Bucket List

“Virtues to Vision” – The Rabyd Skald

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Woden’s (Odin’s) Day!

Ok, time to get to work on my changes. The first thing is to reconsider my vision for myself in light of the virtues I hold dear. In the end their should be twelve redefined goals. Some new and some restructures. The basic method here is to look a each virtue again and consider what Vision Point I should have with each one.

Each of these vision points will at first represent a concrete goal. Something for development. Once achieved this vision point will be replaced with something more along the lines of a bucket list item – a reward that fits the virtue. Once that’s achieved, back to the development goal. The reduces things down to twelve items at a time. If include my Higher Virtues but I am not sure about that as of yet as it may simply be simpler to just have nine.

Foundational Virtues:

Honor:

“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”

Vision Point : Maintain my YouTube Channel with at least two videos uploaded a week and reach the goal of 100 subscribers.

Courage:

“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”

Vision Point:  Start a New Career by January 2021

Truth:

“Truth is the willingness, to be honest, and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”

Vision Point: Write a Book for Publication by December 31, 2021.

Business Virtues:

Self-Reliance:

“Self-Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved when each person is their own master and no one else’s’ .”

Vision Point: Be Debt Free by December 31, 2022.

Industriousness:

“Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself”

Vision Point:: To write 1000 words per day during 2021.

Hospitality:

“Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home.”

Vision Point: Start regular significant donations to The Clergy Project and FFRF.

Self Virtues:

Discipline:

“Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved.”

Vision Point: To develop and follow a results-focused nutritional plan that results in fat loss, muscle gain or maintenance, and a lower A1c with the result of a body fat percentage of 8% or lower and a normal A1c by December 31, 2021.

Perseverance:

“Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure”

Vision Point: Impliment a Progam of Exercice that involves regular Weight Training and Walking.

Fidelity:

“Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s moral philosophy, to one’s family, one’s friends, and most important to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends is valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family.”

Vision Point: Find a way to get the whole family together for a few days in. Christmas or some other time in 2021.

Yeah, Nine is enough. Now that this is done. I can look at my routines and make some alterations.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Changes and the Facebook Block” – The Rabyd Skald

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day!

As you have probably guessed I am not writing every day. Mostly, I am still trying to get a sense of what I am trying to do at this point with this blog. Some changes I am thinking about:

  1. My Journal Posts need to be shorter so I will be breaking them down to dealing with a single virtue each. The Nine Noble Virtues and the Three Higher Virtues make 12 total and so three virtues a week adds up to four weeks.
  2. The nature of the thise journal posts will also change as I will be dealing with a single virtue alone. I am eliminating the idea of a principle as unnecessary baggage. I also am combining the notion of a goal and a bucket list item with each virtue as well. I am going to call these Vision Points instead . They still are goals / bucket list type things. The difference by doing this I will be eliminating about 6 things to focus un and reducing the list to twelve. A much more managable list. As I age, the idea that my irons in the fire need to be very specific becomes more important.
  3. Other posts will be new in many ways and I am still in the creative process of those. I am going to do some fiction writing in all that but also make the others simpler as well.
  4. The main issue is no post (other than my fiction posts) should be longer than 500 words.
  5. I am probably going to archive all the other pages under the page heading Archives. Time for a fresh page start with a new file cabnebt so to speak so don;t be allarmed if all the pages at the top ‘disappear’. The aill simply be all under the title “Archives’. There will be some exceptions most notably “The Rabyd Skald’ posts.

I want to take a moment to address those of you that may have followed me on Facebook. I recently discoverd this blog cannot post to Facebook because someone reported it as abusive. I don’t how and no explaination was given to me. I wasn’t even made aware until I tried to share my last post to Facebook and it wouldn’t let me. I am going to explore some options. It might be beneficial for my author page to go private so I can post these there again. I am not sure.

In any case, I apologize to those of you that now have to subscribe via email or directly through WordPress now to follow me.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Taking a Deep Breath” – A Skald’s Life – Business Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day! 

