Spurred by one of the central tenets of The Minimalists, "...finding and living your passion...", a little crystal of continuity and truth became clear to me today. I'd like to share it.
The idea of passion -- not the steamy bedroom type, but rather, that which burns inside of each of us to live more fully, more completely, more earnestly -- has been central to my life journey since I was a young man. It would be fair to say that I've searched to identify and nurture that passion all of my adult life.
But it's been hit and miss, at best.
However, when I connect the idea of "mission" to "passion", it becomes more evident: how to find it, how to build it, grow it, LIVE it. I've been close sometimes, have had times of great synchronicity, but have also had many more times of feeling I was sneaking around outside, but not IN, not doing what I felt I should be doing.
In business school I heard a lot about mission statement as a cornerstone of any start-up. Define what you want your venture to be: it will inform both within the organization and outside as well. Good place to begin, for sure. And not only for businesses is this a fine first step, but also for individuals, and couples too.
When my wife and I got married a few years back (and before our first child was born), we decided to draft a family mission statement, to define what was important to us, and to be used as a guide for our children, when they arrived. We have the mission statement on our mantle, I have it on my lap top screen saver, and on my cubicle wall at work. I read it daily, think about it, ponder what it really means.
It goes like this:
"We are a family who lives simply, encourages each other to grow mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, and our priority is to maintain connection to ourselves, each other, God, and our community."
Today it hit me: that mission statement is really born from my wife and my collective passion for what matters most in our lives. It talks about our family, our faith, our friends, our desire to always be growing and trying to get better. It DEFINES our passion. And once defined, any goal is easier to work toward, to stay focused on, to LIVE.
So whatever your calling, whatever you feel stirs you inside, truly makes you happy, THAT is worth putting in words, in a couple of simple phrases, to define and make known to the world what you're about. As an old Irish musician once said, "I believe in beginnings; the rest is inevitable." So take the first step, the rest will follow.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Pros/Cons List for GOOD
Pros/Cons List for GOOD
Maintaining a good attitude is a daily, and often hourly endeavor.
When you run up against something or someone that poses a threat to your positive thinking, jotting down (or thinking through) a quick pros/cons list can help you cope.
After all, the old adage, "people can say or act however they want, but how you respond to them is up to you" is a timeless truth.
HOW YOU RESPOND TO OTHERS IS YOUR CHOICE.
Choose the high road, to the benefit of yourself and everyone around you.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
True Grit: What it Gets You
(source: Derek Murphy)
Listening to the radio on the way to work recently, they were doing a piece on "true grit", defined for the discussion as Persistence, Determination and Resilience -- and a rise of said attitude in the context of education.
They had me at the introduction when they mentioned John Wayne's film by the same name, "True Grit", about a teenage girl who partner's with Wayne's character to find her father's killer in the old west. Great movie, great theme.
The more I think about it, "grit" is one of those qualities want to do everything possible to instill in my kids. it's a trait that will serve them well throughout their lives. What makes this trait an iron quality for life is that is not just for survival, but for happiness throughout our lives that we do well to be steeled against the inevitable adversities that life will deal us.
Webster's New World Dictionary (1971) defines grit as "stubborn courage; pluck." These traits really get at the heart of what fuels the persistence, determination and resilience mentioned above as additional defining terms. All these together describe a trait all of us would do well to identify and cultivate in ourselves as we go through life. And the sooner the better.
After all, having determination, long-term fortitude, and the ability to bounce back from failures cause by our own doing or circumstances beyond our control are fundamental to successful...well...living!
Consider educational situations when we're students trying to memorize multiplication tables, or learning how to play the piano, or stepping on the soccer pitch or baseball diamond to practice -- and there are countless other examples -- where if we have the traits mentioned above, if we have grit, we'll persevere through difficulties to improve, and maybe even succeed at our goal.
Without that trait, without grit, we run the risk of mounting frustration, disappointment, and even diminished self-esteem as we struggle at any given task or objective. And of course, when we enter the workforce as adults, having the grit to find a job, learn skills, seek promotion, develop professionally, makes ALL the difference.
