From Out Of Nowhere

Sometimes, while you are frantically typing, dumping your personal thoughts all over the page, you come up with an idea, or quote that is more profound then you expected.  It sort of flows out of you, and then you pause, evaluate it, and end up liking it even more.

I've been having a very good time writing blogs over the past months.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from the 2011 material.  We'll check in at the end of next year, to see how far we've come.  All the quotes below are JBangin' originals.  Hopefully 2012 will hold even deeper insights.

Photo By Kyle McCulloch

November 25, 2011 "Are You A Believer?"

"Naturally I judge people like all humans do, but I question where those pre-concieved notions come from, and adjust my thinking accordingly."

December 9th, 2011 "The Contemporary Dating Game"

"Women all want the same thing, though with all the terrible decision making, it's really hard to tell.  Women want to be in love.  Not the bogus love, born out of circumstance, and mental factors, the real, "fuck me right now before I explode" type love."

Dec. 13th, 2011 "We Are All Stars"

"The unknown creates our daily excitement, and the multitude of answers to these fundamental questions, create unique people, with unique perspectives."

"You don't see monkeys, and dolphins, building satellites, and spaceships."

Dec. 30th, 2011 "The Race Disgrace"

"Everything you do, everything you think, has consequences.  Consequences that quite possibly could echo through time, long after you are gone."

Please take time to browse my older posts if you haven't already.  All your reading, and sharing is really starting to help getting this blog noticed.  How can you help us grow in 2012?  First of all keep reading.  Second, share any post you like with your friends, via email, Facebook, or Twitter.  Third, if you do buy products on Amazon, do so through the links provided on this Website.  Purchasing directly benefits the Author, and encourages him to keep the content coming for you all.

I plan to take this blog to the next level in 2012.  Any comments, suggestions or critiques, are always welcome.  Also if there's another quote of mine you enjoy, please leave it in the comments section below.  Thanks for taking the time to read, I really appreciate it.

Visionaries Vanish

Standing up for what you believe in, could cost you your life.  It's a sad, and scary statement; history proves it true.  Many great thinkers, leave this planet far too quickly.  Visionaries like JFK, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, to name a very small few.  100's of political leaders around the world.  You speak your mind, and start moving masses, you better watch your back.

We cannot afford to lose our greatest talents.  Life is a battle between good and evil after all, and in the war, these are our strongest Generals.  These freethinkers not only have incredible insight, they weren't afraid to voice it.  It's everybody's job to protect them.  At least if you're fighting for the good team.

Photo from Kel Trustnoone

The first step, is at least acknowledging the fact, that if your ideas are intelligent, radical, and you have influence, you will be targeted.  Who is doing the targeting?  People who fear change.

The change they fear, could cost them power, money, or a change in lifestyle.  It could cost them a lot of things.  Always keep in mind though, that what these people want, is to be selfish.  They are willing to sacrifice the greater good of humanity, in favour of bettering themselves.  Over the years, Visionaries have succumb to psychos, religious zealots, hired guns, and political agendas.  Whether they knew it or not, they were all fighting for the "dark side".

Visionaries have traits that can't be denied.  They're honest.  You can see it in their expressions, and hear it in their voice tone.  When they speak, you're compelled to listen.  They inspire you.  When you combine all this, you realize, for the most part their thinking is correct.  They have a vision with pure intent, it's sole purpose to better humanity.   It's rare that we get to really talk about what's important to us.  These leaders could stand up on a stage, and change people's minds.  Power is okay, as long as your message is sincere, and your actions are true.

Photo from SodaHead

People minds are incredibly hard to change in one regard, and very easy in the other.  All of us normal folk, want a better life for all of us.  We realize that we are lucky to even have what we do.  That doesn't mean however, we forget our quality of life could be much better, by an order of magnitude.  We have vision of a greater tomorrow.  I see a world where we can use as much power as we want, without the environmental repurcussions.  Where nearly everyone is happy, and non-judgemental, and is free to live the way they want.  That's what I'm working towards.  What about you?

Many of these Visionaries changed the course of humanity, and did so for the better.  They influenced not only the generations on this planet, but all the future ones to come.  You can change humanity forever.  Only a select few ever have.   Is there anything more important than that?

This Biased Universe

Like every kid my age at the time, I grew up playing with action figures.  He-Man, Transformers, X-Men all ruled my world back then.  I remember spending hours in the basement, finding new ways to torture the "evil doers" for causing my Hero agony, and in general, leaning towards the dark side.  In every good hero story, there is a triumph over good vs. evil, and I learned this at a very early age.  Evil tries everything it can to win, but in the end, envitably suffers defeat.

