Many people ignore all of the hype around Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)
Others have fallen into the hype and are spreading "half-truths" and misleading information related to it...thereby harming the real effort!
Few have dug deep enough into the issue to see the real impact that our current state of GMO use and understand act responsibly.
Let's cut through all of the "hype" and conspiracy and look at the simple issues at hand and also at the proper responses to this VERY IMPORTANT issue.
GMO History Lesson
Believe it or not...Genetic Modification is a natural part of nature! If this were not true...everyone would look exactly the same! Plants and animals would not have adapted to the environment.
Eons ago people saw that they could by control a natural aspect of nature and bred wild animals in ways that they ended up with domestic animals that met certain preferred characteristics.
Docile Cows...
Loyal Dogs...
and on and on...
Others saw that the same could be done with plants...
Grass that provided grain...
A plant to produce large ears grain...
Beautiful plants like orchids...
This was Genetic Modification of Organisms through breeding and pollinating and was focused on providing benefits to mankind.
Every offspring....and every generation of plants and animals IS a genetic modification!
GMO Today
Human nature is interesting! We are inherent efficiency experts! We are always looking for easier ways to do things...to get what we want!
Genetics was no exception...Scientists learned the "secrets" of DNA and how to modify it! Rather than taking years of breeding and cross-pollination, changes could be made in "one fell swoop!"
They also learned that some genetic changes could be added to living organisms that would never appear!
This is where that problem arises.
Imagine a plant that produces a sweet fruit that contains every nutrient that a human needs. Genetic modification can do that!
Imagine producing a disease that is completely resistant to every antibiotic and one hundred percent deadly. Genetic modification can do that!
Imagine producing a plant that is immune to weed killers and that this plant produces a food that we can eat! Genetic modification HAS done that!
GMO Recap
Genetic Modification is a natural thing...
Man has learned how to use genetic modification to his/her advantage...
Man made genetic modification more efficient through gene splicing...
GMO - The Good the Bad and the Ugly
GMO's can be a asset and benefit to mankind. Corn, wheat and many other plants and animals have gone through many modifications to the advantage of mankind. Corn produces more bushels per acre. Wheat is resistant to many diseases. Animals grow faster and larger.
Mankind has been served well through well intentions.
Negative things have resulted from genetic modification. Dogs have been bred for fighting. Diseases have been created for biological weapons. There are many reasons for these modifications, It is hard to rationalize them as good.
These modification have to be questioned as to how they serve mankind.
Over the past decade, genetic modification of plants and animals has become a focus of science and industry. Sadly when science is funded...it can lose its focus on altruistic service to mankind. When a "for profit" organization is involved, genetic modification becomes purely self serving.
You are what you eat!
Genetic modification is a relatively "new science." The downstream impact of eating genetically engineered food is yet to be understood. We know that we metabolize the foods that we eat at a molecular level...it goes without saying that if a food stuff contains bad things it will become part of us... Yet the "jury is still out" on this...in terms of scientific fact. The wise individuals are choosing not to eat genetically modified plants and animals until more is known. This is probably a good choice.
Most of the focus of current science in genetic engineering is focused on making the production of crops more efficient. This sounds great...but most of it is "profit oriented." Case in point is the genetic modification of plants such as corn and soy that is resistant to the weedkiller "Round-up."
"Round-up" resistant corn is appealing to farmers because they can plant their corn, then simply apply "Round-up" directly across their fields and only the weeds will die. This sounds great, but the weed killer is also absorbed by corn and when we eat it or eat something that eats it...this chemical becomes part of us!
The true issue is not that consuming a GMO is detrimental for one's health and well-being. That is "hype" until science confirms it. The true issue is related to what genetic modification is currently allowing! At this point, We should ask...
Are we comfortable consuming "Round-up"?
Without going into the vicious and boring details, "Round-up" is a known to cause major issues in humans exposed to it. The list is huge. At least two countries have banned its use, while others are considering it.
"Round-up" resistant plants produce food that we eat! These plants have "Round-up" sprayed liberally on and around them. They absorb "Round-up" and we eat it...little by little. To make matters worse, grains with an excessive amount (not fit for human consumption) is fed to feed animals (e.g. Beef, hogs and poultry) and the "Round-up" is concentrated in their flesh and fat. We may eat it directly or indirectly.
Moreover the indiscriminate application of "Round-up" has caused other issues...it has leeched into our ground water and we are drinking it. It is killing wild flowers and weeds that are important to beneficial insect life such as bees and monarch butterflies. Did you know that more that 80% of the fruits and vegetables that we eat are pollinated by these insects and the die-off is substantial?
Why?
The corporations that are currently supporting GMO research are not doing it to the benefit of mankind...they have modified plants so that they can sell more herbicide!
AND this herbicide is a known killer of humanity...and a downstream killer of other types of life that we depend upon for our existence!
At this point in time...the issue is "Round-up"...NOT GMO...
DO NOT be distracted by hype or misinformation!
We can change the course of inevitable destruction with our ability to vote...not with ballots...but with our dollars.
If we all immediately stopped purchasing "Round-up" for commercial or residential use...the message would be heard loud and clear.
Purchase only those foods that are not modified to resist "Round-up" or genetically has a pesticide or is herbicide resistant! Not because they are bad...but because they exist for self serving reasons...and because we do not know if those foods are OK to eat!
Eat Organic! You can not lose!
Make not worth a corporation's money to invest in engineering sales into nature...but to invest their efforts in making humanity better!
Breaking the Chains of Paradigms that keep us from Success and Authentic Happiness...
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Earth Day Reflections
A while back (nearly 5 years ago) I was moved by a simple comment..."People are acting and living like they have an alternative place to live...they need to realize that there is no Planet B!"
Earth Day took me back to the meager beginnings of "Planet B" I wish that more people would engage with it...and I refuse to let it go idle...there are so many important messages that those who love our "Mother Earth" can share!
REFLECTIONS
Perhaps we can't change the world...but we may be able to change the parts that matter!
Reflecting on the fact that "...this is our only planet (home)..." I am moved to remind myself that I should be living with that in mind...maintenance and upkeep is critical...we should be watching how others are treating our home...and we should respond appropriately...
If someone came into your home and spit on the floor...would you ignore it and walk away?
If someone dumped toxic chemicals in your bathtub...would you say something?
If someone dumped trash in your kitchen...would you simply walk around it?
I hope not!
Our earth is our home...treat it that way and respond appropriately...
Enough said...
As I reflected...I asked myself...am I acting like I am a permanent part of nature?
The fact of the matter is...I am not!
I am a "visitor" to the earth! Better stated...I am a guest!
QUESTION - How should a good guest live and act?
ANSWER - With gratitude and respect!
Being a temporary guest of this earth...I have a choice to act with total disrespect and thanklessness...because when I am gone..."they" can clean up my mess"...
...or...
I can act like a great guest...picking up after myself and leaving it better for having visited...
Our host will appreciate it!
My final reflection was actually related to the term of endearment that we use..."Mother Earth"...
I asked myself how would I act if someone hurt my mother?
I would be LIVID!
Yet we stand passively by and ignore daily attacks on our "Mother Earth"
It is embarrassing!
Like a good mother...She continues to care for us...despite our utter disregard for her...she patiently hopes that we will change...
It is time to "kick it up a notch" and begin acting like a good child!
Stop letting others treat our mother like that!
ENOUGH SAID!
I posted just one thought on my timeline on Earth Day...it simply said...
"We should not have a single day called "earth day"...EVERY DAY is "earth day"
DO NOT BE DECEIVED...
How we live and act is a conscious decision...
We live a "Decided Life!"
How we treat our "Mother Earth" and how we defend her...is also a conscious decision...
Let's start acting like good and grateful children...rather than THANKLESS BRATS!
Saturday, March 14, 2015
THE DECIDED LIFE - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions
How often have you thought...or said...or heard? "Decisions.Decisions, Decisions!
Many people that I work with initially believe that living "The Decided Life" means that they have fewer decisions to make...let me respond to this...
"NO!"
"It's not true!"
Before we entertain the rationale behind that thought...Let's rant for a while...
The other evening...during a discussion...I heard the word "entitled"...
Everyone who knows me knows the normal response elicited by that word...
Anyone verbalizing that simple word, runs the risk of a lengthy lecture on the only thing that we are entitled to is a breath and a heartbeat...
Our "Founding Fathers" did their best to parallel that philosophical position with the guarantee of "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." beyond that...from my perspective...it is a choice!
Today as I was driving...I reflected on my position on entitlement...it was then I began noticing the impact that this word has had on our society...
ENTITLED DRIVING!
Although this is not apparent across the US...it is in my corner of America...
..."Entitled driving" has become the way a majority of the people drive...
...Perhaps better stated...the driving behaviors in this area of the country vividly show that a majority of this society's belief system is affecting the way they are driving!
Behaviors are driven by one's beliefs...
Let's look at a particular driving behavior that I consistently see...
People will be driving along and suddenly change lanes...often without warning!
First of all...they totally forget about a standard courtesy device on their steering column called a "directional signal!"
Then if they are not given (what they believe is their right to change lanes anytime they desire) they use an emergency device called a horn!
I am amused how people lacking courtesy can create personal emergencies!
After a little thought it's the use or lack of use of these two devices that seem to point to a deeper problem...
Yes individuals deserve the right (are entitled to) "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." but that right is extend only as far as it does not ''...infringe on the rights of another..."
This is what is lacking from this current culture...
A drivers need to turn at a specific intersection, or into a driveway should be fulfilled...but not at the expense of anyone else behind them...
Regardless of the excuse for needing to change lanes at a specific time...it should be done with minimum infringement on the others on the road!
Perhaps many of these drivers have poor eyesight...and don't see the road signs until they are near...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps the driver was talking on the phone or texting...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps the driver was intoxicated...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps they neglected to anticipate the need to change lanes...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
Perhaps they don't care about the other drivers on the road around them...
But then I ask...should they be driving?
When one's behavior affects or infringes on the rights of others around them...they no longer are entitled to the right they have! RIGHT?
This may sound extreme...but...if a lane change of one person causes others to slow down...even thought the cost is minimal...it is infringement!
Many miss the fact that there are costs associated with EVERY action...our goal is to think and act in such ways that our self-serving actions (such as a lane change) has minimal impact on the others around us!
This behavior extends beyond "lane changes" and permeates the mindset and actions everywhere!
"I have a right to occupy this space..." is true...but only when the cost associated to others is minimized, permitted by their approval, or negated...
When I think deeper...taking something without permission is theft!
Let's push this to the limits...bad driving is thievery! A bad driving behavior steals from the others around them...and although petty larceny...it also infringes on others right to "...life, liberty and their pursuit of happiness..." and is a direct breach of the foundation of this wonderful country...
A driver's license is not an entitlement...it is an endorsement of one's ability to drive with the rights of others in mind...
Enough ranting!
But there may be a lesson that can be tied into the original theme...
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!
Our lives are recipes...composed of the results of our decisions made!
Like a cake...it will not be right if we leave certain ingredients out!
or...
add too much of another...
or...
replace one with the wrong one...
The perfect cake has the perfect combination of ingredients...
As does our lives...
Expecting to make fewer decisions as the result of living a "Decided life" is unrealistic...
Each of us has a set number of decisions to make to become the "perfect cake!"
Our goal is to make each decision...exactly the rights one, at the right time...in the right amount!
