#you guys simply underestimate how much love and joy my best friend provides for me on a daily basis

[serendipitouslyyyyyy]

fuck romance, have you ever had a friendship where you both agree that you are the single most important person to each other? one where you feel like you are kindred souls and that you can talk to each other about literally anything because you both just get it? one where there's nothing you can say or do around them that would embarrass you even a little bit? cuz that shit is so much more powerful than romance just trust me dude

[hypfic]

After Facing the Wall

so.... that DH vs BB live huh... if you haven’t seen the live I don’t think this really spoils anything since it’s pretty ambiguous, but if you’re trying to avoid any mention of it, avert your eyes!

I wrote this as a completely self indulgent drabble at first, but then I kept going and the next thing I knew, I was four pages deep in Ichiro love... When I first got into hypmic I wasn’t a big fan of Buster Bros, but now?? Oh boy now they’re tied for first with Fling Posse.... and Ichiro... I love him so much and want to hold his hand....

(I was supposed to finish working on chapter 3 of IKOT109 yesterday but I did this instead... chapter 3 should be done soon! she’s a long one!)

☆♬○♩●♪✧♩　　♩✧♪●♩○♬☆

You’re laying in bed half awake after watching the broadcast of today’s DRB. Unfortunately, you were stuck at home with a cold as the brothers went off to battle. 

You were just dozing off when the front door to the apartment creaked open. Rubbing drowsiness from your eyes, you grabbed your glasses from the nightstand and shuffled out of the bedroom. You stood silently in the doorway of the kitchen, leaning against the framing as the three brothers briefly discussed the night’s events. Ichiro glanced up and caught your eyes, smiling weakly at you. He was hurting, the opponent he faced today, that the three of them faced today, was greater than any boss before. 

You walked over and gave the two younger bros a hug, holding them tight and expressing your pride. After ruffling Jiro and Saburo’s hair, you sat next to Ichiro. You reached down and took his hand in yours, leaning into his side and kissing his cheek. As he continued to talk with his brothers, you rested your head on his shoulder, tracing circles around his bruised knuckles. You didn’t say anything, you didn’t need to, just being there was enough. 

The brothers’ conversation gradually lagged and the two of you were soon alone. Ichiro sighed and kissed the top of your head, squeezing your hand for reassurance. You knew that this… this was all a lot for him. An old friend and teammate, and his father…. He had so much in his mind. You looked up at him and kissed his furrowed brow, reaching over to wipe the forming tears from his eyes. 

“Hey, let’s go upstairs, ok? Lay in bed and cuddle, alright? Hmm?”

Ichiro nodded, eyes still focused on the wall in front of him. You tugged him up by his sleeve and didn’t let go of his hand until the two of you were in his room. As soon as the door closed behind you, Ichiro pulled you into his arms in a tight embrace, burying his face in the top of your hair. You wrapped your arms around his waist as he held you tight, head resting over his heart. You swore you could hear it bleed and break. 

The two of you held each other close, simply basking in the safety and comfort of the other’s arms. You felt a few tears dampen your hair, you pulled Ichiro even closer. 

He pulled away after allowing the moment to linger. He looked tired, empty, uncertain. You stood on your toes and moved a hand to cup his cheek, sweetly kissing his lips. Ichiro smiled meekly at you, leaning down and pressing your foreheads together. He let out a weighted sigh as he reached for your hands again. You could feel his tremble. 

It was hard for Ichiro to uphold the strong, unbreakable front he presented. This was especially so when it came to his family… his brothers. You’d watched the three of them grow so much since their previous loss, yet this battle seemed to hurt even more. 

You couldn’t begin to imagine what your boyfriend was thinking. What he was feeling. Rei’s cutting words haunted your mind, but you only experienced them second hand. Ichiro… Ichiro was in the direct line of fire. To be spoken to like that by the man that’s caused him so much hurt… you couldn’t wrap your head around how Ichiro must feel. 

You pecked his lips again and tugged him towards the bed, pulling him into your lap as you sat down. Ichiro liked to be held, and you loved to hold him. Even though you were much smaller than the man in your arms, your presence and embrace was immensely comforting. 

