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I wish I could record my conversations with some people, because there are so many great ones on so many topics that uncover insights and new thoughts I find valuable. As we speak, I tend to hear (and say) things that make me think - "that would make a great article" - but I rarely remember them later, and I am left grasping at whisps of thoughts, but no longer able to put them into a coherent form. I should take a note of some kind perhaps, but I feel like it is an invasion of the conversation, even though they might know I write all kinds of things - like my friend today. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/2458WseerTxsMR37grtSAReHBbK2mcKuLTG7FaAw9VorDZhVwbrCq5RNrUWgSsWE1oChz.png)

We spent four or five hours together having a coffee, walking around a shopping centre, eating a sandwich and walking a bit more - talking incessantly. As I said to him later, it is obvious I don't get to speak with enough people, because I am so talkative. But, he doesn't mind, as he is an American and can hold his own anyway, so the conversation never has a dull moment. We agree on many things, but we also disagree on many others too, but it is always done with respect. 

> Or taking the piss out of each other. 

*Either or.*

I wish I could have well-paid work where I could just sit and talk with people for a living. Not like interviews or even therapy, but just talk about all types of things. There are the people who make podcasts, but there are so many these days and so many of them are run by celebrities with celebrity guests, that the majority of "normal people" have no space there. 

One of the comments I made today was how I am tired of so many content pieces being about the lives of rich and famous people. I was tired of it decades ago, but hoped it would disappear - but it just seems to ramp up with reality shows, series, movies, books and every digital medium, focusing on wealth and celebrity. It is no wonder the world economy is in such a mess, because the average person seems to take their cues from people who don't have to worry about money at all. 

We are products of our environments to a large degree, and especially when it comes to our habits and beliefs. We are heavily influenced by what we consume, so if we surround ourselves with the equivalent of a constant stream of catalogues, we are of course going to spend more. And let's face it, most of what is in the catalogues isn't making our lives any better. 

"Better life" is one of my prerequisites for purchases, where I will consider buying something if I either need it, or if I think it has a significant chance of improving my life experience. The latest thing I purchased for this was the Oura ring, which I have hoped would change my behaviours for the better, and it has. My wife finally got hers last night, and it has already changed her behaviours a little, as she has been more aware of what she is doing. 

> Will it last?

Only time will tell, but if we keep doing the same things over and over, or take the easy path to cover problems rather than solve them, we can end up where we don't want to be. For instance, I have finally started to address my asthma with a bit more care, and discovered that I am only breathing with 50% capacity. I knew it was bad, but the doctor said I have the lung capacity of a sick, old woman. That is not sexist - men tend to have larger lung capacities - and my doctor is a woman. If the change in treatment works, it should make a difference pretty fast. 

This should make a difference in other areas of my life, whether it be going for a walk to pick up my daughter from school, going up some stairs, or heading to the gym and doing cardio or power work. At the moment at the gym, my lungs give out well before my heart, which makes it hard to do "cardio", which in turn makes it hard to put enough pressure on my body to build or burn. 

A lot of people talk about how expensive gyms are these days, yet I always think about the kinds of things people put their money into. If my wife and I go to dinner and a movie every two months - it would cover our gym memberships. Going to the gym is incredibly cheap entertainment, thinking that while there it is possible to enjoy the exercise, listen to music or a podcast, interact with random people a bit and afterward - *feel good* physically and mentally.

> Exercise is a keystone habit - so why do so few people put so little effort into it?

But it is par for the course, as while we want better results, where we spend most of our time and resources is on things that don't get us those things. We want it, but we want it *easily.* If anything is too hard, we just ignore it, and justify our lack of effort to protect our egos. 

>We want to ride happily into the sunset, but we mistake every shiny thing as the sun.

*There has to be an easier way.* 

Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]


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