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lunaleetarot · 3 years

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Aries 2021 Year Ahead Birthday Spread

Starting from the top clockwise, theme in the middle.

March 2021- King of Wands

This March you will accomplish something within your hobby or a passionate interest. If this doesn’t resonate with you, it could be an important male figure like your father, father-figure or husband. This is a card of pure passion. The King of Wands becomes consumed by the things he wants. You're ready to dive in and excited to learn about the process of achieving your pursuits. There will be a lot of confidence. You will want to be center stage. You’ll have good ideas and want to take charge of others. Now is the time to shake things up, while you're on the cutting edge. You're certain of your convictions and will fight for them until the end. Be careful not to become too dictatorial. The world isn’t black and white. You may be dealing with someone born on the Cancer-Leo Cusp (July 19-25) 2. April 2021- Three of Pentacles

In April you will begin a period of self-development. You will put the talents and skills you were born with to good use. This could mean furthering your education, taking up an apprenticeship or working on your craft. I feel this is likely what you were passionate about last month. This will be something you have natural talent in, so your efforts won’t go unnoticed. This training will pay off in the end. This learning is the start of your journey, not the end. Push yourself during this time. Beware of arrogance, no matter how talented we are at something, we could always fine tune our craft. You may be dealing with someone born on Capricorn second decan (January 3-9)

3. May 2021- Two of Cups

As May flowers bloom, true love will be coming into your life. You receive positive interactions in your life. Your intimate relationship will be on your mind, and if single you will likely meet an interesting person this month. This person has soulmate potential. Even if it isn’t true for your love life, this card means two people sharing close bonds. So it could be a new friend who will become a best friend to you. If you're trying to conceive this card can symbolize twins, but this won’t be true for most of you.

4. June 2021- Five of Wands

Competitions are ahead for you in June. A rivalry will present itself during this time. This may be a friendly competitiveness, not of a very serious nature. This is a sportsmanship card. Other times, these battles can be more harmful. I feel for most of you this will not be a very serious situation. Likely something to do with you honing your craft mentioned above. With this tension you will be presented with an opportunity to prove yourself. Will you sink or swim, Aries? You may be dealing with a Leo here.

5.July 2021- The Empress

This is a card of creation or pregnancy. There’s no denying this card means literal conception. This could be your child or someone close to you like your sister or a friend. If you're in a loving relationship, this will likely lead to a pregnancy of your own. However if a baby is unlikely or impossible, this can also mean an abundant outcome. You could “birth” a new idea or concept. Dark thoughts may be coming out of a dark cave and out into the open. Finances for this month will improve. Try to relax a little and have fun during this hazy summer period.

6.August 2021- Ace of Wands

You’ll be creating something that will have a huge impact this month. This could be a life changing event like a new job or a child. I feel with the Empress above you may get news of a pregnancy, but this won’t be true for all of you. You’ll be enthusiastic about your career opportunities and hobbies if a baby isn’t in store for you. If this is a pregnancy for you, it’s likely this will be a male baby. If this is about a new opportunity be careful not to abandon the project once it isn’t fun anymore.

7. September 2021- Knight of Pentacles

Patience will be needed as summer turns into autumn. This is the slowest moving card of the tarot. I feel like most Aries are the type of people who want everything done yesterday. This card is telling you that you're going to have to slow down and wait. Don’t jump ship on a project because the results aren’t instant. If you stick to it the hard work will pay off. There will likely be an increase in responsibility. It’s likely you will have to take on more burdens at work or home. You may be dealing with someone on the Leo-Virgo cusp (August 19-25).

8. October 2021- Three of Swords

In October, you may be facing some heartache. This Halloween will be an emotionally painful time for you. Your relationship may be falling apart, or something else along those lines. To make matters worse, others will be involved as well. This will be a period of sadness. This card is often a warning of a breakup or divorce. However this could be a temporary break or separation for some of you. This could be due to infidelity. Or some instead of out right cheating, someone new may come along in you or your partner's life that makes you question your relationship. If your relationship is rock solid or your single, someone close to you may start to pull away from you- leaving you feeling betrayed. This is also a card of miscarriage or infertility but that won’t be true for most of you. You may be dealing with a Libra here.

9. November 2021- King of Swords

Logical thinking will be your main concern this November. You will use your brain to get one over on your enemies. Not only will you be quick-witted and sharp, you will likely hold a position of great responsibility. You will be able to hold your own in any argument or debate. A plus with Thanksgiving family dinner around the corner. However court cards can represent other people in your life, so someone else in your life may fit this description. This person may help or hinder a situation you’re in. This person may be harshly judging you. This person is likely a man- and is watching you with great interest. If this doesn’t represent another person it could be a sign you have to separate yourself from your feelings. You must think with your head instead of your heart. You may be dealing with someone born on the Capricorn-Aquarius cusp (January 17-January 22).

10. December 2021- Ace of Cups

Pure and innocent love is coming to you in December. This card usually makes an appearance at the beginning of a relationship. However this card also represents child birth and pregnancy. You will likely have a new beginning after some sort of tragic ending. This card also has to do with food and drink, so you may be going out on a lot of dinner dates with friends or a special someone. This holiday season should be a merry one for you, Aries.

11. January 2022- Seven of Swords

During the new year, someone in your life or yourself may be up to no good. Someone will be spending their time planning drama or conflict. You may have surrounded yourself with people who are not loyal to you. These are people you think are your friend, but they will throw you under the bus the first chance they get. They want something you have and are willing to hurt you to get it. This card can also mean you will get the blame for something you didn’t do. You may try to get away with something that you know you shouldn’t be doing. This can be an affair, scandal or even breaking the law. Lastly, you could be involved in a situation where you tell yourself that everything is fine, but deep down you know you're unhappy. Your self deception will begin to affect you emotionally. You may be dealing with someone born on the Aquarius third decan (February 8-15).

12. February 2022- Ace of Swords

As we move into February, you will get to the source of trouble in your life. This can represent the start of a conflict. You may find out where drama has started in your life. However since we're dealing with an ace here, you will have the opportunity to turn things around. This is an extreme card. You will either experience great love or great hate. Hopefully it’s love with Valentine’s day around the corner. You’ll have extra stamina this month to get tasks done that are needed. Be careful of health treatments or accidents that involve knives or scalpels. Accidents, surgeries or dentists and c-sections are all possible with this card. A situation will progress very quickly at this time.

13. Theme of the Year- Ten of Wands

Burdens are the main theme of this card, and I feel it will be for your year ahead too. You will have to work hard this year, you will have to put in a lot more effort than you ever had to previously. You will be faced with the choice. Are you going to pull up your sleeves and get to work or give up? This card isn’t telling you to go either way- it only serves as a warning. In this case, you have a challenging year ahead Aries. You’ll have a lot on your plate. You may be juggling work, family and your home life. You go to bed at night thinking of all the work ahead of you the next day. Make sure you are finding time to take care of yourself. Stress related illnesses could crop up out of nowhere. I often see this card associated with new parents, Since so many pregnancy cards were pulled in this reading, it’s very likely this could be part of your year. Parenthood is hard and it’s likely you haven’t taken to it as well as you thought you would have. You may also be trying to get a business plan off the ground. It feels as though your pushing and pushing with no end in sight. There is hope to be found in whatever situation you find yourself in this year, you’re struggling now, so you will be cozy later. During the hard times, remind yourself what you're working towards. You may receive help from your mother or a friend. Friends and family may give you some hard truths about your love life and you may want to heed their advice. If you receive work advice from a co-worker in an area you're struggling in, take it to heart. Don’t be afraid to seek advice from multiple people you trust. Fortune is on your side, but you're going to have to work your tail off to get it!

#aries #happy birthday #year ahead #birthday spread #fire signs #tarot #tarot reader #luna lee tarot #zodiac

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decadentrpg-blog · 5 years

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WELCOME NAT, YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF JENO CHANG

Admins Note: My favorite little trickster, you’ve done a great job sculpting him. I love the pain that resides in the smile behind his eyes, how he evolved from his past into becoming the person he is now. Your app does a wonderful job portraying a rite of passage: the motif of growing up and youthful nostalgia - brilliant. I could feel the heartache of his loss and the quiet pressures he stifles upon himself while still smiling always in front of people. Lovely work! Your faceclaim request for Dylan Wang has been approved. Congratulations on your acceptance again, please make sure to head your way to the checklist and submit your account within the next 24 hours!

Out of Character

Name / Alias: Nat Pronouns: She/her Age: 21 Timezone: GMT+1

In Character Application

Full Name: Jeno Chang Sexuality: Heterosexual Gender/Pronouns: Cis-male, he/him Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw

BACKGROUND SNIPPETS !

I. THE CHANG FAMILY

Acknowledgement, respect, success – Jeno was born into a family whose foundations were built on those values. Though not quite as renowned as other families, their kin was smart. The Changs were mostly comprised of people who highly appreciated academics. Whereas some of them became talented aurors, knowledgeable teachers or brilliant writers, the majority evidently pursued jobs within wizarding governing bodies. In a nutshell, they were busy, hard-working wizards and witches who followed a set standard and way of life. That they happened to be pureblood and wealthy was just a convenient bonus, really. His parents weren’t an exception to this tradition, nor was his older brother.

II. ROLE MODEL

Lei, who was two years older than Jeno, had always been his biggest source of inspiration and strength. Although their family favored him over his older brother ever since they’d learned that he was ridiculously smart – a prodigy, even – Lei was always so much brighter and better in his eyes. He’d always admired him for his iron will, his determination to study what he didn’t understand or to practice a skill although he undeniably sucked at it. He always accomplished his tasks in a timely manner, too. In comparison, darling Jeno had never found himself struggling – reading and understanding came to him as easily as breathing, he never put much effort or passion into the things that he did because he didn’t have to. It ultimately cultivated a hint of laziness in him.

III. HOGWARTS & DREAMS

His life as a student, in England no less, was unproblematic: He scored good grades, not because they were particularly important to him, but for the sake of pleasing his parents and making his brother proud. Truthfully, he was never genuinely interested in academics himself. Rather, he was someone who was extremely carefree. Not being under the careful watch of his family allowed him more leeway and freedom to be as he was; more naughty than well-mannered and snarky to boot.

Despite his bright intellect, which they loved him for, Jeno ironically embodied everything that went against his family’s ideals. He didn’t desire power nor the security that a responsible office job could offer him. He wanted his future to be riddled with excitement and yearned for a lifestyle that was challenging, but most of all? Fun. Fashion, for one, was something which had always intrigued him; it wasn’t something which was subject to the rigidness of reason – but to the whims of creativity.

He never dared to divulge anything of this to his family though, aware of the expectations that his parents had for him and that he was too young to bear the consequences. He deemed the topic not worth it, as it would only ruin the little time they had whenever he returned home for the holidays. His plan was to reveal his true intentions to them after he had graduated.

IV. THE PROMISE - tw ; death

Approximately two years before his graduation at Hogwarts however, he received a letter from home which stated that his brother had gotten gravely sick. Lei had been born with a weak immune system and had always been prone to illnesses. He’d suffered throughout that year’s winter term without ever expressing any of it to Jeno in his letters, out of care for him so he could focus on school. They only notified him a few days before Lei died so that the brothers could spend them together.

Lei’s death scarred Jeno for several reasons. One: He loved his brother more than anyone else. Two: Before Lei died, the two had shared a heartfelt conversation which was about Jeno’s happiness. Since Jeno had never found the right moment to share his actual dreams and hopes for the future with him, that he didn’t want to step into their parents’ footsteps, he promised Lei that he would make them proud, who in turn told him that he wished him all the best and only success. Do what I couldn’t.

The following two years, Jeno’s bright personality dimmed significantly; he took his time to grieve. And because he was intent on keeping his promise to his brother, he threw himself into his studies like he’d never before – it also helped him, in a way, to distract himself from the pain. Eventually, at the age of 18, he returned to live with his parents with nothing short of impeccable results.

V. TRICKSTER

Jeno detested the idea of perfection. It didn’t give any room to flaws, improvement or change – to him, it was nothing in the broad sense of things because his own genius was very much the same, perfect, and it was wretched boring. Boredom alone wasn’t the reason why he became the awfully playful character that he is today though, it merely encouraged his already fun-loving personality to do and be more. He’d always been fond of playing pranks and showing off his sharp wits. Plus, he loves a good practical joke more than anything else. Think of him like this: He was that boy at school who’d smuggled a bucket of harmless snakes into the girls’ restroom and waited outside in time to hear their mortified shrieks. Also the boy who’d poured hair dye into his roommate’s shampoo and ended up laughing uncontrollably on the floor when they stepped out of the shower with bright pink curls.

Fast forward to when the game will take place, at 22, Jeno is still a prankster at heart, no doubt. He still loves it to tease others whenever he can, to ruffle their feathers whenever possible, the only difference being that his cheeky smiles have lost their innocent charm. Now, they also serve the purpose to hide and deceive.

In terms of a theme, his story centers around the choice between tradition and living one’s own life, while coming to realize that one’s personal decisions affect more than one person in the long run. As of right now, Jeno is a coward who hides behind the promise that he’s made to his brother all those years ago. Yet if you re-read the headcanon, notice how Lei never elaborated on his last words to Jeno? What was he supposed to do that Lei was never able to do himself? To live the life of a successful businessman? Or to die without regrets?