Creating the perfect cake!
The question then arises...
How do I make the right decisions?
Let's return to our rant about poor driving!
We need to assume that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness..." is a universal law of nature!
Regardless of the cultural, or political, or religious ideology...this law holds true "too everyone" and must bind the "rightness" of our decisions!
Any decision made must consider the consequences to others in the immediate area and in all actuality...downstream...
Consider a "simple" lane change...that slows traffic ever so slightly...
The long term or downstream affect may be a gridlock on that section of the road!
I wonder how many people even consider that thought before they change lanes...
My guess is that it doesn't matter because they got what they wanted and aren't present in the stoppage!
Total disregard!
Believe it or not...our decisions are often made from that narrow and self-serving perspective...
Although often unintentional...we do not look at the known consequences (costs) to others...
We need to get what we want thinking that the costs (whatever they are) are of no matter to others...
This totally breaks this universal law...then one becomes a felon...breaking a universal law!
Changing lanes could infringe on someone driving to a hospital to see a dying friend and the "tiny" delay then causes that individual to miss a chance to say "good bye!"
Ignorance is no excuse!
The "lane changer" may justify their move by asking, "how could I have known?"
The response to that LAME excuse is simple...
Anticipating the change sooner and driving more courteous, using a directional signal and rather than jumping ahead...maintaining speed until the others in the lane had passed and moving at the best opportunity would have helped...
OR...
Perhaps admitting stupidity and driving beyond the intersection and turning around and learning from the mistake...and paying the price for not being a good driver...That one made me smile!!!
Seriously...
We have been taught the wrong decision making criteria...
It is really all about costs...literal and figurative ones!
Great Decisions change the "cost" structure associated with them...
The greatest cost should always be borne by the "decider"...why?...because they are receiving the greatest benefit from it...
The cost to those surrounding the decision should be minimal or eliminated...for most of them have absolutely nothing to gain!
It becomes VERY clear that each decision is made on the associated costs to the decider and the derived benefits!
That puts "deciding" into perspective and makes it very easy!
As I think deeper...making the right decisions is not only a talent...it is an obligation!
We owe it to those surrounding us...whether we know them or not...
For there is no such thing as a decision of value that can be made in a vacuum without any impact on other...
...and they are the ones who pay the price for bad decisions...
The Decided Life!
.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
The Decided Life - Special Edition: The Granary
As I enjoy the sun of southern Florida, my mind drifts back to my younger years and life in the northern US.
The latter part of the year was, in a word, "COLD!"
Winter meant snow, and single digit temperatures. It meant days with long nights, cold winds and heavy clothes. It often seemed like our lives were on hold and our only goal was to simply make it to spring and the renewed life that it promised.
As I reflected on those days and the my many experiences, I recalled an aroma that was sweeter than any other that I knew and more sought and welcomed than any in my desires. As I thought about it, I immediately felt a peace that has been absent from my soul in years.
Many, if not most of you, have never sensed this odor...I wish that you had...your life would be different. I know that I have sparked your interest...or at least I hope that I have...let's not waste any more of your time!
Among other things, my grandparents were dairy farmers. The farm had a large dairy barn, a chicken coop, a wood shed, pump houses, equipment sheds, and others.
There was also a very special building.
The granary.
It was located next to the barn and every fall, filled with the harvest from the fields.
There was also a very special building.
The granary.
It was located next to the barn and every fall, filled with the harvest from the fields.
The granary served two purposes; it held grain to feed the animals over the winter and it held the seed of next year's planting. In most cases, those seeds where the same, just meted out for different purposes.
On cold winter days, when we were visiting, I would walk out to the granary with my grandmother or grandfather and help carry a bucket of grain to the barn to feed the cows or the chickens.
Some days the cold was so extreme that it would bite at my little nostrils, making my little nose numb, but upon entering the unheated granary, the smell of the granary would enter my nose and comfort every part of my being. It was amazing and almost magical!
Some days the cold was so extreme that it would bite at my little nostrils, making my little nose numb, but upon entering the unheated granary, the smell of the granary would enter my nose and comfort every part of my being. It was amazing and almost magical!
The granary is unlike any other building on a farm. If the granary is old, the odors from the farm's history of harvests saturate the walls and hoppers. It is more than just the smell of grain. It is the odor of life itself and more...
One VERY cold morning, I walked across the barnyard with my grandmother to retrieve some grain for the chickens. As we opened the door of the granary, the familiar aroma hit me and it must have struck "grandma" too!
She looked down at me, smiled, closed her eyes and somewhat under her breath said, "This is the smell of hope and there is nothing better than to walk into here, holding the little hand of another granary!"
She looked down at me, smiled, closed her eyes and somewhat under her breath said, "This is the smell of hope and there is nothing better than to walk into here, holding the little hand of another granary!"
I had no idea what she was talking about! But what she said stuck in my memory and it took years for me to understand what she was saying!
The granary is life. The aroma within the granary is nearly permanent. Once the smell of the grain, of "life", sets into its walls...it is nearly impossible to remove it! As I think about it...WHO WOULD WANT TO?
The deeper I pondered this thought...the more that I learned that the granary is more than life and its aroma is more than life. It may be the smell of seeds; the odor of "life dormant"; it is the smell of the future! It is the aroma of HOPE!
The granary not only held the nourishment for today, no matter how cold it got outside, the granary also held the promise of next year's harvest. The granary held hope! That aroma was hope!
...AND...
Every day was a decision related to that hope.
Every day was a decision related to that hope.
"Do I use the grain that the granary holds to feed today or do I save the grain for tomorrow?"
SWITCHING GEARS!
There was another "building" on the farm that held seed. It was a grain silo. It had one and only one purpose. It held feed grain. This was grain that was going to strictly be used as animal feed. For one reason or another, that grain was not any good for planting and my grandparents put it there because it only served one purpose. A funny thing was that the silo did not have the same wonderful aroma of the granary! Unlike the granary, it emptied by the end of winter and sat that way until the next harvest. The granary always held seed and was never allowed to go empty!
BACK TO OUR THOUGHTS!
It hit me later that my grandmother saw that little boy holding her hand differently! WE are proverbial granaries...I suddenly understood what my grandmother was talking about!
We are not seeds for the future...we hold the seeds of the future!
...AND...
We are not seeds for the future...we hold the seeds of the future!
...AND...
There is nothing like the "aroma of hope!"
Within us are the seeds of hope.
WE hold the promise of tomorrow's harvest....
...and like the stores within the real granary. these seeds can be used to nourish us today or they can be saved to fulfill a promise of a greater harvest of tomorrow.
WE hold the promise of tomorrow's harvest....
...and like the stores within the real granary. these seeds can be used to nourish us today or they can be saved to fulfill a promise of a greater harvest of tomorrow.
We hold the keys of the future!
...and...
It's a decision and both choices are important.
...and...
It's a decision and both choices are important.
Like the granary, the important thing is that its hoppers are never allowed to go empty.
We must always hold some hope for our future harvests.
When can use our hope today...or we can save some for tomorrow.
As with the granary, the best seed (hope) is always kept safely within its walls and that which holds the least promise is used for the nourishment of today.
It's a decision!
It's a decision!
Sadly, many live their lives as if they were the silo. There is seed held within, but that seed has no hope of the future. Their decisions are strictly related to today's nourishment and they end up empty...there is no promised harvest!
The "Decided Life" is recognition of the fact that we are granaries! We carry the aroma of life and hope. Our lives revolve around storing life and hope and using its contents sparingly...with each decision related to what is truly required today and how we will use what is left to ensure a better harvest tomorrow! Most important is that we never go empty!
There is no perfume or cologne that can match the wonderful aroma of the granary (life and hope)!
It is the aroma that permeates our being to the core of our existence.
It is what draws and attracts others.
It is the message of life and hope!
It sends a message to the world that there is a future!
It is the shivering hand of the "chilled" child...walking with grandma!
It lasts long after the seeds are gone...
It is the aroma that permeates our being to the core of our existence.
It is what draws and attracts others.
It is the message of life and hope!
It sends a message to the world that there is a future!
It is the shivering hand of the "chilled" child...walking with grandma!
It lasts long after the seeds are gone...
It is already in you!
Do not live as a silo...but recognize that you are a granary...your hopes and dreams are the seeds of tomorrow...
Your next step is to decide...where and when to plant them!
ENOUGH SAID!
The granary is the house of "the Decided Life"
Saturday, November 29, 2014
The Decided Life and Fulfillment
"If I were fulfilled...I'd be happy!"
Fulfillment is an allusive objective.
What most "Fulfillment seekers" do not realize is that they are simply trying to live a math equation!
The number that they seek is "1".
Huh?
A+B+C+D...=1
"A, B, C, D" and others being those things, experiences, etc that the individual believes add to the fulfilling experience.
"1" being the moment of fulfillment.
As long as the final number is less than "1" the individual remains unfulfilled.
This is complicated by the fact that there are negative numbers in the equation too! In fact, there are two general categories that the negative numbers fall into:
- Past regrets and failures that detract from the present moment
- Present situations that detract from the present moment
This endeavor is further complicated by an individual's future goals. In a worse case scenario, individuals become so future (dream) oriented that they lose sight of the present!
Thinking this through
Now that we understand the components of fulfillment, what does this mean in our achieving it?
You probably noticed that every element had something in common. It was their affect on the present.
AHA! Fulfillment is what is happening in the present and its experienced is totally dependent upon how one perceives the past and future...not to forget...what they are doing in the present...
I absolutely love the image at the beginning of this article...It explains fulfillment in the fewest words possible...
It is recognizing that the past is gone and is absolutely nothing!
It is recognizing that there is no future, until it gets here...it therefore means nothing in relation to this moment's fulfillment!
It is about "Deciding" to do...RIGHT NOW...what is fulfilling and achieving that "1" by not maximizing the numbers in your "Fulfillment Equation", but by eliminating and minimizing the "numbers" or elements of fulfillment in the equation!
Fulfillment is all about what you decide!
If you are currently not living "fulfilled" and authentically happy...your equation may contain elements that are not adding to your achievement of "1" and detracting from your equation...making it impossible to every achieve what you seek!
It is all about what you Decide!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
The Decided Life - Decisions (Part 1)
Last week I received a note from a dedicated reader of the "Weekend Update" saying..."...enough on the introduction of living the Decided Life...tell us what decisions we have to make..."
"...What decisions do I have to make to be successful and happy?..."
My Response
I wish that I could simply say, "Only two decisions..."
The first one is to decide to be successful and the second is to decide to be happy!
The fact of the matter is that it is that simple, but at the same time, it is significantly more complex!
How can that be?
Let's start with on of my "Epiphanies of the Utterly Obvious"
"...When you find yourself in a position that you have to make a decision, you do not have enough information!..."
Those whose have spent any time with me...have heard me say this over and over...and more important...they see me live by this axiom...
Before we can decide to be successful and happy we need information...I call this Stage Setting!
STEP 1
First we need to know what we see success and/or happiness is...
Success and happiness MUST be clearly defined and understood.
It needs to have measurable aspects like, "I consider success as making $1,000 each day or more" or "Happiness is spending at least 3 hours each day of the week, at the beach."
From this point you can then determine if you are successful with a high degree of confidence...in other words, you will know when you have become successful. If you are making $800 per day, then you can say that are not yet successful...if you are spending 3 hours per day at the beach only on weekends you are not yet successful.
