Just RETIRE already!

What is "retirement"? What is really meant when someone says, "I can't wait until I can retire." or "I want to retire by the time I'm 25". Hopefully they are saying they want to have enough money as to Never have to work doing something you don't want to be doing or be personally involved in. I would hope so because I don't know any person that could just sit at home for years and do absolutely nothing. No matter what kind of retirement you reach or is attainable by humans you will most definitely do some sort of "work". That is work which expends your energy unless you are unfortunate enough to have lost some or all of your physical and/or mental abilities.

Work = Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result.
Retirement = To withdraw from one's position or occupation or conclude one's working or professional career

So find what you absolutely LOVE to do.  Something positive and legal hopefully and create work doing that which you LOVE. It's ultimately what you would be doing anyway once you "Retire". Why not conquer Retirement now? Get it out of the way and live every day of your life as you desire. Turn all of that hard work into joyful energy and personal satisfaction while pursuing your "American Dream". How far can those abilities and achievements take you?  Surely into a much more prosperous and fulfilling life I believe. Not to mention that today's "American Dream" is being sought all over the world and so we can call it the "Earthly Dream". This Earthly Dream can and is easily shared with most of the 7billion+ people through the ever connecting world wide web. The right ingredients are out there to your recipe for Success. Take note ya'll the world is open and ripe with possibilities. So go ahead and just Retire already!

Sincerely & Officially Retired,
Jose A. Peña

Buddhist Teaching from The Dhammapada

Buddhist Teaching: "All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind. Speak or act with a corrupted mind, and suffering follows... Speak or act with a peaceful mind, and happiness follows..." - Buddhist Teaching from The Dhammapada

Much Success To You

"You can't satisfy Everybody" and even though I carry the saying close to my chest my character flaw is often attempting the opposite. It definitely pleases me to see you all happy, thriving and successful and of course being able to share in some of that triumph along with you and so I want to make sure I share this book with Everyone.
When I was down in New York City last week I stressed some of the many points from it to friends and family and again I want to make sure I shout it out because it is useful information that I had an inkling towards and now has been seconded by Mr. Napoleon Hill. I would say that literally 99% of the books I read are texts, documents and mainly non-fiction. I am always searching for answers, while asking more questions and connecting more dots and one of the puzzles that I have been after to solve is that of SUCCESS. Success in Life overall and delving more and more into that of financial and business related success. A question: Do you think Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller were successful people? If you think so then this book is definitely for you because it outlines some of the many methods use by the men listed above.

Think & Grow Rich by Napolen Hill

Andrew Carnegie commissioned Napoleon Hill to interview over 500 millionaires of the time (1937) in order to try to find a formula to success that could be utilized by the "average" person. It took Mr. Hill over 20 years to complete this book and overall this book is about how to live a rich life in every sense of the words.

Some of the main points derived from reading this book include:

1. "Whatever your mind can conceive and believe it can achieve." - Napoleon Hill

2. Persistence always overcomes Resistance and with Persistence will come success.

3. Importance and Power of your State of Mind.

4. "The Mystery of Sex Transmutation - Chapter 11" In other words the POWER of sex drive energy being transferred or changed into a different form of energy, which can be used toward SUCCESS.

5. The Power of having and putting to use a "Master Mind" group. The brain / mind is like a battery and it is well known that several batteries provide more energy that any one single battery and "when a group of individual brains are coordinated and function in harmony, the increased energy created..., becomes available to every individual brain in the group." "Andrew Carnegie attributed his ENTIRE fortune to the POWER he accumulated through this 'Master Mind'."

And so much more. Overall a very interesting and informative book. Feel free to pick and choose those points throughout the book that may help you achieve your individual success, and even though you may seek and ultimately reach "individual" goals, it is crucial to include others in your plans in order to reach true SUCCESS.

