Two Hands

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down." -Arnold H. Glasow

I have had friends through out the years of my life that would fit the above quote perfectly. These people are ones that I hold close in my heart although many of them I have drifted from. With family and job changes, the miles and time seem to fill the gap. But I can truly say that these friends have helped shape my life.

I recently read a story to which I can't find an attribution or even how true the story is. But it does speak of friendship and what one will do for the other.

In WW1 an English soldier watched in horror how his lifelong friend fell under gunfire. All the soldiers had to retreat. The soldier went to ask permission from the lieutenant to go and fetch his friend from the no-mans-land.

The lieutenant gave permission, but added: "It is hardly worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may die too."

The soldier did not care about the warnings and miraculously he did reach his friend, lifted him to his shoulders and stumbled back. He was wounded in the process.

The lieutenant helped them to safety and noticed the soldier´s friend was dead. "I am sorry for your friend - but I told you it was not worth it. Your friend is dead and now you are also seriously wounded."

"I have to disagree with you. It was worth it", the soldier answered.

"What ever do you mean?" the lieutenant wondered.

"It was worth it", the soldier repeated. "When I got to my friend, he was still alive and said ´Jim, I knew you would never leave me.´

The friendships you receive in life are gifts. They keep you grounded when you begin to fly too high in self. They help pull you up off the ground when life is trying to bury you.

We know that these friendships will go through stages of closeness and also distance. But if you can point back to those that made a difference, then you are truly blessed.

For me I can count them on two hands. Two hands by which I can clench and stand my ground when circumstance tries to knock me down. Two hands to reach out and pull them up when they need me.

Remember your friends on this day, remember your friends tomorrow. Most of all, remember to be a friend.

Carpe Diem

"Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." -John Keating, Dead Poets Society

Carpe Diem, an interesting phrase generally meaning "seize the day." It comes from a Latin poem written by Horace that has become sort of a statement of principle for many people. It is generally translated as "seize the day" and literally it means "to pick, pluck, pluck off, cull, crop, or gather", but Publius Ovidius Naso (better known as Ovid) used it to mean, "To enjoy, seize, use, make use of".

In Horace's poem, the long version is "Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero", meaning to "Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future." His intent was to say that our future is uncertain and we should limit our hope's to a shorter future. In some respects he was speaking to people and business leaders that think short term goals or just the next quarter, so "drink one's wine."

In modern culture, I would argue that the quote above describes its use best. "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary", meaning to use each and every day to do something great. Don't waste a single day waiting for the next day to occur; choose now, not later. Begin to move your life forward, to find your dreams, to have a great and 'extraordinary' life.

The future exists but you have to move towards it. To sit idle and allow the future to find you, it will only find you in the same place, sitting idle. You have the ability to impact your own future. You can impact your own future. So "Seize the day, folks. Make your lives extraordinary."

Unexpected

"Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capacities simply by being given the opportunity to do so." -Doris Lessing

So there we were, checking in the baggage for my daughter and grand-daughter to return to Los Angeles. The Delta agent was very kind and pleasant as she indicated the one suitcase would cost $115 US dollars. I'm not sure if my chin actually touched the floor, but it did hit the counter on the way down.

I fly quite frequently and had just never had occassion to check-in an overweight bag. So the base cost was $25 and an additional $90 for ten additional pounds over the 50 pound limit. It was all so unexpected I guess but then again I shouldn't have been surprised.

It is the unexpected that presents us with opportunity. I could have gotten upset and thrown a tantrum. I could have paid the additional money and been done with it. What we did do is pull ten pounds out of the bag. It is surprising how much shoes and jeans weigh! I can now take a US Postal service flat rate box; much cheaper and send it directly to their home.

There are many times in our lives when we get confronted by a challenge. Challenges that vary in degrees of difficulty and angst. It is what we do in those moments that define the outcome. Do we let anger and frustration take over? Do we allow it to overcome our life or do we look for the possible opportunity.

I fully understand that sometimes the challenge leaves us seemingly with no choices. My daughter may have had that presented to her had she been alone. But I have always felt there are choices which are sometimes very hard to make. And we usually fail to see them because they are hard choices. We choose not to even consider them because they are hard choices.

If all I have is $25 to pay for a checked 50 pound bag, then maybe I don't need that pair of shoes or jeans. Maybe I do without something else in my life. And don't get me wrong, my daughter did not have an over abundance of things and would have made the right choices. That I am confident of. Yet I see others struggle to make those hard choices in life. I myself have had to make them.

A recent movie called "The Company Men" explores some of these hard choices we have to make in life. One of the main characters, Bobby Walker (played by Ben Affleck) continues to hang onto the material possessions even with his family's lack of money. He finally has to make a choice to give up their expensive home and his beloved Porsche. You will say, sure, thats a movie but it does reflect real life.

Last fall a local church which does great community work was giving away food for the needy. All the groceries needed for a Thanksgiving dinner plus additional food was being given to those in need. All one had to do was drive to a parking lot, drive through and they would load you up with food. It was a great success and I commend them for the great giving heart.

What I did notice were the vehicles being driven. There were many average and well-used vehicles in line. But within the ranks were very nice and very new vehicles. I had to temper my thoughts about someone driving a new vehicle but needing food to put on the table. I wouldn't presume to know the individual stories, but my outward view is that maybe they need to make a hard choice to get rid of the expensive vehicle. Maybe the right choice is to get a cheaper car and have the money to put food on the table.

That sounds harsh I'm sure and it doesn't fix everything but it is a step. Don't take me wrong here as I can't say what goes through peoples minds. I am simply trying to illustrate a point about making hard choices. The unexpected is going to happen in our lives. A car break down, a new baby, a job loss, divorce or a myriad of other events.

It is what we do in response to the unexpected. Do we take that moment to view the new opportunity? Do we take that moment to make choices which keep our lives moving forward? Do we take that moment and confront the unexpected with the unexpected?

Keep moving forward, keep living, keep making choices even when the unexpected happens. You are capable of doing great and unexpected things. Don't let the unexpected defeat you. Do the unexpected.

Climb a Mountain

"Big thinking precedes great achievement." -Wilferd A. Peterson

On June 7, 1913, Hudson Stuck, an Alaskan missionary, led the first successful ascent of Mt. McKinley, the highest point on the American continent. Located in the state of Alaska, the mountain's Athabascan Indian name is Denali, meaning "The High One." In 1896, it was renamed in honor of Senator William McKinley, who became president of the United States that year.

When they set foot on McKinley's south peak, considered the mountain's true summit, it was an achievement many thought unattainable. A member of the group, Robert Tatum later commented, "The view from the top of Mount McKinley is like looking out the windows of Heaven!" To achieve something so large took large thinking.

It took thinking beyond the word no. It took believing in themselves and in the possibility of something greater. It also took them seven and a half weeks to climb what amounts to fourteen Empire State Buildings. A total of 20,320 feet into the bluest reaches of the sky.

Nothing comes easy in life. To scale the highest mountains of your life, it can take time. But you can take an ordinary day like June 7 and turn it into a great achievement. It all starts with thinking big things for your life and then living your journey today.

Start dreaming of large mountains to climb and then start climbing. The top isn't nearly as far away as you think.