7.18.2014

When I see a Ferrari drive by in Singapore I think: "Thank you for paying four times the price of what that costs in Italy and keeping my tax bill low."

7.16.2014

Small beneficial changes turn into big improvements over time

7.05.2014

Women aged 55 and above are the fastest growing group on Facebook -- 900% growth per year.

6.30.2014

Unleash Your Inner Wolverine

Fresh from seeing the latest installment of the X-Men movie franchise, you may think this article is about how to become so muscular and veiny that your skin resembles a leaf.  It's not.  This article is about maximizing your physical experience to enrich your overall life.

What makes Wolverine so appealing isn't his claws, it's his healing factor.  With a healing factor like his, you could rapidly become an expert in any physical pursuit.  You could throw yourself into intense training and your muscles could recover immediately.  You would be able to build muscle memory and progress to more advanced levels quickly.

I've been practicing Taekwondo consistently for 14 years.  A few days ago I was attending a regular training session with the Singapore National Taekwondo Squad, the team I’ve been training with after moving to Singapore.  During sparring rounds, my ankle connected with my opponent's elbow as he was blocking his kidney.  After that round the pain in my ankle grew to such a level that I had to sit out the rest of the practice.  I couldn't train the next day.  With Wolverine's healing factor, I wouldn't have been hampered at all.  I could fight and train at 100 percent intensity at all times.  Imagine the progression of an athlete who never had to slow down because of any strain or injury!

Top athletes train on the verge of injury and often push that boundary in order to maximize improvements.  Although normal humans don’t have Wolverine’s healing factor, our bodies do heal well.  It encourages me not to worry about injury and to throw myself fully into my sport.  Whatever happens, I can bounce back reasonably quickly.

I'm not saying be reckless.  Only the real Wolverine and a few others could face Magneto head on.  You could end up in hospital or worse.  I'm also not saying be reckless while being careful, because that's contradictory.  My advice is that, along the continuum of carefulness and recklessness, to push yourself towards intensity.

Engaging intensely in physical pursuits will help with work-life balance and life satisfaction.  While your hobby hours will likely never top work hours until retirement, the little time you have for hobbies can be more impactful and rewarding if you engage more intensely.  If you are doing physical training, you will get the results you want faster, you will release more endorphins, and you will improve in skill faster.  The gain in effectiveness will increase your satisfaction and sense of mastery, which is great for self-esteem.  Tough training helps you destress and can help sharpen your focus and efficiency in your work hours.  Finally, working out intensely is not just good for your body and mind.  I find that when my muscles scream at me, it’s like a purifying acid bath for the soul.

Maybe over time this Wolverine approach will make you more superhero-like in your bravery, too!

6.18.2014

People are seldom resistant to their own ideas.

5.27.2014

Two million Americans suffer from antibiotic-resistant infections each year causing 23,000 deaths directly and many more from complications

5.22.2014

If you’re tired of Amazon ads prodding you to buy items you’ve searched for but not purchased, just search for things you already own.

5.09.2014

I've seen more public displays of affection in one day in Buenos Aires than in nine months of living in Singapore.

4.30.2014

To understand your fear is the beginning of really seeing.
- Bruce Lee

3.28.2014

Do the job you are paid for now, not the old job you are comfortable with doing.

3.20.2014

"I'm sorry" is so much better than "apologies."

3.18.2014

Scientists Sound Alarm on Climate: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/18/science/scientists-sound-alarm-on-climate.html?_r=0  Animal agriculture produces more emissions than all transportation

3.16.2014

Don't run around with solutions looking for problems. Focus on your priorities.

3.14.2014

I have 4 national identities. Galifianakis asking Obama which country he supported in the Winter Olympics didn’t initially seem stupid to me.

3.13.2014

Jewelry, other than a watch, that can actually do something! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1761670738/ring-shortcut-everything 

3.12.2014

Puberty now begins at 7.  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4530743.stm. How long till Gillette comes out with kiddie razors?

3.08.2014

"Last" is my favorite word. No word energizes me like “last.” When yelled by my sparring coach, "last” shows me light at the end of the tunnel of a long series of drills.