VI. OCCUPATION

He works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which is the largest department in MACUSA.

In Character Paragraph

Removed upon request

Extras: His zodiac sign is pisces and his patronus is an otter.

#lsrpg #lsrp #hprp #hprpg #harry potter rp #accepted

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b-radley66 · 3 years

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Descriptiveness of Characters

I’m working on improving my ability to paint a picture of my characters for reading. Kind of a long scene, but I’d love comments on how I did, with both physical description of one of the characters, as well as some character traits and background.

Alderaan

Draq’ Bel Iblis smiles as the young woman gets out of the landspeeder with the Organa family crest on it. His heart seizes as his eyes fall on her crimson skin and her slightly similar features to the center of his universe. A slightly older face, but no one except maybe another Zeltron would be able to tell her age.

Draq’ rises from the small curbside table, the smile growing on his craggy features. He holds out both hands as Alyysina Faygan’ii na Torstan’ii’s face is creased by a wide smile, her tiny overbite making it seem even wider. He gazes at her wide-set dark amber eyes, just before he pulls her against his chest. He rests his chin in her brown-streaked blue hair.

She doesn’t know that he knows why she had those brown streaks, a color not usually found in full-blooded Zeltrons. Unlike his daughter, Dani, whose hair was mainly made up of the chestnut color, with the blue streaks of her mother.

Sina had seen how other children on Zeltros had teased Dani for the odd-colored hair. Without hesitation, Sina had poured a bottle of hair color that she had found somewhere over her head in the shower, giving herself that same color, at least for awhile, to the chagrin of her mother and father. She’d kept a bit of it since them, diligently refreshing the streaks that had remained into her natural color.

He’d never been able to tell her how much he had appreciated that simple gesture. He grins against her hair. Of course, both young women had tormented each other relentlessly, from what he’d been told by Alyys, Dani’s mother. But no one else was allowed to.

Draq’ breathes in the scent of her hair, comprised of a mixture of citrus and floral oils, that somehow mixes and clothes her with an entrancing accompaniment to her gift as a Zeltron—the empathic resonance. One that he was sure had been kept under wraps in her visit to the palace for an audience with Queen Breha.

Along with somewhat subdued clothing for her people. A smart pantsuit in gray with a subdued purple stripe. Of course, in keeping with Zeltron traditions of showing their bodies wherever possible, there was no shirt under the blazer, which was only held closed only by a gold chain.

The trousers as well are extremely low slung on her narrow hips. He pushes her away to gaze into her large eyes. In the times that he’d met Dani’s cousin, he’d always been struck by her life and her vitality. With a curious nature that had made her a sought-after surgeon and talented healer, with a powerful, rarely occurring healing resonance, in addition to the empathic gift that all Zeltrons possessed.

There is still that life in her eyes, but there is also a shadow of something else there. A haunting look of loneliness, of a self-imposed exile. An exile born of a political choice she had made as a member of one of the ruling bodies of the Capitoline Council. A choice that had been the right one, but one that could’ve had a serious impact on the political futures of her heart-bonds—the current Zoetarch, or head of state, and the current Senator, who would soon stand for Zoetarch, as Boman Torstan’ii would be term-limited, at least for a full two-terms, before he could stand again to be selected by his people’s combined resonances.

Draq’ shakes his head, then pulls her in to place his lips on her warm forehead. He reaches down and touches the cluster of silver candlewick leaves on the lapel of her coat, with the standard galactic symbol for the medical profession on it. He smiles gently and nods. “The Order of Eustatia,” he says. “For achievements in medicine. They don’t just hand those out for showing up, love.”

“Oh, I think it was just laying around, abeeyah-trah’na,” she says in her light voice. His eyebrows rise at the use of the Zeltri words. Father’s brother by bonding.

He rolls his eyes, then turns and pulls her gently to his table. A server droid had been about to clean it off, when he caught sight of Draq’s glare.

“My family—my niece Ala Gainsefield, and her daughter are more grateful for your research than any bauble could show, even one from Breha Organa. You saved Ala. You gave Jamelyn her mother back.” He looks away at the slightly busy late-afternoon sidewalk. “You helped keep my nephew in the fight,” he continues in a lowered voice. “I’m not sure Jamelyn would’ve continued as Elector-Presumptive.”

It is her turn to shift her gaze away from his, down to the menu screen. He knows that like his daughter, her metabolism needs thousands of calories to maintain itself. She makes her selection, then looks up him.

“I appreciate the words, Dragon,” she says evenly, “but I wasn’t the only one. Dek Antilles and Hegridhara led the way.”

“Yeah. But you were in the field, girl,” he says. “You risked your life on Serenno, with those factions that were against you and the others.” He grins. “Of course, you picked up some skills along the way from my daughters of chaos. Skills you can’t use in polite company.”

She joins his laughter. “I’m going to turn forty next year, Draq’. I thank you for the ‘girl’ comment.”

He sobers for a moment as their food arrives. He waits for her to tuck in to the meat pastry she had ordered. She demolishes it quickly, but with impeccable manners.

“But you didn’t meet me here to congratulate me on my award,” she says, sipping her wine.

“Very perceptive. Just like your cousin, love.” He takes a sip of his own. “You may have heard, now that you’re a part of this little social club of Dani’s and Bryne’s, about what they’ve been trying to do with Nar Kanji, both to ease the plight of the slaves there, as well as gain valuable intel on the Syndicates.”

Sina nods. “I was on the expedition in the Graft on Serenno in which my guide turned out to be looking for the Defiance,” she says. “When I was looking for a cure for Ala.”

He nods. “Well we’re about to start in earnest. But there may be a side benefit to our chaos and mayhem. Something that would need your medical expertise and proven research skills, as well as your, well, harder skills.”

“Well, I just stumbled on a lot of stuff on Serenno. I don’t really have the temperament for research. I feel like I can contribute more by keeping your dumbasses alive and repairing the extra holes they find themselves with.”

Draq’ laughs. “Point taken. But I think this could be galaxy changing, if it’s true. A true breakthrough in bacta efficiency.”

He knows that he has scored points with those words, something that Dek Antilles was now working on in the vast arboreal forest of Serenno, the Graft. While marveling with his lover, Dav Kolan, over the newborn baby daughter with dark eyes and a mop of dark hair, carried to term and borne by Rhose Zan Arbor, their assistant and extra bodyguard.

Draq’ takes a breath, then lifts her left hand between his, rubbing it easily. “Sina, I’m determined to bring relief to those people on Nar Kanji. My father was once a slave there. My nephew and daughter, as well as Dani, Nola, and Meglann, plus that one whose name we can’t speak in public, may have a way to help them. So that the songs of their children shall never sound in slavery again. If this find is bonafide, it would go a long way to helping their lives.”

He looks away as her eyes soften at his words. She reaches up and eases her much warmer hand on his cheek.

“You had me at mayhem,” she says, a grin similar to one he’d seen on the faces of his son and daughters of chaos, that he had just listed. She drops her hand and gets up. He rises with her. “I’ve got to get back to my hotel. The Queen and her consort have invited me to some reception of some sort. I need to prepare myself to stand against the wall and watch everybody, since Dani and the others have been teaching me what to look for, beyond everybody trying to enrich their pockets or get various parts of their bodies to join.”

Draq’ nods. “I’ll send someone with more of the particulars. You can always say no. Plus it’ll probably be a month from now before we can get everything in order.”

His lips tingle with her goodbye kiss. As he watches her walk away, Draq’ Bel Iblis realizes how much he misses Dani and the others.

#adventures in fanfic writing #the usual gang of idiots-original characters #star wars #in between the stories you know

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saltysunberry · 6 years

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Luck and Key characters!

Hello, Sunberry here! It's been two weeks since I uploaded Demo Version 1.0, and while I finish my assignments from uni, I thought I'd introduce the main four from Luck and Key. I've been writing down improvement notes to tackle for Version 1.1, but I would gladly appreciate any feedback! See something else that doesn't work (refer to my last devlog's bug list for current anomalies)? Maybe my writing is a little rushed? Please let me know! :)

I originally thought it would be good to keep the characters shrouded in mystery as I develop the game, but that won't help if you haven't played the demo. Plus, character introductions are important and fun! So far, the art assets I've made are placeholders. I like how they looked and showcased my consistent style, but I can definitely do better.

Here are my initial scans before I digitized them!

I was running short on time when I developed my sprites, so I don't have several sketches like you would expect in a proper character design session. Soon though. I want different poses for every expression, so I'll be working on sketching them in different POVs and angles.

Without further ado, here are the main four!

RIDGE

Ridge is based off of several of my favourite characters. As I mentioned in my first devlog, I wanted a protagonist who's a bit of a recluse, but not your typical dysfunctional shut-in. His hobbies include solving puzzles and building models, playing board games and embroidery. When I was looking for names, I immediately liked the sound of Ridge. There's nothing too special about it, but if you look at it metaphorically, it's like he's meant to overcome whatever obstacle is thrown at him. Ridge: a chain of hills and mountains, a narrow hilltop or mountain range. It's perfect!

Ridge doesn't like company all that much. This fact will become extremely crucial later on (lorewise anyway :D) Despite this, he's not incapable of socializing - he simply doesn't prefer it. Often times, he fails at keeping conversations because he doesn't know what to say to the other party. To strangers, this may come off as incredibly rude, and his appearance adds to the stigma that he is a scary individual. Nevertheless, he's truly good-natured, and he understands his own shortcomings.

ZALE

The loyal knight, amicable friend and sidekick. Zale is Ulrich's personal advisor, older-brother figure and childhood friend. He was born in Valleste Territory, a nearby ally of Parzden, and he's extremely good at fighting with a rapier. He's industrious, sweet and physically strong, but his sense of humour is of another generation. Zale's job is to mentor Ridge - he makes sure he gets to classes on time, he guards him whenever they leave the Manor, and he often helps the servants with cooking and cleaning. Because of his extroverted personality. he can be a little too blunt and fanatical... not to mention he is clingy and gets jealous really easily.

Artwise, his pose is sort of awkward. I'm happy with his colour scheme, but I have to change that seriously weird stance. I wanted him to have long hair and freckles as key features of his design. He wears an important Vallestin charm in his left ear.

CLEO

Cleo is Ridge's second cousin from his mother's side. He is heir to the Earl and Countess of Salicem Territory, a desert region southeast of Blenco Territory. You could say he is overly confident because of his noble upbringing, which he justifies through his musical and magical talent. Like Zale, Cleo is competitive and goal-driven. He doesn't believe in bragging about one's achievements.

Appearance wise, he is pretty. He's stylish and very proud of his Salicean bloodline. Both Cleo and Salicem hold significant motifs from Egypt, like the ankh, the golden colour scheme and fancy jewellery. Cleo and Ridge get along rather well, with Cleo respecting his cousin's boundaries and offering to challenge him in puzzles and board games. In return, Ridge finds him beautiful fabrics and clothes from Parzdenian markets or buys him delicious desserts.

Last of the four, my favourite gal Safiya. For a spirit, she's a massive dork. She's incredibly superstitious and adventurous; often on the lookout for Sylphs like herself. Safiya can float in midair, and though her Ice Magia is superb, it can be a lot better. She's Ridge's go-to person for the rare times he needs to talk about something.

In terms of personality, I wanted Safiya to have spunk and charm. While Zale offers protection and Cleo offers wisdom, Safiya offers Ridge the emotional support he needs. Her experience with Magia, one of Ridge's weaknesses, reassures and inspires him to be better. And what better way is there to prank people than to pop up out of nowhere and give them a good scare? Safiya likes having fun, is able to listen and help those who need her and is surrounded by people who will remember her and help her find her kind in return.

Question: Will there be more characters in Luck and Key?

Besides the main four, there will be Ridge's parents, the Luchesse servants and Ridge's very important grandmother. However, the main four will be my current focus in terms of this game. I've got so much planned, including expanding their backstories and mapping out Blenco Kingdom's several territories.

What do you think? Artwise and lorewise, do you have any queries or comments? Let me know!

#long post #luck and key #sunberry updates #character design #game development #progress report 5 #progress report #visual novel #character introduction

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the-sapphire-general · 7 years

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My Thoughts and Feelings About Sephiroth (Part 2)

There was originally going to be just one part about what I think and feel about Sephiroth, but it turns out I have more to say than I thought I did. You can say I'm passionate about Sephiroth. Not a day goes by without at least thinking about him several times. Lol Anyway, if you haven't read my previous post, here's the link because I will describe things I have said in the first part in more detail.

My Thoughts and Feelings About Sephiroth (Part 1)

As I mentioned before, I can identify with Sephiroth. At first I didn't consider him an idol considering how different we are, but I realized about the similarities we have, even if those similarities can be different. I hate mentioning my former friend, but she used to be someone that took advantage of me, a lot of the time without my knowledge. So I know how Sephiroth must have felt after discovering that everyone lied to him about his origins. Now his situation was extreme compared to mine, but the key thing is we were both betrayed somehow. It's difficult to handle, and we both took it hard, with Sephiroth taking it farther than me. Betrayal, whether big or small or somewhere in between the two, isn't pleasant, especially if those who betray you are people you thought you could trust. I know what that's like, and it's not an easy thing to just brush off as if it were nothing.

