At this very moment, my youngest son is on his way to see my mother. This is a huge event, because he is home on leave (U.S. Navy) from Naples, Italy. Mom knows he's coming to the states at some point but she has no idea that he'll come to see her.
My mom SO loves her grand children. This will be a bigger surprise than she may have ever had, because this is his first trip to see grand mom as an adult, on his own, and even without dad (that would be me.)
I cannot begin to tell you what joy this brings to my heart, knowing how my mom will feel when he shows up... in about 20 minutes. It brings tears to my eyes.
Ahhh... Sometimes it doesn't take much to have a really good day.
That's all.
You have a great day too.
Kelvin
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Greetings!
It's been a while since I bothered you and I didn't want you to think I'd neglected you (again).
I was very proud of myself last issue for "keeping my deadline", and publishing Ramblings at a set interval. Right after that issue launched, a really good friend of mine -- awesome photographer and writer for a major photography magazine (someday I'll introduce you to her) -- sent me a lovely note warning me of pit falls in writing something "just to meet a deadline." She mentioned that one of things that made Ramblings so different, was that I only wrote when I was inspired, and that trait made the writing better. I thought about it and, well... I just got inspired.
So, here I am ... not on schedule.. sharing a few thoughts with you.
Some of this you have heard this before, but they tell me that spaced repetition is good -- you hear the same thing over and over, from different sources, then one day... you get it. So many seminars I've attended and left going... "whuh?", Then every once in a while, when I'm sitting in just the right place, with just the right lean, in just the right mood, under just the right light in just the right row and... WHAM! I GET IT. That's the scientific name for that, you -- an "Aha" moment (see something "very technical on it, right here. So, enjoy hearing this again.
Okay, folks. Sometimes, life just POUNDS on us. I'm Mr. Intensely Positive, right? and nothing EVER gets me down. HA! (or is that "Aha"). Well, I wouldn't exactly say that. Things happen in my life that wear me down, just like they do in your life. "Stuff happens" all the time, and most of the time I just flick it off like a wet snowflake, and go on about my business. But every now and then... something really stands on my last nerve and just grinds, and I become less than positive. Then I work very hard to get back to the right frame of mind -- an empowering frame of mind -- that allows me to do something about my situation, because as long as I'm in a negative state, I can't produce anything positive.
"Why?" you say. Why not just enjooooyyy the moment!? BE angry, be upset. Mope, THROW STUFF even ; whine... bitch, moan, scream, complain, and even... BLAME (and -- for the record -- I do some of that too from time to time, but very few people get to witness it ). Gosh...didn't that feel good? Aaaahhhhh.... Well, honestly, most of the time -- at least for me -- it really doesn't feel good, but sometimes it seems ya just need to purge. But once that's done...
... the very next question out of your head -- and you need to say it out loud so your EARS can HEAR you say it, and it can sink into your brain -- is..."Now, how can I fix this?" or "How can I turn this around?" and THEN... you need to EXPECT a positive answer to come out of it (and the be prepared to receive it when it does). You need to LOOK for -- and concentrate on -- the positive, empowering answers to get out of whatever less than positive predicament you are in.
Anthony Robbins -- yes, one of my all time heros -- says that our minds will answer whatever question we pose to it. The problem is, most of us ask the WRONG QUESTIONS! The question needs to be, "How can I make this work?" not... "Why is this happening to me ?". The question needs to be, "What can I do to overcome this obstacle?" not... "Why does all this stuff keep happening to me?" Honestly. WHICH of those questions would you RATHER have the answer to?
I watched a movie recently -- creative documentary, really -- that absolutely blew my mind called, "What the Bleep Do we Know" Wow... what an enlightening video! Beyond the "positive attitude" books and tapes, beyond the "just do it hype", here is a documentary video that actually explains -- and shows in graphics detail (great graphics displays) -- just what happens in our minds, and HOW we program ourselves to succeed or fail. Using the SAME technology they use to show you happens in the brain to create drug addictions, and the chemical reactions inside the brain that creates nirvana for long distance runners, etc., they show you what chemicals are released in your brain and how neural pathways are created inside our brains when we think or feel certain things. They talk about imagination and creativity -- like, the brain doesn't know the difference between something real, and something that is vividly imagined. How we program our minds to work for us or (like most people) against us, and how it works on a quantum physics level.
