Which razor is the best for you?

Hey hey hey!!! Looks like we are getting a bit of rain here in Newfoundland thanks to Hurricane Maria.... Seems like a great time to touch base with you all :-) How have ya been?

Recently it has dawned on me that over the last few years I have been working towards a state of optimization of my life. Letting life do it's thing and following a certain path with a underlying theme that I did not have the words to explain. Check out the following quote. When I first saw it, I realized that it best describes what I am talking about.

"It is vain to do with more what can be done with less."

William of Occam (c. 1288-1348), aka "Occam's Razor"

I have come to realize that this theme was becoming more and more apparent(and important) in my life. As I reflect over my wonderful 38, almost 39 years on this planet this theme has always been with me and has been building up steam with every experience. Today the idea of an optimized life, balance, and respect for everything have become significant drivers in my day to day activities. For example, as a scuba diver, I have always set out to equip myself with a bare-bones approach. Only diving with what I know I will need to be safe and sound, and carry out the duties of a good buddy. As a consumer I have worked to reduce my spending habits so that everything I "need" is acquired, and most of what is not important to me stays unconsumed. As a friend I have removed myself from interfering in people lives, unless asked to interfere. The list could go on and on. 

To be honest... I am not really sure why this theme has come about. Maybe because I have always prided my self on being a just person, regarding what is "fair" to all parties as most important in my life. Maybe it is a symptom of my generation. Do all Gen X feel the same as I do? Whatever, the "WHY" is unimportant. For me what is important is that I see this as a strength in my life. A strength that has helped me achieve MANY goals in my life, helped shape my character, and kept me on a life's path that I approve of.

So as I have said before... I am not here to tell you that this is the way you should live your life. That there is any right or wrong way to live. Simply to offer my thoughts and observations. If you would like to discuss this line of thought more drop me a line. I LOVE a good conversation. If this line of thought interests you feel free to see my suggested reading below for more insight. Also please feel free to let me know of something you have read or seen that you think I may be interested in.

All the best,

Johnny O.

Suggested reading:

For the mind - "Good to Great" by Jim Collins http://www.jimcollins.com/index.html

For the body - "The 4-Hour Body" by Timothy Ferriss http://www.fourhourbody.com/

For the soul - "Living the Wisdom of the Tao" by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer http://www.hayhouse.com/details.php?ref=89&id=3453

For perspective - "Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson http://www.robertkurson.com/book.html

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As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

The 3 R's

What a GREAT weekend I just had...WOW!!! George Street Festival and the Holyrood Squid Fest were a lot of fun. Nothing like a good ole partay to get your blood flowing. However, I am going to save all the details for another post.

First let me apologize for for my break in the communications. Even the most active of adventurers needs to take some time for the 3 R's. Reflect, Recuperate, and Reconnaissance. So what has been on the go? That was what everyone I saw over the weekend was asking.

Reflect:
As you all know my main adventure for the last few years has been in Scuba Diving with the help of Ocean Quest Adventure Resort. If you haven't checked them out lately they are still doing great things above and below the ocean surface. Do yourself a favor and go on one of their Whale Snorkeling tours...It's a game changing life altering event. Perfect for the moderate and advanced adventurer alike. If snorkeling is not your bag, go with them while others do the snorkeling. In my humble opinion it is the most exciting whale experience you will have in the province!

For more info on OQ check them out at www.oceanquestadventures.com or check out their whale snorkeling tour on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSi6goODJEA

Recuperate:

Last winter I suffered a slight setback. A severe sprain in my right leg had me out of the water for some time. It got me thinking about what other adventures that may interest me. What else does life have to offer on this great Rock. What better way to experience new things? I followed my gypsy blood line and moved to another part of Newfoundland...lol, to a town lovingly called "South Dildo" in Trinity Bay approximately one hour west of St. John's. Just south of Dildo proper and west of "Spread Eagle". I KNOW!!! It makes one wonder what the people of this area were thinking, or doing when they first settled these shores so many years ago. ;-) 

Aside from the amusing names South Dildo is close to the start(or finish) of the Baccalieu Trail which winds it's way from the Whitbourne/Markland area up to Grates Cove and back down through Conception Bay North winding up around Cupids/Brigus. A total trip of 230 kilometers. From what I have seen of it so far it's an amazing coastline filled with hidden treasures and lots to do and see. The perfect place for anyone to get their thoughts together, lick their wounds, and plan their next great adventure. For more info on the Baccalieu Trail check out http://www.the-baccalieu-trail.com/

