tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36139429491835528992024-02-06T19:03:43.161-08:00Arun is Bringing You...Your Daily RemedyThe number one spot for advice, adventures, rants and raves!Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.comBlogger245125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-77418277030796934382013-04-19T09:21:00.001-07:002013-04-19T09:23:20.643-07:00Hard Work is Overrated<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMbLyazY9DDzZkwD0-9iTfgMTc6q6XEn2rY57yjsdELJ8EwDy6OKAO4BxLbZ3FwisLzG9TrItM_OeAgytYf7uKoA4BUyMBT9uNmwbHAVgpmSegdQ_R1t5UbQtBYMU7D5f9S0NdpQgu7w/s1600/HardWork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="309" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMbLyazY9DDzZkwD0-9iTfgMTc6q6XEn2rY57yjsdELJ8EwDy6OKAO4BxLbZ3FwisLzG9TrItM_OeAgytYf7uKoA4BUyMBT9uNmwbHAVgpmSegdQ_R1t5UbQtBYMU7D5f9S0NdpQgu7w/s320/HardWork.jpg" width="320" /></a>I know what you're thinking...<br />
<br />
"Arun, despite your devilish good looks, witty personality, and snappy dance moves, you've finally gone off the deep end."<br />
<br />
Rest assured, I went off the deep end a long time ago, but I'm happy you appreciate the "ass-shimmy-of-wonder" that I recently added to my dance repertoire.<br />
<br />
But to the point at hand, if you give me a few paragraphs, I think I can convince you that the idea of "the harder you work, the bigger the reward" is actually not only counterproductive, it's also flat out wrong (stop shaking your head at me, and keep reading).<br />
<br />
Somehow, the idea of hard work has actually become glorified. A lot of people wear it as a badge of honor. "I work hard and bust my ass everyday!" While working long, hard hours is admirable to the extent that someone is enduring something difficult to attain something greater, it usually gets a disproportionate amount of credit for success. <br />
<br />
The truth is, hard work is one small part of this greater thing that we all want. Things like timing, luck, talent, and "working smart" play equally huge roles. And if you work smart, then your odds of hitting the jackpot with timing and luck increase as well. The thing is, people don't like to acknowledge the timing and luck part of the equation because it deflects the credit of accomplishment away from them.<br />
<br />
But if we say, "I made it where I am because of a LOT of hard work" the credit belongs entirely to us which feels good.<br />
<br />
There are a lot of blue collar workers out there that work tremendously long, hard, physically, and mentally exhausting hours, that by a lot of people's standards would not be considered "successful." <br />
<br />
They're neither wealthy nor happy.<br />
<br />
There are people working far harder than us that, through lack of talent, luck, or knowledge, have not been able to escape the grind of life.<br />
<br />
Lets look at example of someone....oh, I don't know...ME (shocking, I know).<br />
<br />
I would love to sit here and say, "Blog readers of the world! I am where I am today because I worked harder than anyone else I knew! Revel in my awesomeness!"<br />
<br />
As good as that would feel, it's not the truth. But you can still free to do some "Arun Reveling."<br />
<br />
I am where I am because of <i>some</i> hard work, but really, its the combination of luck & timing, and seizing some fortuitous opportunities.<br />
<br />
The truth is, I am NOT a particularly hard worker. But what I <i>am</i> good at is figuring out what I have to do to deliver results that at least meet, but hopefully exceed expectations.<br />
<br />
We tend to admire people who work really hard because we know how difficult it is and how much it sucks to do it. So, when we finally work hard, we want some doggone recognition! But is there any worse feeling than busting your ass only to receive NO credit or reward? It's the reason many people are unhappy with their jobs. Most people feel like they are under-paid, and under-appreciated at work despite their hard work.<br />
<br />
To boot, most of us actually overestimate how hard we're actually working. Again this is because people usually don't like work, so two hours of working hard, mentally feels like 10 hours of work.<br />
<br />
Similarly, it feels amazing when you really work hard and something amazing happens as a result. I<a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/01/from-chubby-to-studdly.html" target="_blank"> lost a lot of weight </a>when I was younger, and believe me, I busted my soft yet jelly-like booty in the gym so when I finally attained buns of steel (thank you <a href="http://www.thechrista.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/thighmaster-new.jpg" target="_blank">Suzanne Somers Thigh Master</a>), it felt so great that the credit was entirely mine.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
BUT, there's the "smart work" aspect too. I can kill myself in the gym everyday but if I'm eating ice-cream after my workouts, I'm not going to get anywhere. <br />
<br />
Then there's the aspects we can't control. I like playing basketball, but even if I train everyday and work really hard, its pretty unlikely that I'll ever be able to dunk (I've pretty much maximized my "Indian athletic dunking potential" and I can barely touch the rim).<br />
<br />
Similarly, I don't care how much weight she loses, how much surgery she gets, or how long she works on her runway walk, Rosie O'Donnell will never be a super model.<br />
<br />
But, if I truly I wanted to become a professional basketball player (which despite the way I utterly dominate people at such athletic games as H.O.R.S.E and P.I.G. will still never happen), I might "work smart" and focus on improving my passing and shooting skills, rather than killing myself trying to jump higher (the phrase <i>should</i> be, "White men AND Brown men can't jump").<br />
<br />
Ok. So I think I've made a decent point that hard work does not always result in success or happiness. I think I've also been fairly convincing that hard work is not the only answer to achieving your goals, because if all you focus on is hard work, you're not utilizing other, more efficient resources to reaching the goal. Then by the time you get there, you'll be unhappy and overworked which defeats the purpose of even achieving the goal in the first place.<br />
<br />
Because the ultimate goal is to <i>feel good</i>, right?<br />
<br />
So how do we use all of these other parts of "Arun's success equation of awesomeness" to minimize the amount of needless hard work we're doing? Well, one thing we all struggle with is the urge to procrastinate.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr2YEVprgFQZlzat3dd01YxoNUTYwsfdueTMjp4Bhv-Rbp8DbXBJTBvmpQ3M5ijoLE84LhtVmjix1eMQN6dYYZYBw4DZY04lXboAJUVLreBXi02Rr3G3oe-EWYK0SGB4Ykw9x9IJoIJU/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipr2YEVprgFQZlzat3dd01YxoNUTYwsfdueTMjp4Bhv-Rbp8DbXBJTBvmpQ3M5ijoLE84LhtVmjix1eMQN6dYYZYBw4DZY04lXboAJUVLreBXi02Rr3G3oe-EWYK0SGB4Ykw9x9IJoIJU/s320/photo+(2).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe Calabria - One of my "office" locations</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I was in business school, people always wondered why the hell I wasn't studying the night before a test or how I wasn't stressing about a deadline for a case study. It's not that I'm some sort of business savant.<br />
<br />
It's that I don't like having to bust my ass and work super hard with deadline ready to smash me in the face (and anyone who knows me, knows how much I treasure my face). I leisurely studied and finished assignments because I started early and didn't procrastinate. If there was one piece of advice I'd give to someone in order to avoid working hard, it's to not procrastinate.<br />
<br />
Another thing is identifying your talents/interests. When I was an Engineer, work seemed really hard. I HATED having to sit down and calculate some weird systems reliability prediction or create a logistics outline. I didn't like it, it didn't come naturally to me, and I never looked forward to work which made even regular work seem like hard work. <br />
<br />
An 8 hour day at work consisted of 2 or 3 hours of actual work which<i> felt</i> like 12 hours of work. It's the reason I would spend hours doing ultra productive things <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/05/arun-versus-bee.html" target="_blank">like chasing a bee around the office</a>.<br />
<br />
These days, I provide marketing expertise to companies which I find incredibly enjoyable. I love being creative, developing new ideas, and working with people. Marketing and working with people is something that comes much more naturally for me which makes it fun to work. It also means that I don't have to grind on certain problems like I did when I was an engineer because now I'm in a profession that aligns much better with my talents and answers to problems come very quickly and easily to me.<br />
<br />
I actually <i>like</i> work and mornings go by super fast. <br />
<br />
So it's not that you shouldn't work hard, especially if you're enjoying work. The point is that hard work is waaay overvalued in terms of the results it delivers, and you shouldn't have to bust ass at something you're not enjoying at the expense of overall well-being. It defeats the purpose of making life enjoyable. The journey should be just as enjoyable as the reward, and if it isn't, think about how to get the same results without grinding, and don't feel bad about not killing yourself everyday.<br />
<br />
Ok, now stop slacking and get back to work.Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-29503015382494725842013-01-30T08:43:00.001-08:002013-01-30T14:37:20.187-08:00Why Your Company is Badly Managing You<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKfkso5zPq_hnJtj4DWTfRQZA5aCXaBMKL4obfwKYCgTA3NQxYJ37_EHcoqoIRDVLK_H3cKLbSzMdqhzXaAbhYRUjEcO1zXUwFiKQsD_2vLEtZhn8ueZXaGAS0yUt4GQ8W2SOJhoxiBk/s1600/Arun+and+Darren+at+Zaytinya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKfkso5zPq_hnJtj4DWTfRQZA5aCXaBMKL4obfwKYCgTA3NQxYJ37_EHcoqoIRDVLK_H3cKLbSzMdqhzXaAbhYRUjEcO1zXUwFiKQsD_2vLEtZhn8ueZXaGAS0yUt4GQ8W2SOJhoxiBk/s400/Arun+and+Darren+at+Zaytinya.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zaytinya - Washington DC with Darren. FANTASTIC restaurant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Ok, so your company may not be *<i>badly</i>* mismanaged but in all
likelihood, a lot of you will nod your head when you read this thinking, “Gee,
that Arun is really on to something! Aside
from being devilishly handsome, fabulously witty, and a great dresser, he
really has my company pegged. I should
go show my boss this post so that he can make my work experience really
enjoyable! Arun saves the day again!”<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Disclaimer: your boss may be old and stuffy and spit in the
face of this article when you show it to him in which case I trust that you’ll
defend my honor.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I suppose there’s a possibility that YOU reading this ARE
the old stuffy guy (unlikely because most of my readers are young and…uh…<i>flowing</i> (or whatever the opposite of
stuffy is)), in which case maybe you should implement my suggestions into your
company and put a big poster of my face on the office wall.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So when you think of most companies or jobs, what do you
think of? I’ll help you out here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>8 hour days</li>
<li>1 hour lunches</li>
<li>Cubicles/offices</li>
<li>Endless Meetings</li>
<li>Dress codes</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I’m sure there are a few others in there. So how much fun does all of that sound? If you said, “Gee Arun that sounds swell! Where do I sign up?!?” well then you my
friend are an idiot.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of these things were a staple of my old engineering
office job, and surprise surprise, I hated it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the truth is, these things are the main structure of
most of my friends’ jobs too, and whether or not they like their job, these
restrictions are suffocating. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was required to be at work from about 8-5 but frankly, I
rarely had 8 hours of work to do. But, I
had to show “face time” by being there for the entire 9 hours, many of which
were spent in complete boredom.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Going out to lunch was always a little annoying because by
the end, I was always rushing back to work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Most meetings were a waste of time. Two hour meetings frequently accomplished
nothing and could’ve been productively finished in 30 minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I tell you this, my brothers and sisters…I have seen the
other side, and it is magnificent! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I mentioned in my last blog post (4 months ago…I know, I
know…no more empty promises about frequent posting), I am now an independent
marketing consultant. I have four big
clients right now and I work 100% remotely for all four.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My longest client, I’ve had for three years. In three years, I’ve actually never once met
anyone in that company. We talk on the
phone once or twice a week, email everyday, and manage to rake in pretty big
money for the company.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what is so special about these four companies that allows
them to succeed without having all of their employees (or consultants in my
case) in an office everyday?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Absolutely nothing<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only real difference I can see is that when working
remotely, it’s paramount to set frequent milestones to ensure things get done
on time. I basically make weekly AND
daily a to-do-for-work list that I update frequently. Once finished with the days tasks, I relax
and have fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m not going to lie…it’s easy and tempting to put off work
when you don’t have Bossy McStufferson looking over your shoulder and are not
required to go to a daytime prison with desks to get work done.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But my productivity-per-minute-working is exponentially
better now when I work on my terms. For
example, no one can work for four hours straight and maintain optimal productivity
for the whole duration. I generally work
in one to two hour increments with frequent breaks. So throughout a day, I have a lot of “work
bursts” that are ultra productive.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know that it’s easiest for me to get distracted at home,
so I make it a routine to go somewhere (usually one of my favorite coffee
shops) every morning to sit down and work.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tend to bring my laptop a lot of places so that, if I have
some down time, I can burst out some work.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And when you have control of your day, then work becomes,
dare I say, enjoyable (hence the reason I love Mondays)!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So right now, I’m writing this post from a French bakery in
Georgetown, Washington DC (and eating an incredible macaroon I might add – they
don’t call me the “Mac-Arun” <i>just</i>
because I like the ladies). Last week, I
was in Philadelphia visiting my sister and adorable new nephew, but went to a
coffee shop in center city everyday to work and take a lot to take some of the
load off of this week for sight-seeing and hanging out. Tomorrow, I’m heading to New York for a few
days before heading back to San Diego.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The train ride will be a great time to work and prepare for
meeting a potential new client in New York.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this isn’t a <i>vacation</i>…it’s
a “<i>workation</i>”. I take some time out of each day to work, yet
I still have time to hang out with my friends and sight-see. Work flexibility allows this type of
enjoyment and makes me want to work even harder because I love this lifestyle
so much. I mean, I frequently will work
some on the weekends because, for me, there’s really no difference in the day
of the week other than the fact that more of my friends are free during the day
on Saturday and Sunday.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So contrary to Bossy Mcstufferson’s belief that “employees
might go rogue and never work” if given independence, I think they would
actually work HARDER because they’re much happier and because they want to keep
this independence. In fact, the friends
that I know that DO work from home a lot, are incredibly valuable to their company
and really excel more than the average employee.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I frequently ask my friends who work in offices about the
possibility of working remotely, and they say that they could, at the very
least, work a couple of days per week at home.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How nice would it be to have four days out of the week to
sleep in a little extra? Or not having
to worry about rush hour traffic for a couple of extra days? Maybe run some errands when you don’t have to
battle the typical rush hour crowds and thus be able to create MORE time in
your day?. Wouldn’t it make you want to work
harder to reward your boss’s trust?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Having now worked independently for almost three years now,
I can’t imagine going back to the office life. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, I would encourage those of you in the office, to write
a proposal to your boss in which you are working remotely for at least one day
a week…get your toe in the door first then slowly crank that baby open until
you’re going to the office only as much as you have to! I think Tim Ferriss writes something about
this in his book “The Four-Hour Work Week” but I can’t remember exactly what he
says.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If he/she approves, then you’re welcome to come with me on
my random east coast jaunts or other travel excursions which, this summer will
include Cabo San Lucas, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, England, and Sweden.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s not <i>vacation</i> –
it’s “<i>workation</i>.” Luckily for me, all of those places have
