My Best Motivational Quote On Winning From Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan on winning from The Last Dance documentary aired on ESPN in 2020. A camera crew was given unrestricted access to the Chicago Bulls 1997-1998 season. The ten-part documentary is Michael Jordan's NBA career and the Chicago Bulls' six NBA championships in the 1990s. Here is the entire quote:

"Well, I mean. I don't know, I mean. Winning has a price. And leadership has a price. So I pulled people along when they didn't want to be pulled. I challenged people when they didn't want to be challenged. And I earned that right because my teammates who came after me didn't endure all the things that I endured. Once you joined the team, you lived at a certain standard that I played the game. And I wasn't going to take any less. Now if that means I had to go in there and get in your ass a little bit, then I did that. You ask all my teammates. The one thing about Michael Jordan was he never asked me to do something that he didn't fucking do. When people see this, they are going say, 'Well he wasn't really a nice guy. He may have been a tyrant.' Well, that's you. Because you never won anything. I wanted to win, but I wanted them to win to be a part of that as well. Look, I don't have to do this. I am only doing it because it is who I am. That's how I played the game. That was my mentality. If you don't want to play that way, don't play that way. . . . Break." *Jordan requests a break*

The motivational pics are 4K 3840x2160 resolution. There are two full versions excluding the last sentence when he cried and wanted a break. There is a half version and there is a quarter version for those who want a condensed quote. The full, half, and quarter versions include a clean version without the swearing.

Top Ten Plus Three Equals Top Thirteen Lessons Schools Don't Teach

Schools teach ABC's and 123's. Schools teach 1+1=2, water is H2O, verbs, animals, and telling time. Schools don't teach manners, wisdom, and money. There is too much to learn. There is not enough school funds. There are not enough teachers. Parents must supplement their children's education. I wrote a blog FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too on Jul 30, 2009. I said, "Parents, find time to teach the soft skills schools don't teach."

There are multiple ways children can learn some lessons because we live in the Information Age; for example, YouTube. Parents must be aware some sources are wrong. Parents and children must use their best judgement they're getting accurate information.

Here are the top ten plus three equals top thirteen lessons schools don't teach:

13. Etiquette, Politeness, And Manners. It's unlikely teachers teach thank you, please, share, honesty, respect, more listening, and less talking. Teachers say them. Teachers don't teach them.

12. Financial Education. No person with a teaching credential knows the stock markets, interest rates, consumer price index, gold, cryptocurrency, and mortgage rates. Otherwise, the teacher works in another industry avoiding children five days a week.

11. Physical Fitness. Put the video game controller down. Turn off the phone. Get out. Move the knees and elbows. I include healthy eating for number 11.

10. Sex. The school districts policies teaching sex are a joke.

9. Depression. Welcome depression. Depression is okay. Do you feel better? If the answer is yes, then solve depression long-term. It's the deal.

8. Intuition. The late Steve Jobs said, "I began to realize that an intuitive understanding and consciousness was more significant than abstract thinking and intellectual logical analysis . . . intuition is a very powerful thing, more powerful than intellect, in my opinion. That's had a big impact on my work."

Trust your gut feeling.

7. The World Is Not 100% Successful. Some dreams don't come true. Some people fail. Most things don't work out.

6. Don't Take Life For Granted. Self-explanatory.

5. Earn it. Success is not given on a silver platter.

Bonus: Time is the ultimate judge. Time will tell what you're doing in the present results in something good or something bad in the future.

4. Life Is Unfair. The first rule in Bill Gates' 11 Rules For Real Life is "Life is not fair - get used to it."

3. Bad Timing And Bad Luck. Timing and luck are factors to success and to failure. Most successful people never admit timing and luck are factors to their accomplishments. However, they're not the only factors themselves to be successful. Hard work, intelligence, repetition, and grit are factors, too.

2. Stop complaining about your crappy life. Life doesn't care about your problems. Too fat? Get physical. Eat healthy. Poor grades? Self-teach outside the textbook. No friends? Learn social skills. Get help.

1. Change. If you don't want to change, then life finds a way to change your life. You may not like life's choice for change.

Update On A Past Blog

I mention FYI, Parents You Are Teachers, Too written on Jul 30, 2009 for the second time. I started learning both the soft skills and the life skills in May 2015. I can't explain I consciously follow the lesson daily starting in Sep 2019.

I asked a question, "How do teachers teach failure is good?" in Reward Failure In Schools written on Nov 20, 2018. Did any professional educator find a way to teach students failure is good? Reward failure. Reward intelligent mistakes. The professional educator is a millionaire if the answer is yes.

Throwback Blog: 500

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled 500 written on Aug 6, 2010. I wrote blog number 500. I didn't write a top 50 blogs. I reposted my top 30 blogs from 300 written on Dec 7, 2008. Today's blog is number 1,930.

I update my top 30 blogs. There are changes. Mistakes made. Lessons learned. My life changed. New knowledge. Intelligence expanded. Wisdom changed. Increased strength. Here are the top 30 blogs with updates in italics, strikethroughs, and my remarks noted with RM:

1. Never take anything and anyone for granted.
2. Trust my gut feeling.
3. My [earlier] daily top five rules for living: (1) Don't criticize, condemn, and complain, and don't compare with others. (2) Don't act like a jerk or bitch. (3) Always speak calmly and be calm. (4) Don't daydream when driving. (5) Keep your head up high . . . look at [their] cute face when talking. RM: Sometimes comparing with others is positive.
4. Continue to live life finding what you want to do.
5. Never judge a person by their appearance.
6. Remember to learn from [your] failures as well as your successes.
7. It takes patience to learn who a person is for long-term family, friend, business, and romantic relationships.
8. Do something else to take your mind off something you hate.
9. Meet new people and make new friends continuously.
10. It's OK to be alone.

