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cryptoandfire · 4 years ago

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How To Become A Minimalist And Retire Early?

Minimalist is someone who practices Minimalism. Keeping up with joneses is a real factor at work and within friends circle. People always try to one up against each other. Consumerism is a fact of life for many of us these days.

You are definitely involved in some manner, even if you are not actively participating in buying and selling things constantly, when anything you want reaches you the next day with Amazon Prime delivery.

We are all surrounded by pitches and advertising almost every waking minute of every day. The billboard banner you see while driving, the great effect of sales, coupons and savings online and in store, commercials during sports events are all something that we can’t ignore. They are made to draw your attention.

There’s almost always someone that is trying to sell us something, when we’re walking through town, watching TV or just surfing the net. Everyone you converse with, in online world, is also your customer nowadays. Instagram has a lot of people that converses and pushes their products in between genuine conversations.

Advertising needs to expose people of a certain interest to new and exciting things and their task is to simply provide information. But what happens with modern day advertising is they want to “influence” and “increase purchase intent” which adds to the misery after people make impulsive decisions to buy.

Sometimes, you feel enough is enough. At some point, we should be happy with what we have, and stop wanting more all the time. How do you train your mind to stop wanting more? One of the best things that could happen as a result is Financial Independence (FI). If you channelize your thoughts with wanting less for a long period of time and be completely happy about it, then Retiring Early (RE) could be a viable option. Are you geared up to join the FIRE movement?

Read on, to get your desired answer.

Mind Game With Happiness

According to a research done by Prof. Oswald, Modern advertising makes us unhappy. Another great happiness study found that when people were offered a reward that they were then denied, their desire to get the reward increased. Makes total sense right?

But what really happened is, when those same people were then given the reward they had been denied, even though they wanted it more, they ended up liking it less!

https://www.cryptoandfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/happiness.mp4

Sometimes, all you need is to indulge in a small pleasure that you really enjoy. It could be driving up to a ranch, enjoying green farmlands, enjoying rain or a perfect sunset at a beach to yourself!

My Example of Wanting Something More

I had a really average laptop for 3 years and felt miserable with it. I wanted to upgrade to a flashy gaming laptop with high refresh rate, thermal cooling and latest Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. My aim was to seriously learn video editing and play heavy graphics oriented games on it. More the latter😜.

When I figured I had other priorities and can’t budget for the laptop that costs north of $2000, it made me want the laptop more. I have been constantly saving up, investing and monitoring my budget to somehow get the laptop soon. But once I got it, that magic disappeared. I use the more powerful laptop for the same routine that I did before and never needed this powerful laptop. You learn from your bad decisions in life.

I have many more examples that I can repent about, but that’s for another day. Let’s talk about how we can get rid of this.

Resist Becoming A Materialism Monster

When companies try to grab your attention ceaselessly through catchy advertising, you need to constantly alert yourself on the difference between needs and wants and acquire the realization that the things you want might not be the things you will actually like.

Longing for material things can cause us to feel that we are incomplete or missing out on something, which is not particularly good for your mental health. On the other hand, ownership of things does not necessarily equate to happiness, and even when you do get something, it might not be as worth it as you thought.

Craving materialistic items forever likely has a negative influence on your happiness. On the other hand, Money is finite and you can have only so much in your life. We might be turning into a materialistic monster without our knowledge. What to do instead? Spend your money on experiences (I love travel😊) or time spent with loved ones. Memories will last a lifetime and will almost certainly keep you happier for longer, when you look back.

The highest measure of wealth is the ability to choose time with family over the opportunity to make more money. Concentrate on earning money passively, make the money work for you and spend time actively with your family members. – CryptoandFire

Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you plane and theater tickets, and those things might help in the long run.

Enough is enough

Most of you who are reading this blog are already comfortable. You have a roof over your head, you have fast internet, you have a good phone, you have good food and water and you might have a good job and health too.

We are lucky enough to live “privileged” lives where we do not need to worry about basic necessities in life, the notion of “enough” is perhaps slightly far flung. What does it mean to have ‘enough’?

If you are healthy, safe and happy, then you have “enough”. A fit body, a calm and happy mind and a house full of love is all you need. – @CryptoFire

It is just as simple as that!

Learning to be content with what we already have is an excellent way to avoid gaining yet more stuff.

If you realize that you’re happy with what you already have, you won’t spend on random things to make yourself more happy. Stop comparing your life to others and only measure your progress with yourself from the past.

You will naturally stop spending money on materialistic things that don’t make you happy more. Money could be far better spent on time and experiences with loved ones.

How To Train Your Mind To Want Less and Retire Early?

Training your mind to be happy with enough or less isn’t as easy as it sounds. I don’t know about you, but I always have a hard time taking my eye away from new video games or watching new movies or buying fancy clothes to look better.

How can we teach ourselves to be “happy with enough”? Teaching contentedness is tough for anyone.

