A Fresh Start

New Year's Day. A fresh start. 

A new chapter in life waiting to be written.

New questions to be asked, embraced, and loved.

Answers to be discovered and then lived in this
transformative year of delight and self-discovery.

Today carve out a quiet interlude for yourself in which to dream, pen in hand.

Only dreams give birth to change.

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~

Happy New Year!

A State of Mind

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind.

To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy,

is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

~ Calvin Coolidge ~

Love In Action

Christmas, my child, is love in action.

Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas.

~ Dale Evans ~

Christmas

Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting.

It is happiness because we see joy in people.

It is forgetting self and finding time for others.

It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values.

~ Thomas S. Monson ~

Merry Christmas

Winter

Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.

~ Paul Theroux ~

Happy Winter!

Stay Calm

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.

Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,

even if your whole world seems upset.

~ Saint Francis de Sales ~

Getting Things Done

The whole point in getting things done

is knowing what to leave undone.

~ Oswald Chambers ~

A Spiritual Journey

Each one of us has our own evolution of life,

and each one of us goes through different tests

which are unique and challenging.

But certain things are common.

And we do learn things from each other's experience.

On a spiritual journey, we all have the same destination.

~ A. R. Rahman ~

Believe In Yourself

Once we believe in ourselves,

we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight

or any experience that reveals the human spirit.

~ e.e. cummings ~

Compassion

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

~ Dalai Lama ~

Kindness

No act of kindness, no matter 

how small, is ever wasted. 

~ Aesop ~

Gifts From The Universe

We cannot stop the winter or summer from coming.

We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are.

They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse.

But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.

~ Gary Zukav ~

Knowing Is Not Enough

You see, in life, lots of people know what to do,

but few people actually do what they know.

Knowing is not enough!  You must take action.

~ Tony Robbins ~

Gentleness

Only the weak are cruel.

Gentleness can only be expected from the strong.

~ Leo Buscaglia ~

In Need Of Praise

People are in greater need of your praise

when they try and fail, than when they try and succeed.

~ Bob Moawad ~

A Fool

For God's sake give me

someone who has brains enough

to make a fool of himself.

~ Robert Louis Stevenson ~

Know It Alls

Those who think they know it all

have no way of finding out they don't.

~ Leo Buscaglia ~

Think You Do

Don't care what others think of what you do;

but care very much about what you think you do.

~ St. Francis Desales ~

Stop to Figure Out

If at first you don't succeed,

before you try again, stop to figure

out what you did wrong.

~ Leo Rosten ~

Favorite Expressions

Some favorite expressions of small children:

"It's not my fault...They made me do it...I forgot."

Some favorite expressions of small adults:

"It's not my job...No one told me..It couldn't be helped."

True freedom begins and ends with personal accountability.

~ Dan Zadra ~

Persistence

Ambition is the path to success.

Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

~ Bill Bradley ~

When I Am An Old Man

When I am an old man...

     I shall wear my old slippers whenever I choose.
     Have popcorn and pickles while on my armchair cruise. 
     Dance around in my bathrobe, put my false teeth in a jar,
     Make friends of my enemies and talk love, not war. 
     Eat ice cream for breakfast and spend some days abed. 
     Nod off in the sunshine over books I've not read.

     I'll drink milk from the carton, eat peaches from their tin,
     And throw away my neckties, grow whiskers on my chin.
     Make music on an old guitar to chase away the blues,
     And scratch where it itches, forget to shine my shoes.

     Wink at the girls and give a big grin,
     Notice the sunsets and let the dogs come in. 
     On holidays I'll wear fine shirts, plaid trousers that are loose. 
     And let one of the youngsters carve the turkey or the goose.

     But now we must get to work on time.
     Save every nickle, penny and dime. 
     Be proper and prim, stay healthy and fit,
     Pay our taxes and not complain about it.

     But maybe I'll begin doing some of those things now,
     Like forgetting my manners when I am eating my chow. 
     So our friends will recognize me on that far away day,
     When suddenly I am old and begin acting that way!

     ~ Poem by Donna Schwarz and Elizabeth Lucas ~

Who Can Stop You?