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations. Life has vacations. Life has seasons like sports and TV series. Fiscal years, resets, endings. Life can say one continuous life; however, there are chapters, volumes, parts, checkpoints. RM: Everyone needs a break. Everyone needs a vacation. Everyone needs days off.
14. Age is just a number. RM: Age is a factor in most situations.
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. Everyone has the right to find happiness. Pursue happiness to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. Have fun, learn, and enjoy. Increment.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment intelligently.
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics. Go remind yourself the basics which is what I'm doing :D :D :D

Number 500! This blog is number 500 and the 5th anniversary for Innovating Common Knowledge. Good timing. I average 100 blogs every twelve months. That's too low. On the other hand, 100 is a good number because I spread my time writing blogs and many other activities. There are both sides to the discussion whether I spend too much or too little time writing blogs.

On my 300th blog, I shared my top 30 blogs. I choose to repost the top 30 blogs instead of creating a top 50 blogs. The reason is the lessons I learned and the wisdom I gained from my top 30 blogs applies to today's living--and tomorrow's living. They are powerful for me. The lessons and wisdoms are both old lessons such as life is a marathon, not a [sprint] and new lessons such as age is just a number. The timing is good for another review.

I continue to write blogs promoting change, improvement, and innovation. I continue to write blogs to open myself up and to experiment what I can and what I can't do. The Sign Of My Times (SOMT) and Accutane blogs continue as I reflect how life is changed now and when I was a child and my acne treatment, respectively.

Here is the summary of my top 30 blogs:

1. Never take anything and anyone for granted.
2. Trust my gut feeling.
3. My [latest] daily top five rules for living: (1) Don't criticize, condemn, and complain, and don't compare with others. (2) Don't act like a jerk or bitch. (3) Always speak calmly and be calm. (4) Don't daydream when driving. (5) Keep your head up high . . . look at the cute face when talking.
4. Continue to live life finding what you want to do.
5. Never judge a person by their appearance.
6. Remember to learn from you failures as well as your successes.
7. It takes patience to learn who a person is for long-term family, friend, business, and romantic relationships.
8. Do something else to take your mind off something you hate.
9. Meet new people and make new friends continuously.
10. It's OK to be alone.

11. You must earn what you want in life.
12. You are responsible for yourself.
13. Schools have summer vacations; life doesn't have summer vacations.
14. Age is just a number.
15. Have courage to say goodbye to anything precious.
16. First years, first impressions, first go-around, and first successes are equally important as second years, second impressions, second go-around, and second successes.
17. Everyone has the right to find happiness.
18. Be patient. Never rush.
19. Take life one day at a time. Have fun, learn, and enjoy.
20. If you talk the talk, you must stand by your talk.

21. Do something to receive something.
22. Money is a way to help people, create action, and show appreciation.
23. Fight the pain, the suffering, and the struggles to keep living.
24. Use your mind to see.
25. Time is the ultimate judge.
26. Live the present. Live the moment.
27. Wait 24 hours for goods or services less than $100 and 48 hours for greater than $100 to avoid the urge to splurge.
28. Do the little things and they add up in time.
29. Life is a marathon, not a sprint.
30. When you in a jam, go back to the basics. Go remind yourself the basics which is what I'm doing :D :D :D

My first blog was posted on Thur Aug 4, 2005. The 300th blog was posted on Sun Dec 7, 2008. Click 300 to read the entire 300th blog detailing the top blogs.

Top 2023 Pics

Here are the top five pictures I took in 2023. They're sorted from the start of the year to the end of the year. The goals delaying one year are relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and sharing changes. Enjoy!

Update On A Past Blog

2024 is over. I shut down my life during the Mon Dec 23, 2024 and Mon Dec 30, 2024 weeks. These two weeks remind me of the blog First Time I Saw A Restaurant Close On Tuesdays I wrote on Dec 9, 2018. I declared 2018 was over. I said, "Bad luck. Bad timing. Misfortunes." Dec is ending on bad luck, bad timing, and misfortunes. I adapt the "I respond what life gives me. I go with the flow." It's time to take a break. It's time to rest. Two reasons are loss of focus and fatigue.

I took partial breaks and spread the partial breaks from Oct 2023 to Jan 2024 to finish reading Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. The time span was the last time I took any break or any vacation.

Crossing The Line To Become An Adult

It's like crossing the finish line in a race. The race is over. The race is finished. The race is successful. A person becomes a true adult crossing the adult line. All puzzle pieces fit together. The dots connecting backwards are connected. The patterns are established. The adult makes the connections. No stupidity. Full understanding. Circles are fully drawn.

Adult Continues Work After The Race

There are more races to cross the finish line. Professionalism is practiced daily. Responsibilities never ends. Never take maturity for granted. Always seek new adventures. Continue experiencing new experiences. Always sharpen the saw. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

Update On A Past Blog

The blog I Have An Answer To When Is An Adult An Adult written on Jan 6, 2021 answer is 50 years old. I'm lucky I became an adult at age 45. I crossed the line five years earlier. I incorrectly wrote, "I'm four years ahead." The correct sentence is, "I'm five years ahead." The correction applies to Grading My Past Years On A Curve written on July 17, 2022. I incorrectly wrote, "I achieved an adult is an adult four years ahead." The correct sentence is "I achieved an adult is an adult five years ahead."