Before I can decide how happy I am, I have to look over my shoulder, consciously or subconsciously, and see how other people are doing. Many of my feelings about my income, my car, and my house are molded by my next-door neighbor’s income, car, and house. That’s just part of being human: worrying about relative status

– Prof. Andrew Oswald, University of Warwick

How to train your mind to want less and eventually achieve the goal to retire early? Retiring early is not easy and not for everyone. You need to have high mental conditioning but I will make it easy for you on how I embraced it and give you a glimpse of my journey to FIRE.

Minimalist enjoying small pleasure towards FIRE

Here are 5 tips that I find really effective to keep me happy and take me towards FIRE

Appreciation journal

I have my own appreciation journal. A gratitude journal helps you appreciate the small things in your life. It helps you see that there are wonderful things in your life even when you aren’t feeling positive. If you ever find yourself thinking about a negative thing, instantly switch your mood to take time to appreciate the small things.

Appreciation journal, in case you haven’t already guessed, is a journal in which you record all things that you are grateful or thankful for in your life.

https://www.cryptoandfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/happiness-baby.mp4

Gratitude is an attitude and way of living that has many benefits in terms of health, happiness, satisfaction with life, and the way we relate to others. It goes hand in hand with mindfulness in its focus on the present and appreciation for what we have now, rather than wanting more and more.

By surrounding yourself with positivism, you can overcome the natural human instinct of focusing heavily on the negatives. Harvard Research has shown that surrounding yourself with gratitude can improve your happiness and well being. Giving Thanks can make you happier!!

Positive Thoughts and Reflection

It is important that you be a positive person. Positivism attracts positivism. You will totally attracted like minded people with your “gratitude attitude”.

You could probably take a look at yoga or meditation and see if it helps calm your mind and keep you happy. For instance, Yoga and meditation seems to have boundless benefits and it just takes a minute to have access to these quality content in Google’s Youtube. Anyone can do Yoga or Meditate and you don’t always need to have an instructor.

If journal-ing isn’t really your thing, just try to stop for a moment and think about all of the positives in your life and make your mind your appreciation journal. Taking time out of your busy schedule to acknowledge the positive things in your life will help you to recognize that you are indeed gifted and don’t need anything more.

Often, you will find that you already have everything that you desperately require to live a happy and fulfilled life. That realization alone is incredibly powerful.

Become a minimalist

Have you ever wanted things without actually thinking about why you want them? Don’t worry, I’m not singling you out. I, sometimes, have the same problem. We are all human. We tend to not think what we are going to gain from some things but just develop a desire for it.

Minimalists search for happiness not through things, but through life itself. You decide what is necessary and what is inessential in your life.

Minimalists believe in quality over quantity.It does not mean the things you buy are cheap. It means they are something you need, regardless of how much it costs.

“Being a minimalist” means you value yourself more than material things. It means making decisions based on what you need instead of showering yourself with gifts of everything you want. It is better to take a look at every single piece of stuff and genuinely question : does that really enhance value to my life?

Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding financial freedom. Minimalism is not a radical lifestyle.

You have more of what you need and enjoy, instead of being worried about what you don’t have.

Every time you feel you NEED something, ask yourself WHY you need it. If we are more thorough in our examinations of our needs and desires, then wanting less can be a natural transition. Similarly, there are also some proven methods that you could quickly learn and apply to your life.

What is Marie Kondo Konmari method?

The KonMari Method is Marie Kondo’s minimalism-inspired approach to tackling your stuff category-by-category rather than room-by-room. If you are not familiar with the techniques, I’d suggest reading “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo” once. There is also a Marie Kondo Netflix show if you want to watch.

There are six basic rules to get started:

Commit yourself to tidying up

Imagine your ideal lifestyle

Finish discarding first. Before getting rid of items, sincerely thank each item for serving its purpose

Tidy by category, not location

Follow the right order

Ask yourself it it sparks joy

After a month, thank yourself for your clutter free lifestyle with things that you didn’t need gone. When you have a lot of choices, that could end up affecting your productivity.

How does Minimalism help achieve FIRE?

When you start living your life minimalistically, you eventually find that your expenses is going down per year. FIRE is calculated with 4% Savings Withdrawal rate or 25X savings. As you slow down your expenses, your savings account is going to get a multiple times boost. This naturally makes it much easier to reach your FIRE number without breaking a sweat on smallest expenses. Remember, owning your own time and deciding what to do with it is the ultimate freedom.

Minimalist to FIRE

Parting Thoughts

We all want some things that we probably don’t need, be it a new phone, a nice dress or be the king of one the kingdoms in Game of Thrones (come on, don’t act as if you want to pass this up). We all draw castles in air.

To be clear, wanting more things is perfectly human thing to do. But, when we want too much all the time, that is where the problem starts. There should be a limit for everything . It can start to have a negative effect on your mental health. You might start to feel insecure, incomplete and unsuccessful without your new found desire.

If you concentrate on being being grateful for what you have in your life and take time to appreciate the qualities in your friends and family, life will become a bed of roses. People will naturally want to associate with you for your positivism and motivate themselves to be a positive person too.

Last but not least, it is absolutely necessary that we question our motives for wanting more, before showering yourself that gift. Similarly, when minimalism helps you attain FIRE, you need to have a clear goal on why you are pursuing it.

In Conclusion, some of the questions you could be asking yourself is

Why do you want to be wealthy?

