What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0174

8651.  Some people try to conceal their emotions for one reason or another.  Some do it because they are trying to hide who they really are from other people.  Others may do this because they want to mask their own weaknesses.  Anger is often an emotion that is there to show others strength and will mask the insecurities that they have;

8652.  Anger is sometimes used as an alibi to justify the wrongs that they may be doing.  These people will go and do things that are wrong or inappropriate and then they will say that they only did that because they were angry at the time.  This will only start a habit of always acting violently because whenever someone calls them out on it, they can write it off later with anger as an excuse;

8653.  Anger helps you to feel righteous and makes you think you are morally superior to the other person, but it makes it hard to hold onto responsibilities for your actions;

8654.  Anger is never a result of complete spontaneity.  It is usually rooted in something that is deeper;

8655.  No matter what reason you have for the anger most likely it was born out of an issue that you did not take the time to deal with when it was present;

8656.  Next time you are feeling a little bit angry and like you are about to explode, consider clapping your hands really loudly.  This will shock and distract the brain a little bit and by the time, your feelings of anger can subside gradually until they become manageable, especially if they were brand-new ones.  You can perform any kind of action that you want such as coughing, laughing or even dancing;

8657.  “Scuderia” in Italian translates to “stable” (in English) . . . and it’s associated with auto racing;

8658.  (John Maxwell’s) 6 ways to get beyond yourself: 1.  Quit taking yourself so seriously; 2.  Quit thinking that the world owes you a living; 3.  Quit believing you are indispensable; 4.  Start seeing through other people’s eyes; 5.  Start placing value on others; and 6.  Start understanding your purpose on earth;

8659.  Meyer lemons aren’t (all) that sweet.  They’re like unripe oranges;

8660.  Happy ending . . . check;

8661.  It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up;

8662.  Stress affects everyone.  It’s the body’s way of reacting to change and a reflection of your perception of the demands being placed on your body;

8663.  Despite the negative connotation, stress isn’t inherently bad.  It’s all about our perception of and response to stress;

8664.  When stress is chronic and persistent, it can have a wide range of body-wide effects;

8665.  While short-term stress can boost concentration and alertness, chronic stress literally shrinks the brain and can lead to impaired cognition, anxiety, depression, poor sleep and reduced enthusiasm for activities you typically enjoy;

8666.  While acute stress can enhance the immune system, chronic stress suppresses the immune system making you more susceptible to infection and injury and slows down recovery;

8667.  According to Dr. Thomas Cowan, chronic stress is responsible for the vast majority of heart disease because of its effects on the heart and vascular system (e.g., increased heart rate and increased blood pressure);

8668.  Stress activates the branch of the nervous system that does the exact opposite of the body’s rest-and-digest response.  Chronic stress leads to inhibition of secretions, motility and contractions of sphincters, which can add up to reflux, heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating and nausea and stress has also been shown to disrupt the gut microbiome;

8669.  While individual response to stress varies, many people tend to overeat, make poor food choices and skip out on exercise when under stress;

8670.  There’s evidence that chronic stress can shift the body into a fat-storing mode;

8671.  Chronic stress can be a significant trigger for skin-related conditions, such as acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, and it can also cause hair to fall out;

8672.  According to men’s health expert Dr. Geo Espinosa, stress castrates.  It zaps libido and it sends testosterone levels plummeting;

8673.  In women, stress affects the menstrual cycle (and the duration and intensity of periods) and amplifies the symptoms of menopause;

8674.  Apparently, the Chinese have been using paper for hygiene (i.e., toilet paper) since the 6^th century;

8675.  17 ways to increase your listening (to unlock both your personal potential and relationship potential): 1.  Don’t try to solve people’s problems right out of the gate; 2.  Repeat what someone else is telling you to: A) Make sure you’re understanding; and B) Reassure the person that you’re listening; 3.  Make eye contact; 4.  Check your body language and match it with the emotion of the conversation and the other person talking; 5.  Do not interrupt the other person when they’re talking.  Don’t jump in to finish her/his thought; 6.  Don’t use “nudging” words like “uh-huh;” 7.  Don’t finish people’s sentences.  Don’t talk over them.  And don’t give them words; 8.  Give acknowledging statements after someone is done talking; 9.  Where appropriate, use physical touch to anchor in the emotion; 10.  Use appropriate follow-up questions instead of jumping from one question to another that’s completely irrelevant; 11.  Ask questions of understanding to deepen the conversation; 12.  Don’t project forward what you think the other person is going to say and don’t stop paying attention so you don’t forget the point you think is more important; 13.  Don’t multitask.  And don’t check your e-mail or phone; 14.  Focus on the present and not your upcoming schedule; 15.  Be in the moment and try to meet the other person where they are; 16.  Use words and phrases that the other person seems to be using repeatedly; and 17.  Try to match and mirror the other person’s pace, tone, volume and body language;