To further prove how Sephiroth and I are similar is our personality traits. For starters, we are both quiet. Now it's hard to tell online if someone is shy or outgoing, but believe me, I'm one quiet girl. I'm real timid in real life. I don't think Sephiroth was timid, and I bet he was just sheltered growing up. Be honest. Hojo sucked as a father, and Sephiroth wasn't treated like a human being. So Sephiroth may have been socially awkward, which can appear as timidity or coldness. I'm timid and I can get a bit anxious, but I hide it really well. I'm not a social butterfly, and neither is Sephiroth, but that doesn't mean I'm purposefully ignoring others. It's just I'm not good at socializing. I am socially awkward myself and people have to get to know me to know the real me. Others saw Sephiroth as cold and distant, but they didn't even try to get to know him. Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos saw past this and became his friends. Sadly others see me as cold and distant as well, and to be honest it hurts. I bet it bothered Sephiroth as well. Or maybe he didn't care, I don't know. I'll believe that it did bother him. Of course, despite our shortcomings, Sephiroth and I do have friends (well, Sephiroth used to have friends). I may struggle to be social, but I can bond with others. I mean, hello! I have my boyfriend, his friends, my family, my own friends, and my online friends. Sephiroth had a few close friends, but at least it's something. Angeal and Genesis. I swear, if things didn't get so screwed up, they would have been best friends forever. Heck, Zack could have been a great friend to Sephiroth if he was given the opportunity. In a way, they could have helped Sephiroth back in Nibelheim, but the damage is already done.. What I'm trying to say is I understand this real well because I've been there. It just makes me want to give Sephiroth a hug and possibly a kiss to comfort him and let him know that I care. Though he might be annoyed by my affection. Lol

The next similarity we have is we're intelligent. Unfortunately a lot of people don't see me as intelligent, but Sephiroth's intelligence is what has me striving to prove to others that I am all while improving my own intelligence. They just see me as a girl with average intelligence and I was once accused of being an idiot. I wonder if Sephiroth had naysayers always doubting him. Looks can be deceiving. I'm not what others claim that I am, and it's annoying. This brings me to my next point. When Sephiroth was still part of SOLDIER, others might have perceived him as so many things, which includes being cold and distant and such. I've said this already, but this isn't just assuming that someone is cold or timid or whatever personality trait. It's about others assuming things about others that may be false. Sephiroth didn't consider himself to be better than everyone else (prior to Nibelheim of course). Heck, he didn't even show interest in fame to the point that he allowed Genesis to take it, possibly unaware that he was jealous of him. Maybe he tried to do that to ease his jealousy. Though Genesis should have handled his jealousy better. Before you assume anything about a person, either get to know the person or keep it to yourself until you see who they really are. Otherwise, it can be damaging to them. It was to Sephiroth. Something tells me all those soldiers had mixed opinions about Sephiroth, many of them potentially formed out of false assumptions and simple ignorance. Okay I'm getting too deep into this due to my own personal experiences, so I will switch to the next similarity.

Sephiroth and I hate certain people. How else can I explain my former friend that I have mentioned plus other people? Although Sephiroth took it to an extreme and hates everyone, I can still relate. Now it doesn't mean I will be as destructive and cruel as Sephiroth, but I can relate. Everyone at ShinRa treated Sephiroth like an experiment without his knowledge. He was never told about his origins. He never knew his parents. Then again, never finding out that Hojo is his father is a blessing (unless he somehow found out already?). He was deceived and manipulated ever since the day he was born. Correction, he was manipulated BEFORE he was born! He has the right to hate those who mistreated him. However, that doesn't justify any of the horrible things he did. Now my case is nothing compared to Sephiroth's since I was simply deceived by certain people, but my dislike for them is reasonable. Seriously, who would be able to let someone pretend to be your friend only to harm you emotionally and verbally, try to control you, spread lies about you, and basically destroy you? That's what my former friend did, and I hate her. All the bullies I've encountered throughout school? I hate them too. But that doesn't mean I would try to hurt them back because that wouldn't make me any better than them. I was given one opportunity to tell off my former friend online after I cut off contact for years. I told her to get well because she was sick, but she was getting better. She insulted me, not directly, but she did imply it. I was furious. But what did I do? I kept my mouth shut, told her to have a good life, and bid her farewell. Telling her everything that she made me feel and how much I loathe her would have only caused trouble, and the last thing I need is for her to stalk me online or try to pick a fight with me since she's freaking insane. She got angry over tiny things, physically assaulted someone just for being rude, as in getting into a conversation between the skank and someone else. Like what the fuck?! She could have told him to wait until she was finished. She was not psychologically well in my opinion, but I'm not one to confirm it because I'm not a psychologist. I thought she had changed but I was wrong. All my suspicions I had about her have been confirmed. Everything. And I vowed to never speak to her ever again. So Sephiroth and I may have handled our hate differently, but it still counts as something we have in common. Looking back, I see Sephiroth as an extreme version of my hate, anger, and pain, making me picture what I would have been like if I had taken it too far. It's a bit terrifying for me to imagine, and I am glad that I have more good inside me.

Now the next thing is something that still affects me to this day, and it's this. Sephiroth and I have felt like we were different, that we didn't belong anywhere. Having an identity crisis isn't fun, and Sephiroth is proof of that. He's not like everyone else. He's the only one with long silver hair and green cat-like eyes, he's part-alien, he's the strongest of all, and he always felt different because of this. I feel like I'm different because I'm not as outgoing as many people, I get worried about what others think of me, I'm not as confident in myself and my talents, and people don't pay attention to a wallflower like me. So I'm trying to improve myself and find my own place where I belong. Sephiroth found his, albeit in a rather dark way, but I have yet to find myself. But I know I will soon, and I have loved ones who can help me.

With all of this that I've said so far, Sephiroth means a lot to me. He means a lot to me more than I thought, and just by typing this, I'm realizing that he's a character that I love and admire in the exact same level as Sonic the Hedgehog. And as silly as it may sound, I get defensive when others talk smack about my favorite fictional characters like Sephiroth. Why? Because he's someone that I can identify with, regardless of the myriad of contrasting characteristics that we have. Opposites attract!

Now what else I wish to talk about related to Sephiroth...Well, there's his current self. I can hear those that say he's a cruel bastard that will kill you at first glance in milliseconds. My boyfriend and his friends think so. Well, you know what? It's bullshit. If that were true, then why didn't he kill Zack, Tifa, and Cloud immediately? Why didn't he kill Cloud and his team right away during numerous points in the game (other than the fact he needed Cloud to get the Black Materia for him)? Because he's not just a one-track mindless killing machine! This may be an unpopular opinion, but really, Sephiroth doesn't go just "Kill kill kill! Stab stab stab!". You kiss him on the cheek, stab. You compliment him on his looks, stab. You try to join him in his cause, stab. You try to have small talk, STAB! It's boring, predictable, and annoying. Do you really think I would do that on my Sephiroth blog? I would have grown tired of it! I deleted the posts about this, but do you want to know how many characters, users, or whatever I've had Sephiroth kill in roleplays???........One. That's right. One, a character that a friend roleplays as here on Tumblr, in a span of....a year-and-a-half, I think? If I had followed the "logic" of Sephiroth the utterly mindless killing machine and does nothing else, I would have had him impale over 1000 characters, users, anons, etc., maybe 10,000. You get my point.

This sort of thing strips everything about Sephiroth. He's cunning, arrogant, and manipulative, so of course I would have to implement that in his interactions if I want him to harm or kill a character, for example. And in some cases, I portray Sephiroth as just being intimidating, mistrustful, and bitter towards characters. In others, he is intrigued by who he's talking to, and he shows a range of emotions (as long as they fit him). I make him multidimensional. Really, try portraying Sephiroth as just a killing machine and nothing else and see how long it takes for you to get tired of taking out tons of people's muses in split seconds. I'm sorry if this portion became somewhat of a rant but it has been bugging me. Moving on to another Sephiroth subject.

Ahhhh, the theories. I almost forgot about them. Let's see, the lab rat theory is kind of possible, but ShinRa didn't blatantly abuse him. Otherwise, Sephiroth would have had serious psychological issues prior to Nibelheim. If he had endured severe physical and psychological abuse, he wouldn't be calm and collected. Of course he was abused to a degree, but the thing is he didn't know he was abused. He had no idea ShinRa used him as just a tool. That's clever of them. Cruel and despicable, but clever. They had to be discreet or else Sephiroth would have questioned their motives early on or tried to get away from them. Sephiroth was their puppet, which does explain why he referred to Cloud as his puppet. If others manipulated him to screw him over, he will do the same back at them. Sephiroth basically gave them a taste of their own medicine. Unfortunately, he takes it out on the whole planet. Think about it, though. He was deceived and manipulated by others, and this is his way of showing others that he will never allow himself to be controlled by anyone anymore. And this brings me to the next theory.

Jenova possessing Sephiroth is a famous theory and I don't blame people for believing and supporting this. I confess that I used to believe this theory as well, but as I looked back at the events of Crisis Core and Final Fantasy 7, it doesn't make sense. First of all, after being used by an evil company his entire life, why would Sephiroth allow himself to be controlled by an alien that arrived to the Planet millennia ago? Yes, he was at the library at ShinRa Manor for a week reading endlessly about his origins without sleeping, and possibly eating or drinking anything. Obviously that must have left him vulnerable, but I don't believe Sephiroth would have been brainwashed easily. He was controlled by ShinRa, and he wasn't going to allow anyone else to control him again, especially Jenova. Sephiroth was the one who controlled her, not the other way around. If Jenova had gained control, that would undermine Sephiroth's reputation as the main antagonist of FF7. He is the villain, the real villain, not Jenova. Sephiroth burned down Nibelheim. Sephiroth killed many people. Sephiroth killed Aeris (or Aerith) in FF7. Sephiroth summoned Meteor to injure the Planet in order to absorb its life stream to become a god. Sephiroth created the Remnants to achieve his goal to claim the Planet as his own, become an unstoppable god, and bring despair to those who stand in his way. It's all Sephiroth. And besides, Jenova is a parasite. I doubt she would have planned all of this before trying to destroy the planet. I also doubt she's even alive. Sephiroth is the master of his ongoing desire to take back what he believes is his planet, conquer it as a god, and destroy anyone who stands in his way.

Alright then, this post has gone long enough. Now I'm not sure if this is all I have to say about Sephiroth. Well, I assumed that I did’t have much else to say in the previous post, and look! Here's another one. I like doing this sort of thing. It makes me feel good and I just love Sephiroth. I could go on forever if I want, but I’ll end it here. I hope you liked this and if there’s any more things that I haven’t said here, I’ll make sure to do a third part.

#sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #part 2

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ncmagroup · 4 years

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by Samantha McLaren

For talent and HR professionals, Millennials have been the hot-button topic of discussion for a long time. But as that generation inches closer to middle age (the oldest Millennials are already in their late 30s), Generation Z (aka Gen Z) has quickly replaced them under the microscope.

Born roughly between 1995 and 2015, Gen Z accounts for 32% of the global population in 2019. By 2020, they’ll make up 24% of the workforce. And as they start entering the workforce in large numbers, it’s vital to know how to hire them effectively.

The oldest members of Gen Z are already hard at work, so we’ve had a chance to see what makes them tick. This generation has already proven themselves radically different from their Millennial predecessors, so the same hiring strategies might not work for them.

To help you develop your playbook for hiring Gen Z, here’s everything you need to know about who they are and what they want from a job — plus what they can bring to your company.

Gen Z is tech-savvy

It’s no surprise that as a whole, Gen Z is more tech-savvy than any other generation. After all, they’re digital natives, so they feel perfectly comfortable using the internet as a tool for work, research, and connecting with others. They grew up learning online etiquette in the same way that previous generations learned table manners. In fact, a recent survey of 12,000 Gen Z teens revealed that 91% say the technology offered by an employer would influence their job choice if faced with similar employment offers.

Gen Z also grew up watching the meteoric rise of social media giants like Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter, so it’s no wonder they view these platforms as an integral part of daily life — both personally and professionally. Snapchat is the preferred social media platform for Gen Z teens, with 41% naming it as their favorite. Instagram comes a close second, being favored by 35% of teens.

What this means for you: Reboot your online presence

If your company’s online presence leaves a lot to be desired, this can turn Gen Zers away. A poor user interface and buggy software can give Gen Z candidates the impression that your organization is out of touch and behind the times. So if your website is slow to load or not optimized for mobile, or your application process has a tendency to glitch out, it’s time to give it a tune-up or else risk a high drop-out rate among this talent pool.

Your social media strategy may also need an upgrade. According to a recent study, Facebook is the most visited website across all age groups — except Gen Z. That doesn’t mean you should neglect your Facebook presence altogether, just that you should consider diversifying the channels you use to source, post ads, and share employer branding content. If your company doesn’t already have Instagram and Snapchat accounts, it’s worth signing up.

Also, keep an eye on online reviews and feedback about what it’s like to work at your company. This will help you understand how Gen Z perceives your brand and will go a long way toward getting ahead of any questions or concerns they may have about working for you. Bear in mind, this is a generation for which shopping on Amazon is more normal than visiting a brick-and-mortar store. That’s taught them not to make any big decisions without reading a few reviews first — a habit that translates to their job search too.

