Hi
hello!
How are you doing?
great! just studying (or finding every reason not to)
Hahah finding reasons not to do it is easier and faster.
that is for sure. So until about five minutes ago i didn't have a modern day hero, but i just spent half an hour talking to someone about elon musk, and i'm inspired now
Hahahah You know sometimes I wonder if he is the hero or the vilain He is like Tony Stark.
why is that?
I don't know he has some ideas that seem really good, but also sketchy.
which ones are really sketchy?
I saw a video where he said that the easiest way to make Mars a place where people can live would be bombarding it.
with what?
Hahahaha He also left a car orbiting in space a few months ago. I don't remember right now, but it didn't sound good. Hahaha
i kind of think that one is cool. and pretty funny
It is, but is also trash in space. Think if people just start throwing things up there.
that's also true, but who really cares that much? space is huge
That's pollution hahah
i guess so. it's about as much as one plastic bag in the ocean once there gets to be lots it builds up
Yes. Are you done with finals?
nope! i have one or two left you?
I also have one left.
nice! you are alomst free then!
but is scheduled for wednesday.
that. is. awful.
True, but it gives me more time to study. If I study.
that's valid. haha, if is a very good word I believe in you.
I should be studying, but I'm here instead.
what's stopping you from studying?
Lack of motivation. I like learning, but I don't like being tested on it. So my motivation to sit and study flies off the window when I think about it.
amen to that! i love reading books and learning new concepts, but i don't love school
What kind of books do you like reading?
all sorts! i like reading about human psychology, business books, and occasionally i read a good book about code
That's cool. I like reading as well.
what types do you like to read?
I like psychology books, or honestly any book you can learn something and apply to your life. I'm not into fiction, unless it catches my attention and keeps me there.
same here. it's been awhile since i've read a fiction book. I used to read them a lot in high school, but i don't really touch them anymore What's the best book you've read recently?
Same here I think the last fiction books I read were the Sherlock Homes collection.
oooh! not too bad as far as fiction goes.
I just finished reading a book called Smarter, Faster, Better. It's about productivity and some ways to achieve it. I liked it a lot.
tell me more about it
The author talks about some researches that were done in different things. He tells stories about real people that are examples of those principles.
nice! was there a specific part you liked?
So the things I liked the most were how you have to remind yourself of the long term goals, so you keep being motivated. He also talks about the SMART goals, and how to break them and make smaller goals. He talks about anticipating distractions and failures and making mental models of how you're going to react when they happen. Those were my favorites.
that's really cool! I do a lot of thinking about the future and that for sure gives me the most motivation to keep working hard, but i haven't thought of applying any of those other things have you applied any and seen them work?
No yet, I just finished reading this past Friday. Actually I have.
that's perfect timing! just in time to start finals really? which one?
The mental models one. I have this habit of thinking of situations and playing or replaying the conversations in my head.j I guess I can call that mental models.
that's cool! like you just play back converstions and think of different ways they could have gone?
Yes, or if I have to give a talk somewhere I imagine myself giving the talk and play the words in my head. Then when I actually give the talk I'm more prepared and confident.
that's really cool!
What about you, what was the last book you read?
i remember in track in high school that imagining doing something right 20 times had the same impact on your brain as doing it right once i used that in pole vault to get a lot better
That's true. I read that somewhere.
hmmm.. the last book i read was one called the business of the twenty first century. and i'm reading a book called cyrano with my girlfriend right now the business one was cool because it talked about multi level marketing companies and how they work. it seems like a really good business model. i used to think that those companies were the spawn of satan himself, but now i'm starting to respect them at least a little
Hahahahah What made you change your mind about it?
the part i like about it is that the business grows through owners. for example, if someone starts a business selling the companies' products and then down the road he finds someone else who wants to start their own business, they have a lot of motivation to help that person grown and be sucessful.
That's cool.
cause they get benefited by helping the other person and i also realized there were ways to sell products that arent' awful. like you can just give products away to people and if they enjoy them, they can buy them through you
Yes, my problem with this business model is that it's usually used by companies selling beauty products or diet products, but they're not good products. So people spend tons of money on it and nothing happens.
same! that's why i'm not in one right now i've heard good things about amway, but i haven't looked enough into it to actually consider it
I was kind of invited to one, but I have no time, and visiting people to give demonstrations is not my thing.
I really like the idea of replicating a company through owners though. it's why mcdonalds was so sucessful
That's true. I like the idea, not the businesses using it. hahah What is amway?
hahaha, same. i've spent a lot of time thinking of how i could make a company that uses that model, but i haven't come up with any ideas that are actually worthwhile. they are the industry example in MLM's i checked them out on better business bureau, and they have nearly a perfect score in ethics.