Photo By Kyle McCulloch

If you asked the average person, "Does the Universe mostly help you, or mostly hurt you?" What do you think they would say?

There would be a ton of people that would conclude the Universe is great, and wants to see them succeed.  Others may view life more pessimistically, concluding that the Universe is actually out to get them, impeding their path to success.  Still, another section of the population might conclude that the Universe is indifferent.  That it has no view, or bias, that it is simply "balanced".

I've come to the conclusion that the world has a positivity bias of some sort, yet I have no idea where it stems from.  It surely doesn't make scientific sense, or at least I can't prove it.  To keep balance, the world actually needs to lean slightly toward optimistic values, in order to function properly.  My guess is an even balance of good and evil, would actually result in chaos.

Good needs an edge because it's not always easy.  It's not always sexy.  It doesn't always feel great, doing the "right thing".  There has to be a slight bias, or we'd all just chose the easy route.  If you had no bias, would you care if you threw a piece of garbage out the window?  Or help an old lady across the street?  Instead of a "conscience" you'd be indifferent, unable to really determine, right from wrong, or good from bad.

That's why I think there has to be a optimistic bias.  Instead of Yin and Yang, think Yin plus, and Yang minus.  This is why optimism feels good, and pessimism doesn't.  It's the reason, people have are innately great in disasters, bonding, and coming to the aid of their fellow man in crisis.  Surviving sometimes, against incredible odds.   It explains, our thirst to not only do the status quo well, but exceed it.

Photo By Kyle McCulloch

Good can't win over evil all the time, but it wins slightly more, and in more ways.  As they say in the Casino business, good has an "Edge".  Good gets to have the odds slightly in it's favour.  You are welcome to play from the other side, but understand, that you are going "against the house", and being risky.  I like that.  If you play against the odds, stepping on people to success, living too fast, being selfish, stealing, it should be risky.  It should come with consequences.  That keeps people in check.

Just like the Casino, when you make bets, not in your favour, but win in the short-term, you fool yourself into believing that it can last forever.  Pushing your bets even further, until one day you realize that you were never winning at all.  There may have been momentary "wins", but in the end, the odds were never once in your favour.  You may believe there is a path to success, playing from the "dark" side, yet it is an illusion.  The chances were never in your favour.  When you achieve what you thought to be success, what you thought to be "winning", it actually wasn't.  That "win" never gave you the feeling you were looking for.

These folks that take the easy route, will never own the Casino. In the end, the Casino will own them.

Action Builds Confidence

We highlighted some of Norman Vincent Peale's work in "The Power Of Positive Thinking".  Please go back and read that entry if you haven't yet, as it will have relevant information discuss in this blog post.  I'd like to share with you, one of my favorite, Norman Vincent Peale Quotes:

"Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause, of fear. Perhaps the action you take will be successful; perhaps different action or adjustments will have to follow. But any action is better than no action at all."  - Norman Vincent Peale

Photo by graur razvan ionut

Not only is Mr. Peale saying that you shouldn't procrastinate, he saying that procrastination is causing your fears.  The world progresses with, or without you.  Time is passing, and each day you are getting older.  Procrastinating, or hiding from life, cannot be done without repercussions.

Don't we all know this feeling?  You procrastinate, and the list of things you feel you need to do, grows.  A feeling of uneasiness follows, that you really don't understand.  That is a form of fear. 

Confidence speaks in the positive, while fear speaks in the negative.  When you are riding high, you'll use words like can, will, and could.  When you're fearful, you'll use words like can't, don't, shouldn't or couldn't. 

Picture from Lunch

When you are on top of your life, life feels easier, and it is.  You can focus all your energy on each new problem that comes up.  You'll feel unencumbered, rather than weighed down, by your list of things to do, or problems in life that you haven't dealt with.  Problems are minimized by confidence, rather than magnified by fear.

Staying on top of life is very important, and feels really good.  The next time you feel bogged down by life, write a list of all the things that you "need" to do, or fix.  Then just start doing them.  Complete a task, and scratch it off.  You will find a weight coming off your shoulders as you do.   That action, will build confidence just like Mr. Peale said it would.  Having that real confidence, will allow you to stay objective when a new problem does arise.

Let's Make This A Threesome

Every relationship you've ever had, has been a threesome.  You may have never noticed, but there are three parties in every relationship.  There's you, and what you need.  There's them, and what they need.  Then there's the relationship, which has it's very own needs. 

You must take care of all three parties for your relationship to flourish, and failing relationships always included one of three parties being neglected, or neglectful.  Let me show you why this must be true. 