Do you actually have a plan for all that money or do you just want it for the sake of having it?

What is actually the point of your desire to be rich?

These are the sorts of questions that we need to be asking ourselves on a daily basis if we want to retire early, happy and rich!

Minimalist to FIRE

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lisarprahl · 6 years ago

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5 Life Hacks For Passing the CPA Exam (And Flourishing at Life)

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My name is Robert Eyler and I graduated in December, 2011. I studied for my CPA Exam utilizing Roger CPA and thankfully passed all 4 tests by the end of 2012!

I currently work at RSM and lead the Firm in its National Health and Wellness Initiative. I have been flown out to National Trainings to teach yoga and guided meditation sessions. Additionally, I recently sat on a panel to speak on the topic “Being Successful While Choosing a Different Path.” In addition to being a CPA, I run my own Health & Wellness business (GetFit42). I am a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Nutrition Specialist, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Behavioral Change Specialist and a Registered Yoga Teacher.

After passing the CPA Exam, I took a long, hard look in the mirror. There has to be a less stressful, less anxiety-inducing, healthier approach to taking this test and to this profession as a whole, I thought. Fast forward 6 years later, and I found an approach that has worked wonders. And just for you, I have compiled a list of 5 TRIED AND TRUE life hacks that will not only ensure that you crush ALL parts of the CPA Exam, but will also set you up for success post-CPA Exam life, both professionally AND personally!

1. Yoga & Meditation

Simply put, these two practices have changed my life. In addition, they will change yours too! I picked these practices up toward the end of 2016. I had always heard of the benefits of yoga and meditation, but historically thought it was a bit too “out there” for me. Nonetheless, given my weakened state after the CPA Exam, I decided to give it a shot. Today, I can report, this is one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Yoga

Let me explain a bit about yoga and meditation. In spite of what others might say, you do not need to be any specific religion or believe in any specific ideology to take part in this life-changing practice. Yoga has been proven to enhance mental clarity, brainpower, energy levels, metabolism, feelings of well-being and inner-peace, AND alertness (without caffeine)! Yoga can be found pretty much everywhere and most studios offer up to a FREE week! Additionally, most have free mats and towels to rent. You are getting a 100% ROI by giving this life-changing practice a shot!

Meditation:

This one is a true necessity if you plan to survive as a CPA Exam candidate, an accomplished CPA, a senior, a Manager, or even a Partner! Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other corporate giants have been known to back this undeniably effective practice! Meditation has been proven to enhance memory, creativity, and awareness! Additionally, it can boost individual performance, productivity, and leadership skills! Personally, I practice meditation 1-3 times per day (minimum), at 10 minutes per session.

Instructions: When the day gets stressful, pause, grab your phone, and set the timer to go off in 10 minutes. Sit down & keep your back straight (against a wall or chair). Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold at the top of your inhale for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds and hold at the bottom of your exhale for 4 seconds. Repeat until timer goes off. If your mind wanders off (which it certainly will!), simply notice it, forgive it, and calmly bring your focus back to your breathing.

You may also want to try the Calm Application. This application consists of various meditation topics (i.e. gratitude, empathy, relationships with others, anxiety, stress, etc.) with very soothing music being played in the background. Most of the meditations on this application are ten minutes in length. I recommend starting with the 21 Days of Calm. The first week is FREE! If I still have not convinced you, let it be known that this was rated the #1 App in 2017 and I utilize it every single day!

2. Deep Work

100% of the individuals who study for the CPA Exam have, at one time or another, experienced periods of inattentiveness or difficulty with focusing.

In order to mitigate these bouts of inattentiveness, I offer up the practice of “deep work”, which I stumbled upon while meditating with the Calm App. With deep work, we are to dedicate pre-set times for uninterrupted work. Start with 1-2 hours and slowly start to extend the amount of time as you become experienced in this practice. During these pre-determined work periods, distractions of any kind are to be avoided. That means turn the phone on DO NOT DISTURB, turn off all notifications, and if possible, disconnect from the internet. By scheduling these periods of extreme, Zen-like focus and flow, we create periods where we are protected from deep distractions. This allows our brain to gather itself into a force of focus. The result is that our attention is concentrated, our work productive, and our time well spent.

During our study regimen, our sanity requires us to take time-outs to let our minds wander. This can come in the form of getting caught up on current events, checking Instagram, chatting with colleagues and even going for a short walk (highly recommended!). Although these time-outs are a necessity, we MUST be sure to schedule time for uninterrupted work during the day. This practice can be a gift to our study partners as well, because when we dedicate periods to deep work, others (around us) are encouraged to do the same. Our extreme focus and concentrated energy elevates the vibe of the entire room!

The secrets to success in any human endeavor are extended periods of total concentration, followed by periods of rest, relaxation and meditation!