wireless internet ;)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-16458047797624931182012-08-06T15:40:00.002-07:002012-08-13T10:36:35.321-07:00Why I Love MondaysWelcome to class boys and girls.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you're expecting a humorous story about the adventures and embarrassment of yours truly, well, its not going to happen today. I'm stepping up on my soap-box to deliver a little lecture...<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbp-901Rf2qtzFu11S8-XEvsehy1uiuyZAt7fTQayn61XT4BZsVJx8pfFjXryZi_iLtFIiQe9QJDHF4GF1trmp-3rlQU5aC7-op3DG4XkEZqn8ZeaTce4tjFn32d3t-RT9m7m2vMtIcqQ/s1600/cafe+976_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbp-901Rf2qtzFu11S8-XEvsehy1uiuyZAt7fTQayn61XT4BZsVJx8pfFjXryZi_iLtFIiQe9QJDHF4GF1trmp-3rlQU5aC7-op3DG4XkEZqn8ZeaTce4tjFn32d3t-RT9m7m2vMtIcqQ/s320/cafe+976_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My office for today</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'm going to start today's class with a little math exercise. It's a word problem so pay careful attention.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If the average person hates Mondays, and the average person works, say 50 years of their life, how many Mondays does that average person hate?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Answer? 2600 Mondays.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, that's right. The average person will spend slightly over SEVEN YEARS of their life being upset that it's Monday. And that doesn't even count the Sunday night, pre-Monday grumpiness that sinks in for some people, or the absolute fury that results when you wake up thinking it's Friday but it's only like Tuesday.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Believe me, I know what it's like.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I worked as an Engineer at a whatever company for almost four years, and while didn't really "hate" Mondays, I really really disliked Mondays because it meant waking up earlier than I want, sitting in an office for 9 hours where the most exciting part of the day is discovering donuts in the break room, and missing out on the best part of the day. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It meant dealing with rush hour traffic twice, running errands after work or on the weekends with every other Tom, Dick, and Harry, and finally settling in for the night knowing that I have to do this four more times before weekend freedom.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So how in the name of Moses is it that I LIKE Mondays?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, it's actually pretty simple. I LIKE work. In fact on the weekend, I frequently find myself looking FORWARD to Monday.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know what you're thinking. "Arun, you've finally gone off the deep end. Despite your incredibly witty writing, and charming exterior, you've finally cracked. But it's good to see that they are allowing you to blog from the loony-bin."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I appreciate your concern for my mental health, but I assure you, I'm not <i>entirely</i> crazy. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Don't get me wrong, I love weekends. All my friends are more available to hang out, everyone's in a great mood, and there's just more happening in general. But, because of all this, I get very little work done between Friday afternoon and Sunday night.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There's something about knowing everyone is out and about having fun that makes it impossible to work on the weekend. When I worked as an Engineer, I remember all of my friends having Martin Luther King Day off, and me having to work. Just <i>knowing </i>that they were out and about while I was stuck at work made that day absolutely miserable.</div>
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Conversely, when I took like a Wednesday afternoon off to go to the dentist or something, it was an amazing feeling to be out and about doing things knowing that everyone else was stuck in the office. Mooohahaha!</div>
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So these days come Monday, I'm excited to wake up and start working. I have so many projects going on right now that there is never a shortage of things to for me to work on (one reason I post so infrequently here). I'm so excited about all of these things that time flies and before I know it, its the weekend again (I'm sick, I know).</div>
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I know what you're thinking. "Well gee Arun, that's real peachy that your Monday's are so great! In fact, my Monday is already turning around knowing that you're so happy! Hooray!"</div>
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Ok, I sense the sarcasm. </div>
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But here's the deal. I can't reveal some kind of secret that you don't know about that is causing you to not like Mondays. It's all pretty obvious stuff. I think most people would agree that their are two or three main things that need to happen to make everyone enjoy Monday's. Sorry to disappoint.</div>
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What I <i>can</i> do is hopefully motivate you to do the right things to feel the joy of an upcoming Monday. Maybe, if you're someone who hates Monday's, this will give you a kick in the ass to start making a change. So here's the not-to-magic formula:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<ol>
<li><b>Love what you do.</b> (Thank you captain obvious!!) - but seriously, most people do not <i>love</i> what they do, but settle for the job they are in without taking an active role in pursuing alternatives. If you are serious about loving Monday's then you need to spend time EVERYDAY doing something to make that happen. Whether it's searching for a new job, making a little progress (however small) on your business idea, or taking college classes, you need to do something everyday, even if its something as small as applying to ONE job, or reading ONE chapter of a study guide, or sending ONE email to a potential business partner. Keeping the momentum going will keep you moving towards loving what you do. DON'T SETTLE FOR SIMPLE BEING 'OK' WITH WHAT YOU DO!<br /><br />Although I love Mondays, I also want more. For example, I want to make a lot more money. So I work EVERYDAY at becoming a better affiliate marketer. I work EVERYDAY at the business idea I've been developing. I also want to do a PhD so I've been working EVERYDAY to become a better PhD candidate<br /><br />When I realized I didn't want to be an engineer anymore, I worked everyday after work on my ebook, The Social Charmer.</li>
<li><b>Find job independence</b>. Entrepreneurs work their asses off, frequently putting in tons of hours everyday - but it's all on their own terms. You can work for your dream company doing exactly what you love, but still be miserable if you have someone breathing down your throat all the time or frequently cracking the whip. BUT, when you have a high degree of control over your job and can avoid micromanagement, you become so much happier.<br /><br />Maybe you had a long week and want to take a half day Friday? Maybe you stayed up too late on Sunday and want to sleep in on Monday before working. You should have control over that. Some people simply work better at night.<br /><br />I for example never set my alarm to wake up. I happen to be a morning person so I wake up right around 7:30am everyday anyways, but its such a good feeling to not have an alarm blaring in your ear every morning, but rather comfortably waking up nice and rested and ready to be productive. Similarly, I don't watch the clock when I go to lunch. I go, I eat, and when I'm sufficiently satisfied, I get back to work. I also sometimes will work at 8 or 9 at night if I feel like I have a lot of things to get done. The bottom line is, because it's all on my terms, it doesn't really feel like work.<br /><br />Luckily, a lot of progressive companies like the Googles and Qualcomms of the world have adopted this structure of employee autonomy which actually makes it easier for more people to love Mondays.</li>
<li><b>Accomplishment needs reward.</b> People need to feel a sense of reward, either intrinsic or extrinsic, in order to feel satisfied with work. In my case, the rewards are monetary rewards (basically how I survive), progress towards creating something big (like a new company in my case), and improvement at things I'm working on (online affiliate marketing and studying for PhD entrance exam).<br /><br />You could be at your dream company but if they never give you a raise or recognize your achievements, you'll quickly fall out of love with your work. Alternatively, you could be building a company, but if in a year you've made no tangible progress, you're motivation for work will die. Reward is necessary.</li>
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That's it! I work everyday towards gaining more of these things. I'm fortunate to have accomplished SOME of these things which is why I love Mondays, but the pursuit of MORE is equally exciting. A lot of people have grandiose visions of starting a company, changing careers, or finding a job, but never actually start actively pursuing those dreams. They put them off until a year, two, or five have passed and they're in the same place.</div>
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I don't want to be that person which is why I try do make progress every single day. </div>
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That concludes today's lecture. I think you know what your homework is. Class dismissed. Feel free to bring me an apple to next class. </div>
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Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-91117997605958606782012-05-29T14:31:00.000-07:002012-05-29T14:31:30.069-07:00The Three Date First Date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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And as promised, today we get to the entertaining and unconventional story of a first date I went on with a girl I was dating earlier this year. As you'll find out, her nickname, "Giggles" is very "a propos."<br />
<br />
But lets be honest...this is me. Did you expect anything less than entertaining and unconventional??<br />
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Now most guys might give you the "Joe Cool" version of how things went down where they are a totally confident charmer who plays everything perfectly and the girl falls totally all over him.<br />
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But that's not entertaining in the least. OBVIOUSLY I'm confident and smooth, but anyone would be lying if they didn't tell you they have insecure and dorky concerns running through there head on a daily basis. I prefer to reveal all of the hidden dorkiness in its full hilarity.<br />
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So we agreed to meet at a "trendy" bar/restaurant in La Jolla. Now normally, I prefer to do "first dates" in areas I'm more familiar with (ie closer to my house), because then we can "discover" some charming hidden spot and I appear like a cultured hero.<br />
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Since I've lived in La Jolla though, its changed so damn much that I only know a couple of neat places. I had heard this place called <i>Barfly</i> was pretty hip, so I thought I'd try my luck with Giggles.<br />
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As I'm driving over, Giggles informs me she's going to be a little late at which point I walk down from my parking spot and take the picture you see above...I live in a terrible city, I know.<br />
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I walk over to the restaurant to see what this hip & trendy spot will have in store for us, and am a little shocked as I walk in...<br />
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Completely. Empty.<br />
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And when I say "completely empty," I mean that there's not a damn person in the place and a waitress across the way is hanging out in the kitchen and chatting with the cook because she obviously has nothing else to do.<br />
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Arun - Strike 1.<br />
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I walk back out in mini-panic. I chose the place. Now I look like a schmuck who doesn't know how to pick decent, let alone <i>trendy</i> places. I run through the options in my mind and I see Giggles coming around the corner.<br />
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More Panic.<br />
<br />
My eyes dart around for immediate options in view:<br />
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Candy Store - too casual.<br />
Massage Place - too weird.<br />
Smash Burger - Too gassy.<br />
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The options had dried up and Giggles had arrived! So I said the first thing that came to mind:<br />
<br />
"Your in luck...I decided to rent the place out for just us!"<br />
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Luckily, I'm quick with the jokes.<br />
<br />
So we sit down and the waitress comes over to take our drink orders:<br />
<br />
Me: "I'll take a Mojito!"<br />
Giggles: "I'll have a Ginger Ale...I don't really drink"<br />
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For those of you who are quick - YES, I planned a date, at a bar, with a girl who (it turns out) doesn't drink.<br />
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Strike 2.<br />
<br />
In another bout of amazing preparation, I had been drinking a lot of water and coffee that day which resulted in the explosive urge to urinate literally every 30 minutes throughout the evening.<br />
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We stay for maybe an hour (during which I make two trips to the restroom) and actually have a really good time at which point we both start getting hungry. In my amazing planning, I neglected to look at the quality of the menu which as it turns out, is astonishingly mediocre.<br />
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Strike 3.<br />
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I suggest a Thai restaurant I know and we walk over - date #2. On the walk over, we pass a cute old couple undoubtedly wrapping up their own date night (it was like 7 o'clock which is well-passed old-person bed time).<br />
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This is perfect. Old people and I have a mutual adoration from each other. I always get along with them and engage them, and they always tell me how great I'd be for their grand daughters. We chatted for a bit as we walked, by the end of which the Grandma had said I was a "VERY nice boy," the two of us were a "very nice looking couple," and "don't stay out too late!".<br />
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Apparently, Grandma was my wingman for the night.<br />
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We get to the restaurant and after another trip to the restroom, we mull over menu options. If there's any menu I know, it's Thai food. So, I suggest two awesome dishes - one rice dish, and another noodle dish.<br />
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Giggles: "Actually, I don't really eat rice and noodles"<br />
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Strike 4 Arun.<br />
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We end up ordering two amazing non-rice, non-noodle dishes. Now anyone who knows me, knows I absolutely LOVE dessert. So I start chatting about the most amazing carrot cake I've ever had. Surprisingly, Giggles is adamant that we have it TONIGHT, so after another trip for bladder relief, we drive over to the carrot cake restaurant - date #3.<br />
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This restaurant is actually a really nice place. It's late at this point, with not many people left. We sit by the bar as a piano player performs jazzy tunes and order the carrot cake...along with two cocktails.<br />
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Yes...Giggles is now having a drink for the second time ever in her life. Either she's having a good time, or she's drowning the pain of an evening with "4-strikes, No-Bladder, Arun".<br />
<br />
We enjoy our dessert and cocktails...but there's a slight problem. The drink she ordered is not good, and nearly undrinkable. We power through half of it, but neither of us are the type to send something back. The waitress however was super attentive, noticed we were struggling, and insisted on remaking the drink.<br />
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Giggles started drinking the new drink, but the waitress sensed it was still unsatisfactory. We insisted on keeping the drink, but she would not relent and made yet another completely different drink.<br />
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Giggles found this delicious.<br />
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We finished our drinks, and by now we're the only people left. I visit my favorite room one more time for lower abdominal relief, and Giggles and I walk outside.<br />
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Now if you've ever wondered what happens to someone who doesn't drink when she drinks two fairly potent cocktails...read on.<br />
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Now normally I'm pretty funny, but all of sudden as we're walking outside, Giggles is laughing at everything I say. When I nicknamed her "Giggles," she was double over in stitches. At first I figured that I was just on an incredible roll of hilarity, but when I noticed her balance a little off, I realized what had happened.<br />
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Yes, Giggles was drunk.<br />
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Arun - Strike 5 (or possibly Giggles - strike 1?)<br />
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I'll spare you from any mushy end-of-date details, but I took her home, reassured her that she did nothing foolish (preserving others egos are situations where I feel its ok to lie a bit), and date #4 was scheduled for the next day.<br />
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Somehow, 5 strikes and a bladder with the control of a 97 year old woman did not dissuade her from me.<br />
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Apparently, she's more into bowlers than baseball players.Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-77894454131321154372012-05-04T14:39:00.003-07:002012-05-25T15:15:32.652-07:00The First Date Setup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I promised in the last post that I would share the story of meeting and subsequently dating a girl I was seeing earlier this year because its kind of an interesting story. It's also very typically "me" in the way things panned out.<br />
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This story has two parts: The first date setup, and the actual date which are each funny in their own right. Today is all about the meeting and setup.<br />
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For the sake of keeping *some* discretion for others, I'll just use one of her favorite nicknames to refer to her in this post - "Giggles" (ok, maybe not really...she said it sounds silly, hence I will continue calling her that in this blog, and everywhere else). This nickname will make sense by the end of the second part.<br />
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It all started one warm, sunny San Diego morning in January (I love the weather here). As a designated "ambassador" for my business school, I was supposed to go to this "mixer" where prospective students would be asking questions and mingling with current students.<br />
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Naturally, I forgot.<br />
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I <i>did</i> eventually arrive (an hour late...oops) and b-lined it straight for the food table (surprise of the century, I know).<br />
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Me being me, I started joking around with and generally harassing the fellow ambassadors around me. I turn towards the window and see this really cute prospective student (and YES, she was a girl) leaning back with six current (male) students surrounding her itching to impress.<br />
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Yes, it was a shark tank and there was a nice juicy (and I do mean JUICY) piece of Palestinian meat that the sharks were circling.<br />
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Ahh the power of an attractive woman.<br />
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Now the average Joe might walk away and wait for the men to disperse or for her to have a free moment. But this is me. I am neither average nor rational. Reckless abandon with no regard for personal ego is more my style.<br />
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Then, I see her and another current student looking deeply into each others eyes. Again, the average Joe may sulk away in defeat here...but this was too good for me to pass up. Plus I've seen this move before.<br />
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"Oh. My. God!...either you've already fallen in love, or he's showing you his '<i>Look I have different colored eyes</i>' thing"<br />