Ichiro sat up for a moment and removed his jacket, tossing it to the floor before settling back in your arms. He laid his head on your chest, breathing in sync to the drumming of your heartbeat. 

You ran your fingers through his hair, humming a tune softly as his hand made their home around your waist. 

“Ichi,” you said softly. 

“Hmm?” 

“I’m really proud of you,” you swallowed back tears, halting your hand and bringing your face down into his hair. It smelled like sweat and smoke, with the lingering hint of his stupid, fruity shampoo. “You and the bros did so well. You especially, I guess I’m a bit biased but,” you moved your hand from Ichiro’s hair to wipe away tears. “You’ve grown so much, and I think everyone can see that. You’re so strong, and you held your ground the entire time. I think he underestimated you and you rose way above his expectations…”

Ichiro shuffled out of your arms to face you, smiling softly as he took your hands. He brought them up to his lips and kissed your knuckles, tracing the curves with his thumbs after placing your linked hands in his lap. You knew if you looked at him, both of you would burst into tears so you stared at your linked hands. 

He scooted closer to you and let go of your hands, reaching over and holding your face. You had no choice but to look up at him and wobbly smile, the flooding feeling of tears in the back of your throat. 

Ichiro’s eyes were misty when he looked at you, a few tears slipping down his cheek. “Thank you, y/n. For everything. For being here, for supporting me, for supporting Jiro and Saburo too. I don’t know if they express it enough but they love you just as much as I do, they see you as a part of our family,” he leaned down and kissed your lips. “I think I love you just a bit more though. But, I don’t think we’d be anywhere close to where we are today if it wasn’t for you.”

“Don’t say that…. I’m sure you would. All of the progress the three of you have made has nothing to do with me.”

Your boyfriend shook his head. “You might not think it, but you inspire us, inspire me to be better. After all my bros and I have been through together…. I’ve always wanted to be the best for them. To provide for them and protect them, especially after that incident years ago. But, every day they show me that maybe I’m the one who needs protecting. They always have my back and put so much faith in me, I don’t think they know how much faith I have in them.” Ichiro paused. “After you stumbled into my life and in turn into theirs, I think I relaxed more, allowed myself to rely on my family for advice and support. I know I say this a lot but I was terrified to ask you out,” he blushed, “But the two of them insisted that I try and I’m so glad they did. You brought in something we could think about that wasn’t work or division related, and that allowed us to relax and focus on ourselves… I’m forever grateful for that.”

You didn’t realise that tears started running down your cheeks. “I-Ichi��.”

Ichiro smiled and kissed your forehead, brushing your tears away with his thumb. “I love you, baby, so damn much.”

“Yeah the ‘kyun’ really gave it away,” You teased with a giggle, cheeks flushed. 

“Ah… yeah, I…” he stammered. 

You laughed, leaning up and kissing him. “It was cute~ it made my heart jump.” 

“Oh my god, it’s really not that big of a deal babe I-“ Ichiro huffed, cheeks red. 

“But seriously, Ichiro. You guys did so well, I’m just sad I couldn’t have been there to cheer you on from the crowd…. stupid cold,” you pouted.

“Well, think of it this way, you cheer me on every day no matter where you are, just by being here with me.”

“Ichi that was disgustingly sappy and adorable I’m going to vomit.”

He laughed, ���Says the one who was kissing me all over and expressing how proud they were of me,” Ichiro paused and looked at your shirt. “And wearing my Miku t-shirt.” Ichiro flicked your forehead. 

“Hey! It’s comfy ok? And I missed you and it smells like your cologne….” You blushed. 

“Oi, are you two done being gross and look decent?” Jiro knocked on the door. “.... Can Saburo and I come in?”

Ichiro looked at you and smiled before patting his lap in invitation. You climbed into his lap and sank into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed your head. 

“Come on in, boys,” you called out with a smile. “You want in on this, Jiro-chan?” You smirked as Jiro fake gagged at the sight of you in his brother’s lap. 

The two younger brothers stood in the doorway timidly, Saburo holding onto the back of Jiro’s sleeve. They both had a look of physical and emotional exhaustion on their faces. 

“Alright, come on, in the hug you go,” you opened your arms wide with a smile. 

