Category: positive outcomes

New Possibilities

They say that some of the best companies are born out of times of economic hardship.  I tend to believe that.  I look at blue chips such as IBM, and others and I can see the results.  And, I know what the reason could be.

When we are in a depression or a major recession, there is a little more time to work the project and get it right.  You need to have a good idea to start.  The extra time allows honing for how the product presents itself and what it can do for the buyer.  It will enable the company to make the concept better before the need skyrockets, and all you can do is fight to keep up.

If the product is right, the demand will be there as the downturn in the market ebbs, and the nation recovers.  There are many reasons.  Some include some old and unhealthy companies that may fall by the wayside, and new commerce will step up to take in the slack.  New companies are more likely to purchase new ways, ideas, and machines to keep up with new demand.

I am not encouraging you to wait for a significant fall in the market to start your enterprise.  I am only showing you what happened in the past.  I am also encouraging you not to let a recession or depression hold you back from giving the world its next big timesaver.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Your Past, Your Future

Often, to move forward, we need to start by releasing the past. We never forget the wonderful people who have touched our lives. We do need to settle within ourselves the angst and pain of unsettled disputes. We owe a settlement and forgiveness to those who have gone before us. And, we owe the settlement of accounts to ourselves also.

It is often hard to let go. Emotions cloud our thinking, and some imagined wounds are harder to heal than real ones. We must understand the caring others had for us, and their desire, whether it was ours or not, and the fact that love takes many forms.

As we make peace with our past, our future will begin to blossom. Settling accounts and old debts, and allowing the anguish to subside is the best way to start your new trip. And pains won’t subside overnight, yet in time you may find it replaced by new happiness and new paths forward.

As we move forward, we do not forget the good of the past. Our trip to our future gives us new avenues and new paths to bring new happiness and new caring. As we walk these new roads, we will be able to enjoy great new wonders.

For now, do not rush. Instead, make your amends with the past. Then stay open to what lies ahead. For that is your future and your path to walk.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Anomalies

We work hard in life to protect ourselves from the significant problems that we face. And yet, we are plagued day-to-day with the little anomalies that come along. The small things we don’t think of happening, nonetheless they do. We need to know how to handle the daily grind of oops and oh-no, in safe and sane ways.

No matter how much forethought you put into something, it will happen. Precautions or checklists that you make or take? It will happen. It is the little things that will inevitably get in your way. I’m not saying you should not have precautions in place. I am just advising you to realize they are going to show up.

As with anything, how you handle annoyances speaks volumes about you and, in part, judges your higher being. The best thing when an inconvenience comes is to relax. When you relax, you can more easily concentrate. And when you focus, you can look for small, easy solutions. Was the O-F-F switch in the O-N position? Had the Internet button toggled by mistake? What time was the meeting at, and did it Change?

We are only human. We have great brains equipped with faulty storage systems for memory. We have emotions which can give us powerful feeling and yet clog our analytical thinking skills. We have reasonable responsibilities, which leads to significant accomplishments when they don’t crush us in the meantime. And, we are proud to say we are human.

What I’m trying to tell you is a little bit counterintuitive. What I’m trying to say is, when you are lucky enough to find an anomaly, the most important thing you can do is relax. Use correcting a problem as a micro-goal. And as with all goals, when completed, the endorphins will bring you a rush of pleasure in accomplishment.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again

Common Sense

It turns out we all start with common sense.  Unfortunately, we become faced with a world that has forgotten what it can do for us.  Is the fire hot? Do not touch it.  Does someone scare you? Avoid that person.  If someone is kind and loving, seek them out.  When you perceive danger, stay away.  These ideas make sense. Don’t they?

Today, it feels as though many just want what they want.  People do not want to lose out on anything.  And, some folks believe they are entitled to everything.  The term ‘getting too big for the britches’ is sometimes used by onlookers.  I do not think such sayings are required. I do believe that ideas such as ‘self-reliance’ and ‘for the greater good’ are thoughts worth considering.

We never live in this world alone. And, if we did live alone, we would find it hard to have any lifestyle to which we became accustomed. We must remember we are social creatures. Being social is essential to us, even when it is at a social distance or in meetings through the Internet. We cannot deny our true nature, nor can we endanger others while practicing our true calling. We must, therefore, practice positive balance in all things.