Why You Should Get Your CPA License: Advice From a BAP Faculty Advisor

6 Reasons to Become a CPA

Why Passing REG in 2018 is Critical

3. Jot down 3 things/events/people you are grateful for on a daily basis.

The human brain thinks roughly 60,000 thoughts per day. Approximately 90% of those thoughts are negative. That may seem like a large percentage, but this is actually deemed “normal.” This is how we successfully evolved as a species, providing us with the tools required to survive the harshest of conditions. This survival mechanism is ingrained in our DNA, as our brains actively and relentlessly search for that next threat, that next issue, that next problem. When studying for the CPA Exam, oftentimes, I could not shut my mind off, letting it run wild, stressing and worrying about what would be on my next exam, if I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the exam, or if the AC would be working in the ProMetric Building. Now, what if I told you there was a way to change these negative thought patterns? We actually have the power to re-wire our mentality and train our brains to actively search for the positive in each and every situation.

Here’s how:

Every day, preferably upon waking up, grab a pen and piece of paper (or journal) and jot down the date, your current location, and 3 things/events/people you are grateful for. It’s really THIS easy! I recommend performing this activity as soon as you wake up! What this means is do not reach for your phone, do not scroll through the Gram, stay away from Facebook, avoid your e-mail, and instead, grab for your journal/piece of paper and get to work! Practicing gratitude helps train the brain to be more sensitive to the experience of gratitude down the line, and this contributes to improved mental health over time. Sound too good to be true? It isn’t! I discovered that practicing this for just 7 continuous days drastically shifted my thought patterns to consciously (and unconsciously) search for the positive in every situation.

4. Embrace the 74s

The great Jim Rohn once said, “Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.” In order for each and every one of us to grow, we must first change. For example, if I receive a 74 on AUD, and I want to pass with a 75, I cannot get there without change. This means changing my eating habits, my daily routines, and even my weekend festivities. If I am an Associate who has been getting horrible reviews on all of my jobs, but I want to make Partner one day, I must change the specific activity patterns that are resulting in me receiving horrible reviews so that I can become a more valuable asset to the Firm.

When failure or change occurs, we have three different options on how to respond. We can either 1) complain about said change/failure and express how unfair it is that it happened to us, 2) ignore said change/failure, tuck it down deep, and focus on other areas of life to distract us from dealing with it, or 3) accept said change/failure, adapt to our new circumstance(s) and use said change/failure to help better our lives. If you haven’t already figured it out, I highly recommend choosing option 3.

After I took audit, I waited an excruciating 6 weeks to receive my score. To my dismay, I received a 74. My initial reaction included emotions of fear, anger, disappointment and frustration. “I studied SO hard, how could I have gotten a 74?!” The funny thing about this situation is that no matter how frustrated, or angry, or disappointed I got, only one thing could change that 74. And that one thing was more hard work, more focus, and more dedication. See, as much as I didn’t agree with the 74, it didn’t matter. Point blank period: I didn’t get it done. Rather than choosing option 1 or 2 above, I accepted the minor setback, the failed attempt, and painstakingly followed option 3 as noted above. On my next attempt, I passed with an 82! The key here is to drastically modify our perspective and use that 74 as a tool to grow, be, and do better!

5. Harness the Power of Fear

“I am definitely not ready to sit for my CPA Exam tomorrow. I need more time to study!” For 99% of us, this is typically our thought pattern the day before we sit for the CPA Exam. Luckily for us, these thoughts don’t represent our true selves. Those thoughts are based in fear and fear is illusory! Below are a few ways to harness the power of fear, accept it, and utilize said fear to our advantage!

Get uncomfortable with being comfortable:

I read somewhere one time that discomfort is a side effect of growth. Nothing worth having comes easy and as such, we are bound to feel fearful or uncomfortable when attempting a task that we really want to accomplish! Fear is a natural part of life and is often ignited over a fear to fail. That being said, we must fail (multiple times) in order to grow and progress in life. Be at peace with this fact and understand that every failure gets you one step closer to success!

Embrace it!

We spend a majority of our working lives trying to avoid fear, and as a result, we end up steering right into it. The more we focus on the outcomes we fear (failing that exam), the more our brains dwell on and process this information, and we end up on a trajectory aimed straight for that pessimistic assumption! It is normal to feel fear, so we should not try and suppress it. If we can learn to embrace and examine what exactly is causing this fear, we will learn to overcome it and find positive ways to reach our dreams and goals.

Analyze it:

I suggest to many of my clients when they feel fear to sit with it for a bit and examine it. Fear can actually help us determine exactly what it is we DO NOT want. I am a firm believer that the energy and vibes we feel are living things. Maybe the energy or vibes we picked up from our latest interview didn't go so well or the date we just went on went horrible and we become fearful about how to get out of the next one. Instead of letting this fear overcome us, we can use it to our advantage by sitting with it, observing & analyzing it, and determining a plan of attack from there! Essentially, we should take those experiences as lessons and find other ways to achieve positive outcomes.

USE THE FEAR TO YOUR ADVANTAGE:

When I was studying for my CPA Exam, it was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Fear of failing that exam kept me focused and determined to pass it. When I played football, fear of losing the game lit a fire under me (the fight or flight response kicked in every single game) and allowed me to perform at my absolute best. We must learn how to use fear to our advantage without letting it paralyze us & consume us, entirely. And trust me, there is a fine line between the two.

