8. Creative Writing Tips - An Attempt to Improve

I've been told that I'm a good writer. I've also been told that I am awful at it. I'm not really sure what to believe, but I know this: recently I have begun to enjoy and become increasingly interested in it. However, I really only write about the reality that I see and experience. [I've been told my best and most evident quality is my sincerity - judge for yourself.] Don't get me wrong, I enjoy writing about what I know, sharing my thoughts, and hopefully making a few smile in the process. But I wish to get better at writing, so I figure I should try - enter gift eight.

7. Clear the Invisible Clutter

I used to have a ton of stuff. That's all it was. While I was nowhere near the extent of what you might see on hoarders, I'd still done a decent job of squirreling away items that I just didn't need. Yes, at one point I highly valued it, but the novelty of [insert item here] wore off quickly, and I decided to make a change.

Over the last 18 months or so, I have become an avid fan of minimalism. Through both choice, necessity, and even unfortunate circumstance, I've pared down my belongings to fit all within a large duffel bag. While there are some items that I wish to acquire, there are still others that I'm finding I could do without. The last frontier is one that I've started to clear a few times, but is so easy to over look.

Gift number seven - eradicate my digital packrattery.

As a preface: I'm actually in a great position to do this now. Why? Because a couple of months ago my computer and external hard drive were stolen and all of my files were lost. Misfortune gave me the blessing of a clean slate. But I've already been mucking it up a little and it's time for a little preemptive action. The folks over at ZenHabits have put together a great how-to for organizing, clearing, and maintaining your digital empire, and I'm using that has my guide.

I'm pretty excited for this. I could easily launch into a dissertation on how much minimalism has improved my life. But I'll leave that for another time. For now I'll just say this: Wouldn't it feel great to finally get that inbox to empty?

6. Admission of Inadequacy

You cannot run away from a weakness; you must some time fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where you stand?

                    - Robert Louis Stevenson

When I was 14 years old, I found out a truth about myself that I did not want to believe, and that I shared with no one. I have been in denial and avoidance of it for almost 12 years. I have only just recently begun to see how much this has negatively impacted my life. Gift number six is admission of this weakness and a decision to not be ashamed of it anymore. So what's my big juicy secret?

5. Little Adventures - Embracing Spontaneity

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered.  

                                                                   - G.K. Chesterton 

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Nuns Having Fun :)

A while back, I had the same epiphany that every man does (and I assume women do, as well). I realized, "I'm not a kid anymore - can't even pretend like it." Like most, my mind zipped down the time line faster than I could blink and I was face to face with the fact that one day, sooner than I think, I will be "old." Rather than wallow in self pity, I decided that when I'm further on in life, I don't want to be a crusty shell who's lived in vain. I want to be the cool old dude with amazing stories. But the only way to be the man who has had a full life, is to ensure it is filled continually as you go. There is a way to do this, and that is gift number five.

4. Words of the Wise - A Personalized Book of Quotes

Sir Winston Churchill

It is a good thing for an educated man to read books of quotations.

- Winston Churchill

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I am a huge fan of Winston Churchill. He was a great man who lead a troubled nation through a horrendous age on the front lines of what was one of the darkest times in global history. He kept a nation fighting as one of the last strongholds against an enemy set on world domination, and helped to rally much of the rest of the world into a battle against evil. The odd thing is, it is not a history class or the accomplishments of the man that first turned me on to Churchill. It was his words.

Over the last several years I have begun to truly appreciate the power of words. Words create. Words inspire. Words come alive. God spoke the world into being. But I won't get started on my affinity for language here - that's another conversation altogether. The point is that words have power and have drawn me into a love of quotes.

3. Library Card - Passport to More Than You Think

For the record, this is not me.
I have more facial hair.

After making a reading list, one needs to start acquiring those books or it's all for naught! As a college student in a suffering economy, I frequently find myself short on cash; with little to nothing left for discretionary spending. Which prompted gift number three. Today I went out and got a library card.

At the risk of sounding extremely cheesy (and like my elementary school librarian), a library card is a passport to adventure. We all know that you can check out books at the library. But there are plenty of other opportunities to take advantage of that can help one grow! Below are just a few of them:

2. Make a Reading List, Enrich the Mind

The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. 

