Life Lived Simply

"Let us so live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."
- Mark Twain

Kindness and gratitude in life are simple acts of goodness.

A smile to the grocery clerk, allowing another driver into the line of traffic or a simple thank you are not so difficult for us to accomplish.

Live life with meaning, with simple kindness and with fervent gratitude.

Others will be inspired by your example, others will be moved to do the same.

Stay inspired my friends!

Finding The Good

"There are a million reasons you can find to tear someone down. Work to find that one reason to build them up." - Dean Sweetman

It seems very easy to find what is wrong in this world or in people. The weather is too hot or too cold. The government is too over bearing. My co-worker is lazy. There is so much we go on about. There certainly is a lot of bad in this world.

The truth is there is a lot of good in this world.

We should attempt to acknowledge all those things which are good around us. This is especially true with the people we come in contact with. And this also means family and friends with whom we can sometimes be the cruelest.

Do not consider this a "can't we all just get along" statement.

What I am referring to is our inclination to be critical of others. The reason we do is because it draws attention away from our own shortcomings. But when you tear others down, you are actually tearing yourself down. The whole "reap what you sow" idea comes to mind.

Think about how you interact with your spouse or children. Do you find conversations beginning with, "why didn't you" or "how could you"? When was the last time you praised them for just being them, for a small talent or gift they have?

Good things outnumber the negative if you look close enough.

Look for the good things and praise the person for them. It does not take a lot to find goodness in someone, it only takes you trying. Goodness will be reaped in the due course of time. Build up others and you it will build you up as well.

Stay inspired my friends!

It Is So Simple

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ― Desmond Tutu

There is goodness in speaking kindly of others. There is goodness in simply being kind to others. The older I get, the more important this simple fact becomes. Yet be kind and good to others can be difficult for many.

To do so, one must let go of negative thoughts about a person.
To do so, one must consider the good things about a person.

If we measure the goodness of a person's life - large or small - significant or not - it means that person matters. It means there are things about a person which contribute in a positive way to life around them. It means we are willing to accept whatever little or large amount of goodness they possess.

Each of us have both good and bad aspects to the life we live.
Each of us have many positives to the life we live.

As you go through life, focus on the good things and the negatives will slowly fade away. I have seen many people leave this life. I have known many of them well and many others not so well. But it is the good things I choose to remember.

Yes, there are truly horrible people in this world.
Yes, there are also many good and kind people in this world.

We have to come to terms with the negative in our daily lives. Just do not use up your energy on the negative. Use your energy to build upon the positive ones in your life. Be the one that others will proclaim and a good, kind and decent person who makes life better.

You will one day eventually be measured by your own goodness.
You will one day leave a trail of good memories to be remembered by all.

Stay inspired my friends.

Paying Forward

"I guess it's hard for people who are so used to things the way they are - even if they are bad - to change. Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses." - Trevor McKinney, Pay It Forward

My notes from the road today are about serving others.

Paying it forward is not a new idea and has been written about before. There was a very nice movie with the same name which did quite well. The idea of "paying it forward" also does quite well in our lives and that is what I am here to talk about.

Our lives are truly impacted by the acts of others. You will notice I did not say our life is determined by others. We are impacted by others and our response or attitude towards them are of our own doing. 

The principle of paying it forward is not a self serving way of life. You don't perform these acts expecting anything in return. The idea is to do one good thing for three other people. All you ask of these people is that they each do the same for three more people each. 

Think of it as "network marketing" but only with goodness intended. Instead of three people recruiting three people to build you up. What you are building up is so more in that you are building up people and they in turn are doing the same. You are that pebble dropped in the water, rippling outward to impact other people. 

It is easy to do and all I ask is for you to try and do something good for at least one other person today. Don't ask for anything in return but do ask that person to do something good for another. So on and so forth life goes, making it a little better for each one of us.

Stay inspired my friends.

Retired But Not From Life

“There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.” ~ Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

After nearly 35 years, my good friend and brother-in-law (and father-in-law, inside joke) is retiring from work at EMC Corporation. Roy Carter started his career back in 1968 with a “might-as-well join the Navy” as opposed to being drafted. It is in the military that he crafted his wit and humor and a few computer skills which would serve him well. It was upon leaving the Navy, even though you never really leave the Navy, he joined the Data General Corporation and the next thirty-five years.

His ability to troubleshoot, to teach and to temper a customer when things were broke became his hallmark. From upper Louisiana to the lower swamps of the Mississippi delta, reaching out into places west and places east, his reputation grew. From Nova minicomputers with a cycle time of 300 nanoseconds, making it the fastest minicomputer on the market for several years to the Eclipse and MV systems (the subject of Tracy Kidder’s Pulitzer prize winning book “The Soul of a New Machine” in 1981), his skills were widely known.

Computer geeks will enjoy this, the rest can remain bored for a moment or two.

