09 November 2009

Monday Morning Quote - November 9th


"To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves -- there lies the great, singular power of self-respect." - Joan Didion

03 September 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - September 3rd

"Sometimes we strive so hard for perfection that we forget that imperfection is happiness" - Karen Nave

02 September 2009

Let my dataset change your mindset

Doctor and researcher, Hans Rosling, presents a fascinating, and at times humorous, talk that shows how data can both break myths and clarify the world. Definitely worth the 20 minutes to watch.


01 September 2009

Overwhelmed is not a good feeling


Have you ever had a feeling that you were just overwhelmed? You know that feeling like your list of things to get done is long and growing and the time to get things down is short and shrinking? It's not a good feeling. I'm in the middle of this at the moment.

I'm that person looking a bit haggard, juggling a dozen things, constantly looking at my task list and calendar. This has got to stop, but how? I've got stuff to do?

An former boss used an old phrase, "Too busy chopping wood to sharpen the axe." Yes, that would be my current situation. I want to step back review the processes to make them better, more efficient so that I can avoid this situation. But how can I do that when I have all this stuff to do?

Rock and hard place. Catch-22. Insanity.

I just need to look at my list and determine what is least important, what can be put off and make the time. Easier said than done, but needs to be done or I won't have any axe left and all I have is bludgeoned wood.

31 August 2009

Monday Morning Quotes - August 31st

"If you're starting out or trying to get to the next level, surround yourself with people who keep you motivated and energized - people who inspire you to achieve your best every day. When you do this, you can't lose." - Anthony Famiglietti

24 August 2009

Monday Morning Quotes - August 24th


If you learn only methods, you'll be tied to your methods, but if you learn principles you can devise your own methods. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

22 August 2009

Hurtful Accusations



Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? How did that make you feel? How did you react? How did you convince the other person that the accusations were not true? And most importantly, what damage was done to the relationship?

Recently, I was accused of something I did not do. The accusation was pretty serious and given with a lot emotion. I was caught off guard and stunned and they would not listen to anything I tried to say.
I had some time afterward and went through a range of emotion. First, disbelief, then anger, then sadness. Sadness, because I feel that the accusation has severly damaged our relationship. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what happened, where the accusation came from and how I can show this person that their accusations are unfound.

I keep mulling over the thought that everything I do to prove my innocence will fail. Like the man accused of murder. The facts point to him and he is convicted because the fact that proves without a doubt that he is innocent is not or cannot be presented in court.

I'm at a loss as to my next step and hurt about the entire thing. It's not something I can just ignore and hope it will go away; I have to address it. I just hope reason and calmness prevails. As to the relationship, I am not sure how it will come out on the other side.

20 August 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - August 20th


A man can fail many times, but he isn't a failure until he begins to blame somebody else. - Steve Prefontaine

14 August 2009

Blogging Vacation


I've been on a blogging vacation. Life has been a bit crazy lately and I had to focus on my family. As much as this blog is therapy for me, I had to set it aside for a few weeks until things settled down.

Even though things here are still a bit chaotic, it's calmed down to the point that I can once again get all these thoughts out of my head and out there for the world to read.

So, I've begun to write blog entries again, but probably at a much slower pace.

BTW: The picture doesn't really tie to this post, but I just cracked up when I saw it and had to share javascript:void(0)it.

25 July 2009

Simplify Your Life: End Your Dependence On Stuff


I've been a huge proponent of simplifying my life by de-cluttering, open space and just doing more with less. However, having a family that did not follow my example has been an issue. I think that is about to change.

Now, I'm not perfect, but I am always looking at what I have and am doing that creates complexity and stress in my life and how I can change it. One example is my music. I am a huge music fan (check out my music blog, Hoi Polloi Music) and have a large collection of CDs and eek! cassette tapes. These are sitting in two boxes right now. However, I listen to almost all music on-line or on my MP3 player and when I looked at all those CDs I got nostalgic: 'I haven't heard this in years', 'I forgot I had that' and 'Did I really buy that?'. So I am in the process of ripping all those CDs to MP3s and storing everything on an external 750GB hard drive. I will be able to access them easier, clear up a lot of physical space and have a nice process to catalog them in an on-line Google Spreadsheet - yeah, I'm a geek. Now I can sell all the CD's I really don't need or want to keep and can keep a handful of 'classics' (e.g. Kraftwerk's Autobahn, Mile's Davis' The Birth of Cool, Grateful Dead's American Beauty). Simplicity!