Although I have only cited a small piece of an overall definition of success, you can see what the overall definition should look like.
To ensure that it covers all aspects...use the words "and" and "or"
To go a bit deeper, all of your definitions should sound like a LONG run-on sentence. Success is making $1,000 every day of the year and spending 3 hours each day at the beach, rain or shine and...and...and...!
There will be many more and should be,,,"ands" and "ors" in your definition, just make sure that you have covered EVERY aspect of what it will take for you to say that you are successful...
Don't be like those who refuse to clearly define success and happiness and claim. "I will know it when I see it!" or "I am leaving doors open...just in case..." These people often have success in the grip and they let it go because they didn't realize that it was there!
STEP 2
Once you have defined real Success and Happiness, you can use what you now "know you want" to understand what you currently have.
This is actually quite simple.
Once you understand that success is making $1,000/day and you need to see how much you are currently making each day. For this extended example we'll say $240/day.
If spending 3 hours/day at the beach will make you happy, you can then look at your current life and see that you how much you are spending. We'll sat that you are spending less than an hour each day.
Repeat this for each and every part of the Step 1 definitions until you have covered each.
Step 3
The next step compares where you are to where you need to be.
This is easy!
I am making $240/day and need to be making $1,000/day to be successful. I am $760/day from success.
I am spending 1 hour/day at the beach and I will be happy when I spend 3 hours/day. I need to spend 2 hours more each day to be happy.
NEXT STEPS
We are now ready to begin deciding.
But not today!
We'll do this in the near future!
For now, it is important that you clearly define and understand What "Success and Happiness" specifically is for you. Work diligently at this understanding,,,to the point that you can not deny that you are successful and happy. If there is any doubt, you need to work harder.
Be patient...good things are worth working for...
Your success and happiness depends upon it!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
The Decided Life - I wish I had...
"Hindsight is 20/20..."
"If I had only..."
"It would be so much different if I would have..."
How many times have you heard...or made...statements like the aforementioned?
Hindsight and regret are normal conditions of anyone who is on the path to a better place in life!
Yet hindsight and regret are powerfully destructive emotions...
By themselves they are nothing but feelings...but these feeling easily turn into negative reactions that cause "vicious circles" of inaction...or worse...negative responses...leading to more "poor decisions" and more regret...
I wish I had...
Stop wishing and decide!
Success and Authentic Happiness is just a few decisions away!
That is what the "Decided Life" is all about!
It is a simple answer to a situation that we believe is complicated...
That's Right...
..."The Decided Life" is not complicated...but it is systematic...
It, by necessity, needs to follow a prescribed path to ensure that the right thoughts are deeply embedded and act as a foundation for the future...
The hardest part of "The Decided Life" is submitting to it!
Let's start down the path to living a Decided life...
That is...
...if that is what you decide!
But before we do...let's begin by committing to making only informed decisions...
More Decided life...
As the name implies, the Decided Life is a life guided by conscious decisions AND conscious acceptance of the consequences...
The important part at this point is acceptance of the consequences...whether they are known and anticipated...or they are unknown and unanticipated!
It must start with a decision to live a decided life...
For many this is a terrifying option!
The thought of living with total responsibility for the decisions made and a lack of options is totally unacceptable...that is...until one realizes that the life that they are living is actually no different!
Shifting Gears
There are 3 viable decisions...
1 - To do something
2 - Not to do something
3 - Not to decided
Most of our life is controlled by option 3...YES that is true...
Why do we live in option 3?
Because we often do not recognize that there was an option or a decision afforded us! As a result we just went with the flow...we let life take its own course...and then the only option given to us is how hard we complain and moan and whine about how unfair life is!
Let's not get too deep today...
Let's simply consider what living the Decided life means...
It means deciding to take control of what you can...and deciding to let go of those things and situations you want to control...
It truly is about reestablishing your boundaries...and...
Deciding to live a decided life...
Life lesson...
"The Decided Life" has an interesting perspective.
Last week a friend brought over a large "veggie" sub sandwich. It was so large that I could not eat it in its entirety. I actually ate more than I should have. I was totally full! I hate to waste things...so...I wrapped the uneaten portion in foil and set in in the refrigerator...and forgot about it!
Two days later I remembered it and retrieved it...
Opening the foil I saw that it was inedible...
It was soggy...the lettuce had looked really bad! I don't have to go further...It was YUCKY!
I threw it away!
Yesterday, my stomach growled and I went to the refrigerator...opened the door and saw nothing appetizing!
My mind wandered back to the sub!
I wished that I had it now!
If I hadn't thrown it away...
WAIT!
The garbage pick-up company hasn't emptied the dumpster yet!
I could go out and dig through the trash find the trash bag and retrieve the sub!
I know! EWWWWWW!
This is simply to make a point...
What was DECIDED a week ago was right for the time...
Changes in conditions and situations do not make the previous decisions less or more right...
A week ago...
I had kept half of it because I DECIDED that I couldn't eat any more of it...
Two days later...
I threw it away because I DECIDED that if I ate what I retrieved...it would make me sick...
My current state of hunger does not make my prior decisions bad!
I was hungry now...but...
Did I really wish I had kept that sandwich?
NO!
As trivial as this seems...this simple story sets the stage for the next aspect of the Decided Life...
BIGGEST MISTAKE
At this point...If you have decided to live decided...you have now taken the first step...and have averted making the single biggest mistake that people make in living a successful and authentically happy life,,,
NOT STARTING!
"If I had only..."
"It would be so much different if I would have..."
How many times have you heard...or made...statements like the aforementioned?
Hindsight and regret are normal conditions of anyone who is on the path to a better place in life!
Yet hindsight and regret are powerfully destructive emotions...
By themselves they are nothing but feelings...but these feeling easily turn into negative reactions that cause "vicious circles" of inaction...or worse...negative responses...leading to more "poor decisions" and more regret...
I wish I had...
Stop wishing and decide!
Success and Authentic Happiness is just a few decisions away!
That is what the "Decided Life" is all about!
It is a simple answer to a situation that we believe is complicated...
That's Right...
..."The Decided Life" is not complicated...but it is systematic...
It, by necessity, needs to follow a prescribed path to ensure that the right thoughts are deeply embedded and act as a foundation for the future...
The hardest part of "The Decided Life" is submitting to it!
Let's start down the path to living a Decided life...
That is...
...if that is what you decide!
But before we do...let's begin by committing to making only informed decisions...
More Decided life...
As the name implies, the Decided Life is a life guided by conscious decisions AND conscious acceptance of the consequences...
The important part at this point is acceptance of the consequences...whether they are known and anticipated...or they are unknown and unanticipated!
It must start with a decision to live a decided life...
For many this is a terrifying option!
The thought of living with total responsibility for the decisions made and a lack of options is totally unacceptable...that is...until one realizes that the life that they are living is actually no different!
Shifting Gears
There are 3 viable decisions...
1 - To do something
2 - Not to do something
3 - Not to decided
Most of our life is controlled by option 3...YES that is true...
Why do we live in option 3?
Because we often do not recognize that there was an option or a decision afforded us! As a result we just went with the flow...we let life take its own course...and then the only option given to us is how hard we complain and moan and whine about how unfair life is!
Let's not get too deep today...
Let's simply consider what living the Decided life means...
It means deciding to take control of what you can...and deciding to let go of those things and situations you want to control...
It truly is about reestablishing your boundaries...and...
Deciding to live a decided life...
Life lesson...
"The Decided Life" has an interesting perspective.
Last week a friend brought over a large "veggie" sub sandwich. It was so large that I could not eat it in its entirety. I actually ate more than I should have. I was totally full! I hate to waste things...so...I wrapped the uneaten portion in foil and set in in the refrigerator...and forgot about it!
Two days later I remembered it and retrieved it...
Opening the foil I saw that it was inedible...
It was soggy...the lettuce had looked really bad! I don't have to go further...It was YUCKY!
I threw it away!
Yesterday, my stomach growled and I went to the refrigerator...opened the door and saw nothing appetizing!
My mind wandered back to the sub!
I wished that I had it now!
If I hadn't thrown it away...
WAIT!
The garbage pick-up company hasn't emptied the dumpster yet!
I could go out and dig through the trash find the trash bag and retrieve the sub!
I know! EWWWWWW!
This is simply to make a point...
What was DECIDED a week ago was right for the time...
Changes in conditions and situations do not make the previous decisions less or more right...
A week ago...
I had kept half of it because I DECIDED that I couldn't eat any more of it...
Two days later...
I threw it away because I DECIDED that if I ate what I retrieved...it would make me sick...
My current state of hunger does not make my prior decisions bad!
I was hungry now...but...
Did I really wish I had kept that sandwich?
NO!
As trivial as this seems...this simple story sets the stage for the next aspect of the Decided Life...
BIGGEST MISTAKE
At this point...If you have decided to live decided...you have now taken the first step...and have averted making the single biggest mistake that people make in living a successful and authentically happy life,,,
NOT STARTING!
Saturday, October 25, 2014
The Decided Life - Introduction
This is the first in a series of articles on what is known as the "Decided Life."
A short book is in the making that will more fully explain and guide the reader to living "the Decided Life" and experience control beyond their current expectations.
It is important to set the stage with the following introductory thoughts...to help set the stage for living "The Decided Life"
THE DECIDED LIFE'S BEGINNINGS
It all started late one evening. Although the actual "Decided Life" started long ago, it was a subconscious effort...I would like to say that it occurred naturally, but in retrospect I was probably forced into it simply to survive...
Regardless of how it happened, I am glad it did!
But let's look at the chance discussion that led to the realization and rationalization of "The Decided Life" and the subsequent impact that my sharing of this "way of life" has made a significant, positive difference in the lives of others.
****************************************
I was laying on the dock with a friend looking up at the stars...we were just reliving "childlike moments" by doing something that one seldom does as an adult.
For a while we just laid quiet and gazed skyward. Then we began talking about the universe and time and other trivial things...in a very unique way we were sharing in that child-like awe of a beautiful evening that almost always passes us by...
Then out of the "blue" my friend asked, "How did you get here?"
"What do you mean?" I responded. "To this area of the US or this moment in life?"
The next words spoken almost silently was interesting...
"I wish I had your life!"
This exchange continued for quite a while; the details, of which, unnecessary, yet after a while I had to admit..."I got here because I decided."
From this came an interesting final comment, "That is so cool! You are living a decided life!"
That conversation was initially forgotten...then in another contemplative moment it again arose...and it got me thinking about the important role that decisions make in our lives. As I thought deeper, it is in fact, the single most critical element of our present state in life...
When I think back to that night...the most important part of the discussion was that I had a conscious realization that I was living "the Decided Life!" and began using it when others looked to me for advice and help...
SHIFTING GEARS
Dreams and dreaming are not the exclusive right of human beings.
All of the higher order of animals dream!
Some of the most viral videos on the internet show dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals sleeping and doing crazy things which we attribute to their dreaming...
When it was all said and done...
Dogs dream and then they wake up and do what dogs do...
...and the same holds true for us...we dream and then we wake up and go about the things that we do...
I find it amusing how many motivational/inspirational "gurus" and spiritual guides focus on the importance of dreaming as a critical element of success and fulfillment.
I will not deny that dreaming is an important element in our survival. If it wasn't important, living organisms wouldn't dream. Psychologists have yet to fully understand the role that dreaming plays in our development and day to day living, but its presence and persistence emphasizes the fact that it is important.