Instead of lobbing disparaging remarks, let us practice care and understanding. Instead of finger-pointing, let us exercise a little hand raising in volunteering what we could do for others. Instead of blaming and complaining, let us strive to find good ideas and better ways.

The pandemic came on its timetable, and it will leave the same way. We may be left better or worse, yet the epidemic does not solely make the determination. The determination as to whether we are better or worse is up to us and what we do now. Actually, it boils down to a little common sense. Choose wisely, my friends, choose wisely.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

A Word of Caution

We saw people this weekend out protesting that they wanted curtailment of home quarantine.  They had their signs, some had their rifles, and they had what they felt was a useful purpose.  I fear that many of them failed to consider why the restrictions were put in place to start.

We are not new to pandemics.  Plagues have been a part of humanity as far back as we can remember and record, and then some.  The Black plagues of Europe, and the epidemics of measles and other illnesses brought by adventurers and forced upon the unprotected Native Americans of the western hemisphere are but a few.  The Spanish Flu of 1918.  We know what horror a pandemic can do.

We have an advantage.  With modern medicine and protocols, we can minimize the risk.  We know how to protect ourselves, and we know how to fight the infestation.  Wash our hands, wear a mask, and ensure that we are not around others that may be infected.

We do have some problems.  Rather than being told we will do X, Y, or Z, everything given to us is suggestions.  Those in charge expect us to be grownups and use our common sense to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe.  Please bear with me as I explain why this weekend’s gatherings in different states allowed for the use of the first and second amendments and failed to show any forethought or common sense.

We are fighting a pandemic of tiny organisms.  Your rifles are not going to help you. The people protesting and close to others are probably the ones ignoring quarantines and have a better chance of being infected.  What did you share at the outing?  And for those in charge, do not be afraid to make decisions for our good.  We know there is a lack of knowledge, and that is OK.  Do the best you can.  No one can fault you if you have to change things as you learn more.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow. 

Take A Step

It does not matter what your concerns are now.  I know there is a multitude of various scenarios that people find themselves in today.  The action you need is to take inventory of yourself and take a step.  Maybe not outside.  And possibly not even from one room to another.  You are making a move from one mental plane to another. 

To do this, you need to evaluate your situation and understand your options. Having a notebook to help you keep track of things is a good idea.  Memories and ideas sometimes get mixed up while you try to understand many new things all happening at once.  I usually use a 9 ½ by 5 3/8-inch notebook. 

First, we need to look at the fears you may have.  You need to know what real fear you are facing and what you might imagine. Go ahead and list them in the book. Try to figure out if they are present and genuine or if they are something that could happen if…

Look at each fear and understand how close that fear is to you.  Is it in your personal space (about 12 inches)?  Is the problem in a common area (maybe three feet)?  Do you know if the fear is outside your door or within a city block?  Within 4 square blocks of where you live?  If you cannot pinpoint the cause of concern, it starts to take a back seat to what is in front of you at the moment.

Try to look at each fear you wrote in the book.  Can you see it?  What are the ramifications of the fear coming true, and what can you do to stop or delay the fear from happening?  Is there anything preventing you from acting to hold the fear at bay until it is no longer a threat to you?

Please remember, no one has to sit in just one spot and let fear consume them.  You can think and work to come up with positive solutions.  You are stronger and more mentally capable than you can imagine.  You can think of solutions and find your way out of anything.  All you need do is keep your wit about you and refuse to take no for an answer.  You can do anything if you believe you can, and you never give up.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again soon.

    

Change

Change

Times change. People change. Situations change.  The hard part of change is that it can go on around us while we fail to notice.  What was once vital is no longer needed.  What is now a must, is often choked out and ineffective because we can not understand the need for the change.  When we shun change, we must talk with the person in the mirror.

Change is not a bad thing.  Change keeps us fresh and new.  We become challenged to learn new ideas and protocols when change arrives, and this helps our minds stay nimble and expanding.  We need this, in part, to keep our brains active.

As we change, we should not hoard the past.  Keep the ideas and memories. You might keep a souvenir or two.  You do not need to fill your house with the items you no longer use.  The things left from decades ago are only keeping new memories from forming.