8676.  Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved;

8677.  Around 4-5 years old, a bald eagle’s head turns white;

8678.  If you like stuffing, (you might want to) try a toasted, stuffing sandwich;

8679.  The truth is attitude isn’t everything, but it is one thing that can make a difference in your life;

8680.  You cannot disconnect attitude from reality and expect success;

8681.  Your attitude can’t substitute for competence;

8682.  Some people confuse confidence, which is a function of attitude, with competence, which is a function of ability;

8683.  Your attitude can’t substitute for experience;

8684.  Your attitude cannot change the facts;

8685.  Your attitude cannot substitute for personal growth;

8686.  Your attitude will not stay good automatically.  It’s easier to maintain an attitude than it is to regain an attitude;

8687.  The point is that attitude alone isn’t going to cut it.  That doesn’t mean, however, it isn’t (really) important.  Attitude is a key, powerful ingredient in the recipe for success, fulfillment and purpose.  And while your attitude isn’t everything it can do a whole lot for you; as a matter of fact, in many situations, it’s the difference-maker;

8688.  Your attitude makes a difference in your approach to life;

8689.  Your attitude makes a difference in your relationships with people.  It influences how we see others and it determines whether we lift others up or deflate them.  And the right attitude allows us to learn from each person we meet;

8690.  Your attitude makes a difference in how you face challenges;

8691.  Mindfulness and awareness are key to improving an attitude that desperately needs changing;

8692.  No choice will determine the success of changing your attitude more than the desire to change;

8693.  Change your attitude by changing your thoughts.  Attitudes are nothing more than habits of thought;

8694.  Take responsibility for your attitude.  You can’t control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind;

8695.  Not deciding is a choice.  Indecision is choosing not to decide and allowing other forces to control the “controllable” in our lives.  It’s surrendering ourselves to either outcome;

8696.  Choosing indecision on items you generally don’t care about is completely okay, but what’s not okay is consistently pawning off accountability;

8697.  A confident person doesn’t feel a need to prove that s/he’s confident.  A rich person doesn’t feel a need to convince anybody that s/he’s rich.  Either you are or you are not.  And if you’re dreaming of something all of the time then you’re reinforcing the same unconscious reality over and over: that you are not that;

8698.  The key to a good life is not caring about more; it’s caring about less and caring about only what is true and immediate and important;

8699.  The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience.  And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience;

8700.  The more you pursue feeling better all of the time, the less satisfied you become as pursuing something only reinforces the fact that you lack it in the first place.  The more you desperately want to be rich, the more poor and unworthy you feel regardless of how much money you actually make.  The more you desperately want to be sexy and desired, the uglier you come to see yourself regardless of your actual physical appearance.  The more you desperately want to be happy and loved, the lonelier and more afraid you become regardless of those who surround you.  The more you want to be spiritually enlightened, the more self-centered and shallow you become in trying to get there;

What I've learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0173

8601.  (I just realized) Justin Bieber’s uncle-in-law is Jack Donaghy (i.e., Alec Baldwin in “30 Rock”) and his aunt-in-law is a (former) Bond girl (i.e., Kim Basinger as “Domino Petachi” in “Never Say Never Again”) . . . weird;

8602.  Faith is really good for stopping worry and anxiety;

8603.  Beliefs are subconscious and therefore below the level of conscious awareness.  So how will we know if there’s a problem in that area?  It usually shows up in the form of repeated frustrations.  A feeling like you’re trying and trying, but not making much progress.  When that happens, and it’s a pattern, then you know that you have some subconscious belief change work to do;

8604.  Ella Fitzgerald (the American jazz singer) was born in Newport News, Virginia;

8605.  Time is more than money; it’s the currency of life and it’s an irreplaceable resource.  When time is up, it’s gone;

8606.  We can increase many capacities, but there’s nothing we can do to expand, save or manage time.  Time is a fixed resource; the number of minutes in a day, days in a week and weeks in a year all tick away relentlessly in spite of our efforts to control it;

8607.  If we want to get more done, make a greater impact and truly lead a life of significance, we need to increase our energy capacity;

8608.  People who grow to their maximum potential don’t sit back and wait for things to happen; they go out and make things happen and that requires energy;

8609.  When you spend your time doing the things that you care about most, you will find yourself fully charged with energy.  What are the activities that make you say, “I was born to do this?”  That’s your gift zone.  Spend more time there;

8610.  A life of significance is not about having more money and more stuff.  It’s about spending time and creating experiences and memories with the people you care about most;

8611.  When we serve others by providing something that makes their day a little better, we enter what Ed Bastian calls the “virtuous circle.”  We not only draw energy from having done something good for someone else, we also get an energy boost from their response;