With the turbo-pace of work, how often people change jobs (either by choice or necessity), the number of workers that are "1099" (contractors) versus "W-2" (full time employees with benefits), versus "laid-off and looking", it's clear that grit can help you cope with the stress and anxiety that comes from the uncertainty of today's work environment.
After all, having determination, long-term fortitude, and the ability to bounce back from failures cause by our own doing or circumstances beyond our control are fundamental to successful...well...living!
Consider educational situations when we're students trying to memorize multiplication tables, or learning how to play the piano, or stepping on the soccer pitch or baseball diamond to practice -- and there are countless other examples -- where if we have the traits mentioned above, if we have grit, we'll persevere through difficulties to improve, and maybe even succeed at our goal.
Without that trait, without grit, we run the risk of mounting frustration, disappointment, and even diminished self-esteem as we struggle at any given task or objective. And of course, when we enter the workforce as adults, having the grit to find a job, learn skills, seek promotion, develop professionally, makes ALL the difference.
With the turbo-pace of work, how often people change jobs (either by choice or necessity), the number of workers that are "1099" (contractors) versus "W-2" (full time employees with benefits), versus "laid-off and looking", it's clear that grit can help you cope with the stress and anxiety that comes from the uncertainty of today's work environment.
It starts early, developing the life skills to be resilient, focused, and just plain not-willing-to-give-up. Whether it's learning to tie your shoes, graduating from high school, or finishing an advanced degree in night school while working full time, grit will help you be successful, and ultimately, a happier person.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Your Attitude: Choose Wisely.
Early in his seminal work, The Road Less Traveled, Scott Peck used words linked to the Buddha's Noble Truths:
“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult-once we truly understand and accept it-then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”
This insight helped me greatly as a young adult, changed me permanently for the better in fact. With that perspective, I had a whole different and more helpful baseline from which to interpret things in my life that didn't go my way.
This perspective also inspired one of my life objectives: to nurture, maintain, and share a positive attitude ALWAYS, or at least as nearly as always, as I could. 28 years later, I'm still working at it, now with three particular little people to focus this positive energy toward: my children.
Your attitude directly effects everyone (and I would suggest "everything" too) that is around you. This fact is especially true if you have kids.
Every day parents have the opportunity to help their children start the day off on the right foot, in the morning as the day begins. Parents have tremendous influence, modeling, teaching, encouraging their children to make a good start to the day and to have a good attitude.
Most every work morning at our house, here's how it shakes down.
I get up very early on workdays. I'm the taxi service for the kids to daycare in the morning, and have to be in the office about 30 miles away by seven o'clock.
I attend to a couple quick morning chores and go through my "get-ready" routine. It takes about 35 minutes. I take the kids' bag, my workbag, and my lunch out to the car.
My wife and I then team up to get the kids ready, which amounts to getting another layer of clothes on them (they're still in their pajamas), so they can stay cozy during the pre-dawn car ride.
If we think we struggle with starting our day, most parents would agree I bet that kids have an even harder time. Here's where I try to help them ease into the day, and shift their sleepy grumpiness to try and be positive.
I use quiet tones as I talk to them. I whisper positive, reassuring words to shore up their fragile morning mood, patting each little back as I carry them to the car and buckle them in. I try to use empathy and references to their having a good attitude and how it helps our shared mission of getting out of the house on-time.
I might mention the clouds, the stars, the streetlight, a morning dove singing in the tree in the front yard, or other nice parts of the day beginning, how these tidbits indicate there's a good day ahead with fun to be had. My intent is to help them broaden their awareness of the day beginning to unfold, and give them a little hope.
And it's hope that is the cornerstone of having and maintaining a positive attitude, and getting back to good space when we inevitably falter under the weight of the day to day.
Especially when your start your day before dawn, with little people, doing what you can to help them cultivate their own positive attitude that will serve them well over the course of their lives.
"Look at that honey, it's the Milky Way. I bet it's going to be a good day."
Choose wisely. Choose to have a good attitude to start the day, especially for your kids. And watch the magic unfold!