It is not easy to change and evolve, especially if you do not do it regularly. I would like to suggest you make a plan.  Start learning new items that interest you.  Never let yourself believe that you can’t.  Whatever reason you give yourself will not stand up to reason.  There will always be someone older, younger, smarter, and less intelligent than you who was able to accomplish the new things that you are attempting.  If others can do what you are working on learning (and they can), then you should have no problem doing the same.

You have an easy choice, believe you can, or think you cannot.  If you believe you can, nothing and no one can stop you.  If you want to think you cannot, well, you are a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Either way, you will be right.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Perspective

In this time of peril, we find ourselves isolated for our safety.  And for a longer time than some would imagine.  There are few of us built for confinement this long.  Yet, we must remember that in staying put, we are saving ourselves and others.

It is easy to notice the things which bother us.  Those are the items that scream for our attention.  There are benefits, though, which you should not overlook less missed completely.  At times like these, we need to search for the small quiet luxuries this time of family isolation gives us.

We have something that pandemics until now have not afforded.  We have instant communications.  With a cell phone or computer, we can talk to others in the world face to face, no matter where they live.  We can know what is happening and what outcomes are without waiting for weeks or months.  Even though we are apart, we are closer than at any time in the history of the world.

Now is the moment to pull out the ‘if I had time’ lists.  And if you do not have a list, now is the time to make one and start fulfilling it. You have the time.  You probably have supplied the needed items around the house.  And if you do need something, Amazon and many other stores can get it to you pretty fast.

If the family is at its wit’s end, maybe a family project that keeps everyone working together is the ticket to happiness.  Or, everyone doing their project might be even better.  The idea is that we always wish for time to do something.  Toilet paper might need rationing, yet you, for the moment, have all the time you need.  Use it to your advantage.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Change Again

I have been professionally teaching about change since 2003.  I believe that change for a reason is much better than changing just for the sake of doing so.  Right now, we are changing out of a vital need for survival.  Although this type of change is hard and sometimes depressing, we still need to do it.  In this effort, we may again discover conveniences of a century ago. 

My grandfather managed a corner market in Reading, PA.  He would take orders by phone, box up the merchandise, and have a runner deliver it to the home of the shopper.  This method allowed for faster shopping (he knew the spot of everything in the store.)  And, the shopper could stay at home and manage it.  The runner would deliver the goods, collect the payment, and return to the store.

When the A & P came to town and put up supermarkets, they bought out the corner stores.  My grandfather gained a job stacking shelves for the supermarket.  It was a good job, and he worked nights.

Today, we can order online and have groceries delivered to our front door.  People did not like the change away from delivery in the 20th century, and they are slow to go back to it in the 21st.  I, though, am glad for the return.  With the virus we face now, I do not want to go anywhere a virus could be shared.  Right now, we all should stay home and safe as much as possible.

Good change happens, not because we are bored, instead because we hold a need that must occur in a different way than we have done it before.  Those who set out to meet new needs are brave adventurers.  They are willing to take chances to make life better.  The changers know they do their work while facing the slings and arrows of those who live within the comfort zone of normalcy.

As for me, I do like needed change.  If you do not like change, please let me know.  I will send you an address where you can send me all your quarters and dimes.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

We All Have a Job to Do

We are in a terrible pandemic, and it is as bad as some movies made of such things.  Although we are in trouble, we are better now than when the world found itself caught in the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.  Yet there is light at the end of the tunnel.

We have better communications to understand what is going on around the world. Some nations may put up false fronts, wanting to look better then they are, yet that does not last for long.  Some wish to hoard vital necessities and try to make a profit on the suffering of others.  Yet, we will know who and how to handle them in the long run.

Like the plagues that have decimated us for eons, this, too, will do its evil and be eradicated.  We have the technology, and we have the tools.  What we need to do is have the will to work in unison for the good of all.  Finger-pointing and laying blame are actions for armchairs and later consideration.  We do not want to be the generations that could have stopped an evil yet were too busy debating and complaining to do anything of substance.

I know that if we work together, there is nothing that can stand in our way, protecting ourselves as our work is vital.  When we sacrifice our health, we are not martyrs; we are the source of infection to unsuspecting others.  If we ignore what is advised by our medical community, we are not individualists; we are the problem.

We must take this seriously to survive.  There are no medals for having been there, only those who survive and those remembered.  Please, be a survivor.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.