Throwback Blog: A Second Look At 2015

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled A Second Look At 2015 written on Dec 17, 2016. These are the top 18 blogs in 2015. All of the feedbacks are true today. The general feedback for the feedbacks is I practice them today. An additional feedback for the feedback 4. A Sample Of Changes Everyday is I see more people losing natural beauty as they naturally age. I reiterate 6. I Define Self-Respect for which people with problems don't respect themselves. I remind responsible adults 14. Accept The Daily Adult Living. I could have slowed down multiple times during my Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology; on the other hand, it took me nine years and two months to complete. Regardless, 17. Yes Slow Down eat breakfast, eat lunch, eat dinner, sleep well, and pace accordingly are great to slow down.

It's the time I look back at my 2015 blogs to give myself feedback. The goal is the same as past second looks: relearning from my mistakes, reinforcing my lessons, reminding myself my moments, refreshing acquired knowledge, rediscovering new wisdom, and correcting errant blogs. These blogs are also the 2015 best blogs.

There are 18 blogs for A Second Look 2015. There were 17 blogs for A Second Look 2014 and 11 blogs for A Second Look 2013. These 18 blogs are spread throughout the year. The breakdown: Jan has 3, Feb has 1, Mar has 3, Apr 1, Jun 2, Jul 3, Aug 1, Oct 3, and Nov has 1. I continue my second looks in Dec because I want a full year to think about my past year.

I provide the title and link to the original blog, date, summary, and my feedback. Enjoy!

Blog Title: 1. Exercise Your Body From Head To Toe Inside And Outside
Date: Tuesday January 6, 2015
Summary: Use it or lose it. Use your abilities physically, mentally, and emotionally. Otherwise, you lose them.
Feedback: The blog is another way to say maintain your body inside and outside.

Blog Title: 2. My Spirituality Discovery
Date: Sunday January 11, 2015
Summary: Reading my personal bible once a week and sleeping seven nights a week are my spiritual discoveries.
Feedback: The next job my spiritual practice sleeping is a weekday priority. I admit I haven't read my personal bible weekly for months. Ironically, I have been productive completing my responsibilities one at a time. No rushing. Minimize stress. I pace myself. Fortunately, I remember most of my personal bible I recite at times I need encouragement.

Blog Title: 3. Go Get My Life
Date: Saturday January 31, 2015
Summary: Getting a life requires working. A good life is not given on a silver platter. Be responsible. Don't take life for granted.
Feedback: I wonder if I wrote the blog in 2007, then I tell myself I'm full of shit. 2007 was the year I took all my successes and fortunes for granted. The blog above is I'm a man of my word today sincerely and truthfully. I continue learning new job skills. I workout at the gym. Moreover, I'm retired from anime. I say goodbye to anything and to anyone holding me back. I have more free time to earn a good life.

Although my past contract job ended up nowhere, I continue doing what I wrote. No wasting time. No jerking around. No taking my life for granted. Work and earn.

Blog Title: 4. A Sample Of Changes Everyday
Date: Friday February 27, 2015
Summary: I wrote four life changing samples humans experience. They were beauty, jobs, climate, and computer.
Feedback: Quoted for emphasis. Our looks change as we age. Many of us find another job. The weather patterns are changing. Technology innovates every day. Most changes are beyond our control.

Blog Title: 5. Work Sat Mar 7, 2015
Date: Saturday March 7, 2015
Summary: I drove on the carpool lane solo to work on Wed Feb 25 and Thur Feb 26 because there were two car accidents in those two days.
Feedback: I never drive on the carpool lane solo for the rest of my life regardless of time. I never drive on the carpool lane solo between the minutes before the carpool time starts and the minutes after the carpool time ends. Why? A police officer pulled over three solo drivers minutes before the carpool lane time ended on Thur Feb 26. I was lucky I merged out of the carpool lane.

Blog Title: 6. I Define Self-Respect
Date: Thursday March 12, 2015
Summary: My self-respect definition is live a good life. Take care of yourself. Be active. Avoid situations where you're uncomfortable.
Feedback: Here is another blog I wonder if I wrote the blog in 2007, then I tell myself I'm full of shit. To repeat, 2007 was the year I took all my successes and fortunes for granted. Self-respect is controlling more of your life. I want to control more of my life. I want to be in my driver's seat. Be professional. Avoid anything and anyone holding me back. Self-respect requires strength, courage, intelligence, and desire. Sometimes self-respect includes saying good-bye.

Blog Title: 7. My Girlfriend's Ultimatum Or Her French Black Dress
Date: Sunday March 15, 2015
Summary: The blog is from a dream. It tells me how to make my lover happy. Also, for the record, my lover must make me happy.
Feedback: Be the best. Never take my woman's love for granted. I want to be the person not to get the French Black Dress. Be strong. Be smart. Improve. Show the world the woman is happy being with me.

Blog Title: 8. Never Give Up Finding The Ultimate Happiness
Date: Saturday April 11, 2015
Summary: There is a human being meant to fall in love with another human being.
Feedback: The bullshit blog theme continues. I wonder if I wrote the blog in 2007, then I tell myself I'm full of shit. To repeat, 2007 was the year I took all my successes and fortunes for granted.

I believe it today. I'm always working on finding my ultimate happiness even when I'm unemployed and living with my parents. A lover makes happy life happier and sad life bearable. There is someone out there who's a match. There are an infinite amount of different people including geeks, boring people, introverts, book lovers, adventurers, wine lovers, and preppers.

Blog Title: 9. The Past Caught Up With Me
Date: Wednesday June 10, 2015
Summary: The problems I ignored in the past are affecting me in the present. Some of the problems included living a boring life and poor job skills.
Feedback: Checkpoint. How am I doing solving my past problems? They're a work in progress. I need more time. I'm optimistic my hard work catches me up what I missed pays off soon.

We live with problems. Nobody lives a life problem free. Carefree, worry free, and lazy people ignores problems. Eventually the problems come back in a negative way.

