Post this everyday and read it...

Steps to Happiness

1. Being with the people you love should be your first priority every day.



2. Be in love with your work. Search for work that satisfies you and is important to you. You don't have to change the whole world by yourself. If you would were guaranteed minimal monetary support--what would you do with your time?



3. Help everyone that comes your way.



4. Find out the things that make you happy and make time to do those things.



5. Get moving. Your brain produces its own antidepressant if you exercise--cannot get it any other way...



6. Stay organized, but be flexible. Seize an opportunity if it comes your way.



7. Try to maintain a balance in every you do. Those who hit the highest highs also reach the lowest lows--that's science...

Think of Life's Little Grrrrrr's as Brain Exercise

We, as Americans, are a weak lot.

We let little things get to us....

rude store clerks, doors that stick, trash that is piling up...long lines at the grocery store..

If we would just think of these "little things" as a get fit period that will help us through the "big things", then we will be alright...

The Fallacy of One Life--One Career....

How can we be expected to remain in one career our entire life?

For most of us, the choice of careers is made when we are a young and impressionable (albeit inexperienced) eighteen years old. Most have never lived away from parents, have not attended college, many have never held a job of any kind.

so for that one moment of revelation, that one seized second are we forever committed to that career decision.

I am not the same person that I was at 18 or 25 or 35 or 40 or even 50 (I am 54). Opportunities and experiences happen everyday that make me think: "ooh that would be fun to do that..." most individuals however are locked in financially OR emotionally to that career decision that we made at 18....and particularly so if it is a career that required a great deal of money or time....

As I work with individuals (most of whom are in the 18-20 age bracket) I try to get them to think across the life span--but in a way that in non-committal. I try to get them to anticipate the lifestyle changes that inevitably come with certain ages and experiences (having children, planning for retirement)--this helps to not only arm them with possibilities and options (remember...forewarned is forearmed!!!) but also a sense of control over their own life....

Our City doesn't like old things

Apparently, the City of Lubbock doesn't like old landmarks to stand in the way of progress...

They have recently completed the North Overton project successfully demolishing almost 80 years of Lubbock history--just in time for our Centennial in 2009...

I have been discussing this issue with other forum posters here in town and most agree--funny, it is the young ones who don't agree..one poster actually stated "they should tear down more, we don't care about your old crusty memories"...maybe we ARE the only ones who care...because we knew about those places when we were younger Lubbockites...

Now, it seems that another landmark is going to go...The old Tara landmark presently stands at 4th and Slide and may be demolished to make way for yet another road to extend all the way to Loop 289.

I have very vivid memories of this house because when I was very little, my mother had a friend who lived somewhat near this house and we always went by there...taking the long dirt road east away from the house and back to my house across town...I would sit in the back seat and look out the car's rear window....amid the dust clouds from our car, the house would get smaller and smaller and smaller....there was nothing else around except for the lombardy populars for windbreaks and fields and fields of cotton....

This house definitely has 9 lives just like the most lucky of cats...it has been reincarnated as a house, a restaurant, a club, and now a headquarters for a travel center chain.

It has a historic designation so I am wondering IF they can tear it down.

Perhaps, this will enable it to begin its 9th life..I would hate to nothing to see to remind me of those afternoons car rides with my mother.

If We're Lucky....

No one more personifies the idea of a mid-life career changer than Patrick Dennis a.k.a. Edward Everett Tanner III. What ? name doesn't ring a bell?

Remember Auntie Mame ? The story was that a young "poor little rich boy" is sent to live with his very eccentric, life-loving aunt--where she really teaches him how he is loved and how to really live. The famous movie from the 50's starred Rosalind Russell

After he could no longer count on his "muse" he became a professional butler.

He always learned how to adapt---I guess he really took to heart "Life is a banquet and most poor bastards are starving to death".

In spite of all the "chatter", no one is prepared....