This is just one example. Now back to my story. My wife saw an episode of Oprah where they put out a challenge to families to simplify. Many of the things that these families were doing hit home, since our family is guilty of several of them. The main point was that we are teaching our children to be out of control consumerists who are obsessed with 'stuff'.

Several things hit home: Buying so many groceries that many are thrown out because they expire/spoil. The buy 2 get 1 free is not a good deal if you throw out 1 or even 2. We've been guilty of buying more than we normally use because, it's a 'great deal'. Another example is buying more toys/DVDs/clothes than we use. My kids don't play with the majority of their toys, they watch a DVD once, they grow out of clothes before they ever wear them.

So how do we change? Well that's the simple part. Buy what you need and will use. Buy less processed foods. Give away toys to charity organizations, subscribe to Netfix or spend only $3.99 on a Video-On-Demand movie (low environmental impact), buy only clothes you need now and take care of the ones you have.

The hard part is committing yourself to doing it.

I really would like to know what others are doing. Please comment. Thanks. (BTW: Here are two great sites: www.unclutterer.com and www.idealbite.com)

16 July 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - July 16th


"I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be." - Douglas Adams

15 July 2009

Balance


After listening to Philip Zimbardo's talk yesterday on how our happiness and success are rooted the way we view time, I took a long look at how I look at time. I realized that my perspective of time is out of balance, which in turn is affecting my own success and happiness.

I have begun to look at things and think about what is the best way to handle it: look to the past and take action based on that, look at the present and take action to get immediate satisfaction or results, or look to the future, look at the risk of action now versus last or no action, what addition benefit would I get by waiting or changing course now.

Now, this is not to say that I have become a calculated automaton. I am human and act based on emotions and feelings, but I have tried to add a bit of thought into it and more importantly, to be more self-reflective than before so that I can build up a 'library of results' to use as a template for future decisions.

14 July 2009

A Healthy Take On Time

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo says happiness and success are rooted in a trait most of us disregard: the way we orient toward the past, present and future. He suggests we calibrate our outlook on time as a first step to improving our lives.

13 July 2009

Monday Morning Quote - July 13th


"I have no regrets in my life. I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person." - Rita Mero

12 July 2009

Time Out


Everyone needs a time out. Not the kind where you are in trouble and need to sit in a corner. I mean the kind where you take time for yourself. Remove all distractions and just relax and clear you mind.

I know, you've got things to do, places to be, yadda yadda yadda. But if you don't take a small amount of time to free your mind you will wear out. We are bombarded all day long. Bombarded by people needing things, bombarded by advertising on TV, radio, internet, billboard - we may ignore it, but our brains still need to process and filter it out. Bombarded by the thoughts of everything we need to get done.

Even in sleep, our brains seem to be working. Having dreams to help us sort out the day, 'work-mares' about things at work, relationship issues, etc. We need to find a small amount of time to give it a break.

I know, you don't have time, or I can't clear my mind, or any other reason. But remember, you need to take care of you and you mind is something that you can't neglect.

11 July 2009

Even More Things That Drive Me Nuts


It's been awhile since I ranted about things that drive me nuts. This doesn't mean the list done. People have the infinite capacity to do thing that annoy others. I'm pretty level-headed and accepting, but there are still things that get me going. Feel free to reply with the things that drive you nuts. Here we go.
1. People who water more of their driveway than their lawn. Don't you know that Southern California is in the middle of a water shortage?
2. When a television station plays the same commercial during every commercial break and will sometime show it twice during a single break. This is why I DVR shows (sorry advertisers).
3. When you ask someone a question, they give you long-winded answer but never really answer the question. Bonus if they get annoyed with you for pointing that out to them.
4. Warning Parental Rant: Parents who give their three year soda. There is nothing good in it for them and only things that can hurt them. Do you really want that much sugar and caffeine in your toddler? I actually saw a woman pour a can of coke into a kid's sippy cup for him. Sigh.
5. People who take up two parking spots. If you don't want you car near another cars because you are afraid of getting scratch or ding, park at the end of the lot and walk.

