I walk into a Duane Reade here in the middle of NYC on 8th Avenue and 34th Street and I ask one of the workers there “where are the pretzels located?”… and they DO NOT understand what the word “pretzels” mean.

I order “Baked” meatloaf at a popular Greek diner on the Upper West Side and they bring me 3 slices of baked meat loaf which was placed on the griddle and “fried” on both sides to heat it up so the sides are dry and crusty. Don’t they know meat loaf is juicy and soft.

I go into a store  ask a question and the person replying speaks such poor English that I do not understand what they are saying.

I make a phone call and the default language is Spanish, it’s says I must press 3 to hear it in English.

I order scrambled eggs and ask for “”scrambled eggs easy” and they do not know what that means.

and to top it off…

When I mention Barbara Streisand and the person does not know who she is?

Boy life is changing, I know I’m getting older but we sure ain’t in Kansas anymore Toto.

Image via Wikipedia

… So here are a few tips to make you smile:
It’s late at night and you’re channel surfing, you come to that film you have seen more than a dozen times, but you like it so much it makes you smile… so, watch it! (mine was “The Unsinkable Molly Brown“)

Whether you’re on a diet or not ( and for me it seems always), and you pass an ice cream or gelato place and the flavor showcased is your favorite flavor, you know the one that makes you smile… so, have a scoop! (mine is cassetta gelato from GROM here in New York City)

You’ve been dying to see that film that’s been playing in the theaters, but you just don’t have the time. You know the film, you think about it and it makes you smile… so, make the time and go see it! (mine was “Midnight in Paris“)

A family member or friend has been wanting to spend time with you and you do enjoy their company, in fact they make you smile… so, spend time with them. (mine was/is Joni)

What I’m getting at is that in today’s life… where things can be so hard either emotionally, financially, personally, or health wise… we all need to do things that make us smile and add more joy to our sometimes difficult existence.

Give to yourself… be selfish… make the time or decision, but treat yourself special… because you are.

-Jeff

A while ago I started a short term “bucket list”. I wrote down everything I wanted to complete in a 5-10 year period. Realistically, not dreams that may or may not happen, but things I know for certain I can accomplish. There must be a psychological impact with having written them down and looking at them every time I sit at my computer (the sheet is taped to the wall by my computer screen).

Now while you read this you may think, “oh yeah another guy with this “write it down” philosophy”. Well let me tell you… look at all the successful people around you. I will bet many, many of them wrote down lists, kept lists, looked at lists… every day, every moment… you get the drift.

The most exciting thing in life (other than my mother’s cooking) is to cross off each item as you achieve them. You must write them down!!! Otherwise they stay dreams in your mind. Goals that you will never reach.

Try it for one week. Write down a weekly goal, that you know is within reach, that you’ve wanted to achieve. Whether it’s as small as painting the wall in your living room, starting a diet, going back to school… or as large as moving to another state, or getting married.

You need to navigate your way through life not dreaming about the things that one day may happen, but taking action on the things you can make happen right now. I’m telling you… writing them down and looking at them every day makes a difference.

Repeat after me… I love my life.
Cheers from New York City!
-Jeff

Do something different., anything to break the mundane, systematic process of your daily routine.

I eat new foods, walk down new streets, say new phrases, see a film I normally would not have… do something I’ve always wanted to do.

As life passes you, become a bit selfish and give to yourself. As I age life and my views of it has surely changed, so why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I enjoy more? Why shouldn’t I give to myself? You should!

Read that book that is collecting dust,  or start a bucket list,… not a “before I die I want to do…”, but a “by the end of the year I want to have done…” Make a list of things you would like to do by year’s end. I’ll help you get started.

Jeff’s “By the end of 2011 I want to have…”list: 1) Finished another screenplay, 2) Learned how to juggle, 3) Continue learning how to speak French on my own (Livemocha.com great free site for learning a different language) 4) Eaten in a Thai restaurant, explore new ways to support myself until my first screenplay sales.

There you go, make the list, put it up by your bed, or your desk, or on the fridge… where ever it will mean the most to you, and start to live your life for you.
From New York City (on an overcast Sunday morning)
-Jeff

“As a venture capitalist, I have done due diligence on many business founders, said Matt Harris.  If I’m going to be in “a foxhole” with someone, I have to be sure that person is ethical and acts with integrity. But I don’t stop there. I also look for signs that a founder is “persistent (bullheaded), persuasive (flexible with the truth), and visionary (delusional).” Like it or not, those are the character traits typical of people who have found businesses that create or redefine an industry. In fact, starting a game changing business is so “audacious, disruptive, and preposterous on the face of it” that you have to be a little crazy and “transgressive” to try it.

So I’m not surprised to read that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg allegedly “stole the idea from a set of Olympian twins” and “screwed the college buddy” who provided seed capital.  Don’t get me wrong… I’m not endorsing criminal or unethical behavior. But if you’re looking for people who want to change the world , don’t go in search of those who fit neatly into the world as they originally found it.

What I’m getting at here is we are all on a journey, and only a small percentage of us actually know what that journey is. We all have general journeys of working, paying our bills, and securing a retirement life for our golden years… but speaking in detail… what is your journey?

I can help by adding… my journey, is first to grow as a person.  Hey Jeff! That’s to general, it belongs in the paragraph above.” OK, I’ll accept that, moving on… my journey is to be as best a screenwriter I can be and sell a screenplay or two or more. But wait! I have another journey, to be a popular blog writer. I also want to write a book, I’m also open to acting again, Wait I also am exploring a detox cleanse to help me shed a few pounds.

What’s happening here is we all have MANY journeys. Some intertwine, some not. But sit back, and think, think about the journeys you are on… where you are headed, what you are involved in. Sometimes just thinking about something and reminding ourselves why we are here… gives us a clearer picture of who we are and how we fit in.

Smiling in NYC.

-Jeff

Learn to instill your own ideals and values into your life and stop living by the rules of others! OK, there are some rules we MUST live by… anything that breaks the law. But after that… your life should be your own, not dictated by society, peers, issues from your childhood, etc. I could think of a hundred excuses why people don’t do what they want to do. (That should be a future post!) Stand up and say “that’s it! It’s my life… who cares!”

I know, easier said than done…. but no, not really. If you say “It’s my life… who cares!” every morning for a week, on the 8th day, you’ll begin to believe it, and you’ll think about acting on it. Again, bringing up the word brainwashing from a prior post. You are washing your brain, getting rid of the dirt and applying soothing moisturizing brain lotion.

Everything we do in our lives is controlled by our mindset. We talk ourselves into believing… we convince ourselves, it”s not just talk, it’s a tool we use to get ourselves to do what we want ourselves to do. How do you think the Tony Robbins types, not only get to be so successful, but they also get to help others… they woke up one morning and (theoretically) said “It’s my life… who cares!”

I know this all sounds pretty harsh, but life is pretty harsh. And the only life you have is the one you’re living right now. When you’re dead, you’re gone, that’s it, no more, ciao! So really think about dictating your own life. It will help you be truer to who you are, and you’ll have a lot of fun on the way. Just yesterday I said to someone out of a clear blue sky… “I love my life!” They replied that was the best thing they heard all day. Yes, we live in a world of 6 something billion other people. We should never hurt, degrade, or cause malice to someone else, but that doesn’t mean we can’t live an extraordinary life which makes us happy.

with a warm smile,

-Jeff in NYC

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This makes me smile, always surround yourself with people, sounds, sights, smells… etc, that make you smile. Smiling makes us feel good and it doesn’t cost a penny!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UE3CNu_rtY

-Smiling Jeff in NYC