Author Archives: David Shirley

Enforce the negative I picked up on this concept I’m going to write about, when I took my CrossFit Level 2 course. During the course one of the instructors asks the group, “don’t think of a banana.” Of course the first thing that pops in my head is a bright yellow fruit. At that moment,Continue reading “Do This”

Product Business vs Service Business. What is the difference? Which one is better?  I sometimes, when the mood is right, tell people I had two businesses. If questioned further, I will tell them one was a gym and one was a manufacturing company. And at one point I was running both at the same time. Continue reading “Product vs Service”

I struggled with this idea of doing stuff just for the money. I didn’t think it was admirable. So I fought back when my views were opposed. Someone would say, “no David, you are wrong, it’s all about the money.” I would respond with something like, “nu-uh you don’t know what you are talking about.”Continue reading “For the Money”

Brainwashing is a good thing.  Brainwash: make someone adopt radically different beliefs by using systematic and often forcible pressure.  The words brainwashing is considered negative. Like “You’ve been brainwashed man!” (Say that with a surfer accent for greatest effect).  Brainwashing is saying you no longer have the choice or it means the way you thinkContinue reading “Wash Your Brain”

Choice: The right or ability to make, or possibility of making, such a selection. Choice. It’s more powerful than I realized.   What is taken away from prisoners? Choice. What is taken away from the oppressed? Choice.  Without choice, our sense of self suffers. We lash out against “the man.” We talk back to our parents.Continue reading “Fifteen Minute Marvel”

Our reality is a story in our head Have you ever wondered how people can be self destructive. Take smoking. There is no possible way smoking can be good for you. But the person who smokes has created a narrative that says smoking is good for them. And the story engrains ideas into the personsContinue reading “Story Telling – The Human Niche”

I have never published my stream of consciousness writings before. Until now.  This is a raw example of how I write. I will have a topic—in this case “process focused. Not outcome focused—and begin writing about that topic and I will start bouncing all over the place. Not staying on topic.  This time I gotContinue reading “Stream of Consciousness 01”

This writing is for those great folks who have stood by their kids from kindergarten all the way to eight grade. Now, you are about to send your pride and joy into high school. And God help you. God help us all.   I have three kids. All in school. Grades eight, sixth, and kindergarten.Continue reading “How to Make HighSchool Useful”

I came across another great idea from James Clear. If you don’t know who this is you can buy his book Atomic Habits here.  His idea is this: “The world rewards you for value provided, not time spent.” I needed this. It reminds me to ship. To stop trying to make something perfect and justContinue reading “The Asocial Society”

Creating new value is what’s important. To succeed, create new value. Or, create new value from old value. In a new and better way. Many jobs don’t require creating new value. But rather require people to perform a repetitive task day in and day out year after year. How are you spending your time. AreContinue reading “Create or Die”