Monday, January 6, 2014
#pupfic1
by Jeff Ludlum
Copyright 2013
--
[This is a re-post from September via another blog, *Misc. Ramblings*, when I transcribed this experiment in "micro-fiction" from 22 tweets that tell a little story. Fashioned in the spirit of a great writing series I shared with my good friend, Scott Murphy, over several media, a few years ago. Just for fun, just to share. Enjoy!]
--
The arrest had come suddenly. He shouldn't have been surprised. "I know the risks, Mom", he always said. Women, war, whatever.
He'd been awaken by two beat cops walking through the park. "Hey man. Wake up. Wake up, buddy. Ya can't sleep on the park bench."
The detective was reluctant to push too hard initially. "You're a bit of a hard ass, aren't ya man?" The room was dark and cold.
When asked about his background he explained it simply. "I've been trained variously by four armies. So I've learned a thing or two."
"Ya gotta play to your strengths", his pa had always said. He's certainly been able to do that most of his life. Always testing.
It was a long time before he opened up and let his confidence be known.
"Beh!", is all he said when asked about things by the others. "You a retard?" they asked. "Beh." "Huh. Must be."
He had been quiet much of that first month. Watching, listening to the men behind bars with him, figuring how things worked.
"I'll tell ya", he'd declared to his cellmates, "They ain't gonna keep me, no how no way."
"No how no way. But how ya gonna find your way?", the old man asked.
"It's not only what they say, but how they say things, and who listens, whose eyes wander, there's wisdom there", Blue'd said.
"I can't believe you actually listen to what they say", he'd said to Old Blue several weeks back. He'd learned much since then.
The attorneys droned on for hours, and the judge's lengthy comments at sentencing were the last straw. He knew it was time.
"Adios, amigo!", was last thing he said to the judge as he slipped his bindings and sprinted past the bailiffs through the doors.
He'd used a red car, a white bicycle, and Electric Blue Razor to make his escape that started from city hall downtown.
He'd been on the run for so many hours, evading his pursuers, he was a bit complacent. An uncharacteristic error, nearly fatal.
The snarling rottweiler nearly caught him two blocks back. Scrambling to the top of the chain link fence, he'd torn his trousers.
The smell was quite pungent in the doorway. The red paint on the door was chipped, peeling. The porch light had broken long ago.
He was relieved to have made it through maze of the Whittier complex in one piece. Dodging potholes and street refuse wasn't easy.
The houses grew as he moved west through the city. Apartment blocks gave way to ranch-style homes. By sunset, he was almost there.
He sat at the kitchen table most of the night, wondering what the next day would bring. It was time for change. Enough with fear.
He came into the house through the bathroom window. It was his usual entry point. He was exhausted after evading the law all day.
On stiff legs, he walked out of the darkened room and into the early morning. The sun was just breaking over the hills to east.
Copyright 2013
--
[This is a re-post from September via another blog, *Misc. Ramblings*, when I transcribed this experiment in "micro-fiction" from 22 tweets that tell a little story. Fashioned in the spirit of a great writing series I shared with my good friend, Scott Murphy, over several media, a few years ago. Just for fun, just to share. Enjoy!]
--
He'd been awaken by two beat cops walking through the park. "Hey man. Wake up. Wake up, buddy. Ya can't sleep on the park bench."
The detective was reluctant to push too hard initially. "You're a bit of a hard ass, aren't ya man?" The room was dark and cold.
When asked about his background he explained it simply. "I've been trained variously by four armies. So I've learned a thing or two."
"Ya gotta play to your strengths", his pa had always said. He's certainly been able to do that most of his life. Always testing.
It was a long time before he opened up and let his confidence be known.
"Beh!", is all he said when asked about things by the others. "You a retard?" they asked. "Beh." "Huh. Must be."
He had been quiet much of that first month. Watching, listening to the men behind bars with him, figuring how things worked.
"I'll tell ya", he'd declared to his cellmates, "They ain't gonna keep me, no how no way."
"No how no way. But how ya gonna find your way?", the old man asked.
"It's not only what they say, but how they say things, and who listens, whose eyes wander, there's wisdom there", Blue'd said.
"I can't believe you actually listen to what they say", he'd said to Old Blue several weeks back. He'd learned much since then.