OK, I will go meditate, find my center and reconnect with my inner peace.

09 July 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - July 9th



"Unless you change how you are,you will always have what you've got." - Jim Rohn

06 July 2009

Monday Morning Quote


"Love yourself, for who and what you are; protect your dream and develop your talent to the fullest extent." - Joan Benoit Samuelson

04 July 2009

Happy Birthday America


I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July. While enjoying the holiday, remember what we are celebrating. We enjoy our freedoms today because of the determination and foresight of our founding father and continue to enjoy them because of the determination and foresight of the American people since.

02 July 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - July 2nd


"The only good luck many great men ever had was being born with the ability and determination to overcome bad luck." - Channing Pollock

29 June 2009

Monday Morning Quote - June 29th


"There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for the individual, a commitment to excellence, and a rejection of mediocrity." - Buck Rogers, Major League Baseball player and Manager

28 June 2009

When sorry really isn't


Everyone says it. Most people mean it. But what happens when it's given off-handedly and lacks sincerity? I'm talking about 'I'm Sorry'.

Lately, I been witness to and been on the receiving end of this and it's a bit disconcerting. Something happened, which caused an issue. Nothing big mind you, but it caused something to have to be redone, which was time and effort. The other person's reply was "Oh, I'm sorry." That's it.

Now, here's the issue; this person was the cause of me having to redo the work. There was no sincerity. No real apology. No "I'm sorry that what I did is causing to redo your work. Since, it's my fault, can I help out in any way?"

The second case was when someone accidentally let go of a door they were going through and it hit the person behind them. The person just said, "Sorry" and walked off. That was it, not "Oh, I'm sorry, are you OK?" and grabbing the door to hold it for the person.

It seems that the 'manners' that were drilled into us by our parents have become just a rote action. I'm sure this was not what they intended when we were kids and they made us go back and say we're sorry to someone for something we did. They wanted to instill in us an awareness of our actions on other people and the consequences those actions cause.

We need to go back to this and think about why we said 'I'm Sorry'. If you really aren't sorry about the action you need to think about why you aren't. Are you becoming insensitive to others or uncaring. Or if you really are sorry, address the apology with more sincerity.

27 June 2009

Can you give me some Self-Esteem, please?


Earlier this week, a great question was posed on Twitter by @Lotay. He usually posts great questions that make you think. But, this question was a bit different for me, as I could not answer it in the 140 character limitation on Twitter, so I'll try to answer it here.

The question was "How do you work with people who have low self-esteem. Specifically people who seek constant praise and reassurance." The first thing that came to my mind was, "It's called SELF-esteem, so it should come from within, not have someone give it to you.". Then I pulled back and thought of the times I was down on myself and that some praise or acknowledgment from someone was able to put me back on track. In general, I am more apt to provide my own self-esteem than rely on others to provide it for me,I but see how it can come from outside yourself.

Before I can really answer this question though, I feel that we need to look into why the person has low self-esteem. Treat the cause, not just the symptoms. A person may have low self-esteem because (1) they were repeatedly told by someone that they could not do something, be someone or that they just weren't any good; (2) they had a series of events or failures that shaped their view that they can't do something or (3) they just never learned that they can succeed or that failure is not necessarily a bad thing.

The first one is the most difficult because it's embedded in them and usually requires either formal therapy with a professional therapist or informal therapy with a close trusted friend or significant other. The second is easier because you can analyze the events of failures. Take the personal aspect out of it and look at at objectively: why did it fail, what could have been done differently, what did you learn, have you used what you learned in a later success? The third is the easiest because you have a blank slate to work with. All three require work, so people are more apt to just give praise, boost the persons self esteem and move on. Then have to do it again and again.