"Much success to you, even if you wish me the opposite" - Nas

Academy of Public Service - Forest Hills High School

I could write so much about this subject, but I'll keep it short and sweet and how sweet it was. Thinking back at least 14 years even though it was about 17 years ago that I first entered the Academy of Public Service while attending Forest Hills High School in Queens, New York and I still rock my shirt proudly. Actually it is one of my favorite t-shirts to go to the gym in because after all these years the material has become the softest most comfortable I have got in stock and yes I am just about the same size!
Oh the memories! APS was the source of life long friendships with the likes of the homie Jonathan Blauner who came out to California for my wedding! The reason I was able to really learn and practice my French speaking was with Alina Obiol (Barbu at the time). We were just having fun, but that practice paid off. For anyone wanting to really learn a new language it is the best way to do so. Don't be afraid of how you sound speaking it and just let it out! Also a big thanks to Ms. Robeson now Ms. Sanchez for putting up with us. We painted walls, benches, planted trees, traveled to Washington D.C., set up Halloween scenes...Wow! Plus all of the folks that came together and met there... James F., Florin L., Jason S., Allison C. and the list goes on and on...When is the next APS meeting? I don't get the newsletter anymore! :( It's never when I'm in town. Oh well, I'll be out there in mid August. Hopefully I'll see some of you guys around if not then Thanks to the powers that be for the Internet!

Just Thinking: 4.5.11

I can't say I really know how it all happened until and when I decide to really think back and study it, but for my entire adult life (say 14-30's) until even now my natural instinct and drive has been to follow, track and hunt down money! I mean it's part of the plan, but not the complete picture at all! I did learn a lot along the way I must say. I can now imagine and understand the ones that have manifested all their energy into just attaining that piece of paper with United States jargon on it that we have given value to and call cash money. That's 1% mentality right there, which is okay I say IF you really had the choice of looking at the entire field of opportunities and direction before you chose your route. The unfortunate part is that cash money has taken over our educational institutions and government, which have been our resources towards maturing our minds and adapting to the world we live in. I'm afraid that with money as such a big influence within these areas and resources we are tricked before we know it. The scenario I think of is of closing the door to the chicken coop when the fox is already hidden inside. The chickens don't stand a chance at living, flourishing or even simply going in the direction that they want to go in.
We need to teach as parents, teachers and as a society, all people (because we ALL live here and we ALL will be effected) at home and in the streets too that HEALTH, FAMILY, LOVE, & LAUGHTER should always come first giving us all a strong foundation with which to battle any ill influences and lead a LIFE in our individual direction.
Human minds and souls are SO hungry that if we start snacking on sweet empty sugars like money too early in life with the foundations of HEALTH, FAMILY, LOVE & LAUGHTER we will end up nourishing ourselves with deep fried, chocolate dipped Twinkies. Like Eddie Murphy once said in his original stand up comedy from the 80's: "if you're starving and someone throws you a cracker, you gonna be like this: Goddamn, that's the best cracker I ever ate in my life! That ain't no regular cracker, was it? What was that, a Saltine? Goddamn, that was delicious. That wasn't no Saltine. That was... That was a Ritz. That wasn't a Ritz? God, that was the best cracker I ever ate in my life."

LIFE is so much BIGGER than cash money. Like the feeling you get after finishing that meal you, your spouse, mother, father, grandparents, loved one cooked for you. When you hit that physical sexual climax, that first kiss and suck of those lips you've wanted to taste, hitting the last shot to win the game, your child trying to make YOU laugh or smile when they spot a sad face, kids screaming your name and welcoming you home as you come back home from outside, people and family sticking up for you and/or yours when you're not around, laughing at yourself and others when, SNEEZE and a booger flies out or they laugh so hard that they pee in their seat. I've witnesses this twice, one female and one guy and when they read this they will know who they are, but I'm not naming no names. Just thinking. :)

Any Time is a Good Time to Stretch...