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Giggles: "haha, he DOES have different colored eyes!...Look!"<br />
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Ok, ok...in her defense, the different colored eyes thing is quite a trip, and I have previously spent a good 30 seconds gazing deeply into his delicate yet supple eyes, but I digress.<br />
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I pirouetted my way into the group and she and I talked for a few minutes (about what, I don't remember, but she was laughing a lot so I imagine I was <i>obviously</i> quite charming ) but she soon left to go sit in on some classes.<br />
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I honestly thought I'd probably never see her again, but I told the admissions ladies that I we should really heavily recruit her since she's a stellar candidate and if need be, I will take her out...<i>only</i> for recruitment purposes of course (common people I'm a professional!).<br />
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For some reason, they rolled their eyes and shook their heads...apparently this <i>isn't</i> their typical recruitment strategy.<br />
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Later that afternoon, I was in the study lounge working away when a friend mentioned to me that there was a really cute girl sitting at the restaurant right around the corner.<br />
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Could this be the same girl? Either way, cute girls are good and I was due for a little break anyways so I left to find out...but I never made it.<br />
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As I was walking over to the restaurant, I spot Giggles in the distance on her phone. By a stroke of amazing luck, two of my school friends happened to be chatting about 20 feet in front of where Giggles was, so I stopped to chat hoping I could buy enough time until she's off the phone.<br />
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Had my friends not been their, I have no idea what I would've done while she was on the phone...<br />
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Stop and tie and re-tie my shoe 17 times while waiting for her to get off the phone?<br />
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Hide around the corner of the building waiting like a lion to pounce as soon as the conversation is finished?<br />
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Do a solo Mexican Cha-Cha followed by the Tush-Push to get her so confused that she wraps up her call just to watch the spectacle?<br />
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Luckily, I didn't have to execute any of my well-thought-out back-up plans.<br />
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Giggles wrapped up and <i>coincidentally</i>, I abruptly ended the conversation with my friends just after she got off the phone.<br />
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We started chatting again and I knew it was "on" when she followed me to the little corner store so I could buy a snack before class.<br />
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In my mind I fist pumped and did one of those jumping heel click things. On the surface I was as smooth and cool as always (which is obviously SUPER smooth, and SUPER cool).<br />
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You can see from the picture on the left that my double heel click form is immaculate.<br />
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As a "business school ambassador" I offered to exchange numbers with her to *cough* answer any questions *cough* and possibly hang out since she's relatively new to San Diego.<br />
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Yes, I know, I am an amazing Ambassador who goes beyond the call of duty just to service my community...and I'm devilishly handsome to boot!<br />
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I was out of town the following weekend, but I when I got back, I texted her to meet up for a happy hour. <br />
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She replied:<br />
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"My cousin is in town for the weekend...can we all do something together?"<br />
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Now I don't know about you, but these are not exactly the magic words I want to here when I want to go out with a cute girl...now I have to charm not only her but her cousin too?!? This was not ideal, but luckily I read this book once called <a href="http://www.thesocialcharmer.com/TSC" target="_blank">The Social Charmer</a> that explains everything about being charming ;)<br />
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A day or so passes and the night before our little group meetup, I get this text from Giggles: "This just in: my cousin went back to LA tonight"<br />
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You know those times when you're really excited but you have to stifle it in order to look cool? Well this was one of those times. I'm smiling and fist pumping at the fact that now we can go out, just the two of us while at the same time texting:<br />
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"Ah too bad, it would've been nice to meet him"<br />
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No I'm not above stiffling my inner dork on occasion to look cool...even <i>I</i> have moments of weakness.<br />
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The day arrived of our little date and....well you'll just have to wait for the next post to hear about it.<br />
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Stay tuned.<br />
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And for those of you who happened to find this page looking for advice on setting up the first date, please don't follow anything that I've done...well, except for the Mexican Cha Cha and Tush Push - that move never fails to get the ladies.Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-46378741932066074832012-04-23T12:27:00.000-07:002012-04-23T12:27:01.912-07:00Friends in Unusual Places<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">One of the running themes of this blog is that great things happen when you strive to be as social as you possibly can.</span></span><br />
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<div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
One such example of this is if you happen to look at some of my close friends.</div>
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A good chunk of them are people I met the way most people meet people...through other friends, through school, through work etc. Nothing too exciting there.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">BUT, a lot of people that are a major part of my life are people I've met very </span>serendipitously.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">For example, the girl I'm dating, I literally just happened to bump into on campus. This is actually such an entertaining story that I'm going to save it for a blog post on its own soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">But lets look at some other examples: Take Josie & Laura - two close friends of mine.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I've only known them for about a year, but it feels like forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">About a year ago, me and my newish friend Mikey happened to stop by a place near my house called Wine Steals to grab a glass of wine. Two attractive ladies were sitting at the table next to us and as I recall, we struck up a conversation about the proximity of the heat lamp (not interesting on the surface, but if you throw a little goofiness in, and a little "Arun Factor" any conversation is interesting ;).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">It was about 8:00 when we started talking to them - fast forward to 5am and we're leaving Josie's house having drank more than one glass of wine, break danced at the club next door, sang "Under the Boardwalk" on the street with two homeless guys Vince & Darryl, went for late night pizza, and played charades at Josie's.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Fast forward a year, and they are two of my best friends...all because Mikey and I <i>happened</i> to stop in at Wine Steals and happened to strike up a conversation.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Serendipity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Ok, to be honest, I'm not really sure if I believe in Serendipity because we can only look at the people we've met and have no knowledge of the people we haven't met.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">But this is the exact reason I think it's so important to strive to meet people and get to know them...you never know what impact they can have on your life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">This is one of the reason's I'm such a "yes man". I'm always scared that I'm going to miss out on some opportunity to do something awesome, have an adventure, or meet someone amazing by succumbing to the laziness of simply staying at home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Now I understand not everyone feeds off of social energy the way I do, and most people probably need more alone time than me, but I would argue that in general, the more people there are in the word that care about you, the better off, and the happier you are.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Afterall, we are designed to be social beings (and some of us are designed to be amazingly handsome, charming, witty social beings :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Aaand look at that...two posts in a row! I told you I'm back!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%;"> </span></div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-26866835044317581652012-04-16T11:10:00.003-07:002012-04-16T11:30:48.148-07:00The Resurrection of Your Daily Remedy!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-4T3qXC_fj27UHeDMJfYvPriX18VGXGTKjO52gaS25xpwEqTb8CtjLYlifO-4Rq71wTEG-SgKQtIn6JDBEr96PAXIJH24lz4-v99YtbeoqeUsKQWPmICMscT2W5JWbXqUU1Weip-vJM/s1600/Arun%252C+Josie%252C+Rich.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-4T3qXC_fj27UHeDMJfYvPriX18VGXGTKjO52gaS25xpwEqTb8CtjLYlifO-4Rq71wTEG-SgKQtIn6JDBEr96PAXIJH24lz4-v99YtbeoqeUsKQWPmICMscT2W5JWbXqUU1Weip-vJM/s320/Arun%252C+Josie%252C+Rich.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5732066331634846882" /></a><br /><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">Good Lord it's been a long time since I've posted!</span></span><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Yes, I know I have a knack for stating the obvious.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">So where the hell have I been?</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Well, this year has been a whirlwind of activity...business school, internet marketing, scheming for world domination, girls, teaching, and my usual antics and adventures have moved to the forefront.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">The lack of recent blogging has been partially due to lack of time, but if I'm being honest, more lack of motivation.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; ">Don't get me wrong....I LOVE writing...especially writing about ME! But, I also like writing good quality posts that, while involving me heavily, also give you value either through something I've learned, something super interesting, or shear humor and laughter.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 100%; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; "><br /></div><div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;">One of the things that's kind of upsetting is how my lack of posting has </span>buried<span style="font-size: 100%;"> this in the heeps of websites on the internets. </span></span></div><div><span ><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span ><a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/03/power-of-being-social.html">THIS POST</a> used to rank number 1 in Google for the search term "being social"...now it's no where to be found.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Since I wrote that post five years ago as well as my <a href="http://thesocialcharmer.com/TSC">ebook</a>, I actually have sooooo much more to share on the subject of being socially savvy and socially aware.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >Anyways, the point of today's post is to simply say: I'm still alive (you can all come out of depression now), AND I'm really going to make a concerted effort to start posting again (let the masses rejoice!).</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The nice thing about not posting for so long is that I have a nice build up of funny stories.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >The picture in the post is actually from Easter Sunday last week...that's a story in itself which I will be sure to post soon.</span></div><div><span ><br /></span></div><div><span >In the mean time, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHpluwP328A">hide ya kids, hide ya wife, and hide ya husband</a>, because I'M BACK!</span></div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-39484212521165673912011-12-06T17:32:00.000-08:002011-12-06T18:01:03.027-08:00Ninja Time Management<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvzi9K2MgA8db3MajwLVGDffE8ywsOGFY8lkHtwqnZTBvgVmrerSW58mmFyQVZcNWyVzZI84mKRy-ia0KpLQPoFPWELPnIEDU8VPb-xyF4C7mRZiq8gIOIBr1bEaT2S_z30eVYovnLKU/s1600/December+Nights.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvzi9K2MgA8db3MajwLVGDffE8ywsOGFY8lkHtwqnZTBvgVmrerSW58mmFyQVZcNWyVzZI84mKRy-ia0KpLQPoFPWELPnIEDU8VPb-xyF4C7mRZiq8gIOIBr1bEaT2S_z30eVYovnLKU/s320/December+Nights.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683200613364359570" /></a><br />So I've been recently trying to refrain from too many boring personal blog posts about this and that. In the early days, I was much more liberal with what I was blogging about (hence I was able to set a sizzling pace of 3 posts per week)!<div><br /></div><div>Now a days, I only like to write GOLD! (obviously, this means all recent and forthcoming posts will be awesome).</div><div><br /></div><div>That being said, I'm currently in the midst of the busiest time of my life.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know what you're thinking: "Oh common ARUN! I know you! You're extremely handsome, you love going out, partying, writing blogs about how you are soooooo awesome, and general adventuring! You expect me to buy into all this 'busy-ness'??"</div><div><br /></div><div>Well you are correct in your evaluation of me, but yes, I do expect you to believe me. In fact, everytime I get great ideas recently, I never have the energy/time to sit down and write out a quality post.</div><div><br /></div><div>These things <i>usually</i> go through a couple of editing iterations before I'm happy enough to post.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, as I'm typing this right now, I am taking a break from an absolutely insane schedule today. I just got off of a 1.5 hour conference call and needed to do something for myself (and your self) so here it is!</div><div><br /></div><div>Truth be told, I'm kind of a time management ninja. You know I can't post without giving myself at least <i>one </i>pat on the back.</div><div><br /></div><div>People never seem to understand how I have time to hang out and do fun things with the amount on my plate. I am involved in FAR more things than anybody I know. Here's a sample:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>I'm enrolled as a full-time MBA student - I NEVER miss class.</li><li>I'm a teaching assistant for 1st year MBA classes</li><li>I'm the event chair for the San Diego Downtown Relay for Life</li><li>I work "full time" in internet marketing</li><li>I'm involved in a consulting project with a company making recommendations to improve their customer relations</li><li>I am doing a social media research project with food trucks in San Diego that is essentially like another job</li><li>I am a Rady School of Management Ambassador</li></ul><div>These are all things that I categorize under "work." Of course, I probably have twice as many things I would categorize as "play".</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The key to ninja time management is efficiency: I am probably 90% efficient on a day-to-day basis. What I mean is, I spend 90% of my time doing things that are either essential, or really fulfilling.</div><div><br /></div><div>For example, writing this post would count as efficient. Surfing Facebook - not efficient.</div><div><br /></div><div>School work, internet marketing, networking events, working out = efficient</div><div>Watching TV, puttering around = not efficient</div><div><br /></div><div>Reading books, hanging out with friends doing fun stuff, playing sports = efficient.</div><div>Lengthy recreational phone conversations, internet chatting = not efficient.</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically, I waste VERY little of my days. I would actually say that the average person is maybe 60% efficient but <i>thinks</i> they are 90% efficient.</div><div><br /></div><div>I see it all the times. People go through the motions and think they're getting things done, but there is no output to show for it.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know people who get together to study for HOURS but very little gets done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Not my style.</div><div><br /></div><div>I mean, I'm all for hanging out with people, but lets <i>actually</i> hang out. Doing so under the guise of "studying" makes both processes mediocre.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm serious when I say I think people I know in my position would have a panic attack. </div><div><br /></div><div>Honestly, even <i>I</i> have moments where I'll feel totally overwhelmed. But that feeling is only fleeting and after taking a minute to organize things in my mind, its gone.</div><div><br /></div><div>So that's what is up. Expect some really good posts coming up though. I've got a sort of break coming up so they'll be some hilarious stuff coming your way.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for your patience! </div><div> </div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-48306115983622306232011-09-19T14:06:00.000-07:002011-09-26T14:40:47.543-07:00Wedding Do's and Don'ts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-cfwy_qzUqdXgRHca_xS5fKbvsrMN82mp78GveSstKmI69QfOCG29B5RO636Ey2erbo-xiCgrst6P3280hxYKwK8O3za-gnR6aIMNQneLsKyX76gHQcvWnE1WDgTD1zW6m8w8vGNyLw/s1600/Tracy%2527s+Wedding5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH-cfwy_qzUqdXgRHca_xS5fKbvsrMN82mp78GveSstKmI69QfOCG29B5RO636Ey2erbo-xiCgrst6P3280hxYKwK8O3za-gnR6aIMNQneLsKyX76gHQcvWnE1WDgTD1zW6m8w8vGNyLw/s320/Tracy%2527s+Wedding5.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655012499028847074" /></a>I'll be the first to admit weddings are fun.<div><br /></div><div>Who doesn't like a big party with food, cake, booze, and old people getting drunk and dancing their little tushies off?</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been to several weddings in my time, and have partaken in a myriad of different styles. From the short and quick ceremonies, to the long and sleep inducing. From Christian, to Catholic, to Hindu. Indoor, outdoor, from California to Alaska.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm not getting married ANY time soon, but I've definitely learned a little bit about what to do, and not to do in wedding execution.</div><div><br /></div><div>DO...</div><div>have a nice quick wedding ceremony so that the real reason we're all here (the reception) can start.</div><div><br /></div><div>DON'T...