Life of a Sidewalker

[Nick2169]

Several weeks ago I saw a piece of paper on the desk of one of my co-workers. Curious, I stole a glance to see what was on it. It was a typed list of TV shows that air during the week. He watches so many (18!) that he needed to make a schedule for himself to keep track of them all. Apparently, sidewalkers prefer "living" through fictional characters...

 

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[theag]

Thats very sick and sad. I like that he misspelled "theory", seems like his brain started to shut off permanently.

Maybe put an anonymous stick-it note on it with a link to themillionairefastlane.com

If he keeps on going like this after that, you should just let him live his pathetic life.

But really, who cares? You can't force a mindset on people and I have enough stuff on my plate to not even have time for a mission to cure the sidewalkers and slowlaners around me.

 

[onialex1]

But really, who cares? You can't force a mindset on people and I have enough stuff on my plate to not even have time for a mission to cure the sidewalkers and slowlaners around me.

I totally agree with you man. I actually do find it incredibly difficult to discuss about ventures and business ideas with almost just about everybody that I know. Its really sad that most people only think about going to work in the morning and then coming back in the evening to watch TV and then repeat the cycle until the weekend. Their weekends are then spent either crashing or watching a lot more TV to 'make up' for what they missed during the week.
I have already tried introducing several of my friends to this forum and to MJ's book but no one is interested. I am done trying to motivate them as I have me and my fast lane goals to think about. Maybe when I do start hitting millions that's when they will sit up and take notice.

 

[The-J]

I totally agree with you man. I actually do find it incredibly difficult to discuss about ventures and business ideas with almost just about everybody that I know.

Then... don't? Let them live their lives, and you live yours. Nothing is more annoying than someone who keeps trying to push their beliefs on you.

Anyway...

This guy is obviously working in a passionless job that he hates in order to pay for his junk food and his escapes. He probably goes home, gets McDonalds, then turns on the television or fires up the BitTorrent to get his TV shows for the week. After his TV shows are done, he has a wank and goes to bed so he can wake up and do it again. Dreams are long dead so he doesn't even try anymore.

It's sad to me, but it may be wonderful for him.

 

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[Twiki]

I guess we can all scratch our head about someone who would spend so much of their life watching these kinds of shows (although anything with Zooey Deschanel gets a thumbs up), but is it really much better if someone were to spend their time watching stuff like "Shark Tank", "The Apprentice" or one of those Donny Deutsche CNBC shows? I'm not so sure.

I mean, what's sadder --- some dude who just wants to TGIF and watch adorkable Zooey and her zany misadventures, or someone who gets a visceral thrill from watching Mark Cuban chew out some fool with a magical ion bracelet, telling themselves that they're part of the game, when really it's the same as a couch-potato sports fan cheering because "we" scored a touchdown.

 

[Twiki]

There is a great story that Shunryu Suzuki "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind" once told his meditation students, about a frog. He gently mocked his students, telling them something like (paraphrasing from memory here):

"You are sitting here, in the zendo, while your wife or husband is in bed, or shopping, or playing golf.... and you think you are doing something special sitting here cross-legged on your pad. But that is not true zazen. You should be like the frog. The frog sits on his pad, but he is not doing anything special. If something comes along and annoys him, he'll make an annoyed face. If something comes along for him to eat, he'll eat it... As long as you can eat when you're eating, it's all right. When you are you, you have the practice of a frog. When a frog becomes a frog, Zen becomes Zen. When you understand a frog, you are good for others, too, including your husband or your wife or children." Gee whiz I have to read that book again!

 

[vtlambo]

Then... don't? Let them live their lives, and you live yours. Nothing is more annoying than someone who keeps trying to push their beliefs on you.

I agree with this, worst thing is to have someone in your face all the time pushing you to believe what they prefer. I found out of the TMF on my own free will and decided to look into it the same way.

 

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[GuestUser8117]

shit man. I only watch boardwalk empire lol.

 

[ewH]

Maybe he only allows himself to watch a certain amount of TV per week, so he has a list to plan his time better. Yes, that's unlikely, but why judge or worry about him? There is a lot of irony in calling a "co-worker" a "sidewalker". Which is worse, printing out a list of TV shows or taking a picture of the list to talk about it on a forum? Perhaps it's more pathetic to take the time to read and respond to a time wasting thread...damn, guilty as charged!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Apparently, sidewalkers prefer "living" through fictional characters...