Anytime is a good time to break into a stretch. I've wondered about the look on the faces of those that have walked into a room where I was stretching. It's one of those things that are so important and we often forget or just pass up. Then we tighten up to a point of rigidity that can cause us to easily break, strain or pull something out of place. Stretch your entire body piece by piece starting with your fingers, hand, wrist, forearm, triceps, shoulders, neck, rib cage, waist, hips, sown to your thighs, legs, calves, ankles and toes. A nice full stretch to feel throughout your being.
With one method I use I start on my hands and knees and with wide open hands I place them in front of me, leaning forward towards them until my toes have lifted and my weight is being balanced solely on my fingers and wrist feeling it all the way up my forearms. You can also use your forehead to support you a bit as you lean forward to get a good top stretch on your fingers. Then you continue feeling the stretch down the rest of your body by resting your hands on your hips and letting your shoulders drop you'll get a nice stretch all the way up to your neck. It'll even stretch your back out some. Once I get a good stretch going I just close my eyes and roll into different areas of my muscles and body parts. This way you can stretch body areas you didn't even know existed or even needed attention. I also find that this focus allows me to work on sensitive areas without hurting myself or overdoing it. Peace and quiet are essential so you can really go deep into a stretch without the worry of going too far. Make sure you breathe deeply. It's so worth it, mornings, noon and night. Stretch to your delight. You can and should also meditate and breathe deeply in order to incorporate a complete approach to this most awesome therapy! Photos to come...

Trashing the Bottle!

Time to find better methods.

Today March 14th 2012 is the official day my kids and I leave the "bottle" behind. We tried many things before this in order to help my wife, my kids and I stop using the bottle. It was only being used for milk anyhow, but the bottle as we have been told by the powers that be (before us) would soon become the contributor to cavities, bad teeth and very bad habits that I was aware of. Mainly those that were already formed and starting to solidify like always wanting the bottle or "leche" prior to every nap and sleep time as well as filling up on the dairy produce instead of other nutritional foods. Also it just looks plain ugly in my opinion when a grown child just won't let go of something like that. Like the child being pushed in a stroller while literally dragging their feet, which they use as their own brakes.
Now I add my wife and myself into the group of folks releasing the use of the bottle because it quickly became an easy way to just give the kids what they wanted and ultimately quiet them down. Our sons' favorite word had become that request for "leche". Interestingly though that our daughter took up the English word "milk" instead of its Spanish translation "leche". Even when we thought we were just too busy to take the time to think through something to make them to eat we knew if we offered milk they would appreciate it, drink it and usually just fall asleep. Mostly they would deny the foods that were offered knowing or simply waiting for the milky substance. It was automatic every night and the easiest way to get the kids to bed, but too easy come to find out.
What we didn't notice until now was the real reason behind the attachment to what they called leche and milk. It was and is simply the sucking aspect of it. Not what was IN the bottle. It was comforting to them. Just like the famous nipple pacifiers and I thought they were actually hungry for milk. Our kids hardly used the pacifiers and stopped totally using them at around 8 months, but they simply transferred their sucking comforting actions onto the bottle nipple. This is how I found out.
First we started using just one bottle and making the kids share. I figured this would give me some time to analyze their reactions while the other drank from the bottle. Also I could see if maybe they would just get bored waiting for it and just fall asleep. I was right. This helped us slow down their milk drinking habits since often they would ask for a second serving but instead I would then offer my other child the bottle making the first wait for their second serving often resulting in snores. We also attempted to give the kids milk in their favorite cup when they asked for leche, but as soon as they tasted their sippy cup of milk it was quickly put down with a face of disgust. Interesting I thought. We tried the more rubber tipped sippy cup, which the kids could easily lean back and suck down like they do the bottle, but for some reason they were never comfortable with it either. Then after learning more about rBST and the overall treatment and non-grass fed diets of cows I switched my children to Almond milk. Yummy! I love it and the kids didn't even notice. They gulped it down in their bottle without care. Then recently when our son was on his 4th day of 100+ fever and not eating much I resorted to adding oats to the milk, ultimately I had to cut a slit in the bottle nipple opening to allow the oats through and something hit me. Man that hole was small! The kids had been sucking their milk down through that tiny whole, which really acted more like a pacifier since they had to pull so hard. Ahaa! Well, the big Ahaa moment didn't come until later when neither child would drink their milk out of this bottle. First I thought it was that somehow they figured out it was almond milk. As if they had some sort of board meeting and came to the conclusion all on their own, but that wasn't it...here it comes Big Ahaa! They no longer had the comfort of sucking on the nipple since the fluid was now pouring out after I had cut a slit in it. The best part was that my son two nights in a row tried this new adapted bottle of milk, quickly handed it right back to me as if saying, "this is not going to work," and then covered himself and went to sleep. Here we were thinking they were hungry and allowing ourselves to believe that they would go hungry through the night and so abiding by the nightly routine.
Well I'm glad we're over it. Conquered. Finito! No mas! Now I just have to come up with a few more favorite recipes in order to make sure their little tummies actually are full before bed as to not worry Mom and Dad. I detest going to sleep hungry and wouldn't wish it upon them either. Onto the next battle and learn some new stuff. I love being around to raise my kids! I Love these little chickadees so much that I make sure I instill what's good for them even though at the moment they can make it seem like its torture, but we as parents know best. We just have to make sure we're effectively putting our teachings into effect.

