Random Thoughts - 10/26/2012

Get out and vote

Here are a couple of random thoughts for this, Friday, October 26, 2012. And to start, let us talk of the pending U.S. Presidential Election. All United States citizens will vote on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 -- or will they?

In the 2008 election

- U.S. Census Bureau population estimates were 226 million U.S. citizens
- Of that number, 206 million people were eligible for voter registration
- Of those eligible to register, only 146 million were actually registered
- Of those registered, only 131 million actually voted

It means that only 64% of the eligible voting population actually votes. It means that only 64% of the eligible voting population determines (sort of) the course of government for the next four years. Yes, there is the whole Electoral College thing and do the politicians actually do what they say they will do when asking for your vote?

But politicians and any purity in their actions is a topic for another day.

2012 World Series of Baseball

The opening pitch took place and the first crack of a bat hitting the ball has occurred. Did anyone notice?

Believe it or not, the San Francisco Giants lead the Detroit Tigers two games to none at this point. But has anyone else taken notice of this world series between these two teams? I am sure there are people living in both locations that care. Most notably, the folks in Detroit, while disappointed being down by two games, are thrilled.

Yet, it is baseball and for those that love watching it...the excitement is here. A chance to unwind from a long day and just enjoy the moment.

The Many Colors

I just returned from a week at my corporate offices in the Boston, Massachusetts area. A full week of work but a special treat because the fall leaves are bursting with color. I forget just how wonderful those colors can be. The changing colors of nature reveal just how fantastic the natural world is that we live in.

Soon the cold and snow will be settling in around us. But each of us know that winter provides a time of rest in nature. Spring will come forth after the harsh winter winds fade and new buds will emerge. Until either of those things happen, enjoy the burst of autumn's showcase.

Stay inspired my friends.

Wisdom Revealed

"The measure of our future success and happiness will not be the quality of the cards we are dealt by unseen hands, but the poise and wisdom with which we play them. 'Choose to play each hand to the best of your ability without wasting the time or energy it takes to complain about either the cards or the dealer or the often unfair rules of the game.' Play both the winning and the losing hands as best you can, then fold the cards and ante up for the next deal!" - "Like Klockwork: The Whimsy, Wit, and (sometime) Wisdom of a Key Largo Curmudgeon" by Joe Klock

Wisdom comes in bits and pieces through out your life. But in order to gain wisdom, you have to gather it from others and from your actions. In his book "The Traveler's Gift", Andy Andrews gives us these bits and pieces. The New York Times described it as an inspirational tale about the "decisions that determine personal success," a down on-
his-luck middle-aged man travels back in time.

It is our choices and our attitudes that determine the difference between failure and success. Andy writes about this in chapter four regarding the second decision in life you must make. The main character has just met King Solomon and been given the second of seven items he will receive on this strange journey. He is given the following words of wisdom that are written as such;

Knowing that wisdom waits to be gathered, I will actively search her out

I will seek wisdom, I will choose my friends with care

I will seek wisdom, I will listen to the counsel of wise men

I will seek wisdom, I will be a servant to others

I will seek wisdom

There is so much to learn in our lives and sometimes it is by the pure chance of living that we gain wisdom. Some of that wisdom learned is not to our benefit if used incorrectly. But living itself will teach us either way, good or bad. My wish for each of you is to find that wisdom early in life. And if not, that growing older places you in the path of that wisdom.

Live a more happy and successful life by gathering wisdom beyond what is naturally learned. Your life will change and improve..the wisdom of others has proven it to be.

Stay inspired my friends!

Seven Minutes

"There are those little moments in life in which you need some joy." -Jeff Kane

While you were walking to your office today, did someone pass you by with a smile and say good morning? Did someone possibly hold the elevator door for you or possibly help carry groceries to your car? During our day, there are small things that create joy in our lives. These small things are seemingly insignificant gestures in life that happen to us which create happiness.

We also know there are small things that try to steal that joy from us. It is those types of harsh moments that we tend to focus on. We focus so much on them until the meaningless irritation consumes our day. It causes stress inside of you, frustration develops and causes you to have a bad day.

What we need to do is to look for the joyous moments which do happen. Those moments are there. You simply need to look for and recognize them for what they are, moments of joy. When you feel frustrated, stressed or the anxiety of a long day; find a place, a moment of memory or a thought that brings you back to joy. Try to take seven minutes daily to relive the joys that do exist in your life.

Why seven minutes?

In psychology, the "Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two" is the title of a 1956 paper by the cognitive psychologist George A. Miller which showed the following. When test subjects were asked to choose a number between one and ten, most people will choose the number seven. It is the most common number thought of off the top of one's head.

Other possible reasons for using the number seven:

• Number of openings into the human head; mouth, 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils
• Traditional number of Wonders of the Ancient World
• Viewed as a lucky number in both Japanese and many Western cultures
• In music it is the number of notes in the musical scale
• Number of days in a week
• Number of the ages of man into which William Shakespeare divided a lifetime
• Figurative number of seas
• Traditionally thought that there are seven continents on Earth
• Number of colors of the rainbow
• Number of points on a sheriff's star
• Number of spots in a common ladybug
• Number of objects in the solar system visible to the naked eye — Sun, Moon and five classical naked eye planets: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn

Seven is simply a number and to think of it in numerical terms, you are only taking .4% of your day. If you take the average number of hours one should sleep each night (8 hours), then you are still only consuming .7% of your day reliving a joyful moment or thought. There is that number seven again.

Okay, I have made my point about the number seven.

What really matters is that a small amount of time can have a huge impact on your life. So take a few minutes to remember the joys in your life. In fact, take a moment right now and take seven minutes to relax and enjoy the goodness in your life.

Now pass along that joy to someone else. Smile at someone passing by, hold open a door for the next person, maybe give them a bit of encouragement. Seven minutes can improve your life, improve someone else's life and improve the world around you.

Stay inspired my friends.

Tearing Down The Fence

"I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." -Anne Lamott

How many times do we let the actions of others effect our day? Could it really be that those "big box" store employees determine if my day is going to be a good one or not? No, not really. I use it as an example of how other people step in and out of your life of which you really have no control over. That connection or interaction can be a positive one, or a negative one if you let it.

It is in trying to understand what the story is of that other person in which I find grace. In my example of the "big box" store, the people working there have lives filled with many varying stories. One may have had someone cut them off in traffic on the way to work. Another may have a relative sick and in the hospital. Still others may have had their favorite team lose the previous night.

Their individual stories are not a reason to create an excuse but to show you that there is another side, another story, another reason. We have no control over what happens in their lives. It is in our interaction, in that moment that decides how we are going to be impacted.

Many times we choose to become irritated, to become bothered and annoyed. The frustration builds inside and we literally ruin our very own day. What we are really doing is fencing ourselves in. Allowing ourselves to be locked up by the attitudes and whims of others. We have an opportunity to decide. We have the ability to not put up that fence in our life.

I may have had irritation going to these stores, but I choose to smile and bring change into their life if possible. I choose to understand that there is always another side to the story. I choose to not be fenced in by other peoples actions and attitudes. I choose to have grace in these situations.

Simply put, I choose.

Stay inspired my friends.