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Giggles
You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. — Mae West I have a friend who advocates giggling (his word) daily. He’s always trying get people to smile and professes that the giggle is always there if you look for it. I’m inclined to agree. No matter how busy or important or sad our day is, there is always a laugh to be had somewhere. Laughter costs nothing and lifts our spirits. Some people like puns or word play. (A dyslexic walks into a bra…) Others, often below the age of ten, prefer the most nonsensical of all silliness the knock-knock joke. Regardless of our brand of humor, when laughter…
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Swimmers
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own heart. –Albert Einstein Swimming is not intuitive for most humans. Our physiology isn’t designed for it–no webbing or gills. And yet…with a longing for water, we learn to swim. We practice. We take lessons and swim laps. Until, the unnatural becomes natural. Knowing our own opinion and expressing it, can require a similar discipline. With competing voices seeking our loyalty, it is at times difficult to discern our own preferences. If we are able to sort through the clamor to a singular idea or focus, there comes a second challenge…expressing it. Not all corporate waters are welcoming pools. Some are the organizational equivalent…
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Conditional Statements
“If we can get the funding, this project will make a huge impact on the community.” “If she is willing to work for it, the job is hers.” “If he will devote the time, the results will be remarkable.” Very often, the outcome we want follows an “if”. Sometimes, it’s glossed over…or phrased slightly differently. Sometimes, it’s only implied. But with most affirmative conclusions (aka solutions), there is a conditional phrase that precedes them. What’s tricky about conditional statements is that it’s the outcome that frequently dominates our focus . We rush through the underlying requirements to allow our minds to reflect lovingly on our desired outcome. “Once the funding is allocated, we can really…
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Sunday Sunday
Early last Sunday morning, I was running past a friend’s house in the pre-dawn quiet. Her Jeep was parked outside. I knew she was sleeping. Sunday is her only day off of work. It is the day she rests. In spite of the fact that “resting on the seventh day” is often referenced, the idea of resting at all has become counterculture in our world. Many stores operate 24/7. Businesses expect their employees to be available 24/7. And certainly, the internet knows no limits on its productive time. It would seem that we have “evolved” beyond a six-day work week. But…is it wise? Research tells us that taking a rest from exercise at regular intervals actually…
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Aura of Invincibility
Tenure. Time in grade. Seniority. No matter how you frame it, people attribute value to the passage of time. There is a perception that people who have been “at it for a while” know the ropes. This is true in settings other than the office. In church, they’re known as “elders”. In AA meetings, they’re referred to as “oldtimers”. Regardless of the moniker, time in grade denotes a certain cachet. The most prevalent is wisdom. While time often rewards us with experience and in turn, experience with learning, time doesn’t eliminate the trials of life. Time doesn’t erase our fear and ego. It doesn’t legitimize self-sufficiency or infallibility. Time makes us no less susceptible to…
