A day in the life

Of course we all get busy and lost in our day to day lives but I thought I'd give a little insight into what I've been doing lately in hopes that it shows I try to walk the path as much as you'll hear me preach about it.


Part 1: School Life

March Break is coming up, but before that, we have 5 tests to get through. Law, Statistics, Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Financial. Of course, each test will have ~5 hours of hard study time devoted to it and whatever time it takes to grasp or learn the material (usually accomplished in class). The hard study time is really just revisiting each section, writing some notes, working out a problem or two, and then reflecting with no material in front of me. While in class, I make sure to ask a lot of questions and get the answers early. If I don't understand something, I let it preoccupy me - that way I almost force myself to learn or become obsessed. This makes "crunch time" a lot easier and less stressful. I'm a 90s student but I wouldn't say I'm smarter than my classmates, I just devote more effort to learning I think - something everyone can do.

Try it next time you get the chance - it doesn't need to be with just school (you may get that impression in a bit anyway).

Part 2: Personal Projects

My projects are things I devote some spare time to in order to improve myself overall. I used to be a software developer and although I'm out of that business as a career, it's still very much a hobby. Currently, I'm making a local web page that serves as a scheduling tool that I can set as my home page to help keep me better organized (who doesn't open their browser window at least once a day?). I've taken this opportunity to refresh my HTML knowledge and learn PHP as well as learn to work with MySQL. It's an interesting project that requires lots of research, but the process is fun and teaches me not only the specifics of those tools, but reminds me of the learning process and how I grasp things in general.

I am also working on a game of my own. I've been trying to get it prepared to show a little bit off on this blog, but sadly, time has been scarce the last couple of weeks. I'm using a program called Game Maker and find it very enjoyable. Currently my problems lie with collision detection in the actual engine but what I'm actively working on is a functional menu to help with in game debugging. Once this is done, I'll be able to get back to the game and hopefully whip up something more visually stimulating to show and explain. Again, the learning process is extremely rewarding.

Part 3: Hobby Choice

My passion has always been with video games, but lately I find I'm very drawn to fighters of many types. The quick pick up and play is nice for someone as busy as I am but getting online for some matches can sometimes be troublesome. I'll really play anything but I tend to focus on 2D fighters as a favorite sub genre. What do I really like about them? They push me to grow in a lot of areas. Maybe I face a player who is extremely offensive and I lose - I now know I need to learn to be more defensive and find the openings/mistakes in those rushdown strategies so I can punish/get some hits in. I need to learn to read patterns and predict opponents. I need to learn when I can be the aggressive one. I need to learn to hide my intents and openings. I need to practice a lot in training to get used to situations/combos/move properties/etc. There is literally so much I can gain from playing a fighter that I can transfer into my day to day life.

Of course, one fighter might weight more heavily on fast paced gameplay and making quick (but accurate) judgments, while another might be a little slower focusing on properly reading your opponent and coming up with the right answers to every situation. In this respect, I play a lot of different fighters for the different value each brings to the table. Am I good? Not yet, but I'll keep practicing and someday really shine brightly - showing everyone that hard work, dedication, and focus can help you accomplish a lot.

Interestingly enough, I recently joined Taekwondo for the same reasons. It challenges my body and mind and allows for seemingly infinite growth. It's good for your health, too!

Part 4: Social Life

While I'm not the most fluent conversationalist, I do still open myself to the social customs of our part of the world. Sure, I enjoy the company of others and can really let loose but more often than not, they have something I'd like to learn. How is he so capable of just striking up a conversation with anyone? Why does she always approach problems like that? Does that relationship dynamic really work? Why?

Yes, I want to know what makes them tick - basically so I can incorporate what I feel to be good traits into my own lifestyle and grow into something better. Also, having contacts and a network is very important in the business world. Don't get me wrong, while I befriend those I feel will benefit me - it also works in reverse. I will do my best to be of benefit to those I am a friend of as well. Even trade, right? For this reason, I don't have many close friends, but those I do have, I respect and look after with great vigilance.