Blog Title: 10. My Manifesto Jun 11, 2015
Date: Thursday June 11, 2015
Summary: I wrote eight promises to live a good life. Some of the promises included get a job, live independently, and no hoarding.
Feedback: I need more time to accomplish the one shot goals. The indefinite promises are continuing accomplished.

Blog Title: 11. Top Ten Life Lessons From The Beatles
Date: Wednesday July 1, 2015
Summary: The ten life songs from The Beatles are Getting Better, You're Going To Lose That Girl, Here Comes The Sun, Something, Carry That Weight, We Can Work It Out, The Long And Winding Road, I've Got A Feeling, Get Back, and Let It Be.
Feedback: I repost to remind myself and my readers.

Blog Title: 12. Independence
Date: Friday July 3, 2015
Summary: The day I declare myself living independent is coming soon.
Feedback: Here is a 2015 bullshit blog. On the other hand, I wrote it on Independence Day weekend. Also, I have been repeating myself throughout 2015 my current life situation. In other words, duplicate blogs on how I'm getting better. Is it okay? I remind myself by repetition.

Blog Title: 13. Did I Make A Difference?
Date: Tuesday July 7, 2015
Summary: I recognize the people who helped me, taught me, and corrected me. I don't know how to pay back my debts for their assistance.
Feedback: I want to make a difference to other people. I have big debts to pay back. It's a question of when. I live my live in the driver seat. There are people who take a ride with me for which I make a different to all my passengers.

Blog Title: 14. Accept The Daily Adult Living
Date: Tuesday August 4, 2015
Summary: Strength, courage, flexibility, maturity, professionalism, and a grown-up behavior are required to live the adult life. No day is the same. Expect to be always behind in something. Be prepared for emergencies. Accept new challenges. Always meet new people. Stay active.
Feedback: Here is a good summary to live a good adult life; although, sometimes there are bad times. Nobody lives a 100% perfect easy life. Sometimes we must say no.

I see myself the life I described above as an adult. I hear stories and witnessed myself other people living the adult life above. Unfortunately, some of the adults do a poor job living the adult life. I live my adult life responsibility and intelligently.

Blog Title: 15. What I Learned Finishing CERT Academy Training?
Date: Wednesday October 7, 2015
Summary: One of the two concepts I learned was schools plant the seed. The responsibility to learn more and to become an expert is you. Don't take knowledge for granted. Never stop learning. Continue training. Continue refreshing. Innovate infinitely.
Feedback: Good parents encourage their children to infinitely learn. There's school vacation. There's no learning vacation. Continue learning something, anything. Likewise for adults. It's normal for a working adult to relax after a long day's work. Rest is required. No problem. Find some time in a calendar work week to learn something new. The learning can be job related or life related. The repetition is learning something new and reviewing something existing. Repeat infinitely.

In particular, the CERT 21 hour training planted the seed, started the motion what to learn and what to review, and continued learning. Similarly, I'm following the CERT self-learning attitude to learn Python, VBA, CSS, and JavaScript. There is so much to learn books and videos scratches the surfaces to become an expert. It takes time.

Blog Title: 16. Today I Want To Talk About Adventure
Date: Thursday October 8, 2015
Summary: Adventures are required to live a good life.
Feedback: Good adventures means a good life. Good stories attract good people or meet new people. Good stories mean a life without boredom. I have something to say. I don't have to stay something. Nobody wants to hear boring conversations.

Blog Title: 17. Yes Slow Down
Date: Friday October 9, 2015
Summary: Listen to your body. Get rest when you're tired.
Feedback: Eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals daily. Never skip meals. I want to repeat. Sleep, take a breath, and pace yourself are all important.

Blog Title: 18. All The People In My Life
Date: Tuesday November 10, 2015
Summary: I ask myself the people I met in the past are doing better today. I want to be part of a group of people living a good life.
Feedback: I must make the blog true. My bullshit blogs end here. I don't take past people who helped me, shared their knowledge, and spent their time with me for granted. The next time these past people see me I'm a better Raymond Mar. I prove it to them. I prove it to the world. I nominated the blog for the blog of the year if there was an award.

There Is Work To Be Done

There are responsibilities to be completed. Get it done. In particular, the single and unemployed people. Not all work involves being compensated with money. There is physical work staying in physical shape and maintaining good health. There is work preparing healthy meals. There is work maintaining a clean and organized living environment. Work to get smarter by reading books and learning skills. Training in job skills is work. There is nothing wrong with watching television and playing videos games. They're leisure activities. Watching television and playing video games to avoid work is a problem. Watching television and playing video games don't pay the rent or mortgage.

Self Job Training Graduation Analytics Research Technology

The college diploma is fake. The degree is fake. The award is earned. The training is real. I passed the classes for data analysis or data science. YouTube videos, online education, books, articles, and online posts are my learning sources. The part time self-training took nine years and two months. The self-training could have been completed in five years if I trained full time. The reasons for the part time included household responsibilities, family obligations, other personal commitments, and mistakes from Aug 2014 to Dec 2019. Nov 2014-Mar 2015 were excluded because of a contract job.

I summarize my self job training completion from start to finish.

Aug-Oct 2014: The Preview, The Foreshadow, The Seed

I failed an interview for a contract Data Analyst position because I failed the Excel tests in Jun 2014; in particular, I failed the VLOOKUP test. I never used VLOOKUPs in past jobs. I couldn't explain how I used Excel successfully without VLOOKUP. Bible truth.

I reviewed and learned Excel which included reviewing pivot tables and learning VLOOKUPs watching YouTube videos in Jul 2014. My contract job with a retail startup wasn't renewed in Sep 2014. My friend Appu introduced me to Python for the first time and Ubuntu for the second time. He introduced me to Ubuntu for the first time in 2008. My first Python learning came from a book written for kids. The self job training ended in Nov 2014 when I found another contract job in a networking company.