The important thing for us to understand is its place in our lives. Dreaming occurs when we are semi-conscious or unconscious. It is not generally an experience of the normal conscious or wake state.
So let's take a moment and define dreams...they are thoughts without substance yet they have the ability to control physical actions...and because of their timing have little or no impact on our conscious existence...
HUH?
Consider a dog dreaming of chasing a rabbit. The situation lacks any substance, yet the thoughts cause the dog's legs to move as if it were running. While asleep, the dogs believes that it is chasing a rabbit. But there is no rabbit...
When the dog wakes up and again joins us in the conscious world...there is no rabbit!
We have dreams that cause physical reactions. Although I can say I have never personally had dreams as such...I have been with people who screamed in terror during a dream. Yet when I got them back to the conscious world they realized that it was only a dream!
Many philosophers have written about consciousness and dreams and the "goings on" of the mind...
Dreams may play an important role in our existence...but I am intrigued by the fact that most of the dreams that we have...we seldom can remember! If dreams are important to success...then why are so many forgettable?
Let's keep dreams and dreaming where they belong...and stop thinking that dreaming is a critical element of success and authentic happiness...
Why?
Many of these success peddlers generalize dreams and dreaming. They make the definition of dreams so broad that they allow it to permeate our conscious time.
They call our goals and aspirations dreams. Subtly they have defined goals and aspirations as simply a mental state lacking substance or...(by our original and accurate definition of dreams...in reverse).
In other words...they say that our conscious state of dreaming (goal setting) is actually an state of unconsciousness, lacking true substance...
The first and most important thing in "The Decided life" is to recognize when you are conscious and take stock of your current state of existence...
There is a time to dream and a time to set goals and aspirations.
What is the difference?
Dreams are in the unconscious state and will always lack substance...
Dreams may cause physical REACTIONS...but they are not based in a real world...
Goals and Aspirations are conscious and affect things of substance...the conscious world...
Goals and Aspirations cause physical ACTION...
Do you see the difference?
Dreams cause REACTIONS...Goals and Aspirations cause ACTION!
Dreams and dreaming are uncontrolled and at the whim of ones thoughts...
Goals and Aspirations are controlled and conscious decisions...affecting the present and the future!
If it is a dream call it that...
If it is a Goal or Aspiration call it that...
This may sound petty and semantic...in a way it is,,,but do not underestimate the power of those subtle difference has on our thoughts and subsequent actions.
Enough rambling on Dreams and Goals and Aspirations...
"The Decided Life" sees the difference between the two and calls a dream "a dream" and a goal "a goal!"
For today...realize that the "Decided Life" is active and conscious...it is a decision...
More to come!
A short book is in the making that will more fully explain and guide the reader to living "the Decided Life" and experience control beyond their current expectations.
It is important to set the stage with the following introductory thoughts...to help set the stage for living "The Decided Life"
THE DECIDED LIFE'S BEGINNINGS
It all started late one evening. Although the actual "Decided Life" started long ago, it was a subconscious effort...I would like to say that it occurred naturally, but in retrospect I was probably forced into it simply to survive...
Regardless of how it happened, I am glad it did!
But let's look at the chance discussion that led to the realization and rationalization of "The Decided Life" and the subsequent impact that my sharing of this "way of life" has made a significant, positive difference in the lives of others.
****************************************
I was laying on the dock with a friend looking up at the stars...we were just reliving "childlike moments" by doing something that one seldom does as an adult.
For a while we just laid quiet and gazed skyward. Then we began talking about the universe and time and other trivial things...in a very unique way we were sharing in that child-like awe of a beautiful evening that almost always passes us by...
Then out of the "blue" my friend asked, "How did you get here?"
"What do you mean?" I responded. "To this area of the US or this moment in life?"
The next words spoken almost silently was interesting...
"I wish I had your life!"
This exchange continued for quite a while; the details, of which, unnecessary, yet after a while I had to admit..."I got here because I decided."
From this came an interesting final comment, "That is so cool! You are living a decided life!"
That conversation was initially forgotten...then in another contemplative moment it again arose...and it got me thinking about the important role that decisions make in our lives. As I thought deeper, it is in fact, the single most critical element of our present state in life...
When I think back to that night...the most important part of the discussion was that I had a conscious realization that I was living "the Decided Life!" and began using it when others looked to me for advice and help...
SHIFTING GEARS
Dreams and dreaming are not the exclusive right of human beings.
All of the higher order of animals dream!
Some of the most viral videos on the internet show dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals sleeping and doing crazy things which we attribute to their dreaming...
When it was all said and done...
Dogs dream and then they wake up and do what dogs do...
...and the same holds true for us...we dream and then we wake up and go about the things that we do...
I find it amusing how many motivational/inspirational "gurus" and spiritual guides focus on the importance of dreaming as a critical element of success and fulfillment.
I will not deny that dreaming is an important element in our survival. If it wasn't important, living organisms wouldn't dream. Psychologists have yet to fully understand the role that dreaming plays in our development and day to day living, but its presence and persistence emphasizes the fact that it is important.
The important thing for us to understand is its place in our lives. Dreaming occurs when we are semi-conscious or unconscious. It is not generally an experience of the normal conscious or wake state.
So let's take a moment and define dreams...they are thoughts without substance yet they have the ability to control physical actions...and because of their timing have little or no impact on our conscious existence...
HUH?
Consider a dog dreaming of chasing a rabbit. The situation lacks any substance, yet the thoughts cause the dog's legs to move as if it were running. While asleep, the dogs believes that it is chasing a rabbit. But there is no rabbit...
When the dog wakes up and again joins us in the conscious world...there is no rabbit!
We have dreams that cause physical reactions. Although I can say I have never personally had dreams as such...I have been with people who screamed in terror during a dream. Yet when I got them back to the conscious world they realized that it was only a dream!
Many philosophers have written about consciousness and dreams and the "goings on" of the mind...
Dreams may play an important role in our existence...but I am intrigued by the fact that most of the dreams that we have...we seldom can remember! If dreams are important to success...then why are so many forgettable?
Let's keep dreams and dreaming where they belong...and stop thinking that dreaming is a critical element of success and authentic happiness...
Why?
Many of these success peddlers generalize dreams and dreaming. They make the definition of dreams so broad that they allow it to permeate our conscious time.
They call our goals and aspirations dreams. Subtly they have defined goals and aspirations as simply a mental state lacking substance or...(by our original and accurate definition of dreams...in reverse).
In other words...they say that our conscious state of dreaming (goal setting) is actually an state of unconsciousness, lacking true substance...
The first and most important thing in "The Decided life" is to recognize when you are conscious and take stock of your current state of existence...
There is a time to dream and a time to set goals and aspirations.
What is the difference?
Dreams are in the unconscious state and will always lack substance...
Dreams may cause physical REACTIONS...but they are not based in a real world...
Goals and Aspirations are conscious and affect things of substance...the conscious world...
Goals and Aspirations cause physical ACTION...
Do you see the difference?
Dreams cause REACTIONS...Goals and Aspirations cause ACTION!
Dreams and dreaming are uncontrolled and at the whim of ones thoughts...
Goals and Aspirations are controlled and conscious decisions...affecting the present and the future!
If it is a dream call it that...
If it is a Goal or Aspiration call it that...
This may sound petty and semantic...in a way it is,,,but do not underestimate the power of those subtle difference has on our thoughts and subsequent actions.
Enough rambling on Dreams and Goals and Aspirations...
"The Decided Life" sees the difference between the two and calls a dream "a dream" and a goal "a goal!"
For today...realize that the "Decided Life" is active and conscious...it is a decision...
More to come!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Passion Peddlers
Throughout most of history there have arisen individuals who have intuitively found the prevailing need of the time and sold their "secrets" to anyone who was naive enough to pay for it!
Snake oil salesmen...
Patent medicines...
Spiritual Gurus...
and the list goes on!
I can't fault these people for trying to make a living,,,especially if they truly believed in what they were selling...but most probably knew that it was a lie!
Today is not any different!
We are constantly bombarded with individuals who profess to knowing the secrets of success and the share them in their seminars and in their books...for money!
My question is...Are they any difference than the "confidence salespeople" of bygone eras?
Probably not!
Passion and Dreams...
Find your passion...
Dream your dreams...
These critical elements of success sound good...but I think that they are simply marketing words that appeal to the largest segment of a world in need.
The world hungers for better...
I would think that only insane people would answer the question, "Do you want a better life?" with the answer, "No!"
People can sell passion and dreams and get people to pay big bucks for them...because there is little risk to their money back guarantee!
If a dream doesn't work...it wasn't the seller's fault,,,it was the wrong dream!
Passion always works...so the buyer blew it!
And the passion peddler jumps back into his or her wagon and rides to the next town!
Let's Get Real
I do agree that a person needs to be passionate about what they are pursuing,,,but it is not a critical component,
Passion helps...
Passion has made many people successful, but not every successful person has been passionate!
Passion is an emotion...
If a person sits passionate about something and does nothing...they are no better than a blob of slime that washes up on a coastal beach...(I stepped in one today...it was gross!)
Successful people may or may not have passion, but they all have properly guided direction...sometimes that direction comes from within (their plans and thoughts) other times the direction comes through the advice of a friend or mentor or life coach.
That direction is meaningless also without action...
ACTION is the real first step in success...forget about the passion thing...start doing something and learn to love what you are doing!
Many lives are wasted looking for the right thing to do!
Stop Dreaming!
For decades I have seen "dreaming" touted as a critical element of success...
Dreams are for night time...when you are asleep...with your eyes closed...and you are oblivious to what is going on around you!
The passion peddlers can spin dreaming all they want...but I have never woke up from a dream and found my plight in life any better,,,
The best that I can say about dreaming is that I woke up and had to use the restroom!
Dreams are good...they serve a psychological purpose...
But what made my day better was dreaming the night away, opening my eyes, seeing reality for what it really is, getting out of bed and doing something!
Gee...seems like no matter how you look at it...it always goes back to action!
Ask a passion peddler..."If I do what you are saying...I have a 100% guarantee that I will achieve my goals...right?"
Then ask for a 10X my money back if it doesn't work!
Make them put their money where their dreams and passion are!
A person could become a millionaire holding passion peddlers to their promises!
But I think a vast majority will show their true colors if put to the test!
I recently got a phone call from a fellow promoting investing in rare gems!
I asked him if he did this for a living!
He said yes for 25 years!
I asked why?
He seemed confused!
I explained that if the stuff he was selling was such a great investment, why didn't he get loans on everything he had and invest in these sure things!
If he did that he should have been retired long ago and not selling investments...
He sat quiet and then hung up without another word!
He could have, at least, said thank you for ruining his life!
Passion Peddlers are found in every facet of our lives...they grab on to the "want" of the present and sell easy ways to obtain them...
Success and happiness are not made of iron...
There is no way to attract either!
The law of attraction is a marketing ploy no different than drinking a certain beer will make you more popular!
The answer is simple...if you want success and happiness...
...you have to do the right things at the right time...
You can figure it out and do it...or...
...you can get directions from someone and do it!
In either case...it is about action...DO IT!
Snake oil salesmen...
Patent medicines...
Spiritual Gurus...
and the list goes on!
I can't fault these people for trying to make a living,,,especially if they truly believed in what they were selling...but most probably knew that it was a lie!
