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Reapplication of Emerson - Happy 2016!

The words below reign in my mind every time I think about a particularly difficult or taxing day.  

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson


As I approach the close of another year, I re-purposed Mr. Emerson's words...

 Finish each year and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. It's a new year. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Happy New Year!

An Open Letter to Hallmark (and others)

Dear Hallmark:

Thank you for your wide and creative selection of cards. As a man, it is most helpful that you provide me with cards that speak of love, commitment, passion and adoration between a husband and wife. At each season and holiday, when I reach to purchase a card – I am glad you have thought through these details for me.

How nice. You picked this one because you like the colors – didn’t you?


I would like to make one request, however. Can you please not design these cards to appeal to me just in order to sell them? Yes, I like brown, tan and other earth tone colors. I am a bit uncomfortable holding flowery, glitter laden and sparkling cards that sing love songs. And yet, even at the risk of making me uncomfortable can you NOT design any more cards that will result in my wife saying – “How nice. You picked this one because you like the colors – didn’t you?” I promise I will buy whatever you sell, just help me out, will you?

Sincerely,


a guy who likes earth tones…

Thankful Attitude

The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.
— Williams James

We all know that our attitude toward just about anything can create joy and peace in our living. We also know that we often don't do the work of crafting a better attitude. This is particularly common our holiday activities. Here are three reasons we might fail to develop a grateful attitude and what we can do about it.

1. I'm  just too tired. The thought of reciting a a clever mantra or making a list of "things I'm thankful for" seems like too much work. Solution - get some rest. Sometimes I need to make time for sleep, quiet moments and space for...doing nothing. I need to try excusing myself from all the hustle and bustle long enough to walk down the sidewalk or breathe in the crisp fall air. Watching  a leaf fall and pondering for 60 seconds what analogy it might provide for my life is a wonderful thing.

2. I suffer from a moment of "it won't work for me." I get it. It is easy for me to offer pastoral advice or elderly counsel to others. I can believe in their progress through attitude adjustment, BUT when I'm dealing with my emotions,  my disappointments...well...that's different. I'm different. When we are in the midst of the emotional storm of guilt, shame or regret it is hard to see beyond the mess. Time to "phone a friend!" I have a hand of trusted, caring, honest friends and they are just the fix for my self-centered, myopic, 'poor me' attitude. A quick call to one of them will often walk me right out of the mess and into enough belief that I'll do those attitude changing things that I need to do.

3. I get out of the habit. Attitude management is really more about my daily self-care and personal development habits. I know that daily prayer, consistently reading positive and spiritual  words, times of playfulness, laughter and being in nature all help my attitude and perspective.  Yet, as much as I am a creature of habit, I will also break my routine here and there and soon I'm out of sorts.  At those times, I do well to remember what makes for a better attitude and make sure I'm mixing, routinely, a good measure of that activity into my day...week...month...now.

This is a season of thanksgiving, gratitude and joy. I can get off track. Here's my reminder to get my attitude back into shape.

Happy Thanksgiving!

An Open Letter to #Hallmark

Dear Hallmark:

 

Thank you for your wide and creative selection of cards. As a man, it is most helpful that you provide me with cards that speak of love, commitment, passion and adoration between a husband and wife. At each season and holiday, when I reach to purchase a card – I am glad you have thought through these details for me.

I would like to make one request, however. Can you please not design these cards to appeal to me just in order to sell them? Yes, I like brown, tan and other earth tone colors. I am a bit uncomfortable holding flowery, glitter laden and sparkling cards that sing love songs. And yet, even at the risk of making me uncomfortable can you NOT design any cards that will result in my wife saying – “How nice. You picked this one because you like the colors – didn’t you?” I promise I will buy whatever you sell, just help me out, will you?

 

Sincerely,

Guy that Likes Earth Tones…

Happy Birthday, Son

As today marks, by calendar date and tradition, the 25th anniversary of my son's birth and the occasion for gratitude, reflection and celebration, such that these moments bring, I find myself reflecting with fatherly thoughts and gentle emotions upon the man that has sprung, powerfully and dramatically, into life and work from the child that is my son. Many have been the thoughts and numerous the feelings, yet one piece of verse keeps echoing through my head. You will, no doubt, know of the work for it is old and well read among those of us who care to read such things. 

 

I dedicate this post and this classic piece of poetic truth to my son. Happy birthday. You are a man - being and becoming. I'm proud of you.

 

If—
BY RUDYARD KIPLING
(‘Brother Square-Toes’—Rewards and Fairies)

If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
    But make allowance for their doubting too;   
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   
    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
    And treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
    And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
    To serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,   
    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
    If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   
    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!

#Resolution2014 Don't Give Up Anything! #MondayBlogs

Have you made your New Year's resolution? What are you vowing to give up? I'm giving up nothing! I'm about to start some new things! I'm taking on 2014 and invite you join me.

I'm told that our brains have trouble handling negative statements. When I tell myself "I'm not eating cake," my brain only hears "eat cake!." However, if I tell you, "I'm eating fruit and vegetables tonight," I"m more likely to do just that. Deciding to DO something positive rather than stop something negative is a wiser route. So, here's my list of DOs for 2014...

 

  1. Drink more water. A 12 oz glass before two of my three meals each day.
  2. Spend creative time writing daily. 30 minutes each day, 5 days a week, first thing in the morning.
  3. Laugh everyday. Hard enough for it to be felt in my belly!
  4. Spend 5 hours every week disconnected from the digital world. "No phone no lights no motor cars not a single luxury..." Ok. not really THAT, but I couldn't resist the Gilligan's Island reference.
  5. Walk daily. It doesn't have to be a hard walk, or even a long walk, but a walk for the sake of walking.
  6. Publish a book of poetry.
  7. Whatever else I want to add. There will be something else that I need to embrace this year, so I'm keeping this open slot for that thing.

What about you? What's on your TO DO list for 2014?

Have You Met Camel City DIspatch aka @CamelCityDispatc

If you are interested in current events in the Triad of NC, specifically the Winston-Salem area, then by all means turn to the wonderfully edgy and profoundly timely online world of The Camel City Dispatch!

Over the last year, I've found that when my thoughts start asking questions about up-town events, new businesses, political, educational and seasonal news - I can quickly get the skinny by clicking over to the Camel City Dispatch website or checking the Camel City Dispatch Twitter feed for breaking news - and a little attitude.

 

You can thank me later!

 

 

Compassion In Winston Salem via @CompassionateWS

While you are thinking Christmas, consider the charity of your city. Do you know about Compassionate Winston-Salem? These quiet and often unsung heroes of our community are busy about the work of encouragement and caring – right here, right now. 

Some of their activities for the month of December include:

Handing out blankets to the homeless
Stand outside the downtown library (or bus station) handing out bottles of water and protein bars.  
Handing out small bags of food to that person with the sign at the stop light.
Being mentors for Youth mentoring programs.

Drop over to the Compassionate Winston-Salem website to learn more. This city is made up of wonderful people!

HO to the Third! #photo

Clever. Yes?

A Different Kind of #FlashMob #Music

There is no greater force on the planet than music. Ok, poetry is a close second, but it's not as widely appreciated. 

 

The scene here, reportedly, is that a young girl donates a few coins to a street musician and everyone gets the surprise of a lifetime. Enjoy!