The attorneys droned on for hours, and the judge's lengthy comments at sentencing were the last straw. He knew it was time.
"Adios, amigo!", was last thing he said to the judge as he slipped his bindings and sprinted past the bailiffs through the doors.
He'd used a red car, a white bicycle, and Electric Blue Razor to make his escape that started from city hall downtown.
He'd been on the run for so many hours, evading his pursuers, he was a bit complacent. An uncharacteristic error, nearly fatal.
The snarling rottweiler nearly caught him two blocks back. Scrambling to the top of the chain link fence, he'd torn his trousers.
The smell was quite pungent in the doorway. The red paint on the door was chipped, peeling. The porch light had broken long ago.
He was relieved to have made it through maze of the Whittier complex in one piece. Dodging potholes and street refuse wasn't easy.
The houses grew as he moved west through the city. Apartment blocks gave way to ranch-style homes. By sunset, he was almost there.
He sat at the kitchen table most of the night, wondering what the next day would bring. It was time for change. Enough with fear.
He came into the house through the bathroom window. It was his usual entry point. He was exhausted after evading the law all day.
On stiff legs, he walked out of the darkened room and into the early morning. The sun was just breaking over the hills to east.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Old Guys Rule
"Old Guys Rule". You see it on bumper stickers, t-shirts, coffee mugs. It's a simple statement really. Mostly it's about middle age men and above who want to boost their morale and self-esteem, a self declaration that they're still relevant, have something to offer, and deserve respect.
At least, that's this "old guy's" perspective as I continue through the second half of the 40s.
So naturally, gotta give a shout-out to some "older gents" who not only deserve respect for what they have accomplished, but what they are STILL accomplishing in their 40s, 50s, 70s, and beyond.
Chris Horner, 42
Source: USA Today
The three grand tours in professional road bicycle racing are Il Giro in Italy, the Tour de France, and La Vuelta in Spain. All races are three weeks long, and have the riders covering more than 2,000 kilometers, with mixed terrain, including several mountain stages that are particularly grueling.
Maybe one of the most exciting grand tour bike races in recent memory was the 2013 edition. This race became the crowning professional achievement for Horner, who at 41 became the oldest winner of a grand tour, and he did it in epic fashion. It was on the mountain stages that Horner won the race, proving he was the strongest rider in the peloton.
So great was the effort, so compelling was the result, that cycling website Velo News named Horner the Rider of the Year for 2013. BRAVO!
Jens Voigt, 42
Jens Voigt has been racing his bike a long time. What started out as a means for his parents to help him expend some of his enormous reservoir of energy as a youth, right up today, he likes nothing more than to peddle his two-wheel stead to the front and ride faster than everyone else.
This season Voigt demonstrated once again that his basic philosophy encapsulated by the simple phrase he tells himself when racing, "Shut up, legs!" is still effective.
Asked if his innate racing sense is something he can mentor a younger rider to do, Voigt replied, “I have a big engine; I can handle a big work load. I’m willing to work hard. I think this instinct is just part of who I am. It’s hard to teach because the decision-making is done in just a split second. It’s like a voice talking in your head, saying, ‘Go now! Go now! Go now!’ And then listening to the voice. I try to teach the boys to be brave, be courageous. On Sunday night if you have some energy left, it’s too late. There is no stage on Monday. Get it all out now. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated.”
Gary Stevens, 50
Source: New York Times
The first trainer to earn more than $100 million in purse money, he has been the year's top money winner 14 times. Lukas got his big break in 1980 when he won the Preakness Stakes on Codex.
His horses have won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness Stakes on six occasions, and have claimed victory four times in the Belmont Stakes, including winning all three of the Classics in 1995 with Thunder Gulch (Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes) and Timber Country (Preakness), making him the first trainer to sweep the Triple Crown Classic races with two different horses in a season. In 2013, he surpassed Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons for the most Triple Crown race victories with 14.
With a keen sense of the practical and the business of horses and racing, Lukas will hopefully carry on for many more years. Everyone around him will benefit.
David Perlman, 94
At least, that's this "old guy's" perspective as I continue through the second half of the 40s.
