Shark or Skateboarder – which are you?

Recently I read a true story  (read the story in the link) about a blind individual who worked on one of the top floors of the World Trade Center.  The building shook, and he reached out for his service dog with the command “ Forward “.  Forward is the first command service dogs learn,  and that was the theme of blind author.  No matter what you are dealing with, even in the heat, and stifling gas fumed stairwells walking, and standing in dozens of stairwells you need to go forward to grow, to survive, to achieve.

So what has that got to do with sharks and skateboarders?

I think I’ve always been told that sharks need to keep swimming to live, something about their gills or lack of lungs. That makes think that there is a parallel for me, and possibly for you.

During our lives for the first decades we are pushed to move forward by our parents, by schools, by our education and careers but at some point those pressures diminish, and stop.

At that point we have a choice, we keep moving forward because we want to keep growing, to keep learning, to keep from being stagnant, all kinds of reasons OR we coast, much like a skateboarder.

Funny thing about skateboarders though, they coast downhill, only.

So that is my question for you dear reader, are you going forward like a shark, learning, and growing, challenging and avoiding brain atrophy; Yes?

cricket in hammockThe alternative is that you have taken a break, and allowed yourself to coast for awhile like a skateboarder.  That’s cool, it’s nice to coast for awhile.

But healthier I think if we don’t stay coasting indefinitely.

Shark or Skateboarder – swimming or coasting?  Is it time for a change?

When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” Henry Ford

Thanks for reading!,  I appreciate your comments and suggestions. 🙂 

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Give yourself some of life’s cookies, and duck regret

I love this face  ;)

I love this face 😉

When you were doing positive actions in your life, it shows. It shows and people ask, what did you do?

Alternatively, are you doing what you always did? So why do you expect different results?

This post has two subjects.

The first is setting yourself apart should be a deliberate action by making positive change in your life. Sounds kind of touchy feely doesn’t it?  but I’m not talking about university courses, or how to listen better but there’s nothing wrong with that. What I’m talking about is small steps or big steps towards constantly helping yourself sidestep a permanent plateau, and a regret in life.

Are you there?

Are you there?

It can be Tai Chi, it can be taking a walk everyday, it can be turning off the TV one day a week, or can be an exercise class But you need to do something to nurture yourself. We all do.

Even if it’s only a few hours a month.

Seize your own blue sky

Seize your own blue sky

The second part of my post is recommending that you grab your podium in life, and teaching yourself to seize the opportunities you have and that you will get by training yourself to think, speak, and listen.

imagesThese are the benefits of joining Toastmasters,  clubs are international, be a free guest and see what you can do for your own life, and having a Fun time at the same time.

Click here

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The Post Card

A smile started my day

Svegliati Cara's avatarSvegliati Cara

image

For several years, a man was having an affair with an Italian woman. One night, she confided in him that she was pregnant. Not wanting to ruin his reputation or his marriage, he paid her a large sum of money if she would go to Italy to secretly have the child.
If she stayed in Italy to raise the child, he would also provide child support until the child turned 18. She agreed, but asked how would he know when the baby was born. To keep it discrete, he told her just simply mail him a post card, and write ‘Spagetti’ on the back. He would then arrange for the child support payments to begin.
One day, about 9 months later, he came home to his confused wife.
‘Honey,’ she said, ‘you received a very strange post card today.’
‘Oh, just give it to me and I’ll explain it later,’…

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Stuck on the freeway? Serenade time Buttercup !

I wasn’t “sitting on the dock of bay”, and I wasn’t stuck on a freeway either but I was serenaded by this sweet tune, that reminded me of a viral youtube video.

So I checked it out, how many people have watched it now? Over 10 million hits, whoowee!

Why so many hits is easy to understand when you watch it.

Here’s the scenario – a young guy, just call him T.J., and his pretty gal driving down the multi lane freeway – windows down and serenading the other drivers ! Oh yeah.

Most enjoy the fun aspect and get in on the song and enjoy. Watch out for the one or two that are afraid if they smile that their face will break.

Rock on buttercup! I’d love to pull up beside you at a light anytime amigo!

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Ladies blog topics – Millions! Men bloggers, not so much.

Friendly reader, are you surprised by my statement that women have it way easier having ideas to blog about.

Perhaps you disagree? You think it is equal or even that men have it easier.
I beg to differ. You see women observe details better and they like to talk about things even little things that men notice (sometimes) but don’t care to talk about.

My example – if I am playing a game of tennis with men, during the match, games are won and lost and sides are switched. Not much talking goes on, except a little bit of friendly chest beating and promises of a killer rebound match.

get smartHowever, I have been invited to play tennis with ladies (when they are missing a regular, obviously) and still want to play doubles. I am the token male then and they don’t talk much to me, and merely focus on kicking my male butt.

But in the changeovers between games, they top and chat, going on and on about each other’s shoes, skirts, and where did they buy them, and blah blah blah.

You see? A guy has never come up to me and asked where did I buy my runners, or how he likes my tshirt, never!

My point is, and certainly not applicable for every lady out there, but women are superior in the interaction of small talk, and are even curious. This allows them to graduate to bigger ideas and more personal subjects gradually. Small talk graduates!

am I a sitting duck?

am I a sitting duck?

Men leapfrog to what they want to talk about, and have to learn to start first with weather, hobbies, and to venture slowly into opinions and personal. The art of small talk, a learned skill and some of us men are cavemen at this skill.

Blogging small talk is a skill also, and women can simply share their latest color of lip gloss and know in their heart, that ladies will enjoy hearing about it, and seeing the shade color as well. I know because I saw a blog just like it today.

Me, I’m sitting on the corner watching the world go by – viva la difference of men and women!

Gene-Kelly-3

Blog away men and women, am I wrong? Is this suggestion wrong?

Thanks, for reading!

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Leonardo Da Vinci – The Risk Taker

VioletsVegneComics.com and I were talking about Mr Da Vinci and it reminded me of this post. I still think it was a good one.  Have you read it before, did you like it?

dfolstad58's avatarLife and Random Thinking

ImageFinding time and inspiration is all it takes to do blogging.

Sometimes I have neither, and other times I enjoy one and not the other. Image

Then I have inspiring thoughts which, in the light of day, seem less brilliant. So why blog? It’s a challenge for myself to write.

I just finished reading an interesting, and educational book, Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King. I know I wil never write a book like his, and I will never paint like Leonardo. But I learned something. Did you know that Leonardo was a naturalist? He loved to hike, and he was said to be so strong he could straighten a horseshoe with his bare hands. “Impressive eh?”  I read that book to learn, be educated, and to appreciate someone else’s amazing research ability. Leonardo was a person who sometimes failed because he sought perfection, and was trying new…

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