Kudos to my good buddy Russell. In one of his comments on a previous post he mentioned how he wants “more superficial information” like how to hit a golf ball 400 yards with a 3 wood. So this post goes out to all y’all who want a more superficial side of Seth. (If there’s actually “y’all” out there—which word suggest a plurality of audience members). For a future date, Rusty suggested a tutorial on how to cut your own hair, which thing I’m quite good at seeing how I haven’t paid anyone to cut my hair for years. Stay tuned for that one. This post’s about my favorite leisure activity and a unique ability to hit a golf ball a really long way… under special circumstances…

Being that Rusty has given me the green light to be superficial I might talk about myself a little bit here. It’s true. I’ve hit a golf ball over 400 yards numerous times with many witnesses (but never with a 3 wood, sorry Rusty). In some sense that puts me in an elite club. I don’t know what that “club” should or would be, but if there was one that had anything to do with hitting a golf ball 400 yards I might qualify by a few yards.

My brief golfing history: I hit my first 300 yard drive when I was 14 years old with a 3-wood on Fore Lakes Golf Course in West Valley City, Utah (not much of a course, just a little 9 hole executive). I made my first birdie on that same hole. I started golfing with a used set of clubs my uncle had given me. It’s been a little while since then. I’m much bigger now or taller at least with a little bit longer and a somewhat shinier clubs that are more explicitly functional (Mizuno MP30’s 2-PW, X-stiff Dynamic Gold +2 steel shafts, bent 3 degrees upright). I’ve never had a lesson in my life, but since high school I’ve somehow been able to flirt with scratch golf (I did more flirting in high school…) and I’ve won every long drive contest in every tournament I’ve been in outside of collegiate or prep sports. (If you don’t know what “scratch” is then don’t worry about it).

Nobody in my family really plays much golf, except my uncle, so I don’t know to whom I can attribute my golf mediocrity other than Tiger Woods himself. (No, he’s not on my speed dial but I got close enough to him one time that I could have punched him in the face had I wanted to). As A kid I would record every single tournament he played in the was broadcast on national television to watch it over and over through out the following week. Thus, I’m very much self-taught, or I just did what Tiger did. So this post is as unprofessional as is my golf.

PAUSE: I better watch it. This golf subject is way too enjoyable for me and I know way too much about way too much meaningless golf stuff. I can talk about golf for hours or days even, which would mean I can write about it for even longer. Straight to the point…

3 Critical Points to Hitting a Golf Ball 400 Yards

DISCLAIMER: I have two things to my advantage. First, I’m coordinated. Second, I’m 6’10”. Most of you have the former, but not the letter. The latter gives me all the advantage in the world to hit a golf ball 400 yards, if I have the former. (Being tall plays a different role when you actually try to score well in golf, in that sense it’s better to be a lot a bit shorter).

A golf club is a lever and you know what Archimedes said about levers and fulcrums, “Give me lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it and I shall move the world.” Yeah, I’ve got long… fulcrums and levers and stuff. So don’t you worry about what you can’t control, just do these three things and you’ll perform just fine.

Critical point number one: Forget everything that has anything to do with Happy Gilmore as it refers to golf. The movie is good entertainment sure, but it has given people an incrdibly false perception about golf in more ways than just how to hit a golf ball 400 yards. From a golfer’s viewpoint, from my viewpoint, the show is a disgrace to the game of golf, but albeit entertaining.