That's good. More companies should be like that. What kind of business would you like to start?
i'm not sure. i really want to develop a business model that lets people be their own bosses and where people get to see the directs result of their work That gives people more job satisfaction, and a happier life I've noticed that in the working world most people aren't happy cause they aren't really in control of their lives, they live on their companies' demands have you ever thought of starting a business?
That's true. I wish more people would do these kind of things, and empower others around them. This book I read talks about trying to motivate yourself through control.
really? what does it say about that?
he says that when you lack motivation try to make it a decision.
just any decision?
Because if you're in control you have more motivation. yeah, let's say that you don't want to study, if you turn that into a decision you will study.
that's a pretty cool concept, and thinking back, i've noticed before that when i don't have any motivation it's cause i feel like life is just dragging me along, i'm not dragging it along haha, i like that that's the example you think of
make that a decision, between studying or watching TV. hahaha That's a hard one.
You don't happen to be watching TV right now, do you?
Nope, just talking. and chatting here.
hmmm.... you are almost inspiring me to stop talking to you :P
Hahahah why? Making a decision to be productive?
haha, exactly
So you should also read a book called Spark, I read that one two weeks ago.
what's it about?
It talks about exercise and the brain.
hmmm, that sounds intersting
They also talk about research showing that exercising can help treat depression, addiction, stress, ADHD and other things, but people don't talk about it because it's not as profitable as medicine.
My girlfriend is leaving for the summer and leaving her books with me, and if i don't find any of them interesting, i'll probably take you up on that. that's really cool! i've noticed that for the majority of things, exercise and eating right will solve your medical problems, but doctors almost never reccommend that unless someone is overweight to the point that it's dangerous
You know in Brazil doctors totally tell you what to eat and tell you to exercise.
really? do you know if their recommendations are any good?
yes, They actually understand. Like if you have iron deficiency they will give you a prescription, but they will also tell you to eat collard greens, beats and  other things.
wow! that's really amazing! I wish more doctors here did that. what do you want to end up doing in the future?
Me too. I went to the doctor here because my arm was numb all the time, he didn't even ask if I exercise.
do you feel like most medical problems are just lifestyle problems?
I think so, but there's also genetics involved and one thing I noticed here is all the chemicals in processed food. We don't have all the process food you have here.
ya, agreed, but i feel like those can be seriously downplayed by a lifestyle change
True. Having a balance of a good diet and exercise can fix most problems. But when I say diet, I mean eating habits because I don't believe in diets.
same here. although i've never been overweight or anywhere close, so i can't say much
I've been overweight since I came here, but it is my own fault. I stopped going to the gym every day, and I love fries.
ooooh. fries are my weakness too the salty fatty goodness is just too good
Right, and they are so cheap. That's a problem.
i know... i get chik fil a waffle fries all the time. dangit, you have got me craving them now
Me too. If there was a Wendy's on campus I would be doomed. I love their fries and frosty.
ooooh yes. if i wren't lactose en tolerant, i would go there so much more often I could really use some fries right now though
Me too. And that's another problem, you say fries, you want them. Is that addiction?
haha, only if it consumes your life. oooh... if you say strawberries i want them too though but they cost so much more... What's your favorite food?
My favorite food is food. hahaha it depends, it varies every day.
hahahaha, amen to that actually.
But I really enjoy meat and salad. And most kinds of sugar.
meat? like a steak? or just any meat.
Meat in general, bbq, steak, ground beef, chicken..
i have to run for five minutes, but if you're still here when i get back, we should keep talking
ok
Do you live cooking those foods as well? like*
I do, I love cooking. I wish I had more time to do it though. Do you like cooking?
I absolutly love it. i spend a little more time on it than i probably should what types of food do you cook?
I like cooking Brazilian food, or random recipes I find online.
do you have a favorite Brazilian dish?
Feijoada or Feijao Tropeiro. But there are a lot of appetizers that I love as well
what's that? and is it hard to make?
Feijoada is a dish with black beans, different cuts of pork meat, sausage, bacon, etc. You eat it with rice, collard greens, some orange to help the digestion. Hahaha It's heavy, but good.
that. sounds amazing i'm for sure going to look that up later.
You should. It's not hard to make
even better
What is your favorite dish?
man, you've made me hungry. it's something called Polynesian chicken and rice.
You know I'm hungry as well.
another thing is a salted caramel gnache.
They both sound amazing. How do you make your chicken and rice.
so it's basically just rice, pineapple, chicken stock and chicken and you cook it all together. it's like this warm soft sweet mush with occasional pieces of chicken and pineapple
I'm hungry.
same... i think i'm going to go over to my girlfriend's and have dinner. it's been great talking to you though!