</div><div>Allow the ceremony to extend beyond say 15 minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>First of all, weddings are usually in the summertime. </div><div><br /></div><div>Summer = hot. </div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm no mathematician, but it seems to me, if you multiply the above equation with the coefficient of typical wedding attire, you end up with an answer that equals sweaty discomfort.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been to a couple of outdoor weddings where I'm sweating my well-dressed ass off waiting for the damn "I do's" so we can get in the shade. I'm adhering to dress code wearing my pressed suit jacket that somehow is not available with Nike moisture wicking technology. But when we finally get in the shade, the well-insulated suit jacket has got to stay on because pit stains are not exactly the "I'm single and awesome" statement I'm looking to make.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know what you're thinking..."Arun you poor adorable thing! BUT, what if the wedding is indoors?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep. It. Short. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have you ever sat on one of those church benches for more then 5 minutes? As far as asses go, mine is decently meaty (although some might say "steel-like"), but even <i>my</i> booty starts going numb after sitting on that thing for more than a few minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div>But this summer I was thrown a curve ball - an indoor wedding, not at a Church, seated in folding chairs, with ice-cream served during the ceremony.</div><div><br /></div><div>Too good to be true, I know. So what was the catch? </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, it was an Indian wedding....and the ceremony lasted over two hours.</div><div><br /></div><div>OVER TWO HOURS!</div><div><br /></div><div>Indian weddings are cool and all, but the novelty of the ceremony wore off on me after the first 15 minutes (by which point I was finished with my ice-cream). Ok, back to the Do's.</div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTWhKQ7MBOpNIY2bbBsPiSaKn_qpRdxzsKdRurAGEuD98sUy1C4pycQZw5zE1etgHKZ_pWyP1mLbzRqU_HBhrEoCFyEYAOeb9nOxnRKMfOCD5ImjDNwduv4vXREvXpq6Fhsaq-Hzxh5c/s1600/Tim+and+Carly3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTWhKQ7MBOpNIY2bbBsPiSaKn_qpRdxzsKdRurAGEuD98sUy1C4pycQZw5zE1etgHKZ_pWyP1mLbzRqU_HBhrEoCFyEYAOeb9nOxnRKMfOCD5ImjDNwduv4vXREvXpq6Fhsaq-Hzxh5c/s320/Tim+and+Carly3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655012632947603538" /></a></div><div>DO...</div><div>Get a minister who knows exactly what you want and what they are doing.</div><div><br /></div><div>DON'T</div><div>Allow the minister to forget to tell the wedding goers to "please be seated" after the bride gets to the alter.</div><div><br /></div><div>This was a first for me. I was at a wedding last week, and after the bride made it to the alter, the ministress (what do you call a female minister?) FORGOT to tell the 170 in attendance to "be seated." So we're ALL standing during the whole damn ceremony....outdoors....in the heat.</div><div><br /></div><div>To boot, I meticulously directed chair setup the previous night to get everything lined up and staggered just right so everyone could see while seated.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks to our absent minded ministress, the girls 5 rows back saw nothing but the backsides of the amazingly well-dressed and devlishly good-looking 6+ foot men in row 3 (Did I mention I was in row 3?).</div><div><br /></div><div>DO...</div><div>Hire a DJ with a good, diverse music collection that knows you by name.</div><div><br /></div><div>DON'T</div><div>Hire the cousin of a friend of a friend whose entire music catalogue consists of Country's Greatest Hits and a few select disco numbers on his computer.</div><div><br /></div><div>The wedding last week had another issue. </div><div><br /></div><div>First, the DJ couldn't pronounce the Groom's (and new bride's) last name properly. It's a pretty simple name ("Haupt" pronounced like "Howp") yet he repeatedly announced "Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Hopt!!!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok, ok...honest mistake, he's a DJ not a linguist, so just play us some hits.</div><div><br /></div><div>Or Not.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a wedding. I'm not expecting much more than some current hits as well as the old wedding favorites. I thoroughly warmed up my shoulders the night before for a little "YMCA" action, and I dusted off my dancing shoes for some Electric Sliding.</div><div><br /></div><div>Disappointment.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead, we got steady dose of Miley Cirus, and Cool and the Gang. Somehow, audience response wasn't quite as excited as usual when I busted out "The Worm of Wonder" during Miley Cirus' "The Climb".</div><div><br /></div><div>DO...</div><div>Have an organized parking situation for guests.</div><div><br /></div><div>DON'T...</div><div>Ask your brother to round up his friends to shotgun valet.</div><div><br /></div><div>A few years ago, my buddy Jesse asked a few of us to valet for his sister's wedding. Ok no problem. I'm a good driver. I can parallel park. How hard can it be?</div><div><br /></div><div>(Note to self: Anytime you think to yourself "how hard can it be?" its going to SUCK)</div><div><br /></div><div>First, the wedding was at this house on top of a HUGE hill. They had the good sense to have it indoors because it was so damn hot, but we had to park each car in a dirt lot at the bottom of the hill and then sprint back up to the top as the queue of cars was growing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Did I mention I was wearing a suit and tie...and it was hot....and it was a MAJOR hill?</div><div><br /></div><div>So we managed to kill ourselves running up and down this hill and got all the cars finally parked. Aaaaaahhhh, re-lax-ation!...until the guests started to leave.</div><div><br /></div><div>Four guys. We have neither ANY valet experience, nor are we organized. We have a drawer full of keys, and a dirt lot at the bottom of Mount-effing-Vesuvius full of cars. And now its dark and, of course, the lot isn't lighted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously a plan for success.</div><div><br /></div><div>The process consisted of this:</div><div><ul><li>Guest who is ready to leave asks for car. (So far so good. We are awesome!)</li><li>We jointly rummage through a drawer full of tangled keys to find the right one.</li><li>Its dark though so at least two cell phones are needed for light to identify one key from another.</li><li>Once key is found, one of us sprints down the mountain to retrieve car.</li><li>Arun eats sh!t on one such downhill dash through uneven terrain and dirties suit. Ego is preserved though because it's dark and no one sees.</li><li>We run back and forth through the dirt lot hitting the remote lock/unlock (and occasionally alarm) button to find the right car in the pitch black dark.</li><li>Guest wonders why he hears his car alarm in the distance.</li><li>Arun returns with car and guests ask why suit had become muddy and wrinkled. Ego destroyed.</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div>And Lastly....</div><div><br /></div><div>DO...</div><div>Act like you're involved (if you're a man) in the wedding planning and give opinions on things.</div><div><br /></div><div>DON'T...</div><div>EVER make ANY decision without consulting the bride-to-be or say something ambivalent like "you pick what you like best!" if you want to live to enjoy your wedding.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've seen many a good man go down for these over the years. It's a delicate balance. You need to "act" involved and provide an opinion that you should be ready to change depending on the bride's reaction. </div><div><br /></div><div>Even though she's making the decisions, you've got to make her <i>feel</i> like its a joint effort.</div><div><br /></div><div>And of course, if you try and make a decision on your own, you shouldn't be getting married in the first place because you obviously have no idea what you're doing. Murphy's Law necessitates that you WILL make the wrong decision and into the dog-house you go.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I think its fairly obvious that I now know how to perfectly plan a wedding. I've always thought it'd be cool to be one of those wedding planners running around with the headset, barking out orders.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you're interested in hiring me now as a "Wedding Consultant of Awesomeness" feel free to contact me. As for valeting, me and my friends will be no where near that department.</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-49719342968794899262011-08-25T11:05:00.000-07:002011-08-25T14:47:22.914-07:00Bachelors, Bachelorettes, and Arun<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cJ-lduALSqpGuO6OcCK-m5DU0LhjUlJbbHtbS3TrjDcEZV9Zk5z5txro1jMyVoyUIvsmFl1qKCdCdfCN8qTETXxgT48YDUbshKr049hgp7Ek8_Y52-pyn0-s2wsgLxw5c8Vtv_bYyzg/s1600/Arun+Srinivasan.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cJ-lduALSqpGuO6OcCK-m5DU0LhjUlJbbHtbS3TrjDcEZV9Zk5z5txro1jMyVoyUIvsmFl1qKCdCdfCN8qTETXxgT48YDUbshKr049hgp7Ek8_Y52-pyn0-s2wsgLxw5c8Vtv_bYyzg/s320/Arun+Srinivasan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644899415028717234" /></a>
<br />Last week was an entirely new experience for me.<div>
<br /></div><div>So a couple of months ago, my friend Liberty invited me to a fundraiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation here in San Diego. As you know, I'm all about participating in charitable events and was all set to participate, until I found out the catch.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>It was a bachelor / bachelorette auction!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Ok, ok...so this sounds like the perfect Arun-esque adventure right? I mean, what better use of a the face of an angel and a chisled body forged by the hands of God himself, than to raise money for a charity?</div><div>
<br /></div><div>(and when I say "chisled body" I'm not referring to the "loose muscle" surrounding my midsection)</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Honestly, my hesitation had more to do with the fact that I had a feeling that the bidders would be old, aging women. In other words, I thought I'd be getting sold to uglies.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Material and artificial of me, I know, but at least I'm honest about it.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>But alas, Liberty needed another person, so I relented. Hey, it's for the kids!</div><div>
<br /></div><div>So when I arrive, I'm actually pleasantly surprised. Not only is everyone fairly youngish and good-looking, but there's a TON of food, and all the bachelors and bachelorettes are treated to an open bar.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Now HERE's a party I can get on board with.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>So towards the beginning of the evening, people are a little gun shy about bidding. It's kind of a silent auction and our pictures are framed and placed on different tables (the picture in this post is the one they framed of me) and there's a bidding sheet and date description next to them. I start talking to a girl who is 25 and VERY attractive. Turns out she's actually one of the bachelorettes. We're chatting for a while and she comes up with a brilliant idea:</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Hot Bachelorette Chick (hereon referred to as 'HBC'): "I've got a great idea to get this started!"</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Me: "Oh yea what's that?" </div><div>
<br /></div><div>HBC: "How about we each put $100 bids on each other. That way, its high enough where we'll raise serious money if someone actually outbids us."</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Me: "Ok, sure"</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I'm acting all nonchalant and cavalier about everything, but on the inside I'm thinking "Score! I may end up going out TWICE with this hot chick!"</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Yes, even I can be an insecure goober sometimes.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>So people start bidding and she ends up going for like $400 bucks. There's no way I'm spending that kind of change on anyone for a single date. Interestingly, for me, there ends up being a little bidding war between HBC, and a mystery lady.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>BUT, in the end, the mystery lady wins over HBC. Unfortunate, considering HBC was probably the best looking girl in attendance.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>When the dust finally settles, I meet this mystery lady...</div><div>
<br /></div><div>She's probably like 10 years older than me. Of COURSE the cougar with money outbids the hot 25 year old. </div><div>
<br /></div><div>I still haven't gone out with her, but now I'm getting nervous...she shelled out $200 for me, and who knows what she's expecting! </div><div>
<br /></div><div>But there were a couple of other surprises too.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>One of the other Bachelors was actually a soap opera star (Alex Musser) who played some guy named "Del Henry" on All My Children for a couple of years - he only went for I think $20 more than me, so the natural conclusion is that I should be starring on TV too.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>At one point, I also was introduced to this good looking couple. They had weird names, and I joked that we should start a club of people with weird names ("Arun" isn't exactly run-of-the-mill in San Diego).</div><div>
<br /></div><div>So I'm hanging out with this couple by the stage when Liberty announces that she wants to introduce the celebrities in attendance. I turn and semi-joke to the couple, "Step aside guys, I'm about to get my big introduction!"</div><div>
<br /></div><div>They smile.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>As Liberty continues to talk, I'm actually wondering who she's going to introduce. I turn to the couple and ask sincerely, "WHO the heck are these celebrities she's talking about?!"</div><div>
<br /></div><div>They smile.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Liberty: "Please welcome to the stage, from ABC's <i>The Bachelore, The Bachelorette</i>, and <i>Bachelor Pad</i>, Kiptyn Locke and Tenley Molzahn!"</div><div>
<br /></div><div>I'm standing their bewildered with egg on my face as said couple strolls onto stage.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Oops.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Apparently, they were on all of those "Bachelor" reality shows and happen to be friends with my friend Liberty. Who knew? I've never seen the show (ok, ok...I may have watched ONE episode last season).</div><div>
<br /></div><div>BUT, after chatting with Kiptyn and Tenley, I kind of want to try out! First of all, Tenley is good-looking, and apparently so are all of the girls on the show. Second, although I lack the huge muscles and 8 pack that all the guys sport on the show, I make up for it with quick wit and charm.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Not to mention, I think my antics and knack for innocently stirring the pot would make for good TV.</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Watch out America...Arun may be joining "The Bachelor"???</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-7700561827717353542011-07-05T15:47:00.000-07:002011-07-12T12:11:05.315-07:00Lateral Meniscectomy and Microfracture - The Road to Recovery<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQixnqQhLMv5G_jzJUKTcp0Dgn_zZNI_wtTlH82DvwfQgzaXHpBK8TcRl-3XNhPdkiEACFTmt1gb3HHG6GRUaUpA65fl53xD1g9zakRPWys9xW9qqbibKUd3wgzFTnoM5Rk1ZB5ZX_dg/s1600/Lateral_meniscus.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQixnqQhLMv5G_jzJUKTcp0Dgn_zZNI_wtTlH82DvwfQgzaXHpBK8TcRl-3XNhPdkiEACFTmt1gb3HHG6GRUaUpA65fl53xD1g9zakRPWys9xW9qqbibKUd3wgzFTnoM5Rk1ZB5ZX_dg/s320/Lateral_meniscus.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628545306381289714" /></a><br />I know what you're thinking.<div><br /></div><div>"Ok, Arun. I get it. You had knee surgery. But what's with all the jargon? What makes you think I have any idea what the thread title is even talking about!?!"</div><div><br /></div><div>And you're right. A few months ago, I wouldn't have been interested either. BUT, I decided to deviate from my usual extremely witty commentaries and crazy adventures because, before I had this procedure, I was scouring the internet for Partial Lateral Meniscectomy and Microfracture info, and its a bit hard to find, and the treatment and recovery is all over the board.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, now, when people search, with any luck they'll find a couple of posts by yours truly, and maybe have a couple of questions answered (and obviously discover the most amazing collection of witty writing ever amassed, by "His Humbleness"...ME).</div><div><br /></div><div>So here's the how it went down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Several months ago, I had an MRI revealing a partially torn lateral meniscus and lateral articular cartilage damage in my right knee. That didn't sound good, so I went to an orthopedist.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first doc revealed I would probably need microfracture surgery which, for those of you who aren't familiar with it, is a relatively new-ish surgery in which holes are drilled into the bone such that stem-cell-containing bone marrow bleeds out into the area devoid of cartilage. The stem cells stimulate new cartilage growth, and in a few months, you're theoretically back in action.</div><div><br /></div><div>There are a couple of caveats though: for starters, the surgery is not 100% effective and there's about 20% of people for whom cartilage regrowth doesn't happen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bummer.</div><div><br /></div><div>Second, a number of professional athletes have never totally gotten back to their pre-surgery all-star form (ie Tracy McGrady and Chris Webber). This bummed me out until I realized A) Those guys are <i>slightly </i>better at basketball than me anyways, B) I'm exactly known for my extreme jumping abilities and C) If I return at Tracy McGrady or Chris Webber's basketball form, I will be 100 times better at basketball than I've ever been.</div><div><br /></div><div>The biggest bummer of them all though is the recovery time she told me about: six weeks on crutches, no driving, physical therapy for 3 months thereafter.</div><div><br /></div><div>There goes Arun's summer of awesomeness.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I did what any sensible person who doesn't care for the prognosis does - I got a second and third opinion and elected to do the surgery with the last guy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's where things get interesting. The last two orthopedists work together in the same practice and have a LOT of experience. They also proceed with recovery much more aggressively than most orthopedists as their experience shows identical post - op results while minimizing patient inconvenience.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here's my recovery:</div><div>Procedure: Partial Lateral Meniscectomy and Femoral Microfracture</div><div><br /></div><div>Post Op Days 1 - 10: Crutches and non weight bearing. On day 5, I started daily stationary bike with no resistance. Off of pain meds by Day 3 (and probably could have been a day sooner).</div><div><br /></div><div>Day 10: Full weight bearing allowed while wearing brace. Physical Therapy begins.</div><div><br /></div><div>Day 12: By now, my limp is pretty much gone and I'm walking without the brace with minimal discomfort.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here I am now at day 22. My knee is certainly not normal yet, but there's definite improvement. Walking is for the most part, pain free. Occasional dull ache is the knee at both meniscus sight and microfracture sight (though not necessarily at the same time). I've started some light elliptical training and physical therapy is slowing escalating in impact.