Everyday you read and hear about "Baby boomer news"--a reminder that 77 million individuals, a large percentage of the world's population is aging. I, personally, don't see much change or preparation for this SURGE of aging people and the challenges they will bring to U.S. health care, buying habits, lack of retirement funds, housing, employment, prescriptions, aids to compensate for less mobility, hearing, and vision.....

We read or hear all of this, but I don't think it has "sunk in" yet (pardon the West Texas colloquialism) I think it will affect us more than anyone realizes.

Career-wise--the U.S. will need more skilled and knowledgable workers because the numbers needed are just NOT THERE with Generation X. Another problem is the "brain drain" in several industry sectors--education, government, and business created by BB's retirement. The workers who have "been there" know why "fences" were built, policies were created--and why they should or should not be changed--something that the next generation doesn't realize.

I saw this in public education the last five years I was there. Supervisors and managers said "let's do this..." and it couldn't be done because it was against education laws and codes. Dangerous...when the knowledge base for the industry is missing....

Perhaps as we get closer to the real "wave", we will panic. In 2031, the ratio of non-workers to workers will be 2:1--that will mean more people are not working than working--not due to unemployment but because of retirement or disability....what will we do about this? Will it mean that industry will offer enticing $$ offers to lure BB's out of retirement to "fix"things? or will it mean we could see a complete crash in career sectors?

I am not looking forward to it.....

Careers and Career Areas Change Quickly

There are many, many, many careers that are so-called "hot" careers that didn't exist even 5 or 10 years ago. Now we have an entire industry sector that didn't exist until a few months ago. It is called "service science", according to the Service Research and Innovation Initiative. The career area is a combination of computer, management, and social science. The aim of having this as a regular unit of career training is to improve the productivity of serving people. According to Steve Lohr of the NYT, these jobs account for 80% of the economy.
When I look at the components in this career area--it looks rather disharmonious---social science study is usually pursued by those who have a social component to their personality--that sounds good so far--because if you are a customer service rep then you have to be a social animal.....but when I examine the other components--computers--more Realistic/Investigative, management--more Enterprising--it doesn't seem to "compute"--haha, sorry for the pun....
But then again, nothing to seems to "compute" in the career market today--who would have thought 20 years ago that the manufacturing sector in the American economy would be TOTALLY gone! who would have thought that the traditional banking jobs would be kaput!!!
We have a lesson to learn from all of this--anything is possible if it involves Technology

Shock Value

Everyone wants attention. I repeat everyone wants attention. Kids in school --bad attention is better than no attention at all. No one wants to be anonymous.
Just as in the TV show, "where everybody knows your name" Blogs, YouTube and now the in San Francisco.

India, Science & Math, and Higher Ed

Anyone that follows the day-to-day news knows that this is "the year" for India and China. The colleges and universities of the USA know it also and are going to use this for their gain--nothing wrong with that.....
Over the past week, there have been numerous stories about US higher education institutions, attempting to expand their reach into India. A study of demographics shows that 40% of India's population is under 18 and they know that their path to continued economic growth lies in more education. This appetite for higher education means that US institutions can enter into educational partnerships with India--which translates into more students and more tuition money for America's higher ed.
This partnership is a dual relationship: America needs more Science and Math majors--we aren't getting them from the US--there is a lot of emphasis on Science and Math in India's schools--therefore this move to tap into India's education market serves a dual purpose--more money, more Science and Math graduates who can be recruited by American companies to fill positions that cannot be filled by American S&M grads.
Why is it that American students are shunning Math and Science? One reason may be according to a survey done by eschools.com is that education is failing to make the connection between the teaching of technical education and the real world. This goes back to the philosophy that we need to integrate academics with APPLICATION of the subject to "real world" use. Think about your own school days--when did your real learning begin? It began when you had to USE the information that you learned in school.
For years, the attitude by academia has been that applied learning is "dumbed down" curricula. Now, that attitude is going through a transformation.
I have been arguing this point for years and was considered an academic heretic for doing so.
If we just wait....the pendulum swings the other way--that's a scientific law, isn't it????