Always remember this: it is mechanically impossible for someone to hit a golf ball 440 yards swinging like Happy Gilmore. It’s not going to happen. You may think that “swinging harder” will make the ball go farther, but in golf, that’s just not the case. You can’t run up to a ball and swing as hard as you can and make the ball go any further. Don’t think so? Try me, I’ll give you a driver and I’ll take my 7 iron and I’ll out drive you by 50 yards. I only hit my 7 iron 205-207 yards. Distance is not about swinging hard, it’s about a lot of things that have nothing to do with swinging hard. Hitting the ball is mostly about proper timing and synchronization of your hips and shoulders. Almost as important are your stance, grip, ball position, and ball striking. None of those have anything to do with swinging hard. If you’ve ever seen Ernie Els hit a golf ball you’ll know why he’s called the Big Easy. He’s one of the longest drivers on the PGA tour. Check this…

Critical point number two: Tee the ball up higher and don’t rest your club on the ground prior to takeaway and place the ball all the way forward in your stance. This is critical. I use 3” tees (must be white and wooden). Don’t be afraid to tee it up and rip it. The top of the club face should hit the ball right at its equator. Beginners don’t tee the ball up high enough and when they do they’ll pop it straight up in the air because they rest their club on the ground before they swing and flub it.
Most people rest their driver on the ground prior to takeaway and skim the surface of the grass during the backswing. I got news for you. Your brain is accurate enough to help your muscles create a specific muscle memory point. Your downswing will likely return to that point, nip the grass (or plow it), and hit the clubface way above the sweet spot instead of right smack in the middle of it. The result is a weak shot. Don’t do that. Hover the club barely above the grass at setup, tee the ball up accordingly.

The reason why you must place the ball all the way forward in your stance (straight off your big toe) is because you want your driver to do what it’s meant to do. That may sound stupid, but it’s true. Your swing with your driver is different than with 3 woods from the turf, utility clubs, irons, wedges and putters. Your swing is shallow and wide; more “oval” than any other shot. . The impact point with the driver should be just before the club begins to ascend. The impact point with all other clubs, except a 3 wood off the tee, is descending. Just get used to teeing the ball forward and swinging wide and shallow.

Okay, that was three points, lucky you.

Critical point number three: For me, this one factor has made all the difference and has turned my mediocrity into superhuman strength. Have girl problems. I’ve hit my longest drives while releasing large amounts of dating and relationship stress in the form of focused adrenaline. Just get it all out man… and let it go. Just let it go. For those of you who don’t have girl problems, I’m sorry, but 400 yards is a bit far without that superhuman edge.

All in all, it should look like something like this. I even give you two swings for the price of one. (This shot is with a standard 45″ Titleist 905R with a Fujikura Speeder shaft).

Bling.

Yup, here’s one about basic principles of killer persuasion…

WARNING: use the principle you are about to learn at your own discretion, it’s entirely possible that results may vary, and I hereby expunge myself from any and all liabilities occasioned by any negative ones (you shouldn’t get negative results unless you drastically goof something up. So don’t goof something up, a’ight?).

One of my favorite principles of persuasion to teach clients is how to get by giving. For those geeks out there who actually care about technical terms, we call this principle the Law of Obligation. Obligation is a scary word for some people; it shouldn’t be, at least in the context you’re about to learn. Obligation can literally be the ace up your sleeve in life or business or in getting your kids to eat their broccoli. It’s an easy and harmless way to generate goodwill, commitment, and relationships out of thin air.

Real life example. One afternoon, while grabbing lunch at my current favorite restaurant (Bajio’s—best Mexican food in the west, check it out and tell ‘em I sent you), I stood in line next to a medium-height, goateed up, well-dressed man with a fancy Blackberry and a Jawbone in his ear. It was lunch hour so naturally the restaurant was full to the gills with people and businessmen. The man was having a conversation about a piece of real estate. Hmmm… I like real estate. He ended his conversation just as he was about to order. In two minutes I was able to get to know this man and have him like me enough to offer me free business. How? I used the Law of Obligation.

After the man ordered his meal, a Flauta Bajio, he was given two simple options—“is this to go or to stay?” He was apparently set on staying… (Tisk, tisk, choosing to stay or to go at this restaurant means the difference between a full meal and a large snack). I always get my food to go at Bajio’s. As soon as he offered his reply, I leaned forward and whispered, “That’s a great choice. You must be hungry.” Very. “Great. Wanna know how to double your rations for the same price?” What? You can do that? “Yup, if you get your food to go you’ll get almost twice as much. Watch…” He watched as they dished out servings to others who were going and staying. He watched as I got the same meal, but to go, and ended up with almost twice the ingredients on top. A smile came across his face and I winked at him. “Next time you’re going to want to get your food to go aren’t ya? You get more for your buck.” We exchanged business cards and a few laughs. We chatted a bit and he offered me a complimentary window service for free. Turns out he owned a window and glass company.