If you’ve made it this far, I am grateful for you! Utilizing these 5 techniques and additional sub-techniques are GUARANTEED to set you up for success not just while sitting for the CPA Exam, but beyond. These guidelines help make you more balanced, energetic, and optimistic! Utilizing these techniques will equip you with the tools needed to live an awesome, happy, and fulfilling life!

Now, GO CRUSH THOSE EXAMS!

Robert Eyler at the RSM National Experienced In Charge Conference in St. Charles, IL!

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CPA Exam Study Tips

Feature on ACT Professors page

from Accounting News https://www.rogercpareview.com/blog/5-life-hacks-passing-cpa-exam-and-flourishing-life

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ashleydpalmerusa · 6 years ago

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5 Life Hacks For Passing the CPA Exam (And Flourishing at Life)

<![CDATA[/* ><!]]>*/

My name is Robert Eyler and I graduated in December, 2011. I studied for my CPA Exam utilizing Roger CPA and thankfully passed all 4 tests by the end of 2012!

1. Yoga & Meditation

Yoga

Meditation:

2. Deep Work

100% of the individuals who study for the CPA Exam have, at one time or another, experienced periods of inattentiveness or difficulty with focusing.

The secrets to success in any human endeavor are extended periods of total concentration, followed by periods of rest, relaxation and meditation!

Why You Should Get Your CPA License: Advice From a BAP Faculty Advisor

6 Reasons to Become a CPA

Why Passing REG in 2018 is Critical

3. Jot down 3 things/events/people you are grateful for on a daily basis.

Here’s how:

4. Embrace the 74s

5. Harness the Power of Fear

Get uncomfortable with being comfortable:

Embrace it!

Analyze it:

USE THE FEAR TO YOUR ADVANTAGE:

Now, GO CRUSH THOSE EXAMS!

Robert Eyler at the RSM National Experienced In Charge Conference in St. Charles, IL!

Categories

CPA Exam Study Tips

Feature on ACT Professors page

from Accounting News https://www.rogercpareview.com/blog/5-life-hacks-passing-cpa-exam-and-flourishing-life

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jkdavidson-blog · 8 years ago

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Standing Rock Recap Part 1 (12/8-12/12)

So now that I am back in Cincinnati, and before I dive headlong back into my day-to-day business, I want to take an opportunity to reflect more thoroughly on my Standing Rock experience, to solidify it in my memory and begin to process the journey so that I can more fully integrate its lessons as I move forward. I kept some notes on my daily experiences so that I could write in greater depth later, so what I have not already journaled about in detail shall be expanded upon here. I’ve also included my posts from Facebook (in italics), as many of my more thoughtful reflections were shared there.

8 December 2016

Today I picked up my car—a Kia Sorento full-size SUV, AWD—loaded it up, and double-checked my packing list. I packed in a prayerful manner, a bit apprehensive about the journey ahead but repeating my mantras all the while.

I went to Thursday night dance class at Baoku’s Village. It was quite a joyful send off! I didn’t know many of the other people there, but they all thanked me for going and assured me they would keep me in their thoughts. After class, I rested for a little while before hitting the road around midnight.

The roads were a bit snowy and icy to start out, but North of Indianapolis everything seemed to clear up nicely. The 10-hour drive wasn’t so bad, after all. I sang, prayed, chanted, listened to the radio, and played songs from my iPod. I took naps when I needed to and stretched often. I was nervous but excited for what might lie ahead.

9 December 2016

Written about a short hike I took from a rest stop in Black River Valley, WI, which turned out to have a monument to one of the first sawmills in the country—undoubtedly erected in what had, up until then, been indigenous territory. “Mni Wiconi” and other phrases along those lines were scrawled onto the railings of the walkway that overlooked the valley.

Good morning from Wisconsin!

What was promised as simply a "scenic overlook" turned out to be a half mile hike through the woods near a rest stop off Highway 94--and a much needed respite from the last 10hrs on the road.

I can still hear the trucks howling on the highway below, but up here I find peace in the beautiful morning sun. Also, there are reminders of the many who have journeyed before me. I send you my deepest gratitude, brothers and sisters.

Mni wiconi. This is my YES.

I arrived in Minneapolis around noon. I had an extravagant lunch at an Indian buffet before checking into my Air B&B for a nap. I went to the Dustin Thomas concert that night. The club was really neat—it had a small concert venue and a larger dance club area. I think someone said it was Prince’s club?

The show was phenomenal! He played many songs I love but don’t usually get to hear when he does short opening sets. I met several really friendly people—Adam and Eric, who are also musicians, Jeremy and Anthony, who had recently been to Standing Rock themselves, and a fiercely loving mother named Julia Chavira. There was another wild young woman with a drum, but her name escapes me now…

I hadn’t had a night out in quite a while, and I had taken an Uber to the show, so I decided to indulge in some tequila—three glasses, which was probably a bit overboard. But all my best road trips usually involve a good hangover at some point, so be it. I danced my ass off that night, and sang along to nearly every song. The show went until 2 AM or so, which was later than I planned to be out but oh-so-worth-it.

I chatted with Julia, Anthony, and Jeremy after the show and traded contact information with them so we could stay in touch. I left there absolutely astounded at the friendliness and generosity of the crowd gathered there that night. Minneapolis, you sure made a great first impression.

