Home - Zen and the Fishbowl

Hi, and welcome to my site! It’s a blog about personal finance and careers, told through the lens of my search for happiness and mindfulness in life. Why those things? Well, because most people view them as a necessarily evil to use in their pursuit of happiness in life… and I think they can be more than that!

17May2017

Photography, The Arts

landscape, photo, Photography, vignette

Photo Review Series #3: Wide-Angle Landscape

May 17, 2017

This is the third post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the elements about them that I like best. They’re designed to help you (and I) improve your photography. In case you missed the last one, you can check it out here.

I promised last time that the next post in this series would focus on a wide-angle landscape shot, and I think we’ve got a beauty to work with today. This fantastic shot was taken by Frank Köhntopp, and it’s got a lot going for it. Let’s dive in, shall we? (more…)

14May2017

Karate, The Arts

black belt, grading, Karate, mudansha, shodan

Through the Eyes of the Tribute

May 14, 2017

I wake up rubbing my eyes, groggy and irritated by the sound of my alarm. Five more minutes. Then I remember: it’s grading day today. Shit, I slept in. Get up, get up!!

My wife and I both have our pre-black belt grading today. It’s more intense than the black belt grading itself, because we represent our sensei’s dojo there. Since our performance is a reflection of his, and we’ll be compared to students from other dojos, he tends to… uh, let’s say make sure… his students are ready to handle the challenges of the day. (more…)

10May2017

General

blog, blogging, reflection, writing

What I’ve Learned After 25 Blog Posts

May 10, 2017

“There has got to be more to life than the 9-5.” This is the thought that started it all. Without it, this site wouldn’t exist. I didn’t know what I’d get out of starting a blog, I just knew I wanted to write. I hoped it would teach me a thing or two about myself, and what makes me happy. I hoped my writing would inspire others who were asking themselves the same questions I am.

It’s been three months and 25 posts up to now, and as it turns out, it’s done both of those and more. In the short time this site’s been live, I’ve has some personal wins, fallen flat on my face a few times, and learned some hard lessons along the way. Some of them were expected, while others… I just never saw coming.

I’m thinkin’ maybe I should share those with you so that you stand a fighting chance of dealing with them better than I did at first. (more…)

7May2017

Travel

Japan, Machu Picchu, new zealand, Okinawa, Santorini, scotland, Travel

Five Places to put on Your Travel Hitlist

May 7, 2017

If you’ve been reading my work, you know I’ve been to Indonesia, and I loved it. Bali will forever hold a piece of my soul. But the world’s a big place, and I have so much more to see! If you’re looking for inspiration for your next trip and haven’t already been, maybe one of these five places will tickle your fancy. (more…)

3May2017

Photography, The Arts

bokeh, macro, Photography, photography tips, water

Photo Review Series Post #2: Water Drops Up Close

May 3, 2017

This is the second post in a series in which I pick some really cool photos and break down the technical elements about them that I like best. They’re designed to help you (and I) improve your photography. You can check out the first post here.

In my first post in this photo review series, I took a look at an HDR photo of a beautiful boat. (If you don’t know what HDR is, you can read more about that in another post I wrote.) In today’s post, I’m changing it up. This time, we’re going macro, getting up close and personal with a drop of water. (more…)

In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind there are few.

Shunryu Suzuki (1904-1971)

Karate, The Arts

Karate, life, shoshin

Karate Life Lesson Series: Post #3

April 30, 2017

This post is the third entry in my Karate Life Lessons Series, a collection of posts that examines how lessons learned training in the martial arts translate into other areas of life as well. You can read the first entry here. (more…)

26Apr2017

Travel

Travel, travel advice, travel blogs

My Favourite Travel Blogs

April 26, 2017 /

I want to do something a little different today. Variety is the spice of life, and so I wanted to give you a list of travel blogs I personally admire and look to for inspiration and writing styles. When you’re bored and looking for something to read, these sites will fill your cup! (more…)

24Apr2017

Photography, The Arts

hdr, Photography, photomatix, photoshop

What is High Dynamic Range Photography?

April 24, 2017

As a photographer, if you’ve been doing anything more than snapping photos with your phone, you’ve probably come up again the term “High Dynamic Range,” or HDR, photography. But what does that mean exactly? (more…)

19Apr2017

Karate, The Arts

black belt, Karate, martial arts, shodan, shodanitis

What does a black belt mean to me?

April 19, 2017

It’s a broad question with no single, definitive answer. What does a black belt really mean? What is its value? I’ve been thinking long and hard about this lately, especially as I prepare for my own black belt grading. (more…)

16Apr2017

Travel

packing, Travel, vacation

Packing for Warm Weather Travel? Read This.

April 16, 2017

As we start to dive deeper into Spring and my mind shifts to thoughts of warmer weather, I’m already thinking about my next trip. I haven’t nailed down where I’m going just yet, but I have a few places on my list: Machu Picchu, Okinawa, Hawaii, St. Lucia… lots of good options out there. In any case though, I wanted to share my packing list for warm weather travel. (more…)

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