What happened here? I gave to get. Because I let the man in on my little secret, he felt subconsciously obligated to build an acquaintance and offer me something in return—in this case, a free window service and maybe some future real estate dealings. Giving to get? Yeah, it is that simple.

People have been using the Law of Obligation as a persuasive technique almost since the beginning of time. How many times have you been offered free brushes, encyclopedias, estimates, CDs, DVDs, car services, special reports, or even Hare Krishna flowers? All are given in the hopes that you will give in to your subconscious inclination to reciprocate. At the same time, it’s important that you don’t give for the sole purpose of getting. That could be manipulative. If you make that your sole purpose, the person you are trying to persuade will subconsciously pick up on it, be disgusted, and turn away. If your intentions are 100% to get, you’ll more than likely give your intentions away in your nonverbal communication. Make your major purpose be one of goodwill and service and you’ll be surprised what you get in return.

Have you ever baked cookies for the neighbors? What did they do to reciprocate? Have you ever raked the neighbor’s lawn or taken out the trash? What was the reciprocation? Or how about this: Tupperware parties. News flash: people actually throw these silly parties for the sole purpose of selling you stuff, not to hang out, or not even because they like you. They serve refreshments and give away free Tupperware or other products. Well guess what? We all know how hard it is to attend a friend’s party, eat their food, take their free gifts, and then go home without buying a single thing. We almost can’t do it and it’s so uncomfortable. Why? Obligation. To get rid of the cognitive dissonance, the subconscious psychological pressure, we order the cheapest item in the catalog. Only then do we finally feel at peace and overcome our feeling of indebtedness to the host… and we go home psychologically appeased with a useless purchase to boot.

Here’s an even better classic example. I’m sure you can relate with this one. You need a car and instead of buying one online at carsmart.com or cars.com, you brave the storm of ancient terrible salesmanship and decide to hit one of the 787 local lots. At length, you’ve negotiated back and forth with the knucklehead salesman and are getting nowhere (his being obstinate makes you want the car even more). Just as you are about to walk away he pulls out the cliché, “You know what, let me go and run this by my manager to see what we can do.” As he gets up, he says, “Hey, I’m thirsty. I’m going to grab a drink, you want one?” Yeah! Sure! Thanks so much! You say, being completely oblivious to his ridiculous tactic. He comes back with the soda and… umm… guess what else? Yup, an even better deal from his manager—a seemingly unbeatable deal. It’s not quite the deal you wanted, but for some weird, indescribable reason you feel okay with it—you feel it’s the best deal you’re going to get. So, you’re quick to accept it.

Logically, why would you EVER buy a car that wasn’t the right deal? You did. The salesdude got you with the Law of Obligation. He had you emotionally wrapped up and he knew it. He offered you a $.50 can of soda and you bought a $30,000 vehicle. Fair? No. Your fault? Yes. That can of soda created a subconscious sense of debt or obligation that you felt you needed to overcome by offering goodwill in return—i.e., buying a vehicle you didn’t want. The moral of this story is to never accept free stuff from salespersons before you’ve settled on a price. (And then after you’ve settled on a price, and taken the free soda, don’t let your guard down because he’ll sell you on three levels of insurance and warranties).

SUMMARY: give something to get. It works. Just don’t be a manipulative jerk about it, and use it to make the world a better place.

