wookieshark88

?Thanks! I think that moderating will be a breeze because this a fantastic group of people! How did you feel when the girls already had boyfriends? I'm not trying to be mean or anything. I just personally had a huge fear of rejections, but when I finally faced it, it wasn't really that bad at all.

?The Russian names are because they are pure white and they just look like they're straight out of Siberia.

?I used to read everything on here, and respond if I had something good to say, but the site is growing too much for me to be able to do it these days! It's probably the best kind of problem for the site. You are doing good at replying! The formatting didn't hide the intent of what you wanted to say! I have two pure white kitties. Boris and Yuri. They are absurd which is great because I am a fan of the absurd. I made them a feeding clock so house sitters would know when to feed them!

?No need to apologize. Staying away from the PC is not a bad things at all!

From what I've read from you, I think the Slight Edge is going to transform your life! Enjoy it and I would be happy to discuss the book with you because it's awesome.

I'm not a big fan of social media either. I quit facebook a few years ago because I just kept getting on my nerves. I also got hooked on a stupid facebook game and knew I needed to get away from it. No twitter for me. I reddit sometimes, but I try to really limit the time I spend there. Reading your journal has been a joyful experience!

Congrats on getting to 100 days! That's an amazing feat!

We should form a 30 somethings club!

Learning is wonderful! ?Lifelong learning is a great thing! If I can, I plan on taking classes and learning as long is I can. I am quite excited for the book as well. Can we advance order and get a discount?

Welcome to the club! I had suffered from less than ideal hygiene before quitting games so don't feel alone in that.

I have six pounds that I don't need. I wish I could give them to you! Congrats on 36 days. I never once doubted that you would break your record!

Today was another good day! I had given thought to the suggested modifications to my little experiment and settled on smiling at the people I passed and giving them a friendly "Hello" or "Good Morning" or "Happy Friday". This was actually a ton of fun and filled me with joy! Thanks to all who inspired me to try something new today. Tofu, I appreciate your words. I look forward to moving on from those thoughts both in the moments in which they happen and as the end of an era in my life. I'm really happy to hear that somebody has beaten this! I was able to get out of work at a great time today! When I got home, my baby was full and energy and ready to play. We played for a good long while and shared lots of laughs! We called up grandma and grandpa and shared our good times with them too. My baby likes to hold the phone (I always turn the lcd screen off before giving her my phone) while my parents talk to her. I was really happy to share my good times with them. The last couple of days have been really good for me. I've had happiness flowing freely out from myself. This is a huge thing for a person like myself who has suffered from anxiety and depression for most of my life. I really can't believe how much I have grown and changed. I've been thinking about this a good amount the last few days, and I am just left in a state of wonder. I'm thankful for: The great results of my modified experiment.Super fun baby play time!Getting the laundry done tonight. More free time for later this weekend!Dinner! I'm making grilled swordfish and roasted brussel sprouts.Wine. It's tasty, alcoholic, and cholesterol lowing.Growing as a person. I absolutely love how this site has impacted me.The sizzle of fish on the cast iron skillet and the delicious aroma that rises from it. I'm cooking and journaling.Pema Chodron. I think I may have to write her a letter or email soon.My wife for being a joyful addition to my life.My cats for satisfying my crazy cat person desires.

I look forward to reading your journal! You write beautifully so I know it will be a great read! Edit: I suspect that you are right that women and different age groups may need to have a slightly different approach. I love NYC, but I'm not sure how I would do if I lived there.