Today is not any different!
We are constantly bombarded with individuals who profess to knowing the secrets of success and the share them in their seminars and in their books...for money!
My question is...Are they any difference than the "confidence salespeople" of bygone eras?
Probably not!
Passion and Dreams...
Find your passion...
Dream your dreams...
These critical elements of success sound good...but I think that they are simply marketing words that appeal to the largest segment of a world in need.
The world hungers for better...
I would think that only insane people would answer the question, "Do you want a better life?" with the answer, "No!"
People can sell passion and dreams and get people to pay big bucks for them...because there is little risk to their money back guarantee!
If a dream doesn't work...it wasn't the seller's fault,,,it was the wrong dream!
Passion always works...so the buyer blew it!
And the passion peddler jumps back into his or her wagon and rides to the next town!
Let's Get Real
I do agree that a person needs to be passionate about what they are pursuing,,,but it is not a critical component,
Passion helps...
Passion has made many people successful, but not every successful person has been passionate!
Passion is an emotion...
If a person sits passionate about something and does nothing...they are no better than a blob of slime that washes up on a coastal beach...(I stepped in one today...it was gross!)
Successful people may or may not have passion, but they all have properly guided direction...sometimes that direction comes from within (their plans and thoughts) other times the direction comes through the advice of a friend or mentor or life coach.
That direction is meaningless also without action...
ACTION is the real first step in success...forget about the passion thing...start doing something and learn to love what you are doing!
Many lives are wasted looking for the right thing to do!
Stop Dreaming!
For decades I have seen "dreaming" touted as a critical element of success...
Dreams are for night time...when you are asleep...with your eyes closed...and you are oblivious to what is going on around you!
The passion peddlers can spin dreaming all they want...but I have never woke up from a dream and found my plight in life any better,,,
The best that I can say about dreaming is that I woke up and had to use the restroom!
Dreams are good...they serve a psychological purpose...
But what made my day better was dreaming the night away, opening my eyes, seeing reality for what it really is, getting out of bed and doing something!
Gee...seems like no matter how you look at it...it always goes back to action!
Ask a passion peddler..."If I do what you are saying...I have a 100% guarantee that I will achieve my goals...right?"
Then ask for a 10X my money back if it doesn't work!
Make them put their money where their dreams and passion are!
A person could become a millionaire holding passion peddlers to their promises!
But I think a vast majority will show their true colors if put to the test!
I recently got a phone call from a fellow promoting investing in rare gems!
I asked him if he did this for a living!
He said yes for 25 years!
I asked why?
He seemed confused!
I explained that if the stuff he was selling was such a great investment, why didn't he get loans on everything he had and invest in these sure things!
If he did that he should have been retired long ago and not selling investments...
He sat quiet and then hung up without another word!
He could have, at least, said thank you for ruining his life!
Passion Peddlers are found in every facet of our lives...they grab on to the "want" of the present and sell easy ways to obtain them...
Success and happiness are not made of iron...
There is no way to attract either!
The law of attraction is a marketing ploy no different than drinking a certain beer will make you more popular!
The answer is simple...if you want success and happiness...
...you have to do the right things at the right time...
You can figure it out and do it...or...
...you can get directions from someone and do it!
In either case...it is about action...DO IT!
Saturday, October 4, 2014
What are you thinking about?
My mornings often include a visit to the local beach. Most of the time I go there for the solitude. It provides me with uninterrupted time to be with my thoughts. The rhythmic surf is undemanding on my senses, and allows me to ignore those other distractions that would put an overbearing demand my limited "thinking bandwidth!"
Most of the time!
A few days ago, my writing time was interrupted by a text that simply said, "It is beautiful out..."
I responded graciously and went back to writing or at least tried. My curiosity got the best of me and I walked out the door and was taken aback by how nice the weather had turned!
My "writing day" was ruined, at least until I inserted a beach walk.
I went to my usual place on the beach, stood for a few minutes and savored the sound. Most of all, I cherished the fact that I was separated from my phone and in a 21st century sense...totally isolated!
I fell backward in a sitting position against my place on the wall and closed my eyes...feeling the morning sun's heat on my face, legs and arms and the breeze that simultaneously cooled me. It was amazing and my mind momentarily blanked and I was "feeling the moment." I intended to extend this simple joy as long as possible.
My section of the beach is uncrowded. A person can exist there relatively alone and uninterrupted. There are occasional beach walkers and runners. A few lay quietly and add to their tans. Others swim and play in the surf. The best part is that they leave me alone...most of the time. That is one of the reasons I like being there.
NOT TODAY! My solitude was suddenly and uncharacteristically interrupted by a sweet feminine voice. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
I opened my eyes and looked over and politely responded, "I don't mind, I am just sitting here and thinking...I don't think my thoughts are loud enough to be a bother and you definitely won't be for me..."
She laughed briefly and then the tranquility resumed.
I closed my eyes again and this time my mind drifted to and began focusing on a single thought...
Being polite...That was really nice of her to ask and not just "plop" down. That is a uncommon behavior these days!
...then my mind shifted to political correctness...and how that was meant to create an environment of high end behaviors like the one I just experienced.
BUT...
On the outside, being politically correct is a worthwhile behavior, but it has been misused.
This upsets me.
Political correctness has driven us to apathy, and tolerance of less than acceptable behaviors and conditions. Rather than improving the behaviors of our world, it has hurt it. People have been using political correctness as a shield that they can stand behind that allows them to do unacceptable things and demand acceptance of others!
Political correctness has forced us to accept obesity, and bullying, laziness, lack of courtesy, disrespect and on and on!
Political Correctness should only apply to "states of being" and not applied to behaviors and actions. As a result of our tolerance of less than unacceptable behaviors, our world is in a downward spiral.
Our Founding Fathers even warned against it and made laws in a valiant attempt to protect it!
It make me sad...
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the voice of the sitting companion, "What are you thinking about?"
"Why do you ask?" I responded.
"Because your face went from very happy to extremely intense to very sad in a moment." She replied.
Although I was not overjoyed with the interruption, I also saw this as an opportunity to share an interesting concept that more people should consider as an option to how they live. So I quickly verbalized my thoughts.
"Wow! That's really a deep thought!" she noted.
That having been said we turned to the ocean and again went quiet. We sat there for quite a while and I opened my eyes to see if she was still sitting in her place and found that she was. This time I noticed that her eyes were closed and her face projected deep sadness and pain.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to me and replied, "I was thinking that I need a pedicure!"
What are you thinking about?
Most of the time!
A few days ago, my writing time was interrupted by a text that simply said, "It is beautiful out..."
I responded graciously and went back to writing or at least tried. My curiosity got the best of me and I walked out the door and was taken aback by how nice the weather had turned!
My "writing day" was ruined, at least until I inserted a beach walk.
I went to my usual place on the beach, stood for a few minutes and savored the sound. Most of all, I cherished the fact that I was separated from my phone and in a 21st century sense...totally isolated!
I fell backward in a sitting position against my place on the wall and closed my eyes...feeling the morning sun's heat on my face, legs and arms and the breeze that simultaneously cooled me. It was amazing and my mind momentarily blanked and I was "feeling the moment." I intended to extend this simple joy as long as possible.
My section of the beach is uncrowded. A person can exist there relatively alone and uninterrupted. There are occasional beach walkers and runners. A few lay quietly and add to their tans. Others swim and play in the surf. The best part is that they leave me alone...most of the time. That is one of the reasons I like being there.
NOT TODAY! My solitude was suddenly and uncharacteristically interrupted by a sweet feminine voice. "Do you mind if I sit here?"
I opened my eyes and looked over and politely responded, "I don't mind, I am just sitting here and thinking...I don't think my thoughts are loud enough to be a bother and you definitely won't be for me..."
She laughed briefly and then the tranquility resumed.
I closed my eyes again and this time my mind drifted to and began focusing on a single thought...
Being polite...That was really nice of her to ask and not just "plop" down. That is a uncommon behavior these days!
...then my mind shifted to political correctness...and how that was meant to create an environment of high end behaviors like the one I just experienced.
BUT...
On the outside, being politically correct is a worthwhile behavior, but it has been misused.
This upsets me.
Political correctness has driven us to apathy, and tolerance of less than acceptable behaviors and conditions. Rather than improving the behaviors of our world, it has hurt it. People have been using political correctness as a shield that they can stand behind that allows them to do unacceptable things and demand acceptance of others!
Political correctness has forced us to accept obesity, and bullying, laziness, lack of courtesy, disrespect and on and on!
Political Correctness should only apply to "states of being" and not applied to behaviors and actions. As a result of our tolerance of less than unacceptable behaviors, our world is in a downward spiral.
Our Founding Fathers even warned against it and made laws in a valiant attempt to protect it!
It make me sad...
My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the voice of the sitting companion, "What are you thinking about?"
"Why do you ask?" I responded.
"Because your face went from very happy to extremely intense to very sad in a moment." She replied.
Although I was not overjoyed with the interruption, I also saw this as an opportunity to share an interesting concept that more people should consider as an option to how they live. So I quickly verbalized my thoughts.
"Wow! That's really a deep thought!" she noted.
That having been said we turned to the ocean and again went quiet. We sat there for quite a while and I opened my eyes to see if she was still sitting in her place and found that she was. This time I noticed that her eyes were closed and her face projected deep sadness and pain.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked.
She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to me and replied, "I was thinking that I need a pedicure!"
What are you thinking about?
Saturday, March 1, 2014
A "Civic" Lesson
Apology - It has been a while since my last "Weekend Update." It has not been for lack of topics to write about...but because of a hectic and a "fun-filled" life! Today, however, I was moved to write this update...because of an eye-opening experience that I think we can all entertain.
Those who know me, understand that I normally take a "middle road" approach to most topics. Extremes have a tendency towards being limited to application to one's life. This "update" will not be middle of the road, in fact, much the opposite. This position is meant to make us think about our behaviors and the messages that it conveys.
Enough said!
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..."
When I was in grade school, the US was going through turbulent times. The Vietnam war, civil rights and the cold war were just a few of the issues at the forefront of life and living at that time. Despite the challenges that we faced, each grade's curriculum included a unit on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. By the time I was 8 years old, I had memorized many parts of each, as an assignment (It was not an option).
Included in the memorization exercises was a writing assignment.
We were asked..."What does it mean to you?"
I don't know if all grade schools did this or perhaps I had some really neat teachers, but rather than lecture on these "foundational" documents, we discussed them as a class. These were amazing discussions that I still remember to this day! One in particular has shaped the way I think!
Our principal visited our classroom to talk about the Declaration of Independence. For all we knew he was there when it was written and helped craft its very words! The lesson started with him asking a number of us to recite what we had memorized. Whether we got it exactly right or totally destroyed it, he complimented us on our ability. Then he asked if we knew what that was all about?
After a few answers, (which I think he must have had a difficult time keeping a straight face), he explained what it meant to him. He didn't say, "This is what it really means" or "This is what you must believe" he said, "This is what it means to me!" He left its interpretation up to us as individuals!
"...citizenship with the US, or any country for that matter is not any different from membership in a club." A club has rules and privileges. If you do not abide by those rules, you can get kicked out of the club and you lose the privileges. It's like being in a horse riding club. By being a member you get to ride horses, but in order to ride the horses, you also have to feed and care for the horses. If you do not feed and care for the horses, you don't get to ride the horses.