You're thinking, "pretty heady stuff", but it's not really. Heck, they broke it down so people like me could understand it. You're definitely covered . I highly recommend you see this DVD. Check your library, rent it from Blockbusters or somewhere. If you want, you can buy it here for $13.56 from Amazon. I saw it; I bought it. Period. You should just do this for yourself. It's a real eye opener.
And then.... go back to my site and re-read "Who's in Your Front Row?." This is important! because I cannot overstate the importance of having people in your life -- in your inner circle -- who support you, nurture you, HELP you, and allow you to feel good about yourself. You need to do your best to remove yourself from people in your life who don't. (What the Bleep will help with that part too. Amazing movie, I promise you.)
How many times do we go hangout with someone that we know is going to make us feel bad, but we go anyway? "Gosh, I'd really like to see Martha, but...man...she is SO negative, and I always feel so yucky when I leave her..." Guess what? You need to stay away from Martha -- she's not good for you, and Martha shouldn't even be close to your front row.
Keep people in your life who give you POSITIVE energy, not who drain you -- and vice versa! If you're being drained... get out. My Front Row is awesome; and fairly small. So, if you haven't read it before check it out at http://www.ringold.net/07_your_front_row.html. No charge! And even if you have read it, check it out again -- remember that spaced repetition thing.
That's all today. I hope things have been awesome for you, since last we communicated. I was going to talk about my trip to Italy, but decided it's too much, for too little. We'll sum it by saying, I lost $600 in Franklin Planner sytem and Palm Pilot, I made my train to from Naples to the airport in Rome by only one minute, and I showed up at the gate for my flight from Rome to Amsterdam precisely 10 minutes before the plane was supposed to take off. They probably felt sorry for that sad, lost American face.
Yikes! Speaking of sad faces! I almost forgot! Last month someone "turned me in" to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be "jailed". I was supposed to raise $1200.00 for "Jerry's Kids", and I only made it to $950.00 -- counting mailed in contributions. The fund raiser is still open until May 19th, and my tally will be complete. If you have an urge, and haven't been "fund raised" out this year, I'd welcome any small contribution you might make. If you go to "my participation page" you can donate using your credit card -- tax deductible of course, if you itemize -- and if you don't want the world to know who you are, you can donate anonymously. If nothing else, you owe it to your self to see that SAD FACE I put on that page -- which will never been seen in public again after this fund raiser -- and if you donate, I'll send you a copy of me "in jail" -- something I'm sure my mother would be proud of
As usual, thank you for e-listening, & I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback, via email or as posts.
Have an awesome day, my friends.
Sincerely,
It's been a while since I bothered you and I didn't want you to think I'd neglected you (again).
I was very proud of myself last issue for "keeping my deadline", and publishing Ramblings at a set interval. Right after that issue launched, a really good friend of mine -- awesome photographer and writer for a major photography magazine (someday I'll introduce you to her) -- sent me a lovely note warning me of pit falls in writing something "just to meet a deadline." She mentioned that one of things that made Ramblings so different, was that I only wrote when I was inspired, and that trait made the writing better. I thought about it and, well... I just got inspired.
So, here I am ... not on schedule.. sharing a few thoughts with you.
Some of this you have heard this before, but they tell me that spaced repetition is good -- you hear the same thing over and over, from different sources, then one day... you get it. So many seminars I've attended and left going... "whuh?", Then every once in a while, when I'm sitting in just the right place, with just the right lean, in just the right mood, under just the right light in just the right row and... WHAM! I GET IT. That's the scientific name for that, you -- an "Aha" moment (see something "very technical on it, right here. So, enjoy hearing this again.
Okay, folks. Sometimes, life just POUNDS on us. I'm Mr. Intensely Positive, right? and nothing EVER gets me down. HA! (or is that "Aha"). Well, I wouldn't exactly say that. Things happen in my life that wear me down, just like they do in your life. "Stuff happens" all the time, and most of the time I just flick it off like a wet snowflake, and go on about my business. But every now and then... something really stands on my last nerve and just grinds, and I become less than positive. Then I work very hard to get back to the right frame of mind -- an empowering frame of mind -- that allows me to do something about my situation, because as long as I'm in a negative state, I can't produce anything positive.
