These May Only Interest Me, But…

Before get started, how do you like the new look of the page?  Just seems a little more serene and thought-provoking.  Like the old saying goes, if you cant impress ‘em with your smarts, divert their attention.

Anyway, been some things in the news which have caught my attention.  May only interest me, but, they might interest you, too.  So, if you’re curious about what piques my interest, here we go:

• Jaime Escalante died this week.  You may be asking who he is.  He was the inspiration for the movie Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Phillips.  Mr. Escalante was a math teacher in an inner-city school.  You know, the schools where no one is supposed to be able to learn?  Anyway, he started teaching advanced math classes such as calculus and his students became some of the best students in the country.  He proved attitude has more influence than conditions, which is something I’ve thought for a long time.  It’s easy for kids to lay blame on someone or something else if adults do it, too.  Just something to think about when you’re talking to your kids.  RIP, Mr. Escalante;
• Been seeing a lot of headlines about the Sandra Bullock/Jesse James situation.  Who is cheating on who with whom?  Why did they do it?  Who will be filing for divorce?  Why should we care?  If he cheated on her, that should be between them and not played out in all the tabloids.  Would this really be a story if she hadn’t won the Oscar this year?  Hard to say for sure, but I doubt it.  Barely know who he is and she hadn’t really been heard from in a long time until The Blind Side came out.  Am I saying he shouldn’t have cheated on her?  Absolutely not.  Just wishing the media would leave them alone, or at least her, anyway;
• Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was killed in Iraq in 2006.  A Baptist church out of Iowa decided to protest the war during his funeral.  His father Albert Snyder filed suit against the church for invading the privacy of the funeral and causing even more distress than was already there.  The initial jury awarded him millions of dollars.  The appeals court not only overturned the award but ordered Mr. Snyder to pay the church’s legal bills.  Now, can understand the court saying the church had the right to free speech since they were protesting outside the funeral in a public place.  Freedom of speech even applies to idiots as long as they are not inciting violence or anything like that.  But, it’s a real slap in the face of Mr. Snyder to be ordered to pay the legal fees for the church in my opinion.  Would not consider this a frivolous lawsuit.  Ecclesiastes says there is a time for everything.  The funeral for someone who died for your freedoms is not the place for an anti-war protest.  Anyway, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear Mr. Snyder’s appeal.  Hope they have some sense about ‘em;
• President Obama has decided to open up some of the oil fields along the Gulf Coast and Virginia which have been closed for the last 20 years.  Now, you would think the Pubs would be happy and the Dems would be upset.  Well, at least one Pub has said it didn’t go far enough.  Some Dems are supporting it while others are leery about environmental concerns.  Obama started his presidential campaign by saying he was agin it but would open them up if there was scientific proof it would help.  Guess he found it somewhere.  Can’t imagine there’s enough oil in those reserves to make even a tiny dent in our needs.  But, have to give him credit for trying to appease the other side of the aisle on at least one issue.  I’ll give you a little oil in exchange for signing a health bill few people in the public are happy with.  Seems like a fair trade, huh?;
• Heard about Pat Venditte?  He’s a right-handed pitcher for the Yankees.  No, he’s a left handed pitcher for the Yankees.  No, oh, heck, he throws with both hands.  Just depends on which side of the plate the batter stands on.  Has a six-fingered glove so he can switch it back and forth.  Now, it’s amazing enough when anyone is talented enough to pitch a baseball at the professional level.  Hard to imagine having that kind of talent in both arms.  He’s still in the minors for now, but he may make it to The Show before too long.  Will have to keep an eye out for him;
• Most of you know I’m an Alabama Crimson Tide fan through and through.  But, saw a story this week where one of Auburn’s recruits (who picked AU over UA for some reason) was diagnosed with leukemia this week.  His name is Shon Coleman.  Has to be very tough to hear this kind of news when it seems you have everything going for you, especially for an athlete of his caliber.  My thoughts and prayers go out to him for his recovery and to his family for their comfort.  War Eagle, Shon!;
• As you may have seen on the left, decided to join the Twitter world last week.  My screen name is ScotPS23.  Some interesting people to follow on there.  Decided to follow Dr. Alan Zimmerman.  He wrote a note to thank me.  He mentioned my twins so know it wasn’t just some standard reply.  Was pretty excited about that.  It’s a great way to keep up with the news if you want.  The thing I wasn’t expecting is some of the businesses who decide to follow you.  Guess it’s in the hope you will follow them.  Had a couple of sports gambling and a vitamin store start following me.  Didn’t return the favor so they dropped me.  Oh well.  Try to provide an update on my thoughts several times during the day.  It’s a good release if nothing else;
• The more I hear “Mother” from Pink Floyd’s The Wall, the more I appreciate it’s melodies.  Could listen to it over and over again without the lyrics.  They are a little too Oedipal for me.  But, it has my second-most-favorite David Gilmour guitar solo in it.  Very nice.