Recon: 

Here are some of my highlights so far:

Markland/Whitbourne:

The Rodriguez Winery - http://rodrigueswinery.com/ Have a nice visit at this excellent winery, meet the people, take in the history, and enjoy some very good berry wines. My suggestion while you are there is to ask Corinne to try her Ultimate Bites ;-)

The Old Railroad Track - For those with Off-Roading spirit take your 4x4 on the Old Track from Whitbourne to Ocean Pond or Placentia. Easy ride and lots to see. Maybe even stop to pick a few berries, snag a trout, or go for a dip.

Dildo:

Scallop Dive - Just about any where you hit the water from Old Shop to New Harbour you are sure to get a feed of Scallops. Advanced diver certification required as most  "good" scallop beds don't show up till after 60 ft.

Inn By the Bay - http://www.dildoinns.com/ A great place to lay your head and enjoy a good meal.

Green's Harbour/Whiteway: 

Back Side Pond Park: Privately owned RV park and Campground. This lovely facility has all amenities to facilitate 50 RV's and 103 campsites. Hit the beaches on the private pond or scenic Trinity Bay. Great for overnight stays and day use. For more info call 1-888-826-6661.

TO BE CONTINUED......

Here's to you NY!

If you didn't already know this. From the age of 10 - 33, I had the pleasure of "growing up" just north of New York City in Westchester County. Those who come from Westchester are glad let you know that it is the second richest county in North America, home of many famous people such as Paul Simon, Bill/Hillary Clinton, John D. Rockefeller, Puff Daddy and the list goes on. I have to say that I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunutiy to spend my time in that area. Not because of the rich and famous, although I do love the rich and famous, but for the other riches that growing up in Sub-Urban NY had to offer. When you live 30 miles from the biggest city in the world, the opportunities are endless! Growing up in the 80's  and 90's, I like to think that my friends and I took full advantage of everything life had to offer to us. Let me quickly share some of the things my mind lingers back to during my idle moments.

Food - As a 235lb man I often tell people that I didn't get this size from not liking food. Many memories were centered around food. Whether it was having a giant slice from Maria's Pizza, or working at Friendly's with all the hottest girls in high School, or late nights at the local diner. I am still convinced that I made cheese fries with gravy famous in Westchester...lol

Music -  For me the 80's and 90's were a time of GREAT music. The era of the Guitar Gods was taken over by the plaid wearing angst of the Grundge Era and the pop music was still awesome! The guido's had their I-roc Z's  with the dance music blasting and the Deadheads could be smelt first, heard second, and then seen! For those of you who are from the area, how many of you remember lining up for your wrist band for the lastest coolest concert? For shows at Giant Stadium, MSG, the Paramount in Peekskill, Jones Beach, and again the list goes on. Lining up for Ticketmaster at the Toys and Sports Wharehouse(TSW) will always hold a great memory for me. We loved the music and the music loved us. I still to this day remember hearing "Stand" by REM twelve times in one afternoon! How great was it to encite a whole section of Giants stadium to get up to dance during a U2 concert on the Achtung Baby Tour? How great was it to see Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Pier in NYC as the sun set on New Jersey and the wind wafted down off the Aircraft Carrier Entrepid? How great was it to make fake tickets to Grateful Dead concerts or see Fishbone, STP, and RHCP at Jones Beach in one show? The answer is there is nothing like it!! I was blessed to have those opportunities. Thank you NY!!

WOW... I have to admit I am a little overwhelmed here thinking about those days. What great times we had. The glue that held it all together here is 2 factors. NY and friendships. If NY was not such a great place and I did not have such an amazing group of friends to enjoy it with life would have been a whle lot different. My guess is a whole lot more boring too. So thanks to you New York and thanks to you to all the people that helped make it even more special to a little boy from Newfoundland!

Thanks!
Johnny O.

P.s. - You ask "Why the trip down memory lane?" Well the answer is I will be heading back to NY in a week. Stay tuned for video and photo blogs of my journey!

P.s.s. - Thank you NY!!

P.s.s.s. - What the hell, one more.....

_________________________________

Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

Trust Pays!!