10 December 2016

Post about a radio broadcast I heard on my way to MPLS:

This keeps nagging my conscience, so I will share:

On my way up to Minnesota, driving past Chicago around 3 a.m. I caught a broadcast by Thom Hartmann (amazing author too BTW, check out Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight). He was talking about our president elect and comparing his persona to that of Hitler and Mussolini. We probably have all heard that before, but he went into depth about the psychological tactics of a "leaders" such as them and it gave me a much deeper understanding of the validity behind those comparisons.

After his broadcast was over, I flipped to a Latino radio station (I like to practice my Spanish by seeing if I can figure out what the songs are about). They took a commercial break and this public service announcement came on. My Spanish isn't good enough to understand the finer details of the message, but it was something about people coming to your door and asking for your identification and your papers justifying your presence in this country, and under what circumstances someone can legally do that.

I felt a pang of fear in my heart. What a disturbing message to have to sit there and listen to! I realize this is a very real concern for America's international residents. They are truly fearing for their safety and freedom. This is not the America I was taught to love as a child. Shouldn't we all be concerned?

I ended up staying in Minneapolis an extra day. With warnings of a blizzard in Standing Rock, it didn’t seem wise to drive up there just yet. Plus, I didn’t have a room at the casino until the 11th. I spent the day running around, picking up a few last-minute supplies, including a package full of long underwear and other winter gear that I had ordered from REI but which hadn’t arrived by the time I departed (ironically enough, due to the weather in the same region I was headed to, which held up shipping). Dad had to overnight it to me, which actually worked out really well. I also went to the Mall of America, which is apparently one of the major attractions in MPLS but which I had intended to avoid. However, Jason requested specifically that I pick up Alpaca wool socks, and MOA had an Alpaca store. The rest is history…

I also worked very hard to track down tire chains for myself and Lolly B. They weren’t as easy to find as I had assumed, but with Jeremy’s help I did manage to find a couple of pairs the following day.

Anthony had offered me a place to stay that night, and I was originally going to take him up on it, but as evening rolled around I was having trouble getting in touch with him. He said he wouldn’t be off work until 10…I had been running around all day with a hangover and had honestly hoped to be in bed by that time. So, I booked an Air B&B last minute (which was kind of a miracle in and of itself) and went to someone else’s house to hole up in a quiet private room for the night. The guys were disappointed I didn’t come over to hang with them, but I knew I needed the rest.

11 December 2016

I woke up to about 4 or 5 inches of snow this morning. No sense in rushing out the door until the snow plows have had a go at the streets, I told myself. I took my time to reorganize my belongings and then set to work cleaning off the Kia, by which time snowplows were crisscrossing through the residential area I was staying in. Perfect.

I hit the highway behind another brigade of snow plows. The pavement was coated, but my AWD seemed to be pretty reliable. I was surprised how much traffic was on the road early that Sunday morning. That’s the difference between 5 inches of snow in Cincinnati and 5 inches of snow in Minneapolis—people don’t freak out about it up North.

Someone named Rosemary from the Medic and Healer Council, which had previously been unresponsive to my inquiries, called me a few hours into my drive. I guess it was the email titled “ARRIVING TOMORROW 12/11” that finally got their attention. She informed me that she had forwarded me “some orientation materials to review.” She also cautioned me about the importance of cultural sensitivity, having a camp “buddy” especially for actions, and “checking in with myself frequently.” She advised me to stop somewhere with WiFi along the way so I could download said literature “because the internet at the Casino is crap.”

I found my tire chains along the way at a place called Mills Fleet Farm (thank God!), and another Indian buffet in Fargo called India Palace, just like the one I had eaten at a couple of days before in St Cloud. After filling up on Indian food, I headed next door to Caribou Coffee to download the orientation stuff. I was overwhelmed by the herbal remedy guides, camp guidelines, medic council guidelines, hypothermia and frostbite treatment, lists of recommended equipment, suggested readings, and most of all the lengthy pamphlet on crowd-control tactics. The latter file included detailed descriptions of devices like pepper spray, sound cannons, heat rays, various “nonlethal” projectiles, water cannons, etc. I skimmed that last pamphlet in horror and prayed I wouldn’t need the information during my time at camp.

It was dark and temps were dipping below zero as I neared my destination. I started down highway 1806, the main road to Standing Rock and the casino, and was met by signs that the highway was closed. A detour was indicated, but the alternate route was unlit and covered with snow, whereas 1806 still appeared to be clear and moderately trafficked. So I continued down 1806 to see if I could get through. I’d tell them I was heading to the casino, I reasoned to myself, even as I passed more signs and a partial blockade warning, again, that the road was closed.