Now back to the question. I feel that it is most important to not just give praise or encouragement and leave it at that. That's initially the easy way and will not do anything but make them come back to you for more. Sit them down and ask them how they felt it went (be it a project, task, etc.). Make them tell you. If they drift into negativity, stop them and say "OK, but tell me about what went well". Start with a positive and give praise for that, but make it start with them. Then talk about anything that did not go right. Be objective and do not criticize them personally. Make them tell you why something failed and keep them on track (no blame or negativity). Ask them if they knew then what they know now, how would they have done it differently. What have they learned.

Tell them you are looking forward not backward and that failure is not necessarily a negative. It can be a positive if you take something away from it and can apply to a future success.

I tend look to for the positives in things. My glass isn't half full, it has room for more (I credit my Grandmother for this view). I guess my bottom line is, you can't just 'deal' with people who require others to build up their self esteem, it will only lead to the need to keep doing it. Break that cycle.

I would be really interested to see what others have to say about it.

25 June 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - June 25th


"Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death." - Anais Nin

22 June 2009

Monday Morning Quote - June 22nd



"Problems arise in that one has to find a balance between what people need from you and what you need for yourself." - Jessye Norman

21 June 2009

Happy Father's Day


A big Happy Father's day to all those Dads out there who strive to balance their work and family lives. There maybe those days that seem like it may be too much, but it is definitely worth it.

Don't short change the time you have and do spend with your kids. You won't get it back. Every Father's Day, I listen to Harry Chapin's Cats In The Cradle as a reminder to myself of this.

18 June 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - June 18th


"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - Herm Albright

16 June 2009

Always look on the bright side of life


I'm naturally a positive person who takes things in stride. I don't look at the situation with a negative view and dwell on the worst case scenario. I'm not going into details, but lately I've had to fight against internal issues because someone close is doing just this very thing and I can't really voice my opinion about it.

My belief is that if you look for the bad, the worst case or the negative aspects of a situation, then you are setting yourself up for ulcers. It's been told to me, "If I think of the worst case scenario and it's better than that I'll feel better." Huh? OK, let me get this straight, so you spend a day or even days fretting and worrying over something that you have no control over, not sleeping, feeling horrible so that you might feel better when it's over? Sounds like a really bad idea to me.

Maybe I'm naive, but why should we worry about something we have absolutely no control over. Now, if it something we need to prepare for (example: a hurricane is coming and you need to board up the house), then I can understand a little worry. But worrying over what will happen the house after you leave is useless in my opinion. Does worrying cause the hurricane to spare your house any damage? No, so stop it and think positively and wait for the outcome.

Life is far too short to spend it worrying about things. This doesn't mean I don't care, I do. It just means that I have made the decision to embrace the good things in life, look at my half full glass and maintain my inner balance.

Am I way off base or do others feel the same way? Also, Kudos to anyone who get's the picture.

15 June 2009

Monday Morning Quote - June 15th


"The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same." - Carlos Castaneda

13 June 2009

Failure Is Not An Option


Thursday, I posted a great quote from Tom Hopkins. Tom is a sales coach, so you can image a quote like this coming from him related to sales.

But this quote can apply to life. Life is a series of failures. I fail at something everyday. Anyone who says they don't isn't true to themselves. I define "true" failure as any goal you set for yourself that you give up one. But failure can occur on the path to success. Sometimes, failures are benign. Other times, the consequences have a larger impact.

Let me give you some examples. One of my personal goals is to turn off lights whenever I leave a room, so save energy. Sometimes, I forget. This is a failure and I continue to work on it. A failure with a bigger impact is when I promise something to my daughters and don't follow through on it. Then there are those that have a huge impact. No need to elaborate on those.

I don't judge myself by failures, I judge myself by the way I handle those failures. Do I get down on myself? Do I blame others? Or do I assess the failure, learn from it, dust myself off and try to succeed again?

If I don't achieve my goal, I have not failed, I just haven't succeeded yet. Failure is not an option.