Thanks you Seth Godin! I just read his blog for today(http://bit.ly/eiDvh4) and it got me thinking. The whole premise of his blog was that people can choose to live in a world of trust or a world without trust. It jarred me back to a book I head read a few years back, "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen M. R. Covey.

Yes the name looks familiar to the author of the 7 Habits. It's his son! The premise of "The Speed of Trust" is that in life everything works better when you have trust. For more info you can check out the book at http://speedoftrust.com/new/

Well the obvious would be to say that both the blog and the book reminded me that we are way better off to view the world with trusting eyes. It also got me thinking that all these self help books and motivational speakers have a dark side to them, and my blog is no exception. There is an assumption that you need help. Do you?

Do you really want to hear that your life is not good enough from me? That it could be better? Well I tell you what, it could be a WHOLE lot worse than it is. End of story! So from now on this blog will be dedicated to celebrating life and how great we have it. I promise that I will avoid speaking to you like I know better, or that you are in some dark whole from which you you have your head jammed up!

You are awesome... Carry on like you were normal!!

Johnny O.

P.s. - to complete my series on the 7 Habits - Habit 7 - Sharpen the saw... Google it! You just may learn something :-P

P.s.s - What a wonderful world!

__________________________________

Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

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It's been a month....

Hey Gang.... It's been almost a month since my last blog. My how time flies. I would love to say that I was unavailable because I was off jetsetting around the world experience new adventures in far off wonderful places. Alas if I were to tell you that I would be a liar. Fact of the matter I had allowed myself to get caught up in a whirlwind of negative energies that ultimately involved people being hospitalized, others being arrested(hopefully), and a lot of little lessons learned along the way. I`ll leave it to your imaginations to fill in the details of my story :-)

The biggest lesson I was reminded of was to always be positive! Really...life is that simple. If you keep a positive outlook on life you will be a happier person.

Now I know some of you are saying...well how do I do that when the walls are coming down around me, or my bills are past due, or everyone around me seems out to get me?

Here are a few simple steps to help you get back on track:

1. Start small - find something in your life that you are thankful for or that brings you joy. It can be something as simple as a cup of GREAT coffee or someone you love. Think about that for a little while. Maybe drink that coffee or visit that person
2. Think BIG - Always remember that it could be worse. You are not sitting in a Nazi Concentration Camp like Victor Frankl was(http://tinyurl.com/694wg89) or hiding out in a bathroom with six other women avoiding death squads as Immaculee Ilibagiza(http://www.immaculee.com/) had to do during the Rwandan genocide. Thanks your lucky stars!!!
3. Be excellent - To quote Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure( http://tinyurl.com/7x6y5) "Be EXCELLENT to each other!" Go do something nice for someone else. Helping other people always makes me feel better. Hold the door open for someone, pick up a hitch-hiker, take your kids to the movies(the one they want to see), give your wife a hug!
4. Turn it off - If there is someone or something in your life that is causing you great distress. Turn it off. Avoid them or it at ALL COSTS!!
5. Smile! Smile! Smile!

Thanks for taking a moment to read this blog. Focus on the positive and the positives will take care of you. Have a great day and be EXCELLENT to each other :-)

Johnny O.

P.s. - I don't know who this kids is! If she doesn't make you smile, smile, smile, you ARE dead ;-)

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Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

Two heads are better than one!

Habit 6: Synergize: Principles of Creative Cooperation

It AMAZES me that since I have started this blog situations have been arising in my life that proceed me writing about the next habit. For example:

Habit 1 : Be Proactive - I felt the need to start this blog.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind - This blog came just before New Years at a time of year when I stop and take stock in what I want to accomplish in the upcoming year.
Habit 3: Put First Things First - The week before this blog I did some soul searching about what was important in my life, then went to write the blog...wow...1st things 1st.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win - Around this time life asked me some challenging questions regarding dealing with new relationships as well as old ones...then on Martin Luther King Day, when most of North America is thinking about MLK's visions of peaceful coexistence, blamo Think Win/Win.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood - Then last week when I was coming to a head about not being understood... Habit #5 was there to be written about.

LOL...it's even happening right now. I just got a Blackberry Message asking me if I need help with my driveway shoveling, and a little while ago I read an article about getting others to participate in my social media... The idea of synergy has been in my head for the last few days! To be completely honest, as I sat down to write this blog today, I had forgotten what this habit was about, and there it was, the very idea that had been floating around in my brain for the last few days!