Gen Z is risk-averse

Gen Z is significantly more risk-averse than previous generations, likely stemming from growing up during a period of economic uncertainty and unrest. The majority of Gen Zers entering the workforce today were children or teenagers at the height of the Great Recession of 2008. For many, this period of major economic decline affected their families on a deep and personal level, fundamentally impacting their worldview.

As a result, this is a generation that tends to look for employers who can offer stability, security, and opportunities for growth. One recent survey of 1,000 Gen Zers found that the top career goal among this group is to work in a role where they feel stable and secure, with 40% in agreement. The same survey found that 69% would rather have a stable job than one they were truly passionate about, and 36% are worried about getting stuck in a position that doesn’t offer chances for growth.

What this means for you: Emphasize job security and growth opportunities

Cool office perks like ping pong tables and nap pods were all the rage for a few years, but those days may be coming to an end. Flashy perks mean nothing to Gen Z if a company isn’t catering to their basic needs — like providing good health coverage, paid time off, and clear opportunities for growth and development.

Since Gen Z is focused on financial stability and responsibility, aspects of the compensation package that might seem dry can actually be big selling points for them. This includes a 401K program, student loan repayment scheme, or other initiatives aimed at helping employees get a firm handle on their finances. In a 2018 survey, 35% of Gen Z respondents said they plan to start saving for retirement in their 20s, and 12% (many of them teens) had already started, so perks like these can be smart recruiting tools.

Talking candidly about their career path and helping them understand what learning opportunities are available can also build trust and help them envision a long-term trajectory at your company. Gen Z is very aware of the way workforce needs are changing — 62% believe technical hard skills are changing faster than ever and 59% don’t think their job will exist in the same form 20 years from now — so showing your company is invested in learning and skills development is a good way to win them over.

Gen Z is independent

Gen Z cares about autonomy and independence, and this mindset is reflected in the way they work. The internet has given them access to thousands of years of collective knowledge, and they’re much more accustomed to Googling things rather than asking for advice.

More than any previous generation, Gen Z also understands that alternatives to the traditional 9-to-5 job exist and are viable options. The majority (84%) view a healthy work-life balance as a priority — but as you’ll see in a moment, they’re also willing to be flexible in return. They want to advance their careers, and they’ll work hard to make it happen.

What this means for you: Focus on flexibility and ownership

Offering more freedom and flexibility in a job can be highly attractive to Gen Z candidates. Half of Gen Zers say flexibility is a priority when choosing a job, so be sure to highlight this throughout the hiring process and be open to remote work options

Since working independently is just as important to Gen Z as setting their own schedule, talk in-depth about the kind of projects they’ll have ownership over and show them the responsibility that comes with the role.

Gen Z is competitive

Gen Zers know what they want and are willing to work hard to get it. While the Millennial generation is extremely team-oriented, Gen Z relishes a little healthy competition — thanks in part, once again, to their experience growing up in a recession. As Jonah Stillman, author of Gen Z @ Work and a Gen Zer himself puts it: “We’re looking to compete a bit more … We saw the downfall of the economy. We saw our parents struggle so much at home. … so as we enter the workforce, money is very, very important to us.”

Gen Z’s competitive side doesn’t just fuel their drive to receive promotions and raises. Feeling seen and appreciated in the workplace is something most Gen Z employees strive for. They seek out feedback — with 97% saying they’re receptive to receiving it on an ongoing basis — and are eager to know what they can do specifically to improve their performance and advance their career.

What this means for you: Recognize hard work and provide regular feedback

To retain this generation, recognition for hard work is a must. A 2019 survey of Gen Z and Millennials found that an increase in recognition and rewards would make 79% of respondents more loyal to their employer — but 50% believe managers do not currently recognize strong job performance. They don’t need to be coddled, but taking the time to show them that their efforts are valued (whether through a small reward or just a heartfelt thank you) will go a long way.

To boost engagement and retention, another useful tactic is to encourage a culture of constant feedback. Annual performance reviews won’t be enough — 60% of Gen Zers want multiple check-ins with their manager throughout the week. But this doesn’t have to be a huge disruption to the company’s usual workflows, as 67% are comfortable with check-ins taking five minutes or less.

Gen Z is open-minded

Major societal changes throughout Gen Z’s formative years has also affected their disposition. As a general rule, this is a generation that’s known for being open-minded and deeply invested in diversity and inclusivity. For example, one study found that 70% of Gen Zers strongly believe that public spaces should provide gender neutral bathrooms, compared to 57% of Millennials.

In the U.S., this could be attributed to the fact that Gen Z is itself the most racially and ethnically diverse generation yet; nearly half (48%) are non-white. Significant political and cultural milestones have also shaped this generation’s mindset, like dozens of countries around the world legalizing gay marriage, Barack Obama being sworn in as the first African-American U.S. president, and the #MeToo Movement sparking a global conversation about harassment in the workplace.

What this means for you: Shine a spotlight on your diversity and inclusion efforts

Gen Z’s open-minded outlook shapes their attitudes about themselves — and what they expect from an employer. They care about working for diverse companies that provide fair and equal pay and promotion opportunities, so companies that are lagging behind in these areas may lose their appeal. In fact, more than three quarters (77%) of Gen Zers say a company’s level of diversity would affect their decision to work there.

Being genuine in your efforts is essential. If your company has employee resource groups (ERGs), getting their opinion on your employer branding campaigns can help steer you in the right direction. Being open and honest about where you need to improve and how you’re going about doing it can also be far more compelling to them than talking solely about what you’re doing right.

Gen Z is focused on authenticity

Gen Z cares about ethical consumption, and they often avoid brands that are involved in scandals or that refuse to take a stand on important issues. They can sniff out lip service and publicity stunts a mile away — and they are vocal when brands come across as inauthentic.

The good news is, they gravitate toward companies that are purpose-driven, both from a consumer and a candidate standpoint.

The emphasis that Gen Z places on truth and authenticity also affects how they look at their workplace interactions. The top qualities they seek in a boss are honesty and integrity, with 38% in agreement. And even though Gen Z is highly plugged into modern technology, 74% prefer having real, face-to-face communications with colleagues, placing a higher value on effectiveness than convenience.

What this means for you: Be real, be honest, and be present

Showing the positive impact their work will have on society can be a big selling point for Gen Z when it comes to choosing a job. Even if the role in question won’t change the world, emphasizing things like company-sponsored volunteer opportunities and a commitment to transparency and pay equity can make your company stand out. As with diversity, authenticity is key here, so if your company is working on improving but not fully there yet, highlighting these efforts can be very impactful.

Authenticity should also shine through your job descriptions, career site, and employer branding content. Don’t feel pressured to adopt memes, slang, and edgy references to catch this generation’s attention. For one thing, it’s not worth the risk of seeming cringey or out-of-touch. And as one Gen Zer writes, “Just because you’re trying to appeal to us doesn’t mean you have to try to be like us … If you’re authentic, you will stand apart from your competition because authenticity resonates with Gen Z.” Focus on having real and honest conversations with them, and they’ll do the same with your company.

To strengthen this sense of authenticity, try to have in-person or face-to-face conversations with them as often as possible during the hiring process. Video interviewing tools can help, but if you’re able to bring them in for in-person interviews and provide them an opportunity to shake the hand of their potential future boss, that will stand out.

Gen Z are on their way, so it’s time to get ready for them

It might feel like yesterday that Millennials were causing a stir in the job market. But Gen Z is hot on their heels, and the time to get ready for them is now.

Gen Z know what they want and demand a lot from their employers — but they work hard in return. They’ve already got their eyes firmly planted on the next rung of the career ladder and they’re looking for a company that can help them make smart moves to climb it, whether that’s through learning opportunities, regular feedback, or chances to prove themselves.

Money really matters to them, but it’s not everything. Who they work for is an extension and reflection of their personality, so they want employers who will share their values. If you can match their enthusiasm and commitment to making an impact in the world, they’ll be eager to join your team.

Go to our website: www.ncmalliance.com

6 Gen Z Traits You Need to Know to Attract, Hire, and Retain Them by Samantha McLaren For talent and HR professionals, Millennials have been the hot-button topic of discussion for a long time.

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projectlabsco · 4 years

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How to Make Your Office Eco-Friendly