"Why?" you say. Why not just enjooooyyy the moment!? BE angry, be upset. Mope, THROW STUFF even ; whine... bitch, moan, scream, complain, and even... BLAME (and -- for the record -- I do some of that too from time to time, but very few people get to witness it ). Gosh...didn't that feel good? Aaaahhhhh.... Well, honestly, most of the time -- at least for me -- it really doesn't feel good, but sometimes it seems ya just need to purge. But once that's done...
... the very next question out of your head -- and you need to say it out loud so your EARS can HEAR you say it, and it can sink into your brain -- is..."Now, how can I fix this?" or "How can I turn this around?" and THEN... you need to EXPECT a positive answer to come out of it (and the be prepared to receive it when it does). You need to LOOK for -- and concentrate on -- the positive, empowering answers to get out of whatever less than positive predicament you are in.
Anthony Robbins -- yes, one of my all time heros -- says that our minds will answer whatever question we pose to it. The problem is, most of us ask the WRONG QUESTIONS! The question needs to be, "How can I make this work?" not... "Why is this happening to me ?". The question needs to be, "What can I do to overcome this obstacle?" not... "Why does all this stuff keep happening to me?" Honestly. WHICH of those questions would you RATHER have the answer to?
I watched a movie recently -- creative documentary, really -- that absolutely blew my mind called, "What the Bleep Do we Know" Wow... what an enlightening video! Beyond the "positive attitude" books and tapes, beyond the "just do it hype", here is a documentary video that actually explains -- and shows in graphics detail (great graphics displays) -- just what happens in our minds, and HOW we program ourselves to succeed or fail. Using the SAME technology they use to show you happens in the brain to create drug addictions, and the chemical reactions inside the brain that creates nirvana for long distance runners, etc., they show you what chemicals are released in your brain and how neural pathways are created inside our brains when we think or feel certain things. They talk about imagination and creativity -- like, the brain doesn't know the difference between something real, and something that is vividly imagined. How we program our minds to work for us or (like most people) against us, and how it works on a quantum physics level.
You're thinking, "pretty heady stuff", but it's not really. Heck, they broke it down so people like me could understand it. You're definitely covered . I highly recommend you see this DVD. Check your library, rent it from Blockbusters or somewhere. If you want, you can buy it here for $13.56 from Amazon. I saw it; I bought it. Period. You should just do this for yourself. It's a real eye opener.
And then.... go back to my site and re-read "Who's in Your Front Row?." This is important! because I cannot overstate the importance of having people in your life -- in your inner circle -- who support you, nurture you, HELP you, and allow you to feel good about yourself. You need to do your best to remove yourself from people in your life who don't. (What the Bleep will help with that part too. Amazing movie, I promise you.)
How many times do we go hangout with someone that we know is going to make us feel bad, but we go anyway? "Gosh, I'd really like to see Martha, but...man...she is SO negative, and I always feel so yucky when I leave her..." Guess what? You need to stay away from Martha -- she's not good for you, and Martha shouldn't even be close to your front row.
Keep people in your life who give you POSITIVE energy, not who drain you -- and vice versa! If you're being drained... get out. My Front Row is awesome; and fairly small. So, if you haven't read it before check it out at http://www.ringold.net/07_your_front_row.html. No charge! And even if you have read it, check it out again -- remember that spaced repetition thing.
That's all today. I hope things have been awesome for you, since last we communicated. I was going to talk about my trip to Italy, but decided it's too much, for too little. We'll sum it by saying, I lost $600 in Franklin Planner sytem and Palm Pilot, I made my train to from Naples to the airport in Rome by only one minute, and I showed up at the gate for my flight from Rome to Amsterdam precisely 10 minutes before the plane was supposed to take off. They probably felt sorry for that sad, lost American face.
Yikes! Speaking of sad faces! I almost forgot! Last month someone "turned me in" to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be "jailed". I was supposed to raise $1200.00 for "Jerry's Kids", and I only made it to $950.00 -- counting mailed in contributions. The fund raiser is still open until May 19th, and my tally will be complete. If you have an urge, and haven't been "fund raised" out this year, I'd welcome any small contribution you might make. If you go to "my participation page" you can donate using your credit card -- tax deductible of course, if you itemize -- and if you don't want the world to know who you are, you can donate anonymously. If nothing else, you owe it to your self to see that SAD FACE I put on that page -- which will never been seen in public again after this fund raiser -- and if you donate, I'll send you a copy of me "in jail" -- something I'm sure my mother would be proud of
As usual, thank you for e-listening, & I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback, via email or as posts.