8612.  R(eckless)I(nvesting)S(ans)K(nowledge);

8613.  Between (the ages of) 25-40, the number one cause of death for men in the Western world is suicide. . . . After 40, it’s (coronary) heart disease;

8614.  If you constantly break your word to yourself, how can you trust yourself?

8615.  Every time you say you’ll do something, but you don’t you lose trust with yourself;

8616.  The “hero” goes into the darkness to find the light;

8617.  The biggest obstacles to your success is your own self-doubt and laziness;

8618.  It is your self-doubt and laziness that define and limit who you are;

8619.  There is no one in your way except you and your doubts;

8620.  Irrational tendencies typically lead to the types of mental constructs that often promote addiction, avoidance, compulsiveness, procrastination, anxiety, depression, shame, guilt, hurt, anger, self-pity or self-blame;

8621.  The idea that success is the only option as anything else will lead to a loss of social standing, love and affection from your support group and the other good things in your life;

8622.  If failure is seen as the worst possible outcome then, when you find yourself dealing with adversity, you will often find yourself more depressed and prone to greater frequency of anxiety or panic attacks than you may otherwise experience.  This often leads to an overall feeling of worthlessness that makes it difficult or even impossible to complete otherwise minor tasks;

8623.  Ben Franklin started the first mutual (fire) insurance company in the English colonies/future U.S.;

8624.  Top performers understand that getting distracted is human nature.  They accept it’s going to happen and they don’t beat themselves up when it does;

8625.  Indulge distraction then refocus twice as hard;

8626.  Productivity is not simply being busy.  Anyone can (be) and stay busy.  Being productive means moving the ball toward the goal line efficiently and effectively.  Being busy, on the other hand, can mean running around in circles and making no meaningful progress toward your goal;

8627.  Prioritize your work.  Time is a limited commodity and every choice has an opportunity cost.  Productivity hinges on setting priorities;

8628.  Don’t bite off more than you can chew.  Set proper expectations for yourself.  Don’t load up your schedule with a bunch of tasks especially if they’re not important.  Focus on one big ticket item each day;

8629.  Batch your tasks which simply means putting the same tasks together to reduce the transition time of your brain from switching between tasks.  For example, do send and answer all emails during a single block of time.  Make all your phone calls during another block of time;

8630.  Increasing productivity not only means more effectively getting things done, it means having more time for the things that matter most to you and having less stress and more happiness too;

8631.  Everything worthwhile is uphill. . . . Sadly, many people have uphill hopes and downhill habits;

8632.  Nothing that is good in life comes easy. . . . And very little that comes easy is good;

8633.  The (touring) pianist for “The Lumineers” (i.e., Stelth Ulvang) plays barefoot;

8634.  How do you know it’s not your day to hike?  The answer is: When the 4-wheel drive vehicle ahead of you slides on around on the road on the way to the trail;

8635.  Handjob in a cabin hot tub . . . check . . . fingering in a cabin hot tub . . . (double) check . . . sex in a cabin hot tub . . . (triple) check;

8636.  More is lost by indecision than wrong decision.  Indecision is the thief of opportunity.  It will steal you blind;

8637.  Apparently, seniors (seem to) like Cracker Barrel (Old Country Store);

8638.  Fried apples is just apple pie without the crust;

8639.  Your words have the power to both create and destroy.  The words we choose build our own reality and the reality of those around us.  Be thoughtful about what you say.  You have great power in your speech that can unleash a forceful fury that can create, tear down, build, heal or hurt;

8640.  Every time you open your mouth is an opportunity to stay true to yourself and what you value or an opportunity to stray from that path;

8641.  If you’re looking to feed a family of 4 for $5.00 or less a meal, (you might want to) try the recipes at “$5 Dinners” (5DollarDinners.com/recipes)

8642.  Chocolate chess pie tastes like a (fluffier, less dense) brownie;

8643.  Metered parking goes until 10:00 PM (Monday through Saturday) in D.C.;

8644.  Joey Genetti is (pretty) tall;

8645.  According to Lily Kershaw, the dressing rooms at the Pie Shop (PieShopDC.com) in D.C. are glamorous (not really);

8646.  Lily Kershaw is Sansa Stark’s (i.e., Sophie Turner) go-to sad music;

8647.  If you’re interested, you will do what is convenient; if you’re committed, you’ll do whatever it takes;

8648.  Anger can help you to either hide the pain that you are dealing with or it can be used to channel that feeling over to someone else.  It is pretty common that angry people will just lash out because it helps them to let off some steam;

8649.  When people experience something and they think that it is unpleasant, it will often invoke an angry response;

8650.  There are some people who may have gone through a bad experience in the past.  There are some people who are still going through those bad experiences today.  As a means of helping them to deal with these unpleasant times, they always resort to directing their anger towards another person;