Healthy Food For Thought

Monday January 4th, 2010 - Chicago, IL

Inch by inch I’m starting to make progress on all my hopes and dreams for 2010. I have a lot on my plate, but I like it that way. I want to pack in as many fun things as I can in the time I have left on earth which could end tomorrow. Or not. I’m in a good space so far.

I want to keep better track of everything this year including records of money spent and what I spent it on, what I eat, where I work, who I hang out with, all of that. I think it will help me plan my life better, or at least allow me to look back and see where I screwed up.

One thing I really want to keep track of is what I’m reading, watching and listening to at any time. I have all kinds of books and audio programs and DVDs that are just rotting on the shelf gathering dust. I want to make use of as many of them as I can, but there are way too many to do that without a plan. I need to pick the ones I want in order and get started.

The first audio program I listened so far was Napoleon Hill’s classic “Think And Grow Rich”. That’s one of the all time greats in the field of self help and most other authors are just a derivative of Napoleon Hill. I hadn’t heard it in a while and it really sounded good.

My next program is one on time management from a guy named Brian Tracy. I always enjoy his programs, and he’s got quite a few of them. I need help with time management the most so that’s the one I chose. I’m almost through the whole twelve lesson program and one of the things he talks about is using down time wisely by listening to this stuff.

I totally agree. It’s so easy to waste time in the car and just sit there like a zombie and do nothing when it can be turned into a rolling education center. That stuff goes into the brain and blossoms. I admit I drift in and out sometimes, but more often than not I’m in.

Books are another thing I want to catalog this year. There are 52 weeks to fill and I’ve got WAY more than 52 books to read. I bet I have more than 365 so even if I read a book a day I’d still not get to them all. Reading one or two books a week is challenge enough.

The book I chose this week is the autobiography of professional wrestler Superstar Billy Graham called “Tangled Ropes”. I remember him very well from watching his interviews on TV as a kid and he was always bursting with charisma. That guy had ‘it’, and he was a trendsetter that paved the way for many others like Hulk Hogan, Jesse Ventura and more.

Unfortunately, often times the innovators in any field never get the true credit and have sad stories to tell. Superstar Graham was the first real steroid guy in wrestling and he paid the price for it later with health problems that almost killed him. It’s an amazing story and that’s why I chose it as my first book of the new year. I’d love to meet the guy someday.

Setting aside time to read and listen can’t help but improve anyone’s life. I’m making a sincere effort to be the best person I can be and that takes time and effort to do it the right way, but that’s the only way I want to do it. I’m starting the year off with solid decisions.