Have an awesome day, my friends.
Sincerely,
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Are you a crab?
Hi guys!
I hope you're having a great day! because mine is just fabulous, and I need some other company who is having a great day! And if you're not having a great day right now? then stop... take a deep breath... exhale slowly... and start having a great day Raaaat Now! because today is too pretty to waste.
I gotta say something -- motivation is a many- splendored thing !
A couple of weeks ago... I committed to you -- among other things -- to do a Ramblings at least once each month instead of the sporadic frequency I've maintained over the past couple of years. The day I published that Ramblings and made that commitment, a friend of mine emailed me to say, "well, now that you've put that out there, let's see if you can keep up with it." Now, most people would have taken that as a negative comment, like, "Yeah, I've heard that before. Let's just see if you actually do it this time, bud..." and... that is exactly how I took it.
THE NERVE! I became quite -- and quickly -- annoyed! but in the midst of my (internal) ranting, I thought to myself... but, maybe that's the impression I'd given this person, up to now. Rather than just being a pain, maybe that comment reflected what I'd shown that person... up to now. Perhaps "not delivering" was the norm that I had established for myself in their eyes (remember, 80% of our problems, we cause ourselves, right?) so, rather than continue to be annoyed, I decided to use their comment as a motivator to make sure that I stayed committed to my commitment, and that they wouldn't be right.
For Christmas, a good friend bought me a stainless steel BUNN Coffee carafe. We'd gone to Montreal a few months earlier and apparently she had noticed that I was rather enthused -- or re- enthused -- about wanting to speak French, so she had a saying engraved in French. Well, though I do love French, that 10th grade French class was a LONG time ago, so when I received the carafe and noticed the engraving... now I had to figure out what it said! So, I lay there on my living room floor, staring at this carafe... trying to piece the words together, pulling up all the French I could remember from life and all those old Pepi Le Pue cartoons... and finally... I got it! We won't bother with the actual French, but what it said in English was..."The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." Accordingly. . . it gives me GREAT pleasure to bring you this installment of Ramblings...on time! and maybe a touch early. And to my other friend who said, "let's see if you can keep up with it..." trust me on this one... I'll keep up with it .
Now... this whole thing had nothing to do with what I originally sat down to write about this time, but that's the way things sometimes happen in life. Very often we set out to do something, and some well- meaning -- and sometimes not so well-meaning -- friend or associate will say something that takes the wind out of our sails, and tramples all over our dream -- and I'm even been guilty of it myself, on occasion, but hopefully no more.
A case in point... back in 1985 or 86, I decided to become a professional photographer, and I researched my options and the best fit for me at the time was to take the Professional Photography Course from the New York Institute of Photography It sounded great, but for those who don't know, NYI is a correspondence course, and correspondence courses tend to get a bad rap. I shared my plans with a couple of my (then) friends, and I got stuff like, "Yeah, right. How you gonna become a professional photographer by taking a correspondence course. Ha ha ha... Get real" and I almost let them talk me out of trying. Today, because of that correspondence course, I *am* a professional photographer; I am past president (two years) of the Professional Photographers' Society of Central New York, current treasurer and membership chair of the Professional Photographers' Society of New York State, and in 2008 I become president of the state society. What would I have been doing now, if I had allowed those people's comments to beat me out of my dream?
Linda Hamilton (of "Terminator" fame...) graduated from my high school in 1974, I believe, the year before my sister, Evelyn. I bet all through high school, the kids were teasing her, "yo girl, you ain't no actress... get outta here and get a job." Look where she is today!
We have to be tough! Most of us let people's negative comments give us an excuse or reason to give up. The real fighters use other people's negative comments as motivators and fuel to help them succeed! THEY DON'T KNOW YOUR DREAM! It's your dream, and MY dream...not theirs. They don't feel your desires, your motivations, they don't have your reasons! to do... or be... what it is that you want to do, or be. They have no vested interest in your success.
And sadly, a LOT of people don't necessarily want you to succeed, because if you get up, and get out and start accomplishing and doing, it might take away their excuses for not accomplishing something, and misery loves company.