You could practically see their hearts swell with joy before they threw themselves on the bed. Tears fell on their lashes as you and Ichiro pulled them in tight. Your eyes looked back and met Ichiro’s. His gaze was filled with love and charity. You wouldn’t have it any other way.   

[filmtrash]

from then to now,

the end of the year is a time for reflection. there’s a lot i could look back on from this past year, but more than anything, i want to focus on the happiest, best thing.  

although my presence on this platform may be temporary, i am certain that what it has brought me will be a forever kind of thing. this time last year i was meant to be revising for my year thirteen mock exams, but i was in curled up in the only empty space in my bedroom (revision everywhere!) literally unable to put down my copy of call me by your name. i watched the movie again shortly after that and well....i don’t have to describe what that’s like because y’all know. i also remember lying in my bed listening to visions of gideon an unhealthy number of times. all these experiences were so important for me, so pivotal, so transformative and it’s only now a year on i can understand why that’s the case.

this isn’t meant to be a backstory of my life but i have always been a completely lost soul. although i am certain i have not found myself yet, this last year i’ve found something that offers me stability and security. something i’m not sure i truly had before that. call me by your name is undeniably at the centre of it all, but it has brought me so much more than i ever expected. it seems far-fetched and not really believable but it’s the absolute truth. 

i’ve said it many times and i’ll say it again; reading the book, watching the film, listening to the music, listening to the audiobook made some sort of wall come down and made me in touch with my emotions and made me feel so much. not only did it provide escapism (andré’s descriptions and luca’s visuals are so PERFECT for that) but i remember thinking ‘i think i may have just found my purpose. to make people feel how this makes me feel.’ 

to put it simply, here’s a list of things that have happened to me and/or came into my life because of this film: 

i’d never been interested in the oscars before but when i heard call me by your name was nominated i wanted to see what its chances of winning were. i also thought any film in competition must be worth watching. i lived at the cinema after that, trying to watch as many oscar nominated films as i could. this in turn introduced me to so many incredible films, actors, directors. when oscar night came, me and my friends gathered round the tv and we basically regarded it as the event of the year. 

similarly, because i held the cast of cmbyn in such high regard, i wanted to watch everything they were in. truthfully, timmy was the initial reason why i wanted to watch lady bird, but i’m so glad he brought me to that theatre. i literally adore lady bird, saoirse, greta, lucas. i literally have such a strong connection to that film and i wouldn’t have that without cmbyn. and the pattern goes on and on. the reach of this film is never ending. now i have a long list of actors and actresses i hold in high regard and an even longer list of films. that’s endless hours of pure fuckin joy. 

music has always been central to my life, but cmbyn opened up a wide expanse of new artists for me. not just sufjan stevens, but artists featured on fan edits and songs you guys recommended me that remind you of the movie. sometimes my playlist will be on shuffle and one of those songs will come on and it doesn’t matter where i am or what mood i’m in, im immediately transported back to the couple months of my life where i felt like i was wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket. 

i travelled round italy! to visit the locations where cmbyn were filmed! i wouldn’t have had that INSANE experience without this movie. it was so surreal being there. elio and oliver truly felt like two tangible people. the corners where they filmed in bergamo were so void of other tourists that you could almost the two singing and dancing. i know they’re not real, but what they brought to my life is and being there is something i’ll never forget. 

friendships! it brought me so much closer to my friends, as we all found a mutual love and interest (some in cmbyn specifically, some just in film). i am so blessed to have 3 people that love what i love and share so many amazing viewing experiences and discussions with me! along with our love for each other, film truly does bind us together. it also was the talking point between me and a work colleague and now she’s one of my best friends and even came to the beautiful boy premiere with me. AND ALL OF YOU !!! lovely supportive people that have so many bright ideas and wonderful talents. you have taught me so much. 

and now for the big one........literally it changed the course of my whole damn life. a year later im sat in the same spot, home for my christmas break....from university where im a freakin’ film student! my whole life is immersed in film and my whole future will be much the same way. WITHOUT CALL ME BY YOUR NAME WHERE WOULD I BE RIGHT NOW? so when people ask me what my favourite film is, they have NO IDEA how much of a loaded question is. they’re the lucky ones if i just mention the title. when sat in my flat in london, writing my essay on tarantino, i’ll glance up at my copy of cmbyn like.......this is all because of you buddy.