Then I arrived at the road block. Cement barricades created a zig-zag passageway only the most nimble of vehicles could navigate. Floodlights shone harshly against an otherwise starlit night, illuminating a small booth where a young man dressed in army fatigues was stationed. A couple of law enforcement vehicles clogged what little remained of the throughway. I rolled down my window as I slowly approached the blockade. The young man strode toward me and greeted me. “Good evening, where are you headed?” He asked politely. “To the Prairie Knights Casino,” I replied. “To the casino,” he repeated, “I’ll be right back.” He walked to the booth and reached inside. I thought maybe he was requesting clearance for me to pass, but instead he came back with a small square of paper. “Turn around here, go back 21 miles, make a left on 138. Take that road 3 miles to 6 South. Follow that road for another 18 miles to 24. Make a left on 24 and that will put you right back on 1806.” I looked at the directions, and then at my GPS. He couldn’t be serious—but of course he was. I was only 30 minutes from the casino, there at the blockade. It was dark and cold and I just wanted to get off the road. “Highway 138?” I asked. “I saw the detour sign back there, but that road looked like it was covered in ice and snow.” “Yeah,” the guard replied, “It’s a gravel road. It’s only 3 miles. If you’re not comfortable with that route, you can go back up to Mandan and get on 6 South from there.” He was artificially polite and matter-of-fact about the whole situation. In the intimidating glare of the floodlights, I didn’t feel that I had much room for negotiation. “Okay, thanks.” With a sigh, I rolled up my window and turned my vehicle around.

The blockade really weirded me out. For a while, I felt nervous that I was being followed by one of the law enforcement SUVs, but I think it was just another vehicle behind me that had been turned around also. I wasn’t sure yet what the relations were like between water protectors and DAPL affiliates, but I could assume it wasn’t exactly genial.

As it turned out, I arrived at the casino lodge sometime around 9:45, which I had intuited I might. In light of that, the whole roadblock experience made sense. It was too late and too snowy to venture into camp, so I unloaded my car and settled into my room for the night.

I had been in contact with the One Nation camp via my friend Jason, and I had some cash for them from a fundraiser back in Massachusetts. I let them know that I had arrived, and they headed to the casino to meet me. Just after I’d gotten all my supplies arranged there in the hotel room, there was a knock at the door. I opened it and was greeted by 4 beautiful young men from different reservations around the Southwest. I invited them in and they all introduced themselves. We sat and talked for maybe a half an hour. I was a bit self-conscious, a white woman with 4 Native men in my room who were practically strangers. I tried remember what little cultural advice I’d read so far, but also wondered how relevant that was to this younger generation. The leader of the group E’sha did most of the speaking. They had been talking about leaving camp since the ACOE denied DAPL’s permit and some authorities on the Water Protector’s side (including chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) were advising people to vacate camp. However, I guess the most recent council meeting had renewed their enthusiasm for staying and at that moment they sounded like they intended to be around for the winter.

Eventually, I felt much more at ease in their company. I remembered the money for E’sha, but wasn’t quite sure how to present it. At first I pulled out the whole wad of cash, but then thought better of it and gave it to him in the money belt I’d stashed it in instead. They thanked me and took their leave for the night. We talked about meeting up again sometime later at camp or the casino, but that night turned out the be the first and last time I saw them.

I had toyed with the idea of studying some of the literature I was assigned by the medic council, but by the time they left it was all I could do to climb into bed.

12 December 2016

First day at camp. The roads were still snowy but definitely passable as I headed North on 1806 that morning. About 10 miles from the casino I started to see the tipis and flags off in the distance. Following E’sha’s instructions, I drove until I reached the south blockade on 1806 and turned right into the Oceti camp on the North bank of the Cannon Ball river. I asked the guard at the security booth where to find the medic tent, and he pointed me straight down Flag Road and assured me I’d see the sign on my left. Sure enough, I did.

I entered the tent and was greeted by a young woman with short blonde hair named Leah. I started to explain that I was there to volunteer and she began politely telling to me that they were no longer accepting volunteers and were in fact encouraging people to go home. “Oh,” I said, unshaken. “I spoke to Rosemary just yesterday on the phone and she didn’t say anything about not taking new volunteers. I supposed I can give her a call back and find out where the medic orientation is supposed to be.” “OH!” Leah exclaimed, “You’re here for medical? Well that’s a different story!” Still, there was no formal orientation at noon (as Rosemary has suggested the day before), but Leah, a PA, started to show me around the yurt. Next to the main “medical” (read: allopathic) yurt, there was a “wellness” (read: herbal medicine) yurt. Beside that was a tipi for mental health services. There was also a warming tent directly across from main medical where people could sleep or just hang out for a while to stay warm. It seemed brilliant to me, the way everything was arranged in one small hub. That way, we could conveniently make referrals to other services as necessary—which, of course, is how our larger medical system works in theory, although not so “conveniently” in practice. The small scale of this operation certainly appeared to help it function more efficiently.

After Leah showed me all she could think to show me, we asked around to try and find out if/when there would be a formal orientation. We finally came to the conclusion it would be around 5pm. It was only noon.

I decided to walk around and explore camp for a while. I was in awe of all the bright white and the snow-encrusted structures. But it was COLD, probably around 0 degree (Farenheit). The neck warmer I had pulled up around my mouth and nose to warm the air I was breathing became stiff with frost after about 15 or 20 minutes of me walking around camp. I could feel frost forming on my eyelashes where the steam of my breath had collected and frozen.