11 June 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - June 11th


"I am not judged by the number of times I fail, but by the number of times I succeed: and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I fail and keep trying." - Tom Hopkins

08 June 2009

Monday Morning Quote - June 8th


"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them." - George Bernard Shaw (from the play 'Mrs Warren's Profession')

04 June 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - June 4th


"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned." - Buddha

03 June 2009

The illusion of time


Have you noticed that you can control time? OK, before you write me off as officially losing my mind, hear me out.

Now everyone notices that when they are having a good time, time seems to move much more quickly than when we're not having a good time. Why does a minute with your hand sitting in luke-warm water seem so much faster than when you put your hand in ice cold water?

The reason is that time is concept in our minds. Time has always existed (or at least since the big bang). But how we perceive time is how we control it. Now, we can't bend time like a sci-fi movie. But we can alter our perception of it. We can take a boring meeting and focus our attention on something that holds our interest and make the meeting go by faster. Watch people, their reactions, how they say things. This would make things go faster and might bring you some insight.

The same is true when your having a good time and time seems to go too fast. But this is much harder to do and you may not want to do anything because, hey you're having a good time.

I realize I am jumping around, but my final point is, take a close look at how you perceive time. Once it's gone, you don't get it back. Are you making the most of it, are you using it wisely?

Final note: very interesting list '20 Things You Didn't Know About... Time' from Discover magazine.

02 June 2009

Decluttering Catharsis


There's always something deeply cleansing to my mind and spirit when I declutter something in my life. Today I spent a bit of time clearing out my closet and getting rid of some old clothes and that were worn out, I didn't need, and that I knew I wouldn't wear any more. It was a small job and did not take much time at all. But it made my closet less full and easier to get to my clothes.

Now, I am not a clutterer (is that a word?). I purge stuff quite often and like things neat. I'm not anal-retentive where things have to be perfect, but I do like order. I know people who have accumulated a lot of "stuff" over the years and cannot really tell you why they still have it, but are extremely reluctant to get rid of it.

I'm not like that, but I do have some things that I keep that I don't need to keep, but have a sentimental or emotional connection. Things like the 2006 Sport Illustrated showing the Cardinals winning the World Series, the "picture" my oldest daughters drew for me when she was three, ticket stubs to a Grateful Dead show, etc. I see these things as important. Someone who purges everything risks their life becoming sterile. But more about that in a future post. I have these mementos and things in a plastic drawer in my closet. This is the neat part of me.

Going back to the "stuff". I have known people that reached the point that they need to get rid of it. It's like the show Clean House. When they're done, there is a sense of calm and peacefulness that comes over them. Like the clutter was a weight that was on their shoulders. That is how it feels when I declutter.

If you feel stressed or overwhelmed, part of the cause may be the stuff around you. Clear some space and get rid of things you don't need. You may find the same mental relief that I feel.

01 June 2009

Monday Morning Quote - June 1st


"Hapiness can only be found if you can free yourself of all other distractions." - Saul Bellow

31 May 2009

Blogger Distractions


I haven't really blogged in a while. Things around here have been a bit crazy. I'm someone that likes a bit of routine in my day; not where everything is scheduled and scripted, but a general routine to help the day move along nicely. This last week didn't have any of that. On top of that, my mind's been focused on other, more important things and my blog had to be put on the back burner. Other things like being on twitter and blip.fm have also been set aside for the most part.

Luckily, my other blog, Hoi Polloi Music, had posts scheduled for 1 1/2 week out so it just kinda ran on it's own.

Now that things have calmed down, somewhat, I can ramp back up again. I have made notes for several posts that I plan to do over the next few weeks, so will have a regular post starting up again tomorrow.

Thank you everyone who reads my ramblings and who find the time to comment.

28 May 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - May 28th


"We must overcome the notion that we must be regular... it robs you of the chance to be extraordinary and leads you to the mediocre." - Uta Hagen

26 May 2009

Happy Memorial Day


I want to say Happy Memorial Day to all the men and women who serve in the US Armed Forces. You may not agree with sending them to war, the war itself, or the commander-in-chief who sends them. But, they are doing their job of protecting and defending us and for that I am grateful.