May 2015-Dec 2019: I Didn't Know What I Was Doing

I actually started in Apr 2015 during my last month at my contract job. The first topic was relearning Oracle SQL. I continued Excel which included dashboards, statistics, and data analysis in May 2015 when I became unemployed. I taught myself Salesforce watching YouTube videos and reading a tutorial book. I created a free Tableau account to learn Tableau from a .pdf book. I quit both Salesforce and Tableau because there was no progress.

VBA was added on Feb 2016. I continued Oracle SQL and Excel. Python began in Apr 2016 learning online from CodeUpStart promotion on Kickstarter. The lessons were terrible. The CodeUpStart convinced me to be skeptical when paying for online training courses. Linux and the text editor Sublime Text began in May 2016. I reviewed HTML, learned CSS, and learned JavaScript. I uploaded my redesigned webpage Innovate Infinitely on Jun 29, 2016.

A major change happened on Apr 2017. I was diagnosed with Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis. I was admitted as an in-patient in a local hospital requiring an Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio Pancreatography which removed gallstones and a Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy which removed my gallbladder. There was no job training for the entire month. The self job training became a consistent five-day responsibility thereafter. Git was added in May 2017. Appu introduced me to Project Euler to practice Python in May 2017. Drill training began in Jun 2017. Excel was the first drill training topic; for example, formulas, tables, and pivot tables. VBA drill training began in Sep 2017.

The self job training became six days a week in Feb 2018. My friend Spiritsnare told me about free Salesforce official online courses which I learned on Sundays. I stopped the Salesforce in Mar 2018. The six days a week stopped in May 2018 because I got sick in Apr 2018. Power Pivot and Power Query were added in Jun 2018. Power Business Intelligence (Power BI) was added in Oct 2018.

The year 2019 became inconsistent for the topics I learned for the week. Some weeks its Power Pivot and Power Query one day, Python another day, and Power BI another day. Other weeks its Python and SQL one day, Excel another day, and VBA another day. Each week and each day were random topic or topics. I continued six days a week job training between Jul 2019-Nov 2019. No new topics were added.

Jan 2020-Mar 2024: The Light Bulb Turned On Bright

I built my second desktop PC in Jan 2020. Upgraded hardware. Windows 10 operating system. Office 365 subscription. Upgraded Ubuntu from 18.04 to 20.04. I also re-evaluated the topics. Power BI, Power Pivot, Power Query, Python, and SQL were the five topics each week. JSON were added on Apr 2020. A two group and two-week rotation started in Jun 2020 which continued to Mar 2024. The initial first group was Excel, Git, Linux, Power Pivot, Python, and SQL for six days. The initial second group was JSON, Power BI, Power Query, Python, and Sublime Text for six days. The COVID-19 global pandemic made the six day weekly rotation easier. Data analysis was combined with Power Pivot and dashboards was combined with Power BI starting on Aug 2020. I completed JSON in Sep 2020.

The year 2021 started with a winter break from Dec 20, 2020 to Jan 16, 2021. I changed my two group and two-week rotation. Excel and data analysis, finance, Power Query, Python, and SQL were the first group for six days a week. Git, Linux, Sublime Text; Power BI and dashboards; Power Pivot; and Python were the second group for five days a week. PowerPoint replaced finance in Jun 2021. R and R-Studio were added in Jul 2021 for Saturdays. Also, Access was added in Jul 2021 for which I finished in Nov 2021. Data analysis ended in Aug 2021. I took a Summer Sabbatical October 2021 from Oct 13, 2021-Thur Nov 4, 2021 because I was tired.

The groups changed in 2022. Excel, Power BI, Power Pivot, PowerPoint and dashboards, Python, and R and R-Studio were the first group for six days a week. Sun was the day off. Linux, Sublime Text, and Git; Power Query; Python; R and R-Studio; and SQL were the second group for five days a week. Thur and Sun were the days off. I combined Excel with PowerPoint and dashboards in the first group in Jul 2022. Thur and Sun were the days off for the first group and the second group in Jul 2022. R and R-Studio was replaced with another Python in the first group in Sep 2022.

I added Windows 10 drill training on Jan 2, 2023. Windows 10 became part of the first group. The Thur and Sun days off changed to Sat and Sun days off in Mar 2023. Jun 27, 2023 was the turning point. It was my senior year. It was time to wrap up the topics. It was time to final review everything. Here came graduation. The endgame began. Power BI, Power Pivot, Python, R and R-Studio, and SQL were the endgame topics. Git and PowerPoint and dashboards were excluded in the endgame topics. Excel, Linux, Power Query, and Sublime Text topics continued as drill training. Excel, Linux, Power Query, Python, SQL, and Sublime Text were the endgame first group. Power BI, Power Pivot, Power Query, Python, and R and R-Studio were the endgame second group. Oracle SQL was the first endgame final completed on Jul 10, 2023. Windows 10 stopped in Aug 2023.

The rest of the endgame topics were completed in 2024. I finished Power BI on Jan 16, 2024. I finished Power Pivot on Jan 17, 2024. I finished SQL on Feb 14, 2024. I finished R and R-Studio on Mar 7, 2024. Topics completed were replaced with incomplete topics; for instance, one week two days of R and R-Studio and two days of Python because Power BI and Power Pivot were finished. I finished Python on Mar 25, 2024. I congratulated myself graduating. I never paid for any online training courses.

Apr 2024-?: Never Stop Learning

I began researching new skills to self-train on Mar 26, 2024. The new skills are the graduate self job training. The topics are either Excel and Power Pivot or Excel and Power Query, HTML and CSS, JavaScript, Python, and WordPress. Power Pivot and Power Query rotates every two weeks with Excel. One group. Sat and Sun are days off. Never stop innovating. Innovate infinitely.