cmbyn also brought me here. i’ve had this account since like...2011? but i rebirthed this bitch when i was searching for cmbyn content. it started by me posting quotes from the book and i could see in the notes there were accounts dedicated to timmy etc, and i was thinking ..... wait! there’s people out there that love it as much as me !??!?!? i started to post more and more until i got brave enough to analyse a part of the movie. the response i got was so unexpected but again, did wonders in adding to my sense of purpose. even if people disagreed with me, i welcomed the discussion, i welcomed the communication. in a world where you feel no one understands you, when you find this beautiful thing that connects you to beautiful people, it’s a wonderful thing. tumblr can be whatever, but it’s made what it is by the people who use it. whatever has become of it since then, it provided me with so much. i have been educated, i have been accepted, i have been listened to. without posts on here i wouldn’t have known of some events that i’ve gone to, and that have been some of my favourite experiences of my life. i can’t thank you all enough, wherever you may be, for providing me with a temporary bliss where i truly felt on top of the world. 

i talked about this the other day but i’m serious. timothée is a wonderful human being and i feel honoured to support him. this boy is going to be so powerful and trust me, his feet are not going to leave the ground once. i truly was a fandom kid, moving to support one celebrity after another but i can say that (other than hs) it’s never ran deeper than this. i don’t feel like im a crazy fangirl!!!!!!! over timothée, i feel like i have such a weird admiration for him like i would have for a best friend (we can only hope). he’s just so GOOD. he’s so talented but so smart and so refreshing and beyond his physical looks, his mind is beautiful. if everyone else was able to have that in perfect balance too, the world would be a better place. i also sometimes see parts of myself reflected in him too. not that i’ve ever done an interview or anything, but the way he carries himself etc just reminds me of me. i hope this isn’t me complimenting myself, i’m merely saying we’re both bumbling idiots. (also happy birthday. u fuckin rule)

so that’s where i am now, and there’s all the reasons why i wouldn’t be here without call me by your name. i’m here to testify that yes film is great entertainment and a good evening trip out, but its power should never be underestimated. call me by your name in particular has wormed its way into so many parts of my life, and those parts are the only bits i like. 

so thank you if you’re still reading this, because you’re a part of it too. i am very grateful. 

[mypersonalbest11]

My Great Love of Basketball and My Friend Koske

I ran quickly to the perimeter to set a quick screen for Koske. He dribbled around me drawing two defenders because of his shooting ability. I turned and ran to the basket. He passed the ball through the two defenders to me and the last defender was forced to rotate over to stop me. Our teammate had intelligently floated near the rim and I bounce passed it to him for an easy lay-up. Koske and I had big smiles on our faces. We were starting to play together extremely well and it was a great joy. He was also seeing more constant glimpses of what I was capable of. The brand of basketball that we are playing with our company of about 10 men these days is very enjoyable.

Weeks earlier this wasn’t the case. We played for the first time for the summer and it was pretty sorry I would say lol. Our skills were bad from the major lay-off and, further, we didn’t know how to run much of a team offense. On-court I thought, “What are we doing right now as a team?!?”  Additionally, the little teamwork happening was a screen on the perimeter to get the person with the ball open. But the defense quickly figured that one out. Afterwards, Koske, Joseph and I ate dinner and I brought up my concern. “I intend to have fun with you guys playing basketball over the summer but we really need a change. This isn’t very enjoyable.” I presented an idea to improve our teamplay. Koske agreed with me but assured me that we needed time to develop our skills and on-court chemistry. “Keep coming out.” he said. We had played sporadically and sparsely before and it was this way, so I had reservation.

To my amazement, things have totally changed and fast- it’s kind of shocking. It’s only been 3-4 weeks. Most important, we have a group of men who are very nice and team-oriented. We’re getting to know each other as players and how to play with one another. Our skills have gotten a lot better with practice. People want to improve. We’re playing great team basketball and everyone finds joy in it. People want to come out. I made a mistake in forgetting that patience is a virtue.