Blogging is beautiful.. and vaguely clinical. What else can give you an excuse to metaphorically examine your own axon terminals to be sure neurotransmitters are flowing correctly.. in your synapse, whatever. You can literally sit yourself down in your own shrink-like couch and self-quiz yourself quizzically.. to make sure that you are operating under ideal mental conditions and proper intellectual biases… I done it. (In case you ain’t notice, turns out I’m crazy… my readings are off the charts..) If learning to operate your life optimally is important to you, blogging may help you sort out your own thoughts and feelings so thoroughly that someone else, who may or may not know you, can make easy sense of them. Such was the case with my last post, which was one of those clinical blog posting experiences for me.

I wrote and published the post quickly and without thinking deeply about what the heck I had written. Something didn’t sit quite right with me. I went back and read it. Discovered what it was. Went looking for some answers. Found them from unexpected sources. After thinking and mulling all day, I came back and fixed my folly. I went through a poignant and progressive learning experience while writing this silly blog that only me, my mom, and Rusty reads.

And what I ended up with is a perfectly clear understanding, for which I am grateful. For umpteen billion years I’ve put undue pressure on myself to find what I love to do, what I’m passionate about, and found my life’s work upon whatever that passion turned out to be—and I would accept nothing short of that perfection. I had failed to even allow for the possibility that maybe my passions, or whatever I enjoy the most in life, are not solely employed in the marketplace.. that maybe I can pursue excellence in a menial career that I at least enjoy enough to pursue excellence in… and seek my life’s work and fulfillment elsewhere, outside of a humdrum career.. in more personally fulfilling environments.

Here it is straight (my aha moment): So what if a guy can’t find a job or career he enjoys? Tough two lips. Reality is that a dude has to provide for his family anyways. Therein lives his manhood, the fulfillment of a sacred calling and commandment from God. Regardless of whether or not he’s passionate about his career, more importantly, his career is the livelihood of his loved ones.

In utter amazement, I confess that this fleeting matter of flitting away life in search of the perfect, passion-filled career, turned out to be just this simple: If no passions at all can be found in the workplace, then find something that at least you do well and learn to enjoy it. Have a good attitude, buckle down, strap in, work hard, be steady, and make sure you give yourself time to pursue fulfillment in the form of healthy passions, whatever and wherever they turn out to be. If you find your life’s passion and fulfillment in your workplace, pin a rose on your nose. I’m just talking out loud here. Bling.

Last night I decided something that is very much proverbial and earth-shattering in my life. I now consider myself grown up. Yeah, I didn’t before. I really didn’t. For years I have maintained an underlying emotional attachment to school that affected my professional life (I’ve just now realized this) as if school was an emotional crutch or a “loser’s limp” that held me back. Now, with no strings… to hold me down to make me fret or make me frown (hmm.. where did that line come from? Oh. Pinocchio?), I get to float off into a world that is completely mine… for the first time… and it’s been nothing short of a beautiful mess. I like it.

I am now officially allowed to be a professional something—a semi-serious emphasis on the word “something” please. Whether I’ve got the professional green light or not, the identity of that “something” has been inextricably elusive, though at times quite clear (try making sense of that one).

I’ve long thought that life would be happy and full if that “something,” or career, is involved with, or contributes to, one’s passions and purpose in life. That would be ideal. So, naturally, I’ve sought for the ideal.

But therein lay a problem. If one’s passion can at all be found in one’s career, which there is no guarantee that it will, how does one who has the expectations to make such a discovery settle for something else… something more lucrative, flashy, or secure and steady… and live with it? Because one’s passions in life are difficult to uncover and make place for, most people don’t know what their passions are. Conversely, it seems that those who do know what their passions are, can’t seem to find contentment and they go gallivanting off in search of another passion when they get bored of the first. Most work a job they don’t enjoy, it’s true. I’ve done it. So what? What if my passions in life have nothing to do with making money? What then? Am I doomed to a miserable life of slavery? Hmm.. Interesting thought.

Which brings a question to the forefront, if we get along relatively well without finding our passion in life, what use is it to know your passion and, if possible, form a life’s work around it? Does your passion and career have to be one in the same? Or can they differ and still provide meaningful fulfillment? Decide for yourself.