So naturally, gotta give a shout-out to some "older gents" who not only deserve respect for what they have accomplished, but what they are STILL accomplishing in their 40s, 50s, 70s, and beyond.
Chris Horner, 42
Source: USA Today
The three grand tours in professional road bicycle racing are Il Giro in Italy, the Tour de France, and La Vuelta in Spain. All races are three weeks long, and have the riders covering more than 2,000 kilometers, with mixed terrain, including several mountain stages that are particularly grueling.
Maybe one of the most exciting grand tour bike races in recent memory was the 2013 edition. This race became the crowning professional achievement for Horner, who at 41 became the oldest winner of a grand tour, and he did it in epic fashion. It was on the mountain stages that Horner won the race, proving he was the strongest rider in the peloton.
So great was the effort, so compelling was the result, that cycling website Velo News named Horner the Rider of the Year for 2013. BRAVO!
Jens Voigt, 42
Source: Veloimages/steephill.tv
Jens Voigt has been racing his bike a long time. What started out as a means for his parents to help him expend some of his enormous reservoir of energy as a youth, right up today, he likes nothing more than to peddle his two-wheel stead to the front and ride faster than everyone else.
This season Voigt demonstrated once again that his basic philosophy encapsulated by the simple phrase he tells himself when racing, "Shut up, legs!" is still effective.
He took the 66th win of his career in May 2013 at the Tour of California. He was 41 at the time.
Asked if his innate racing sense is something he can mentor a younger rider to do, Voigt replied, “I have a big engine; I can handle a big work load. I’m willing to work hard. I think this instinct is just part of who I am. It’s hard to teach because the decision-making is done in just a split second. It’s like a voice talking in your head, saying, ‘Go now! Go now! Go now!’ And then listening to the voice. I try to teach the boys to be brave, be courageous. On Sunday night if you have some energy left, it’s too late. There is no stage on Monday. Get it all out now. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be intimidated.”
Last year after the California time- trial which had Voigt on the podium in second place, he commented that he enjoyed every moment because he didn’t know how many more opportunities he would have to be there before his career was over. But last August he produced a stage win in Colorado and won a race in Germany two weeks ago, along with today’s win, making podiums look like a regular thing for 41-year old Voigt.
“I like to call this the ‘Indian Summer’ of my career, not the twilight,” he laughed. “Think how beautiful it is in Indian Summer. That’s where I am, in the Indian Summer of my career. Yes, I hate to admit it, I am getting older, and my career will come to an end one day. For the second year in a row I am the oldest licensed holder in the world. The oldest bike rider! But age is just a number, apparently.
"I think that you can’t only talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. If you can do that, there is no reason to stop or slow down or give it up.” Asked about earning himself another year’s contract with the win, he answered an emphatic, “I hope so! If someone asks me if I am ready to sign again for another year, I say ‘Hell yeah!’ ”
Great attitude, great life approach, great inspiration for us all. Thanks, Jens!“I like to call this the ‘Indian Summer’ of my career, not the twilight,” he laughed. “Think how beautiful it is in Indian Summer. That’s where I am, in the Indian Summer of my career. Yes, I hate to admit it, I am getting older, and my career will come to an end one day. For the second year in a row I am the oldest licensed holder in the world. The oldest bike rider! But age is just a number, apparently.
"I think that you can’t only talk the talk, you have to walk the walk. If you can do that, there is no reason to stop or slow down or give it up.” Asked about earning himself another year’s contract with the win, he answered an emphatic, “I hope so! If someone asks me if I am ready to sign again for another year, I say ‘Hell yeah!’ ”
Gary Stevens, 50
When I heard the news about Steven's Preakness win earlier this year, I knew nothing about him. I don't really follow horse racing, though I admire the work and team effort that somehow brings world-class trainers, riders, and horses together to push their combined limits to the maximum.
Reading on Wikipedia about Stevens, I came to understand his career accomplishments, and most impressive to me, his win at 50 years of age of the prestigious Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the three races combination that makes up the Triple Crown in horse racing.