It's truly sad however, if this is what makes the guy happy, it isn't our place to try to change him.

You shouldn't impose your Fastlane (or entrepreneurial) beliefs on anyone who hasn't solicited for them.

For example, if this guy expressed how miserable and broke he was, perhaps that would be the cue for you to unload on him for his slothful use of his time.

 

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[TK1]

Everytime I see people like this or other people who I think have some (in my opinion) awful mindset etc. I think to myself "Who cares, they could buy one of my products and be my customers".

 

[ChickenHawk]

We eliminated our cable TV service last month. We weren't big TV watchers anyway, so it wasn't a huge deal. But now we get nothing current at all. (I don't even care enough to hook us up for local TV channels.) For the rare times we want to couch-potato out, we have Netflix, which we often go days without even using.

I, for one, found the original post pretty darn amusing and a worthwhile share -- a perfect illustration of people spending their time and energy planning for things that will never improve their lives beyond the immediate, slack-jawed, pig-f*cking, gladiator-watching moment.

 

[onialex1]

Then... don't? Let them live their lives, and you live yours. Nothing is more annoying than someone who keeps trying to push their beliefs on you.

I agree with this, worst thing is to have someone in your face all the time pushing you to believe what they prefer.

You shouldn't impose your Fastlane (or entrepreneurial) beliefs on anyone who hasn't solicited for them

Well.......... ehm, I probably should have mentioned that I haven't been trying to force people to change their ways. The friends that I talked about are people who come up to me and tell me how their jobs suck and how they really want to change their lives. I then try motivating them by recommending they visit this forum or they buy MJ's book. They don't do either one and when I follow up, they say they have been very busy (yeah right!!!) or that they will do so as soon as possible. The next time I see them, the entire cycle is repeated:smxE: but I have already stopped giving them advice. Now when they tell me how things are not going too well for them, I just say "oh well I am sure things will get better soon" and that's that.

I personally wont like it if someone tries to impose their beliefs on me especially when its unsolicited so its something I wouldn't do to others. I just wish I had friends that shared my new found fastlane mentality. That way we could motivate and push ourselves day in day out but this forum goes some way to filling that need.:smx2:

 

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[socaldude]

What most dont realize is that we are all on a trajectory path; a destination thats is determined by our habits and beliefs. we are all heading towards a destination whether that destination is good or not. **most** people dont pay attention to whats going on and then they wake up one morning wondering why they are fat and broke.

i never try to change people once i suggest certain outlooks on life because all change stems from a change in mindset.

 

[Nick2169]

But really, who cares? You can't force a mindset on people...

Agreed. I didn't try to force anything on him. In fact, I didn't even bring it up to him. To me, the encounter and photo
serve mainly as a reminder of what "normal" is in our society and motivates me to continue along the path I'm on and completely reject "normal."

Which is worse, printing out a list of TV shows or taking a picture of the list to talk about it on a forum?

Posting the photo on the forum was an afterthought.

 

[theDarkness]

serve mainly as a reminder of what "normal" is in our society and motivates me to continue along the path I'm on and completely reject "normal."

Perhaps the most worrisome part of all this is that there have been studies suggesting this guy is either average or below-average in his TV viewership, compared to most Americans. That's a hell of a lot of time!

 

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[Toao]

Perhaps the most worrisome part of all this is that there have been studies suggesting this guy is either average or below-average in his TV viewership, compared to most Americans. That's a hell of a lot of time!

Oh my God .... I don't even have a TV as there is only nonsense on it and those "average" guys waste quarter of their daytime in front of it ??? Incredible.

 

[JAJT]

My best friend makes $35k per year (if that) and spends almost every waking moment watching tv shows, movies, reading fiction or playing xbox when he isn't working the job he loves. He even has to go in for overtime and be on-call regularly with very, very little extra pay for his trouble.

Yet, he is one of the happiest people I know and thinks I'M the insane one for working a high(ish) paying job I dislike and trying to acquire more wealth through side ventures and self-improvement.

The only people I judge are the ones who have an unwillingness to take charge of the problems in their lives. If someone makes almost nothing but are happy with that - who am I to say they are wrong? If, however, they do nothing but complain and refuse to change their ways then I will gladly point that out to them.

 

[campbellronald7]

This man looks like crazy for TV I can’t imagine myself like this coz there are many good things in life rather than watching T.V every time.

 

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