Others can stop you temporarily -

you are the only one who can do it permanently.

~ Zig Ziglar ~

Anything Worth Doing

Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly,

until you can learn to do it well.

~ Steve Brown ~

Holiday Stress

The holidays stress people out so much.

I suggest that you keep it simple

and try to have as much fun as you can.

~ Giada De Laurentiis ~

Thanksgiving

I am grateful for what I am and have.

My thanksgiving is perpetual.

~ Henry David Thoreau ~

I wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving each and every day!

Giving Thanks

When you rise in the morning,

give thanks for the light, for your life,

for your strength.  Give thanks for your

food and for the joy of living.  If you

see no reason to give thanks, the

fault lies in yourself.

~ Tecumseh ~

Being Thankful

Be thankful for what you have; 

you'll end up having more.

If you concentrate on what you don't have,

you will never, ever have enough.

~ Oprah Winfrey ~

Measuring Yourself

If you insist on measuring yourself,

put the tape around your heart rather

than your head.  Try measuring your

wealth by who you are, rather than

what you have.

~ Carol Trabelle ~

Great Opportunities

We are all faced with a

series of great opportunities brilliantly

disguised as unsolvable problems.

~ John W. Gardner ~

Dreams

Your dreams are not meant to put

you to sleep, but to alert and arouse

you to your immense possibilities.

~ David Phillips ~

The 1%

I found myself this past Saturday thinking about the 1 percenters (1%).  No, I am not referring to the ultra-wealthy that many politicians like to rant against.  Rather, I was thinking about the 1% of the population that is serving their country as a member of the U.S. armed forces.  Saturday was Veterans Day and it is a day when our nation pauses to thank all those men and women who have served in the military.  It is estimated that currently 1% of the US population is a member of one of our armed forces. This number has not always been this low.  In past years, and particularly during armed conflicts, that percentage was much higher.  

This country has gotten better in recent years thanking our veterans for their service.  I was on active duty in the Army during the Vietnam era.  When I was discharged, I was told to not wear my uniform as I traveled home.  That was because the Vietnam War was so unpopular that protestors would accost anyone wearing a uniform.  What a sad way for someone who had served their country to be treated.  Many who served during Vietnam did so because they were drafted.  They were not in Vietnam so much by choice as much as they were there because they were drafted and were sent there to fight in an unpopular war.

I recently heard a statistic that was troublesome.  At one time in our Congress, over 70% of our senators and representatives had been in the military.  Today, it is less than 10%.  It is no wonder that veterans are often forgotten when it comes to enacting laws that will improve benefits to those who have served their country.  Unless you have been in the military, it is difficult to understand the emotional, financial, and physical strain that can be put on military families.  These military families deserve much more from this country than they are presently receiving.

            Whether you agree with the policies of our government concerning the use of our military, the fact is that we will always require a military to be trained and ready to protect and defend our country.  Now that we no longer have a draft, the men and women who are in our military are there because they want to serve this country.  This is not only a noble cause but it is one that this country should support with our appreciation and we should ensure that these military families receive the benefits they so richly deserve. 

            So, rather than focusing on the 1% of those in our population that are extremely wealthy, why not focus on the 1% of the population that are giving the rest of us the freedom to live and be successful in the United States…the members of the U.S. military.

Veterans

Veterans are a symbol of what makes our country great,

and we must never forget all they have done to ensure our freedom.

~ Rodney Frelinghuysen ~

Just Remember

Just remember that you don't 

have to be what they want you to be.

~ Muhammad Ali ~

Imagination

Logic will get you from A to B.

Imagination will take you everywhere.

~ Albert Einstein ~

We Each Can Help

In this dangerous world we live in,

where hatred and violence and

natural disasters sometimes collide

to overwhelm us, we each can help in some way.

~ Marsha Blackburn ~

Love & Baseball

Love is the most important thing in the world,

but baseball is pretty good too.

~ Yogi Berra ~

Congratulations to the Houston Astros! 

Silently Affirm

Each day silently affirm

that you are the type of person with

whom you would like to spend

the rest of your life.

~ Bob Moawad ~

Halloween

If human beings had genuine courage,

they'd wear their costumes every day of the year,

not just on Halloween.