I’ve liked and played basketball my whole life. This summer I’m getting back into it. The guys are amazed at how I practice. I actually do a true work-out when they just shoot around for a few minutes and play games. I believe this is how we get better. I practice compound drills of moves I would actually use in-game and aim to drill them at full speed. I practice all the skills: dribbling, post-moves, floaters and plays we would actually run. When I reach a point where I’m tired and the moves feel unfamiliar, that’s where I know and want to be. That’s the edge and I have to push it. Change is a very mindful thing. I hope to improve little by little. But going into the second practice I already felt remarkably more fluid. My skills are really coming along and I wonder how good I could get this summer.

Practicing is underrated. I really like the quote that goes something like, “Why is it so hard for people to believe that those who are great at something, are often those who work hardest and longest at it. I’m not the best but I’m working hard to improve. I want practice to be focused not on beating the next opponent, but about learning to play the game better and doing my best. The rest would take care of itself. This idea actually comes from one of John Wooden’s own mentors. It’s hard and takes a lot of discipline to think this way because our society is so fixed on winning but it’s true.

I play as a true point guard but I do everything. I’m a pretty dynamic player. I create plays for people, help battle for the rebound, get the most blocks (Remarkably. I try to read what the offense is doing and get in position), and create a shot in isolation. Every person is different. I learned to never underestimate someone because of their appearance. You’d be surprised at what some people could do. There are men who have size and use their tallness or tremendous strength for positioning and have a good shooting touch around the rim. There are those who are incredibly fast, explosive and could shoot from range. Koske is a knock-down 3-point shooter who utilizes screens to get open and requires the full attention of the defense, similar to Klay Thompson. I’m intelligent, agile, and have vision. It’s a lot of cleverness. I’m also one of the most vocal - giving my teammates encouragement and calling plays, just as a team captain. This is not a quirk of my personality only in basketball but an expression of it. Because of my play, Joseph and Koske jokingly call me coach. I’m helping them think of the game and value raising the quality of our play. Basketball is a very strategic game at the highest level.

I have the type of personality to further our quality of play. I take it upon myself to do what I find doable – searching and pressing into the ceiling I’m finding God has for me. Sometimes it’s hard for me to describe who I am because of this.

Koske and I are always work together to get better. We work together to add plays we can run to get him open for a 3-pointer and we run drills together to strengthen the things he isn’t good at (Ahem, refuses to practice lol). He encourages me on the mental side. We spoke recently and he said, “David, you have a place with us here. The guys really like playing with you. Your intelligence for the game is really outstanding. You bring a new level of playmaking (in a team offense), cutting and passing that we didn’t have. You bring a different dimension and add richness to our games. We mesh together well. You’re also one of the most skilled players here. I want you to take more shots on the perimeter because you’re very good at it. You pass on them too much looking for other openings or others. No one here has really seen what you could really do yet. When I think of a good mid-range shooter, I think of you. And you don’t have to build it, you have it already and I see it in you. To get your game to another level you simply have to adjust your mindset and stay aggressive.”

At times before when we are on the same team and our team is struggling to close it out, he would tell me, “David take over!” In the past, I couldn’t do it because my conditioning and skills were bad and only showed flashes. I’m practicing this time and my body actually follows what I think to do in my mind lol. I need to do more in those moments. He’s right.

It’s so fun playing basketball these days. I found the love of the game again. And to be able to share and enjoy it with my best friend Koske is special. I can’t wait to play again and I plan to all summer. As good as I may play, I don’t think God cares about how well I do in these basketball games or even accomplishments in general but rather how I treat people around me. When I’m on the court, I’m an honest, fair and competitive basketball player. When I’m off, I’m a servant leader, son, and faithful friend.

_______________________

The Embrace and Reach mission team is leaving tomorrow and I heard a song that brought back what I found abroad. The song is Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp. It’s about living in faith. I had met people who were living day-to-day and were confident God would provide for them. It was on a whole different level and like a different world out there. We live so conveniently here, and I admire what I saw. The song reminds me again to have that same faith and it’s on repeat these days. The lyrics go:

Will I believe you when you say Your hand will guide my every way Will I receive the words you say Every moment of every day

I wish I was there. It meant a lot to me.