My friend Zig Ziglar ** calls that the crab syndrome. He says, if you're ever around the docks where crabbers come in, you'll notice that these baskets or buckets full of crabs around, but there's usually never a cover on any of them, but the crabs don't escape. WHY IS THAT? Because, every time a crab starts to climb out, another crab will grab onto him and pull him back down ! A lot of times people are like that, too. Sometimes they don't mean to be, but... they are. (** Zig Ziglar is everybody's friend; we met briefly many years ago at one of his seminars, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember me...)
Another friend of mine, Sherry Gomez, wrote a book (http://www.winmarkcom.com/vcfs.htm ) on a genetic condition called Velo-Cardio- Facial Syndrome. Sherry wasn't a writer; she was just a mom. I'm not going into her story right now -- that's a future issue -- but Sherry encountered all kinds of grief in writing her book -- who are you? you're no expert, you're not writer. She didn't think she was a writer either, and almost... gave up. But not only did she finish it, she self-published it
because she didn't let people's negative comments beat her.
" No, son... don't get your hopes up too high, 'cause you probably won't make it..."
" What makes you think you're so good that YOU can be a doctor? you'll be lucky if you get out of high school "
" Business? You don't know the first thing about no business; what you think you gonna do?"
" You can't be no professional photographer. What you think you better than us?"
The words change, but the bucket of crabs is still there.
So you be careful our there! People's dreams are fragile -- YOUR dreams are fragile. In my Ramblings on Goal-Setting (see the back issues at http://www.ringold.net/past_issues.html), I suggested that you share your goals with people who were interested in your success! and now you know why. The people in your corner will say," Yeah? Great! You can do that!" and wish you well, and maybe even HELP you. By the same token, you need to make sure that you aren't the excuse that someone else needs ... to quit, and give up on their dream.
That's it for now! I guess you'll have to here about my trip to Italy in the next installment; I do have some stories to tell for that one too, and some lessons learned.
So...next installment? How to get your adrenalin up and lose 9 pounds in a week of vacationing to Italy. Subtitled: The train is where?
As usual, thank you for e-listening, & I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback, via email to kelvin@ringold.net or as posts here.
"It is for us to pray not for task equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks."
--Helen Keller
Have an awesome day, my friends.
I hope you're having a great day! because mine is just fabulous, and I need some other company who is having a great day! And if you're not having a great day right now? then stop... take a deep breath... exhale slowly... and start having a great day Raaaat Now! because today is too pretty to waste.
I gotta say something -- motivation is a many- splendored thing !
A couple of weeks ago... I committed to you -- among other things -- to do a Ramblings at least once each month instead of the sporadic frequency I've maintained over the past couple of years. The day I published that Ramblings and made that commitment, a friend of mine emailed me to say, "well, now that you've put that out there, let's see if you can keep up with it." Now, most people would have taken that as a negative comment, like, "Yeah, I've heard that before. Let's just see if you actually do it this time, bud..." and... that is exactly how I took it.
THE NERVE! I became quite -- and quickly -- annoyed! but in the midst of my (internal) ranting, I thought to myself... but, maybe that's the impression I'd given this person, up to now. Rather than just being a pain, maybe that comment reflected what I'd shown that person... up to now. Perhaps "not delivering" was the norm that I had established for myself in their eyes (remember, 80% of our problems, we cause ourselves, right?) so, rather than continue to be annoyed, I decided to use their comment as a motivator to make sure that I stayed committed to my commitment, and that they wouldn't be right.
For Christmas, a good friend bought me a stainless steel BUNN Coffee carafe. We'd gone to Montreal a few months earlier and apparently she had noticed that I was rather enthused -- or re- enthused -- about wanting to speak French, so she had a saying engraved in French. Well, though I do love French, that 10th grade French class was a LONG time ago, so when I received the carafe and noticed the engraving... now I had to figure out what it said! So, I lay there on my living room floor, staring at this carafe... trying to piece the words together, pulling up all the French I could remember from life and all those old Pepi Le Pue cartoons... and finally... I got it! We won't bother with the actual French, but what it said in English was..."The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." Accordingly. . . it gives me GREAT pleasure to bring you this installment of Ramblings...on time! and maybe a touch early. And to my other friend who said, "let's see if you can keep up with it..." trust me on this one... I'll keep up with it .