- Mark Twain

A survey a few years ago stated that one in four Americans did not read a single book in a 12 month period. I'm sure those numbers haven't changed much for the better. Most people resort to television for both entertainment and information. Now, I like watching a good show just as much as the next guy (okay, maybe even more so) but there is a major point to remember - watching something play out is passive. Opening a book causes you to actively move forward through a story, engaging your brain. It's the difference between having information squirted at you and jumping in to fully absorb it. I'd rather engage my brain.

That said, one of my goals this year is to read more. As we all know, it helps to keep track of these things to be accountable to them. But how do you do that without feeling legalistic about it? The compromise for me was to set a challenging but realistic goal. I've set out to read one book every two weeks - 26 for the year. So far I'm doing great - I've already read two books! But I need more of a plan.

1. Free Rice - Learn Stuff, Feed People

A few years ago I was given a project which entailed reading different articles from the New York Times. I admittedly was having difficulty with some of the vocabulary; some of it was simply over my head. I soon found out that this particular periodical is written at an 11th grade reading level. It turns out the newspapers that were easy for me to read all had a standard of a fifth to seventh grade education level. I had never been so embarrassed, nor had less faith in the public education system. A friend and I started working on vocabulary, but it soon died out.

That said, my first gift to myself is a commitment to use FreeRice.com. Free Rice is a site founded in 2007 that asks multiple choice questions on vocabulary words to both help keep you sharp, and to help you learn new words. As I found out today, they have also expanded to include the subjects of math, chemistry, geography, art, and even vocabulary in foreign languages for the aspiring linguist. 

There are many tools out there to help keep your mind sharp, but the boon of this is that for every question you answer correctly, they donate 10 grains of rice to through the United Nations' World Food Programme to help end world hunger. Snopes.com both verifies and explains how this works.

Earlier today I spent a grand total of 13 minutes sharpening my brain - I definitely came across some words I hadn't seen since that last NY Times article! I answered 100 questions and donated 1000 grains of rice. My first gift to becoming a better man is a commitment to use Free Rice enough to donate 7000 grains of rice each week. Free Rice allows you to create a login or even use your Facebook account to keep track of how much you've donated! It'll add up fast.

A few minutes a day to get smarter, learn about art, and maybe even delve into speaking some Italiano, while simultaneously doing a small part to help feed others? Sounds like a good deal. Anybody with me?

http://www.freerice.com/

Intro - What is 99 Gifts?

Today (January 24, 2011) I spent much time in contemplation. While doing so, I suddenly realized that I am 25 years old and am not content with who I am. I am a good person, but like most I long to be better. And so I decided: For my birthday I want to be a better man.

I've learned from past experience that taking great steps to achieve this goal only ends in failure. Time for a different approach. I looked it up, and found out that there are 99 days until my next birthday. So, for the next 99 days, I am going to seek out one small thing to do each day that will lead to me being a better person. Since I know that many want the same for themselves, I've decided to share what I learn and experience on the way. I'm also sharing for my own benefit.

The goal is for each of these things to (1) be intentional and thought out, (2) make me a better person in a way that is somehow discernible to myself, and (3) be reasonable for anyone to duplicate if they so desire. Finding 99 things that fit this criteria will not be easy. Any and all suggestions are both welcome and requested.

Oh, and feel please free to join in with me. We can all be better people - we just need to get started. Remember:

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." - Henry Ford

Just a Head's Up - Not Dead

Hey there folks! Just wanted to let you know that I'm NOT dead or anything. My previously mentioned projects have put me on a writing hiatus that I despise, but has been necessary to accomplish my two main goals at the moment: school and a semblance of sanity.

But here is the good news: I plan to be writing again by the end of the day Friday, and will then be a posting fool! I'll be retroactively dating the posts to correspond with the appropriate day that I actually did each gift both for continuity's sake and for my own awesome obsessiveness about little things.

While I'm working like an organ grinder's monkey to get this stuff written, answer me this: what's been your favorite post so far and why? If you've only read a few, choose among them! If you've only read one, I'm going to cry. Not really. But maybe. Thanks everyone!