What is my passion? Where is my purpose? I’m lucky to have a glimpse at least, but even with that glimpse, at times I’ve cared too much that the potential material gains that await me for pursuing my passions and purpose are somewhat lacking… so I get bored and go off looking for greener things… and have yet to find fulfillment in doing so. I’ve learned my folly. Hmmm… thinking out loud, it’s easy to see that the lack of fulfillment can be attributed to the unmet expectation, likely a false expectation, that my career must be one in the same with my passion and purpose.

What you can learn from kids about your life’s work: Since I was a kid I’ve been asked the same simple question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’m still asked that simple question and I still don’t quite know how to simply answer it—even though now is the time for me to be whatever it was I wanted to be when I looked forward to growing up (The doctor says I’m done growing).

Children are smart. That simple question is repeated again and again to even the smallest of children and they answer without hesitancy. They’ve made up their minds and are content with their future livelihoods as super heroes or whatnot. A five year old has no concept of livelihood and yet he answers so assuredly “I wanna be a fireman!” He has no idea that in some states the members of the fire department are all volunteers—an unpaid position. Curious. A child cares not for the material, he follows his heart to find his “passion” through other means than that of monetary nature.

My story is interesting. I’ve learned a lot from most of it and am still trying to sort out and learn from the rest of it… as it continues on shifting and shaping into what is known as my life. Recently, my resolutions to be successful have taken on new meaning for me. I want to make a difference in the world in the way that I was born to make a difference, sure. My passions and purpose are to that end, but not necessarily intertwined with a specific career path. I can be content with that. One brilliant man whom I admire said, “It is better to be steady than to be brilliant.” Chose a career, work hard, and be steady. Manifest your brilliance by following whatever passions uncover themselves along your pathway of life. In a sense, I’ve come full circle and have learned for myself the wisdom in that simple answer of a simple child, “I wanna be a fireman.”

I just found this great article by someone who knows what he’s talking about. Paul Graham writes about How to do What You Love. Earth shattering news: You don’t have be doing what you love to have fulfillment in life. Work hard at whatever you do, be consistent, and find your passion and fulfillment wherever you can find them. Penelope Trunk, (I have no idea who she is), writes another appropriate post Bad Career Advice: Do What You Love. And there’s a great discussion about finding your passion in life and doing what you love at GetRichSlowly.com. He quotes the same Paul Graham essay. Bling.

If you haven’t read the previous Halo Effect post then now’s your chance. *chance* Then keep reading from this spot –> ^. So, it seems that HALO has more effects than just one, eh? This is all too curious. HALO? Hmm… the last post was about social psychology and the Halo Effect, but it seems to me that “HALO effect” can mean something completely different than just a useful principle of persuasion and influence. It’s second meaning follows hereafter and, unlike it’s first meaning, is nigh unto completely worthless; but at least it’s something you won’t have to find in a scary-thick text book… Part II does have a little to do with “social psychology” of the male kind and it might have something to do with greasy controllers and sore thumbs and bugged out eyeballs.

A couple weeks ago we dudes had a dudes night out. By dudes I mean us guys of course. We decided to be like little kids and have a sleep over (ouch, did we really do that? I guess you could actually call it a “slumber party” too, but that’s just too hard hitting and sounds, um, littleboyish)—luckily we didn’t have to ask our parents for permission. With an xbox 360 and an assortment of cheesecake in the house, little room is left for the “I dunno whatchoo wanna do” syndrome. It was so natural… everything else went silent and all I heard was little birds chirping and children laughing and then the climactic Ah ah ah… Ah ah ah… sung like that Ariel chick from Little Mermaid. We gravitated toward the xbox like it was a magnet and began playing HALO 3 like robots with pasted on smiles… and we played and played like we were born to do nothing else.