Journal Entry:

Probably this week could be summed up with the simple act of taking a deep breath before the plunge of getting going. On the one hand, I feel anxious (the good kind) when it comes to my business virtues and that would normally make my vision of the future distorted but a simple deep breath, hold it and then breathe out might be all i need right now.

Self-Reliance:

“Self-Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved when each person is their own master and no one else’s’ .”

Principle: To walk in the spirit of independence by being my own master and no one else’s

Goal:  To find and engage a new career path that puts my new degree to work.

Bucket List: To be a published author of at least five books.

I like what I am doing here.  My career as a writer needs to become primary, but I feel my secondary career is a good compliment. The main goal of being financially independent is still in front of me.

Industriousness:

“Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself”

Principle: Work with the enjoyment of work itself.

Goal: To write 1000 words per day for a year.

Bucket List: Write A Novel and Get it Published.

I like any work but I am working toward enjoying what I do as well.  I find that what I now need is a greater challenge.

Hospitality:

“Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home.”

Principle: To share out of my abundance to help people where I can with their life’s journey.

Goal: To begin regular significant donations to The Clergy Project as a way of paying them back.

Bucket List: To own my own home.

Just to want to give back to a group here who has done so much for me. Far more in the last year than all my churches combined ever did.

Higher Virtue – Justice:

Time to do right by myself, time to make it work for me.

Work Day Routine:

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Workout – Gym/Walking after work.
  3. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  4. Reading – 1/7th of a book
  5. Blogging – Organize, revise, post for the next day.  Write a new post for two days out.
  6. Writing: 1000 words/day.
  7. Training – 2 hours.
  8. Personal Business: record financial transactions, savings plan actions, budgeting, appointments, job search, other actions, etc.
  9. Check Communications and Email after 4 pm but before 6 pm.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“The End of a Streak” – A Skald’s Life – Foundational Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / 3 Comments

Happy Tyr’s Day

Journal Entry:

My final count was 560 days of blogging at least one post a day and that came to an end yesterday as I made the willful decision to end it that day.  The problem is twofold: 1) I need a little more time to do something I need to do and 2) the steak was becoming more of a slavery than a joy. Monkey off my back, I am free to pursue this blog as I see fit again.

I will continue to write regularly but only about five posts a  week.  I will be doing the following order.

Week A – Of Wolves and Ravens (Mani’s Day) and Freya’s Chamber’s (Frigg and Freya’s Day)

Week B – Dark ShieldMaiden (Odin’s Day) and The Pagan Pulpit (Sol’s Day)

Repeat.

This week is me engaged in some final thoughts before plunging in and finalizing the bigger picture regarding each virtue.

Honor:

“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”

Principle – To possess a feeling of inner value about myself and my future with a desire to find the same in others.

Goal: Maintain my YouTube Channel with at least two videos uploaded a week.

Bucket List: Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Solid Here – trying to build my YouTube Channel and keeping my big hike in view.

Courage:

“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”

Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.

Goal: Cross two things off my bucket list by March 31st, 2021.

Bucket List: Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation.

Two Bucket list items need to go this year. I think it can be done easily enough.

Truth:

“Truth is the willingness, to be honest, and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”

Principle – To Honestly Pursue, Accept and Speak Truth to All who will Listen.

Goal: To Write a Book by March 31st, 2021

Bucket List: Read 52 books (one per week) in a year.

I need to get a book written this year and start at some point reading a book for a week for a year but I think that might start later in this year say September when I truly put together my reading list.

Higher Virtue: Love:

I flipped a switch this week and I have gone full-on love me first and that was a bittersweet moment.  I know some people are not going to like what I am going to do in the long term – fuck em.

Morning Routine:

  1. Stretching / Yoga
  2. Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), Principles, Goals and Bucket List
  3. Meditation – 5 min.
  4. Breakfast, Morning Meds.
  5. Check Communications and Email.
  6. Paper Journal: Update To-Do List.
  7. Shower, Personal Hygiene, Get Dressed for the Day.