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, I think I'm definitely headed in the right direction and am well ahead of schedule. Now I won't be running or playing sports for another couple of months, but hopefully I've provided some of you with some positive feedback and information if you're about to get microfracture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-58170079601045481032011-07-05T14:49:00.001-07:002011-07-05T14:52:23.656-07:00The Gift of Walking<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-2fuYiWWeOhWLv1vRiilJZX38ywC7g9_i4Tw8kcPLIJ82J0w6O2e6KTgWsFEwl65fiXOAMqeE9Xmy-LA66VCygkLEVFzHp2ZtYiN5p8EbW6WsVOBmYAHVohQcHBdccJ93NPCu0OO3G4/s1600/Crutches.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-2fuYiWWeOhWLv1vRiilJZX38ywC7g9_i4Tw8kcPLIJ82J0w6O2e6KTgWsFEwl65fiXOAMqeE9Xmy-LA66VCygkLEVFzHp2ZtYiN5p8EbW6WsVOBmYAHVohQcHBdccJ93NPCu0OO3G4/s320/Crutches.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5625989354770047458" /></a><br />It's interesting how taking the ability to do something that we do everyday makes you realize how important that ability is.<div><br /></div><div>And no, I'm not talking about the ability to look at yourself in the mirror.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm talking about the "gift" of being able to walk...unassisted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last week I had knee surgery, and for the last two weeks I've been crutching around town. Along with the knee surgery came some other unforeseen minor complications:</div><div><ol><li>Since the surgery was on my right knee, and since the doctors orders were to basically not do anything with that leg, I haven't been alowed to drive. Boom - Independence gone.<br /><br /></li><li>The main problem with crutches is that walking just a couple of blocks can be exhausting, so travelling long distances on foot (and by "foot," I mean literally ONE foot) is not an option<br /><br /></li><li>A further complication with crutches is that your ability to hold anything while standing is gone. Just to get a bowl of cereal means I have to grab the bowl, set it on the counter, shimmy to the left, stop and move the bowl to the left, shimmy again, move the bowl, etc...until I get to the edge of the kitchen and within plopping distance of the couch where I can sit down and reach the bowl. Going to the kitchen to get food is such a pain that I've opted to just skip my normal snacking (probably good since my normal activity level is way down).<br /><br /></li><li>The first 3 nights after the surgery, I had to sleep with this huge knee immobilizer brace thing on my leg which was heavy, uncomfortable, and hot.</li></ol>Luckily, I'm now 10 days removed from the surgery and have gotten clearance to start walking again.</div><div><br /></div><div>(In my best Braveheart voice) Freeeeeeeeeeeedooooooooome!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>I will say this though...the crutches also had an unforeseen BENEFIT.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Saturday, I went out for about an hour and a half for a friends birthday, and I tell you this: I was approached by four different women within an hour who were offering me their seat, asking me if I was alright, and generally showering me with attention and I was literally doing NOTHING.</div><div><br /></div><div>Huh...maybe I should go back to the Doc and see if I can keep the crutches for another couple of weeks?</div><div><br /></div><div>The attention however was unfortunately not just limited to those carrying x-chromosomes. I had a small encounter later that evening. I was hanging out with some friends at a lounge when a HUGE dude (I'm talkin like 6'8", muscles ripping out of his shirt, Jamaican dude) comes up to me. The encounter went like this:</div><div><br /></div><div>Big Muscle Dude: "Hey Dude. I don't know where you're from, but you're F**kin Beautiful!"</div><div>Me: "Uhh....thanks man, I appreciate that"</div><div>BMD: "My name's Abdule. What's your name and where you from?!"</div><div>Me: "I'm Arun. My family's from India"</div><div>BMD: "Mmm Mmm Mmm! Beautiful name, country, AND body. What's it gonna take for you to let me buy you a drink?"</div><div>Me: "I appreciate the offer man, but I'm with some friends and I'm straight"</div><div>BMD: "Oh ok man, but if you change your mind, I'll be here and you won't have to buy another drink tonight."</div><div><br /></div><div>Yikes!</div><div><br /></div><div>I mean, I suppose its flattering. This type of thing has happened before, and I always try to be nice, but on this occasion I made sure to be particularly cordial because BMD aka Abdule could have kicked (or taken) my ass if he wanted! With my limited mobility, escape would have been impossible!</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh, those crutches. Attention grabbing would be an understatement.</div><div><br /></div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-20965705903890807042011-06-06T12:35:00.000-07:002011-06-08T12:09:12.645-07:00Finding Your Dream Job<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yjx5GP9y7CknxsfdreVBvwL9jVtV2N5ljzdNSQ9Ldh41PVAv4SpqOt2kVciR3kOTyMBAHl9IBVYpyjCpswLg8SmIJdSRSOsAowgHrPYWmGtxxABPq0zFIdI-Gra-KM7mGAKiJ-iZ0Rs/s1600/cafe+976.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yjx5GP9y7CknxsfdreVBvwL9jVtV2N5ljzdNSQ9Ldh41PVAv4SpqOt2kVciR3kOTyMBAHl9IBVYpyjCpswLg8SmIJdSRSOsAowgHrPYWmGtxxABPq0zFIdI-Gra-KM7mGAKiJ-iZ0Rs/s320/cafe+976.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615928031940162690" /></a><br />I'll be the first to admit that I'm not exactly ultra-qualified to speak on the various aspects of different job industry's, functions, and finding work. I've had a total of three "real" jobs my entire life, along with whatever you would call what I do now.<div><br /></div><div>But I will say this.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a common theme for most people who enjoy what they do, and it's probably the most important thing for me when it comes to enjoying what I do.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's a huge reason I left Engineering.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's the reason that I have the entrepreneurial bug (in addition to the fact that I want to be disgustingly rich).</div><div><br /></div><div>And a lot of people who have it (in combination with success) are happy.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Job autonomy.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>There's nothing better than feeling no personal obligation to have to <i>be</i> somewhere everyday. It's why most people with office jobs dislike what they do.</div><div><br /></div><div>The minute you are granted freedom (providing you also bring success) things turn the corner.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the things I've been studying recently is the science of creativity and motivation. Studies upon studies have shown that intrinsic motivation and creativity are notably higher in a person when he has a high degree of autonomy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Take Google for example. A lot of there employees work long hours. BUT guess what? None of them are constrained by the "8-5" model of working. Come in and perform quality work, hours be damned.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, Google asks each employee to spend 20% of their work time working on "pet projects" of their own. Essentially, Google is giving their employees free reign to be mini-entrepreneurs within Google. In return, Google has earned billions of dollars from some of these ideas (and I'm sure the idea generators were appropriately rewarded as well).</div><div><br /></div><div>Why every company doesn't attempt to operate at the highest level of personal autonomy possible, I'm not sure. Given, not every company can have their employees working from home everyday (ie, I'm not sure how the barista at Cafe 976 where I am right now would be able to provide me service from home), but they should try to maximize autonomy and creative freedom as much as possible.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both the employees <i>and</i> the company benefit.</div><div><br /></div><div>So a lot of people think they are doomed because they chose the wrong industry. But I actually think a lot of that "doom" could be turned around if they were able to find a job in the same industry, but with a high degree of personal freedom.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lets look at me. I'll admit, I really don't have any substantial interest in engineering - hence the career change. BUT, looking back, I imagine that if I had worked at a company in which I felt a high degree of intrinsic motivation and enjoyed autonomy close to what I have now, I would have been far less motivated to change careers.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I learned my lesson.</div><div><br /></div><div>I don't think I'll ever be happy working an office job. That's simply no longer an option for me. I suppose it <i>might</i> be OK if it was <i>MY</i> office, but that I would mean I'm the CEO and thus have the ultimate authority on me and my work.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I'll admit that there are a lot of people who go to an office and love what they do. But guess what? I bet they have a lot of control and responsibility when it comes to making decisions. They have a high degree of autonomy hence they love going to work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I'm not trying to associate job autonomy with working less. It just means that you can work when and where you want. In fact, I work practically every day. I have deadlines that I need to meet, and meetings to "attend" (usually teleconferences) and I schedule accordingly. I frequently even work on Saturdays.</div><div><br /></div><div>BUT, I also know that I can work whenever and where ever I want. Today, I'm at a coffee shop near the beach. If I don't want to work tomorrow, then maybe I'll hunker down for a couple of hours tonight, and do some more work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Flexibility = Happy Arun. </div><div><br /></div><div>The job market is tough right now, but do yourself a favor. If you don't have a job and are looking, then sure take whatever you can get. But just because you have a job, doesn't mean you should stop looking. Unless your really, REALLY happy, look for an opportunity where they trust you to be responsible for your work and your productivity, and where you don't need to put in the 8-5 office "face time."</div><div><br /></div><div>And think about starting a business. Not every idea is capitally intensive to start. If you're risk averse, or simply don't have the means to invest heavily, there are still tons of ideas out there for the taking. </div><div><br /></div><div>How much did Facebook take to start?</div><div><br /></div><div>I was working as an Engineer when I developed and launched <a href="http://www.thesocialcharmer.com/">my ebook</a>. Now, at this point, its nearly enough income to sustain me, but it's something, and it brought me a lot of opportunities.</div><div><br /></div><div>More importantly, if you do have an amazing idea and are too scared or do not want to be bothered with bringing it to market, send it to me. I'll use it on my way to World Domination ;)</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-53562965047113704692011-05-17T18:11:00.000-07:002011-05-19T12:55:00.459-07:00How Starting a Blog Changed My Life<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztINTzdz_YqI8SCR5Nhai9vwfNPRz0s31jEH_sZ1ggTgXCZcLJaGbTmq3jE-sltHTEDczODglsgdn-sU6yBt1DmDLQUMOowdhl0Y2OXYoNuc5YZyDUHFe3fP8G09qEtC-nfIHePAFBKs/s1600/DSC00043.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztINTzdz_YqI8SCR5Nhai9vwfNPRz0s31jEH_sZ1ggTgXCZcLJaGbTmq3jE-sltHTEDczODglsgdn-sU6yBt1DmDLQUMOowdhl0Y2OXYoNuc5YZyDUHFe3fP8G09qEtC-nfIHePAFBKs/s320/DSC00043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5608516354426311970" /></a><br />It's funny how one crazy little thing can snowball into a life-changing monster.<div><br /></div><div>Take this blog for example. The decision to start writing a blog literally changed my life in some pretty big and awesome ways. But it all started very innocently. In the beginning I had no idea what was ahead...</div><div><br /></div><div>It all started way back around 2006. I had moved to San Diego and was working at a (what I thought was) comfortable job. At said job, I had entirely not enough do, so I had some free time to do some internet cruising. At the time, I was relatively unaware of the existence of blogs. I knew a couple of people who had online journals, but those were boring and packed with mundane and trivial details of days activities that I didn't care about.</div><div><br /></div><div>Somehow I stumbled onto a blog that was called at the time <a href="http://www.tynan.net/">"Better Than Your Boyfriend."</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Hmmm...a name I can relate with.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was chalk full of wild and crazy stories of this guy Tynan who tried to <a href="http://tynan.com/the-infamous-ghetto-indoor-pool">buy a penguin and created an indoor swimming pool for it</a>, moved to Hollywood on a whim to <a href="http://tynan.com/how-i-became-a-famous-pickup-artist-part-1">become a pickup artist</a>,<a href="http://tynan.com/night-swinging"> built a swing hanging off the balcony</a> of his highrise condo, and climbed radio towers for fun.</div><div><br /></div><div>Huh....Here's a guy who's adventures border on lunacy. Sounds like me (only not quite as devilishly good looking and charming ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>One day I stumbled across a post in which Tynan mentioned monetizing his blog and making money.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dollar signs in my eyes. At the time, since I had just started working a job in which I actually made somewhat serious money, I was reading all about finance and two words resounded with me: </div><div><br /></div><div>Passive Income. Money coming in without doing anything in particular. Obviously this sounded like an unbelievably awesome plan.</div><div><br /></div><div>The more I thought about it, the more I realized how many adventures, stories, and rants I had to write about. Furthermore, I thought about how awesome I think I am and "why the heck wouldn't the whole world want to read about me!?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok. So. Maybe I got a smidgen carried away.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I started Your Daily Remedy. Your Daily Remedy was a way for me to tell stories, give advice that my friends didn't want to always here, and rant about things on a whim. My audience grew, and my writing improved. Everything was hunky-dory except for one little detail.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wasn't making any money.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the point I realized I wasn't really making much, I was already in love with writing so I didn't really care <i>too</i> much. However, I really wanted to expand on my audience.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, I submitted expanded versions of <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/02/do-not-touch-list.html">this post</a> as well as <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/02/do-not-touch-list.html">this post</a> to a couple of local magazines here in San Diego. Low and behold, they got published.</div><div><br /></div><div>Woot! A new career as a writer!??? </div><div><br /></div><div>Well, not exactly. You see, it turns out, writers do not get paid nearly enough. For the amount of time I was spending thinking up unique article slants and trying to make things perfect, the money was not exactly changing my tax bracket.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Then, I began noticing something. A post I wrote, <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/03/power-of-being-social.html">The Power of Being Social</a>, was blowing up. In fact, if you type the search terms "being social" in google, my post is actually the number one result.</div><div><br /></div><div>This got the "Arun Brain Gears of Awesome Ideas" turning. A growing innovation on the internet was the idea of downloadable books - ebooks. Since <i>being extremely social</i> is something I know a lot about, why don't I just write about it?</div><div><br /></div><div>Rule number 63 in "Arun's Guide to Lifetime Awesomeness": ALWAYS pursue ideas that seem awesome.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the time when I made the decision to go full steam ahead, I really knew nothing about what I was doing. But, I figured I could either toil for a long time trying to figure out the best way to go forward, or I could go full steam ahead and figure things out as I go.</div><div><br /></div><div>I chose the latter. And thus was born my ebook, <a href="http://www.thesocialcharmer.com/">The Social Charmer</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now I will admit, because of my eagerness, I did a LOT of things wrong in publishing it. I've since fixed some of those things, but I still have quite a few things to improve on / add this summer that will improve the whole experience for customers and newsletter subscribers (I've been ridiculously bad about publishing newsletters) as well as increase my income.</div><div><br /></div><div>So here I am, its 2009 and I'm working as an Engineer, writing a blog, writing for magazines, and getting some (kind of) passive income from an ebook all because I decided to start a blog three years before. </div><div><br /></div><div>But I wasn't finished.</div><div><br /></div><div>Soon thereafter a guy named Gabriel Angelo contacted me about doing an interview on being social for his customers. <a href="http://www.socialnatural.com/2010/become-your-most-social-self/">His website "The Social Natural, by the way</a> has a lot great resources for becoming more social. I'm not exactly sure what happened to the interview but I believe he distributed it to his customers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, in early 2010 I exchanged a few emails with a VERY well known guy in the "Pickup/Dating Community" who was interested in someone with my experiences of being social, writing, and internet marketing.</div><div><br /></div><div>One thing lead to another and all of a sudden I became the marketing manager for his company. The best part was that I was working from home, whenever/where ever I wanted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now it was around February 2010, and I was making enough money where I could quit Engineering forever! Not only that, but as long as I am working remotely, why confine myself to San Diego? Why not Palm Springs, or Alaska, or France, or China, or Australia? </div><div><br /></div><div>Suffice it to say, I <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2010/06/around-world-in-45-days-prologue.html">went to all of those places over the summer</a>, all the while "working."</div><div><br /></div><div>Then it was time to start my MBA program. For me, this was the next logical step in my path to World Domination. Plus, I needed to get some more tools to feed my inner entrepreneur. The funny thing is, in all of my interviews, people were extremely intrigued with my whole story.</div><div><br /></div><div>From Manager to Engineer to Blogger to Writer to book publisher to Internet Marketer and all of my other adventures in between.</div><div><br /></div><div>I really can't imagine where I'd be write now had I not started this blog, but I can't imagine that I'd be in a better position than I am now. I never imagined things would happen as they did, but with a little ambition, a few crazy ideas, and some social savvy anyone can go far.