There are multiple family priorities since Apr 1, 2024. There is no graduate self job training as of today.

Suggested Learning Sources

Here are suggested YouTube video channels, online education, and books in alphabetical order.

YouTube
Corey Schafer. Multiple topics for beginners to experts.
EJ Media. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JQuery.
Excel Campus - Jon. Excel career training.
ExcelIsFun. Excel, Power BI, Power Pivot, and Power Query. Best for Excel newbies.
Kevin Stratvert. All purpose educational content creator.
Manish Sharma. Oracle SQL expert.
MarinStatsLectures-R Programming & Statistics. R-Studio.
MyOnlineTrainingHub. Excel and Power BI career training.
ProgrammingKnowledge. Linux, Ubuntu, and VirtualBox.
sentdex. Professional programmer.
Socratica. Educational courses.
thenewboston. Bucky is a genius in multiple programs and multiple technologies.
WiseOwlTutorials. Excel and Excel VBA.

Online Education
Codecademy. Free and paid courses in technology. Examples are AI, programming languages, web design, data analysis, and game development.
Codewars. Learn programming by solving problems. Free to join.
Kaggle. Download data sets to practice data analysis.
Project Euler. Solve mathematical problems by writing code. Create an account to track progress and access solutions which must be solved by the user first.
Socratica. Free and paid courses in math and science.
SQLZoo. Learn SQL following their tutorials.
w3resource. Free online tutorial to learn and to practice.

Books
M Is For (Data) Monkey by Ken Puls And Miguel Escobar. Beginner Power Query.
Master Your Data With Excel And Power BI by Ken Puls And Miguel Escobar. Intermediate to advanced Power Query.
Python For Kids by by Jason Briggs. If you can't understand Python written for children, then change your career choice.
Supercharge Excel by Matt Allington. Power Pivot or DAX.
Supercharge Power BI by Matt Allington. Power BI and Power Pivot or DAX.
The Visual Display Of Quantitative Information Second Edition by Edward Tufte. Create professional charts. No chart junk.

Many Breaks For Some People

Many successful people tell their reasons for success are hard work, good education, up-to-date skills, and networking. True. Many successful people withhold telling the accurate reason for success is breaks. The successful people are given the opportunities. The successful people are at the right place at the right time. Fortunate timing and good luck favor them. Support is available. There are generational hand-me downs. Parents, executives, extended family members, senior management, and/or close friends provide resources and fast-tracked career paths.

Today's Information Age good breaks and lucky bounces are the utmost importance. There are too many people. There are not enough opportunities to satisfy the number of people seeking opportunities. The costs are higher for training and education. Resources are expensive. Nothing is getting cheaper. The job employment market the supply is greater than the demand. The higher education market the demand is greater than the supply. Life is unfair.

The 10 Percent Physical Is Much Bigger With 90 Percent Mental

A common success formula is 10% physical and 90% mental. The formula applies to sports, to many physical activities, and professional action activities. The 10% physical mathematically speaking is 10% out of 100%. However, the 10% is much bigger conceptually speaking.

Many people believe mental health is the most important in a human. Many people say good mental status is the top priority. A common knowledge mind, body, and spirit are important for a successful life. Many people neglect body and spirit. My easy definition of spirit is sleep. Sleep eight hours a night.

I speak counterintuitively. The body or the physical is below the brain. The physical or the body is the most important. I include oral hygiene, bathing, grooming, and body nurturing as part of them. A poor physical health makes mental health maintenance difficult. Exercise. Eat healthy. Minimize processed foods. Do all the above sincerely. Motivation is strengthen. The chances of depression decrease. Never stop learning. Innovate infinitely. Earn happiness with courage.

The person's look doesn't lie. The physical appearance tells the truth. The story is told by presentation.

The San Francisco 49ers Third Super Bowl Lost Hurts The Most

Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22 in overtime in Super Bowl LVIII on Sun Feb 11, 2024. The Chiefs earned the back-to-back championship. I believe the 2024 Super Bowl hurts the most because head coach Kyle Shanahan did everything correct. He did it right. There are no guarantees. There is a winner. There is a loser. It's football. The 49ers lost the 2013 Super Bowl and the 2020 Super Bowl.

Shanahan couldn't control luck and timing. The 49ers experienced bad luck and bad timing. Debilitating injuries are bad luck. Lineback Dre Greenlaw torn his Achilles. Right guard Jon Feliciano injured his arm. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel injured his hamstring. Tight end George Kittle injured his shoulder. Samuel and Kittle returned to the game. My intuition told me running back Christian McCaffery was injured. Nobody controlled injuries. Another bad luck was the muffed punt. A punt bounced off Darrell Luter, Jr.'s foot inadvertently resulting in the Chiefs to recover.

Outcoached By Keeping Their Men Informed

Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones said head coach Andy Reid talked with the team about the new overtime playoff rules. If the 49ers scored a touchdown and kicked a one point on its opening overtime possession, then the Chiefs planned to go for a two point conversion if we scored a matching touchdown on its overtime possession. Multiple reports stated some 49ers didn't know the new overtime playoff rules. The new overtime playoff rules short explanation is each team is guaranteed one offensive possession. The overtime becomes sudden death at the beginning of the third possession if the score is tied. The new playoff rules started in 2022.

I'm in the minority. Shanahan made the correct choice to receive the ball after winning the overtime coin toss.

Moreover, a bad timing moment. The 49ers were the guinea pigs as the first NFL team to play offense with the new overtime playoff rules. The 30 other teams know what to do. The Chiefs received confirmation their plan going for two to win if they needed a touchdown on their possession. The overtime goal is either score a touchdown and score a two point conversion or bust.

