It is all about communication – timely communication. No surprise, the more focused and engaged we are, the more likely an outcome we seek will occur. Another significant key to success in school, work, family, and life is our ability to communicate effectively. Within this context, the word “effective” should garner our attention, the opposite of which is ineffective communication. No one wants that, or so I used to believe.
To that end, our mutual task is to reduce ignorance and eliminate the unknown where it is apparent in our life quest. What does this look like? When in doubt of something, we should seek clarity. We may not always receive the answer we want, but it is better to proceed or strive for a positive outcome based upon a common understanding. Doing nothing results in a messy communication void.
What to do? I do not know, but I will try to do my best and I hope those of whom I communicate arrive in the same place.
The Power of Hope
And there it is. Hope requires faith that change can happen. The product of this outlook on life is inner peace. And it is from this pool or state of being we are immersed in strength.
What’s on my Mind
Where did the year go? I mean – seriously. Like money, it seemed to slip through my fingers and remains unaccounted for. I know I did things and lived a life as best I know how – but that’s about it.
Change.
Celebration – Rule #1
Don’t spike the football until you are in the endzone.
Shifting Sands of Time and Focus
We all get it. We want things. Many wants go unfilled on a regular basis. Some wants, you try not to scratch. Other wants may be more readily ignored and are easily set aside – nice.
Such is the nature of wants.
Now, if a want does manage to make its way over to the “need” column, the nature of the discourse takes on a more compelling angle of attack. Take your time processing this change of station.
Thanksgiving, Covid-19, and Delayed Gratification
Change. It happens. Evolutionary, revolutionary – it matters not. Significant, insignificant – it all counts. Works for one, works for many – time will tell, it always does – with change, there will be winners and losers. Understood or not, appreciated or not – there is the next day – new chances, missed opportunities, time marches on nonetheless. Time does not appear to have any favorites, save those with faith.
Today is Thanksgiving. No surprise, I am going to have dinner today, a Thanksgiving dinner, with my lovely wife of 47 years. Our kids and eight grandchildren will also be celebrating in their own way, just not with us. My wife and I did the math, and the decision was easy – a “no brainer” I might observe. My kids did the same – acceptingly. To them, sound judgment and reasoning were the only tools they needed to plan and act accordingly. It wasn’t rocket science – no math involved save absorbing the latest “in your face” Covid-19 data.
I just deleted a three paragraph rant – it started with “Speaking of people with no brains,” Yep, I jumped on that trolley and crafted some good stuff – expressing some opinions that were sure to insult those with a different viewpoint. I think the word for that is trolling, the definition of which has changed over the years. Nonetheless, I pressed the delete key and flushed some good shit into the Internet Waste Basket. Frankly, the flushed content is where it needed to be. And, just saying, doing the right thing did not infect anyone.
OK, where was I… So, why is it we, we as a country, cannot seem to get it together on this Covid-19 Pandemic? I am just going to throw this out there. To me, the main problem we have is our collective inability to take direction/orders that require us to act as a unit – a very large team of 245 million adults. Think about it. How do you get 245 million adults in America to move in the same direction for an extended period of time?
The answer, you don’t. Not in a democracy. We look weak to our enemies – incapable of sacrificing for the many. Metaphorically, it is hard to drive a car or fly a plane when you are only looking six inches in front of your face. Imagine trying to lead 245 million American adults through a Covid-19 pandemic. Ya, hard, if not nearly impossible.
We will get through this thing. Undoubtedly, historians, economists, and social behaviorists will have a field day looking back – trying to make sense of it all. We need a plan – a strategic plan that incorporates everything we learned from this poorly managed Covid-19 pandemic. We will need that strategic plan when we go through this again, and we will.
Me, I am going to work on my delayed gratification ability. First, I need to fetch a snack. Dinner is at 6:00 PM – turkey with all the fixings. A quick shout out to statins seems appropriate.
Sometimes, you just gotta ask!
Hello and good morning, students!
Hey, sometimes, a quick five-minute phone call is better than 14.5 emails bouncing back-and-forth, you know, like exchange servers playing a slow-motion game of Ping-Pong over five or six days. The shame of it – all this technology and whatnot. What to do?
So, we all have questions and wonder about things. I know I do. Remember, life is complicated enough without having unanswered questions acting like a negative force multiplier for the enemy – you know, the fog of uncertainty or worse, blissful ignorance. If we do not ask questions, we will have thoroughly mucked up any possibility for our friend clarity, our bestie, to win the day.
My Goodness – Macro Economics
Just a quick observation. America is different. We have a unique culture as do other areas of the world. We have opportunities and issues in abundance – as do other nation states. In the aggregate, we live and react within and in response to our environment, as do other countries.
So, we are different and we are the same – occupying space and time – navigating life as best we can. We have desires, wants, and perceived needs.
So, what’s up with the run on toilet paper worldwide? No idea. But, the economic engine that is America has responded to the surge in demand – like a good case study in an econ course. And, so it is globally – empty toilet paper shelves, pent up demand, and opportunity. A problem to be solved.
Billions of people, old and young, living on every corner of the earth, working at life. And what do we buy in when confronted with a global pandemic? Of all the purchase decisions to consider, what makes it to the top of the list?
Toilette paper. Amazing.
Opportunity and Hope
Like a good food pairing, opportunity and hope share a long and rich history. The dynamics are such that the outcome or product of the relationship is key to meaningful existence. Opportunity and hope are inseparable partners in one’s life journey. Don’t bother to dissect or parse the connection so you can game an outcome – such effort matters not. Rather, embrace each and engage life as if the world you seek depended upon it – cuz it kinda does.
Welcome to 2020. It’ll be here awhile.
Wants and Needs
Life is complex – and we make it so. Life outcomes are fairly determined by choice – comprised of the most precious life component – showing up in someone else’s world and they yours. Sure, faces and names will change over time, but we all need to be showing up and we all need to have others showing up for us.
In the final analysis, “success or failure” will be comprised and determined by a simple equation – did you show up and did you allow the significant other to do so as well?