the basics of this 90 day push.)

    Physician, heal thyself.

    Me not taking my own advice is not as rare as I’d like it to be, but sooner or later I’ll spot my hypocrisy and move to stomp it out. The advice I was ignoring was “be alert to mistaking complex for complicated”. To me. if something feels complicated that translates to “I’m making too few decisions while paying attention to all possible decisions” – complication hints at ambiguity, and ambiguity is death to any goal.

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  • Journal – 4/25/15: Tough Week, Hate and Dreams

    MazeI’m writing this Saturday morning, it’s white-grey overcast and I’ve decided I’m taking the day off. If it doesn’t seem amusing, I’m not going to do it! I may even indulge in booze or some other psychoactive – need to interrupt my program – reboot as it were. Think I’ll finish up here and pop in the blu ray of “Interstellar” – haven’t seen it – but I enjoy the company of artistic ambition and this was an ambitious film. (more…)