Saturday, September 22, 2007

Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy

I'm starting to really enjoy this Zen Habits blog!

Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy

Here's a poem from the article:

Be Thankful


Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire,
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something
For it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations
Because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge
Because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary
Because it means you’ve made a difference.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are
also thankful for the setbacks.

GRATITUDE can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles
and they can become your blessings.

~ Author Unknown ~

Habits: Good Tips

Here are two great articles on Habits. They can be applied to any habit you are trying to change:

4 Simple Steps to Start The Exercise Habit

Set Up Habit Changes So It's Hard to Fail

Enjoy.

Making an Incremental Transition to Software Product Line Practice

I found a really intriguing article about a transition to a software product line approach. This transition in many ways mirrors the transition that my current employer is going through. Here are the three parts (it's a fairly quick read):

Part I
Part II
Part III

Here are some interesting quotes:

"
With the sequential approach, after the transition in one area was complete, the need for transition in the next was more clearly illuminated."

"The "people issues" are always the most difficult when imparting change in an organization[7]."

Find Out If Your Computer Is Secretly Connecting to the Web

I found this blog entry on Lifehacker that was both interesting and useful to me. If you are concerned you have malware or some software that is using your computer to connect to the internet, here are a few articles to help you check into it...

Is Your Computer Connecting To Websites Without Your Knowledge

Find Out If Your Computer Is Secretly Connecting to the Web

Lifehacker is an interesting site with tons of productivity tips on various things.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Excellent NYT article on Ayn Rand

I found a great New York Times piece on Ayn Rand. She still beats out Jack Welch!

Here is a quote from the article:

"Last year, bookstores sold 150,000 copies of the book. It continues to hold appeal, even to a younger generation. Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, who was born in 1958, and John P. Mackey, the chief executive of Whole Foods, who was 3 when the book was published, have said they consider Rand crucial to their success."


For those of you who haven't read Atlas Shrugged, you are really missing something great.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Great Vegetarian/Vegan in the Big Apple

This will just be a quick post...

Many of you already know that I am almost a vegan (vegetarian + nothing from a cow, see D'Adamo's book if you want more info on this). My wife and I were in NYC last month and had a chance to have a few meals with a few pseudo-vegetarian friends of ours.

I have two restaurants I want to recommend:

First, is Candle 79. The food was excellent although pricey. It was nice to be able to eat anything on the menu! There was a wide variety of different choices... all the way through desert, including Soy Ice Cream (yum!). My wife isn't a vegetarian, but she enjoyed the meal as well.

Second, is Teany. This is a tiny little restaurant, but the food was great. They have a kitchen the size of a postage stamp, but they are still able to turn out all kinds of vegetarian meals, coffees and teas. This is a good lunch spot.

If you are in Manhattan sometime, check them out!