Now... this whole thing had nothing to do with what I originally sat down to write about this time, but that's the way things sometimes happen in life. Very often we set out to do something, and some well- meaning -- and sometimes not so well-meaning -- friend or associate will say something that takes the wind out of our sails, and tramples all over our dream -- and I'm even been guilty of it myself, on occasion, but hopefully no more.
A case in point... back in 1985 or 86, I decided to become a professional photographer, and I researched my options and the best fit for me at the time was to take the Professional Photography Course from the New York Institute of Photography It sounded great, but for those who don't know, NYI is a correspondence course, and correspondence courses tend to get a bad rap. I shared my plans with a couple of my (then) friends, and I got stuff like, "Yeah, right. How you gonna become a professional photographer by taking a correspondence course. Ha ha ha... Get real" and I almost let them talk me out of trying. Today, because of that correspondence course, I *am* a professional photographer; I am past president (two years) of the Professional Photographers' Society of Central New York, current treasurer and membership chair of the Professional Photographers' Society of New York State, and in 2008 I become president of the state society. What would I have been doing now, if I had allowed those people's comments to beat me out of my dream?
Linda Hamilton (of "Terminator" fame...) graduated from my high school in 1974, I believe, the year before my sister, Evelyn. I bet all through high school, the kids were teasing her, "yo girl, you ain't no actress... get outta here and get a job." Look where she is today!
We have to be tough! Most of us let people's negative comments give us an excuse or reason to give up. The real fighters use other people's negative comments as motivators and fuel to help them succeed! THEY DON'T KNOW YOUR DREAM! It's your dream, and MY dream...not theirs. They don't feel your desires, your motivations, they don't have your reasons! to do... or be... what it is that you want to do, or be. They have no vested interest in your success.
And sadly, a LOT of people don't necessarily want you to succeed, because if you get up, and get out and start accomplishing and doing, it might take away their excuses for not accomplishing something, and misery loves company.
My friend Zig Ziglar ** calls that the crab syndrome. He says, if you're ever around the docks where crabbers come in, you'll notice that these baskets or buckets full of crabs around, but there's usually never a cover on any of them, but the crabs don't escape. WHY IS THAT? Because, every time a crab starts to climb out, another crab will grab onto him and pull him back down ! A lot of times people are like that, too. Sometimes they don't mean to be, but... they are. (** Zig Ziglar is everybody's friend; we met briefly many years ago at one of his seminars, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't remember me...)
Another friend of mine, Sherry Gomez, wrote a book (http://www.winmarkcom.com/vcfs.htm ) on a genetic condition called Velo-Cardio- Facial Syndrome. Sherry wasn't a writer; she was just a mom. I'm not going into her story right now -- that's a future issue -- but Sherry encountered all kinds of grief in writing her book -- who are you? you're no expert, you're not writer. She didn't think she was a writer either, and almost... gave up. But not only did she finish it, she self-published it
because she didn't let people's negative comments beat her." No, son... don't get your hopes up too high, 'cause you probably won't make it..."
" What makes you think you're so good that YOU can be a doctor? you'll be lucky if you get out of high school "
" Business? You don't know the first thing about no business; what you think you gonna do?"
" You can't be no professional photographer. What you think you better than us?"
The words change, but the bucket of crabs is still there.
So you be careful our there! People's dreams are fragile -- YOUR dreams are fragile. In my Ramblings on Goal-Setting (see the back issues at http://www.ringold.net/past_issues.html), I suggested that you share your goals with people who were interested in your success! and now you know why. The people in your corner will say," Yeah? Great! You can do that!" and wish you well, and maybe even HELP you. By the same token, you need to make sure that you aren't the excuse that someone else needs ... to quit, and give up on their dream.
That's it for now! I guess you'll have to here about my trip to Italy in the next installment; I do have some stories to tell for that one too, and some lessons learned.
So...next installment? How to get your adrenalin up and lose 9 pounds in a week of vacationing to Italy. Subtitled: The train is where?
As usual, thank you for e-listening, & I look forward to hearing your comments and feedback, via email to kelvin@ringold.net or as posts here.
"It is for us to pray not for task equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks."
--Helen Keller
Have an awesome day, my friends.