[ahmeddawn]

ADJ Interviews International Best Selling Author Ernie Zelinski

A Dawn Journal Interviews International Best Selling Author Ernie Zelinski

First Published: Sep 25, 2008 ADawnJournal.com

While reading The Joy of Not Working, I had the feeling it was I, not Ernie Zelinski who wrote it. I could not have agreed more with everything he said. Since then, I wanted to share my thoughts regarding this book and Ernie Zelinski with my readers.  What better way to do that than  an interview with an international best-selling author. I would like to thank Ernie for taking the time to answer these questions for ADJ readers.

 1 - Tell us a little bit about yourself

I was born in Athabasca, Alberta, Canada and was raised on a farm around Grassland, Alberta until I was 14 and then finished high school in Lac La Biche.  I didn’t know what career path to choose, but I was very good at mathematics, trigonometry, and physics. So, on the advice of my teachers, I stupidly enrolled in engineering at the University of Alberta in 1966. In my second year of Engineering I missed over 85 percent of my classes and still ended up with the 7th highest grades out of 250 engineers. Even so, it took 7 years for me to complete a 4-year program because I quit twice and stayed out a year. You can read more about this in an article called The Joy of (Not) Engineering in the University of Alberta Engineering Alumni Magazine.

After working for Edmonton Power for five and a half years, I was fired for taking two months of unauthorized vacation. My firing was, in fact, the best thing that ever happened to me because I hated being an engineer. (Just as important, I hated corporate life.) As Hal Lancaster once said, "Getting fired is nature's way to telling you that you had the wrong job in the first place." I am proud to say that I have not had a real job for 28 years.

2 - For those who have not read the book, how would you describe the central idea in the Joy of Not Working?

The Joy of Not Working is all about learning to live every part of your life — employment, unemployment, retirement, and leisure time alike — to the fullest. If you have a job, the book is about how to thrive at work by being more leisurely. If you are unemployed, the book will help you be happier than most people who have jobs, simply because happiness is a matter of choice,  whether you have a job or not. If you are retired, The Joy of Not Working will help you find just as much purpose — even more — as you had in your career life.

3 - Some people have read the book and are left with the impression that you are encouraging people to be lazy and unproductive.  What do you say to that?

On the contrary. I am encouraging people to have a better balance between work and play, which will make them more productive. Take me, for example. I work only 4 or 5 hours a day and earn an income twice that of most people who work 8 hours a day. This makes me 4 times as productive as the average person.

4 - If one was to follow your advice and start leading a life of leisure, wouldn't it be quite difficult to maintain the same standard of living?

First, the important question that arises is "Does one really have to live at the same standard of living?" Studies show that Americans were happiest during the 1950s. Today Americans have houses two to three times as large as in the 1950s, eat a lot more (look at all the fat people in the US), and consume two to three times as much. Yet they are not as happy. The point is that standard of living does not contribute to happiness. I have a friend who is 62 and lives on $434 a month. He actually saves some money certain months. The important point is that he is happier than 95 percent of people in society.

Second, if you become more leisurely, you may just end up making more money, and increasing your standard of living if you want to. That has happened to many people. Tim Ferris (whose book I recommend later) used to work 12 hours a day and earn $40,000 a year. Now he works 4 hours a week and earns $40,000 a month. Similarly, several people I know work hard 8 to 10 hours a day and earn $50,000 to $60,000 a year.  I leisurely work only 4 hours a day and have an pretax income of about $125,000 a year. This is about working smart and not hard — but most people are too hard-headed to grasp this concept and actually follow it.

5 - What do you think is the biggest factor that stops people from changing their lifestyle?

Most people are too programmed by society and society's values. They don't want to risk and be different. As a matter of fact, they are so plugged into mainstream thinking, they don't realize how programmed they are. This even applies to the highest of educated people such as doctors, lawyers, dentists, and university professors.

6 - Now that you are living a life of leisure, how are you spending your time?

I usually sleep in until 11 AM or noon. My first priority is going for a rigorous run or bike ride. (This normally takes about one and a half hours of my time. After I get out of my house, and arrive at one of my favorite coffee bars, I spend about 4 hours a day working. Another 2 hours is spent talking to people in coffee bars. The evening is left open and I can do a variety of things including visiting people, reading, or meeting someone for a drink in a bar.  I normally get to sleep around 3 AM after reading the newspaper and having a snack.

