Shaine Mata Blog

Just a quick run-through on my background thinking. There is no “purpose”. We’re just alive. We must meet the needs to keep ourselves in that state; i.e. we must eat, drink, procreate, etc… We can easily take care of those basic needs by working and earning money. Another necessity is to fill the time that we are alive with activities that interest us. Much of our time is spent working. Different people have different interests and engage in different activities in their free time. In searching for a “purpose” I have been looking for some grand unifying concept that ties it all together. Some people are able to make their survival need fit in with their interests like sports figures, politicians, actors, etc.. In my case, I have many interests, so finding ONE purpose is futile and is probably driving me nuts. So, I should simply work for my basic needs at whatever job and then do what I like in the rest of the time. No more struggling to unify my life under one glorious career

I got the shower pan in yesterday. I just need some more adhesive and some concrete screws to finish and get the cement board in. I also need to figure out how to cut a hole in the cement board for the shower handle. Once that is done, I just need to get the toilet and sink installed. As far as the shower tile, I won’t be handling that. It’s just finishing touches from here on out, like the light switch, etc. See more progress on: finish remodeling

I’ve read some posts by others with this goal. I like the idea of not wanting so many things. I also need to let go of stuff. I’ll be gathering some stuff for a yard sale at my mom’s. I heard on a radio interview with an organizing expert that people with clutter and “stuff” have a fear of scarcity. As if letting go of something means you’ll never get it back. After some thought, it makes sense. Most information I have in papers is duplicated somewhere. Bill collectors will still send bills. There will always be another sale. Most email is crap anyway. There is stuff I haven’t used or seen in years that is there because of some fear of chucking it in the trash. It’s insane! There is no shortage of junk, so I should rid myself of it. And, I should also stop wanting things for the sake of wanting them. Better to stick to what I really need. See more progress on: live simply

I have started taking pics when I go for bike rides for the sake of it. They are mostly of the things that I find interesting. Then I put them on my flickr account for all to see. See more progress on: take pictures

I’m trying to add a little more enthusiasm to my podcasts in an effort to be more engaging. See more progress on: be a better podcaster

I rode about 10 miles today. It’s not a major challenge as I can easily ride more, but it was in the course of getting things done. I did have to ride against the wind, so I had a good workout. See more progress on: ride my bike more

I sold my pickup, so that leaves many far trips out of the question. My wife and I are sharing her van, so if I really need to do something out of town and not get there all sweaty, I can drive there. For day to day things, I can bike. In fact, I’m thinking about getting a job in town at a video store or something similar. I am saving roughly $40/wk on gas. That’s $160/mo or so plus maintenance and insurance. By biking, I cut out the need to earn that money to feed the truck. If my bike breaks down, fat chance, I have a spare. See more progress on: live simply

I’ve lost 2 pounds after selling my truck and biking around town. I have no choice than to bike around now, so I hope the pounds keep coming off. See more progress on: weigh 130 pounds

Listen to today's audio post. My day includes work, school, blogging at RGV Life , and home. See my regular blog at Yahoo 360 . MP3 File

I don’t know about having a Universal purpose in life. For now it seems as though I have to set one goal and reach it. I’m settling on graduating for now. There are sub-goals that I must set to reach that one. See more progress on: Find my purpose in life

Today, I finished the plumbing and got the boards up on walls in the bathroom. All that is left is to create the slope in the shower area and lay tile. Once that is complete, it is a simple matter of installing the toilet and sink. The walls are waiting on stainless steel sheets. I may or may not be required to put those in, but that’s not a big deal. I can see the end of this project. See more progress on: finish remodeling

I realize now that graduating will not be an easy feat. I am going to have to work hard this summer to be able to go to school in the Fall. I have realized that I need to establish a hierarchy of goals that lead up to graduation. Perhaps I ought to think of life in the same manner, having one main goal and setting subgoals aimed at achieving them. As the possibility of graduating appears to be getting slipping away, it dawns on me that I won’t just get there. I need to coordinate all my efforts towards achieving the one goal. So, I’m working on that. See more progress on: Graduate