It's that time of year when we send flowers, gifts, and if we're local, take mom out to a nice dinner. When thinking about my mom I always remember the encouragement to learn new things, the unique things we would do to have fun (that didn't cost anything), and playing Scrabble with her and grandma. Although I'm not that close (I'm in AZ and she's in MI), I think of her all the time and always give her a call a few times a month.
Happy Mother's day mom. I love you.
As a retired soldier, one of the best things I ever got while in the field was mail. Letters from family were always the best and would always cheer me up. A surprise package from the girl scouts or boy scouts, or an elementary school, was really nice. It made me feel like my country was behind me. Thank you to all those soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors, who are in harms way--your service will never be forgotten.
To the families who have lost a loved one in Afghanistan, Iraq, or one of the many "hot spots" on the globe, I offer my solemn condolences. To a very special group--Military Spouses. You worry, you handle the family affairs, and you deal with all the red tape, while your husband or wife are gone. Your job is just as hard, or harder than your loved ones. Thank you for taking care of your wife or husband--may your reunion be one filled with happiness, romance, and excitement.
Many of us forget about the freedoms we enjoy--the right to vote, the right to free speech, the right to assembly, etc. Take a few moments to write a letter to one of our members of the armed forces--it only takes a few minutes and that letter will be the bright spot of someone's day.
Thank you mom for providing me with the skills to survive and cope in this world. Thank you to the Armed Forces. We are behind you 100% and then some. Your gift of service to the American people and our allies is something you can be proud of for the rest of your life.
Until next time...
Be Well, Be Grateful, and Be Happy,
Grateful Dave
Monday, May 4, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Take Care of Yourself
It is so easy to get wrapped around the hustle and bustle of the day. We get up, we go to work, we come home, spend some time with our loved ones and we go to bed, 0nly to do it all over again.
Then, out-of-the-blue, we get blindsided by something we didn't expect. Now the smooth-running machine is out of sync and everything gets pushed around to handle this unexpected event.
Does this scenario sound familiar?
Balance is the key to living a peaceful and happy life. Eat too much and gain weight. Work too much and relationships with family and friends is stressed, that work out routine gets put on hold, and we begin eating on-the-run.
Slow down!
Examine all of the things in your life and truly understand what you really want. Once you've decided what critical things in your life have to happen, sit down (perhaps on a Sunday) and spend a good hour writing down those things you could do in the upcoming week to move forward on each of these critical things.
Dr. Steven Covey in both his books The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and the 8th Habit, discusses how this process works. If you haven't read his books, I can't recommend them enough. If you have a long commute in the morning, he also offers his books in CD format. You can find them on Google, Barnes&Noble, or any reputable book store.
These books suggest that there are four key areas in our lives that we should focus and balance across our week. They are the physical, the mental, the social and spiritual quadrants or areas. Dr. Covey calls these physical intelligence (PQ), mental intelligence (IQ), social intelligence (EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ). By balancing our attention on these four areas, adding just a little bit of proficiency to each one weekly, great gains can be made in a few months.
Think about this for a moment. If you practiced your piano 30 minutes a day, you would have practiced 183 hours! Not bad when you consider that it only takes 30 minutes a day. The key is to remember how important it is to focus on key areas in your life and do "little" things consistently.
Now to the original topic of this blog entry. Taking care of yourself means prioritizing what's important to you and chipping away at them a little at a time. We don't neglect other areas for one or another area, we chip away at all of them.
Examples:
Physical (walk each day for 30 minutes)
Social (play ball with the kids)
Mental (read one chapter a week from a book)
Spiritual (whatever your religious belief requires)
Simple, small things done consistently across all of these areas will produce wondrous results. Take care of yourself. If you do, you'll be able to take care of others, and have plenty of time in your schedule, when the unexpected comes your way.
Dave
Then, out-of-the-blue, we get blindsided by something we didn't expect. Now the smooth-running machine is out of sync and everything gets pushed around to handle this unexpected event.
Does this scenario sound familiar?
Balance is the key to living a peaceful and happy life. Eat too much and gain weight. Work too much and relationships with family and friends is stressed, that work out routine gets put on hold, and we begin eating on-the-run.
Slow down!
Examine all of the things in your life and truly understand what you really want. Once you've decided what critical things in your life have to happen, sit down (perhaps on a Sunday) and spend a good hour writing down those things you could do in the upcoming week to move forward on each of these critical things.
Dr. Steven Covey in both his books The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and the 8th Habit, discusses how this process works. If you haven't read his books, I can't recommend them enough. If you have a long commute in the morning, he also offers his books in CD format. You can find them on Google, Barnes&Noble, or any reputable book store.
These books suggest that there are four key areas in our lives that we should focus and balance across our week. They are the physical, the mental, the social and spiritual quadrants or areas. Dr. Covey calls these physical intelligence (PQ), mental intelligence (IQ), social intelligence (EQ) and spiritual intelligence (SQ). By balancing our attention on these four areas, adding just a little bit of proficiency to each one weekly, great gains can be made in a few months.
Think about this for a moment. If you practiced your piano 30 minutes a day, you would have practiced 183 hours! Not bad when you consider that it only takes 30 minutes a day. The key is to remember how important it is to focus on key areas in your life and do "little" things consistently.
Now to the original topic of this blog entry. Taking care of yourself means prioritizing what's important to you and chipping away at them a little at a time. We don't neglect other areas for one or another area, we chip away at all of them.