~ Douglas Coupland ~

Self-Image

The starting point for both

success and happiness is a

healthy self-image.

Playing the Violin

Life is like playing the violin solo in public

and learning the instrument as you go along.

~ Samuel Butler ~

Music

Music is probably the only real magic

I have encountered in my life.

There's not some trick involved with it.

Its pure and its real.

It moves, it heals, it communicates

and does all these incredible things.

~ Tom Petty ~

Every Day

Every day is a new opportunity.

You can build on yesterday's success

or put its failures behind and start over again.

That's the way life is, with a new game every day,

and that's the way baseball is.

~ Bob Feller ~

What Life Expects

In the Auschwitz death camp, a group of inmates told Victor Frankl

that they no longer expected anything from life.  Frankl responded

that they had it backward.  "Life expects something of you,

and it is up to every individual to discover what it should be."

Point of View

We cling to our own point of view,

as though everything depended on it.

Yet our opinions have no permanence;

like autumn and winter, they

gradually pass away.

~ Zhaungzi ~

Never Be In A Hurry

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly

and in a calm spirit.  Do not lose your inner peace

for anything whatsoever, even if your whole

seems upset.

~ Saint Francis de Sales ~

Dreams & Tasks

A vision without a task

is but a dream.

A task without a dream

is drudgery.

But

Dreams and tasks together

are the hope of the world.

 

 ~ Written by an English Lord in 1730 ~

Doing the Impossible

Never tell a young person that

something cannot be done.  God may

have waited centuries for someone

ignorant enough of the impossible

to do that very thing.

~ Dr. J. R. Holmes ~

Good Humor

Good humor is a tonic for mind and body.

It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression.

It is a business asset.  It attracts and keeps friends.

It lightens human burdens.  It is the direct route

to serenity and contentment.

~ Grenville Kleiser ~

Mother Earth

     I just returned from Albuquerque, New Mexico where I attended the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with my wife, sister, and brother-in-law.  We were fortunate to take a hot-air balloon ride where we flew for about 1 1/2 hours, and rose as high as 9,000 feet.  Upon landing, we were treated to a champagne toast, a French custom for hot-air ballooning, and our pilot read the following Irish Balloonist Prayer:

The winds have welcomed you with softness

The sun has blessed you with it's warm hands

You have flown so high and so well

That God has joined you in laughter

And may set you gently back again

Into the loving arms of Mother Earth

     Flying silently above the land brings a form of serenity and calm to what is often a frenzied existence on earth.   You may not have the opportunity to ride in a hot-air balloon (although I strongly suggest that you put it on your Bucket List), but we all should strive to duplicate that serenity and calm in our lives as we go about our activities here in the loving arms of Mother Earth.  

Don’t Get Discouraged

Don’t get discouraged; it is often

the last key in the bunch that

opens the lock. 

You’re the One

You never work for somebody else. 

Someone else might sign your check

But you’re the one who fills in the amount. 

Things You Wear

Of all the things you wear,

Your expression is the most important. 

~ Janet Lane ~

It's Your Life

It's your life, your one and only life -

so take excellence very personally.

~ Scott Johnson ~

Turn It Around

I was restless.  I was doing okay,

but I was restless.  One day it dawned 

on me that I had been looking at life

 through the wrong end of the telescope.

It was up to me to turn it around -

to make it bigger, better, more satisfying.

~ Arnold Swartzenegger ~

Something You Create

People talk about "finding" their lives.

In reality, your life is not something you find -

it's something you create.

~ David Phillips ~

Look Inside

For awhile I looked outside to see

what I could make the world give me,

instead of looking inside to see

what was there.

~ Bell Livingstone ~

Freedom

That's what freedom is all about-

a chance to be better.

~ Albert Camus ~

Look For The Helpers

    

     It is difficult to express what I am feeling about the series of devastating events that have occurred recently.  The horrific hurricanes that caused so much loss of life and damage and the awful carnage caused by the shooting in Las Vegas are difficult to comprehend and can really hinder our ability to maintain a positive attitude.