Let's get a little help from Stephen himself to tell the story of Habit 6.
(This excerpt is from https://www.stephencovey.com/)

"Habit 6: Synergize - To put it simply, synergy means "two heads are better than one." Synergize is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open-mindedness, and the adventure of finding new solutions to old problems. But it doesn't just happen on its own. It's a process, and through that process, people bring all their personal experience and expertise to the table. Together, they can produce far better results that they could individually. Synergy lets us discover jointly things we are much less likely to discover by ourselves. It is the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. One plus one equals three, or six, or sixty--you name it.

When people begin to interact together genuinely, and they're open to each other's influence, they begin to gain new insight. The capability of inventing new approaches is increased exponentially because of differences.

Valuing differences is what really drives synergy. Do you truly value the mental, emotional, and psychological differences among people? Or do you wish everyone would just agree with you so you could all get along? Many people mistake uniformity for unity; sameness for oneness. One word--boring! Differences should be seen as strengths, not weaknesses. They add zest to life."

In the spirit of Synergy I am cordially inviting your questions and comments!! As we are nearing the end of the 7 habits I will require new topics to discuss. PLEASE let me know what's on your mind!

ALSO....

Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

Thanks,
Johnny O.

P.s. - This link has nothing to do with Synergy... It's just a F*#kin' cool song I heard today!!

DO NOT READ THIS BLOG...and if you do, don't understand it!!!

As I was pondering what to do for my next blog(this one) the other night I was going over some things in my head. I had a few ideas about February being the shortest month, Groundhogs Day, even one about religious intolerance. As I thought the ideas over I kept coming back to something a friend of mine had said to me earlier in the week. Their comment was that many times my communications, usually emails, are complicated, hard to understand, and/or not simple enough. This troubled me because when communicating with people I make a special effort to be as concise as possible. Using lists and bullet points, drawing on tools that I have learned from researching about communications, marketing, psychology etc. One thing I have learned over my life is that ultimately the question that works best here is not if this statement is true or not. Rather, why would this person make the effort to mention this to me, and also is it something worth changing?

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood - Principles of Mutual Understanding

Take a moment and read the following link:
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit5.php

Good.... Now that you have read it. Please take a minute and think about it and try to understand where he is coming from. What was the result? The bottom line is that most people hear what others have to say and rarely listen, or in the case of email, see/read and rarely comprehend.

Now lets go back to my situation at the top. In this particular case my friend was addressing a particular problem I have been having where people haven't been reading "important" emails that I had been sending out that involve their future. Why would he make the comment? He was trying to help. Thanks!! Everybody could use some help. Drawing on his life experiences and giving me the best advice he knew to give.  Will I bother to change my email style... probably not and if I do it will only be slightly. Why? because the real question I was asking for help with was not how to convey the information better, instead it was how to make people more interested. See... he listened, and did not understand!

The 5th Habit, gave me the advice I was looking for.  I don't understand what they want...It's that simple!!
Even though I had taken the time to hear them out in the past. I had not listened to what they where saying. The comforting part from the 5th habit, is that I am not alone. Everybody does it. Even highly effective people from time to time forget to listen first.

How about a few examples of where listening 1st works:

1. Surveys - Companies use surveys all the time to find out out what people want before they provide them with goods or services.
2. Instruction Manuals - Understanding the instructions before you use an item...despite what many people think, always works best(As long as they are in a language you understand).
3. Waitress/Waiter - Imagine if your server came and told you what you wanted. 1st they listen, then take the order. Here is a little tip(no pun intended)... It has been statistically proven that Wait staff that repeat the order back to the customers, showing the customer they heard and understood them, get bigger tips than those that solely take the order. 

The irony here is that most of you people have read this blog and won`t take the time to understand it ;-)

Best of luck,
Johnny O.

P.s. - One thing I don't understand is...how do I get more comments on these blogs!?!?!
P.s.s. - What's so funny about peace, love, and UNDERSTANDING!?!

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As well on my recently updated website https://johnmolivero.com/

Adventurers are the kind of people who should have the things they want....

otherwise they wouldn't be blessed with wanting them!!!(Mike Dooley's Notes from the Universe http://www.tut.com/resources/notes/)

Happy Monday to you all and thanks for reading this blog :-) Ever stopped to think why most people hate and sometimes fear Mondays? If you are one of the lucky ones, who LOVES Mondays, ever stop to think about why that is?