</div><div><br /></div><div>So in case you haven't done this already, your homework assignment is to start a blog (or, if you'd prefer, the "Arun Fanclub of Awesomeness Homepage").</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-4887766496054921972011-04-14T09:32:00.000-07:002011-04-25T14:29:04.165-07:00Clinton Global Initiative - Chillin with the President<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYNzM2cRi2oxabOuh_Q3YG19Po06Z-zj6lkd9PqGUxlxkl-nkwfAC0l-kSs-Bvap7o-pMVkGanHqB3Qwx0jZEJXopCpaP8GkzH_y62GDm2nXO2ZCR5SV5VCllOnMwyVJmLJNvdnmKzms/s1600/CGIU+41611.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYNzM2cRi2oxabOuh_Q3YG19Po06Z-zj6lkd9PqGUxlxkl-nkwfAC0l-kSs-Bvap7o-pMVkGanHqB3Qwx0jZEJXopCpaP8GkzH_y62GDm2nXO2ZCR5SV5VCllOnMwyVJmLJNvdnmKzms/s320/CGIU+41611.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5599634670901415490" /></a><br />Ok. So. I should probably preface this that A) "Chillin" might be a bit of a stretch in my interactions with Mr. President, and B) It wasn't Barack, but rather Bill (who, in my opinion is equally awesome to meet).<div><br /></div><div>Last weekend, I was invited to an awesome event: The Clinton Global Initiative University. I, along with a couple of friends from school I am working on an idea that would integrate music with sick children.</div><div><br /></div><div>I can't get too much into the details because at this point, we are still in the building process of the idea so shouting out our plan of World Domination may not be the best course of action.</div><div><br /></div><div>Conveniently, this year the conference was held in San Diego. So on Friday, it all started with a big dinner/networking session. They must've know I was coming because if there's two things I'm good at in life, one is eating, and the other is talking. When performed in tandem, I am unstoppable!</div><div><br /></div><div>So Mikey (my partner) and I entered the fray and started working the room. Aside from meeting a lot of people from around the country AND around the world (I believe there were 120 countries represented) it was awesome hearing about other people's amazing ideas, from incentivizing inner city youth education with sports, to building houses in Ghana, to inventing a <a href="http://www.soccket.com/">soccer ball that can power an LED for 3 hours after just 15 minutes of play</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's amazing the kind of networking that one can accomplish with a mouthful of meatballs and a cupcake in hand.</div><div><br /></div><div>Across the room, I spotted a brunette bombshell (Yes, I'm here for charity but I'm still Arun). I quickly downed the cupcake and chased it with a shot of iced tea. I moseyed on over prepared to charm her socks off with my devilish good looks, witty banter, and gentle humanitarian soul. As I got closer, she started walking to the front of the room, then up to the stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome Mandy Moore!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, that would explain why she's so good looking. Suffice it to say, the recently married Mandy Moore seemed resistant to my charms (although, I'm SURE as soon as she spotted me, on the inside she was cursing herself for having already been married ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>After the dinner thing, we got our first taste of President Bill Clinton. They introduced him, and he came strutting out on stage to a hip-hop beat. Yes, Bill Clinton has his own opening music that he struts out to.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dude is a Baller.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's funny because, everyone (including me) was so enamored and in awe of him on Friday night. But, by Sunday, we've seen Bill so damn much that its not a big deal anymore. On Friday, I entranced by him, but by Sunday, he's standing right next to me and he's just Bill - no biggy.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've gotta say though, this event is awesome. It really gets you amped to "do well by doing good" and is pretty darn inspirational to see what other people are doing at such a young age. It's also cool meeting celebrities (Sean Penn, Drew Barrymore, Mandy Moore, and a handful of other actors/famous people/athletes were on hand).</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, Nnamdi Asomugha of the Oakland Raiders, one of the best defensive players in the National Football League, was extremely helpful and spent a good amount of time speaking with Mikey and I on reaching out to certain contacts to develop our business model.</div><div><br /></div><div>Honestly, it pains me to say anything good about someone who plays for the Raiders, but Nnamdi was incredibly well-spoken, friendly, and helpful, and it's good to see guys like him taking an active role in helping others.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now if he could just go a little easier on my KC Chiefs, then maybe we could be friends.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm definitely gonna try and go next year (where ever the event is held). I think our idea should develop enough in a year where I don't think getting a second invite should be a problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>Considering Mandy Moore is a celebrity, she should be divorced by then.</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-23984835509043938942011-04-06T15:48:00.000-07:002011-04-06T23:06:48.885-07:00Why You Should Always Prioritize<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDFCz0kETnhHkygvo035SYmr4nAaqkYFcyjMSSbx5Ku4GAmNlmqa2zNokqhJLTk3oFpVgQzPDMowjvMunBej0WDWX_fYDbgAurD-7ojxKiM2GcXgEVwDMsFEebesm97VlpI5mirJ60Tk/s1600/DSC00043.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisDFCz0kETnhHkygvo035SYmr4nAaqkYFcyjMSSbx5Ku4GAmNlmqa2zNokqhJLTk3oFpVgQzPDMowjvMunBej0WDWX_fYDbgAurD-7ojxKiM2GcXgEVwDMsFEebesm97VlpI5mirJ60Tk/s320/DSC00043.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592718099202155586" /></a><br />At any given moment, I have a big list of things to do. Now, despite this huge and growing list, I make sure to fit in lots of fun, excitement, and of course (my personal favorite), ADVENTURE.<div><br /></div><div>Rule number 22 in "Arun's Guide to Lifetime Awesomeness" - prioritize things so you get them done, but not at the expense of fun, excitement, and adventure.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know what you're thinking..."Oh get real Arun and stop living in fantasy land! If you didn't expense fun, excitement, and adventure, you'd never get anything done! All this time away from</div><div>blogging has made you crazy you big (attractive) oaf!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, you might be right about the slightly crazy part, but hear me out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Recreation to me is not nearly as much fun when I have important things to do. I will admit that I'm pretty good at compartmentalizing things so I don't think about them when I don't need to, but I also enjoy my "off time" so much more when I've been productive and knocked tasks off my list.</div><div><br /></div><div>So I mentioned that at any given time I have a list of things to do. In that list, I also have priorities - things that I absolutely MUST complete during the day. Sometimes they can be as simple as completing a reading for school, or queueing up emails for work, but I will make sure I get them done.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's take today for example. When I woke up, I had two things scheduled on my calendar: brunch with friends, and dinner with friends (tough schedule, I know).</div><div><br /></div><div>BUT, I had things I wanted to prioritize which I am making sure to do, so that when I sit down for dinner at my friends house, I can enjoy it 100%.</div><div><br /></div><div>Arun's Priorities for today:</div><div><ol><li>Cardio Workout</li><li>Strength Training Workout</li><li>Work on Affiliate Promo's (work)</li><li>Set up web page headline test (more work)</li><li>Complete readings for Strategy and Lab 2 Market (school)</li><li>Set up Meeting with Dean (school / business idea)</li><li>Admire self in the mirror for at least 3.6 hours</li></ol><div>As of right now, I've finished everything but number 2 which I'll be doing as soon as I'm done writing this. (and obviously number 7 is a high priority ;)</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Prioritizing is my way of never procrastinating. Honestly, I almost NEVER have to stay up late working on something with a deadline looming. At school, I put minimal time in studying for tests because I keep up to date with all of the readings and assignments. As a result, I never have to stress about things.</div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously, the blog has taken a bit of a back seat recently. But I can explain.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not a fan of short blurbs. I like my posts to be stories or essays that you can read through and find useful or interesting. As a result, these things usually take some time.</div><div><br /></div><div>BUT, I'm really working on getting my posting frequency back up. The advantage of not having posted in awhile is that I have a backlog of awesome stories to post.</div><div><br /></div><div>No. I haven't become a hermit. No I haven't lost my stories of awesomeness. Yes ridiculous things still happen to me. But somehow, the pieces always wind up in my favor.</div><div><br /></div><div>More blogging coming.</div><div><br /></div><div>Don't worry...I'll try to make it a priority ;)</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-25275647557199595672011-01-29T12:37:00.001-08:002011-02-02T20:13:37.406-08:00Doing Vegas the Right (and Wrong) Way<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwB-dpC_bu2FU7fw6qddZ46Am5fSK7RRucFeWjsUHACKgXXjClbsGLlO06vvOrkpL1XNL_wXqQJIgvApi5recCtxpozVlfbbs4SYtMeHTXlzMKJm1z2EBpOAr8HfgrtUoPMo_SAFI94U/s1600/lingerie+bowl+girls.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwB-dpC_bu2FU7fw6qddZ46Am5fSK7RRucFeWjsUHACKgXXjClbsGLlO06vvOrkpL1XNL_wXqQJIgvApi5recCtxpozVlfbbs4SYtMeHTXlzMKJm1z2EBpOAr8HfgrtUoPMo_SAFI94U/s320/lingerie+bowl+girls.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569310898310528066" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 181px; " /></a><br />Every time I get back from Vegas, I tell myself, "Arun, you amazing guy you - Vegas is fun, but instead of coming here every year, go somewhere new!"<div><br /></div><div>In theory, this sounds like a brilliant plan each time I say this to myself, but every year, someone, or something comes up where I would be an idiot not to go. Generally, I make it a rule to avoid such situations of idiocy.</div><div><br /></div><div>So this year, again I had no such plans of visiting Las Vegas. I've been four times, and sure each time has been filled with chaos and adventure, but how about saving my time and money, and doing something different?</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I found out about the "Super Duper MBA Vegas Weekend of Madness"(not the official name, but I find this more descriptive) that happens every year in Vegas. Basically, Caesar's Palace puts on a huge poker tournament + festivities for MBA students around the world to come and enjoy.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was skeptical at first, until I started getting emails from people who have been before:</div><div><br /></div><div>"You HAVE to GO!"</div><div>"Event of the YEAR!"</div><div>"Can't MISS weekend!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok, I'm convinced.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rule number 212 in "Arun's Guide to Lifetime Awesomeness" states: "Thou shalt not pass up awesome opportunities or adventures when phrases like 'can't miss' are tossed around"</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not one to break my own rules, so as you can see, I had no choice but to book a flight.</div><div><br /></div><div>So why is this weekend so great you ask? Well for starters, the deal is unbelievable. For $70, you are entered into a Poker Tournament on Friday (cash prizes for the top 20 finishers), a two hour dinner event with Open bar on Friday, and an open bar at a club on Saturday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, you heard that right. In the city with probably the most expensive drinks in the country, we are drinking for FREE both nights. Suffice it to say, no one was drinking anything less than Patron, Belvedere, and Jack Daniels for the entire weekend, and an hour into every event, no one felt ANY pain ;)</div><div><br /></div><div>Seriously, it's worth entering an MBA program just for this trip alone.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Saturday, while watching football at a sports bar in New York New York, we actually ran into the "Lingerie Bowl Girls" who apparently play football in, well, lingerie at half time during the Super Bowl. That's some of em in the picture up top.</div><div><br /></div><div>But wait...if you've read the title carefully, you're probably wondering, "Gee Arun, this sounds like an amazing trip of awesomeness that I'm extremely jealous of, but what's this about the 'wrong way'?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Good Question.</div><div><br /></div><div>So the original plan was for a bunch of us to get this 2500 square foot suite in Caesar's palace. It would have been a bunch of us running amuck in this awesome suite having a lot of fun...But then, at the last minute, people started bailing for cheaper options. At that point, I thought the Presidential Suite might be a little much for me (but, then again, I have always thought of myself as rather presidential).</div><div><br /></div><div>At that point, our options were limited and I left it in Jeff's hands to book us a room. Unfortunately, with only a couple of days before departure, there wasn't much in terms of selection.</div><div><br /></div><div>Welcome to Imperial Palace - possibly (for lack of a better, more PG word) the luxury slum of Vegas.</div><div><br /></div><div>So we walk in, and immediately I know I don't belong...lets just say the tenants of "I.P." (I refuse to call this place a "palace") aren't exactly lookers (yes, materialistic and judgmental, I know, but you weren't there, and we all know how amazing I think I look).</div><div><br /></div><div>We are greeted by a broken automatic front door which meant all weekend, people were bumping into each other going in and out of the exit.</div><div></div><div>Check-in took forever, and once we finally checked in we made our way to the "Capri" tower which was not in the same building as the rest.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got excited thinking the "Capri" must be the luxury tower of I.P. Maybe this place won't be so bad after all!</div><div><br /></div><div>Welp, we make our way through some building with stained carpets and wreaking of cigarette smoke. Totally disgusting. We're searching for our room and finally see a sign that directs us through another door.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now we are OUTSIDE. On one side is what looks like motel rooms, and on the other is a parking structure with car alarms resounding. At the end of the walkway, we see our rooms.</div><div><br /></div><div>We didn't even walk in. We marched back to the front desk and "upgraded" to a room in the main tower. Of course, only one of the three elevators worked which means it took like 20 minutes to actually catch an elevator with enough space to squeeze a couple more people in.</div><div><br /></div><div>The funny part is, during the initial check-in (before we had seen the room) Jeff was joking to our friend Carlos that we may have to "slum-it in the room next to them" to which the check-in clerk scoffed, "Huh! They are NOT slums!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Au Contraire, mon frere.</div><div><br /></div><div>Calling it a slum was probably a nicer term...these were more like "projects".</div><div><br /></div><div>I was so embarrassed by our abode, that when people asked where we were staying I'd simply point in the direction of I.P. (which was conveniently located right across from Caesar's Palace), and respond, "We're staying at the Palace!"</div><div><br /></div><div>But at least now I've seen another side of Vegas. Not everyone can afford the best of the best (including me) but if there's two things you should take away from this post, they are this: 1) NEVER stay at I.P. and 2) join an MBA program to go to this event next year.</div><div><br /></div><div>And next year I'm definitely getting the damn suite.</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-37818557175852680142011-01-07T13:07:00.000-08:002011-01-07T13:50:54.935-08:002010 Evaluation and 2011 Goals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFQdYWnHQbSjv-86n-A0OhJiUBMu-KmGhKrCfLMPhzBl6IyUX9cUSv91u65wM6-FaDNzL28ykjE81pxyCIiH-ZWWr_r0PZ4zYx2Me7iKz0qg-X0uf5NfX7Aj2kC5fJepVprLWOR-Hk6o/s1600/NY+blog+pic.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFQdYWnHQbSjv-86n-A0OhJiUBMu-KmGhKrCfLMPhzBl6IyUX9cUSv91u65wM6-FaDNzL28ykjE81pxyCIiH-ZWWr_r0PZ4zYx2Me7iKz0qg-X0uf5NfX7Aj2kC5fJepVprLWOR-Hk6o/s320/NY+blog+pic.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559563540551711602" /></a><br />To be honest, I've been kind of dreading writing this post. Why? Well because as I've gotten older, I find my personal need for making resolutions gets less and less.<div><br /></div><div>A big reason for this is that, at this point in time, my life is totally unpredictable. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what I'll be doing in three months, let alone the rest of the year. I mean, I have a vague idea, but the whole point of making successful resolutions is to be specific.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, my goals tend to change as the year wears on. January is just another month for me. I never look at the new year in terms of a "clean slate." To me, the symbolism of January is just the same as July (except for January symbolizes frigid cold and July symbolizes warmth, the beach, and summer vacation).</div><div><br /></div><div>That being said, it is fun making a short list of goals and then going back and evaluating <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-resolution-evolution.html">last year's goals</a> to see how I've done.</div><div><br /></div><div>ARUN'S 2010 GOALS OF AWESOMENESS:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Take an Amazing International Trip</div><div>Ok, I think it's pretty obvious that <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2010/06/around-world-in-45-days-prologue.html">I deserve a 10/10</a> on this one. I traveled literally around the world and explored France, China, and Australia. One of the most amazing things I've ever done, and the trip definitely made me want to travel a LOT more (as well as never want to eat Duck Brain ever again).</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Grow the <a href="http://www.thesocialcharmer.com/">Social Charmer</a></div><div>This was pretty much a total failure. In the last year, I've tweaked a few things and continued to send newsletters, but in all honesty, I didn't accomplish what I set out to do. I have TONS of ideas of features and products I want to add, but time has been a MAJOR crunch recently. I'll give myself a 1/10 on this.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Join More Activities</div><div>10/10! I'm back on the track of awesomeness (but let's be fair...when am I ever <i>off</i> the track of awesomeness ;) I think joining an MBA program is a pretty major activity. In addition, I started volunteering at the San Diego Braille Institute, joined a tennis club, and am a Rady School of Management Ambassador. I've made a ton of new friends this year and my social life has been MORE than fulfilled.</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Develop Another Business Plan.</div><div>Hmmmm....probably 5/10 here. While I DO have a new business idea as well as an additional book idea that I'd like to get published, that's where the progress has stopped. The key is to move these ideas towards some type of fruition which I haven't done.