     Sadly, these events are not the only things that we may have to face in a lifetime.  During my years, I have experienced the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the Vietnam War, the tragic events on 9/11, numerous terrorist attacks and natural disasters caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes.  When you live through these tragedies they are not history, but real-time events that will live with you forever.  Such will be the case with the natural disasters we have seen ravage Texas, Louisiana, Florida, the Caribbean Islands, and Puerto Rico.  Similarly, the man-made disaster in Las Vegas will be etched into our subconscious forever.   As each specific event occurred, you first were struck with the sadness of what had happened and the concern how we, as a country or the world collectively, could ever recover from such a difficult circumstance.

     As history has shown us, we were able to recover but not without difficulty.  Damaged buildings and infrastructure can be repaired, but repairing the emotional and psychological scars is much more extensive and difficult. It is at times like these when we must look for the good that occurs when bad things happen.  The children television star, Mr. Rogers, is quoted as saying, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”  

     There is no question that television has allowed us to witness so many people who helped during and immediately after these disasters.  It gives me comfort to see that there are so many more good people who are willing to help their fellow human beings than there are those who inflict harm.  That should be the basis upon which we can begin to build confidence that we will be able to overcome the devastating effects from these events. 

     Keeping a positive attitude in these troubled times is not meant to suggest that we should stick our heads in the sand and ignore troubling things that go on around us.  Rather, we should recognize that it is troubling times that are the challenges each of us will face in our lifetime.  It is these challenges that we must overcome.  If we do not, we lose our direction and will lack the ability to rise above the sadness and grief that we all are feeling.  Look for the helpers…they will give us hope.

Prayers

Thoughts and prayers are with the victims

and families of the Las Vegas shooting.

Opposition

Don't be afraid of opposition.

Remember, a kite rises against -

not with - the wind.

~ Hamilton Mabie ~

An Old Chinese Legend

        This is the story of a wise old man.  He was considered to be an odd sort of fellow because of the way he had of looking at things.  One time one of his horses ran away.  His friends rallied around him to console him.  "That's too bad," they said.  "We are sorry for you."
        "How do you know it is bad?" the old man asked them.
          A few days later, the horse returned.  He had two wild horses with him.  This brought the neighbors on the run.  "Good, good!" they said, rejoicing with him.
         "How do you know it is good?" the old man asked them.
          They could not answer that one either.  So they said no more.
           In training the two wild horses, the man's son was thrown and his leg was broken.  Again the neighbors came to commiserate with him. "Oh that's too bad," they said.  "We sympathize with you in your misfortune."
           "How do you know that this is bad?" the old man said again.
            The very next day a war lord and his army came through the land conscripting all able bodied young men to fight for them.  But not the son of the old man.  He was not able bodied.

MORAL:  There is neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so.  Hidden within each challenge is a blessing in disguise.

Being Cheerful

Everyone, including you, just naturally feels better

when exposed to a cheerful, optimistic, individual

regardless of the nature or length of the contact.

Persistence

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

Talent will not.  Nothing is more common than unsuccessful

men with talent.  Genius will not.  Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.

Education will not.  The world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence, determination and hard work make the difference.

~ Calvin Coolidge ~

Promise Yourself

Promise Yourself:

    To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

    To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

    To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

    To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

    To think only of the best, to work only for the best and expect only the best.

    To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

    To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

    To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

    To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

    To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.          

A Second Spring

Autumn is a second spring

when every leaf is a flower.

~ Albert Camus ~

I Will Try

"I can't do it" never yet accomplished anything.

"I will try" has performed wonders.

~ George P. Burnham ~

Attitude

     The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.  It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people say or do.  It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill.  It will make or break a company...a church...a home.

     The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.  We cannot change our past...we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way.  We cannot change the inevitable.  The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is
our...attitude.

~ Charles Stinwoll ~

Being Appreciated

Everyone appreciates being appreciated.

Catch people red-handed in the act

of doing something right each day -

and praise them for it.

~ Bob Moawad ~

The One You Feed

An old Cherokee told his grandson, 

"My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.

One is Evil.

  It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego.

The other is Good.

It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth.

The boy thought about it and asked,

"Grandfather, which wolf wins?"

The old man quietly replied,

"The one you feed."