Tom, I actually did shake somebody's hand yesterday before the suggestion! It was somebody I already knew, but hadn't seen in a year. I will ponder your shaking hands questions. Alex, I most certainly do need encouragement! That's a big reason why I post here. I draw strength from everybody here who is honest with their struggles and successes. I see the games I used to play in the world around me. My imagination often sees a location and wonders, "How would Sonic move through this area? How would Mario?" These are thought patterns that I've had since I was a kid, and they always drew my back to my games. There's a lot more examples of this in my life, but I don't want to trigger anybody to want to play those games. I actually would have never thought to share this part of my mind without your post. It actually feels good to just put that part of my mind out there for all to see. Does anybody else suffer from these kinds of thoughts? I really want to be free of them... Today was another good day. I was able to finish up my outline of the book "How to Meditate". I went over it a few times to make it as consistent and clear as possible. I'm really excited about it! Perhaps I could sell it to those who want a condensed guide on the fundamentals of meditation? I really do want to work for myself one day so I should probably start applying that Slight Edge that I'm talking about all the time. Maybe I could sell it for a dollar. It would be the first dollar I ever earned without a corporation or a yard sale. I need to figure this out... Class was good today, but I'm a little behind in my notes for class so I want to get caught up this weekend. Hopefully I can get in 90 minutes of time tonight and a few hours in on Saturday to catch back up and maybe even get a little bit ahead. I had my therapy session last night. It was really positive and uplifting. I was able to share all of the good things I've been up to in my life and get feedback and insight for how to keep it up. I'm definitely not suffering these days, but I see therapy like going to the dentist for a cleaning. In the past I've walked away from therapy and my medication because I felt so good about things and it didn't turn out so well. It was pride that I was too good for that stuff and my own negative connotation for those things that led to me doing so. I should never be ashamed to seek help with my shortcomings. Swallowing pride is what led me to admit to myself that I can't control my gaming habits, and that I should seek help in a social way. The funny thing is that I figured it would be painful to seek help from others, but instead it's been a hugely rewarding experience! I've received so much good advice and was able to become much more like the person I want to be. Now, I find so much gratification in being able to share what I have received from others and help improve lives. I'm definitely no guru or master of advice, but I know what helped me and will always be open about it. I'm thankful for: Getting my outline done!Learning that some stigmas are unwarranted.Improving my technique of combating drowsiness while driving.Learning in general. It makes life so interesting and fun.Having people in my life that add to the quality of my life.Alex and Tom for their suggestions on my experiment! They're a little out of my comfort zone which makes them a good challenge!Being inspired to share something that I would have never thought to share.People who cook for me. It's one of my favorite things ever!My mother in law. She donated some baby formula that we weren't going to use to the shelter. I love that she thought to do that!My wife for helping me remember things that I otherwise might forget.

Today was another good day. There hasn't been anything out of the ordinary that happened today, but that's okay because my ordinary day since quitting games is a successful day! I've done all my habits like usual and am happy. One thing that is worth mentioning is that I feel like I am more acutely aware of my thoughts, actions, and the people around me. I've been observing the people in my office building for a few months now. This is pretty easy because I take the long way back to my desk whenever I leave it. This has afforded me the opportunity to have encounters with several hundred people five times a week. I give them all friendly glances and a smile as I walk past them. The same people seem to usually give me the same reactions every day. Here's a list of the kinds of reactions I get with an estimated percentage of people who give them: People who smile and converse with me. We usually share quick stories or jokes. (5%)People who make eye contact and smile back in a seemly genuine manner. (10%)People who make eye contact and smile back in a seemingly politely obligated manner. (30%)People who make eye contact and keep a neutral facial expression. (30%)People who make eye contact and seem to be annoyed by the smiling guy (5%)People who seem me coming and look the other way and pretend I don't exist. (15%)People lost in their own world oblivious to anything around them. (5%)Personally I enjoy doing this every day and just people watching. The conversations and smiles brighten up my day, and the annoyed people amuse me. Does anybody have thoughts on my observations or suggestions on how I can modify my little experiment? I'm thankful for: The smiles I get throughout the day. They're uplifting!The scowls I get throughout the day. They're funny!Numbered lists. I really like them.Finding my cat this morning. He was...I'm not sure where he was, but I know he was in the house the whole time.Being completely present when I'm with my daughter. She has made me rich beyond any monetary sum.Getting next Monday off!The weather being awesome today.Learning how to get things done quickly and efficiently and how to slow down and appreciate the moment.Avocados. They're so delicious and fill my heart with joy. It's a pure, cholesterol-lowering joy.Staying current in my studies. It's no easy thing these days.