Monday, January 16, 2006
What have you done lately?
Happy New Year!
First and foremost, I hope you all had an awesome holiday and new years, celebrating life with friends and family and loved ones.... and maybe even a few strangers. Some of you lost loved ones last year, and didn't have them to celebrate with this Christmas. But, many of you remembered their spirits and maintained the holidays in the fashion they loved, and I know you felt their smiles there with you and celebrated just the same.
Next, I want to thank you for continuing to read -- and even solicit -- Ramblings. Last year was a slow year for me, but some of you continued to send kind, encouraging email. As a matter of fact, just the other day, while I was trying to decide what to write for this issue, I got a couple of emails :-). One said, "where's my 'blankety blank' Ramblings?" The other was a bit gentler; "Isn't it just about time for another fun issue of "Ramblings?" Well, let's see what we can do.
I usually start the year with an energetic reminder to set your goals and get ready to "accomplish stuff" in the upcoming year! Of course, we still need to do that, and maybe we'll get to it in a later Ramblings, but, this time I wanted to try something different. ( Incidentally, if you need a refresher on setting goals, just visit our archives at http://www.ringold.net/past_issues.html and look over the titles. )
Some of you are probably like me. I was sitting around near the end of December, looking over my goals list for 2005, wondering where the heck the year went and noticing how many goals I still had to check off! I said, "man... I've been busy ALLL year. I had to get more accomplished than this!" And I started to feel... kind of ineffectual -- like I had wasted a whole year.
Then I remembered that I'd paid a surprise visit to my friends in Mississippi last January -- and luckily, since hurricane Katrina went through there. That had been a huge goal for me: Connect with old friends in 2005. And I remembered taking a trip to Montreal in June; that had also been a goal: Visit someplace in 2005 I'd never been. Then I got out a piece of paper and wrote down a few other things I'd done, and the more I wrote the more I remembered. Some of the things were on my list and some of them weren't! I thought about the people I'd helped during the year to accomplish some of their own goals; I thought about the thank you's I got from people for small things I didn't even think deserved a thank you, but that it made a difference for them... that day, and I wrote them all down.
I noticed that there were some goals I had not completed, but that I had STARTED -- processes I had put in motion that hadn't had a chance to come full cycle yet -- and pretty soon, after I'd done all that, I was feeling pretty good! I had a page and half (big paper!!!) of things I had done, that I just plain forgot about, but when I put them down on paper -- and a few friends reminded me of some other stuff -- I had a whole different view.
So, I guess what I want to say here, is that planning your goals for the "next" run is a very important -- critical -- thing. But maybe even more important, is taking the time to REALIZE and appreciate what you DID accomplish. In our zeal to accomplish yet "something else", sometimes we don't pause to give ourselves credit for the work we've done, and that is a recipe for burn out. We can't always focus on what's left to be done; we need to focus on what we've already taken care of.
So what did you do last year? Did you make a start, take a step, get better at something? Did you help someone else accomplish a goal or task that was important to them? Did you give a smile to someone who needed one? pat someone on the back that wasn't expecting it? praise someone who doesn't normally get praise? Did you donate to a charity? help an old lady (or man) cross the street? Did you save someone's life? Did you allow someone to save yours? Did you take course, finish a degree, power clean your oven? (ha! I'm am bachelor; you know what a big deal it was for me to clean my OVEN? Okay... so it was self cleaning, but I STILL had to flip the switches and wipe it out later! )
Take out a notebook... and for the next couple of hours (or days), just jot down things as you think of them, that you accomplished in the past year, or things you set in motion (and didn't quit on, except for maybe smoking...) that will be carried into or completed in subsequent years. Then, after you make that list, take a few minutes and go over it, study it, and celebrate your productivity and success. What the heck ! Pat yourself on the back and have a chocolate ice cream cone :-). And then, when you're charged with the energy of what you accomplished last year, sit down and make out your "want to do list" for this year, and see if it doesn't look a whole lot LESS formidable.
Then we'll talk about some other good stuff next time.
As usual... thanks for e-listening. Next issue we'll tell you what we have planned for this year, and if you have something you'd like discussed, feel free to let me know.
Feel free to comment, and maybe we can get some dialogue going.
Have an awesome 2006!
"There are two ways of meeting difficulties. You alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them." -- Phyliss Bottome
Take care.
