Category: Try and evaluate

Did you try?

I have a confession to make. I’m human. I think that’s okay, though. I bet you are a human too. That’s okay, a lot of my best friends are humans. Although as humans, we tend to get in our own way. We can even convince ourselves that doing things we know how to do are entirely wrong for us.

Moms and dads worrying about us and advising us not to do things are just natural. Same with friends and siblings. They only want to protect you and not see you get hurt.

I have somebody who cares for me deeply, and that is why the answer is ‘no’ to everything from righting a bike, grilling outback, fishing, walking or hiking, using a chainsaw or doing almost anything else interesting. It’s nice to have somebody care for you, and yet at the same time, there’s a point at which you have to step forward and live your life. I pick my times and places to step forward and live my life. And, I advise that you do the same.

I believe that the person who cares about me is looking out for my own good. The same as those who look out for you,  I am sure, are only looking out after your own good. Yet I have learned something along the way. No risk ends up providing no reward. A relatively safe or sound risk, entered into with eyes wide open, could very easily be an acceptable gamble.

No one can guarantee us anything, not even that tomorrow will come. When you take a chance that you have studied and understand, you are not tempting fate, you are merely working hard to do better. The dog you get may bite you, you may fall off the bike, you may burn your hand while grilling and the fish you catch might be a shark. Again, no guarantees. Still, if you’ve done your homework, and you know that there are no sharks in the local Lake and you find a puppy dog who likes you, probably you are going to do okay.

Not every chance you take will be a victory, yet each success you have will prepare you for the next possibility you take. And yes, there will be a percentage of failures. Failure doesn’t mean that you’re wrong or bad, it just means you had to learn a few more things to be more successful the next time you try.

We were born to try. It reminds me of a song talking about bleeding just to know you’re alive. It is something to think about. It would be terrible at the end of our days, to go back to where we came from with the body and mind that had never tried, and therefore never knew

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

Good Advice?

Friends, family, and others are always telling us what we should do for our bodies, and to stay well and healthy. Getting these bits of help and suggestions in articles is nice. There is one small problem though. We have over 3 ½ billion bodies out there, and very few are exactly alike. What we each need to do is find those good ideas that work for us.

Getting the flu shot could be a great idea unless you’re one of the 5 to 10% whose bodies get violently sick at the flu shot. Some people tell you to drink coffee and others will tell you to avoid caffeine. You have to figure out what is right for you. Some people will tell you your most creative part of the day is early morning. I had a Great Aunt who got up at two in the afternoon and was very creative and active until about three in the morning. It was just how her body worked best.

I’m not saying ignore the advice of others. What I am saying is give it a try and see if it really is for you. Not every piece of information you are going to receive or read or hear about is going to be good advice for you personally. No one writing an article thousands of miles away will be entirely accurate for you. Especially, if the article writer has never met you.

President Reagan introduced us to an excellent Russian proverb of trust but verify. I would like to tell you another thought, “try and assess.” You won’t know how good something is for you until you try it. Testing in small doses is best. Then evaluate what you have tried. For it is through that evaluation that you will know what works for you and what is better left for someone else to try.

When trying new things use a little common sense. Some things are obviously wrong. I still hear my dad saying if everybody jumped off a cliff, would you do so? I know that common sense really isn’t so pervasive, yet I’m hoping each of us has some when it comes to our health and well-being. And please remember, if you’re going to listen to anyone, listen to the professionals who know you best.

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