Let's start off with a small one:

When I dry myself off after showering, I don't do a good enough job of rotating the towel. This makes the towel get really wet in some areas, and sometimes it's still damp the next day when I use it (I generally take 2 showers a day (one after working out) and have 2 towels at my disposal).

Ok, the big ones now:

Since this holds true for most/many/all people reading this, I will shift in and out of "we" and "I". First and foremost: We are all such fortunate people. Let's start at the very basics elements that we take for granted: there are many people in the world who are blind, or deaf, or cannot walk, etc. The overwhelming majority of people reading this (if not all) have full functionality of their senses and full motor control. However, society generally views those who do not as unlucky, as opposed to seeing those that possess these things as lucky. I need to do a better job of really putting things in perspective, and not just acknowledging them.

When I was younger I was constantly reminded by my parents that people would literally kill to be in my shoes. It was certainly true then and still holds true today. In fact, I would travel so far as to say that there are people that would kill to be in the position of every person reading this entry. Sit back and think about that for a second - you are so fortunate to be in the position you are in that someone is willing to commit one of the most unimaginable deeds out there to be you. Are you really taking this into consideration during your everyday life? I have not.

I thought about this stuff and after a while had difficulty justifying stuff like not working out, not investing significant effort into school, and not being fully cognizant of my position at all times. So I'm going to work better to do this. Does this mean I am going to become a monk or hermit who just focuses on taking advantage of every fortunate situation I ever come across? Of course not. I'm still gonna go out a bunch, spend money, and splurge on things. It just means I will do a better job by not disrespecting my situation, and constantly understanding that I am very, very fortunate. Yes, I have worked equally hard and have invested countless hours into all of my pursuits; and yes, I believe that opportunity finds people that are looking for it; however, where I am today is not a right, it is a privilege.



On a related note, I think one of the more interesting topics to really think about is poker. Everyone who reads this blog and plays poker understands the fact that you can make thousands of dollars per hour if you get good enough. I have no idea what % of people in the world (or even the US, or your own country, etc) ever have the opportunity to make $100/hr, but I assume it's very low. But each of you has the opportunity to make literally thousands per hour, and the best part is it is all in your control. You can learn, you can play, you can improve, and you can get to that level. So why doesn't everyone do this?

Well, I think that the first problem is even struggling poker players are very jaded, primarily because they are constantly shown success, even if it is in the form of something simple such as a fellow player posting a graph (My apologies for contributing to this! ). They see the level of success that others currently have, and wonder why they don't. Then, they feel some sort of entitlement to it, because they are working hard too and deserve it dammit! Thusly, the first step in the right direction comes when you realize poker is about you. You aren't entitled to ****, but you can earn it by focusing on YOUR game and YOUR results. If you can't use the success of others as motivation and it only impedes your progress, there is nothing wrong with that, but you better put some blinders on and re-focus your emotions and energy to improving your game. Remember, you are in the position to reach a financial level that 99.999% of the world will never have access to. Is it really going to kill you if it takes 3 years to do it?

Greg