</div><div><br /></div><div>And now for this year:</div><div><br /></div><div>ARUN'S 2011 NEW YEAR'S GOALS OF AWESOMENESS!</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Narrow Career Focus</div><div>I pretty much know the general direction I want to go in, but I am hoping to narrow this to something more specific, be it a commitment to a business plan, or a step towards becoming "Dr. Arun" (BTW, how awesome does "Dr. Arun" sound? I may have to get a PhD if for no other reason than having an awesome professional prefix). This is a tough goal to define, and an even tougher one to say "tomorrow I'm going to work on this goal" because it's something that requires experience to develop. Additionally, I know I NEVER want to work in a 9-5 corporate type job ever again. So I guess the goal is then to pursue experiential opportunities which will narrow my career focus.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. Post More Frequently</div><div>This last year, I severely neglected posting on this blog. It's funny because this blog has actually opened up a LOT of doors for me personally which is something I never expected to happen when I first started it. This year, I am going to make sure I post at LEAST twice per month, and hopefully more.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Start Implementing New Cash Flow Ideas</div><div>This is basically a fancy way of saying "Get My Ass In Gear and Start My New Book Idea and Actually Develop a Viable Business Plan". I really want to realize these and I know exactly what I want to write about...it's just a matter of putting pen to paper (or, in this case, finger to keyboard) and writing it. It's daunting because, writing a book is a hell of an effort, especially knowing that getting published is incredibly difficult. But, I need to look at the product as a personal accomplishment more than a purely monetary device.</div><div><br /></div><div>And I think that'll do it! Again, because of the lack of regularity in my life, time is at a premium, and my goals are constantly evolving. I can't promise that I'll make it 100%, but I can tell you that every week, I'll work towards realizing each of these goals.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's time to DOMINATE 2011 ;)</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-50093303316706750752010-12-22T16:58:00.000-08:002010-12-22T17:05:41.585-08:00Be Nice, But Not the Nice Guy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1AdmOEFK2YcYnKQ2kg1BIpJ-Id7CJgtJJM5Dp7_ihe4zN03n-DGn5VkXyIX7favjmqZDqiht8336hdD_Oh1dr83J1G7EfNoGroS_EZOO8uPbZz26k65hGNa-LCUiRZZtGEw2ZadpMuI/s1600/Me%2526Krissy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 286px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1AdmOEFK2YcYnKQ2kg1BIpJ-Id7CJgtJJM5Dp7_ihe4zN03n-DGn5VkXyIX7favjmqZDqiht8336hdD_Oh1dr83J1G7EfNoGroS_EZOO8uPbZz26k65hGNa-LCUiRZZtGEw2ZadpMuI/s320/Me%2526Krissy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5553677580902578514" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">“Nice guys finish last”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We’ve all heard this age-old aphorism and more often than not, we find that it’s commonly true.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It seems so unfair.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why should “Nice Guys” be punished for being good members of society?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Welp, I hate to break it to you, but the statement IS true.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Nice Guys do indeed finish last.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But why?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well lets see…what is a “nice guy” anyways?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Well aside from being friendly, I think we can safely assign some other characteristics that are pretty common among nice guys.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Nice guys:</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul><li>Usually look out for the interest of others first</li><li><span style="font-family:Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family:Symbol;mso-bidi-font-family:Symbol"><span style="mso-list:Ignore"><span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Don’t step on others toes</li><li>Avoid Conflict</li><li>Shy away from causing unrest</li></ul><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s just the beginning of myriad of characteristics we could name, but let’s just go with these to make it simple.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So why do these characteristics lead to a lack of success?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Basically, all of these qualities lead to a lack of initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In order to take initiative, you need to be unafraid of a little conflict.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That’s not to say you should <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">start</i> conflict, but you need to be unafraid of a little social discomfort.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But let’s look at some real world examples.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Usually we always think about Nice Guys never getting the girl.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All girls <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">say</i> they want to end up with a nice guy, but that’s actually untrue.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Girls see nice guys as boring and uninteresting.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sorry to break it to you, but it’s true.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What they really want is a guy who is respectful and honest, but is not afraid to test and challenge them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While a nice guy may put a girl on a pedestal, a “non-nice guy” treats her as a partner in crime.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am NOT a “nice guy.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am extremely friendly and get along with everyone but I have a mischievous streak. I’m obviously good-natured and people seem to appreciate my teasing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I love talking about anything and everything including topics which most people would be afraid to touch.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Women respond to emotional arousal. A nice guy doesn’t generate this.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He’s simply too nice.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A Bad-ass does, but usually girls tire of “bad-assness” after a while. You stimulate emotional arousal by being <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">interesting, conversationally free, confident, and challenging. </b>These are qualities that nice-guys generally lack because they are too concerned with preserving status-quo comfort levels.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The opposite of Love is not Hate. It’s indifference.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And indifference is a common feeling surrounding nice-guy interactions.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The only way to BUILD comfort though is by actively exhibiting the aforementioned qualities.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With girls, this is the difference between being just another friend, or someone they are romantically interested in.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With other guys, this is the difference between being a just another friend, or someone that we actively <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">want</i> to hang out with and invite out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Where a nice guy doesn’t really change the group dynamic, <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The misconception is that the only way to move up in the world is to be a douche-bag and not care about anyone else.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not true at all.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can still be nice, respectful, and caring, but in order to move up, you need to be unafraid of situations in which emotional reactions may result.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That includes challenging others, and standing up for your ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>By not being overly agreeable, you earn respect, especially when you defend your thoughts with poise, humor, and good-naturedness.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Coincidentally, this is also a major factor in being Charming.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My Specialty ;)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s true, nice people <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">can</i> finish first…just don’t be the nice guy.<o:p></o:p></p>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-38700282551648073242010-12-14T10:59:00.000-08:002010-12-14T11:17:08.162-08:00The Dreaded Line<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHzM5Anomi85ZXXB8jjHxzZA403o4Py6Iye2R9hY09mOPCTx7EMarRLPJrtHVIMBZJrDWMlfjCorBUmnZaG4tnW-A-utSa_2_cah5vrPotQOJT-IUew-JJwlvsq66hUcwK9sYRF78_us/s1600/BHCF_baskinrobbins042810.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGHzM5Anomi85ZXXB8jjHxzZA403o4Py6Iye2R9hY09mOPCTx7EMarRLPJrtHVIMBZJrDWMlfjCorBUmnZaG4tnW-A-utSa_2_cah5vrPotQOJT-IUew-JJwlvsq66hUcwK9sYRF78_us/s400/BHCF_baskinrobbins042810.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550619077061524946" /></a><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Lines (queues) are an interesting beast.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I say “beast” because they are pretty much universally hated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Think about it…have you ever actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">enjoyed</i> waiting in line?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Oh look!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There’s six people with loaded carts ahead of me in line! YES!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Hey! This line only has one person, so we should probably switch to the one over there with three.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“I’ve got a great idea!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why don’t I wait in this line and you in the one over there, and whoever gets to the front first and switch to the line of whomever is still waiting!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think you get the point….we don’t like lines.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">A couple of weeks ago, I went to <st1:place><st1:placename>Six</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Flags</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Magic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Mountain</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype>Theme Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When we got in line, the security guy told us the wait was three hours.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>THREE FLIPPING HOURS!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To boot, the guy in front of us was smoking like a chimney.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Oh Joy. A three hour wait in line is all I need to have the lungs of a 10 year smoker and clothes that smell like a chimney.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After some discussion, we ejected and decided to buy the “<st1:place><st1:placename>Fast</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Pass</st1:placetype></st1:place>” Upgrades.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>$100 later, I was waiting only 20 minutes for each ride, and getting to ride everything TWICE in a row! (literally, the roller coaster would come back to the station, the restraints would come up, and we’d pull em’ right back down as the twelve year olds next in line gave us murderous looks for being able to stay on).</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Grocery store lines are another animal though.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There’s an ultra fast calculation that most of us do when picking a line.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This calculation factors in such things as: amount of people, amount of groceries (taking into account produce takes longer to ring up than normal store items), age of shoppers (are they young and spry or old and slow?), likelihood of tobacco purchase (since they have to go to that special case to get the tobacco) etc.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Things get really thrown off though when someone decides to pull out the ol’ checkbook. You’re paying with a CHECK!?! Really?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>REALLY?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Pulling out a checkbook at the grocery store line is like rear ending someone on the freeway and causing traffic to back up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not only does Checky McCheckerson have to fill out the stupid check, but he has to record the expense in that log in the back of the checkbook (which I don’t understand since you have on-hand a carbon copy of every check you write). Then, the clerk has to run the check through that weird receipt machine. THEN, they have to open the drawer, take the entire change holder out, and stick the check underneath.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Good. Lord.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Checks should be eradicated. They’re incredibly primitive and cumbersome to use.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God invented credit/debit cards for a reason people!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The only time I use a check these days is to pay rent.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Even this could be avoided if the landlord had a paypal account.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Most of the time, I go for the self-checkout.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But even this can cause problems. Most people are incredibly slow with the self-checkout. They get confused with produce. Then they panic and need the clerk to walk them through.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Meanwhile the guy at the next checkout needs the clerk to approve his alcohol purchase, but since she’s too busy helping grandma ring up her club soda, the whole damn thing gets backed up.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But even this is a cake walk compared to return lines. I rarely ever return anything because the process of returning is so painful.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Somehow, the process is at least twice as long as purchasing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And the longer someone takes at the front, the more you start to hate them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Last year, I had to go to Costco to return something. At the front of this line, their was a lady returning Bananas.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Who returns Bananas? When you buy produce, especially something like bananas, you should be aware that they have a shelf life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And it’s not like bananas are some big mystery as to the state of their ripeness. There’s no pressing of the skin, smelling, thumping it with your fist.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">If it’s green, it’s not ripe. If it’s brown it’s too ripe. And If it’s yellow….surprise of the century, I know….it’s ripe!</p><p class="MsoNormal">It baffles me how people spend hours in line on Black Friday (for you internationals, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving on which every store has crazy sales and discounts). Last year, driving home after Thanksgiving dinner, I saw a huge line outside of Best Buy. People even had tents!</p><p class="MsoNormal">It's interesting how little people value their time and will waste it for meager discounts.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Last year, Baskin Robbins had this 25 cent scoop day. I was going to stop by, but when I got there, the line was around the block.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Really? People are waiting 30 or 40 minutes just to pay 75 cents for 3 scoops of ice cream thats normally $4. Yes, that's a whopping $3.25 in savings.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes, it’s just easier just shopping online ;)<o:p></o:p></p>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-77412600970498048452010-12-03T14:39:00.000-08:002010-12-03T14:42:38.177-08:00Self Awareness<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7809752179309726" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Self Awareness is an essential characteristic one must have to be a successful long-term leader</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">My Leadership professor emphasized this phrase, and when I first heard it, I didn’t really consider it as all too important.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">“Yea Ok Professor…I am self aware that I am AWESOME!”</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Ok I didn’t actually say that, but the thought </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">did</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> cross my mind.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Actually we discussed this topic more, and the further we delved, the more I realized that self-awareness is not only requisite to be a great leader, but also to simply live life awesomely.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Self awareness is basically being able to objectively and accurately identify your strengths and weaknesses. It’s also being able to accept character traits that maybe other people have identified that have gone undetected on your personal radar.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Take me for example:</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">I know I LOVE food. I also know that when it’s immediately available, I have little self-control. I’ve identified this “weakness” and in order to compensate for it, I NEVER buy unhealthy groceries. Seriously, if I buy a half gallon of ice cream, it’s gone in two days. In fact, I can never understand how people buy things like ice cream or potato chips and let them sit around for weeks. As soon as I buy ice cream, it begins to call for me and I have no will to resist it’s beckoning.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Suffice it to say, the only food that I allow to call for me by having in my kitchen, is healthy stuff.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">I also know that I have a tendency to take on a lot of different activities and projects. BUT, as a result, I rarely master any one thing completely. As much as I’d like to be a renaissance man, I’m probably more of a Jack-of-all-trades. </span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Having identified this though, I’ve also realized that I derive a lot of pleasure from the variety of my involvement. I also like being good at a lot of things and, for me, am happier being good at many things than a master at one. This probably stems from my extreme competitiveness.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">In fact, competitiveness is another self-trait I’ve identified. It seriously kills me to lose. I hate it. That being said, I am aware that I have this trait and can thus control myself when I’m losing (yes, I’ll admit it…I’ve actually lost at stuff before). I’ve actually won a couple of sportsmanship awards before (the award they give ONLY to losers when they lose gracefully).