Well, that’s all for now.  A little longer than I intended.  Hope one or two of ‘em interested you as much as they did me.  Thanks as always for making it this far.

Later.

48 Ways to Have a Great Day Every Day

Some of you may recall I once posted a newsletter from Dr. Alan Zimmerman on ways to reduce stress in your life (see here).  Well, gotta another one want to share about different ways to have a great day every day.  They are all very short.  It's from his October 27, 2009, newsletter.  Gonna add some editorial comment on a few of them, but most stand pretty much on their own.

Dr. Zimmerman's TUESDAY TIP:

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it."

Michelangelo Buonarroti, Italian Renaissance painter and sculptor


What Dr. Zimmerman Has To Say About This:

Michelangelo is right.  You shouldn't settle for an "okay" life when an "exceptional" life is possible.  You shouldn't settle for "getting through another day" when every day could be a "great" one. 

And over the years, I've discovered that a "great" day has a lot more to do with how I approach it than what actually happens to me.  A "great" day is a matter of choice and not a matter of luck.

That being the case, I've put together a list of ways you can have a great day every day.  It's a compilation of my thoughts and experiences ... interspersed with the wisdom of others.  Print out the list and look at once in a while ... because the more points you follow, the better your days will be.


                    DR. ZIMMERMAN'S 48 WAYS TO HAVE A GREAT DAY ... EVERY DAY

**Get PHYSICAL.

1.  Take a few deep breaths throughout the day.  It not only calms you but re-invigorates you.

2.  Get busy living. Don't sit around waiting for life to happen.  And don't sit around wallowing in the grief of yesterday.  Life is too short for long pity parties.

3.  And if you're feeling overwhelmed or burned out, just remember ... for fast-acting relief, try slowing down. (works better than any chemical you can put in your body)
 

**Put some RECREATIONAL fun in your day. 

4.  Look for the humor in everyday situations.  For example, if you show me a man that has both feet firmly planted on the ground, I'll show you a man who can't get his pants off.

5.  Look for the craziness in everyday platitudes.  As they say, "Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime."  But in reality, sometimes you teach a man to fish, he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day long.  (not that there's anything wrong with that from time to time)

6.  Don't watch life from the sidelines.  Get involved and make the most of it ... starting now.

7.  Grow up without growing old.

8.  Always remember, no one is in charge of your happiness except you. (extra double AMENS for this one!!!)


**Keep your EMOTIONAL life in check.

9.  Lighten up.  Most of the things you worry about aren't going to happen anyway. (One of my favorite quotes is "Lighten up, Frances" from Stripes)

10. Don't go through life; grow through life.

11. Dismiss discouragement.  Every great achievement was once impossible.  (Just think of the advances made in our lifetimes you would have never dreamed possible such iPods, laptops, etc)

12. Remember, it's always darkest just before the dawn. So if you're going to steal your neighbor's newspaper, that's the time to do it.

13. Practice patience.  Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.  (Perseverance, too)

14. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

15. Be thankful for your problems. If you threw all your problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, you'd grab yours back.