Leading your office towards eco-friendliness can save you money, increase your bottom line, improve your brand perception, boost employee morale and even attract top talent to join your organization. It can also help mitigate the environmental crisis that is driving more than a million species to extinction, forcing coastal cities to relocate, facilitating an increase in cases of mosquito-borne illnesses, increasing the likeliness and severity of extreme weather events and, well, you’ve seen the news, there’s a lot more.Starting with the industrial revolution, businesses have led the way in carbon emissions. Scientists began connecting the dots between carbon emissions and climate change in 1861. Nearly a century later, in 1956, The New York Times published an article describing the consequences of climate change with an understated last sentence accurately predicting “coal and oil are still plentiful and cheap in many parts of the world, and there is every reason to believe that both will be consumed by industry so long as it pays to do so.” Fortunately, just as the environmental crisis seems to be impossibly dire, profit-driven choices are lining up to be one and the same with going green. Using options like alternative energy and recycled materials can cut costs. For example, in 2009, WalMart saved $100 million by switching to a recycled cardboard to ship goods to its 4,300-plus stores. Consumers are demonstrating a significant preference for sustainable products and socially responsible corporations (SRC). The Nielsen Company, a global market research company, published it’s insights into sustainable shoppers, revealing: 81 percent of shoppers “feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment” 73 percent will change their consumptions habits to reduce their environmental impact 46 percent are willing to buy environmentally friendly products over brand name products This means that businesses that do not adopt eco-friendly practices risk their brand’s reputation and customer loyalty. Even further, the largest segment of the workforce, millennials, seek out sustainable employers. One study showed that 90 percent of millennials identify sustainability as a crucial consideration for career moves, 82 percent look for ways to make their employer more sustainable, and 67 percent believe they have enough influence in their workplace to impact the organization’s sustainability. If this sounds like you, then you’ve come to the right place. There are a lot of ways to lead your office towards eco-friendly sustainability ranging from personal actions to companywide initiatives to including sustainability into business operations. No matter what level you may be at or how many people you can influence, there is something you can do. How to Be Eco-Friendly at Work The first thing you can do is asses your own carbon footprint. Whether or not you have influence to make sweeping changes for the entire organization, you can take responsibility for your personal environmental impact and lead by example. Most of us spend more of our waking hours at the office, so if you want to be more sustainable, the office needs to be part of your action plan. Here are 10 ways you can reduce your carbon footprint in the office. Go Paperless as Much as Possible Paper is the most recycled material as it is. Chances are, your office already has a recycling bin for paper. The only issue is that recycling takes energy, furthering the carbon footprint of each piece of paper. So, yes, recycling is better than sending that instruction manual to the landfill, but if you can go entirely paperless, it will be even better for the environment. There are so many digital tools to organize your team and automate your work, going paperless should be easy. For example, send meeting agendas via email rather than printing it out, subscribe to paperless statements, and use online signature services instead of wet signatures. Standby, Turn Off and Unplug Turning off your computer at the end of the day is simple enough. There’s no need to keep your computer running when it is not in use. You can also take your energy conservation a step further by unplugging your workstation at the end of the day. Anything plugged into a wall will take what is called “phantom power,” A small amount of energy is used when the device is off. You can put a stop to this just by unplugging the device when you are done. Another way to save energy is by using “standby” mode. If you are not using your computer or any other electrical equipment, configure your device to power down to standby mode when not in use throughout the day. Turn Off the Lights When you leave your office, a conference room, etc., turn off the lights. I don’t recommend turning them off if others are still in there, but definitely if you are the last one to leave. This may not be relevant to the many employees now working in open-plan offices. In this case, take stock of what you do have control of. Do you have a desk lamp or anything else that is unnecessarily using power? Turn it off when you leave. Change the Temp What temperature should the office be? This is a controversial question. In one job, I sat next to a sunlit window and would find myself sweating. When I lowered the thermostat, my colleague sitting under the vent would freeze. But this isn’t just anecdotal. Studies have shown that typical office temperatures are comfortable for men in suits, but women are more productive with warmer temperatures. People are always going to prefer different temperatures and the thermostat debate could continue in every office forever. So maybe, just maybe, we can unify the office to change the thermostat for the sake of the environment rather than comfort. If you are wondering what that is supposed to be, no sweat (pun intended). The Department of Energy has guidelines to help you save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. Summer at the Office: 78°F Summer Away from the Office: 85°F Winter at the Office: 68°F Winter Away from the Office: 58°F Get to Work Without Emissions Driving a fuel-inefficient car to work and back may be one of the most polluting things you do all day. Fortunately, there are a lot of transportation options if you are willing to get them a try. An easy switch is to take public transportation. Every time I ride a city bus, I’m reminded how efficient they are at moving people around. A bus, which takes up about two or three cars worth of space, can easily hold 40 people, where those two or three cars could maybe hold 15. Plus, I’ve learned to love the extra time I get to read, listen to a podcast or even just mindlessly scroll through Facebook. If you must go in a personal vehicle, consider carpooling, driving a hybrid or even better, upgrading to an electric car. Most of the major car manufactures have an electric model. So, if you can’t splurge on a fancy Tesla, you still have competitive options and the gas savings will save you money too. Another option is to live closer to your job. Since that is the place you commute to the most, it makes sense to be close to it. Once you are within a biking or walking distance, you have even more options. Aside from getting to work on your feet, you can work up a sweat on your bike, or opt for electric bikes or electric scooters. Use Reusable Glasses and Mugs I need at least two to three coffees every single day, and only one mug ever. I drink as much water as I can, and yet I only have one bottle. Sadly, single use cups are still a thing. Most of the paper ones have a plastic lining to keep the liquid in, making them not recyclable. And no, Styrofoam is not good for the environment. If you took a sip of water from a Styrofoam cup on your first day, it will still be intact in the landfill when you retire. (And when your grandkids retire too.) I promise you: having just one mug or glass will not prevent you from being caffeinated or hydrated. There is no correlation between the number of cups you have and the number of drinks you can have. If your office doesn’t provide reusable drinkware, bring your own. Bring Your Lunch Ordering delivery and food to go is a great way to save time and produce a lot of trash. The food container, the bag, the plastic wear, the wrapper for the plastic wear, it all adds up. If you bring your lunch to work in reusable containers, you can cut down on a lot of unnecessary materials. Cut Your Meat Consumption Per calorie, meat requires a lot more energy and resources than vegetables. I’m not saying you need to go totally vegan, but if you want to help the environment, eating a salad for lunch is one way to go about it. Stop the Single-Serving Snacks I love to give myself a little sugar rush in the afternoon. But rather than stopping at a vending machine for single serving of M&Ms, I stock up on bulk candy at my local grocery store. It is a lot cheaper and I’m also not contributing a piece of trash to the landfill every time I want to satisfy my sweet tooth. Whatever your snack of choice is, opt for a purchasing a larger quantity and portioning it out yourself. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Your Office Supplies I used to have a filing cabinet that was beautiful. All of my documents were neatly organized in pristine folders. If I wanted to reorganize, I would toss anything that didn’t match the exact organization system I intended. I would throw away a perfectly good folder because it had a slightly different style or color than the rest of the rest. Wasteful. We use a lot of different materials. While some are easily recycled, like paper, other cannot, like rubber bands. As you go through each day, be mindful of what materials you are using and the lifecycle of each item. When you can, reduce the quantity of items you use, especially those that are bound for the landfill. Reuse office supplies to their full extent. And only when something must be tossed, recycle it when possible. How to Change Your Work to Be Eco-Friendly Personal actions can go a long way, but if we really want to turn the environmental crisis around, it will take entire organizations working together to make a difference. This is where leadership comes in. Remember, most of these initiatives will ultimately save money, increase brand perception, and attract eco-conscious talent. The only catch is that it takes effort to change and someone needs to be the one to lead the organization through change and into in the right direction. As you approach this task, there are three areas that will make a difference. Design an Eco-Friendly Office Just like we don’t use lead-based paint anymore, building materials continue to advance. Today, there are many superior building materials and methods that are sustainably sourced, promote energy efficiency, and contribute to other eco-friendly goals. Getting to know all of these materials and standards may be a bit much for those of us who aren’t in the business of building, so instead look for office space that is advertised as a LEED Certified Building. Another thing you can do is choose a space that fits the number of people who will be working there. When an office is too large, resources are wasted just to heat, cool, clean and furnish unused space. Of course, not every company can justify the expense of a move right now. Not to worry, you can still make a lot of changes within your current space. Consider the ten recommendations from the first section of this article. Management can take these eco-friendly habits, turn them into company policy, and provide support for employees to sustain them. Here are some examples of how to make these changes at a company level. Go Paperless Create a paperless office policy and reduce the number of printers in the office, placing them in inconvenient areas to discourage printing. Unplug By plugging computers and equipment into power strips and surge protectors, employees can easily unplug everything at once at the end of the day. Turn Off the Lights Install sensor light switches. Change the Temp Make energy efficient temperatures the company policy. Get to Work Without Emissions Organize carpooling groups, give preferred parking to electric cars, install charging stations, provide stipends for public transportation, and reward those who come on bike or foot. Provide an Eco-Friendly Kitchen Facilitate an eco-friendly lunch by stocking your kitchen area with reusable kitchenware. If you keep snacks in the office, skip single serving packaged snacks an instead buy local and minimally packaged foods. And take meat out of the equation. Wework established an environmental policy that discourages meat consumption by not reimbursing meals including beef, poultry or pork. Sure, anyone can bring a burger into the office, but they won’t be celebrating hitting quarterly goals with a pepperoni pizza. For an organization as large as Wework, the impact of this policy is huge. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle When it comes to office supplies, you can buy a lot of really cool eco-friendly, biodegradable, made from recycled materials products. But before you toss out what you have, remember that it is better to reduce the number of things you buy in the first place. One way to go reduce and reuse office supplies is to create a “Reuse Supply Center” for employees to take office supplies they aren’t using and get the office supplies they need. Eventually, thing wear out and need to be tossed. Install a complete recycling center for employees to take everything from paper to batteries. Put it in a convenient location (unlike the printers) and educate staff about the proper way to recycle. Change the Company Culture Unfortunately, changing the company culture might be the hardest part. It’s good to have the “infrastructure” in place for a low-impact office, but if your employees don’t buy into the program, it won’t last. To get fast buy-in, gamify and reward eco-initiatives. For example, you can create a zero-waste challenge, weighing the garbage from each department for a month to see who produces the least amount of trash. You can apply this concept to energy efficiency, commute emissions, and paper use. If you charge in with a bunch of rules and inconveniences, people are more likely to resent or disregard the new policy. Gamifying the same rules provides a space for people to accept it as something fun and competitive. And hopefully, with high rates of participation, you’ll change the company culture to be more aware of and proactive about its environmental impact. You may also want to establish an environmental impact committee to gather feedback, measure results, come up with new initiatives, hold the company accountable and most important, ensure the longevity of the culture change. Do Better Business Most of what has been discussed so far only applies to the internal policies of an organization. This is good to the extent that it reduces the environmental impact of the workforce. However, the goods and services business provide also needs to be held to the same standard. It’s up the individuals within a company to ensure eco-friendly procurement. Reducing pollution and waste is a huge challenge, but one that’s worth taking on. In tangent to better sourcing and production, businesses need to be accountable for the product off the shelf too. How does your product or service impact the environment? How long does it last? Can it be recycled? And do consumers know how to recycle it? I know that I greatly appreciate when a product is labeled with information about what materials are used, if it is recyclable, and how. In fact, my own preferences are right in line with what surveys show repeatedly: consumers prefer eco-conscious businesses. So, if environmentally friendly policies weren’t a priority for the sake of the environment alone, remember that they can be prioritized for the sake of your customer loyalty too. Remember, the tools you work with can be eco-friendly as well. Instead of purchasing several different software solutions or, worse, buying one on disc with all that wasted packaging, look for a web-based one. ProjectManager.com is a cloud-based project management software that has everything you’ll need to plan, monitor and report on your project. From visual Kanban boards for workflow to a real-time dashboard to keep you abreast of progress, it’s the eco-smart way to work. Try it today by taking this free 30-day trial. Related Posts from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Ci9sIF via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

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usabsportdevelopment-blog · 6 years

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What it Means to be a Professional Baseball Player

Fundamental Skills

By Darren Fenster  / September 14, 2018

So… You think you want to play professional baseball?

As a Minor League manager, the question “what does it take to play professional baseball” comes up often. While there is a pretty good general understanding amongst the baseball community of the tools and athletic ability that Major League scouts are looking for when it comes to this June’s amateur draft, we wanted to offer a different kind of insight for aspiring big leaguers to take in:

What does it mean to be a professional baseball player?

Being a professional baseball player means you are getting out of the kiddie pool and jumping into the ocean.

Just about every single player that signs a professional contract is a stud, the best of the best. They have grown accustomed to being the man, and constantly being the center of attention. Often times, coaches allow their superior talent to portray an aura of being bigger than the team, or even worse, bigger than the game itself. By far, the biggest adjustment a player must make upon joining the minor league ranks is to understand the fact that they are no longer the man, and will no longer be the guy who everyone’s eyes are on. The sooner this sets in, the sooner our next meaning can take over, and enable a career to be in the best position to take off.

Being a professional baseball player means you are going to learn what hard work truly is.

Any player who gets drafted will tell you they work hard. Shoot, any athlete, in general, will probably say the same. Truth be told, they don’t know what that term really means, and will soon be exposed to real, live, hard work. For a 7:05 game, professional players start their workday by 2:00, or even earlier. That’s right, FIVE-plus hours before 1st pitch… and that’s if it’s not a strength and conditioning day, which you can backtrack to 11:00 in the morning. At the lower professional levels, the biggest challenge is getting extremely talented kids to work right, meaning they have a purpose with every single thing they do, every single day. Think for a second what that means. It’s not about taking 1,000 swings or throwing 200 pitches in the bullpen, but rather it’s about the old saying; quality over quantity. No wasted swings in the cage, every ground ball taken with perfect mechanics, and each ball thrown with a repeatable delivery, arm action, and release point. This adjustment is as much mental as it is physical, and when accomplished, the player cannot help but improve, and eventually, move up. But as players work to move up, they are bound to hit a bump or two… or ten in the road.

Being a professional baseball player means you are going to fail… probably a lot.

Just about every player who is fortunate enough to sign a professional contract has a resume of performance. Success as an amateur often sets the stage for a career to take off. Rarely does a player without tangible success between the lines get the opportunity to play at the next level unless there is an off-the-charts tool that scouts just don’t see, like a mid-90s fastball (even though they may have no idea where it’s going), or absurdly fast running speed (where the hope is that coaches in a club’s player development can teach them the basic skills of the game). Part of that accomplished history on the field includes consistent and sustained success. High school draftees often hit well over .500, or pitch with video-game-like numbers, averaging sometimes more than two strikeouts per inning. Bottom line, they are used to being very good most, if not all of the time. As mentioned above, everyone playing pro ball is good, and the vast talent in the game brings upon something that many have never dealt with: failure. 

As an amateur, a slump may be going hitless for a single game. As a pro, a slump will mean going a week without making hard contact, or a handful of outings on the mound where outs are hard to come by. For most, professional baseball players are experiencing true failure for the first time in their lives, and it’s how quickly they are able to handle the failure that will separate one from the other. The ones who look at failure as an opportunity to get better are the ones who progress throughout the game. Those who use failure as a means to hold a pity party or temper tantrum are the ones who will be out of the game before you know it.

Being a professional baseball player means you must get consumed by the process, and NOT by the box score.

We are a results-oriented society, on top of living in a time of instant gratification. Baseball as an entity is the complete antithesis to this. Baseball is the only sport of the major four where the very best amateur player usually needs a handful of years in the minor leagues before making it big. The argument can be made for that reason alone that our sport is, in fact, the toughest out there, but that’s another conversation for another day. Chances are as amateurs, players are used to video-game type statistical success, simply because they are athletically far better than their competition. High school pitchers routinely will strike out double-digit batters in seven-inning games, while a relatively big number college hitters finish the season hitting well over .400- a sacred, near-impossible number in the pro ranks. As the talent improves, the numbers will drop, sometimes drastically. A slump was a foreign word prior to getting drafted, but now, it is a reality.

Like we said, the first slump of a player’s career comes in professional baseball and having never truly failed before, most don’t know how to deal with it. They become fixated on the what, without realizing the why. Well hit balls and quality at-bats are a staple of minor league daily reports that go to Major League front offices about hitters, as is command of the strike zone, game plan against the opposing hitters, and consistent delivery for pitchers. Base hits and strikeouts are a byproduct of the former, which is always a focus with players. The sooner a hitter can understand why he continuously is rolling over the ball, the sooner he can become consumed with working to not, and progress may be seen in baby steps, like a jam shot ground out to second, or even foul balls into the opposite field stands. It is about controlling what you can control, which will allow the results- that everyone wants- to take care of themselves.

Being a professional baseball player means you are an employee.

We grow up playing the game. Our love for it is born on youth league fields and only builds as we get older. While there is obviously a kid-like enthusiasm held by many of today’s biggest stars (see Mike Trout) that brings us back to our younger years, rest assured, being a professional baseball player is every bit of a legitimate job and must be approached as such with the same type of responsibility that a real-world nine-to-five employee carries to their work. Players are expected to be at the ballpark earlier than they have ever been before. No longer are players just representing themselves, they are representing a Major League Baseball team, and will have their standard to live up to, on and off the field, each and every day. They are expected to embrace non-baseball parts of the job, like strength and conditioning or mental preparation in a similar manner they would towards perfecting the swing or delivery. There is an accountability that comes with being a professional, just as there is in business. Perform well and exceed expectations, then a promotion is likely to come in the future. Fail to meet the responsibilities set forth, and there’s someone else waiting eagerly in the wings to take a job. Everyone does not get a trophy in the real world, and the same holds true in professional baseball. The very best are the ones who still play it like a game, but approach it like a job.

Playing professional baseball is without a doubt, one of the most rewarding things anyone can accomplish in life. It is a privilege to wear the uniform and to get paid to play our great game. By no means is it anyone’s right. 

Professional baseball is not for everyone, but we ask you this, after now knowing what it means, do you still think it’s for you?