7 - Name a book that you think everyone should read, and why.

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris. This book is written for ordinary people who want to accomplish extraordinary things with minimal time involved. Some of the most important principles in this book are:

1. Get unrealistic.

2. Practice the art of nonfinishing.

3. Cultivate selective ignorance.

4. Do NOT multi-task.

5. Outsource as much of your life as you can.

6. Being busy is a form of laziness - lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.

7. Forget about time management.

Here are four of several favorite quotes from The 4-Hour Workweek

1. If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.

2. The blind quest for cash is a fool's errand.

3. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre. The level of competition is thus fiercest for "realistic" goals, paradoxically making them the most time-consuming and energy consuming.

4. The fishing is best where the fewest go, and the collective insecurity of the world makes it easy for people to hit home runs while everyone is aiming for base hits.

8 - Do you have any plans for a follow up to the Joy of Not Working?

I have already written and published 3 follow-up books related to The Joy of Not Working which are:

- The Lazy Person's Guide to Success: How to Get What You Want Without Killing Yourself for It

- Real Success Without a Real Job: The Career Book for People Too Smart to Work in Corporations

- How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: Retirement Wisdom That You Won’t Get from Your Financial Advisor

For the record, How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free was rejected by 35 publishers even by my own publisher Ten Speed Press that publishes The Joy of Not Working — and had to be self-published.

With an order that I received last week from Allstate Financial for 3,700 copies,  How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free has now sold over 100,000 copies.

I have also sold rights to nine foreign publishers. The cool thing is that I have now realized a tidy pretax profit of $350,000 on this self-published book — much, much more in earnings than I would have received from a major publisher.

For anyone interested, I provide over half — mainly the top half — of How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free as a free E-book download on the Creative Free E-Books Webpage at the Real Success Resource Center and as well as on:

www.retirement-quotes.com .

9 - What advice do you have for someone who will be cutting back on work and investing the money they have now?

Contrary to popular belief, you can actually cut back on work and earn more money. Again, work smart and not hard.

When it comes to the secret of handling money, there are two principles: The first one is: Spend less than you earn. If this won't work for you, then the second principle is definitely for you: Earn more than you spend.

A lot more North Americans could retire early and have a comfortable retirement if they followed my principles. As I tell my friends who claim they have money problems, "You don't have a money problem. You have a serious thinking problem." Unfortunately, most people in North America end up believing that they "need" all the things that they buy. Fact is, most of the things people buy are "wants'. Regardless of who you are, your needs have always been provided. Plain and simple, if they weren't, you would be dead! So stop fooling yourself that you need all those material goods to be happy and you will have no problem saving.

I semi-retired when I was 35 and had a net worth of minus $30,000. Even though I have worked less than half of my adult life and have never made a penny in house appreciation (simply because I rented for all these years), I can retire comfortably.

I recommend this well-titled book for which I have adapted a short review from two other reviews:

"You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead", by Larry Winget.

The author is a no nonsense guy and a master of tough love. This book will tear down every excuse you can think of and show you that it's your choices that are making you broke. Warning: The author is harsh. So if you get upset about that, maybe you should pass on this one, continue to blame your problems on someone else, and end up broke in retirement.

To be sure, there's no sweet talk in Winget's advice, who summarizes money management to these points: Get off your duff and start doing the hard work necessary to make financial success happen. His advice includes: Give up cable TV. Get a cheaper car. Move to a more-affordable home. Live on what you earn.

10 - Can you tell us who you will be voting for in November, and why?

I will not be voting in November because I am Canadian. If I could vote in the American election, I would vote for the Democrats even though I am more of a conservative than a socialist. To me, the Republicans have absolutely no integrity. They talk about fiscal responsibility but are running unheard of deficits after taking power from the Democrats who under Bill Clinton were running surpluses.

The situation is no different in Canada. Again, to me, the Conservatives have no integrity in regards to fiscal responsibility. The Liberals were much more fiscally responsible when they were in power than the Conservatives are now. So on October 14th, if I vote, instead of voting Liberal, I will actually vote for the New Democrats (a socialist party!) simply because the New Democrat candidate in my riding has a chance of beating out the Conservative candidate.

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