New and good.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Final Form – Self Virtues” – A Skald’s Life – Self Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Sif’s Day. 

Journal Entry:

Not going to write too long here as my goals for Self are much the same but the differences are based more on focusing on results.

Discipline:

“Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved.”

Principle: Apply discipline to every aspect of life that it can be applied.

Goal: To develop and follow a results-focused nutritional plan that results in fat loss, muscle gain or maintenance, and a lower A1c.

Bucket List: Do a rebellious act that most Christians would not approve of.

I need a nutritional plan that simply works to d the three main things of fat loss, muscle gain, and sugar control.

Perseverance:

“Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure”

Principle: Keep getting up after every defeat or failure.

Goal: To engage in stretching every day, to follow a practical strength-building program nad to walk 5k three times a week baring weather.

Bucket List: To get a tattoo.

Training is still the same three-fold thing, just more structured.

Fidelity:

“Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s moral philosophy, to one’s family, one’s friends, and most important to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends is valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family.”

Principle: Be loyal to those who have been loyal to me.

Goal: To research my family tree to the point I can create a final copy to present to my family.

Bucket List: Discover all the countries of origin from my genetics and visit them all.

Nothing here except to more fully understand heritage.

Higher Virtue – Wisdom:

Just looking for the wisest course for me now. I can’t really think of too much else.

Rest Day Routine: 

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  3. Reading – 1/7th of a book
  4. Blogging – Organize, revise, post for the next day.  Write a new post for two days out.
  5. Training – 5 hours.
  6. Cleaning – varies but one room of the apartment at least.
  7. Writing – 1000 Words

Goals and Bucket List Items Achieved (Since Summer 2018):

Goals Achieved:

2018-19 – 7 Goals Achieved.

2020 –

Bucket List Items Achieved: 0

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Final Form -Business Virtues” – A Skald’s Life – Business Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Thor’s Day! 

Journal Entry:

When it comes to business I want to leverage my recent success into further success.  I need to put my new degree to work, get writing more consistently. and find a way to start donating regularly to The Clergy Project.

Self-Reliance:

“Self-Reliance is the spirit of independence, which is achieved when each person is their own master and no one else’s’ .”

Principle: To walk in the spirit of independence by being my own master and no one else’s

Goal:  To find and engage a new career path that puts my new degree to work.

Bucket List: To be a published author of at least five books.

My routine needs to include a time to regularly study for my new certification. Other than that things ae the same.

Industriousness:

“Industriousness is the willingness to work hard, always striving for efficiency, as a joyous activity in itself”

Principle: Work with the enjoyment of work itself.

Goal: To write 1000 words per day for a year.

Bucket List: Write A Novel and Get it Published.

.Writing 1000 words every day needs to be a habit.

Hospitality:

“Hospitality is the willingness to share what one has with one’s fellows, especially when they are far from home.”

Principle: To share out of my abundance to help people where I can with their life’s journey.

Goal: To begin regular significant donations to The Clergy Project as a way of paying them back.

Bucket List: To own my own home.

It’s been almost two years since I stopped giving to the church and you know what this donating thing helps my heart a lot but I need to not be to imaginary characters anymore.  The Clergy Project has helped me a lot and it is time to pay it forward.

Higher Virtue – Justice:

I need to be focused on advancing myself this year to a good level of extra prosperity. Time to gain back what I lost being a minister for all those years.

Work Day Routine:

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Workout – Gym/Walking after work.
  3. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  4. Reading – 1/7th of a book
  5. Blogging – Organize, revise, post for the next day.  Write a new post for two days out.
  6. Writing: 1000 words/day.
  7. Training – 2 hours.
  8. Personal Business: record financial transactions, savings plan actions, budgeting, appointments, job search, other actions, etc.
  9. Check Communications and Email after 4 pm but before 6 pm.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Final Form – Foundational Virtues” – A Skald’s Life – Foundational Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Tyr’s Day

Journal Entry:

So it is time to finalize some things for the coming year.  My Journal posts are about keeping me focused on the virtues, principles, goals, bucket list and routines I need to make my life more than it is.  This has also been instrumental in my battle against The Grey. The whole blog really has.  This week it is time to get things in their final form and get moving on my goals for the year.