For more resources, check out the links below:

Online Education Center  USA Baseball Mobile Coach  Player Resources  Coaching Resources   The Mental Game

Darren Fenster is a contributor to the USA Baseball Sport Development Blog, and is currently the Manager of the Boston Red Sox Class A Affiliate Greenville Drive. A former player in the Kansas City Royals minor league system, Fenster joined the Red Sox organization in 2012 after filling various roles on the Rutgers University Baseball staff, where he was a two-time All-American for the Scarlet Knights. Fenster is also Founder and CEO of Coaching Your Kids, LLC, and can be found on Twitter @CoachYourKids.

#FUNdamentalSkills #DarrenFenster #Coaches #Players

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smoothiemakers2 · 6 years

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Progression of Music

Progression of Music xo

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Progress of Music Music has become evolving since its generation. That evolution of audio has led to a vast variety of music that most persons can enjoy. Artists who else make good music, are generally praised and revered for his or her talents, and recently this has resulted in many aspiring musicians who wish to acquire fame and fortune through their music. In the states music in constantly developing, and in recent yrs this advancement of tunes has increased to the very fast rate. Songs has evolved for a lot of reasons which include, improved technological know-how, and improvement in culture, and also a desire to create something new. Primarily alter in tunes has been related to the lifestyle. During the Middle Age groups music day-to-day music had been located in a couple of locations, the church along with the local bar scene. This was not some sort of good surroundings for fine music to bloom. Even so during the Baroque time period, 1600-1750, wealthy people did start to hire musicians to prepare music for them. These kind of consumers would pay the actual music artists to compose and also perform music for often the patrons entertainment, and with regard to entertainment at their own parties. Music did not transform very much in The european union for some time. In America audio was started to evolve inside its own approach. That new country had some sort of culture of its individual this also was reflected within its tunes and moving. One of the principal styles of music originated with Detroit, plus its called large band. It can be called large band, because a large strap was used to generate sharp, catchy tunes. This kind of audio soon became popular inside Europe as well as America inside the 1920s. Huge band music was extremely positive for America as a means of pleasure and entertainment. oxd Adolf Rickenbacker invented the electric acoustic guitar inside the later 1920s as well as in accomplishing this he changed music permanently. This was the first time that will people begun to use electrical energy to improve their instruments. Furthermore together with the invention involving the electric guitar followed the birth of Jazz like music. Before the power guitar emerged onto often the scene it turned out nearly impossible to incorporate a guitar into band music because it was not loud enough, though the electric guitar fixed the volume issue. African-american Americans strongly link up flow with their music. This could be seen in the tribal new music of Africa which often includes drumming and vocal singing. African-american Americans took have of the electric acoustic guitar and used it to be able to throw poppy grooves in the brass instruments and Brighten was born. Jazz seemed to be a style of music that spoke out there as a new bit of a rebellion against the culture. It has been nothing like the music in which was played in cathedral, also it was perfect to get dancing to. African Us citizens took hold of Jazz along with made it an integral part of their own culture. However racism nevertheless ran deep from the North american culture and many whites dislike jazz music due to the fact it was generally carried out through black musicians. Nevertheless white musicians began in order to play often the songs actually written along with performed simply by African People in america, once this specific began to occur more whites began to we appreciate you Jazz. Somehow certain white cloths thought it was OKAY to listen to Brighten as long as this was performed simply by different whites. Overall Jazz tunes was very beneficial with regard to the American culture since it helped give pride for the African Americans. As lengthy as the actual culture continues to change their will be a reflection connected with this from the music that will is composed. North america within particular has a lifestyle that is definitely always changing as well as increasing, and this will, and has, bring about a new continuing change in tunes. Natural stone n Roll arrived onto the scene with the late fourties in addition to from its start off this was about rebellion. The term "rock, " as utilized in Rock n Roll, way to shake things up, and also the phrase "roll" is slang to get sexual sexual activity. Rolling Stone asserted which Elvis Presley's struck "That's alright mama" 1954, had been the first Rock and Roll song, but will be very debatable. In the 1952s typically the youth were going out from your post conflict era, along with moving in a culture of entertaining loving freedom. Elvis Presley hit the scene wielding his electric guitar and also rocking to catchy melodies. Although by today's specifications Presley's music is viewed as tame, inside the 1950s this individual was on the leading edge of adolescent rebellion. Presley was criticized for gyrating his pelvis during performances, this and his "dirty" words led to some sort of few of his tunes being banned from particular radio stations. Elvis might not be stopped along with his popularity carried on to grow wildly. The lifestyle continued to change having the release of birth control during the sixties and this led in order to hippie era which was deeply rooted inside new music, particularly folk as well as stone n roll. Hippies ended up all about having "free love" which meant that you ought to be able to possess sex with anyone, wheresoever, and whenever you wished, as long as a person were not hurting anybody else. The Hippie movement has brought very negative effects upon society, and it seemed to be fueled simply by rock some remarkable roll audio. New Technology was introduced inside 1960s-70s that paved the way in which intended for many new styles. That technology was the utilize of a digital effects that will were placed into songs. This technology was generated within the center of appear culture along with disco tunes. Disco Songs has a new strong melody having heavy beats that are exquisite for dancing. This type connected with dancing is not technical within nature people of all different proficiency levels could get involved. Nonetheless the adolescent culture of times was split between typically the pop sound of the disco, along with the cool rebellion of ordinary n rotate. Most of these within music have been owing to the customs, as well as more directly the culture of the youth. Even though people in various age groups enjoy often the music it is mainly the adolescents that ended up and are shaping the tunes in the 20 th one hundred year and beyond. The consequence associated with the music on the ethnicities is hard for you to place in a strictly positive or negative gentle. Of the examples regarding music trends given prior, some ended up positive in addition to some were unfavorable. Nonetheless it cannot be explained that they can be wholly very good or totally bad. These kind of changes in audio returned the culture they will had been brought into, and generally these kind of changes brought about good and bad reform. There are some diets in music that several would argue tend to be totally negative, such as rep. The vast majority of rap music that is certainly played out on the radio is rife with explicit content, and since of this is receives a new bad wrap. Rap songs is often encouraged by gangster life, however people do not consider any time these people are writing music rather than starting quarrels on the avenue. Though rap music is normally incompatible it has given men and women the African American childhood one thing constructive to carry out with their moment, that will will not lead these to being regarded as duds by the other fripouilles. Therefore rap has both equally positive and negative factors as do must general trends in music. America has started several trends and programmes in regards to music, and they will carry on and do so. Since North america is really a melting pot of ethnicities there is any huge wealth of new music that will become obvious because more time goes. If there was to become a standstill in typically the audio industry, there would need to be considered a standstill in the culture. Though the culture of the North american youngsters has been consistently changing in an increasing rate. With all of this particular change there is simply no sign that this music business is going to slow down. New songs are always getting composed, and completely new types of music will often be coming to the top of musical world. The study of the popular music throughout a tradition gives some sort of person deep perception upon the values of typically the traditions, because a populations culture is usually directly connected to their music.

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reptired-moved-away · 6 years

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Who needs a title when they have us?

Disclaimer (more like warning): you’re not allowed to stop being my friend because of how weird this is…

We started talking exactly a year ago, even if we were aware of one another’s existence before then. I wanted to give you something to celebrate that like the sappy weirdo I am but, alas, we do not yet have portals so, in a serious question of my personality, I turned to the numbers first. Yeah, I know, me, the crazy child that loves words and can’t do math turned to numbers. Crazy, right? Well, the deluge of words comes right after the brief numbers so mwah ha haha ha.

23 / 02 / 2017

2 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 1 + 7 = 17

1 + 7 = 8

This friendship is two people so 8² = 64

And, ergo, here are 64 things I adore about you:

1 - You can speak English! Really well! It’s absolutely incredible and I can’t thank you enough because we wouldn’t even be able to talk with this talent of yours! And you do it so brilliantly I sometimes forget you weren’t born in an English-speaking country!

2 – Frankly, you’re weird. And that means we’re both weird, so you don’t mind me being crazy and you can be crazy right back at me and it’s all okay! I appreciate the mutual exchange of weirdness!

3 – Your creativity amazes me! Whether it’s a new perspective on the world, a song you make up, your OCs’ world, or anything else, your creativity is absolutely mind-blowing!

4 – Which leads me to: art! You’re amazing at it! It’s like you’ve absorbed most of the artistry the world had to offer! I can’t even deal with how flawless your creations are!

5 – You are extremely protective, which is one of the reasons we met at all! And you keep offering to come all the way here and hurt people for me, which is crazy but dearly appreciated!! It��s a lovely quality and always makes me smile!

6 – Thankfully, you don’t mind hugs! Not that there’s anything wrong with minding hugs, of course! But I’m one of those people who likes hugs and, even if we haven’t hugged in person, you don’t mind all the virtual hugs! * hugs you *

7 – We have somehow talked basically every day despite our crazy time differences, from two hours to twelve! It’s commendable that we’ve both stayed up late / woken up early to talk!! And even when we don’t have really long conversations, there’s always a good morning / good night!

8 – Over the year, you’ve taught me a lot! From art to brigadeiro to the occasional Portuguese phrase, and even the occasional innuendo I didn’t get… I appreciate the enlightenment!

9 – I have to mention your hair! It’s so fluffy and hilarious (and guitar hair at one point) and I absolutely love how you cut it yourself, that was really brave! It’s a beauty!

10 – Whilst I’m on physical features, have you seen your eyes? Well, yeah, you have, but I mean, do you know how enchanting they are? Sometimes as green as PJ and sometimes like a kaleidoscope, beautiful!!

11 – Also, your nails! They always seem to be in perfect shape and they’re such beautiful designs – you marbled them a few times and that was amazing! Plus, your nail art is so cute!! I love how you take care of them!

12 – As we’re on physical traits, I feel it’s necessary to mention your snazzy style! Your outfits are on point and I love the way you organise things or make them aesthetic! It’s so great!!

13 – Let’s not forget your morality! And no, I don’t mean you have a mini Patton (although I suppose we all do) but I mean the way you’re honest and don’t lie or backbite and stuff [I think]!

14 – Leading on from that, you’re really humble! I know you say you have a big ego but you’re not arrogant about it and I greatly appreciate that because otherwise my general cluelessness would be a problem!

15 – You’re also crazily cheesy sometimes, especially for someone who’s lactose intolerant! But it’s cute and always funny, plus it means you’re not too bothered when I’m cheesy (which is a lot) so thanks!

16 – You also have a really good taste in music! All the bands and stuff you’ve recommended to me have been amazing and I do appreciate the Fall Out Boy screaming we did together!

17 – That act was kind of you and, in fact, my next point is how kind you are! You’re so considerate about me saying weird stuff (cansado, not casando) and you always try to lift my spirits up in such a sweet way!

18 – Thus building up the fact that you always try to help me, no matter how weird the requests are, like asking for a picture of Thor or assessing if my cheesy story speech was feelsy enough, and that’s remarkable of you!

19 – It’s similar to an earlier point but you’re so imaginative, it’s crazy! The ideas you come up with and the world you’ve created is so detailed and amazing – you made a language, for star’s sake! It’s just marvellous!

20 – I love how our conversations can tangent to extremely odd things and we can go from pencils to existential crisis to schooling systems to a random youtube video! It’s so fun and enjoyable!!

21 – (What’s nine plus ten?) You seem to have this store of facts and knowledge of things that comes in useful both practically and for entertainment purposes, which is seriously cool!

22 – And your determination is commendable! You’ve drawn detailed masterpieces within a day and you’ve worked for things, whether it’s grades or health, and that’s literally so inspiring!

23 – Promises!! You keep them! You’re okay with my childish pinky promise inquiries and you definitely don’t purposely break promises, which is basically a fundamental for… you know, anything, so go you!

24 – The thing is, I’m not worried to tell you things I’m obsessed with because we met through the phandom and that builds a more or less accepting baseline, which is a relief because otherwise I am not good at trusting people with my obsessions!

25 – I have to express my gratitude for the way you don’t mind my crazy rambling! I can talk for absolutely ages or just gush about something and you don’t get mad, which is really kind of you!!

26 – You also care a lot. Which is good, because it makes you ultra-friendly and so cute! I very much appreciate, even if I act annoyed at, how you keep telling me to sleep when our time difference is too much!

27 – You always do random things that amaze me even though I already know how awesome you are! Like when you memorised and performed colour bandits!! That was an amazing feat and I still can’t believe you Did That!

28 – Did I mention your versatile drawing skills are absolutely astonishing? Your shading, colouring, expressions, and clothes are absolutely flawless and you keep improving, I can’t even deal!

29 – Another thing is, you’re often super chill about things. Not nonchalant but you’re not really, really stressed to the point where you’re just blanking out the obvious – you’re pretty rational!!

30 – And that leads me to thanking you for sticking around through bad days that you don’t [at least I don’t think you] judge and can give me advice about or just listen / read, which is often the most helpful thing to be honest!

31 – Your voice is gorgeous! You keep saying you sound rough but I still think you sound like beautiful ocean waves in front of a calming sunset on a beach! It’s such a snazzy voice and I could listen to you talk forever!

32 – Not to mention when you sing! It’s so majestic and cute and adorable, I love it! It always makes me smile, even if I’ve had a weird day! (PS, you’re halfway through, don’t worry, not much more left and you’ll be free soon)

33 – The abundance of tumblr tagging has to be mentioned! You’re cool with it when I tag you and you tag me in things too, which is always something awesome to pick my phone up to!!!