Coming back in 2013, he won the Preakness Stakes on the horse, Oxbow, and added additional wins to his lifetime total.
Reading on Wikipedia about Stevens, I came to understand his career accomplishments, and most impressive to me, his win at 50 years of age of the prestigious Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the three races combination that makes up the Triple Crown in horse racing.
In 1993, Gary Stevens became the youngest jockey to surpass $100 million in earnings.
He won the Santa Anita Derby a record nine times, and he's won eight Breeders' Cup races, making him the fourth-leading money winner in Breeders' Cup history so far. At the time of his 2005 retirement, his mounts had collected 4,888 winners in the USA and over 5,000 wins when including overseas victories.
He won the Santa Anita Derby a record nine times, and he's won eight Breeders' Cup races, making him the fourth-leading money winner in Breeders' Cup history so far. At the time of his 2005 retirement, his mounts had collected 4,888 winners in the USA and over 5,000 wins when including overseas victories.
Coming back in 2013, he won the Preakness Stakes on the horse, Oxbow, and added additional wins to his lifetime total.
Stevens had been in the winner's circle three times each during his career at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
A great inspiration throughout his career, right up today, showing his peers how it's done.
Wayne Lukas, 77
A great inspiration throughout his career, right up today, showing his peers how it's done.
Wayne Lukas, 77
Source: www.cleavland.com
Born and raised on a small farm, D. Wayne Lukas grew up with an interest in horses. He began training quarter horses in California in 1968 and after ten years of considerable achievement that saw him train 24 world champions, he switched to training thoroughbred race horses.
The first trainer to earn more than $100 million in purse money, he has been the year's top money winner 14 times. Lukas got his big break in 1980 when he won the Preakness Stakes on Codex.
His horses have won the Kentucky Derby four times, the Preakness Stakes on six occasions, and have claimed victory four times in the Belmont Stakes, including winning all three of the Classics in 1995 with Thunder Gulch (Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes) and Timber Country (Preakness), making him the first trainer to sweep the Triple Crown Classic races with two different horses in a season. In 2013, he surpassed Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons for the most Triple Crown race victories with 14.
With a keen sense of the practical and the business of horses and racing, Lukas will hopefully carry on for many more years. Everyone around him will benefit.
David Perlman, 94
Source: The Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle Science Editor David Perlman is 94 and chasing down stories 72 years after he first got into the business. He’s been at his current post for six decades – and counting.
“It’s being able to work and at something you really like,” he enthused. “I mean, I have fun all the time, working, you know, discovering things that make good stories.”
Perlman's simple philosophy should be inspiration to all the "old guys" (and gals!) out there who think they are in their twilight...or worse, have nothing more to contribute.
Find your passion (or find a new one), hone your skills, never stop learning, trying, believing you have something to offer.
You do. We all do. Old and young alike.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Just what does that mean, "half full, all good"?
"Half Full, All GOOD" was a phrase that came to my mind some time ago as perhaps the most succinct description of the attitude I try to maintain, and energy I try to share with those around me.
The gist of phrase (and the blog, the tweets, the message, the mission) is to find and share positive stories woven through our shared humanity. The Half Full, All GOOD Blog will do just that:
Encourage others to...
Think Positive.
Maintain a Positive Perspective.
Find good things where ever and whenever you can.
Look on the bright side.
And bundle all that GOOD up, to share it with those around you.
Such a path in life will create more GOOD.
That's what I offer, that's what I'm about, that's why I'm here.
Hope you take a little good away when you leave, and spread it around.
And come back often to get more. I got plenty more where that came from!
Cheers, folks --
The gist of phrase (and the blog, the tweets, the message, the mission) is to find and share positive stories woven through our shared humanity. The Half Full, All GOOD Blog will do just that:
Encourage others to...
Think Positive.
Maintain a Positive Perspective.
Find good things where ever and whenever you can.
Look on the bright side.
And bundle all that GOOD up, to share it with those around you.
Such a path in life will create more GOOD.
That's what I offer, that's what I'm about, that's why I'm here.
Hope you take a little good away when you leave, and spread it around.
And come back often to get more. I got plenty more where that came from!
Cheers, folks --
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