October 26, 2010

  • Politics and the National Debt

    If your place is like mine, every television commercial break brings a relentless assault of political advertising. Now this post isn’t about my personal political thoughts or yours, but I have begun to wonder what might happen if we take the politics out of governmental representation. I wonder how much of the national debt could have been retired and/or how many jobs could have been created if the money behind the political campaigning had been invested in that direction. It’s disconcerting, at least a travesty if not a national sin, as we continue to fuel it all with emotionally charged, divisive, partisan knitpicking. I say “Enough IS enough”. 

    So, here is my suggestion for campaign election reform:

    (1) There will be no campaign advertising by anyone through the day or during primetime.

    (2) If a candidate or entity wishes to purchase infomercial time after hours, they may do so, however they would pay a tax of 75% of the cost of the informercial.

    (3) A recognized independent entity will set up at least 4 debates between the candidates for state and local office on local television stations with attendance made available to the public without charge and for national office on network television, again with attendance made available to the public without charge. No campaign signs will be allowed at these venues.

    (4) Besides the open televised debates, candidates may schedule public appearances before the public they aspire to represent.

    (5) Outlaw lobbyists.

    (6) Campaigns may accept individual gifts from constituents not to exceed $25.00.

October 25, 2010

October 21, 2010

  • Regrets

    Life: Lessons That Teach What You’ll Need To Know

    TodayLive each day with no regrets

    In the song classic “My Way” covered unforgettably by icons Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, one line of the lyrics reads: “Regrets, I’ve had a few”. I suspect there is a regret pandemic. It is especially sad as one nears the end of life looking back with regrets. Peace is so elusive yet at the same time easy to find. One way is to live one day at a time and each day have no regrets. This requires following your innermost calling – even if that entails risk, for to hide behind a mask or portray yourself as anything other than who you are brings regret and cheats the world of the only thing anyone can offer – the amazing, authentic YOU!

    My greatest regret that continues to affect my relationships to this day is the loss of my childhood. Growing up I had to deal with my mother’s mental illness. At school I was bullied relentlessly to the point I didn’t want to go to school. I was so damaged that I retreated within myself, the only place I felt safe, and in doing so lacked the confidence or courage to explore youthful relationships.

    What is your biggest regret?

October 19, 2010

  • Life: An Owner’s Manual Of What You’ll Need To Know

    In life we let go far more often than we reach and grasp.

    Looking out the window today, leaves are rapidly falling off the trees. It reminded me of the story of The Fall of Freddie The Leaf. While that little story is rich in lessons about life, my focus was on the act of letting go. In any life it seems we are letting go far more often than we reach, grasp and achieve or attain. With the passing of years, looking back at all of the occasions where we let go of something that was dear to us can give rise to real grief. Sometimes in later life we are presented with new opportunities to claim some of the things we let go of.

    In my life, I let go of a youthful love for music and art. The biggest instance of letting go that changed my life course was letting go of the priesthood.

    What things have you let go of as your life has unfolded? How has that letting go changed your life? Have you enjoyed opportunities later in life to claim some of the things you had to let go of?

October 18, 2010

  • Life: An Owner’s Manual Of What You’ll Need To Know

    Your life will likely be filled with a ton of mistakes.

    It took falling on our boo-boo to learn to walk and scrapes and bruises to learn how to ride a bike. Life is filled with mistakes and blunders, some of which can knock us off our feet. As kids, we’re resilient. We seem to lose that quality with the passing of years. But each mistake can teach us something about ourselves. Sometimes we repeat the same mistake several times before we learn the lesson.

    My biggest mistake has been not to embrace or fully appreciate what I had at given points in my life. As a result, I would set my sight in different directions only to reach a point where I look back and realize what treasures I had but are no longer there for me.

    What is your biggest mistake? Did you find that you repeated the mistake? What lesson(s) did you learn from the mistake? 

October 14, 2010

  • 5 Life Lessons Learned

    This is part of a daily series reflecting on the life lessons I’ve learned.

    Today’s list of 5 life lessons:

    • Real wealth isn’t found in material possessions, but in treasured memories
    • Pursuit of possessions only leads to dissatisfaction once their attained, for God has created us with a hole only He can fill
    • Some of those difficult Mars-Venus interactions with a spouse feel like a Mercury-Pluto or intergalactic confrontation
    • The greatest display of leadership, strength, power or control is to empower or encourage another
    • The best of all days are those that begin and end with silent contemplation

October 13, 2010

  • 5 Life Lessons Learned

    This is part of a daily series reflecting on the life lessons I’ve learned.

    Today’s list of 5 life lessons:

    • Every time a door closes, another one will open for you – but it may not be a door you seek
    • All of the varieties of nature come from a seed, as do you – live life in such a way that it may blossom fully
    • You are a work of art, fashioned by the Creator’s hand – and are therefore good
    • True beauty lies within
    • Don’t let anyone stop you from singing your song or dancing your dance

October 12, 2010

  • 235 Footprints Today…

    …and not a single comment sad

  • The Seasons – A Life Lesson Learned

    I’m going to depart today from listing 5 life lessons learned to write about the most important life lesson nature teaches us each year.

    Fall is currently in it’s glory with leaves arrayed in colored from every shade of yellow to bright red. It is a good time of year to just get in the car and drive through the country. Fall is without doubt my favorite season of the year with the colors, raked leaves to jump into, the scent of burning leaves, a cool crispness to the air, homecomings, football, marching bands and stadium lights brightening the dusk sky, farm fields harvested, and pumpkins and scarecrows make their annual appearance. It is for me a natural high of the best kind yet there is also a sense of melancholy for fall is so short lived.

    All too soon all of the leaves will have fallen exposing the skeletal structure of trees. The air turns from a comfortable crispness to an unpleasant cold that sends our life indoors. There is more night than day and snow’s annual blanket is right around the corner. Winter too can be a beautiful season with the glisten of the snow, the crystalesque beauty of snow’s flakes no two of which are alike, raising one’s face to catch snowflakes on one’s face and taking to the ground and swinging arms and legs to create snow angels. Winter offers opportunities to get out the sleds, toboggans, skis and snow boards or rev up snowmobiles that have been hibernating in the back of a garage or trailer. Despite our winter play, nature lies lifeless, dormant, enjoying it’s winter’s rest.

    In time though winter gives way to birth and rebirth as nature blesses us with buds and fragrant blossoms in the season we call spring. Winter’s blanket thaws revealing a shade of green only spring offers us. It’s a time of chatter and singing of the birds returned from their annual flight to flee the harshness of winter. Spring is a time of coupling, of love. People leave the shelter of their homes and once again take to the sidewalks to get moving again.

    Then there’s the season that is now bidding it’s farewell, summer. The warmth and fullness of nature’s life, a time of outdoor adventure, summer. Summer seems like the longest season of the year.

    It amazes me that people question whether or not there is life after death. Nature and the seasons answer that question for us so eloquently each and every year. If our humanity is also nature, how can our existence be any different?

October 11, 2010

  • 5 More Life Lessons Learned

    This is part of a daily series reflecting on the life lessons I’ve learned.

    Today’s list of 5 life lessons:

    • there is nothing to say if it doesn’t improve upon silence
    • life can dish out a lot of crap, but you don’t have to eat it
    • outward appearance is directly related to inner health, wellbeing and peace
    • no one can judge you unless you let them
    • concentrate on being yourself for that is the only person you can become