Here is my guess for the haters. The things you want in life, do not match up with the things you believe.  For example. Let's say you have always wanted to be a professional musician. You LOVE to play your instrument, when you are not playing your instrument you are thinking about playing it, or doing something that involves the betterment of your profession....oh wait, that's what professional musicians do, the ones who really do what they love!

Good chance your mind is occupied with thoughts of where to get your next Tim Horton's or Starbucks, who won the big game over the weekend, where did that asshole who just cut you off get their drivers license, or for the ladies, will that pair of shoes you saw in the mall on Saturday still be there on pay day? Does that sound more like it?

Again, to quote Mike Dooley's Notes from the universe, "How much time do you spend thinking big. I mean REALLY REALLY BIG!! Good, very good, because that's exactly how much of it you are going to get!"

Please note the sarcasm!!!

In the last blog we discussed WIN/WIN situations. Does this sounds like a win win to you? You go to work day in day out, you get payed, you go home, watch tv, go to bed....wake up and hate Mondays!!

More than likely there is a fair amount of blame that goes along with that situation. My job sucks because my boss is a bitch and my coworkers are tools, or I can't afford those shoes because I don't get paid enough, or FML because my girlfriend thinks I am fat.

I am gonna stop here and take a moment to tell you that there is nobody to blame except yourself!!!! Let me repeat it. THERE IS NOBODY TO BLAME EXCEPT YOURSELF!!!!

You have created a life for yourself that is not win/win and guess what...you are the loser 1st and foremost. The worst part is that you are not the only loser, you are creating a lose/lose situation for every one you know in the long run.

Let's revisit 3 principles of the win/win situation:

• Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
• Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others
• Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone

If you trust what I am telling you here, you can look back on those 3 principles and see why you have arrived at this point in your life and are not fulfilled. That is why you are hating Monday's.

If there is something you don't like in your life you have a breakdown in one of these three areas. The good news is that there is hope. You made this mess, and you are the one who can fix it(actually the only one).

Let's see if the 7 habits can guide us:

• Habit 1 - Be proactive - Recognize that you are unsatisfied with your life.
• Habit 2 - Think with the end in mind - Figure out how you would like your life to be.
• Habit 3 - Put 1st things 1st -organize the things in your life in order of importance!
• Habit 4 - Think Win/Win - Integrity: Be honest with yourself, Maturity: be honest with others, Abundance Mentality: Trust yourself and others!!

OK...so don't go crying in your corn flakes just yet, or on the other hand, fire all half cocked to change your world.  Have a look back at some of my previous blogs. See if any of the techniques or videos will be helpful. Then if you don't like the opportunities ahead of you, proceed to cry in your corn flakes ;-)

All the best,
Johnny O.

P.s. - Here is a little tune to get your day going:


_____________________________________

Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

You can kill the dreamer and still not kill the dream

It's funny how life throws you a situation to help you learn the lesson you WANT to learn in life. It's even funnier that you may not have even realized you wanted to learn them...lol!!

That's right... I said it. I want to learn these lessons too. I'm no guru, I just happen to have read this book and want to share the principles because I believe in them. There is a great quote my father always says that can describe this best.

"In the land of the blind, the one eyed man is king." So with my good eye I am going to press on and talk about :

Habit 4 - Think Win/Win - Principles of Mutual Benefit

On this Martin Luther King Day I think it very fitting to discuss the topic of Thinking Win Win. Read here what Stephen R. Covey describes in Habit 4: (From https://www.stephencovey.com/)

"Habit 4: Think Win-Win
Think Win-Win isn't about being nice, nor is it a quick-fix technique. It is a character-based code for human interaction and collaboration. Most of us learn to base our self-worth on comparisons and competition. We think about succeeding in terms of someone else failing--that is, if I win, you lose; or if you win, I lose. Life becomes a zero-sum game. There is only so much pie to go around, and if you get a big piece, there is less for me; it's not fair, and I'm going to make sure you don't get anymore. We all play the game, but how much fun is it really?

Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!