**Nurture your SOCIAL connections.

16. Enthusiasm is contagious. Start an epidemic.

17. Speak kindly.  Leave the rest to God.

18. Multiply your happiness by dividing it.

19. Tell the truth; then you won't have to worry about remembering anything.

20. Remember, there's always someone who cares about you.  In fact, if you think nobody cares if you're alive or dead, try missing a couple of car payments.
   
21. Don't miss a good chance to shut up.  Generally speaking, you aren't learning much when your lips are moving.  (Like the old saying goes, there's a reason God gave us two ears and only one mouth)

22. Beware of gossip.  Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in again.

23. If you want to G-E-T, you have to A-S-K.

24. Guard your tongue.  You cannot unsay a cruel word.

25. Choose your friends carefully.  When you wallow with pigs, you're going to get dirty.  (As the Bible says in Proverbs, bad company ruins good character)

26. Strive to make people feel good.  After all, people will forget what you said, and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
   
27. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

28. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

29. Even if you have pains, you don't have to be one.

30. Forgive your enemies.  It messes up their heads.

31. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.


**Approach your OCCUPATION with wisdom.

31. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

32. Don't corner anyone meaner than you.

33. The harder you work, the luckier you get.  (Imagine that) 


**Use your MENTAL capacity to think good thoughts and make good choices.

34. Remember ... life isn't fair.  Some days you're the bug, and some days you're the windshield. Deal with it.
   
35. When you're pursuing what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

36. Never dismiss the value of a mistake. Make the mistakes of yesterday your lesson for today.

37. Be thankful for every experience.  After all, good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of those experiences come from bad judgment. (Lots of good stories, too)

37. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging.

38. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

39. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

40. Use common sense.  Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

41. Keep on learning ... by reading and observing.  Forget about learning the hard way.  As Will Rogers said, "There are three kinds of men: The ones that learn by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves."  (Only took me 5 times to figure out that fence hurts)

42. Keep your ego in check.  And if you ever get to thinking you're a super-important, hot-shot kind of person, try ordering somebody else's dog around.


**Tap into your SPIRITUAL side.

43. Don't count the days; make the days count.

44. Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply.

45. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.

46. Don't go through life with a catcher's mitt on each hand ... with a "gimme, gimme, gimme" attitude.  True happiness comes from throwing some things back into life.
   
47. Don't forget ... every path has a few puddles.

48. Do what is right whether or not you feel like it.  The time is always right to do what is right.

49.  No matter what happens, the sun will always rise tomorrow.

50.  Always remember God loves you...and the rest of us are trying. 


So there's my list.  Feel free to edit it as you like.  Make up your own list.  Write down your truths.  And when the economy seems bleak, when your business is struggling, when your relationships are under fire, or you seem to be living under a cloud, pull out the list and read it again.  Remind yourself you CAN have a good day ... EVERY DAY ... if you just apply a few of these truths.


Action:

Add two more "ways to have a good day every day" ... to the list above.  Make it an even 50.


Dr. Alan Zimmerman

As you can see, already added my additional two.  Am interested in what yours may be.  Please feel free to let me know by either leaving a comment or sending me an e-mail at ScotPS23@yahoo.com.  

If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Z or signing up for his newsletter, you can go to his website using this link.  He's given me lots of things to think about over the years.  You might enjoy him, too.

As always, thanks for reading.  Feel free to pass this along to your family and friends.  (Now, that's a funny expression just screaming for its own blog.)  And, don't forget about my friends' blogs over on the left side.  Been some good ones lately.


I'm out!

50 Ways to Get Unstressed

I get a newsletter from Dr. Alan Zimmerman called "Tuesday Tip." He talks about a wide variety of topics. This week's really spoke to me so I thought I would share since he says you can. His website is http://www.DrZimmerman.com. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Will warn you, though, this one will take a few minutes to read.

Reprinted with permission from Dr. Alan Zimmerman's Internet newsletter, the 'Tuesday Tip.'