23 May 2009

No more "Yeah, But"


I don't get people that have a negative view of things in life. I call these people the "YeahButs" because this is the phrase many use to add their negative viewpoint to something. Let me give you an example (from a recent encounter with a YeahBut.)

Me : Supposed to be great weather for the 3-day weekend.
YeahBut: Yeah, but unfortunately it'll be wasted since I've got a lot to do around the house.

Ok, what was the purpose of that?

I would hate to go through life with this attitude. It seems so destructive and unhealthy. I struggled to figure out the reasons why some people see the world through this negative view. I think one argument has to do with age old debate nature vs. nurture debate. Some people just grow up in that environment and the behavior becomes learned. Others go through something in their lives, a divorce, death of someone close, or just a series of bad luck experiences which shapes their viewpoint. Still others just seem to be negative for no reason.

Whichever one it is, there are exceptions to this argument. How many stories do you read about or see on TV, where someone has gone through something traumatic and still maintains a positive outlook? This leads me to the final conclusion that some people have either consciously made a decision to reject the pull of the "Yeah, But" negative view and still look for the positives or are just predisposed to lean positive.

We need more people like this. We need people that more ready to jump on board, look at the positives and provide constructive criticism/insight. We need to not allow the YeahButs to make the rules, define our goals and control our destiny.

If you are a YeahBut, stop and look at what you are a doing. You're holding yourself and other back from achieving yours and their full potential. Life only give you so many chances, don't throw yours ways because of your negative view.

21 May 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - May 21st


"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle

18 May 2009

Monday Morning Quote - May 18th


"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin.....
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." - Alfred Souza

17 May 2009

Jumpin Jive - Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers

Watching this (which was done in a single shoot) reminds me how classy the old Jazz Masters were.

16 May 2009

Take My Junk, Please


Just had a garage sale this morning. Several things about garage/yard sales amaze me. First, it is amazing the junk that people will buy (shower curtain liners?). Second, people will walk away from a great deal because of $1. Someone would not buy a perfectly good DVD player for $20 and would only pay $19. But the same person paid $2 for a dirty stuffed animal. Third, why do people ask if I have anything else to sell? Ssh, I've got stuff in my house that I didn't want people to really know I was selling. Yeah, I'm sarcastic.

I actually like garage/yard sales for the pure fact that I can get rid of STUFF. I've become a person that does not want to keep things I don't use. I used to be a clutterer. Not dirty, but just stuff everywhere. Every book I owned, every receipt (organized in a file box for absolutely no reason what-so-ever) and old knick-knacks that I really didn't like, but someone gave it to me. But now, I purge. I like a clutter free dresser, nightstand, counter and table space. I like a closet that I can move the clothes out the way easily, I like... well you get the idea.

If I had my way, the driveway would have been filled with twice the amount of stuff. But like all good relationships, there is compromise.

So it's spring! Clean out those closets, garages, basements and attics. Open the space around you. You'll feel better for it.

14 May 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - May 14th


"What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things instead of using people and loving things." - Unknown

12 May 2009

The price of ignorance


I can't stand ignorant people. Let me make a distinction to clarify this statement. I define stupidity as not knowing something. I define ignorance as willful stupidity or choosing not to know.

I believe ignorance is created completely by fear. A racist does not like African-Americans or Latinos for no real reason, except they do not and do not want to understand them. When I say "understand them", I mean they don't want to accept they are just the same as you with a different color wrapper. They love, feel, strive, are happy and sad just like you. A sexist wants to feel superior to women because they fear what women can do. We both have equal capacity, but women can do things men can't and men can do thing women can't. This does not make on sex the "stronger sex". Guys, let it go. We need each other equally.

Now ignorant people intellectually know their view is not correct, but make the choice to ignore that intelligence. It's so gratifying when the ignorant person gives into intelligence and lets go of the fear.