Kelvin
First and foremost, I hope you all had an awesome holiday and new years, celebrating life with friends and family and loved ones.... and maybe even a few strangers. Some of you lost loved ones last year, and didn't have them to celebrate with this Christmas. But, many of you remembered their spirits and maintained the holidays in the fashion they loved, and I know you felt their smiles there with you and celebrated just the same.
Next, I want to thank you for continuing to read -- and even solicit -- Ramblings. Last year was a slow year for me, but some of you continued to send kind, encouraging email. As a matter of fact, just the other day, while I was trying to decide what to write for this issue, I got a couple of emails :-). One said, "where's my 'blankety blank' Ramblings?" The other was a bit gentler; "Isn't it just about time for another fun issue of "Ramblings?" Well, let's see what we can do.
I usually start the year with an energetic reminder to set your goals and get ready to "accomplish stuff" in the upcoming year! Of course, we still need to do that, and maybe we'll get to it in a later Ramblings, but, this time I wanted to try something different. ( Incidentally, if you need a refresher on setting goals, just visit our archives at http://www.ringold.net/past_issues.html and look over the titles. )
Some of you are probably like me. I was sitting around near the end of December, looking over my goals list for 2005, wondering where the heck the year went and noticing how many goals I still had to check off! I said, "man... I've been busy ALLL year. I had to get more accomplished than this!" And I started to feel... kind of ineffectual -- like I had wasted a whole year.
Then I remembered that I'd paid a surprise visit to my friends in Mississippi last January -- and luckily, since hurricane Katrina went through there. That had been a huge goal for me: Connect with old friends in 2005. And I remembered taking a trip to Montreal in June; that had also been a goal: Visit someplace in 2005 I'd never been. Then I got out a piece of paper and wrote down a few other things I'd done, and the more I wrote the more I remembered. Some of the things were on my list and some of them weren't! I thought about the people I'd helped during the year to accomplish some of their own goals; I thought about the thank you's I got from people for small things I didn't even think deserved a thank you, but that it made a difference for them... that day, and I wrote them all down.
I noticed that there were some goals I had not completed, but that I had STARTED -- processes I had put in motion that hadn't had a chance to come full cycle yet -- and pretty soon, after I'd done all that, I was feeling pretty good! I had a page and half (big paper!!!) of things I had done, that I just plain forgot about, but when I put them down on paper -- and a few friends reminded me of some other stuff -- I had a whole different view.
So, I guess what I want to say here, is that planning your goals for the "next" run is a very important -- critical -- thing. But maybe even more important, is taking the time to REALIZE and appreciate what you DID accomplish. In our zeal to accomplish yet "something else", sometimes we don't pause to give ourselves credit for the work we've done, and that is a recipe for burn out. We can't always focus on what's left to be done; we need to focus on what we've already taken care of.
So what did you do last year? Did you make a start, take a step, get better at something? Did you help someone else accomplish a goal or task that was important to them? Did you give a smile to someone who needed one? pat someone on the back that wasn't expecting it? praise someone who doesn't normally get praise? Did you donate to a charity? help an old lady (or man) cross the street? Did you save someone's life? Did you allow someone to save yours? Did you take course, finish a degree, power clean your oven? (ha! I'm am bachelor; you know what a big deal it was for me to clean my OVEN? Okay... so it was self cleaning, but I STILL had to flip the switches and wipe it out later! )
Take out a notebook... and for the next couple of hours (or days), just jot down things as you think of them, that you accomplished in the past year, or things you set in motion (and didn't quit on, except for maybe smoking...) that will be carried into or completed in subsequent years. Then, after you make that list, take a few minutes and go over it, study it, and celebrate your productivity and success. What the heck ! Pat yourself on the back and have a chocolate ice cream cone :-). And then, when you're charged with the energy of what you accomplished last year, sit down and make out your "want to do list" for this year, and see if it doesn't look a whole lot LESS formidable.
Then we'll talk about some other good stuff next time.
As usual... thanks for e-listening. Next issue we'll tell you what we have planned for this year, and if you have something you'd like discussed, feel free to let me know.
Feel free to comment, and maybe we can get some dialogue going.
Have an awesome 2006!
"There are two ways of meeting difficulties. You alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them." -- Phyliss Bottome
Take care.
Kelvin
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