</span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: transparent; "><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; "></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Believe you me, I’d much rather win, but it does feel good knowing that despite a sub par performance, I can be amiable, easy-going, and well-liked.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt; background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Being honest with yourself, and identifying your strengths and ESPECIALLY your derailers is essential in becoming successful. Don’t allow yourself to make excuses, and if you do, at least be able to identify that you’re making an excuse so that you are fully aware of what you are doing.</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt; background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Sure I buy junk food sometimes. But I’m well aware of what I’m doing and willingly accept the consequences (then workout twice as hard the next day).</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12pt; background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Make an honest list, and start thinking about it! Good Luck ;)</span></div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-17226910674185690562010-11-19T11:34:00.000-08:002010-11-20T09:21:35.313-08:00Embracing IrregularityIn the last year, my life has taken a lot of turns.<div><br /></div><div>I spent the first 3 months rapping up my nearly 4 year tenure at the old 9-5 engineering job I used to have. (Thank God that's over)</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, I threw myself a little more seriously into internet marketing where I was spending a good chunk of my day at various San Diego coffee shops and beaches, working away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, I ventured around the world for a couple of months where I essentially had no schedule, worked when I could, and adventured everywhere in between.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now, I work and study in my pockets of time between classes, and adventure and socialize during the rest of the time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically, there is no semblance of regularity or routine in my day-to-day life. I have classes here and there, I have weird days off, there's ALWAYS events going on at school, and my friends (including the my 60 new classmates) are always down to hang out.</div><div><br /></div><div>I wouldn't have it any other way.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's something totally refreshing about living a dynamic life. I once wrote a post about the importance of <a href="http://dailyremedy.blogspot.com/2007/05/routine-your-way-to-awesome-living.html">establishing some sort of routine</a>. I STILL think this is incredibly important.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know what you're thinking..."Ha Arun! I'm totally calling you out! You're contradicting yourself and making absolutely NO sense for the first time in your life. Get with it!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Settle down and allow me to explain. I am still incredibly routine about certain things. I exercise everyday without fail. I usually spend some time playing music. I study almost everyday.</div><div><br /></div><div>Basically, there exists certain activities that I do EVERY DAY. They may happen at different times, but they are there, and ingrained in my daily schedule. The key to keeping these things around is to create a semblance of a plan every morning. If I know I have a busy evening ahead, I sneak over to the gym in the afternoon and bang out a workout. If I have an adventurous Saturday in the works, I'll plan a 3 or 4 our block on Sunday to get all my studying taken care of.</div><div><br /></div><div>I usually have a mental map of my schedule for about the next five days. This allows me to fit everything in while wasting very little time.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's all about eliminating "down" time.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, last night I was out with a bunch of my friends from school, and one of my friends was sarcastically lamenting to the group about how much he "hates" me.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I HATE Arun! He always tells me about how incredible his weekends were and all these adventures that I missed out on! He always has some hot date lined up for the week, plays 50 different instruments, reads 1000 page novels, AND somehow manages to get all his homework done and do better on the tests than me...WHAT an asshole!!!"</div><div><br /></div><div>Obviously he was exaggerating a bit, but I DO like being active andthe only way I can get away with it, is by being an excellent time manager and planner.</div><div><br /></div><div>I used to think it would be hard to get back into the student lifestyle, but on the contrary, it's been anything but. I love school, I love studying (yes...I'm a nerd-baller), and I love having the off Wednesday afternoon to just ditch everything and go to the beach.</div><div><br /></div><div>Irregularity opens up your days to so many more possibilities and makes life more interesting. So much so that I don't think I can EVER go back to being "regular."</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-64918857121256153412010-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:002010-11-11T12:35:15.417-08:00I'm Baaaaaaack!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2QwOzd4Uci8Ym7KfEJimINYACv3YioMQQ2DUEVHDx-yHW5XbrStZewQm7plsMR6cTcNMwCJWAMKZxLhXIWtYN-RU6gAg8siM-vEcRXWbbA3_ygmvlAe6wfCoXPGddtn_e_4ecTZCiqg/s1600/giraffe.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE2QwOzd4Uci8Ym7KfEJimINYACv3YioMQQ2DUEVHDx-yHW5XbrStZewQm7plsMR6cTcNMwCJWAMKZxLhXIWtYN-RU6gAg8siM-vEcRXWbbA3_ygmvlAe6wfCoXPGddtn_e_4ecTZCiqg/s400/giraffe.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538393179144354786" /></a><br />I know what you're thinking...<div><br /></div><div>"Arun! I thought I'd lost you forever! Where have you been???"</div><div><br /></div><div>Good question, and I'm glad you're concerned.</div><div><br /></div><div>Welp, to put it simply, after returning from my "Round the World Trip-O-Awesomeness," things got busy...very busy. So busy in fact that writing took a back seat.</div><div><br /></div><div>The week after I returned, I moved to a new place closer to Downtown San Diego. I'm FINALLY able to walk to some really awesome restaurants (and for those of you who know my affinity for food in general, you know how dangerous this is for me!).</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, I started school.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's right. I am know a member of the UCSD Rady School of Management, class of 2012. Let me tell you, MBA school is no joke. There's a TON of work, group projects, presentations, etc. In addition to school, I'm still doing my internet marketing stuff, and a few other tasks.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bottom line is, things are crazy busy, but that's just the way I like it! Unfortunately, the blog updates won't be as they once were, BUT, I promise to be more regular and not take another 3 month break (at least no time soon).</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, I may change the format a bit in the interest of posting more frequency. Posts might be a little shorter, but hopefully more frequent. I've got a lot of things to write about though including adventures, advice, and (my personal favorites), RANTS!</div><div><br /></div><div>By the way, the picture at the top really has nothing to do with anything. A friend invited me for some "Backstage Pass" at the San Diego Zoo where you get to be up close and personal with some of the animals.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay tuned. Your Daily Remedy is BACK!</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-13094842496054412942010-08-15T11:30:00.000-07:002010-08-15T12:53:20.796-07:00Abseiling Adventures in Australia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxu1-175HcWYahju6WdKrCjRMhIg5ysWUOQ1w9qnuh9LFj4yFQ4ze9GwbXw2AcMpuHIiVrOh6p4TKRUiBiDljiVb8XXFcr6hm4Q7-HDSCOy7NRS3Hfod38XFq6mZi833_cD4uwqJa3OQ/s1600/IMG_1922.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjxu1-175HcWYahju6WdKrCjRMhIg5ysWUOQ1w9qnuh9LFj4yFQ4ze9GwbXw2AcMpuHIiVrOh6p4TKRUiBiDljiVb8XXFcr6hm4Q7-HDSCOy7NRS3Hfod38XFq6mZi833_cD4uwqJa3OQ/s320/IMG_1922.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505723728461762162" /></a><br />Ok, yes, I know this is post is a little delayed. I have indeed returned to the good ol' U.S of A, but things have been hectic since I've been back to say the least. I've had to catch up on some work stuff (since I neglected a few things between my adventuring) and I also moved...again.<br /><br />Anyways, Australia.<br /><br />Totally amazing, and I WILL go back. I traveled around the South East coast including Sydney and Melbourne but wasn't able to make it to Queensland and New Zealand, which means I'll either need to move there for awhile or take another multiple month trip.<br /><br />Hmmm.<br /><br />The highlight of the trip though, occurred on the second to last day. It was simultaneously the most amazing and TERRIFYING thing I've done in my life. I was in Sydney and saw an ad for abseiling in the outback. Apparently "abseiling" is the British equivalent of rappelling. Sounds awesome, so I coerced my friend Kelly to sign up with me.<br /><br />The next day, we wake up 4:45am and catch a 2 hour train out to Katoomba (how's that for an awesome town name?) for this little excursion. We get to the place and find out we are the <span style="font-style:italic;">only</span> two people signed up for the day since, being winter time in Australia, it's the offseason.<br /><br />Even better - more attention from our guide.<br /><br />Slight problem though. When you aren't travelling with a lot of luggage, generally you aren't really prepared for things like abseiling in the jungle in the middle of winter.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS8E8uhW5xamYFyO1lAxT80PdUpHx1jtwtjwuRHlUNDQhisNBXxSLCKJlqD6uEp_vq0g3CnXystNEP8NoodtxEuDHcW9sQzgud3zuxYLSGILjtbfXdlLKQgEL34KlBtCNIwDXV9C2k2I/s1600/P1000606.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghS8E8uhW5xamYFyO1lAxT80PdUpHx1jtwtjwuRHlUNDQhisNBXxSLCKJlqD6uEp_vq0g3CnXystNEP8NoodtxEuDHcW9sQzgud3zuxYLSGILjtbfXdlLKQgEL34KlBtCNIwDXV9C2k2I/s320/P1000606.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505724237694246818" /></a><br />We show up, in shorts and sweatshirts...not exactly ideal apparel, so we have to run over to K-mart and gear up. After we return, Corky, our guide for the day (I should've known better at this point...nothing good can ever come out of having an adventure guide named "Corky"), gives us a quick breakdown of our plans for the day, before we jump into the four-wheeler and start trekking into the rain forest/jungle/whatever.<br /><br />After a short hike, we get to the first cliff. The "easy" one. It's about 30 feet which, before signing up, I imagined would be the longest rappel.<br /><br />Not Quite.<br /><br />I make it through without any issues.<br /><br />"I am awesome! I DOMINATE abseiling!"<br /><br />Little did I know that Corky was just warming us up. Our morning descents included rappels of 30, 100, and 200 feet. By lunchtime, I was feeling confident and smooth. Sure, hanging off of a cliff by a thin little rope with 200 feet of trees, rock, and cliff below is a smidgen unsettling, but after six or seven abseils, I was feeling good.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEBjO-dznXKP9dzf016ot-kEcGXVCDuwL4l8SG6ZycnsJVg_k9d35vUCACdf7cHgGKEumTiCC2M32xLwzLj5c-y5mWSoOld40T7RI0MJgepcdvqpUzBjsoZBwas7FI8QPjUL7K3lGGTU/s1600/P1000643.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibEBjO-dznXKP9dzf016ot-kEcGXVCDuwL4l8SG6ZycnsJVg_k9d35vUCACdf7cHgGKEumTiCC2M32xLwzLj5c-y5mWSoOld40T7RI0MJgepcdvqpUzBjsoZBwas7FI8QPjUL7K3lGGTU/s320/P1000643.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505724739837783762" /></a><br />Then Corky took us to "The Fold".<br /><br />We drove out to another location, hiked a little ways, until Corky halted us.<br /><br />"Don't Move Mates! If I don't set this safety line, you're cooked!"<br /><br />I took a peak at what he was looking at around the bend, and instantly became nauseous. He was traversing a cliff wall with ledge that only about four or five inches of his foot could fit on....1100 feet below were the tops of 50 foot trees to "catch" us in case of any snafus.<br /><br />Comforting.<br /><br />"Come on guys!"<br /><br />Although we had a safety line to hook on to, there were multiple reasons for my nerves:<br /><div><ol><li>The safety line is very loose, so in the event of a fall, you would still drop a good 10 feet before slamming into the cliff wall. At that point, I'm not even sure how you would get back up.</li><li>As the safety line is loose, you don't really <i>feel </i>like there's a line connected to you. Basically, the whole traverse feels like you're free climbing.</li><li>We were personally in charge of detaching and re-attaching our own safety line to the traverse line Corky was setting on the cliff wall at each point where it is connected to the wall. I was surprised that he trusted us so soon to be in charge of our own safety. I wasn't so trusting of me.</li></ol><div>When we got to the meat of the fold, I realized I was in a major pinch. The fold is basically a spot where two cliffs come together. The first obstacle is climbing through. It's pretty narrow, and, just in case I wasn't already peeing my pants, as you continue through, your are essentially straddling the crevasse which, if you were to fall through, would be a 120o foot drop.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oh Corky, how I love thee.</div><div><br /></div><div>At this point, there's really no option of turning back either. We've rappelled some other cliffs to get to this point, so the only way I'm getting out of here, is by going forward.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>To further complicate things, the start of this rappel is straight down through the crevasse, then over another cliff. Corky also had me go first to set up a safety line below.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__WIw-nPcoisTE1Q685uM9aTpeqs52QxOUOW9wcswCHNrOhejvaURqTszeeK1gki425poDj9cEO2SvBrJ6lfCXP6FCx69micItgm7vOAiTlYl8X9IFo5sFQcfT5juAsB891syRctn_Eo/s1600/P1000648.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__WIw-nPcoisTE1Q685uM9aTpeqs52QxOUOW9wcswCHNrOhejvaURqTszeeK1gki425poDj9cEO2SvBrJ6lfCXP6FCx69micItgm7vOAiTlYl8X9IFo5sFQcfT5juAsB891syRctn_Eo/s320/P1000648.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505725288193134306" /></a><br /></div><div>And if things weren't complicated enough, it was "the second windiest day I've ever seen in The Fold!" and Corky didn't want to through the end of my rope down to the bottom for fear of it getting tangled. His solution? He tied a back pack to my waist, hanging between my legs which the end of my rope would feed out of. The whole time I was going down, I kept thinking, "what if he accidentally put the wrong length of rope in the bag and I end up being short?" Well, to answer my own question, I would be touching down with a not-so-cushy landing 1200 feet below.</div><div><br /></div><div>Only slightly unsettling.</div><div><br /></div><div>And just in case I wasn't already terrified, as I was going down, the rope got knotted and caught in the backpack while I was going down.</div><div><br /></div><div>Good Grief. So here I am, hanging by a rope with death looming below, undoing a knot in my lifeline. Like I said, not an adventure for the feint of heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>I will say this. The views that we had during these insane rappels were among the BEST I've ever seen. Completely breath-taking.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFVNYxf9S7Hn_IPdqVykJrZ7xxlCsvwq5QmI6Md4BcXtxb0RF0Sc4bAMkoW46h0kLBvHlVncFS9P6LxpysMuLnbktlLPRG_TqTtSLaNjJSUscQRor7XeH_2SUpdnehyphenhyphen5OFRZx8ZI_Dss/s1600/P1000654.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuFVNYxf9S7Hn_IPdqVykJrZ7xxlCsvwq5QmI6Md4BcXtxb0RF0Sc4bAMkoW46h0kLBvHlVncFS9P6LxpysMuLnbktlLPRG_TqTtSLaNjJSUscQRor7XeH_2SUpdnehyphenhyphen5OFRZx8ZI_Dss/s320/P1000654.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505726081457735538" /></a><br /></div><div>Somehow, Kelly and I made it out alive, and with an AMAZING adventure under our belts. Truthfully, if I had known how terrifying this would've been, I may not have signed up, but I am SOOOOO glad I did, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another day, another adventure!</div>Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3613942949183552899.post-70148407347223173072010-07-19T21:19:00.000-07:002010-07-19T21:35:00.420-07:00Adventures in New South Whales, Australia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqd11b6HayQKkfgh8VUfybQl9NRgmr4wngcCnoLtV4VOAqTj0AOyjS4cSAzztGnpzxuoewWodx1f7qKT51l7HfMXJJJ5D_DBzbeSYK6pNEA5Zr84mUmfkYMWkEmUC-DxOWfhrFh0IWM2o/s1600/Australia-022.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqd11b6HayQKkfgh8VUfybQl9NRgmr4wngcCnoLtV4VOAqTj0AOyjS4cSAzztGnpzxuoewWodx1f7qKT51l7HfMXJJJ5D_DBzbeSYK6pNEA5Zr84mUmfkYMWkEmUC-DxOWfhrFh0IWM2o/s320/Australia-022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495841750704341922" /></a><br />Ahhh…I never thought the sound of English would be so amazing – especially when it has an Aussie accent attached to it.<br /><br />Spending a month in non-English speaking countries definitely wears on you for awhile, and it’s surprisingly refreshing to be able to communicate fluently with everyone. I’m also FINALLY the “guy with the accent”.<br /><br />I’ve always wanted to be the “guy with a cute American accent” ;)<br /><br />Interestingly, I was hanging out with some Aussies who not only said I have an accent, but "You've got a pretty major accent there mate!" How is it they don't realize that THEY'RE the ones with the cool accents?! ;) Regardless, I'm loving the fact that English is everywhere again.<br /><br />Now don’t get me wrong. I would LOVE to live in a foreign country for a year or two and learn the language, culture, and tradition. But nevertheless, I still love me some good ol’ fashioned, finger-lickin good, English.<br /><br />So right now I’m sitting on the train at Central Station in Sydney waiting to leave up to Gosford – a small coastal town about an hour North of Sydney. This is where Frederico lives…well, until Monday that is.<br /><br />Conveniently, my stay in Australia just so happens to coincide with Frederico having to move up to New Castle…not so fun for me, but especially convenient for Freddy who now has a freakishly strong friend around to help him move.<br /><br />So far though, my stay has been filled with touristy activities and nightlife.<br /><br />AND, by an amazing stroke of good-fortune, my friend Kelly happens to be in Sydney with a couple of her friends. So today, I left Freddy up in Gosford to pack while I waltzed around Sydney with Kelly and my new friends. <br /><br />There’s nothing like a little waltzing around new turf.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Ok, I generally write posts in one go, but when I start getting sleepy, my usual wit and charm starts to dwindle and typos abound. So now, I'm continuing the post some three days later. I'm now sitting in a Mall up in Gosford. Frederico, my friend who lives here, is at home cleaning for his final inspection before we head up to New Castle.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I'm flying down to Melbourne for a week. I'm hoping there's a spot down there where I can go and hold a Koala (not quite as cute as baby Panda's, but they will suffice ;)<br /><br />When I get back to Sydney, I'm actually looking into maybe hang gliding (it's a tandem glide with with an instructor...don't worry Mom) and canyoning!<br /><br />The adventures continue mates!<br /><br />BTW, my Australian accent that's oh so convincing in American is not quite as much so here. Go figure.Arunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01380399660305037268noreply@blogger.com0