Our government is built upon the belief that everyone has equal membership. We have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As long as we abide by the rules (laws) of membership (citizenship), we are free to ride the horses of Life, liberty and happiness.
Break the rules and you give up those rights.
Break those rules and you say to this country that you don't want to be a member of it any more.
Break the rules and you lose your rights as a citizen!
That is what a felony is! It is doing something that says, "I don't want to be a citizen anymore!"
That made us think...
I remember talking about it on the playground!
I remember admonishing (and being admonished by) fellow students that our behavior was denouncing our citizenship (as if we really knew what that meant!).
That simple discussion was life shaping!
I doubt that those discussions happen today!
The "Pledge" has been removed from the morning ritual!
American History has been diluted by outcome based education.
We wonder why the foundation of our society has eroded...and can not see that we have neglected to build a foundation at all!
We have made it difficult for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, because we thought that these rights were so self-evident that they not longer needed to be taught...
The fact of the matter is...they are self-evident...what they are lacking is a clear definition and an understanding of the recourse for not living up to the "rules" of citizenship (membership is this democratic society).
Where am I going with all of this?
Those who know me...know that I am a "die-hard" observer of human (societal) behavior. We can learn much about individuals and a society by how they act.
This past week while on my "forced leisurely" drive to work (those who live in South Florida know what I mean), I observed driving behavior that told me a lot about what people think about infringing on the unalienable rights of others and the rules of membership (US citizenship)!
About halfway to work (6 miles from home) a lady pulled out from a gas station and drove perpendicularly across the road to get into the left hand lane. She actually only pulled out into the traffic and sat blocking 3 lanes of traffic blocking the pursuit of happiness of a hundred or so other drivers! Her action communicated that she didn't care about the others and was willing to infringe on their rights for her own gratification! If she was on the playground with us kids...we all would have jumped on the opportunity to remind her that she just gave up her citizenship! Perhaps stupid driving like that should be a felony...and the convicted be immediately deported! LMAO
I didn't have to drive much further beyond that declaration of selfishness when I came up behind an elderly driver traveling at a speed 25 miles per hour lower than the rest of the traffic! Not only was this driver blocking the rest of the travelers from arriving at their "Pursuit of Happiness" destination, by she was threatening their lives! WOW a double felony! No doubt that this person felt that they had earned the right to drive slow and infringe on others rights. Perhaps this person was incapable of living up to the rules of citizenship. In either instance, it was wrong. This person if on our playground would have been admonished and isolated...her rights to the swings set taken away along with their social security! LMAO
As I drove further and about the time I thought myself free from this felonious hoard, a driver cut from the far right-hand lane to the far left-hand lane (5 lanes in total). This behavior would be OK if there were no cars in the lanes, but it caused drivers in each lane to slam on their brakes. There was a blue haze from the burning rubber and the driver just drove on as if it was no big deal! This one would have caused a playground frenzy! Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...of many others infringed upon just so this person could get totally across the traffic! Three felonies! LMAO
What was sad was that there were 3 more incidents similar to those before I arrived at work!
What does this have to do with anything?
I am noticing more and more how consistent behaviors are telling us about the foundational beliefs of individuals and of society! You may argue that what I observed was just poor driving, but I contend that higher level behaviors are guided by foundational beliefs. It follows that much can be told by how people act and behave!
These individuals driving behaviors tell me that these people do not hold others' rights as more important than their own. It is because they allowed their perceived right to some pursuit to infringe on the rights of all of the others in the vicinity of their driving!
If we could only have a legal system that treated people like they earned and communicated!
We would have people who:
If you can not be help responsible for something as petty as driving responsibly...how can you claim to be a responsible member of this society...and why should we responsible members have to be forced to let you participate on our playground!
We had it right as kids! We self policed...we didn't need playground monitors even though they were there...we were taught responsibility at a young age, it was expected of us and we lived up to it!
Let's take note of the real messages that we are sending to society and show that we are responsible members of this club...the United States of America!
Enough Said AGAIN!
Pura Vida!
Those who know me, understand that I normally take a "middle road" approach to most topics. Extremes have a tendency towards being limited to application to one's life. This "update" will not be middle of the road, in fact, much the opposite. This position is meant to make us think about our behaviors and the messages that it conveys.
Enough said!
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..."
When I was in grade school, the US was going through turbulent times. The Vietnam war, civil rights and the cold war were just a few of the issues at the forefront of life and living at that time. Despite the challenges that we faced, each grade's curriculum included a unit on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. By the time I was 8 years old, I had memorized many parts of each, as an assignment (It was not an option).
Included in the memorization exercises was a writing assignment.
We were asked..."What does it mean to you?"
I don't know if all grade schools did this or perhaps I had some really neat teachers, but rather than lecture on these "foundational" documents, we discussed them as a class. These were amazing discussions that I still remember to this day! One in particular has shaped the way I think!
Our principal visited our classroom to talk about the Declaration of Independence. For all we knew he was there when it was written and helped craft its very words! The lesson started with him asking a number of us to recite what we had memorized. Whether we got it exactly right or totally destroyed it, he complimented us on our ability. Then he asked if we knew what that was all about?
After a few answers, (which I think he must have had a difficult time keeping a straight face), he explained what it meant to him. He didn't say, "This is what it really means" or "This is what you must believe" he said, "This is what it means to me!" He left its interpretation up to us as individuals!
"...citizenship with the US, or any country for that matter is not any different from membership in a club." A club has rules and privileges. If you do not abide by those rules, you can get kicked out of the club and you lose the privileges. It's like being in a horse riding club. By being a member you get to ride horses, but in order to ride the horses, you also have to feed and care for the horses. If you do not feed and care for the horses, you don't get to ride the horses.
Our government is built upon the belief that everyone has equal membership. We have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As long as we abide by the rules (laws) of membership (citizenship), we are free to ride the horses of Life, liberty and happiness.
Break the rules and you give up those rights.
Break those rules and you say to this country that you don't want to be a member of it any more.
Break the rules and you lose your rights as a citizen!
That is what a felony is! It is doing something that says, "I don't want to be a citizen anymore!"
That made us think...
I remember talking about it on the playground!
I remember admonishing (and being admonished by) fellow students that our behavior was denouncing our citizenship (as if we really knew what that meant!).
That simple discussion was life shaping!
I doubt that those discussions happen today!
The "Pledge" has been removed from the morning ritual!
American History has been diluted by outcome based education.
We wonder why the foundation of our society has eroded...and can not see that we have neglected to build a foundation at all!
We have made it difficult for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, because we thought that these rights were so self-evident that they not longer needed to be taught...
The fact of the matter is...they are self-evident...what they are lacking is a clear definition and an understanding of the recourse for not living up to the "rules" of citizenship (membership is this democratic society).
Where am I going with all of this?
Those who know me...know that I am a "die-hard" observer of human (societal) behavior. We can learn much about individuals and a society by how they act.
This past week while on my "forced leisurely" drive to work (those who live in South Florida know what I mean), I observed driving behavior that told me a lot about what people think about infringing on the unalienable rights of others and the rules of membership (US citizenship)!
About halfway to work (6 miles from home) a lady pulled out from a gas station and drove perpendicularly across the road to get into the left hand lane. She actually only pulled out into the traffic and sat blocking 3 lanes of traffic blocking the pursuit of happiness of a hundred or so other drivers! Her action communicated that she didn't care about the others and was willing to infringe on their rights for her own gratification! If she was on the playground with us kids...we all would have jumped on the opportunity to remind her that she just gave up her citizenship! Perhaps stupid driving like that should be a felony...and the convicted be immediately deported! LMAO
I didn't have to drive much further beyond that declaration of selfishness when I came up behind an elderly driver traveling at a speed 25 miles per hour lower than the rest of the traffic! Not only was this driver blocking the rest of the travelers from arriving at their "Pursuit of Happiness" destination, by she was threatening their lives! WOW a double felony! No doubt that this person felt that they had earned the right to drive slow and infringe on others rights. Perhaps this person was incapable of living up to the rules of citizenship. In either instance, it was wrong. This person if on our playground would have been admonished and isolated...her rights to the swings set taken away along with their social security! LMAO
As I drove further and about the time I thought myself free from this felonious hoard, a driver cut from the far right-hand lane to the far left-hand lane (5 lanes in total). This behavior would be OK if there were no cars in the lanes, but it caused drivers in each lane to slam on their brakes. There was a blue haze from the burning rubber and the driver just drove on as if it was no big deal! This one would have caused a playground frenzy! Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...of many others infringed upon just so this person could get totally across the traffic! Three felonies! LMAO
What was sad was that there were 3 more incidents similar to those before I arrived at work!
What does this have to do with anything?
I am noticing more and more how consistent behaviors are telling us about the foundational beliefs of individuals and of society! You may argue that what I observed was just poor driving, but I contend that higher level behaviors are guided by foundational beliefs. It follows that much can be told by how people act and behave!
These individuals driving behaviors tell me that these people do not hold others' rights as more important than their own. It is because they allowed their perceived right to some pursuit to infringe on the rights of all of the others in the vicinity of their driving!
If we could only have a legal system that treated people like they earned and communicated!
We would have people who:
- acted intentionally and are in prison...
- acted insanely and are in an asylum...
- acted out of stupidity...(perhaps they could be remediated, perhaps not)...or...
- JUST NEED TO BE DEPORTED EVEN IF THIS IS THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN!
If you can not be help responsible for something as petty as driving responsibly...how can you claim to be a responsible member of this society...and why should we responsible members have to be forced to let you participate on our playground!
We had it right as kids! We self policed...we didn't need playground monitors even though they were there...we were taught responsibility at a young age, it was expected of us and we lived up to it!
Let's take note of the real messages that we are sending to society and show that we are responsible members of this club...the United States of America!
Enough Said AGAIN!
Pura Vida!
Friday, December 27, 2013
2014 Advice
A Happy New Year is QUICKLY Approaching !
2013 is quickly drawing to a close...and what it afforded us will soon be memories...some of them good and some not so good!
As we enter 2014, and we vow to make it a better year...
Success advocates will be reminding you of how important it is not to carry any baggage from the past into it...or...
Is it?
Should we carry that past baggage into next year?
This thought is intriguing!
I like seeing through the fluff of the "snake oil" sales people...
This may be one of those things in which they are selling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear!
Let's listen to what we need to hear before it is too late!
******************************************
When combined with our tradition of New Year's Resolutions, it makes me think that there may be some worthwhile baggage that we need to carry...
Although you may not believe it...
Our the broken promises, resolutions...AND our failures!
That sounds pretty depressing and those experts who are trying to sell you a success placebo will argue!
Let's look at the facts!
Successful individuals do not quit trying...they do not give up on those things that they know are right...
They persist until they achieve what they envision...
With ongoing persistence...they resolve to improve their lot in life and set goals...
They know their mission and align tasks to them...
Some of these goals may not be achievable...on the first go around...but they do not quit!
*******************************************
Take a moment to reflect on the resolutions of the past...
Especially those resolutions that you failed to accomplish...
I am amused by people who...when creating their list of resolutions...exclude those that they failed on in the past...
"I tried that one...not going to do that again"
Nothing worth having comes easily...
Perhaps...you already have a list of resolutions...
It is simply those that you failed to achieve in the past!
I know that my list...if it consists only of my past failures...would be longer than any list that I could generate in the few remaining hours of this year!
Why not resolve to achieve your past failures!