A person or organization that approaches conflicts with a win-win attitude possesses three vital character traits:

1. Integrity: sticking with your true feelings, values, and commitments
2. Maturity: expressing your ideas and feelings with courage and consideration for the ideas and feelings of others
3. Abundance Mentality: believing there is plenty for everyone

Many people think in terms of either/or: either you're nice or you're tough. Win-win requires that you be both. It is a balancing act between courage and consideration. To go for win-win, you not only have to be empathic, but you also have to be confident. You not only have to be considerate and sensitive, you also have to be brave. To do that--to achieve that balance between courage and consideration--is the essence of real maturity and is fundamental to win-win." 

Dr. Martin Luther King understood this principle in life. Actually I believe he lived it and lived all 7 of the habits.

Please take a minute to check out the video on this link: http://tinyurl.com/4auqbc3

How can you use win win thinking to make your adventure life more enjoyable? Let me count the ways:

1. When everybody wins there are no losers
2. When everybody wins you enjoy your life more
3. When everybody wins you are free at last.

Free at last to focus on what is important. Free to enjoy this very moment and every one to follow. Free to know that life is meant to be easy and that there is enough fruit on the tree for everyone!

Like I said before I am not a guru, and I don't have all your answers. You do! The next time a conflict arises stop for a moment and insist that nobody has to compromise, insist that everybody wins! At first it isn't easy, that's for sure. I promise you that the more you make an effort to find the win win in every situation it will indeed get easier as you move forward enjoying your life more!

Thanks,
John O.

 P.s. - There will be no p.s.'s today ;-)

______________________________________

Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

The surface interval of your life!

In scuba diving we have what is called a "Surface Interval". Essentially it is a time between dives that you let your body do it's thing and process some of the gasses that built up in your system during the 1st dive. The surface interval can be a great time during your dive day.

You can :

• reminisce with your buddies about the dive you just did
• relax
• enjoy some good food
• plan for the next dive
• many many more

All the while your body is doing it's best getting rid of the gases. If you noticed I said "CAN". Just like everything else in life you get out of it what you put into it. So, if during this surface interval you stress about the next dive, do strenuous activities, and not relax, you run the risk of not letting your body do it's job effectively and to it's greatest potential.

The surface interval of your life!

Stop now, take this story and super-impose it over your life. Every day, week, month, year, etc we go, go, go. We inadvertantly take time off, weekends, vacations, holidays. Do we really take the time to let our body do it's best?

I just spoke with a lovely young lady, lets call her Maybelle. Maybelle is hard at her goal setting for 2011. Constantly complaining that she can't afford to go the spa. She had seen my facebook posts supporting the Ocean Quest Spa(http://tinyurl.com/36nubvn) and my recent posts about their new fan page(http://tinyurl.com/3xqtoqj). Please note that by her own admission the prices at the OQ Spa are VERY reasonable. Hmmm... this is starting to sound like a shameless plug. Let me get back on track...

What we came up with was that Maybelle's rest and relaxation time had not been built into her goal setting plan. Here is what we discussed:

• Habit 1 - Be proactive - Decide to have more R&R in your life.
• Habit 2 - Think with the end in mind - Figure out what your R&R goals are.
• Habit 3 - Put 1st things 1st - For this one I recommended for Maybelle to write out a list of 5 things that would help her relax and enjoy life more. Then I asked her to write 5 things she didn't like to do. Then I asked her to figure out a way to swap the two. Remove the 5 things she does't like to make room for the 5 things she does(For divers... this would be called the "Nitrox of life"... Bad joke I know ;-).

Once that was all done I left her to mull those over for the day. Maybelle is a very smart woman, I am sure she will come back with all sorts of ways to to put the surface interval back into her life.

Add a surface interval to your life!! Just say no, stop, drop, and role,  & enjoy your life at all costs!!

WAIT....Isn't it friday? Weekends are a great time for R&R.... Isn't that what they were invented for? ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!!

All the best,
Johnny O.

P.s. - I found this awesome song on youtube today that I thought Maybelle would enjoy. I hope you enjoy it too!


P.s.s. - What are your 5 R&R goals...Please let me know in the comment section, because maybe there is one I can use for my own R&R list :-)

P.s.s.s - Don't forget to sign up for my facebook fanpage. http://tinyurl.com/2v8dez9 Thanks in advance!!!!!!!!!

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Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.

Just say no...or was that stop drop and role?

Habit 3: Put First Things First -  Principles of Integrity & Execution

OK, it's 2011, undoubtedly you have made some New Years Resolutions. Mine is to be more appreciative. In that spirit...thanks for reading this blog! What's yours? Let me know in the comments section.