It's my view that no one is "superior" to another person. A person can be superior in a skill, in intellect or wealth. But that does not make you superior to the person.

We can only solve our local, national and global problem by getting past this fear and using our intelligence the way it was meant to be used. Otherwise, we'll focus our attention of things that don't matter while we neglect the things that do matter and end up destroying ourselves.

11 May 2009

Monday Morning Quote - May 11th


"Often the fear of one evil leads us into a worse." - Nicolas Boileau

10 May 2009

Thank you Mom!


A simple thank you to my Mom. You always believed in us kids even when we didn't believe ourselves.

08 May 2009

10 more things that drive me nuts


In March I posted 10 things that drive me nuts. Apparently, there are many more things that just get under my skin, too.


Things people say:
1) "Is so-and-so here? No? Well, then maybe you can help." Great, I'm your second choice.
2) "Bob and myself will do it". No, it's "Bob and I will do it".
3) When people say "Let me know if I can do anything to help" and then make excuses why they can't when you actually ask.
4) Mind if I interrupt, "OK, since you already have..."
5) People who say "you know" all the time.

Things people do:
1) Turn on their blinker as they are turning. It's as if they're saying, "Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm turning." Well, duh?
2) Leave a small trace of coffee in the coffee pot, so they won't have to make a new pot. You there at my work, you know who you are.
3) Don't wash their hands after going to bathroom. Didn't you mother teach you?
4) Always have to have the last word. These are the people that will always try to send the last text message, IM or email even when they don't need to. The most annoying was someone that would always respond to a thank you with "No, thank you."
5) Throw cigarette butts out the window. First, Don't Litter! Second, I live in Southern California and we have wildfires, so if you do that, you're an idiot.

07 May 2009

Thursday Morning Quote - May 7th


"Sometimes, struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were to go through our life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. Give every opportunity a chance, leave no room for regrets."- Unknown

06 May 2009

Hang in there! 9 life lessons from rock climbing

Veteran rock climber Matthew Childs shares nine pointers for rock climbing. I love how he takes these rock climbing rules and explains how they can be applied to life.

05 May 2009

Lifestyle Changes


I have two people very close to me who are experiencing big health issues. Now I've been blessed with very good health throughout my life, but this has made me look at me much closer. It hit me that I've let myself slide over the last six months or so. I've allowed myself to focus on helping others (not a bad thing at all), but have neglected helping myself.

Now, I don't have any health issue or problems, but I feel unhealthy. And when my body is telling me that, that's my wake up call. I am adding focus on me into every day. Getting back to my running/basketball/swimming shape and improving my spiritual focus. I'm not a religious person, so what I mean by spiritual is internal balance and harmony, not doctrine.

I am very motivated when I get it stuck in my head to do something, so I confident I can regain my old form. What I need to do is build in a structure so that I maintain that for the rest of my life. I've far too much still to do to let life wander on by.

If you are feeling the same way, then do something about. The Nike ad 'Just Do It' was brilliant becausejavascript:void(0) in those three word, it sums up what you need to do. Don't plan when you're going to do it, Just Do It. Don't make excuses why you can't. Just Do It. Well that is what I am doing. Thanks for listening.

04 May 2009

Monday Morning Quote - May 4th


"There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is imitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius

03 May 2009

The power of "No."


"No" is very powerful word. It's a hard word for many to say since it's a negative. I've been slowly learning the power of this 2 letter word and am learning to use it judicially. Let me explain.

In the past, I was one of those people who would accept a job, project, etc. because of the the challenge and I didn't it to appear like I couldn't do it. But, I was only setting myself up for failure. When you accept everything that is sent your way, you can only handle it for so long. I've recently had much more on my plate than it could handle. Things fall off, things run together. In a nutshell, it's a mess.

After a process of several internal discussions (yes I do talk to myself), I saw the problem. I can't make the plate bigger, so I need to limit what is on it. Surprisingly, I have found that a "No" delivered with honesty and explanation is accepted pretty well.

I'm a work in progress and still trying to get through this maze of life, but I think I've found one the keys to a locked door.