******************************************
I was listening to an interview with a high school football coach that said...
"The Pro-Bowl performances are created at half-time!"
Half-Time is an interesting concept...
The first half of the game is played and then everyone leaves the field and licks their wounds and re-energizes or admits defeat!
The coach has assessed the opposition for their weaknesses and adjusts the plan...
Half-Time is a time for rest...
We are given many Half-Times...New Year's is an official Half-Time!
Are you licking your wounds?
Are you going to admit defeat?
Have you assessed your opponent?
Have you resolved to win?
Are you going to change your plays?
2013 had some weaknesses...
There are holes in the defensive line...
2014 is in a locker room too!
It is a "bully" team...playing with dirty tactics...
Make no mistake...It is planning how it is going to beat you!
It has as much to win as you have losing!
You will never defeat it unless you learn for the first half...
That baggage that I referenced is important to success...
********************************************
As you resolve...
Look at your past failures in a different perspective...
I can almost hear you saying...
"That was a great resolution...this year I am going to do it!"
Just because you missed the pass the last time you tried that play...doesn't mean that it didn't have the potential of a touchdown!
If every failed play in football was never repeated...there ultimately would be no plays...
If people never tried and tried again...
You get the picture...
*********************************************
Happy New Year!
Resolve to not repeat the failures of the past...
Not by failing at what you attempt...but
By succeeding at what you tried and failed at!
There is open field between you and the goal line!
Catch the ball this time and run like the wind!
Pura Vida
2013 is quickly drawing to a close...and what it afforded us will soon be memories...some of them good and some not so good!
As we enter 2014, and we vow to make it a better year...
Success advocates will be reminding you of how important it is not to carry any baggage from the past into it...or...
Is it?
Should we carry that past baggage into next year?
This thought is intriguing!
I like seeing through the fluff of the "snake oil" sales people...
This may be one of those things in which they are selling you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear!
Let's listen to what we need to hear before it is too late!
******************************************
When combined with our tradition of New Year's Resolutions, it makes me think that there may be some worthwhile baggage that we need to carry...
Although you may not believe it...
Our the broken promises, resolutions...AND our failures!
That sounds pretty depressing and those experts who are trying to sell you a success placebo will argue!
Let's look at the facts!
Successful individuals do not quit trying...they do not give up on those things that they know are right...
They persist until they achieve what they envision...
With ongoing persistence...they resolve to improve their lot in life and set goals...
They know their mission and align tasks to them...
Some of these goals may not be achievable...on the first go around...but they do not quit!
*******************************************
Take a moment to reflect on the resolutions of the past...
Especially those resolutions that you failed to accomplish...
I am amused by people who...when creating their list of resolutions...exclude those that they failed on in the past...
"I tried that one...not going to do that again"
Nothing worth having comes easily...
Perhaps...you already have a list of resolutions...
It is simply those that you failed to achieve in the past!
I know that my list...if it consists only of my past failures...would be longer than any list that I could generate in the few remaining hours of this year!
Why not resolve to achieve your past failures!
******************************************
I was listening to an interview with a high school football coach that said...
"The Pro-Bowl performances are created at half-time!"
Half-Time is an interesting concept...
The first half of the game is played and then everyone leaves the field and licks their wounds and re-energizes or admits defeat!
The coach has assessed the opposition for their weaknesses and adjusts the plan...
Half-Time is a time for rest...
We are given many Half-Times...New Year's is an official Half-Time!
Are you licking your wounds?
Are you going to admit defeat?
Have you assessed your opponent?
Have you resolved to win?
Are you going to change your plays?
2013 had some weaknesses...
There are holes in the defensive line...
2014 is in a locker room too!
It is a "bully" team...playing with dirty tactics...
Make no mistake...It is planning how it is going to beat you!
It has as much to win as you have losing!
You will never defeat it unless you learn for the first half...
That baggage that I referenced is important to success...
********************************************
As you resolve...
Look at your past failures in a different perspective...
I can almost hear you saying...
"That was a great resolution...this year I am going to do it!"
Just because you missed the pass the last time you tried that play...doesn't mean that it didn't have the potential of a touchdown!
If every failed play in football was never repeated...there ultimately would be no plays...
If people never tried and tried again...
You get the picture...
*********************************************
Happy New Year!
Resolve to not repeat the failures of the past...
Not by failing at what you attempt...but
By succeeding at what you tried and failed at!
There is open field between you and the goal line!
Catch the ball this time and run like the wind!
Pura Vida
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Success is All About Focus!
Successful people always seem to be able to do the right things...and the right time!
Many times it seems like they have fantastic luck and that opportunity has been handed to them!
It is my observation and experience that luck is not handed to anyone (except in extreme cases) and that the general majority of successful people...made their luck...
This begs the question..."How do I get lucky?"
People are lucky in love...because they gave love first...and were prepared to accept it when given...
People are lucky in business...because they gave their best to business...and were prepared to new opportunities when they arose...
I could belabor this point...but I do not see a need to...you get it!
To that end...successful people do their best to prioritze what they do...
Successful people look to have 3 major activities in their lives...
1 - Activities centered around their current commitments
2 - Activities centered around accepting new responsibilities
3 - Activities centered around preparation for the next step
This is pretty systematic!
It requires dedication and discipline...
BUT WAIT!
Let me not be unrealistic...there is a 4th activity...better stated...a "non-activity" critical to one's success...and this is a routine with a sub group that I call the HIGHLY Successful!
In a word...
REST!
The World's Demands...
It would be great if the only things that were handed to us would fall exclusively in one of those 3/4 activity categories...
But they don't!
There are many other demands...
I call everything outside of those 3/4 categories..."Noise"
It is noise that distracts us...
It is noise that fogs our clarity...
Our lives are full of noise..
And it is a fact that a lot of noise...is not good for our success!
But noise and information overload and demanding jobs and demanding families are a "fact of life"...
What are we to do?
We can't just put the activities of success into the 3/4 categories and refuse to do the rest...
In actuality a successful person does not start with everything falling into place...
In fact...they may NEVER have everything fall into place...
But what they do is to work diligently to do more things that fall into those categories each and every subsequent day...
It doesn't take acting on many of those "properly categorized" to turn one's luck around!
That leads us to the next question: "How do they do what they do?"
The Hardest Person to say "NO" to...
We need to be needed...in fact there is one person that you really need...you!
Despite the fact that the prior statement is "tongue in cheek"...we like to confirm that we are needed...
We need to be needed...and we do not hear that we are needed enough...so we self-confirm our being needed...
We confirm that through our "selfless activities...and sacrifices!
so we take on other tasks!
No big deal!
We believe that we know what we are capable of doing...
AND YET...
We have a tendency to over-commit!
It isn't that we take on tasks that we are incapable of performing...
We take on lots of stuff that make us feel good about what we are doing...
Sometimes we intentionally take on things to justify procrastination!
Heck...the reasons for what we do are many are there are people who do them!
The objective of a successful person is to reduce the number of those commitments on an ongoing basis!
To do that...we have to learn to say "NO!" to ourselves...
We have to stop thinking we HAVE to do that!
We need to ask..."Do we NEED to do that?"
HOW?
By putting our "To Do" list up against those 3/4 criteria!
We need to systematically and without fail ask:
Is what I am doing...
...centered around my current commitments...or...
...centered around accepting a new responsibility...or...
...centered around preparation for my next step...or...
...centered around much needed rest?
I can hear the answers now...
NO...
NO...
NO...
NO...
And you say...I just have to do it!
RIGHT!
Then you need to ask...
"WHY?"
Listen to your excuse for not saying "NO" and develop a plan to make that excuse invalid in the future...
It's a fact...You need to do what you need to do...
But rather than loading your list with an every growing number of misaligned activities...establish a life-process that takes those things off of your list and keeps them and "their cousins" off...
If you want SUCCESS go and get it!
It is this simple...
It does not require any special incantations...or seminar fees!
I take that back...there is a "magic" word that you need to say often..."NO!"
and...
You can send me $500 for this wonderful blog...and if you do not share it in 2 minutes your dog is going to get sick nd throw up on your carpeting...
...just joking!
Just do it...and stop complaining!
I bet what you are complaining about are not the things you love doing!
Put this simple exercise into play...and I would almost bet (if I were a betting person)...that you'll see a significant difference!
Enough Said!
Pura Vida!
Many times it seems like they have fantastic luck and that opportunity has been handed to them!
It is my observation and experience that luck is not handed to anyone (except in extreme cases) and that the general majority of successful people...made their luck...
This begs the question..."How do I get lucky?"
People are lucky in love...because they gave love first...and were prepared to accept it when given...
People are lucky in business...because they gave their best to business...and were prepared to new opportunities when they arose...
I could belabor this point...but I do not see a need to...you get it!
To that end...successful people do their best to prioritze what they do...
Successful people look to have 3 major activities in their lives...
1 - Activities centered around their current commitments
2 - Activities centered around accepting new responsibilities
3 - Activities centered around preparation for the next step
This is pretty systematic!
It requires dedication and discipline...
BUT WAIT!
Let me not be unrealistic...there is a 4th activity...better stated...a "non-activity" critical to one's success...and this is a routine with a sub group that I call the HIGHLY Successful!
In a word...
REST!
The World's Demands...
It would be great if the only things that were handed to us would fall exclusively in one of those 3/4 activity categories...
But they don't!
There are many other demands...
I call everything outside of those 3/4 categories..."Noise"
It is noise that distracts us...
It is noise that fogs our clarity...
Our lives are full of noise..
And it is a fact that a lot of noise...is not good for our success!
But noise and information overload and demanding jobs and demanding families are a "fact of life"...
What are we to do?
We can't just put the activities of success into the 3/4 categories and refuse to do the rest...
In actuality a successful person does not start with everything falling into place...
In fact...they may NEVER have everything fall into place...
But what they do is to work diligently to do more things that fall into those categories each and every subsequent day...
It doesn't take acting on many of those "properly categorized" to turn one's luck around!
That leads us to the next question: "How do they do what they do?"
The Hardest Person to say "NO" to...
We need to be needed...in fact there is one person that you really need...you!
Despite the fact that the prior statement is "tongue in cheek"...we like to confirm that we are needed...
We need to be needed...and we do not hear that we are needed enough...so we self-confirm our being needed...
We confirm that through our "selfless activities...and sacrifices!
so we take on other tasks!
No big deal!
We believe that we know what we are capable of doing...
AND YET...
We have a tendency to over-commit!
It isn't that we take on tasks that we are incapable of performing...
We take on lots of stuff that make us feel good about what we are doing...
Sometimes we intentionally take on things to justify procrastination!
Heck...the reasons for what we do are many are there are people who do them!
The objective of a successful person is to reduce the number of those commitments on an ongoing basis!
To do that...we have to learn to say "NO!" to ourselves...
We have to stop thinking we HAVE to do that!
We need to ask..."Do we NEED to do that?"
HOW?
By putting our "To Do" list up against those 3/4 criteria!
We need to systematically and without fail ask:
Is what I am doing...
...centered around my current commitments...or...
...centered around accepting a new responsibility...or...
...centered around preparation for my next step...or...
...centered around much needed rest?
I can hear the answers now...
NO...
NO...
NO...
NO...
And you say...I just have to do it!
RIGHT!
Then you need to ask...
"WHY?"
Listen to your excuse for not saying "NO" and develop a plan to make that excuse invalid in the future...
