It’s time to take back some time. I’ve lost irretrievable time – sucked away into the black hole of technology. Of course, it’s my fault for not managing it better but I am claiming it back. Starting today, Mother’s Day until Father’s Day I am going cold turkey. No Facebook, no Twitter, no personal email and no other social media of any kind during this time. While I THINK there are some business benefits, I haven’t realized enough to warrant the estimated 4-6 hours a week I spend on it – hours I’ll now spend doing other things. Of course, there are some benefits of social media and technology but I think there is a great deal of time suck too. There are three things that inspired my action to go on a technology diet Sabbatical (which also includes a diet from the codependency I have with my cell phone). [Read more…]
Video: How Old Are We When We Really Begin to Communicate?
If this hysterical video of twin baby boys doesn’t assure you that we start communicating at a very young age – as well as the fact that communication is definitely not about the words – than nothing will. Enjoy. Have a laugh.
What Really Matters is Often Right in Front of Us
Imagine what life would be like if we each lived exactly 100 years — to the day. From the moment of birth, barring accidents, you knew the exact minute of your death. One some levels it could be reassuring; however, as the calendar years passed, it might get a little freaky. There would be no doubt about how much time was left on your clock.
With that as the backdrop, pretend you are now 99 years and 364 days old, it’s your last day on the planet. You have all the knowledge you can possibly acquire. Whatever you have attempted is considered complete. Your trials, tribulations, and triumphs have left their marks. Lessons have been learned. Knowledge has been acquired. Whatever else you had planned will remain unaccomplished. There is nothing left to do but look back and analyze the story of your life.
Your time has come
Using that scenario, suppose you could “send a message” back to the real-life YOU of today, the person reading these words this very minute. You would say, “In your remaining years, always remember and stay focused on what rally matters,” and you would list those top priorities so present-day you wouldn’t reach the end of life filled with regrets for being out of alignment. [Read more…]
Beauty & Love Invisible in Plain Sight
How often do we not even notice something wonderful that’s right in front of us? My wonderful wife hung this at the entrance to the living room. I staggered out of bed, into the living room; didn’t notice it. Walked out of the living room; oblivious. Got coffee and wandered back into the living room; still unobservant.
She calls out, “Happy Valentines Day” from upstairs, assuming I saw it of course.
I call back, “You too honey.”
She says, “What did you think?”
“About what?” I call back.
She says, “You didn’t even see it?”
“See what?”
How many other things of beauty and love do we miss each day? I will keep my eyes open more today.
Farewell to an Old Friend
When she was a kitten, we were constantly cleaning up remnants of paper. We’d leave the house for a few hours and come back to scraps of napkins scattered about the kitchen, or the roll of toilet paper splayed from bathroom to living room. Paper products lived in fear if KC Whittinger Longstockings Junior was nearby.
I’ve often wondered if animals think “Why in Heaven’s name did I get a bizarre name like that?,” or maybe they embrace it as a sign of their special uniqueness. However, I’ll place squarely the blame on my sons who chose her moniker (which might not be accurate but I can do that because they don’t live here and won’t be able to read this). “KC” was short for “Kitty Cat” (not very imaginative, I know). I don’t know the derivation of the rest of her handle but it didn’t matter; we referred to her simply as “KC” or “Case-ers.”
Newly divorced, I specifically chose KC from a litter in 1995 because she was the most talkative of the mob. Spending every other week without companionship, I figured I could somewhat fill the void by having a feline companion who would let me know what she felt with regularity. As they say, “Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.” Not only did she communicate, she did it — shall we say — “with enthusiasm.” She had a habit, especially in her later years, of waiting stealthily in the early morning darkness in the kitchen. The first human to enter — keep in mind not yet awake — would be “greeted” with an enormous howling ululation. Never sure whether it was “Good Morning, I’m glad you’re here,” or “What the heck took you so long to fill my bowl?,” what I can assure you is that after being welcomed as such by KC, there was no longer a need to use coffee to start your heart.