~ Author Unknown ~

Worthy of Its Children

Each second we live

is a new and unique moment of the universe,

a moment that never was before

and never will be again.

And what do we teach our children in school?

We teach them that two and two make four

and that Paris is the capital of France.

When will we teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them:

Do you know what you are?

You are a marvel.

You are unique.

In all the world there is no other child

exactly like you.

In the millions of years that have passed,

there has never been a child like you.

And look at your body....what a wonder it is!

Your legs, your arms, your cunning fingers

the way they move!

You may become a Shakespeare,

a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.

You have the capacity for anything.

Yes, you are a marvel.

And when you grow up,

can you then harm another

who is like you, a marvel?

You must cherish one another.

You must work

we all must work

to make this world worthy of its children.

~ Pablo Casals ~

Get Involved

You must get involved to have an impact.

No one is impressed with the won-lost record of the referee.

~ John Holcomb ~

Rebuilding

When we rebuild a house,

we are rebuilding a home.

When we recover from a disaster,

we are rebuilding lives and livelihoods.

~ Sri Mulyani Indrawati ~

September 11th

The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit.

Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified.

We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political,

economic and religious freedom, the rule of law, and

respect for human life.  We are more determined than ever

to live our lives in freedom.

~ Rudy Giuliani ~

Nothing Worse Will Happen

Eat a live frog first thing in the morning

and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.

~ Mark Twain ~

Ability

You are the only person on this earth

who can use your ability.

Being Paid

When you do more than you're paid to do,

you will eventually be paid more for what you do.

Labor

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance

and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ~

Prime Purpose in Life

Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.

And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.

~ Dalai Lama ~

Natural Disasters

Even with all our technology and 

the inventions that make modern life

so much easier than it once was,

it takes one big natural disaster to

wipe all that away and remind us that,

here on Earth, we're still at the mercy of nature.

~ Neil deGrasse Tyson ~

The Best You

You will make a lousy anybody else,

but you are the best YOU in existence.

Prepare

Prepare!  The time will come

when winter will ask you

 what you were doing all summer.

~ Henry Clay ~

Health

It is health that is real wealth

and not pieces of gold and silver.

~ Mahatma Gandhi ~

Make A Difference

Act as if what you do makes a difference.

It does.

~ William James ~

Leaners

     Do you know about leaners?  You may not know these people by this name, but I am sure that you have seen these individuals.  As you drive by a construction site or a road repair crew you will notice that a few individuals are hard at work while others are “leaning” on their shovels watching those who are working.  Hence the name “leaners”.

    Leaners are not just unique to those jobs that require shovels.  They are prevalent at most work sites, to include offices.  These people are content to do the minimum of work and often complain if given a workload that they consider excessive.  They are the ones you see “leaning” on the water cooler or by the coffee pot.  They lack the motivation to do a decent day’s work.

     As a former supervisor, I found the presence of leaners in an organization exasperating.  To motivate these people seemed impossible…to get them to realize the importance of earning their pay also was difficult. 

    

     Leaners seem to complain about things more than other people.  They complain that upper management does not treat them fairly…they should be promoted, rewarded, and compensated for their efforts.  They complain more because they have more time to engage in the art of complaining and whining.  Those that work hard frequently do not have the time to find fault…they are too busy doing their job.

     While I had problems trying to supervise leaners, as a fellow employee, I found them to be extremely useful.  The more leaners there are in an organization, the easier it is for someone who is conscientious and works hard to look good.  In comparison, average workers look great when being compared to a leaner.  Without leaners, we would all have to work harder to impress the boss.

     Having a positive attitude, high self-esteem, and being goal-oriented go a long way to give an individual an advantage in competing with fellow employees.  However, leaners give all of us some slack to not always have to work at our full potential.  Imagine if everybody had a strong work ethic and consistently gave 100 percent.  It would certainly make it more difficult to stand out and be considered by upper management for advancement.  So while it was difficult supervising leaners, they made it easier for me to advance to being a supervisor.

     I guess I should be grateful that other employees have been content to lean on the job and watch others move up the ladder.  As a supervisor, I found it difficult when employees “Lean on Me”.