I think the answer to the Xbox games question lies within your own conscience. You will be able to feel if that's a good activity for you. If you do play Xbox games be mindful of yourself. Do you feel satiety after playing for a bit or is there a never ending urge to play a little bit more? Think of it like hunger. When you eat a meal you eventually feel full and stop eating. If you never get the full feeling then you know it's something you need to avoid altogether. Tom's advice is great and there isn't too much more I can add to it. Good luck!

Damn, your post gave me lots of feels. I had sadness, intrigue, and some big time respect. Send me a PM if you want to rant or talk about it. I may not get back to you right away, but I will get back to you.

I'm very confident that you will be able to accomplish your goals as long as you work on them just a little bit every single day. What would you like to begin working on first? It's best to start gradually and give yourself very easily achievable goals. Success, even easily achieved success, will start giving you momentum.

The thing with trolls is that they just sit there and poke fun at people who are living, succeeding, and failing. They're not doing any of those things so they feel the need to tear down those who are. They're a bunch of fucking losers (until they start living, succeeding, and failing like you and I, in which case they cease to be losers).

Thanks for introducing yourself with such a well written post! I think you will come to really enjoy these forums. Is there anything you would specifically like to know?

The book "The Power of Habit" is a 10/10 book for me. A definite must read for anybody who is frustrated with bad habits that seem impossible to escape and good habits that seem impossible to form. Using anxiety as a motivator held me back in life for way too long. It's an awful waste of energy and completely unnecessary to get things done. I unlocked a whole new level of potential a few years ago when I broke that habit and hope you can do the same! Your day sounds awesome! As far as your meditation goes, I'll soon have an outline ready that will help to clarify how some things work. Honestly, the key to meditation is very simple. Sit still and feel the sensation of your breath. Thoughts will come to your mind, but don't fight them. Acknowledge them gently and let them float away. Your mind will wander. It's not the goal of meditation, but it's completely okay and normal. When you realize that your mind has wandered, gently bring your attention back to your breath. Don't judge the quality of your meditation. As long as you're doing it every day you're improving even if your mind wanders the entire time. Be cheerful as you meditate (this is actually very important).

I've lurked on a few forums over the years because I never liked getting criticized just for being curious and not an "expert" with my opinions. This place is much different than that. I try to give the best advice I can to people who ask, but I also know that it may not help. I welcome people telling me if something isn't helpful for them because it helps me to challenge my preconceptions and be more thoughtful when I speak to others. A great read about this is "Daring Greatly by Brenee Brown. Cam, if you're reading this, thank you so much for the thoughtful and extremely helpful book suggestions since I've been here! I'm doing my best to pay the great advice I got from you forward! I feel really good! I am by my nature slightly introverted. All this means is that I need to return to my comfort zone of solitude on a regular basis to recharge myself. It's definitely easier to be alone at any time for me. However, this easy choice doesn't make me any happier.

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my journal. I love seeing somebody else my age here! Like you, I've had great habits in my life that I loved and still ended up falling away from. It's frustrating! When you get a chance, read "The Power of Habit" by Chalie Duhigg.

I've been "that smart guy" for much of my life. I can tell you that it's a world better to be the good habits, methodical, ass kicker guy than being the smart guy. The key is that you still get to be the smart guy doing the other stuff too! I know all about the procrastination thing. As a sufferer of depression and anxiety, I used to not do the things I needed to do because I was too depressed. As the deadline came closer and closer, my anxiety would grow until it surpassed my depression. At this point I would go all out to get my task done. This cycle was absolutely awful for me. In the book "Think and Grow Rich" the author says that one of the keys to success is to eliminate any outstanding tasks as soon as you can. Those tasks keep you in the past and distract you from fulfilling your potential.

Thanks for joining us! I truly hope that your journey in game quitting is everything you want it to be! I remember having an intense fear of being alone years ago. One part of me desperately wanted to hide from the world and the other desperately wanted a deep connection.