Hopefully from reading the previous blogs you have figured out what your goals are. Now it is time to put them in order. I'll let Stephen R. Covey explain the 3rd habit... why not go to the master? Here is his explanation from https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit3.php


Habit 3: Put First Things First To live a more balanced existence, you have to recognize that not doing everything that comes along is okay. There's no need to overextend yourself. All it takes is realizing that it's all right to say no when necessary and then focus on your highest priorities.

Habit 1 says, "You're in charge. You're the creator." Being proactive is about choice. Habit 2 is the first, or mental, creation. Beginning with the End in Mind is about vision. Habit 3 is the second creation, the physical creation. This habit is where Habits 1 and 2 come together. It happens day in and day out, moment-by-moment. It deals with many of the questions addressed in the field of time management. But that's not all it's about. Habit 3 is about life management as well--your purpose, values, roles, and priorities. What are "first things?" First things are those things you, personally, find of most worth. If you put first things first, you are organizing and managing time and events according to the personal priorities you established in Habit 2.

Now lets here from another master! Steve Vai who is undoubtedly the BEST guitarist of all time and  my personal hero, talks about what to focus on in your life. 

Notice any similarities between Steve's advice and Stephen's? Yeah I thought so!

One of the things I have learned in my life is that sometimes the "Big Picture" that Steve spoke of can be very overwhelming. I am going to share one trick that I have learned that cuts through all that.

Just say no....It is sooooooo much easier to stop doing things than it is to start doing things. By now if you have been keeping up with the blogs and the habits, you know all the things that you do want to do, that you are good at, that you are genetically encoded for. Now figure those things that you are not good at, that you are you are not genetically encoded for, and that you don't want to do.

NOW STOP DOING THEM!!

Start with, or should I say stop first with the ones that cause you the biggest problems in your life. Why bang your head against the wall doing things you didn't want to do in the 1st place when you could be out doing the things you LOVE to do?

It's that simple. Enjoy your life at all cost!

All the best,
Johnny O.

P.s. - Here is a tune that I thought of while writing this blog. Seemed kind of appropriate. Enjoy!



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Feel free to follow me on Instagram @JMOproadventurer

As well on my recently updated website https://johnmolivero.com/

Be involved in 2011

Hey Gang,

Going diving in a few minutes and wanted to take a moment to share this thought....

Many people say to me "how can you can you afford to do all the things you do?" or "It must be nice to be able to afford all that gear?"

Well to be honest with you I can't!! If it weren't for the help of the people around me none of this would ever happen. First I would like to start the new year off by saying thank you to all the people who have helped me get to where I am today. Second here are a few tips from my life experience to help you get the most out of your adventures:

1 - Get involved - If there is an adventure activity that you wish to take part in, join a club, make some friends who do that activity, get out there and start doing it.
2 - Support your local - After being a dive shop manager for close to 5 years, I can tell you that this is VERY important. The people at your local are keyed into the pulse of what is going on. They know who's going where, when, and why!! They are the professionals, and usually the BEST in your area. Treat them with the respect that they deserve and you will be amazed at the results. Get involved with your local.
3 - See the forest for the trees - In any activity, business, family whatever, there can be a LOT of BS. Don't get caught up in it. Figure out the truth for yourself. Be smart and be educated. Know when you are getting a good deal, know when you are being fed a load of bull, and vice versa. More importantly, KNOW when you are the one delivering the BS.
4 - Be thankful... This morning a Facebook friend was sad that only 4 people had wished him Happy New Year on FB. I reminded him that there are some people that did not recieve any well wishing. That he was lucky to have 4!
5 - Be excuse free - Let's say that you were planning to go with people on an adventure.... let's say diving, and at the last minute you back out because you realize you have no groceries and all the grocery stores will be closed by the time you are finished. Poor excuse. Do I have to make a list of the MANY ways this could be resolved or avoided? I didn't think so :-)

Anyway time is running short for this today.... Happy New Year!!
Johnny O.

P.s. - Next blog will be about Habit #3 I promise.
P.s.s. - Remember there is no such thing as cold weather conditions. Only poor equipment and poor planning. Start planning!

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Feel free to  @ProAdventurer

As well on my Facebook fanpage Adventures with Johnny O.