There were reel-to-reel vacuum driven tape drives, 10MB removable-head disk drives, dot-matrix printers and even newer technologies to emerge during his time. The first laptop ever seen by the world technology community called the DG-One. While you needed a flashlight to read the screen and battery life that was measured in minutes, the DG-One defined the look and style of all future laptop computers.

The AViiON Unix-based computers became the mainstream “open system” of choice and a new and innovative disk storage device called a CLARiiON emerged. And Roy’s talents preceded him as he transferred into technical support. From the bayou of Louisiana to the southern comforts of Atlanta, this Chicago city boy became an integral part of supporting these products. As part of the National Systems Support “fly” team, he traveled to the farthest places on the globe to repair both equipment and customers.

His reputation as “the” fix anything guy grew even larger.

Through the 1990s, despite releasing several UNIX-based systems, Data General evolved to specialize in disk storage systems. But financial difficulties resulted in the company being purchased by EMC Corporation, a supplier of disk storage systems, in 1999. Disk storage would become Roy’s sole purpose of support and he did not miss a beat. The remaining fifteen years would see him rise in respect within the engineering community as he had previously.

Roy has been fond of stating when it comes to troubleshooting, “The first thing you do in fixing anything is the most important. Do not let a wrong decision become your legacy.” Most of us understand that as simply meaning to think before you act. And Roy has always been humble enough to know he was not infallible but more times than not, he was always correct. In this business, there are many opportunities to fail but you will never succeed if you do not push the limits.

And push the limits for the better good is what Roy did.

There will be others retiring in time and the wheel of time continues to turn. Eight o’clock on Monday morning will chime the start of another work week. It will be a little quieter around the office from that point forward. And yes, the company will survive his departure as companies always do. For a short while though, he will be missed for what he brought to the table.

Other, younger men and women will step into leadership roles and raise their reputation greatness. New persons will fill the role vacated by Roy. They will prove their own might, their own greatness while serving the job, the position, and the company. Folks are always there, ready or not to fill that void.

Roy Carter has proven himself, has given of himself and now it is time for himself.

He will devote more time to his wife Mary. He will devote more time to other things, non-job things that is. It might be fishing, it might be travel, it might be a host of other things. But be certain, it will not be a job. They have both earned it and the time to do all the nothing that they want.

Congratulations Roy and Mary Carter!

Now get the heck out of this office and into life.

Stay inspired my friends!

Feed Goodness

"Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens." ~Kahlil Gibran

There is a story in which an old Cherokee tells his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two "wolves" inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Each of us have the ability to choose a path to follow. You may feel that the choice of paths is limited. But if you see it that way, then you are missing the point. Your attitude will determine the greatness (or not) of the path chosen.

Now do not get me wrong, if your choice is a destructive life-style then the consequences will soon overcome you. I would be surprised if a meth addict eventually enjoys having made the choice they did. Nor a fading porn star, alcoholic or any one of a dozen things.

When you find your life not where you want it to be; complaint will not get you out of it. In fact, the energy you exert in complaint will be wasted. Choosing to take a more positive view will allow you to divert that energy towards finding a better path. You will be more focused on what you can change in your life.

As the wise old man said, "the one you feed" will be the life you get. There are so many changed lives out there based upon this simple principle of life. Feed the positive nature of your life and let it grow to great heights.

Stay inspired my friends!

Watching Time

“Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.” ―William Penn

Time exists for everyone and everyone has a different perception of that time. For some it goes by very quickly with never enough of it. While others believe it drags on and on in slow movement.

I believe though that we should use the time we have to be of good nature. We should be positive in as much as we can. We should attempt to pass goodness onto others.

In all cases, time will pass and there will be none left.

Make your time count for the good things and not the bad. In the end, people will remember your goodness if the majority of that time was spent in goodness. Your goodness will carry on in the lives of others.

Watch the clock if you must, but enjoy each of those ticking moments of your life. And stay inspired my friends.

Underground Attitude

"Goodness is the only investment that never fails." -Henry David Thoreau

Traveling in London by means of the Underground can be quite interesting. Watching how people react to each other when the train is full versus a somewhat empty train can be quite an experience.

Is there chivalry amongst the men riding the train?

Is there giving help to others still a natural occurrence.

What about common courtesy among the travelers?

I find that on a crowded train, men do tend to give up their seat for a woman when no other is available. When a crowded train pulls up, people do tend to allow the flow of others to take place.

All of this is happening with strangers among strangers. A natural giving of oneself to better the surroundings.

In doing small things that bring a bit of pleasantness into the lives of others can make a difference. The train ride is a bit more bearable during rush hour. Even during non-rush hour times, courtesy can be found if you look for it. Helping someone with their luggage onto the train. Providing directions to those that look lost. It happens more frequently than we might first admit.

All of us could use some kindness in life from others. And when you receive it, pass it on in some fashion. Attitude improves as one progressively does more for others. Open up your seat for another, lift a bag to help them...it will open your heart and lift your spirits.