34 – You’re genuinely really clever! You do well at the stuff you want to and I admire you for it, even if you doubt yourself sometimes! I think your intelligence is applause-worthy!

35 – That intelligence also comes with the wit to make puns, which are usually hilarious and perfectly carried out! It’s a very charming skill to have!!

36 – And where there’s puns, there’s references! The amount of youtubers’ references we’ve made is crazy and I love your Bo Burnham ones, even if I don’t quite understand all of them, as you don’t always get my obscure bookish ones!

37 – Our keyboards must have rolled their non-existent eyes at us because of the crazy caps lock we keep using when fangirling or shouting or generally emphasising our points, but I love reading the conversations back and the caps lock is an awesome, fun thing!

38 – Moment of credit to the time when we discovered how to bold and italic things and spent a week experimenting every possible scenario and then saved them all too… our shared overexcitement was crazily enjoyable!

39 – Touching on a deeper subject, we do have a basic trust in each other! Like not sharing facts and stories with others and appreciating privacy but also knowing that we don’t have to be on tip-toes around each other! It’s super comforting!

40 – Oh, did I mention how everything you draw turns out to be a masterpiece and yet you keep downplaying it? Your art is just a beauty and I can’t ever express how bubbly and vibrant it is!!!!

41 – You’re really supportive and I love that I can tell you one of my crazy ideas and you’ll go with it, like when we were decided how to pronounce ‘Xnij’ and so many other times you’ve given me confidence!

42 – Whenever I see posts about crediting people, I’m always reminded of [the reason we met and] how, when you wrote Mint Green Beanie, I helped you with the wording and you gave me some credit even though you didn’t need to? That showed how incredible you are!

43 – Honestly, the amount of late night or really really early morning talks we’ve had is insane and yet you don’t seem to mind, and I love that I can message you or something and you’ll reply at the craziest of times, it’s dearly appreciated!!!!!

44 – I mentioned this before but how inspiring you are deserves its separate point! You have a really cool attitude to life and your approach to things is so awesome, you make everything seem effortless and yet I know you work for things.

45 – You’re not afraid to be yourself and I admire that! You compliment those who you deem worthy and you call out those who you dislike, which is brave and really fantastic of you!

46 – Linked with that is the fact that you sometimes have no filter, whether that’s when talking or in pictures! Either way, it shows you’re not a deceitful person and it makes you powerful!!

47 – You also seem to understand my weird terms for things, substitutions for swearing, and the odd phrases I’ve picked up (like briktah) and you’re pretty chill with how I might drop the odd word in Portuguese or German!!!

48 – Randomly placed thing but I really love your smile! It’s so bright and happy and cute, it’s contagious and genuinely makes me happy too!!

49 – Your sense of humour is seriously relatable and it’s probably because we both laugh at stupid things but I love how funny you can be and that all my jokes aren’t weird to you!

50 – I love how you send tumblr asks, both to me and others, it’s a lovely thing to get an alert for and the effort is greatly appreciated! Your presence in my inbox is a blessing!

51 – I’m sort of cliché and terms of endearment are amazing to me so the fact that you often use them is so sweet and I love you for it! And Sunny of all nicknames, it’s so kind and I could thank you forever for it!

52 – I have to say, you’re pretty good at existential crisis mode. That sounds weird but the amount of times we’ve changed to having an existential moment is phenomenal and the fact that you can unleash your inner existential Dan and go with it (or prompt it) is super great!!

53 – Our typos. Oh my stars, the amount of typos we keep saving is ridiculous but we keep doing it and it’s so fun to facepalm at them and question the sanity of autocorrect or our fingers….

54 – The plans we keep making for the future! Like making me eat Chinese or making you experience snow or even just hugging at some point, and lately the plushie adventure thing, they’re so fun and give me something to look forward to!

55 – Hey, did I mention your art? I have to admire the way you’re good at every style and you’re willing to experiment and make incredible traditional, digital, and everything other type of art pieces! A true artiste!

56 – You happen to be slightly mad and it’s actually very endearing. Your wild ideas are insane and cute, and I love the obscure things you might pick up on and turn into something great!!!!

57 – To put it simply, you are trash. Not as in bad, but as in so deep in the fandoms that they’ve merged with your roots. And it’s awesome because you make it even cooler than it is (obviously I think being in a fandom is cool but I am slightly biased because, you know… I’m in a lot)

58 – You’re cute. Really cute! With your interesting expressions or passions and the way you laugh, as well as the way you draw! Absolutely cute, honest!

59 – You might roll your eyes at his but your dimples!!! They’re so adorable and poke-able and just so fabulous!! You just rock those dimples!

60 – I appreciate how you remember things I tell you or details most people would forget, whether that’s a book I’ve been reading or a friend I’ve talked about or a preference I talked about weeks before! It makes me happy!!!

61 – Your excitement is intense! When you were moving or after you cut your hair or when you became rosey and crushed for ages, your excitement was super cute and just so touching!!

62 – Maturity. You have it. We can talk about really serious things and I never feel like we’re judging each other or it’s uncomfortable, it’s just deadly serious and there’s no questions asked, or the right questions are asked and then the answers are (maybe cheesy but) sincere.

63 – Immaturity. You have it. Yes, it’s a contradiction to the above but I also adore how we can laugh about fidget spinners for hours or send stupid jokes back and forth and act really childish, which is something I don’t think anyone does enough!

64 – I mean, if you’ve read this far, that’s reason enough, but also the fact that we’re still going after an entire year of ups and downs and all things in between is just crazy, and I guess I just want to say thank you for everything and I love you <8

And, finally, you’re free of my ludicrous way of expressing how I feel and how hyped I am! Sorry I didn’t really make anything but yeah, thanks for being one of my best friends, muffin! Have a lovely fri-YAY of our friendiversary! I couldn’t ask for a better first internet buddy and Dan to my Phil, u da bomb <3

#i teared up #thank you so much #i love you sunshine #sunny #THS IS WHY I DONT DESERVE YOU #submission

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andrewdburton · 6 years

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What the rich do differently: 61 habits that foster wealth and success

I’m fascinated by the differences between rich people and poor people. Are the differences mostly a matter of class and economic mobility? Are people born to wealth and poverty and destined to remain there? Or are there observable differences in attitude and action that tend to lead people to specific levels of affluence?

From my experience, it’s some of both.

I believe that there are absolutely systemic issues that contribute to wealth and poverty. But I also believe that there are attitudes and habits that foster wealth and success. These attitudes and habits can be learned. They can be applied to our own lives, allowing us to build better futures.

My Story

I grew up in a family that had always been poor, a family that had lived for nearly 100 years in rural Oregon, barely getting by. The things we had and said and did were “lower class”, even if I didn’t know it at the time.

I was raised in this trailer house:

My father was a serial entrepreneur and the primary breadwinner for the family. Occasionally his businesses did well. Mostly, they didn’t. But even when our family did have a decent income, Dad spent that money on boats and airplanes and computers. He didn’t save. Then when hard times came — and hard times always came — he had to sell those toys to put food on the table.

The boom times were rare though. During the 1970s and 1980s, Mom and Dad spent most of the time living paycheck to paycheck. They fought about money. When Dad’s businesses weren’t doing well (which, again, was the norm), he worked as a salesman for various industrial companies. Or he was out of work. He spent long stints unemployed. We had to have help from extended family and from our church. (I can’t recall that we were ever on government assistance, but it’s certainly possible.)

Just before he died in 1995, Dad pulled me aside to apologize for how poor we were when I was a kid. “I remember that one Christmas when we didn’t have enough money for presents,” he said, “You and your brothers wrapped your existing toys and gave them to each other. I felt so ashamed. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you guys a better life.”

So, I’ve experienced poverty. Maybe not poverty as extreme as some others, but poverty.

I’ve also experienced wealth.

Today, my life is very different than it was when I was growing up. I’m fortunate (and grateful) to have a solid financial foundation. I achieved that financial success through a combination of hard work and luck. (And make no mistake: There was definitely good fortune required to get me where I am today.)

My brothers too have managed to work their way to a comfortable middle-class lifestyle. We have it better than our parents did. At the same time, it’s clear that the three of us retain some of our old habits and attitudes. (So too, I think, do other members of our extended family who also grew up poor.)

From my experience, I believe that poor people have certain habits, attitudes, and expectations. I think that these habits, attitudes, and expectations differ from those of wealthy people. Sometimes these qualities are a result of being poor (or wealthy); sometimes these qualities lead to being poor (or wealthy). In other words, it’s neither the “chicken” or the “egg” — it’s both.

What do I mean? Let’s take some time today to explore the types of habits that foster wealth and success.

Important note: Before we go any further, I’d like to acknowledge that this is a complex subject, one weighted with political, economic, and social issues. I don’t expect for one blog post to be a definitive exploration of the topic. I do, however, hope that this article can highlight some insights from myself and others — including you. This piece is not meant as a takedown of the rich or a takedown of the poor. It’s meant to highlight habits and attitudes that can improve the odds of success.

The Secret Language and Behaviors of Wealth

First up, here’s Chelsea Fagan from The Financial Diet sharing eight things wealthy people do differently. Fagan breaks down what she calls “the secret language and behaviors of wealth”.

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At first I thought this video would be cheesy. It’s not. It’s excellent — which is why I’ve placed it at the top of this article. Fagan’s observations are astute, and she offers lots of practical advice for her intended audience: young women.

“Wealth isn’t just about how much money you accumulate,” Fagan says. “Particularly in America, there’s a whole different approach to life — not just the financial parts of it — when you’re wealthy.”

She continues: “There are many specific behaviors that wealthy people tend to practice which are adapted to perpetuating their wealth. The good news is there are many of these habits ane techniques that you can adopt even if you’re on a serious budget.”

According to Fagan, these are the eight things wealthy people do differently from the rest of us:

They don’t wait for permission. From a young age, we’re conditioned to get permission to do the things we want. As a result, most of us enter adulthood with the idea that we still need permission to pursue our desires. Wealthy people have shifted their mindset from permission to control. Echoing my friend Chris Guillebeau, Fagan tells her viewers, “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission.” (This is one of CG’s mottos. He lives by it.)

They know the landscape around them. In the U.S., for instance, we’re taught that it’s bad manners to talk about money. Most people don’t. The wealthy, however, do talk about money — at least amongst themselves. (From my experience, this is very very true.) Talking about money helps wealthy people better understand the financial world around them so that they’re able to make better decisions. Plus, wealthy people actively seek advice and information about money.

They ask for help with what they don’t know. This one is huge. From my experience, when poor people don’t know something, they tend to shrug their shoulders and go on with life, never seeking an answer. Wealthy people aren’t satisfied to remain in ignorance. They have what I call a personal board of directors, a small group of trusted advisors to which they can turn for information and advice. I just emailed my accountant the other day, for instance, asking for help with a financial issue. This morning, I’m driving an hour to meet with my friend Michael, who has acted as both a friend and advisor for a decade now. Even if you can’t afford to have an accountant, attorney, and/or financial advisor, much of the info you need is available for free online. You just have to take the time to search for it.

They put a specific (and growing) value on their time. “Wealthy people decide that every hour of their life has a value,” Fagan says, “and they stick to that value while constantly trying to raise it.” Wealthy people are aware time is money — and money is time. As a result, they try not to waste time. This is an area where I struggle. That’s why I did a time inventory last year (and discovered I spent twice as much time playing videogames as I did writing about money). Fagan urges viewers to treat every hour of their lives as if it has value — because it does.

They speak the language of money. Wealthy people are more financially literate than the poor. They’re better educated about personal finance. Because they know what they’re talking about, they’re better able to advocate for themselves. They’re able to make better decisions.

They understand that money is a long game. Or, put another way, wealthy people recognize that there’s no reliable way to get rich quickly but that almost anyone can get rich slowly. They keys are persistence and patience. Do the right things for a long time and you will achieve your financial goals. “The choice is not between this $5 Starbucks that will make me happy or this $5 sitting in a sad bank account making me feel bad,” Fagan says. “The choice is between this $5 Starbucks today or the hundreds of dollars it has the potential to be when it comes time for retirement.”

They outsource, outsource, outsource. Wealthy people are aware of where their skills and talents lie, and they play to those strengths. They know when it’s better to delegate a task to somebody who’s better at it. Or they know when to outsource because their time is better spent elsewhere. (This is another area where I suck. I’ve never really figured out how to outsource, so I often find myself doing things that I’m not good at or that I’d rather pay somebody else to do.)

They know the importance of recharging. While you might not have the ability to jet off to a beach house in Florida, we’re all able to make time in our lives to “sharpen the saw” as Stephen Covey put it in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed. Deliberately dedicate time to self-renewal in your physical life (exercise, proper nutrition), social life (spending time with friends), mental life (reading, education), and spiritual life (meditation, church).

This video is truly excellent. If I had a college-aged daughter (or a college-aged son), I’d urge her to watch it. But I think it contains good info for anyone at any stage of life.

The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals

Tom Corley is the author of a book called Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals, which summarizes his research into the habits of the rich and poor. (He defines “rich” as those having an income over $160,000 per year and net liquid assets of more than $3.2 million. To him, poor means a gross income of $35,000 or less and no more than $50,000 in liquid assets.)

