Yin vs YangThe Battle for Success in Life

Clerk: “Occupation?”
Comicus: “Standup Philosopher!”
Clerk: “What?”
Comicus: “Standup Philosopher! I coalesce the vapor of human experience into a viable and logical comprehension.”
Clerk: “Oh – a Bullshit Artist!”
Comicus: “Hmmmmmm….”
Clerk: “Did you bullshit last week?”
Comicus: “No.”
Clerk: “Did you try to bullshit last week?”
Comicus: “Yes!”
–From Mel Brook’s History of the World Part I

Have you ever been in the middle of a sentence, when you realize everything you are claiming is 100% complete BS (bullshit)?

Well, I have many times in my life. Sometimes I’m saying something I would like to be true. Sometimes it is something I hope, or wish, is true.  Sometimes, I don’t know what the hell it is or where it came from, but it feels like a veiled attempt to sooth my ego as the words leave. I can feel my facial expression change, and I wonder if the person I’m speaking to realizes it.  Read more... (1226 words, 2 images, estimated 4:54 mins reading time)

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

Between training Jiu Jitsu, the neighborhood I live in, and being that I am only 29 myself, I run into a lot of people in their early-mid 20s. It is a crucial age for most because it is the time when college ends and real life begins. It is exciting, scary, and probably one of the biggest adjustments most people ever make. We go to school all those years just to prepare for the day when ‘real life’ begins.  When it comes, everyone thinks they have the perfect plan.  Read more... (972 words, 2 images, estimated 3:53 mins reading time)

I always learn more by teaching Jiu Jitsu than just by rolling (sparring).  This morning, as I was helping instruct a brand new student, I wound up teaching myself something about life.  The new student was having trouble maintaining his balance.  He would start out kneeling in a strong position on the ground (sort of like the person in blue above), but after he began to try and pass the guard (his opponents legs), he would get swept to his back time and time again.  Read more... (418 words, 1 image, estimated 1:40 mins reading time)