Why Teenagers Shouldn't Rent a House in a Single Family Neighborhood

This is the wonderfully aesthetic view from my house on Saturday, March 24--teenage boys on the roof drinking beer, throwing rocks, shaking the vent pipes--and the cars...all the way down the block. I have been subjected to "the party that never ends" for the last few months. My other neighbors (which weren't much better at neighborhood decorum) at least didn't park themselves on the roof....Now, there are at least three or four students that are renting this lovely old mid-century house. I have contacted codes enforcement, the police department and all of the right "channels" to get some sort of relief from the constant barrage of cars and "party people". hmm...one problem....nothing is changing...now I have to be honest and say that every person I have talked to is very, very, very nice....but the process is very slow.....

The problem is not having more than two "unrelateds" living in the house--it is the twenty friends apiece that visit each of the unrelateds that is the problem. I feel as if the house is the "Starbuck's" of the neighborhood--or maybe the "flophouse" for TTU. Today, they have parked on the roof and the dead remains of last night's fun ( all their beer and drink trash) remain on the roof for everyone to see. I can only wonder what the house will resemble in the middle of July--will I be treated to sunbathing on the roof amidst the unmowed yard? I pay approximately $3500 per year to the Lubbock County Appraisal District to live in this neighborhood. Gee, it seems a small price to pay for so much entertainment across the street.

This is where we all want to be....

This is the place we all want to be.....although I could add to the word "anyone"....the following words:

1. any thing
2. any food
3. any drink
4. any person
5. any money
6. any job
7. any drug

Let's face it...all of us are just a collective group of "black-holes" of needs....

Sometimes when one gets off alone in solitude it makes it easier for one to see the effects that these "any's" are having on us.

A classic example of our need to escape is Thoreau---although the woods to which we can retreat is fast disappearing....not only are the remote retreats disappearing but, we are totally and inescapably connected because of technology.

Is it even possible to be able to happily live "in the moment"?

The Fearful Side of Being a Baby Boomer

Read this article if you are 40 or over and be afraid, be very, very afraid....
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/business/26care.html?hp
are you thinking of buying a long-term care policy to help you live in assisted living later on when you can't take care of yourself???
well think again!! just because you have a policy doesn't mean it will pay!
Beware....you can live too long....
this is another excuse to "gather ye rosebuds while ye may" and not worry about how long you live but the amount of life in your years!!!

Taking Green to a New Extreme

Everyone needs to get an RSS feed to get the NYT headlines. Today, there was a very intriguing article called A Year Without Toilet Paper. It was about a young couple who are both writers who are trying an experiment of making no impact on the environment. They use no electricity--basically and they have a very strict regimen about the food they consume. You have to read it...I am all for being environmentally sensitive--but I think it would be miserable to live the no impact lifestyle.
There are things that we all can do to help lower our effect on the world's environment, but this is pretty extreme!
When I think of living extreme, I think of the old movie from the late 60's called Soylent Green. It had Charleton Heston, it was set in the future, too many people, shortages of food, etc everywhere...a kind of Orwellian government started exterminating people when they could no longer serve their specific purpose and they made the remains into food--kind of a scary movie if you think about it!!!
It all comes down to finding a balance in what you consider to be "quality of life".......

No day as beautiful as today

There is really no comparable time to Spring!
Bradford pears are blooming so prolifically that as they shed their blossoms, it looks as if we have been blessed with a warm weather snow shower.
The crabapple trees in my yards are a beautiful pale pink and the redbuds are a fury of fuschia.
After a stormy West Texas evening last night, all was washed clean and a background of green. The temperature has been perfect today with just enough breeze to be comfortable.
These are the days that give us hope when we are confined to our homes during the horrible dreary cold days of winter.
Thank you, thank you God for today's beauty.

Sparkle Daily......

