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Bigger Than The Rules
“Don’t you know who I am?” Thinks everyone. I’ll be honest. There are times when I think I am bigger than the rules. It can happen in all sorts of ways, but generally, it is when following (what I have deemed is) an insignificant rule takes more effort than not. I am not talking about capital S sins, more like moral misdemeanors. Parking in a fire lane while picking up a pizza or occasionally bringing my own Jujyfruits to a movie. I am not particularly proud of this…nor am I alone in it. Most of us like to believe that rules are made for other people. Sure, there is the possibility of larger,…
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Why and How
Constitution – the aggregate of a person’s physical and psychological characteristics. Growing up, now and then I heard references made to a person’s constitution. Having a “strong constitution” was considered praise amongst the sturdy, Midwestern farm stock from which we had descended. It meant that someone was physically strong and emotionally resilient. With that point of reference, I came to believe that a person’s constitution was mostly driven by their physiology and most certainly determined at birth. Not unlike a litter of puppies, there were alphas and runts among us. As time passed, my perception changed. While we certainly have some predetermined physical characteristics, there is much over which we have influence.…
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Word Choice
In the months since I started writing this blog, I have occasionally been asked by acquaintances what it’s about. In the very beginning, that was difficult to answer. It wasn’t as though I began with a description and then started writing. Quite the opposite. I had something to say. So I wrote. Eventually, the most accurate description was provided by a dear friend and faithful reader. He said simply, you write about what’s important to you. Exactly. While that may seem vague, it is appropriately capacious. Thought Works posts have been inspired by everything from lackluster leadership to little green men. The common thread throughout all of them is the significance…
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The Matter of Motives
Living with others, there are hundreds of opportunities daily to be of service to someone else. I was reminded of this recently when I saw my neighbor running awkwardly behind her young son as he bravely joined the world of cycling without training wheels. We peel carrots for lunch bags that aren’t ours. Walk dogs and fill gas tanks that aren’t ours. Why? Somebody’s got to do it, right? Like mowing the yard. Or because it just needs to be done–like the laundry needing to be washed. Perhaps it is because people deserve to be honored. Even in simple ways. Consider that something as seemingly impersonal as shoveling snow or doing yard work has…
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Economy of the Heart
“If it doesn’t help, it hurts.” — from a discussion on photographic composition This fundamental economy of expression is true in other mediums as well. More words do not necessarily bring more value to written work. We appreciate Matisse and Picasso for their depth of communication through the use of a single line. This economy has a translation for action, too. How we spend our time matters. Economy of action suggests that right action is exactly enough. Each day we are faced with people and circumstances that demand our attention. We can avoid them temporarily, but they will not be ignored forever. Whether we are faced with an individual or an emotion, if…