Breathe.

There's always more I have to do and more I want to do. My brain never stops going and there lies the value and reason for my meditation. I know it so well because that silence is priceless and unforgettable. It's not often that anyone raising two preschoolers gets to hear...silence.
But then again like a swarm of ants quickly vibrating to culminate into that burst of energy that jerks me into action with my mind and body active there's no sense of spirit. Just thrive thrive thrive, hustle hustle hustle and get it done get it done get it done. I even get annoyed at being hungry and having to put time aside for making something to eat even though I Love the science and nature of cooking, but the time seems so valuable specially when I'm on a roll "getting it done". I really enjoy the feeling of achieving. A natural high you can say like no other. The last thing I would ever want would be to end up in a situation where if I would have invested more energy and effort into "it" whatever "it" may have been then I could have avoided some negative or unfortunate situation or feeling. I won't let it happen!
There will never be enough time for me, but as long as I focus, breathe and concentrate well enough then I can stay on track and complete every task and effort that is initiated.
It had been so difficult to convince myself that raising my kids and spending a large portion of my days caring for them is really a job as they say. No one is paying me for it, no one really cares, but our family and the kids themselves. I feel that it is more of an inherent responsibility. Like brushing my own teeth in the morning, but it is how I have always wanted to spend my Life Energy. It is a huge struggle in our capitalistic society and the luxury of spending my Life Energy with my children, Educating them and watching them grow makes me feel like a real wealthy man. In every way. I'm paying my bills. I'm good. More money more problems they say. No thanks, say I! There is NOTHING that I have now that I would give up in order to have "money".
Thank you to the authors of "Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence" (By Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin) Thank you Energies that be! Thank you for everything.

Having Children: The Ultimate Training Opportunity

So many inspiring things in Life make you want to change your ways for the better, but not many do you the favor of sticking with you through it all, constantly reminding you that THEY LOVE YOU & WILL be there for you no matter what.
The Right Mental Preparation
It takes the right mentality in order to take full advantage of these opportunities. Mainly the fact that having kids is not a burden or hindrance on your achievements or progress. Too often we associate having children as such a negative endeavor that we ourselves start to believe it.
Also being able to recognize the value of your Time, Life Energy and How and Where you spend it. Rethinking that "job" if you "hate" going to work everyday. That hate becomes venom inside of you creating opportunities for more negative occurrences. I try to remember and you should too that "Nothing Positive will come out of Negativity". Plus it equals less time being with those you Love and/or Doing what you Love.
Enter The Heavy Weights
Then if you are fortunate enough as I have been to actually spend more than 4 hours a day with your offspring you'll feel the pressures of (for example in my situation): Anger or Annoyance, Countless Responsibilities and Tasks, Impatience, Low Energy, etc. Things we all naturally go through as we cycle Round & Round through Emotions, Chemical/Hormonal Reactions, but in this scenario you have an added incentive to continue Striving, marching forward Playfully, Optimistically and Enthusiastically. I have learned from my children to flex my brain muscles, emotional strength and energies. I continue working on and enjoying "Being" rather than "Doing" all the time, more "Listening" and less "Talking", "Understanding" rather than trying to be "Understood" and just as importantly Not just "Reacting" to Life, but applying a well thought out response to each situation, which goes along with Patience, Patience, Patience! The heaviest of my personal weights and most difficult to lift off of my chest. Check out my trainers below!

