Please see Kelly's blog for details!

:)

In today's MAT meeting, Siona asked us to take (or re-take) the Authentic Happiness Signature Strengths test.  This is something Brian asked me to do back when I was hired for Zaadz, too.  It seems as though my top strength is still the same as it was back then, but it's also nice to see what my supporting strengths are.  Here are my results:

Here are your scores on the VIA Signature Strengths Survey. For how to interpret and use your scores, see the book Authentic Happiness. The ranking of the strengths reflects your overall ratings of yourself on the 24 strengths in the survey, how much of each strength you possess. Your top five, especially those marked as Signature Strengths, are the ones to pay attention to and find ways to use more often.

Your Top Strength

Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Your Second Strength

Perspective (wisdom)
Although you may not think of yourself as wise, your friends hold this view of you. They value your perspective on matters and turn to you for advice. You have a way of looking at the world that makes sense to others and to yourself.

Your Third Strength

Caution, prudence, and discretion
You are a careful person, and your choices are consistently prudent ones. You do not say or do things that you might later regret.

Your Fourth Strength

Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

Your Fifth Strength

Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness
You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.

So, I might as well just come out and say it.  Yesterday, I failed.  There were enough distractions (helping out at Gaia Film Festival, hanging out with visitors, working on homework for the class I'm taking this summer, etc.) that it slipped my mind to hop on the rebounder yesterday.  And yesterday was the nine month mark exactly.  I carried this baby for nine months!

Well, I'm disappointed I didn't reach my goal after making it this far.  But... I did make it nine months.  And I guess that's an accomplishment in its own right. 

Moving on...  my new committment will be to maintain a daily or near-daily rebounding practice.  The daily bounce helps to relieve stress and frame the day for success (that is, when I bounce in the mornings, I carry a sense of accomplishment with me throughout the day).

And that's that.

Good luck to all of you in your own daily practices!

~Matthew

~KES sent me this one.  I thought it appropriate.  Oh... but don't try this at home :)

In my last entry, I mentioned that I was picking up the book, Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever.  I will mention here that I've since read that book and am incorporating some of its advice into my daily life, including drinking alkaline water and eating NO sugar.  (I will probably make an exception to that second thing on my dad's 60th birthday, when I will likely be served pie for dessert).

I would also like to mention that my wife is bouncing pretty much daily, now, too.  She mainly uses the Urban Rebounder and follows along with the cardio exercises that come with the dvd.  And I must say, she looks is fit as a fiddle.

Day 80 - 40 minutes
Day 81 - 50 minutes
Day 82 - 45 minutes
Day 83 - 15 minutes
Day 84 - 15 minutes
Day 85 - 30 minutes
Day 86 - 45 minutes
Day 87 - 42 minutes
Day 88 - 30 minutes
Day 89 - 40 minutes
Day 90 - 15 minutes
Day 91 - 15 minutes
Day 92 - 41 minutes
Day 93 - 40 minutes
Day 94 - 45 minutes
Day 95 - 45 minutes
Day 96 - 45 minutes
Day 97 - 15 minutes
Day 98 - 15 minutes
Day 99 - 45 minutes
Day 100 - 45 minutes
Day 101 - 45 minutes
Day 102 - 45 minutes
Day 103 - 45 minutes
Day 104 - 15 minutes
Day 105 - 15 minutes
Day 106 - 50 minutes
Day 107 - 45 minutes
Day 108 - 5 minutes
Day 109 - 5 minutes
Day 110 - 50 minutes
Day 111 - 45 minutes
Day 112 - 15 minutes
Day 113 - 50 minutes
Day 114 - 45 minutes
Day 115 - 45 minutes
Day 116 - 45 minutes
Day 117 - 50 minutes
Day 118 - 15 minutes
Day 119 - 15 minutes
Day 120 - 45 minutes
Day 121 - 42 minutes
Day 122 - 50 minutes
Day 123 - 40 minutes
Day 124 - 52 minutes
Day 125 - 15 minutes
Day 126 - 15 minutes
Day 127 - 50 minutes

Day 128 - Mission Accomplished - 40 minutes of rebounding completed

Name and Title.
~Matthew / Member Actualization Team Manager

What's your role at Gaia Community?
I manage the support team and do some web development work.

What do you most enjoy doing (or what are your greatest passions)?
Learning!

What's your favorite thing about our community?
I love that our community is passionate about both this site and the world at large.  I think that is an excellent recipe for positive change.

What do you love about working here?
That my co-workers are all totally awesome and that we're all working to make a difference in this world.  Rather than whining and complaining, my colleagues inspire and empower; they are perfect examples of the quality of people I hope future generations emulate.

Sincerely,
~

P.S.  [Meet the rest of the Gaia Team]

So, I recently finished reading The Singularity is Near by Ray Kurzweil.  In that book, he talks about three Epochs.  The first one is the biotechnology revolution, in which humans will be able to re-program their DNA to allow for greater longevity.  He also mentions a book he co-authored with Terry Grossman M.D. entitled Fantastic Voyage:  Live Long Enough to Live Forever.  Well, to make a long story short, Ray and Terry have a website promoting different longevity products, and one of the products they recommend is a rebounder.  Nice.

Now, the list:

Day 62 - 15 minutes
Day 63 - 15 minutes
Day 64 - 45 minutes
Day 65 - 45 minutes
Day 66 - 15 minutes
Day 67 - 45 minutes
Day 68 - 45 minutes
Day 69 - 45 minutes
Day 70 - 30 minutes
Day 71 - 2 minutes
Day 72 - 1 minute
Day 73 - 60 minutes
Day 74 - 45 minutes
Day 75 - 30 minutes
Day 76 - 15 minutes
Day 77 - 15 minutes
Day 78 - 30 minutes

Day 79 - Mission Accomplished - 45 minutes of rebounding completed

So, that's about two months...

Day 53 - 45 minutes
Day 54 - 45 minutes
Day 55 - 15 minutes
Day 56 - 15 minutes
Day 57 - 45 minutes
Day 58 - 30 minutes
Day 59 - 10 minutes (had a bellyache all day - yucky, wasn't feeling up for a long bounce)
Day 60 - 45 minutes

Day 61 - Mission Accomplished - 46 minutes of rebounding completed

It's been nine days since my last entry.  I'm still at it!  :)  In my "spare" moments, I'm spending my time studying up on Rails.  Since I'm being allowed to do some more programming for the site, I need to spend time outside of work hours to brush up on what was giving me trouble during work hours.  Making room for that and down-time and time with wife and pets, and time for exercise and rebounding... blogging takes a back seat ;)  In any event, here's the latest:

Day 44 - 30 minutes
Day 45 - 45 minutes
Day 46 - 46 minutes
Day 47 - 45 minutes
Day 48 - 15 minutes
Day 49 - 15 minutes
Day 50 - 30 minutes
Day 51 - 42 minutes

DAY 52 - Mission Accomplished - 45 minutes of rebounding completed.

DAY 43 - Mission Accomplished - 45 minutes of rebounding completed.