Examples:
Physical (walk each day for 30 minutes)
Social (play ball with the kids)
Mental (read one chapter a week from a book)
Spiritual (whatever your religious belief requires)
Simple, small things done consistently across all of these areas will produce wondrous results. Take care of yourself. If you do, you'll be able to take care of others, and have plenty of time in your schedule, when the unexpected comes your way.
Dave
Monday, April 13, 2009
It's Tax Time..
When people think about taxes, all kinds of things pop into one's head. Will I get a refund? Will I have to owe? Do I take them to a professional? Do I do them myself?
Regardless of what your opinion is about taxes; they are necessary for our government and its programs to function. Frankly, I would not want to live anywhere else but the U.S., where each of us has the freedom to pursue opportunities not easily found in other countries, or at a minimum, much more difficult to realize.
I am very grateful to have been born in this country, to have served it, and have the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I wish all of you the very best as you pursue your dreams.
Dave
Regardless of what your opinion is about taxes; they are necessary for our government and its programs to function. Frankly, I would not want to live anywhere else but the U.S., where each of us has the freedom to pursue opportunities not easily found in other countries, or at a minimum, much more difficult to realize.
I am very grateful to have been born in this country, to have served it, and have the opportunity to pursue my dreams. I wish all of you the very best as you pursue your dreams.
Dave
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Friends
What would we do without our friends?
I was thinking about all of the people in my life that I call "friend" and feeling wonderful about them. I always wonder how my life would have turned out without them? Would it have been less rich? Less fun? Less Exciting?
Each of us changes the world one friend at a time. I always receive letters or emails from friends I've stayed in touch with, saying how they missed the time we worked together or bringing up a concert or hang out we used to frequent.
Friendship teaches us so many things. It teaches us how to look out for others, lend a helping hand, provide a shoulder to lean on, or someone to share a good laugh with. Sometimes these friendships can be great learning experiences. Think about it. How many restaurants have you been to, because of a friend. How many movies did your friends drag you out to, that ended up being the best movies you've ever seen? How many experiences have your friends introduced you to?
Be grateful for your friends and be there for them. Teach them, introduce them to new things, never forget them. If you'd like more friends--get out there and meet them. There everywhere.
Dave
I was thinking about all of the people in my life that I call "friend" and feeling wonderful about them. I always wonder how my life would have turned out without them? Would it have been less rich? Less fun? Less Exciting?
Each of us changes the world one friend at a time. I always receive letters or emails from friends I've stayed in touch with, saying how they missed the time we worked together or bringing up a concert or hang out we used to frequent.
Friendship teaches us so many things. It teaches us how to look out for others, lend a helping hand, provide a shoulder to lean on, or someone to share a good laugh with. Sometimes these friendships can be great learning experiences. Think about it. How many restaurants have you been to, because of a friend. How many movies did your friends drag you out to, that ended up being the best movies you've ever seen? How many experiences have your friends introduced you to?
Be grateful for your friends and be there for them. Teach them, introduce them to new things, never forget them. If you'd like more friends--get out there and meet them. There everywhere.
Dave
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Thank you Jenn...
I ran across a special person a few months ago. Her name is Jenn and she is a great gal. She works hard, is honest, and truly puts herself into whateve she sets her mind to. She is responsible and takes care of those around her, even when it puts her in a tight spot.
Sacrifice for others is one of the most noble acts any of us can make. Parents sacrificing for their children, the Armed Forces sacrificing for their country, and of course our brave men and women in law enforcement, fire fighting and the list goes on and on.
I wanted to thank Jenn for joining this blog and cherish her friendship. As the readership of this blog grows, I never want to lose sight of those that have made significant contributions to my life.
Jenn--Thank you.
Be well,
Dave
Sacrifice for others is one of the most noble acts any of us can make. Parents sacrificing for their children, the Armed Forces sacrificing for their country, and of course our brave men and women in law enforcement, fire fighting and the list goes on and on.
I wanted to thank Jenn for joining this blog and cherish her friendship. As the readership of this blog grows, I never want to lose sight of those that have made significant contributions to my life.
Jenn--Thank you.
Be well,
Dave
Take a Walk
Have you ever walked outside for no particular purpose and just looked at the beauty around you? Look at the sky. Look at the trees. Look at the birds? Notice how you feel inside when you just focus on the moment. Breathe in the clean air.
Try and get out once a day, if your schedule permits. You'll find your whole world change as you begin to notice the beauty around you.
Be well,
Dave
Try and get out once a day, if your schedule permits. You'll find your whole world change as you begin to notice the beauty around you.
Be well,
Dave
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Gratitude for Setbacks..
Most of us, when we try something new, change a habit, or attempt anything worth attempting, run into those little things called setbacks. What happens when you hit a bump in the road? Do you throw a tantrum? Give up?
Try looking at the setback from a different perspective. Setbacks can be great teachers if you let them. It's widely known, for example, that Thomas Edison had 9,999 of them before he successfully found a material for the light bulb. If you examine any person that is great at what they do, you'll see the same phenomena.
So, the next time you try something that is new, or change something you've been wanting to for years--remember, the setbacks are your teachers. The more of them you hit, the closer you are to success.
Be well,
Dave
Try looking at the setback from a different perspective. Setbacks can be great teachers if you let them. It's widely known, for example, that Thomas Edison had 9,999 of them before he successfully found a material for the light bulb. If you examine any person that is great at what they do, you'll see the same phenomena.
So, the next time you try something that is new, or change something you've been wanting to for years--remember, the setbacks are your teachers. The more of them you hit, the closer you are to success.
Be well,
Dave
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