Now, I’m not one to ever play video games of my own accord, and neither are they. I’m just not good and I don’t enjoy it much by myself. I’ve never owned my own video game console or a real video game for that matter (I lie.. excepting one Tiger Woods 2007 for my PC which I play a couple of times a year during the Player’s Championship, the Masters, and the U.S. Open, and I might have gotten Mario Bros 3 for Nintendo as a Christmas gift or something way back). So what clicks in a dudes head to make all that non-video-game-ness go away when out with the boys at a… slumber party or something?

There’s got to be some anthropomorphic change that transforms dudes into video-game-playing phenoms or freaks, depending on whether or not you think that’s cool, when they get together to have fun. What is it about dudes and playing video games together? Is it social validation or macho-ness? Some weird high off of seeing who gets the most kills? Whatever it is, and I have no idea what it is, I think we can call this the HALO Effect just as well, can’t we?

We played HALO 3 from 8pm till about 2am. Six hours gone to the wind without a care in the world or anything constructive to show for it. (We might have had sore thumbs and bugged out eyes but the controllers definitely weren’t greasy. Our old roommate, whose house we were staying at, demanded that we keep our hands washed in order to play. That’s atypical HALO behavior, but at least sanitary.) On top of all this, everyone else went to bed while Vic and I beat the entire game of HALO 3 before the clock struck 5am. I never would have stayed up by myself to beat the game.

What is it about HALO that passes the time so effortlessly?… the HALO Effect, boys being boys. No wonder why wives and girlfriends confiscate that cursed video game. I’d like to see some Harvard social psychologists do a number on this HALO effect.

I’m tall. Tallness comes with various side effects—most are pleasant, but some physically hurt. (If you want an extended list of side effects we can get together later). At least I’m tall enough that I don’t hit my head on anything…?? What? You may think that sounds backwards but it isn’t. I know very well where my head is at all times.

Most doorways are six and a half feet. I’m six ten so I duck through almost every door. I feel for six-five guys. Even though they’re five inches shorter, their “tweener” height will break their head open one day. Most haven’t the habit of ducking because they don’t need to duck through most doors. A dude that hasn’t developed the habit of ducking through doorways who decides one fateful day to put on a shoe with a plus size sole… ouch. Door Jam meets Forehead Part IV. Thanks goodness I passed up that painful height as a junior in high school. One of my fondest habits in life is that of ducking through every doorway regardless of the height. This tall man information should be postscript to the subject of this post.

One side effect of my tallness that I can’t decide whether or not I enjoy is that people’s attention seems to naturally follow after the tall guy for some reason. I can’t hide or blend in to a crowd, believe me I’ve tried (like when I try to practice my moves on a dance floor without putting them on display for all to see). Sometimes my every move feels like it’s being traced by all-seeing eyeballs. If you’ve ever sat in the front row of a full classroom and felt like someone is staring a hole through the back of your head, that’s what it feels like, often… at least when in public places. (For that reason, tall people, in public places, seem to migrate to walls or solid objects for refuge from the “eyes”).

On the positive side of tallness: Harvard social psychologists have determined that tall men are considered more persuasive, attractive, and listened to; are higher paid, more likely to hold leadership positions, and memorable. That’s nice, but that’s just the way it is whether us tall folk like it or not. Now, of course we have to contribute by standing tall regardless of how tall we already are, dressing decent, and maintaining personal hygiene, or the positive results could plummet to profound depths in the opposite direction.

The tallman factor is part of a phenomenon dubbed “The Halo Effect.” This effect has to do with the way outward or external appearances of the perceived affect the inward or internal emotions of the perceiver. People make assumptions or knee-jerk judgments of others based off of simple, emotional, oftentimes meaningless, external “triggers.” If I went to the office looking like I did when I woke up in the morning (unkempt hair, bad breath, slouching, basketball shorts and a t-shirt), and I were to meet someone for the first time looking like I just got out of bed, they would make a judgment about my character based on those external triggers.. in this case a negative judgment. It’s sad but true. We do it all the time. However, if I was dressed to the 9’s and smelled nicely and walked confidently, and I was tall, their opinion is likely to be positive. We are quick to judge a book by its cover. We do it all the time. Now you know the scientific term that goes along with it. The cliché “Dress for success” has everything to do with the Halo Effect.