We'll call a man or woman who's has too much self interest, a "Hawk".  Hawks are mainly concerned with how their relationship, helps themselves.  They always come first in their relationship.  Hawks certainly don't have confidence problems, but sometimes it leans more towards arogance.  They aren't at the mercy of their relationship, and can rebound easily from a breakup, but also can never truly give themselves to their partner.  Hawks can easily miss their perfect lover for many reasons.

A Slug is the opposite of a Hawk.  They are loyal to a fault.  They enter a relationship as themselves, only to transform into playdough once it's starts.  You can mold them into anything you want.  All a Slug wants, is to become exactly what you want them to be.  They are willing to sacrifice their own personal advancement, for the other person involved, and the relationship itself.  It can take a Slug a long time to recover from a realtionship, because they were "only trying to be everything" for the other person.  How could that person not want them?   Confidence, and personal improvement, are very attractive qualities to all people, but Slugs have none to offer. They mean well, but in the end, nobody wants a slug, because they have no backbone.

If it was just as simple as having two, healthy, happy, intelligent people, relationships would be much easier.  The third party, the relationship, has expectations also.  We'll call the relationship, The Judge.

The Judge has needs.  Judge's hate to be ignored, and expect time to be expended on them.  Judge's are going to progress forward, whether you like it or not.  They assume you will communicate in order to keep up with the brisk pace they set. Judges don't care if you can't keep up however, and will leave you in the dust.  When The Judge's needs are being met, they will remain almost invisable.  It's only when the Judge feels they are being ignored, do they come to the forefront, and make themselves a focus. 

You need to take traits from both Hawks and Slugs, and learn from both of them.  Like a Hawk, put yourself first in the relationship.  This just means, making sure you are currently happy, and exploring needs that stimulate you.  Make sure you are always advancing personally in your own life.  This will give you a natural, sexy confidence, and allow to move on easier, if the relationship were to end.

Give yourself fully to the other person, like a Slug would.  You can still advance your own life, and be there for the other person, but you just can't be there all the time, every time.  It's okay to be reliable, or think your significant other walks on water, but you need to stay balanced.  Give everything you can to them, but not an ounce more. 

Always keep The Judge in the back of your mind.  If you are doing great, and your partner is too, that doesn't mean the Judge's needs are being met.  That's why you can find yourself advancing, your partner advancing, but the relationship fails.  Like I said above The Judge expects you to expend time on them, and keep up to the pace they set. The Judge will forceably move your relationship forward, whether you like it, or not. 

Relationships are very difficult.  One person being too self-centered, and it fails.  One person being too submissive, and it fails.  One person not understanding that relationships have needs, and it fails. 

Taking care of yourself first is always the first step to a healthy relationship.  This will ensure you are at your best for your partner.  You can look back on a failed relationship, and truly feel confident, you did as much as you could have, rather than looking back with regret.  It's perfectly okay to say,  "I love my partner, but if they were to leave me, I'd be just fine."  This changes you from "needing" the relationship, to "wanting" it.

I want me, and my partner, to be negotiating our relationship from this position of power.  I want both of us, to be fine without the other.  I expect us both to be constantly growing, and changing, to keep ahead of the inertia every relationship has.

Most heartbreak is magnified by people not progressing themselves.   Regardless, it hurts to lose someone you love.  It hurts much less however, and for less time, when you are growing, and living the best you can. 

Are you, your partner, and your relationship growing together?

My Investing Blog

I decided the best way to keep my blog focused, was actually to split it into two.  The information contained in Bangin's Believers will continue to have a self improvement focus, while my new investing blog, called The Dice, will have it's own new address at upsidesurprise.blogspot.com.

I'd love for you to join, and follow both, but also understand that certain people are only interested in certain advice.  Both blogs are equally important in my eyes, as they can both go a long way to improving your own quality of live while you are on this planet.

Stay tuned for much more to come.  I'm currently working on a fictional story, that I will probably have to release in three parts.  As usual any real life topic that bugs me, or pops into my head, will be discussed, and added.

Thanks for reading.

J-Bangin'

Bangins Believers banginsbelievers.blogspot.com
The Dice upsidesurprise.blogspot.com

Obsessed With The Best

It must be possible to have a thought, that no one else has ever had before.  New ideas seemingly come out of nowhere, but the brain produces a new idea at some point, or there would be no human progression at all.  I find it fascinating that at any one moment in time, one of us, could have a completely original idea, that could change the course of history.