Stay inspired my friends.

Find the Flower

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” -Henri Matisse

If you look at a situation or person, there will normally be some level of goodness to be gained from the experience. Not every bad situation or bad encounter with another person is wasted. There is possibility for learning something positive.

There will be times when you have to look hard to see the goodness and there are times when you fail to find any level of goodness at all. The point to be made is that you should first look. Find something positive to take from every encounter in life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Gravity Always Wins

"The memories of loved ones will allow us to jump and dance in joy for having been part of their lives." -Joseph Primm

For the past three days, my thoughts have been upon the tragic scene that unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut. I watched various news stories and the Sunday talk shows. The social media comments on Facebook and Twitter contained both words of sympathy and frustrated ignorance (from both ends of the spectrum).

I thought about writing in memoriam to the children and educators lost. There were words I wanted to express for the parents and loved ones left to grieve. There were words I wanted to express for those on both sides. There were words I wanted to express to my God and for myself. But those words are better left to myself.

What I decided to talk about today is the apple tree. A source of nutrition, a fruit taken from a tree branch. So much goodness that we can experience each day. As the old saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." A shiny red apple, juicy and sweet to the pallette.

Yet what of the apple tree?

Every season, the apple tree excitedly announces a new arrival with flowering buds. It fills the air with excitement and promise. As each tiny apple grows ever larger gravity eventually wins. The apple falls from the branch onto the ground and the apple tree branches lift with a sigh.

But even when the apples all fall from the tree, the apple tree will once again burst with new flowers. The apple tree will always continue to try it again, to move forward, to try and defy gravity. The fallen apples will have touched the lives of many others. The seeds of those tender apples will have planted new hope in others.

There will be new growth elsewhere, in other people. The fallen apple will not have been for naught. And while it may seem that gravity always wins, in actuality, it is the apple tree that always wins.

Rapture Thoughts

"This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

This morning my wife and I decided to have breakfast at our local Waffle House. A chain of diners mostly through out the southeast that allows for varied experiences. So this morning was not too different.

As it was quite early, there were few people eating so the conversation was easy to hear. And as any small diner goes, we were drawn into this conversation. I'm not sure if it was tired night shift workers or not enough morning coffee, but the rapture was the topic.

There was news of the rapture occurring tomorrow (May 21, 2011) fresh on the minds of Waffle House patrons. I will state up front that I believe rapture is a personal experience of faith. That our own death is our rapture and if your faith is such, you will do good as much as possible in life.

With that out of the way, even if you believe in the fire and brimstone version of rapture, I am not here to mock or convince you otherwise. And if you have no belief in any of that, I am not here to persuade you of it.

What was interesting is that the Waffle House folks were concerned about what to do and how to prepare. I thought to myself, maybe just start now by being a good person. I'm not suggesting these people are not good and decent. But maybe all of us should just try to live a good life everyday.

Our physical lives are not infinite and our time can disappear in an instant. So why not try to live a good and great life all of the time. Being a good person to your family, your friends, your neighbors and even strangers leaves a great legacy for others to follow.

The rapture may happen tomorrow and I may get hit by a bus, but either way I'll try to do good until it happens. I'll keep going to the Waffle House. Heck, I'll just keep going on and on until I no longer can.

The Goodness In People

There is goodness in speaking kindly of others both here and those that have passed away. The older I get, the more important it seems to me that this is true. To let go of the negative thoughts about a person and to think of the good things that person has done becomes more important.

By measuring the goodness of a persons life - large or small - significant or not - means that the person matters. And this means some much to those around them and to those left behind by their passing.

As each of us has both good and bad aspects of our lives, to remember the positives will mean so much more. Even as a person continues to live, think of the good things and improve upon those positives. I have seen many people leave this life knowing many of them well and many others not so well. But it is the good things that I choose to remember.

Yes, there are those truly horrible people in this world, but those that are in your daily life, those are the ones that you have to come to terms with. For you will one day be measured by your own goodness. Leave a trail of good memories that will be remembered by all.

After The Job

Last night, I attended a gathering of people to help celebrate the retirement of a long-time co-worker. This man worked for nearly 25 years at the same company as me, having put in seventeen previous to this one at a different company.

He is a man that I had interactions with at various points in my own career with each of us at different positions along the way. He was always there with a smile, a bit of cheer in his voice and from what I could tell, goodness in his heart.

As it is with retirement and people moving on from the life of a career job, each of us will move on to new things in our life. The people you once worked with will slip into the past with our memories. We will remember each other and from time to time reconnect. Yet having known each other enrichens our lives. It helps shape who we've become and what we will continue to be.

As you go about your work day, know that one day you will retire or move on to other things. Create goodness in all that you do. It will impact those you work with for a life time. Thank you Ray for the daily smile and good word. Enjoy your life and the memories will live on.

“Life's truest happiness is found in friendships we make along the way.”