Similarly, making an effort to look nice and carry yourself confidently can achieve the same results. What you wear, how you walk, the look on your face, what you smell like, etc., all that and more affects the sub-conscious of the onlooker and is a part of the enigmatic halo effect. Luckily for un-tall people, the effect isn’t just achieved through tallness. One benefit of being tall, though, is that tallness is one of the only positive halo effect characteristics that is completely natural. I just have to get up in the morning and I’m instantly tall, no cosmetics or smell-me-good sauces necessary to spice me up.

So what does all this jibber-jabber have to do with flying? Here it is. In addition to the aforementioned side effects experienced by tall men, here’s yet another curse: traveling can be most unpleasant; not just for me (cramps and little practical use of the seat-back tray), but for the person sitting beside me (have to sit with my legs wide) and the person sitting in front of me (can’t lean his chair back). Accommodations just aren’t made for tall people when flying the “friendly skies.”

There are three places on a flight where a tall man will sit comfortably—depending on the make and model of the airplane sometimes not even that (sometimes the legroom in first class is even terrible). First class, the bulk head and the emergency exit are the tall man’s oases in the air.

I didn’t travel that often until a couple years ago. Before then I didn’t understand the Halo Effect and therefore didn’t achieve my desired oasis of comfort in the friendly skies. I settled for cramps way too often. Once I learned the power of the Halo Effect, however, I have since only settled for something less once.

Official segue to the punchline of these ramblings:

I made a resolution. I wanted to take full advantage of what the Halo Effect had to offer. On one day trip to LA I wore a nice suit. I quickly noticed that I was treated differently when I was well dressed (a suit or a blazer with a nice button up shirt, slacks, and tassel shoes–which make me look like a 30+ year old) I got what I wanted… my legroom and an extra drink or two. Hmm… Jeans and a t-shirt just didn’t get these results. This was intriguing to me. I resolved to always dress nicely when traveling so I could do so in relative comfort.

With Halo Effect in effect, I sometimes feel like a celebrity or somebody important because of the way people look at me… and I know I ain’t no celebrity. A few times I was treated as if I was a professional athlete, people assumed I was… of course I’m not. I would get people asking me which NBA team I played for and if I could get them tickets. They assumed I played in the NBA, an effect I never got in jeans and a t-shirt. A few times I was offered first class for no reason, because they couldn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t be in first class. I never have to ask more than once to be reseated in the emergency exit or the bulk head when flying coach, even if they have to move someone out of their rightful seat to do so–the flight attendants accommodate my long legs rather nicely. On Southwest I pre-board with the little kids… I’m still mulling over the ethics of that one…

This passed holiday season I decided to travel comfortably and leave the tassel shoes at home. Sufficeth to say, I didn’t get that bulk head seat or the emergency exit and I returned to taste the unpleasantries of the unfriendly skies. Yup, this was that one time that I settled for something less.

Un-ubiquitous is the 7-ness of the last two posts… 7 is a perfect number and I personally think it is pretty…

I have a few favorite blogs. One of them is www.zenhabits.net. Yup. I don’t even know what “zen” refers to in this context but even so, his stuff is flat-out blingin’ awesome. A simple guy writing simple things (from Guam no less) to improve our simple lives. He’s got more than 28,000 readers… Wow. Hmm. That brings into sharp relief the simple nature of my humble blogger begggginings. I think I boast the huge count of two readers at the moment… me, yeah I read my own stuff sometimes, and my mother. (Always my number one fan! Thanks momma!).

Last week Leo wrote a powerful post on zenhabits.net that echoed my own sentiments about goal setting for 2008. Goal setting is powerful and moving, yet basic and rudimentary. He gives some sage advice about how to make 2008 your best year ever.

Here’s the link to head on over and read his stuff.

7 Essential Tips to Make 2008 Your Best Year EVER

If you like it, sign up for his RSS feed, you won’t be disappointed.