Breathing techniques Daddy. Breathe.

Stretch and Exercise like this and like that.

Remember Science of Breath by Yogi Ramacharaka. Breathe.

Why Does Losing Burn So Deep...?

I am annoyed, frustrated at myself, at my team, but mostly at myself. That feeling of having missed an opportunity. Just letting it slip out of your hands. AAAGGHHH! I know it's only a recreational basketball league, but for some reason it doesn't make the bass full effect go away. It's burning my chest with energy. I want to punch and kick and pound and I do, but the satisfaction just lasts a few seconds. Then as I remember WHY I am screaming it ALL comes burning back. The best thing is to get my head away from it, but not until I let out my thoughts and feelings about it.
We should have never been behind in the score. I should have not sat down for the beginning of the second half. When I did sit down, the guard I was defending #3 who was definitely Jeremy Lin (From the New York Knicks) inspired I'm sure for he easily reminded you of the frail Asian body style and messed up hair of Mr Lin scored 7 straight points to go ahead by 5. That broke our momentum. Then we were playing catch up even though the score was tied with about 2 minutes remaining. The same thing happened the last time we played this team. They beat us by 4 in the last couple of minutes. Previous to that we beat them by a margin of about 8. Still, we had to play the fouling game and rush a play, which I wanted to give to Jason, but my weak a$$ pass never made it. It got picked off and then on our next possession Justin got a shot up, but it went off and no foul was called.
Aggressiveness. I said I wanted to be more aggressive and I was throughout the game, driving to the basket for 2-3 buckets, 2 post buckets and a couple of rebounds and put backs in the paint. The Most Important Play when we needed it most in order to at least tie the game and I throw a weak pass as I stared at Jason in the paint. Thinking that ball was going to get there. SO I have to work on my decision making skills. Justin mentioned once that he was wide open to my right, but I forced it into the post on the left. I do realize that when I am looking to make a play on one side I tend to forget about what may develop on the other side. I feel like if it is done right you can make something out of it, but that mentality isn't always there with every team mate. That's why practicing is important and communicating all along. Even though this league was several months long no one ever spoke about the games, strategies, practice etc. We would email but no one really got into it. I mean it was a recreational league. Not that important for most folks. Anyway, I must move on. This thought is tiring me out and I have lots of other exciting things going on, but I don't want to think about it and it creeps back....Round and Round.

Paolo managed to get me thinking about something else and it felt great! I forgot all about the lost recreational playoff game. He went to the potty, saw that it was not aligned, set his target and went number 1 for the first time. Finally! After Ava has been going potty for two weeks already. It's a start though. Then I get some news that my first a cacao seedling I sent to Oklahoma made it safely. That was exciting. More to come. Check out www.TREEcenter.info

Lists, Lists, Lists...

They're the only thing that bring me peace of mind. I truly can not rest worrying that I may have forgotten something, but it also helps in another way too. When I look back at this week for example which seems to fly by like 24 hours do I can actually see on my lists ALL that has been achieved.  Knowing the effort and life energy you put in to a week of your "doings" whatever they may be and then reading and seeing the achievement in the finished tasks and crossed out line items just soaks your senses with that feeling and recognition of accomplishment. Just make sure you have an overall goal in mind of course.
My noteworthy Android app for notes has been AK Notepad by Catch.com, but I ALWAYS have my hand written calender (Daily Calendar by AT-A-Glance). Electronics are supposed to make our lives easier, but really just make life more difficult by making us dependent on them and then they can easily just crash, freeze, delete with one click...UGGHH! Well that's my opinion and experience at least. Just keep progressing and achieving your goals of course!