Get Up And Do Life

"I remember growing up with television, from the time it was just a test pattern, with maybe a little bit of programming once in a while." - Francis Ford Coppola

There was a time in early television when broadcast were not on a twenty-four hour cycle. Programs were typically seen from 6:00 AM until sometimes midnight. The use of a test pattern mostly went away in the 1960's with the advent of color television. But I remember them clearly.

After signing off, a test pattern would be displayed. Many of the adopted test patterns contained the graphic of an Indian along with other patterns on the chart.

All of this served a purpose.

Broadcasting a test pattern daily and sometimes hourly, allowed people to make adjustments to their home television sets, TV repairmen and broadcast engineers to adjust cameras and other equipment. Everyone had an opportunity to adjust perspective, framing, linearity, contrast, brightness, etc., etc.

It is said "an experienced broadcast engineer could glance at the drawing of the Indian Chief and quickly know if everything was OK or if more careful adjustment was needed."

Then what?

Life is kind of like getting everything adjusted and perfectly set. We prepare ourselves, take all of the right courses, read the program guide and make sure everything is perfectly adjusted. We then sit there doing nothing.

Do we prepare only to sit and stare at a test pattern?

What we do is get up and start living our life. We do all of those things we were adjusting for and preparing to do. We live life, we sign-on and begin broadcasting our lives in full clarity, framing, linearity, contrast, brightness, etc., etc.

It would do television stations no good if all they did was broadcast a test pattern all day long. They prepare and then they broadcast their shows. The same goes for our lives. To prepare and do nothing gets us nowhere.

Get up and do life.

Stay inspired my friends!

See The Rose

“You complain about seeing thorny rose bushes; Me, I rejoice and give thanks to the gods that thorns have roses.”
- Alphonse Karr (Letters written from my garden - 1853)

Each of us know enough and have been around enough to know life is full of struggle. Not everything is good all of the time and not everything is bad all of the time. Part of getting through life is having belief in something better which can pull you through.

Many will spend their day complaining about how bad things are. But what does complaint do for your life?

Complaint only breaks you down and separates you from others.

There are not many people who enjoy the company of a complaining person. While others may try to help by staying close, giving encouragement and pressing you to change. Yet they will eventually tire from the negative experience it has on their own life. People will start to pull back from your life until you are left with very little.

Change has to take place within you.

A negative and complaining life style has to be rejected within your personality. Others can not change for you. Only you have that power. And you do have the power to make a change towards a more positive way of living.

Take your complaints and turn them towards a vision.

Simple things such as 'traffic problems getting to work' can be turned into a more pleasant experience. Try books on CD to listen to a great novel or a different genre of music to change the mood. Maybe a podcast on history to expand your knowledge would change things up.

There are many ways to change your condition in life.

It means taking a step in a different direction or leaving certain things behind. It means taking some risk, but never doubt what the human spirit can accomplish. Do not limit your possibilities.

So stop complaining about everything and start rejoicing in what is good and what can be in your life.

And stay inspired my friends!

Light Overcomes Darkness

"Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him."
- Louis L'Amour

The thought of road rage and what that says about many of us came to me one morning while driving to work. I drove up on a line of traffic with people merging in from the right where two lanes became a single lane.

People inched forward not allowing any space for someone to enter the line of traffic. Some of the people in the right lane unaware of being in the wrong lane and were using their blinkers requesting entry into the left line.

Others came speeding up in the right lane, fully aware they were going to pass the long line of traffic. Their intent being interpreted as, "I'm better then you and I'm not going to wait."

There were all sorts of reasons.

Drivers in the left lane were a mixture of attitudes and grace also. Some would open a space for both types of right-lane people. While others maintained a 'zero-space' and 'zero-tolerance' for those in the right lane of traffic.

This went on until a driver in front of me began yelling at one of the right lane drivers with gestures and well thought out verbiage. There had been some sort of affront to him and he was going to let the other driver be aware of it.

In that instance, his inner self was being put on display for all to see.

All of us carry something inside we probably are not proud of; especially when it gets put on display for others to see. But when we keep the "not so proud of" things inside, it is there, kept in darkness and it grows to destroy you. Allowing the darkness inside to rule the day only leads to stress and anger.

We do a very good job of hiding those things within our inner darkness. For some reason, we find those times where it gets released from the darkness. Like when sitting in a car, in traffic, where we somehow believe others can not see us.

If you were standing in line for coffee and a person cut in line, you might say something but chances are the situation is a bit too personal, too upfront. So we tend to be more civil in our discussion with the other person. Yet in a car, all inhibition seems to be removed.

Darkness finds a way to take control over our actions.

We think we are hidden or protected within our space. The vehicle, tucked away in our office or behind closed doors of our home. The problem is many others get to see these glimpses of the inner stuff going on. Inner darkness is revealed and we barely realize it.

I have had issues with impatience and believing my driving is far superior to others. My frustration boiled over nearly 30 years ago and my left temple took the brunt of someones fist. We read stories of this rage spilling over into even greater excess. The outcomes can be disastrous and many times deadly.

What need the ability to destroy the darkness inside by letting the light in. Allow a bit more grace on the roads is a start. But we can also try to relax a more and try to slow down, not be in such a hurry. We all lead hectic and stressful lives.

It might be time to adjust the way we live in order to enjoy it more.

Do not let the darkness win. Relax and enjoy the ride.

Stay inspired my friends!

Many Miles To Go

Are you one of the half-glass full or empty type of people?

For me, I have always tried to be "the glass is not going to be big enough" type of person. Most certainly there have been been moments of pain and doubt, but yet I rebound.

There is so much to experience in this life. And many miles to go before we sleep.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a little shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Stay inspired my friends.