Corley’s approach is unique because he took time to interview people from both ends of the financial spectrum. While I haven’t yet read the book, I did manage to track down a piece he wrote for Success magazine that gives some insight into the results of his study. According to Corley:

Rich people live within their means. “Wealthy people avoid overspending by paying their future selves first. They save 20 percent of their net income and live on the remaining 80 percent.”

Rich people don’t gamble. “Every week, 77 percent of those who struggle financially play the lottery.”

Rich people read every day. “Among wealthy people, 88 percent read 30 minutes or more every day.”

Rich people spend less time in front of screens. “Two-thirds of wealthy people watch less than an hour of TV a day and almost that many…spend less than an hour a day on the Internet.” On the other hand, “77 percent of those struggling financially spend an hour or more a day watching TV, and 74 percent spend an hour or more a day using the Internet recreationally.”

Rich people control their emotions. “Loose lips are a habit for 69 percent of those who struggle financially. Conversely, 94 percent of wealthy people filter their emotions.”

Rich people network and volunteer regularly. “Almost three-quarters of wealthy people network and volunteer a minimum of five hours a month. Among those struggling financially, only one in 10 does this.”

Rich people work harder. “Unsuccessful people have ‘it’s not in my job description’ syndrome…Successful people work hard to achieve the mutual goals of their employers or their businesses.”

Rich people set goals; poor people make wishes. “Every year, 70 percent of the wealthy pursue at least one major goal. Only 3 percent of those struggling to make ends meet do this.”

Rich people avoid procrastination. “Successful people understand that procrastination impairs quality; creates dissatisfied employers, customers or clients; and damages other nonbusiness relationships.”

Rich people talk less and listen more. “Wealthy people are good communicators because they are good listeners. They understand that you can learn and educate yourself only by listening to what other people have to say.”

Rich people avoid toxic relationships. “Of wealthy, successful people, 86 percent associate with other successful people. But 96 percent of those struggling financially stick with others struggling financially.”

Rich people don’t give up. Wealth individuals “simply do not quit chasing their big goals. Those who struggle financially stop short.”

Rich people set aside limiting beliefs. “Almost four out of five wealthy people attribute their success in life to their beliefs.” They pursue personal development.

Rich people have mentors. “Finding such a teacher is one of the best and least painful ways to become rich.”

Rich people make their own luck. “Successful people create their own unique type of good luck. Their positive habits lead to opportunities such as promotions, bonuses, new business and good health.”

Rich people know their main purpose. “It’s the last Rich Habit, but it might be the most important. Those people who pursue a dream or a main purpose in life are by far the wealthiest and happiest among us.”

I’d love to see the raw data that led Corley to make these conclusions but I don’t think his book includes that info. From what I can tell, it’s written as a story, sort of like The Wealthy Barber. His website does give some background on his methodology, however.

I found other articles about Corley at Business Insider (some stats included) and Entrepreneur. Corley also appeared on an episode of the Afford Anything podcast. Finally, here’s Corley’s appearance on the Art of Charm podcast:

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The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

When I first decided to dig out of debt in 2004, I devoured every book about personal finance that I could find. One volume that had a profound influence on my future financial philosophy was The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker.

Eker believes that we each possess a “financial blueprint”, an internal script that dictates how we relate to money. Our blueprints are created through lifelong exposure to money messages from people around us, especially our family and friends, and from our country’s culture and mass media. (I agree with Eker. See my recent article about money blueprints.)

Eker says the unfortunate truth is that most of us have faulty blueprints that prevent us from building wealth.

“Money is a result, wealth is a result, health is a result, illness is a result, your weight is a result. We live in a world of cause and effect,” writes Eker. “A lack of money is never, ever, ever a problem. A lack of money is merely a symptom of what is going on underneath.” (This echoes my advice that debt reduction is a side effect of doing the right things and ought not be a goal in and of itself.)

At the core of Millionaire Mind are Eker’s “wealth files”, a list of seventeen ways in which the financial blueprints of the wealthy differ from those of the poor and the middle-class. According to Eker:

Rich people believe: “I create my life.” Poor people believe: “Life happens to me.”

Rich people play the money game to win. Poor people play the money game to not lose.

Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people want to be rich.

Rich people think big. Poor people think small.

Rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles.

Rich people admire other rich and successful people. Poor people resent rich and successful people.

Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people.

Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value. Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion.

Rich people are bigger than their problems. Poor people are smaller than their problems.

Rich people are excellent receivers. Poor people are poor receivers.

Rich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor people choose to get paid based on time.

Rich people think “both”. Poor people think “either/or”.

Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people focus on their working income.

Rich people manage their money well. Poor people mismanage their money well.

Rich people have their money work hard for them. Poor people work hard for their money.

Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them.

Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people think they already know.

Eker says that most people are motivated to make money out of fear. People don’t call it fear, though. They say they’re motivated by security. Eker notes — correctly — that fear and security are essentially two sides of the same coin. The tough truth is that money doesn’t dissolve fear.

Eker writes:

Fear is not just a problem, it’s a habit. Therefore, making more money will only change the kind of fear we have. When we were broke, we were most likely afraid we’d never make it or never have enough. Once we make it, however, our fear usually changes to “What if I lose what I’ve made?”

“When the subconscious mind must choose between deeply rooted emotions and logic, emotions will almost always win,” writes Eker. Even if you know what you ought to do intellectually, it can be tough to do it because your money blueprint controls your thoughts and behavior. To change your habits, you have to work consciously and constantly to create a new plan. This takes time and practice.

Want to read more about how fear affects our decisions? Check out my article on how to build confidence and destroy fear.

Millionaires vs. the Middle Class

In The Top 10 Distinctions Between Millionaires and the Middle Class, Keith Cameron Smith also makes an attempt to delineate the difference between the rich and the rest of us.

His ten “distinctions” — in order of importance — are:

Millionaires think long-term. The middle class thinks short-term.

Millionaires talk about ideas. The middle class talks about things and people.

Millionaires embrace change. The middle class is threatened by change.

Millionaires take calculated risks. The middle class is afraid to take risks.

Millionaires continually learn and grow. The middle class thinks learning ended with school.

Millionaires work for profits. The middle class works for wages.

Millionaires believe they must be generous. The middle class believes it can’t afford to give.

Millionaires have multiple sources of income. The middle class has only one or two.

Millionaires focus on increasing their wealth. The middle class focuses on increasing its paychecks.

Millionaires ask themselves empowering questions. Middle-class people ask themselves disempowering questions.

Some of the items on Smith’s list seem to be derived from Eker’s philosophy. But although there are similarities, Eker’s list gives me warm fuzzies and Smith’s list doesn’t. I’m not sure why.

Maybe the difference is this: From my experience (and your experience may be different), Eker’s many distinctions hold true (at least in the U.S.). I’ve seen the differences he describes in my own life. But I’m not convinced that the differences Smith lists do hold up.

For instance, I know lots of poor people who talk about ideas rather than things and people, and many of the same folks embrace change. A lot of my friends love learning but they’re not millionaires. And haven’t we seen statistics that show, based on a percentage of income, poor people give more than the rich do?

There are differences between the mindsets of the rich and the poor, of this I’m sure. But I think they’re closer to Eker’s list than to Smith’s.

A Brief Rant Without taking anything away from personal responsibility (which you all know I think is vital to success), I’d like to suggest that both Eker and Smith are too quick to dismiss systemic causes of poverty. Perhaps neither of them knows what it’s like to be poor? Some of their observations make sense, but some seem to come from people who’ve lived lives of privilege.

“Rich people act in spite of fear,” Eker writes. “Poor people let fear stop them.” Why is that? Could it be that the rich can act in spite of fear because they have a safety net? Could it be that when you grow up poor, a scarcity mindset becomes so deeply ingrained that it’s almost impossible to shake? (That’s been my personal experience, by the way.)

There’s no question that wealth brings opportunities, both in the U.S. and in other countries. Those with money have more choices. The rich can take risks, and they’re often rewarded for taking them. (Thus, “the rich get richer”.) I have so many more options now than I ever did when I was a boy, when my family was poor. I think this element of “luck” is something ignored by both Eker and Smith (and many other people).

Ten Habits of Successful People

Instead of defining the differences between rich people and poor people, I think it’s more constructive to look at what separates successful people from unsuccessful people. Maybe I’m picking nits, but in this case I think focusing on a financial scorecard misses the point. It’s possible to be successful and poor, and it’s possible to be rich and a fool.

I’ll admit there seems to be a strong correlation between wealth and success, but the two qualities don’t overlap precisely.

From looking at my own friends, and from thinking about the stories readers have sent me during the past decade — especially stories about how people have moved from debt to wealth — I’ve seen the following patterns.

Successful people surround themselves with positive people. They limit their exposure to negativity and naysayers, preferring to spend time with folks who have can-do attitudes. They don’t have time to listen to the reasons something can’t be done; they’d rather find ways to make it happen.

Successful people aren’t flummoxed by failure. They know that mistakes are inevitable and should be treated as stepping stones to success rather than signs of weakness or reasons to stop trying. (This is why it’s important not to praise achievement, but to praise effort. The former breeds fear of failure.)

Successful people manage their time effectively. They recognize that minutes and seconds are a precious non-renewable resource. So, they set priorities and pursue them with passion. My successful friends seem to watch less television (and play fewer videogames) than my unsuccessful friends, for instance. There’s nothing inherently wrong with Game of Thrones or Hearthstone, but they suck up time that could be spent exercising or reading or taking a class.

Successful people ignore the opinions of others. They march to the beat of a different drum. They don’t feel compelled to “keep up with the Joneses”. They limit their exposure to mass media not only because it allows them to be more productive, but also because it reduces the influence of advertising and the pressure of cultural norms. When investing, they don’t follow the herd. The wealthy people I know all drive older cars (many of them bought used!), dress modestly, and avoid conspicuous consumption.

Successful people have direction. They act with purpose. They know why they’re working hard and saving money. They have a mission, even if it’s as simple as putting their kids through college, and their daily actions are aligned with their long-term goals. None of the folks I know who struggle with money have a clear idea of what they want to do with their lives.

Successful people focus on big wins. Sure, they develop smart habits and pay attention to the small stuff. But they also understand that if they’re diligent with their dollars, then the pennies will take care of themselves. The average person economizes on the small things but isn’t willing to make sacrifices when it comes to housing, transportation, or career. And the folks who are broke all of the time? Well, they fritter away their pennies and their dollars.

Successful people do what’s difficult. They don’t procrastinate. My friends with money work longer, harder, and smarter than my friends who have less. (This is an unpopular observation with some folks, but it’s true.) They practice deferred gratification, sacrificing small comforts today in order to obtain greater rewards tomorrow.

Successful people make their own luck. They practice awareness so that they can recognize opportunities when they come along. Moreover, they act boldly, seizing these opportunities where others might hesitate to act.

Successful people believe they’re responsible for their future. They’re proactive. They have an internal locus of control. That is, they understand that although it might not be their fault they’re in a given situation, it is their responsibility to change it.

Successful people grow and change over time. They adapt. They evolve. They’re not afraid to entertain different points of view. Most importantly, they’re not afraid to change their minds. They seek knowledge and experience, and they allow the things they learn to mold them.

None of these differences is absolute, of course. Most people (including me) follow a few of these rules but not others. Or we adhere to certain rules only part of the time. The most successful people I know do all of the things on this list; the least successful people do none of them.

The Bottom Line

That’s a lot of words — almost 5000! — about how the mindsets of the wealthy and the poor differ. And while I do agree with these generalizations, I think it’s important to note that they are generalizations. These principles aren’t applicable to all people.

There are plenty of poor people who have the right mindset but struggle because of external factors. There are plenty of rich people who do not have these attitudes but have managed to obtain wealth anyhow.

For me, the real takeaway from discussions like this is that regardless your circumstances, you can increase the odds that you’ll achieve your goals if you model your actions on those of the people you want to emulate. If you want to be rich, look for common themes in the lives of the wealthy. Do what you can to incorporate them into your own life. If you want to be successful, learn from the lives of successful people.

“If you don’t change direction,” my father used to tell me, “you’ll arrive where you’re going.” I didn’t really undersand what he meant when I was in high school. Now I do.

In life, there are often default options. If you don’t consciously and deliberately choose something different, you get the default. Most people live their lives in default mode. They accept the default without question.

My aim for myself — and for you, the readers of Get Rich Slowly — is to both be aware of the defaults and to question them. Sometimes they’re fine. A lot of times, however, there are better ways to live. By examining the habits of the wealthy and successful, I think we can all find ways to change direction so we reach a better future.

What do you think? From your experience, what are the differences between the rich and the poor? What qualities separate successful money managers from those who remain broke? Given roughly similar backgrounds, why do some folks build wealth and others struggle to make ends meet? How do the rich think differently? What behaviors to the poor and the middle-class have that the rich do not? Or is it even possible to create distinctions like this? Does it all just come down to luck? (Please keep conversation civil and respectful. No poor shaming — but no rich shaming either.)

The post What the rich do differently: 61 habits that foster wealth and success appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

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foursproutwealth-blog · 6 years

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What the rich do differently: 61 habits that foster wealth and success

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