Jon Barr > Recent Status Updates

Believing in yourself is feeling worthy of achieving greatness, even when others tell you to "come back to earth."

Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilder, actor and California governor who at some point definitely made a pact with an otherworldly being, once said: "Don't ever call me a self-made man. Once you realize that you are the product of a lot of help, you will acknowledge that you must help others."

In order to choose growth over comfort, the first thing we need to do is focus on the rewards. Ask yourself the question: "What's the BEST that can happen?" and write down a list of all the possible best case scenarios. Then it's just a matter of focusing on those things to take action.

"I'm closer to Dickens than I am to Prince, but that's kind of like saying I'm closer to Mars than I am to Saturn."

"To stand out, you need to make bold moves, and I would rather choose bold over bland every single time."

"You don't need to know how to sing, play the drums or deliver a staggering one-liner to be a bard. You simply must believe in the innate magic of your own Charisma."

"Your life does have meaning, and you can find it."

"Ambitious, self-driven people like myself don't find anything rewarding in choosing the easier path."

"I don't believe in fearless leadership. A fearless leader is reckless. I believe in brave leadership."

"If only we were brave we might suffer less."

"The more we say YES to new experiences, the more we allow other emotions to jump in." p. 15

"I do not know why I was not bullied more. I think I may have presented too many hate-targets for bullies to get a bead on."

"If you let middle-aged nerds name one thing after Star Trek, they'll name everything after Star Trek."

Just learned about Barr Camp, on Barr Trail which leads up to Pike's Peak! Hashtag goals.

Maisie: "She tripped over a planter in the parking lot and broke her kneecap. They had to remove it!"
Pepper: "Her knee?!"
Maisie: "No, the planter, but you see my point."

Her: "I'm retired now, but I washed a lot of cars in my day."
Him: "You were a professional car washer?"
Her: "High school teacher."
Him: "I always confuse the two."

Just read one of the best cliffhangers of all time: "... despite his long-standing reputation as an international media mogul and multimillionaire, he was hiding a dark secret that would eventually bring down his empire and take him to an early grave."

So choose: either regain the love of your old friends by reverting to your former self or remain better than you once were and forfeit their affection.

It is inevitable if you enter into relations with people on a regular basis, either for conversation, dining or simple friendship, that you will grow to be like them, unless you can get them to emulate you.

'Please, God,' we say, 'relieve my anxiety.' Listen, stupid, you have hands, God gave them to you himself. You might as well get on your knees and pray your nose won't run. A better idea would be to wipe your nose and forgo the prayer. Isn't there anything God gave you for your current problem? You have the gifts of courage, fortitude and endurance. With 'hands' like these, do you still somebody to wipe your nose?

"Since when are you so intelligent as to go around correcting other people's mistakes?" 1.18.11

"I must die. But must I die bawling?" 1.1.22

Didn't expect to hear Haggai quoted in this book...

Fun, quick read. I asked a good friend who is familiar with graphic novels what I should read to check off the box on the Metropolitan Library's Winter Reading Challenge. This was his recommendation and it was a good one.

Straightforward advice on mindfulness from someone who has put in the time and effort to be an expert.

"I could hear him climbing the stairs, his footsteps leaden, like a man climbing the gallows. I wondered if he was the condemned or the executioner." (That's not an exact quote, but it's close.)

Chapter 6 covers the first of 10 Principles, "Reject the Diet Mentality." Included in this chapter is the first mention of an IE journal, which I'm glad to hear of. The amount of introspection necessary to carry of this method will certainly require a means of tracking your feelings. The authors also clarify their definition of "diet" painting with broad strokes to include a variety of strategies.

Chapter 5 outlines the stages of becoming an Intuitive Eater. Along the way the authors make sure to further demonize dieting at every chance. In this 9 page chapter alone, dieting is to blame for: your belief that your weight is a measure of your worth, pressuring you to meet unrealistic goals, feeling stuck, frustrated and discouraged, disconnecting you from your internal eating drive and true food preferences, etc

Chapter 4 quickly introduces the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating. These range from the terrific "Feel Your Fullness" advising the reader to stop eating when they're full to the self-defeating "Movement - Feel the Difference" which advocates regressing your exercise routine to simple movement. Exercise without a plan is a waste of time and will get no results, so suggesting removing the science is bad advice.