As we "rack up" the days in our life, we shouldn't go around with our heads down. One misses things that way!! Every single event that happens to us daily is something that educates us, inspires us, or sets our personal compass for the next action. If we get stuck in traffic, we might consider that it is for our ultimate good. Remember the man on 9-11 who stopped to get bandaids to put on his blisters and ultimately missed being in the World Trade Center collapse? What we think is an inconvenience may be our saving grace.

The old 70's adage: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."? Yep, it really is true! Each day is a new day, tune your radar into God's Universal Spirit--your own personal GPS, and sparkle, really put your best foot forward because every new experience, every new person that you meet, every place you go may be the next great adventure in your life. Live in the moment and sparkle!!

Bad "stuff" gone good

We need bad stuff to happen to us....

maybe I should re-phrase that and say "challenging stuff".

I am a comfort junkie. I like to be comfortable, no stress, no hassle, no drama, no castastrophes....but sometimes we all need a "swift kick" in the backside to make us do something other than be in our little comfort zone.

Be thankful for your troubles--you could have someone else's troubles, at least you know how to deal with your own troubles...or at least you are used to them.

Be thankful for them because sometimes, instead of being the worst thing that could happen, they are the best thing, or perhaps even your salvation!! Remember that in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity or that God gives problems wrapped up as a gift....

A Timely Article

I thought it strange this morning when I heard on the "wake up" news that two random acts of violence had been committed overnight.
First, a shopping mall in Utah and second, a board meeting in Philadelphia. Two individuals bursting on the scene with guns blazing--the split hair reaction of people's live gone awry. What motivated them to do this? What incident was so traumatic, hurtful, or frustrating that they felt the need to suddenly destroy others' lives?
When I began to read my email, I also received an article through an automated mail service to which I subscribe. There was an article by John Hollon about Professor Robert Sutton's new book entitled The No Asshole Rule which points out just how badly behaved we have become in the workplace environment. This article is worth reading and I cannot wait to read the book or least a synopsis of the book.
There are many toxic workplace survivors that will attest that living with venomous supervisors or even co-workers can drive less stable individuals to the acts that were spotlighted on the morning news.

College Testing Money Makers

I usually help one of my high school friends test for SAT and ACT on Saturdays. This particular day there were many 7th graders as a part of the Duke Talent Search. Let me just say this: I have 28 years working with students--14 of those years were spent working with 7th graders--7th graders have no business taking the SAT or ACT in the same classroom as 11th and 12th graders.
Smart they may be....but they just simply don't have the maturity to be in the same classroom for college testing as juniors and seniors. They are fidgety, they don't follow directions, they are needy and want help with the questions (which they cannot receive help because this is a standardized test!) I actually had one student say: "when they say signature-do we have to put our last name?"
As a counselor for 14 years, no one, I repeat, no one ever even looked at these scores that "gifted" seventh graders paid for.
Which leads me to believe this. January and February are very "slow" months for Collegeboard and ACT because most 11th and 12th graders test in June or in the Fall---could it be that these supposed non-profits are trying to "drum up" business during their "slow" months.
At any rate, I think it is a direct disregard of optimum testing conditions to place 7th graders in with 11th and 12th graders--the Junior and Seniors have high "stakes" for their testing because this is their score that will be reported to colleges to which they will apply. 7th graders have no stake in a high score--they are usually there because their parents want them to be.
Shame on you Collegeboard and ACT....shame on you.... shame on you....you are just as mercenary as the rest of the world and we expected more from you than this!!!!

Why Bother?

The Iraq Study Group. A group of seasoned commanders. The House. The Senate. Popularity Polls. These groups might as well forget about any change in Iraq policy. Mr. Hard Head has made up his mind--he is after all--"the decider".... why did he go to all the trouble of studying these groups' research---in the end he did exactly what he wanted to do anyway. He has got to be the stupidest man to ever hold public office. What were people thinking when they voted for him??? Remember that movie Being There ? Remember the children's tale "The Emperor's New Clothes"? These are all screaming out at us from our past--and no one is listening!!! Get rid of this imbecile--impeach him already--Clinton was almost impeached because he got a blow job from a fat girl--why can't we get rid of someone who has increased the national debt and indirectly killed 3500 American citizens--all to settle a family score!!! He has broken every tenet of the constitution (which when he took the oath of office two different times--he swore to uphold!!) He makes me want to barf!!!