Update On A Past Blog

Today's blog reminded me of the blog I Did It Right written on Nov 14, 2013. I can't control everything. Do the best I can. Forget the written bullshit.

Merry Unmotivational Christmas

Bad Christmas. Sad Christmas. Depressed Christmas. There was no joy. The Christmas flow went against you. Expectations unfulfilled. The plan backfired. You're not alone.

There were multiple reasons some people were unhappy on Christmas Day. Some reasons could be controlled. Some reasons couldn't be controlled. I share my below expectations family Christmas. There was no desire for a good Christmas. Some family members didn't check their personal problems at the door. A few family members worked to make a happy Christmas. A few family members put in the time and effort to create a good Christmas. Few successes. Many failures. Everyone contributed to a less stellar family Christmas regardless of working or not working. I admit I contributed to a less stellar family Christmas. I should have been stronger. I should have been courageous.

All leisure activities including birthdays and holidays require planning. It's an oxymoron work and effort must be completed for play and fun moments. Chaos is the result without work and effort. Chaotic leisure is not leisure. The rewards pay off after the work and effort are completed sincerely and satisfactory.

Dec 26

Dec 25 is another bad day at the office. Everyone experiences bad days. Blame life, destiny, karma, timing, and luck a bad day happened on Christmas Day.

Life moves forward. The bad Christmas doesn't matter next year. Correct the mistakes. Hope the next Christmas is better. A suggestion to overcome a bad Christmas is go back to the basics. Follow the common wisdoms sincerely. Sleep well. Eat well. It's okay to splurge processed foods. Get to work. Be busy.

I Correct Be Patient And Go For The Long Run

I thought of the "be patient and go for the long run" when I was a student at San Jose State University. The wisdom was correct. The attitude was correct. The adaption was incorrect. The execution was incorrect. I did it wrong. College life was too much fun and too little learning. Obviously, any student read the book, attended the lectures, and passed the exams to graduate. I took life for granted. Outside the classroom was unproductive growth.

I'm doing the "be patient and go for the long run" correctly decades later. Work. Give everything time. Take everything one day at a time. Build a little every day. Add the little accomplishments for the big goals. My job training approaches the endgame. I learn investing following WallstreetBets since Jan 2021. I'm training for a 10k marathon since 2021. I'm close to the 6.2 miles. My longest distance is 6 miles. It took me six months to read Harry Potter from Sep 2019 to Mar 2020. I researched two hours every Sun from Jul 2019 to Nov 2019 to build a new desktop. Furthermore, medical scientists continue to research the COVID-19 virus since 2020.

I was irresponsible then. I'm responsible now. It's okay for immediate fun and leisure. Work for most of the week. Take a break for a few. I did none of these as a college student. Perhaps, my biggest regret was being a naive person in my 20s. The regret is forgiven. My life catching up continues.

A Silent Thinking Appreciating My Present Life In Writing

Today's blog is take a deep breath. Today's blog is another time to say thank you. I'm grateful for my present life who I am, what I am, where I am, when I'm living today, how I am, and why I'm the present person. Strength, intelligence, health, wisdom, and motivation are the highest. Confidence and self-esteem are the highest. I acknowledge my parents for their assistance. I'm indebted to friends and to people who helped me be who I am. I tribute the two moments which are the day I realized I must grow up on Sat Oct 4, 2008 and The Shawshank Redemption movie on Sat Sep 21, 2019. I don't take life for granted.

Job training continues. Job searching continues despite a tough job market. I exercise four days a week. I maintain a clean body. I minimize eating junk foods. I read books. Spending is controlled. Expenses are checked. I learn life skills. I listen to music. I listen to podcasts. I write blogs. I watch one movie a week. I maintain a clean household.

Destiny, life, karma, the stars, the heavens, and the powers that be are acknowledged. Timing, luck, chance, and opportunities are respected. I want my life to get better. My life can get worse which isn't. I understand patience to be happy. I comprehend the lessons learned from mistakes. I'm conscious of intuition. Thank you to everything. Thank you to everyone.

Update On A Past Blog

I give sincere thanks again for the people who assisted. The blogs are Acknowledgements on Jul 10, 2022, My Two Grandfathers on Jul 3, 2018, and Top Ten Thank Yous on Nov 22, 2014.

I count my blessings again such as my brain, my health, food, and shelter. The blog is Be Grateful Day on Aug 14, 2016.

It's A Fair Question

Good questions. Bad questions. Either way they can be fair questions. Nothing wrong. They are honest questions at the appropriate time and place. The person asking can't be attacked.

Are you honest?

Did you earn it? What did you do to earn it? Did you deserve it?

Are you entitled?

Are you a grade A person or a grade C person?

Is it your fault?

Why did you include him, her, it, or them? Why did you exclude him, her, it, or them?

Are you paying your share?

How much time did you apply?

Disclose your advantages. Disclose your disadvantages.

Is the answer correct? Are you correct?

What are the rules?

Happy Living An Alternate Life

My current life is the George Costanza from Seinfeld when he was unemployed and lived with his parents. I can live a life working in a crappy dead-end job while spending my free time watching TV and playing video games. Unacceptable. The life is a loser. I can upgrade somewhat. I live a life working in a white collar and dead-end job, struggle financially, spend time with weak friends, practice unhealthy habits, find little time to learn life skills, and spend little time job self-training. The idea adults must move out of their parent house just to move out of their parent house is questioned. The global pandemic exposes the truth independence can be overrated. Living independently may be deceptive independence is the way to live an adult life.

If anyone asks me if I'm happy, then my answer is I'm working on it. If anyone asks me if I'm happy yes or no, then my answer is yes. I accept my alternate life hoping its temporary.