A few universal things – my bucket list has been revised and the time element has been removed.  The goal under Courage will always have crossing off a certain number of bucket list items each year so that is my time limit point of reference. Old Goals have either been replaced or edited.

Details under each Virtue.

Honor:

“Honor is the feeling of inner value and worth from which one knows that one is noble of being, and the desire to show respect for this quality when it is found in the world”

Principle – To possess a feeling of inner value about myself and my future with a desire to find the same in others.

Goal: Maintain my YouTube Channel with at least two videos uploaded a week.

Bucket List: Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The main focus is to develop my new soapbox in my YouTube channel The Rabyd Atheist while at the same time this blog will also continue. My bucket list item here has no timeline anymore but that is OK because it is my first major hike I want to do and so when it happens is no big deal as long as it happens.

Courage:

“Courage is the bravery to do what is right always.”

Principle – Act with Courage at the right time.

Goal: Cross two things off my bucket list by March 31st, 2021.

Bucket List: Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation.

The issue for the goal every year under Courage will be to cross some things off the bucket list.  Because I did not meet this goal last year it will grow by one. I eventually want the standard number to be two every year with modifications made based on the previous year.  Example: Let’s say that this year I do three. Next year it would be two minus one because of the one over two and so I would only have to do one the next year. This goes the other way too.  My main point is to keep crossing things off the bucket list on a regular yearly basis.

Truth:

“Truth is the willingness, to be honest, and to say what one knows to be true and right. It is often better to not say anything at all if one cannot be honest.”

Principle – To Honestly Pursue, Accept and Speak Truth to All who will Listen.

Goal: To Write a Book by March 31st, 2021

Bucket List: Read 52 books (one per week) in a year.

I just want to write a book and get into the habit of reading here. As bucket list items go it simply means I need to make up a list of 52 books to read and start reading one a week on average. Two habits need to be formed to be a good writer and this is the way.

Higher Virtue: Love:

Time to do stuff for me for a while.  I am heading that direction. Call me selfish if you want but after a lifetime of giving to others at my expense, time to flip the switch and worry about me.

Morning Routine:

  1. Stretching / Yoga
  2. Review Nine Noble Virtues (NNV), Principles, Goals and Bucket List
  3. Meditation – 5 min.
  4. Breakfast, Morning Meds.
  5. Check Communications and Email.
  6. Paper Journal: Update To-Do List.
  7. Shower, Personal Hygiene, Get Dressed for the Day.

This routine gets me ready for every day.

I remain.

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

Self Goals – Old and New” – A Skald’s Life – Self Virtues

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy (Sol’s) Sif’s Day. 

Journal Entry:

It has been a rough week from the standpoint of being tired and quite frankly experiencing cabin fever and that is compounded by the COVID-19 lockdown in my state. I have struggled to write but as March 2020 comes to close I need to focus on my goals for my next year.

So I would say I would call my Self area mostly a success.  – Exercise program, check.  30th anniversary with the wife, check.  Nutritionally I was hit and miss but the results were good in that I lost fat and kept the muscles good  It wasn’t fully Paleo but it worked. 2-0-1 then.  Final tally: 6-2-1.  A winning record and to be honest I would have had one more win but tattoo places are shut down and that was my best hope for crossing off a bucket list item went with that.  That’s why my bucket list item under that will be double to two items for next year.

Discipline:

“Discipline is the willingness to be hard on oneself first and then if needed help with the development with others, so that greater purposes may be achieved.”

Principle: Apply discipline to every aspect of life that it can be applied.

Goal: To be following a full Paleo Diet by March 31, 2020. (half achieved)

Bucket List: Do a rebellious act on April 30th, 2020 – Beltane.

New Goal: To develop and follow a results-focused nutritional plan that results in fat loss, muscle gain or maintenance, and a lower A1c.