EN-Lighten Up !!!!!

I was feeling pretty "marooned" this morning, as I have been for the last four weekends because of snow, ice, fog, and cold weather....The sun peeped out for just a very precious few minutes as little tiny snow flakes were falling, illuminating each one as they fell to the ground. With the emergence of the beautiful sun, I was illuminated too.
You know, when God looks down on us, he must feel pretty disappointed (kind of like the line by Alice Walker in The Color Purple-- "God gets pissed off when we don't notice the color purple") when we don't realize that he has created an opportunity for enlightenment for us and we turn it down. He gives us winter as rest from planting, growing, and harvesting. In winter, we "turn down the noise" to rest, reinvigorate, and renew ourselves as to our purpose in the journey through life to heaven. We have to "turn down the noise" aka--life's daily trivia--to see the bigger picture and the bigger purpose.
It takes a lot to get us ready to go to a perfect place like heaven--if we didn't have that "prep time" we would not fit in when we got there. Every little detail that we create (or don't create) in our lives is designed for one thing--to mold us, change us--to allow the ultimate evolution of our souls.
This is the day the Lord has made--I will rejoice and be glad in it. So simple, yet so difficult.
Suddenly, I am grateful for another weekend of solitude and look forward to using the new tools I was given in winter to cultivate my new growing things in spring.

Careers, Education and Life

Careers, Education and Life
How far we have come regarding what can be printed and presented to the public. Yes, it is true that some people have pushed the "envelope" way too far (pornography, filth, etc) but just consider when many of us Baby Boomers watched television. Remember Edward R. Murrow? Back in the 50's, he made a documentary for CBS called "Harvest of Shame". It aired the day after Thanksgiving and really shifted public opinion about migrant farm workers. It was surprising at that time, that CBS allowed Murrow to make such a film--remember this was the McCarthy era....and if you ruffled feathers, you could be blacklisted, put in jail--hard to believe that America was like that only 50 years ago.
In watching the President last night regarding the state of the union, the Democratic rebuttal came immediately after the address and Mr. Webb minced NO words. This would have been unheard of even 40 years ago!! You didn't insult a VIP, much less the President of the United States. So we have really come a long way--both in positive ways and negative ways.
Poor ol Bushie Boy! He is really having a hard time and people are seeing him for he really is--a man who got lucky because of his birthright. He was never suited to be President, I don't know what people were thinking when they elected him in 2000. I can forgive those in 2000, but the ignoramuses in 2004 are entirely another story--the London Times was right--how could 10 million people be SO dumb?? So all of you heavy handed, Neo-Con Repubs out there, we have only you to blame for the situation, graft, greed, financial blood-letting, ignorant mistakes that are going on now!!! Yay for you--I applaud you for your ignorance and stupid flag waving!!

Too Much Information

Just thirty-five short years ago, it used to be that you could decide to read all the great literature that ever was in about a year. I know this is true because many of the teachers that I had told me that--this was the late sixties, early seventies, everyone who was a part of the "enlightened" group wanted to be an intellectual and know all there was that could possibly be known......
Today, it would be ridiculous to read all the great literature, know all there was to know about one's "pet" passion because the information NEVER ENDS. Because of the Internet, we have so much information that one can never "rest" or "coast" because even if you read and researched everyday, you would never get to the end of information. Technology has truly created a "fuel injected" knowledge base. All of this information has created great possibilities, but also endless problems--the technology that was supposed to be a time saver, has now become like the high maintenance pet--sometimes technology seems to be in charge of us and we are spending endless hours in the "care and feeding" of our little information "Gods".
When did quit becoming the master of our "things" and become a "slave and caretaker" to our things.
Who is taking care of whom?