Forget the average life. Forget the B's, C's, and D's graded life. Grade A life or grade F life. Success or failure. There is nothing between success and failure. I have nothing to lose. I'm fortunate I still have a choice how to live my life. I don't take the choice for granted.

Update On A Past Blog

The world is happy when I'm happy. I reference the last paragraph in Happy Life on Dec 21, 2010. Happy life is for everyone. Happy life must be earned and worked on. Happy life never comes to you and me on a silver platter. Go out and get happy--a happy life.

Too Much Fun Is Too Dumb

Minimal brain thinking is needed for most fun activities. The purpose of fun is resting the brain. The purpose of leisure is relaxing the brain. A brain is not needed to watch TV, watch YouTube, play video games, and browse social media. There is a limit on fun. A fun life 24 hours a day is not fun. A fun life 24 hours a day is counterproductive. A fun life 24 hours a day the brain becomes dumb. Intelligence decreases by eating too much processed foods, having too much sex, and accumulating fun junk. Although, there was a Seinfeld episode titled The Abstinence where George became smarter when he couldn't have sex with his girlfriend due to mononucleosis; on the other hand, Elaine became dumber because she didn't have sex with his boyfriend to help him successfully pass his medical licensing exam.

How does a person live an intelligent life and live a fun life? My answer is fun and intelligence are the outcomes after work is completed. Work is done. Daily goals are successful. Intelligence is either maintained or increased. However, don't work to maintain intelligence indefinitely. Find new work to increase intelligence. Fun is rewarded. Furthermore, physical fitness is required, plenty of sleep is required, and financial discipline is personally enforced.

Ignorance is bliss. On the other hand, use your brain or lose your brain.

I Earned Playing Video Games

I hand washed and hand waxed my car for the first time on Sun Sep 24, 2023. I was in sixth grade the last time I hand washed a car. My dad told my brother and I we don't wash the family car anymore because he didn't want to take us to Chuck E. Cheese as a reward.

I played a video game and watched a movie in the evening. The job was completed. I earned the leisure. I didn't earn the leisure to play video games in Oct-Nov 2007. I helped my dad and his friend install a new roof for the friend's house every Sat. I didn't want to help. My attitude was uncooperative. I assisted with some effort. I thought about playing video games many times throughout the day. I played video games without feeling guilty for a poor effort on Sat's nights.

The roofing installation might have been completed sooner if I gave it 100% effort.

Throwback Blog: I Celebrate My Independence Soon

Blogger's Note: Throwback blogs are blogs from my past. I start posting past blogs reflecting what I wrote. It's like my "A Second Look" blogs for which I give myself feedback.

Today's throwback blog is titled I Celebrate My Independence Soon written on Jul 4, 2016. My number one goal freedom is clear and present. I substitute the word freedom for the word independence anytime I talk about living on my own because of preference. Freedom is coming. There is no alternative.

The working intelligently for freedom partially changed. I job search once a day from Mon to Sat. I continue learning job skills and life skills when I'm not job searching. The job skills training is the endgame or one final practice including Excel, Python, R, and Power BI. My workouts are two days strength training and two days jogging outdoors.

The working intelligently for freedom partially not changed. I fulfill household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I sleep well. I read books. I'm happy I read Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling for the first time on Sep 2019. The timing was perfect I read Harry Potter three times during the COVID-19 global pandemic. I minimize watching television, eating junk food, and visiting my social media.

Today is Independence Day in the United States Of America. The Americans celebrate our independence when the thirteen American colonies became a new nation leaving the British Empire on July 4, 1776. One of these days I'm going to be independent making my own choices, living a consistent life, controlling more of my life, and being more proactive. The bottom line is freedom.

I'm working intelligently to be independent. I'm strong. I'm brave. I job search two times a day every weekday. I learn new skills when I'm not job searching. My current personal projects are learning Python and HTML5. I also stay active. Boredom is a motivation killer. Boredom defeats the reason to live. I workout at the gym four days a week. I fulfill household chores such as cooking, cleaning, and laundry. I sleep well. I read books. My last book was 1984 by George Orwell. I minimize watching television, eating junk food, and visiting my social media.

My independence is not if. My independence is when. I promise to myself and I promise to everyone my earned independence is exciting. I can say my next manifesto includes an exciting independence.

A Lesson From The Rich People

Many rich people spend more hours working. Many rich people spend less hours playing. The work more and play less mentality is misleading. It's true all work and no play make rich people lose their sanity. The rich people actually use the work time for mature adult responsibilities. Read more books. Learn new skills. Complete their tasks. Maintain their lifestyles. Work to earn an income. Minimize eating processed foods. Sleep eight hours. Raise their children. Physical fitness exercise. Minimize stress. The rewards are earned when accomplished.

What if the rich people spend more hours playing? Watching more TV doesn't pay the bills. Playing more video games doesn't improve physical health. Browsing the internet doesn't increase income. Eating more processed foods increase weight. Spending more time on a hobby obsessively doesn't clean the residence. Reading social media is less time on nurturing. Less sleep results in less focus and more stress.

I'm Still Learning The Lesson

I'm guilty there are days I ignore the rich people lesson. Distractions are present in my household. Distractions randomly appear in my mind such as a song, a movie scene, or a past moment I look up from my past blogs. Unanticipated priorities, emergencies, disrupted flow, and scheduling changes are present beyond my control. I lose time from my mature adult responsibilities. I'm confident I or anybody adapt 20% of the rich people habits my life or anyone's life improves at least 20%.

Side note: Here's the YouTube video scene from The Shining All Work and No Play. Here's the YouTube video The Simpsons parody The Shining No TV and No Beer.