It's a fact...You need to do what you need to do...
But rather than loading your list with an every growing number of misaligned activities...establish a life-process that takes those things off of your list and keeps them and "their cousins" off...
If you want SUCCESS go and get it!
It is this simple...
It does not require any special incantations...or seminar fees!
I take that back...there is a "magic" word that you need to say often..."NO!"
and...
You can send me $500 for this wonderful blog...and if you do not share it in 2 minutes your dog is going to get sick nd throw up on your carpeting...
...just joking!
Just do it...and stop complaining!
I bet what you are complaining about are not the things you love doing!
Put this simple exercise into play...and I would almost bet (if I were a betting person)...that you'll see a significant difference!
Enough Said!
Pura Vida!
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Are WE Smarter than Frogs?
Why worry about frog behavior?
Every major civilization in our history did not believe...
- The Romans never fathomed that they would collapse...
- The Mayans never fathomed that they would collapse...
- The Byzantines never fathomed that they would collapse...
- The Easter Islanders never fathomed that they would collapse...
- The list could go on and on!!!
One of the things that each of those civilizations had in common was that they were "blind-sided" ...caught totally unaware of the pending doom...
...and now...
These people...these civilizations are nothing more than a memory!
Who is to blame?
We'll never really know...
What destroyed them?
We'll never really know...
We can only speculate...
They probably did not know or realize it themselves...
So how can we?
Why should we be any the wiser?
Does it matter? They are dead and gone...we are alive!
It appears that knowing is no more important than our high school history lessons...YAWN!
If it is good to know...then...
We can ask..."How could something like this happen?"
...and use our "gift of hindsight" to find the answer...
But let me remind you of one of my "epiphanies of the utterly obvious"
History is our greatest teacher...it will repeat itself...until we learn the intended lesson!
The interesting thing is that I believe that the answer to the "How did this happen?" question is not to be found only in our history...the answer is all around us! Not just in our history...but also in nature...ourselves as individuals, our society!
...AND...
I believe that understanding frogs actually holds the answer!
A Vivid Image!
In 5th grade...My science book described a very interesting and somewhat disturbing animal behavior that, to this day, haunts me!
The book warns the reader "NOT to repeat this research..."
and I can tell you...that we totally complied with that warning after reading the entire section...
I also suggest that you do not do this experiment...just trust it for what it has told us!
The article said that researchers placed a live frog in a beaker of room temperature water...
The frog loved it and sat in perfect bliss...
The researchers then heated the water is slowly...expecting the frog to jump out when the temperature got to a certain level...
Why?
Because frogs actually have a highly developed central nervous system and amazing reaction system...
Researchers hypothesized that the ability of a frog to discriminate was going to be very precise!
Instead...they found that the frog just sat there!
Totally oblivious of the rise in water temperature...
Despite a higher order nervous system...It was clueless!
It simply sat there...until the water became too hot to live in!
and it died!
Stupid frogs!
To Err is Human
After reading that section of the book I was glad that I was not a frog!
Humans are much smarter than that!
OR...Are we?
We have many "higher order" systems supporting us...
As a species these system allow us to be VERY adaptive...
It is one of the greatest human strengths...
I also believe that it is one of our greatest weaknesses...
AND...it will be our demise!
As an individual and as a society...and as a civilization!
AND...as a species!
Why?
Because it is our ability to adapt that makes us no smarter than a frog!
It is our ability to tolerate and adjust that has caused the demise of major civilizations!
and it is causing the demise of ours!
Of Frog-ness and Human-ness...
Biologists once labeled frogs as the "living environmental heath" indicator...
Overall...frogs are sensitive to their environment...such as chemicals and contaminants...
If a frog can live in it...the environment is pretty clean and healthy...
It is interesting though...
Frogs will continue to live in the environment (refusing to leave) until it kills them!
Love canal in the northeast US is a living (DEAD) example!
When you look at it for what frogs really tell us...
Frogs are not a good indicator...
Yet they are an indicator...
Their bottom line is that...If they are not there...it is too late!
Why do they do this?
Frogs are both tolerant and sensitive at the same time...
They are a lot like humans...
They put up with things (tolerate) until it is too late...
Humans are like frogs...
We generally tolerate until we crumble!
Think about it!
As individuals and as a society...we are tolerant and sensitive at the same time!
We will tolerate things that will ultimately lead to our demise...
Allowing things (issues) to accumulate or heat up and then...
"Where did all the people go?"
Are we smarter than frogs?
Having set the stage...
Let's cut to the chase and answer the question...
Are humans smarter than frogs?
The answer...
In a word...
NO!
We are no smarter than frogs!
In fact we have always acted, are acting and will continue to act like frogs...
Maybe even worse...
Frogs are peace loving and don't intentionally hurt the world around them...and seldom hurt one other!
The "vanished civilizations" stand as reminders of just how oblivious and "frog-like" we were, are and will continue to be!
Shame on us!
You would think we would learn...
Yet history repeats itself...Why? Think about it!
But we can't...
We are no better than frogs!
Frogs may even be smarter than us!
They don't waste time attempting to accumulating riches...
They just sit around...eating bugs...doing what frogs do best and sadly die!
Dumb People!
The "froginess" of Individuals and Society...
We can conclude that as individuals, as a society, as a civilization and a species are no smarter than frogs...
We are sitting in our respective beakers...in our water...
Totally oblivious to the fact that it is heating up all around us...
"It is just another degree or two...no big deal!"...we say to ourselves...or to other frogs around us!
We are oblivious to the realization that the end result is going to be "frog soup!"
This article is not just about "global warming" and the environment...(it could be)...in fact...at this point in our juncture the environment should be the least of our worries...
We have proverbial water heating around us at a ever-accelerating rate...and we have to do something about it!
As individuals...our being oblivious and lacking response to what is contributing to our heated environment...is not only leading us to our personal demises but also to our society's fall!
It won't be long before our species disappears from the face of the earth!
It is sad!
We no longer aspire for higher levels of education...and more class...
Instead...
We tolerate sub-human behaviors like bullying...or disrespect...or just plain nasty talk...or stealing...or lying...
You get the picture!
Hey...you say...all of those actions are driven by the lack of our misaligned respect!
DEAD ON! But...
People will be people...right?
We are supposed to embrace diversity and tolerate differences!
But this has created a situation not unlike an avalanche!
We fear addressing detrimental issues under the blanket of tolerance called "political correctness..."
Political correctness...
That is like saying criminally lawful!
It is an oxymoron!
I recently heard a religious leader call for the elimination of the "stand your ground" law...saying that "we have to protect our children..."
Isn't that the law that says if someone acts in a way that threatens your life...you have a right to defend yourself...
If we are protecting our children from that law...I think that we are admitting that their behaviors put them on the wrong side of it!
That religious leader must not be thinking...or at least he is not being led by God...in actuality..he is...
Grandstanding...pure and simple...
He just exposed his real motives to the world...
To incite unrest...for the sake of public attention!
So Sad!
I have an answer for his..."protect our children" thing...
If you are a half-decent parent...your children will never be a threat to anyone!
The only people who have to fear that law are those who are aggressive enough with others that they cause fear of bodily harm and death!
I ask...Parents...have you done such a bad job raising your children that you have to lobby to have the law that protects good people from thieves and murderers removed from our books?
If you do not think that you have a problem...
Go and stand at a mall and listen to your children talk...
"I am going to hit you in the face"
"I am going to take you out"
"If she was here I'd kill her"
"he needs to be popped"
and on and on!
We idolize low-level sub-human behavior...
We allow it because we think that it is cool!
It is NOT COOL!...it is a festering wound that is causing our society to heat up...and who will be to blame?
Those who allow that kind of talk and behavior!
When I was growing up...I remember being at a Montgomery Ward store service desk with my mom...
As we stood in line...a lady "went off" on the service person...
Actually how she behaved was not unlike I observe dozens of times at Wal-Mart today!
The only difference was that while she was ranting...the Manager of the Department called the police and they took her away...
She actually was charged with disturbing the peace!
My community did not tolerate that kind of behavior...
I wish that would happen now!
I truly would love to see those nasty-mouthed people hand-cuffed...and charged with disturbing the peace...
We should seek peace...
Those poor Wal-Mart Customer Service people are not paid enough to have to kind the kind of abuse that they get every day!
These verbal abusers are bullies...I bet their children are too!
They are the kind of people that need to be protected from "stand your ground!"
Our society needs to protect its peace...
But it won't because we have become tolerant of low class, sub-human, disrespectful, "just plain nasty" behavior!
We have allowed fear to control our lives...
The problem isn't that law...it is a lack of respect between individuals...the problem is those people who have to fear that they will be on the wrong side of that law...
Who is to blame for that?
It is us frogs!
We have tolerated those bad behaviors and that has subtly contaminated ourselves and our society...
Our tolerance is a contaminant...
The behavior of our society members is a contaminant...
We are living in a cesspool!
We need to learn to love ourselves and then live by the "Do unto others..." law...
Seriously...if we treated each other with respect...the "stand your ground" law would not be needed...it could be on the books and NEVER exercised...
If we have to protect our children from that law...then the best thing to do is put them in jail before they get killed!
It is sad!
Why is this a issue anyway?
It is simple...
Grandstanding...like that "professed" "man of God"...shows how much like frogs we really are!
The problem is not the law...it is the reason for the law!
Let's stop being like frogs and learn from our history!
That is a simple example of our "frog-ness" but the problem is more than a gun control bill...
...or standing your ground!
We have grown oblivious to one of our greatest gifts...our past!
I was recently told..."be a little more tolerant" you have to remember our history!
I responded...I do remember our history and that is why I am intolerant...
Those who can't remember the past are frogs!
Our past is a gift...
The cool thing about this gift is that it is gone!
Yet...the fact that we learn from it...and apply those lessons...makes it awesome!
Yet we allow the bad things of the past to contaminate our present!
We bring up issues that are long since dead and gone...
We remind each other of the "bad old - Good old days" and bring it back to life!
It incites the shallow-minded people to action!
It controls the simple thinking masses!
This behavior causes us to relive our pasts over and over...
When we relive our pasts...we have to time to live in our future!
It brings up past wounds that we ourselves never really had!
Our past...like any wounds should be allowed to heal...we may have scars as individuals or a society or even globally...but even scars fade and are forgotten over time!
But let us not forget...and let it be the lesson that history taught us!
Wise people remain aware of the mistakes and injustices of the past...they act on the lessons...over and over and over...and not on what caused us to learn the teacher!
The bottom line....THE PAST IS GONE! Get over it and let's make today and tomorrow better!
As a person thinks...it is how it will be...
Injustice, hatred, aggression, etc; love and feed upon attention...
Ignore these bad characteristics...and they will starve...and die!
Yet we continue to feed them...
Think about it...
What lives in this world is the sum total of our tolerances and intolerances...
What lives and thrives in our world is what we allow to do so!
Now that I think about it...
We are worse than frogs!
I could go on and on...
But that is not needed...
Our pond is a sacred place...
It is the only one that we have!
Our world is literally and figuratively contaminated...
We are contaminated...
as Individuals
as a Society
as a Civilization
as a Species
Our world is heating up...
If we do not get smart to the change...
We are going to end up like the bygone civilizations...
We'll be that species that used to be here...
We are going to end up like the frogs,,,
We are going to "croak"
Enough Said!
Pura Vida!
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