This is one area where I need a lifestyle focus rather than just a specific diet and one that worked regardless of what form it takes.

Perseverance:

“Perseverance is the ability to stand up and return from defeat and failure”

Principle: Keep getting up after every defeat or failure.

Goal: To engage in an exercise program that involves weightlifting, hiking/walking, and stretching/ yoga an average of three days a week from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020 (Goal Achieved)

Bucket List: To get at least one tattoo by March 18th, 2020.

New Goal: To engage in morning stretching every day, to follow a practical strength-building program nad to walk 5k three times a week baring weather.

Fidelity:

“Fidelity is the will to be loyal to one’s moral philosophy, to one’s family, one’s friends, and most important to one’s self, and loyalty to one’s friends is valued as highly as loyalty to one’s family.”

Principle: Be loyal to those who have been loyal to me.

Goal: Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation (achieved)

Bucket List: Discover all the countries of origin from my genetics and visit them all by March 18th, 2029.

New Goal: To research my family tree to the point I can create a final copy to present to my family.

Higher Virtue – Wisdom:

There is part of my life where the stress is very real because I am trying to find a way forward that is wise and best for me. It’s not easy and that causes me to be more fatigued on top of everything else.

Rest Day Routine: 

  1. Morning Routine
  2. Wife: Communication / Cuddle Time
  3. Reading – 1/7th of a book
  4. Blogging – Organize, revise, post for the next day.  Write a new post for two days out.
  5. Cleaning – varies but one room of the apartment at least.
  6. Writing – 1000 Words

Goals and Bucket List Items Achieved (Since Summer 2018):

Goals Achieved: 7

  1. Graduated College with a BS in Political Science and minors in Economics and International Business – December 2018
  2. Finalize last requirements for my degree – Internship by May 2019 – May 2019
  3. Celebrate my wife and I’s 30th anniversary (June 10th, 2019) with a mini-vacation – June 2019
  4. Maintain a daily blog streak of one post per day for an entire year (365 days).
  5. By March 31st of 2020, to be the leader/participant in a group of some kind.
  6. Find a new, better paying job by March 2020.
  7. To engage in an exercise program that involves weightlifting, hiking/walking, and stretching/ yoga an average of three days a week from April 1st, 2019 to March 31st, 2020

Bucket List Items Achieved: 0

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Plan B?” – The Rabyd Skald

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day!

This has been a week of thinking on goals and inevitably the thought strikes my brain – what about plan B? I mean if the main focus of my next year of life doesn’t pan out what then?

Honestly, this is a hard question from a personal point of view, because plan B is not something I want.  I want plan A and that means Plan b is there but I ignore it. Perhaps though plan B is more of doing plan A with a lot more force and effort. Yes, That’s probably what it will be because I simply cannot accept any other alternative.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!

“Reflections on My Bucket List” – The Rabyd Skald

/ Ed Raby Sr / Leave a comment

Happy Frigg and Freya’s Day!

My Bucket List (modified):

  1. Hike the Northern Lakeshore Trail along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
  2. Go Back to Budapest, Hungary for a vacation.
  3. Read 52 books (one per week) in a year.
  4. To be a published author of at least five books
  5. Write A Novel and Get it Published
  6. To own my own home
  7. Do a rebellious act that most Christians would not approve of
  8. To get at least one tattoo
  9. Discover all the countries of origin from my genetics and visit them all on a tour.

The main simple modification is I have removed the dates and deadlines.  Rather I am going to use my goal for Courage to define at least one to three of these begs crossed off every year. My thoughts are that many of them have time issues that are not completely up to me. I think I would rather look at them as opportunities that I need to continually work on and let my goal under Courage define how many I should strive to cross of each year.

I also think if I exceed that number whatever it is it should be counted as a goal that I might miss achieving in that year.  I am trying to create a system that encourages courage and making headway on this list.

I remain,

The Rabyd Skald – Wandering Soul, Bard, and Philosopher. The Grey Wayfarer.

Skaal!!!