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”.

    

Darkness

Darkness cannot drive out darkness;

only light can do that.  Hate cannot

drive out hate; only love can do that.

~ Martin Luther King, Jr. ~

Having Everything

You can't have everything -

where would you put it?

~ Anonymous ~

Failure

The great question is not whether you have failed,

but whether you are content with failure.

~ William Shakespeare ~

Age Doesn't Matter

Age is something that doesn't matter,

unless you are a cheese.

~ Luis Bunuel ~

Happiness Time Brings

Let us never know what old age is.

Let us know the happiness time brings,

not count the years.

~ Ausonius ~

A Pleasant Coincidence

     Yesterday, after posting, "Act Your Age?" on this blog, my wife and I went to see the movie, Dunkirk (an excellent movie).  As we were standing in the ticket line, a gentleman in front of me turned and asked me if I was a veteran.  I told him I had served in the Army and was a veteran.  I asked if he was a veteran and he said he was a WWII veteran, having served in the Pacific Theater with the Navy.  His last duty station was in occupied Japan following the end of the war.

     We had a chance before the movie to further our conversation.  He said that he and his wife loved to travel and had taken 25 cruises.  Unfortunately, his wife died eight years ago.  Following her death, he decided that he wanted to take one last grand cruise.  So, he took a world cruise lasting over 100 days, all on the same cruise ship.  A couple of years later, having enjoyed the world cruise so much, he decided to take another one.  This one also lasting for over 100 days but going to different ports-of-call.

     He was an amateur photographer and took many photographs during the course of his many cruises.  I also like to take photographs so we talked about the "old" days of using film cameras and how we made the transition to digital photography.  We both agreed that digital photography made taking photographs so much easier.

    He said that he gave presentations to various civic groups and senior facilities about his varied travels and showed his photographs during his presentations.  His enthusiasm about his life and his activities was infectious.  He just made you feel good being in his presence.  Oh, and did I mention that he was 94 years young?

    He was the perfect example of what I was saying in my posting about acting your age.  He never once complained about any physical ailments that he might have had or expressed any remorse that he was now left to live alone following his wife's death.  He was too preoccupied with his zest for life.

     What a pleasant coincidence to meet this man who turned out to be the epitome of someone who had chosen to not act their age.  Our brief encounter with this man has given me a fond remembrance of someone who continues to take advantage of what life has to offer...at any age.

    

Act Your Age?

     Last evening while having dinner at a local restaurant, an elderly man walked by our table wearing a red t-shirt.  On the shirt was written, "I can't act my age because I have never been this age before."  I really liked this statement because it expressed what I think about getting older.

     We frequently hear people say that we should act our age.  Who decides what is a proper way to act at a certain age?  And what criteria are they using?  All too often, people suppress their feelings, actions, activities, etc. because they fear that what they want to do is not proper for their age.  That's sad because it stifles people from enjoying themselves and acting in a way that makes them happy.

     It is said that your age is just a number, and it really is.  What matters is the attitude you have, no matter what your age may be.  I want to continue to learn new things, enjoy new things and stay as young mentally as I can.  I do not want to be put in a box that someone else thinks I should be in because I have reached a certain age.  I do not want my age to dictate my life.

     So, consider your age to just be a number.  In fact, don't dwell on how old you are.  Rather, focus on the things you enjoy doing and do not worry if your activities are commensurate with your age.  We all grow old, if we are fortunate.  Growing old only comes with restrictions if we allow it.  Today, kick up your heels and act your mental age, not your physical age.  After all, we have not had practice acting our physical age so why should we try to be good at it.  Try being young at heart and mind and make this a great day!

Humility

People with humility don't think

less of themselves - they just think

about themselves less.

~ Ken Blanchard ~

Doing What You've Always Done

If you keep doing what you've always done,

you'll keep getting what you've always got...

if you're fortunate.

~ Bob Moawad ~

Awareness

An awareness of one's mortality

can lead you to wake up and live

an authentic, meaningful life.

~ Bernie Siegel ~

Mortality

     I guess most people at some point in their lives think about dying.  As you get older, you realize that you are mortal and that dying will be a fact of life for you.  I have known for many years that I have more days behind me than I do ahead of me and for each year I get older, those days yet to come become fewer and fewer.

     It has entered my mind that, if given a choice, I would prefer not to die.  This is not because I am afraid of dying.  Rather, I think of all the unfinished business I have to do and need some “extra” time to get it done (although I suspect that no matter how much extra time I would be given, I would procrastinate, as I am guilty of doing now, and would never complete those important projects). 

     Then I realize that no one is immune to death.  All the great people of this world have died.  People that you would think were so important that they should have received a “pass” on dying.  Compared to those great philosophers, artists, physicians, politicians, etc., what right do I have to avoid the inevitable?

     As I said, I am not afraid of dying.  I believe in God and Heaven and look forward to the day when I will leave this earth and finally learn what dying really means.  However, even if there is no God or Heaven, and there is nothing more after death but our return to dust, I would not be disappointed.  Whatever awaits us after death, we all get to experience it eventually.  In that regard, every person who lives gets treated equally in death.  In a way it is comforting to know that we are on equal footing with all the great minds and talents that have ever lived.

     What is more important is how we live.  I admit that I wish I had lived more, cared more, worked more, and gave more.  But I suspect most people feel that way as they get closer to the end.  I hope to have double-digit years left to live.  I certainly want to stay around as long as I am “allowed” to see my children and grandchildren enjoy the opportunities life has given them.  What a joy it is to have such a wonderful wife and family.  I could not have been more blessed!

     We have all been given the greatest gift of all…the gift of life.  And one thing I have learned is that “life is to die for.”

    

The Greatest Compliment

It's the greatest compliment to be humble.

You want to be the best you can be,

but not compare yourself with others.

I'd just like to be seen as someone

maximizing my own talents.

~ Harkeem Olajuwon ~

Competition

Be grateful for competition.

When your competitors upset your

plans or outdo your designs,

 they open the infinite possibilities of

your own work to you.

~ L. C. Thurow ~