Part 5: Family Time

On top of all this, I have 4 great kids and a wonderful wife. Everything I learn and do is in part for them - I will explore the paths, learn what I can, see what works and what doesn't, and then pass that information along. Not to say I sit down and tell them, but I firmly believe in leading by example. I will give my all. I will show them what I believe and why I believe it. I will enrich their lives by teaching them the best ways to approach life in general. I will help them build on their strengths and cover their weaknesses. I do everything I can to show them everything and anything is possible and encourage them to the best of my ability.

My oldest is very keen on "practice makes perfect". That is the concept that she most readily latched onto and that is the concept I most encourage in her. It will get her far and I try to show her that it can apply to things that initially don't seem like they would apply. Of course, teaching her that she needs to find a balance between practice and other aspects of life is a very important lesson for her since she could easily get lost in the thrill of self improvement.

My second oldest seemed to latch on to "Be yourself". She marches to her own beat and is encouraged at every turn. She doesn't care what you think as long as she's happy and enjoying herself. A very spectacular trait and one that will save her a lot of grief. Of course, her lesson comes in that in order to stay happy, you sometimes need to respect the people around you and help them stay happy as well. Working together can often produce much more agreeable results with much less conflict.

My third oldest has an affinity towards "Knowing your opponent". She reads situations very well and gets away with more than she should because of it. You certainly can't discourage that since it will help her climb the social ladder faster than most. The challenge here is teaching her that just because you know something doesn't mean you need to (or should) use it. She also needs to be taught that she needs to find more socially acceptable ways of testing her knowledge of people. If she masters this, she will have strong manipulation skills. It sounds bad, but manipulation is only a tool - it's what you do with it that matters. In that regard, I foresee needing to focus on teaching her strong leadership and responsibility skills as well. That way, she should be able to put that innate skill to excellent use should she choose to.

My youngest is a questioner ... "How does that work?" seems to be his approach. He wants to know why it works, how it works, and what good it'll do for him. Excellent. He'll excel in the use of tools - whether they be physical objects, languages, ideologies, etc he should be able to make sense of them and properly assess how much they're REALLY worth to him. I doubt he'll waste much time on frivolous things when he's older. He'll need to be shown and taught that sometimes you need to think outside the box to really see the true value in something... otherwise he'll miss out on so much and that won't do at all.

Finally, my wife is as pure as they come. Living by "If they're happy, so am I", she does her very best to make everyone as happy as possible. A wonderful trait in a person. She really does make a room shine and keep people feeling comfortable and right at home. Sadly, this trait sometimes comes at the expense of her own happiness and that is unacceptable. I need to teach her and show her that while her trait is a unique and beautiful one, she needs to learn to strike a balance. She puts too much effort into other people and not enough into herself. If she breaks, she will no longer shine on those around her - helping their day to day lives. In that regard, it is important for her to learn the art of efficiency. How can she do as little as possible but get the most out of it? Instead of (for example) baking one special cupcake for each person in the room, maybe she could consider making a batch of cupcakes and put a small special touch on each pertaining to the individual in question. Or make a cake and decorate it in a fashion that gives each individual a special piece that means something to them. Efficiency would really help her accomplish her goals without compromising her personality. I will do all I can to help her succeed.

Part 6: To Conclude

So there you have it... I basically spend my time either trying to improve or helping others improve. I rarely take time to just sit back and relax (ie: watch television... happens about once a month) and I'm always on the go. But that's ok - it's important to tell people what you feel is right, although it's much more effective to show them. Despite being a strong introvert, I make a point to get out there and help others in any way I can without sacrificing too much. Some may say this will cause a person to burn out early, but I'd rather burn as brightly as possible while I can and show everyone that there is always another step you can take.

I hope I've at least inspired one other person to stand a little taller, walk a little further, fight a little longer, or otherwise push a little harder.

~Veysey