I would bet the breakdown of original ideas, goes something like this.  The majority of people never have a truly, original thought.  Remember we are talking thoughts that no person throughout history has ever had, those should be considered rare.  The people that are lucky enough to have a completely original thought, probably have many, many more in their lifetime.  It would not surprise me if the majority of original thoughts, we're created by only 5% of the total population, alive or dead.

These great thinkers had minds that weren't closed, and weren't impacted by negative energy.  The better condition your mental state, the better the ecosystem for a great idea to formulate.  It's proven fact that our brains function much more efficiently in a positive mental state, then a negative one.  An overall negative perspective, a general lack of intelligence, or past trauma, all would negatively affect original thought.

Thought itself should be moral, pure, and unbiased.  Children have some of the greatest ideas, because they are not taking into account so many different variables.  A lot of times, the simplest thought, is actually the most correct one.  Let's say it's Christmas Day.  Your whole family is getting together, but there's a bunch of in-fighting.  People are getting grouchy because the food is delayed.  Everybody is bitching.  A frustrated 5 year old might pipe up "could you guys just please, stop fighting, and be nice to each other?"

It's a simple thought, a simple solution, and a simple question, but it carries a ton of weight.  In this case a 5 year old would be the wisest person in the room.  The idea itself is perfect.  It reminds you how petty your squabbles are.  It reminds you how much you love your family.  It reminds your of what's important.  Best of all, if you listen, the time your currently having, would improve substantially, right now, in the present.  They might not be able to articulate it as well, but there idea is better than yours, and they are only 5 years old.  Don't get too hung up on the source of the message, as long as, it is moral, and unbiased.

I suggest I have had truly original thoughts, no matter how stupid the thought itself might be.  There are times when I stop myself, inside my own brain, and think "I know no one has ever had this thought before, ever." That's a pretty magical thing really.  I don't take it for granted.

I'm obsessed with the best.  People use words like "best" lightly all the time.  "You're the best." They might say.  But am I?  Am I really the absolute best?  Probably not.  But, someone has to be.

Right now on this planet there is someone who is the best.  It can only be one person of course because the best is singular.  If another person somehow became better, the person who used to be the best, would now be 2nd best.  But that person really isn't 2nd best, because as soon as this new person became the best, they actually became "2nd to the best".  They are no longer a best, they aren't even a 2nd best, because that implies, they are some form of best, however, we know this to be impossible.

You have to be thinking outside the box, and I'm suggesting most never do.  Who has had the best kiss?  The best love?  The best sex?  The best time?  All these questions have real answers.  Real people behind them.  Is there really only one person who has had the best kiss ever, Bangin?  Yes, absolutely, and it was the freakin' best kiss ever.

But people having sex, or kissing, that takes two people, so really two people experienced the best right?  Nope.  Are you certain your reading carefully enough?  Even the same two people, who share the best kiss, only one of them, truly experienced, the best kiss ever.  The best is singular in every regard.  One of them enjoyed the kiss more than the other, and that person, had the best kiss.  Get it?

I wonder who had the best bacon and eggs ever, before the year 1900?  This is my attempt at proving, completely original thought can happen right now.  Do you think anyone else has had this thought before? At first glance, I'd say no, but there are billions of people, so who can say for certain?  If a thought this ridiculous, isn't original, you can imagine how difficult it is, to truly have an original thoughts.

Great thoughts are formed the same way as stupid ones are;  by being open minded, and focusing your thoughts.  I imagine many seemingly dumb ideas, have led to absolute breakthroughs.

New thoughts are magical, even stupid ones, because they expand your mind.  A seemingly stupid, or funny thought, no one has ever had, could lead into full blown innovation very easily, when you keep your mind open.  You could think up a new joke, that leads you to a solid business idea.  Or you could tell that joke to someone, and they could run with it, forming a new idea.

Original thinking is important to me.  I'm thankful I have been born in an environment that has given me every opportunity to expand my intellect, in a safe, supportive  environment.  Original thought is about the most amazing thing you can leave on this planet.  The problem is, you have to be brave enough to speak up, and get people to hear you.  If your thought is completely original, and no one ever hears it, it will guaranteed have no impact.

It takes a massive amount of guts to have an original idea, but even more guts to voice it.  Look back through history, people that have gone against the grain, for the most part, haven't faired so well.  Humanity as a whole, resists change, and resists new ideas.  I want you to be someone who speaks up for what they believe in, even when it's difficult.  Also keep your mind as open as possible.  For each great new idea humanity has had, there are probably five more, that were buried, because humanity is a bad incubator for original ideas.  Our natural reaction is to condemn and discredit, rather than support, and inquire.  The road less travelled is absolutely the hardest one, no doubt about out it, but I wouldn't trade it for the street in a million years.