DR. ZIMMERMAN'S 50 WAYS TO GET UNSTRESSED IN A STRESSED-OUT WORLD

DE-CLUTTER YOUR ENVIRONMENT. PEACE IS NEVER FOUND IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS.

1. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
2. Get a place for everything, and put everything in its place.
3. Have backups: an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps in the car, whatever will lower your stress.
4. Surround yourself with what you love ... whether it's pets, plants, music, hobbies, or keepsakes. Make your home your refuge.
5. Enjoy the simple things.
6. Take one day at a time.
7. Slow down. You're never going to get it all done anyway.
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Spread big changes and difficult projects over time. Don't lump all the hard things together.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY. THERE'S NO PLACE ELSE TO LIVE.

10. Eat right.
11. Go to bed on time. Get enough rest.
12. Get up on time. Start your day with calmness.
13. Drive carefully. Cars aren't the only things that can be recalled by their maker.
14. Cherish your health. If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
15. Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.

GUARD YOUR HEART. DON'T LET THE WORLD STEAL YOUR JOY.

16. Laugh. And then laugh some more -- even if you have to fake it til you make it.
17. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
18. Do something for the kid in you every day.
19. Smile. Peace starts with a smile.
20. Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
21. Do what is right. Forbidden fruits create jams.
22. Don't let your worries get the best of you. Remember, Moses started out as a basket case.
23. Let the tears come. Endure, grieve, and move on. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
24. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county or a foreign country ... but not to Guilt City.
25. Don't forget ... birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.

WATCH YOUR MOUTH. THE POWER OF LIFE AND DEATH ARE FOUND IN THE TONGUE.

26. Talk less. Listen more.
27. Tell your loved ones ... that you love them ... at every opportunity.
28. Keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
29. Be kind to unkind people. They probably need it the most. And if you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
30. Don't put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
31. Practice KYMS (Keeping Your Mouth Shut). It will prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
32. Forgive. Most people are doing the best they can with what they have.

BUILD YOUR RELATIONSHIPS. THEY DETERMINE THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIFE.

33. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
34. Build memories. Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away.
35. Learn to get along ... just like crayons. Some are sharp. Some are pretty, and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors. But they all have to live in the same box.
36. Let go of grudges. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
37. Refrain from judgment. God Himself does not propose to judge a man until he is dead. So why should you?
38. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe.

NURTURE YOUR SPIRIT. IT'S THE SOURCE OF HOPE.

39. Take time ... every day ... to be alone ... and relish the power of peace and quiet.
40. Listen to a motivational CD while you're driving ... a CD that will improve your quality of life.
41. Write down every great thought that comes to you. Chances are you won't remember them, and it may take you another 20 years to learn the lesson you just lost.
42. Keep a folder of your favorite sayings on hand.
43. Write down one thing you're grateful for. And then add one more thing to your list each and every day.
44. Make a list of what you want to do, have, experience, and witness before you die. It's a sure way to get a lot more of what you want in your life!
45. Strive for excellence. It is not necessary to be perfect. Excellence will do just fine!
46. Walk your talk. It is easier to preach ten sermons than it is to live one.
47. Remember, when you get to your wit's end, you'll find God lives there.
48. Pray. Then take some time to listen. Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.
49. Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
50. Remember ... the Will of God never takes you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.

Action:Circle three tips that you will focus on this week, and then consciously follow those tips for the next seven days. Let them become a habit in your life.

Dr. Zimmerman is primarily a motivational speaker. This newsletter is free to anyone who wants to sign up. Just go to the website http://www.DrZimmerman.com to sign up. It gets delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, 52 weeks a year. It's supposed to be geared towards business folks, but most of it applies to every day life, too. He also has a Tweeter account for those of you who Tweet http://www.Twitter.com/Dr_Zimmerman.

Think this one spoke to me so much this week because I've been thinking a lot about the power of prayer this week. But, that is for another blog...