I returned to the medic tent to observe and orient a bit more. My instinct was to pitch in once I got a feel for the intake routine, but I was quickly warned by another physician not to touch a patient until I’d been oriented. So I hung back for a bit longer, but decided shortly thereafter to leave for a while, since it didn’t seem like I could be much help until I’d been formally oriented. Besides, I had plenty of orientation materials to review back at the casino. I told the rest of the team I’d be back around 5pm for the orientation, left them my number in case anything changed, then headed back to my car.

At the casino, I made myself lunch and started looking over the orientation materials. I also got in touch with Lolly B and invited her to my room to collect the money our friend Jason had sent and the tire chains I’d picked up for her. She showed up with a handsome man friend and they stayed and chatted for a while. She had started out on a road trip West, she explained to me, when she “heard about something going on in North Dakota.” She wound up staying for 4 months offering mental health services for the water protectors. She had been there through some of the most intense days of the entire movement. When I met her, she was on her way out. She wasn’t the first one to tell me they’d dropped everything else in their lives to be in service to this cause, and she wouldn’t be the last either. The power of this movement was finally sinking in for me. I was humbled and in awe at the reality of it, and would be struck with the same feelings again and again throughout my time there. I thanked her for her service and wished her well on her return home.

The rest of the evening was fairly uneventful. I got my orientation around 5pm, as planned. It was really pretty informal. A young wilderness medic named Harrison talked to us about serving Natives first, about being “fiercely pro-grandmother” (and thus against the patriarchal mainstream culture), and about practicing within our scope of experience and licensure. Those were the main highlights. I spent the rest of the evening in the medic tent helping with assessments, dressing changes, breathing treatments, etc. It really hit home for me to SEE the wounds caused by the bean bags and rubber bullets, to hand out medication to ease the symptoms of the colds brought on by water cannons and witness the labored breathing of elders and asthmatics irritated by the pepper spray that had been shot at their faces.

I watched one of the other RNs, Blaine, kneel down each time he spoke to a patient. That was so moving to me for some reason. What if Western health care providers knelt, or even got to eye-level with their patients, instead of standing over their sick clients who are often slumped in chairs or laying helplessly hospital beds? Again, speechless, humble awe. It still brings tears to my eyes to think of it.

#nodapl #mniwiconi #waterislife #standingrock

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ashleydpalmerusa · 6 years ago

Text

5 Life Hacks For Passing the CPA Exam (And Flourishing at Life)

<![CDATA[/* ><!]]>*/

My name is Robert Eyler and I graduated in December, 2011. I studied for my CPA Exam utilizing Roger CPA and thankfully passed all 4 tests by the end of 2012!

1. Yoga & Meditation

Yoga

Meditation:

2. Deep Work

100% of the individuals who study for the CPA Exam have, at one time or another, experienced periods of inattentiveness or difficulty with focusing.

The secrets to success in any human endeavor are extended periods of total concentration, followed by periods of rest, relaxation and meditation!

Why You Should Get Your CPA License: Advice From a BAP Faculty Advisor

6 Reasons to Become a CPA

Why Passing REG in 2018 is Critical

3. Jot down 3 things/events/people you are grateful for on a daily basis.

Here’s how:

4. Embrace the 74s

5. Harness the Power of Fear

Get uncomfortable with being comfortable:

Embrace it!

Analyze it:

USE THE FEAR TO YOUR ADVANTAGE:

Now, GO CRUSH THOSE EXAMS!

Robert Eyler at the RSM National Experienced In Charge Conference in St. Charles, IL!

Categories

CPA Exam Study Tips

Feature on ACT Professors page

from Accounting News https://www.rogercpareview.com/blog/5-life-hacks-passing-cpa-exam-and-flourishing-life

0 notes

ashleydpalmerusa · 6 years ago

Text

5 Life Hacks For Passing the CPA Exam (And Flourishing at Life)

<![CDATA[/* ><!]]>*/

My name is Robert Eyler and I graduated in December, 2011. I studied for my CPA Exam utilizing Roger CPA and thankfully passed all 4 tests by the end of 2012!

1. Yoga & Meditation

Yoga

Meditation:

2. Deep Work

100% of the individuals who study for the CPA Exam have, at one time or another, experienced periods of inattentiveness or difficulty with focusing.

The secrets to success in any human endeavor are extended periods of total concentration, followed by periods of rest, relaxation and meditation!

Why You Should Get Your CPA License: Advice From a BAP Faculty Advisor

6 Reasons to Become a CPA

Why Passing REG in 2018 is Critical

3. Jot down 3 things/events/people you are grateful for on a daily basis.

Here’s how:

4. Embrace the 74s

5. Harness the Power of Fear

Get uncomfortable with being comfortable:

Embrace it!

Analyze it:

USE THE FEAR TO YOUR ADVANTAGE:

Now, GO CRUSH THOSE EXAMS!

Robert Eyler at the RSM National Experienced In Charge Conference in St. Charles, IL!

Categories

CPA Exam Study Tips

Feature on ACT Professors page

from Accounting News https://www.rogercpareview.com/blog/5-life-hacks-passing-cpa-exam-and-flourishing-life

0 notes