Friday, February 27, 2015

Time of Our Lives


Maybe we should call 2015 the Year of Catastrophes. It’s hard to name a crisis that hasn’t happened in the last eight weeks. Scanning the country and the world, we’ve seen everything from outrageous terrorist attacks to train derailments, from gas explosions to twin typhoons. Add in seventy car pile-ups, and non-stop, massive snow storms and you get a sense of how things have been going.

Daily news stories create fears about walking outside and apprehension about staying inside. A random vehicle could come crashing through our wall at any time. That’s already occurred this year, too. Regardless of the potential dangers, we glide through life not expecting a major crisis to directly impact us. And if it does, we’ll hope for a miracle.  For many of us, miracles defy logic, and stir up both curiosity and frustration. We’re always wondering how miracles occur and if we’ll experience one. Figure out how these people survived:    
                                         http://youtu.be/wm0ywsD9V88

I’m sure my blood pressure rose after watching that video. Every day we live life on the edge hoping to avoid one of 2015’s catastrophes. Like a dark cloud of danger hovering above us, the present and the future can hound our thoughts. In perilous times like these, what keeps your blood pressure stable?           

 

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Shake It Off


What a relief when snowplows clear your street after a major snow storm—until you walk outside and find your mailbox on the ground. What happens next? I can tell you what you shouldn’t happen. No angry calls to the snow plow folks complaining about damaged mailboxes. Damage is a hazard of the season. You also don’t call the mailbox repair man because there isn’t one. Even though you can call for help to clean your house, clear out the debris, pick up your dry cleaning, mow the lawn, and shovel snow, no one’s coming to your house to fix a mailbox. Last week we had to pick up our little mailbox off the ground and move on. No use moping. It’s a time to get the creative do-it-yourself juices flowing! You should see some of the contraptions people devise to solve snowy weather problems. Here’s one:
                                          http://youtu.be/fQU_5JGmEEM

It’s not what you’d expect to see after a snow storm, but it is a solution that works. If you’re a regular news watcher, you’ll notice that we’re becoming a society of emotional responders rather than creative problem-solvers. Every week someone commits an unnecessary act of violence because things didn’t work out according to their plans. We all overreact from time to time. How do you control your anger?      

Friday, February 13, 2015

Your Perfect Spot

Nothing raises spirits like a brief retreat from the everyday routine. A few weeks ago, I retreated to the beautiful Bahamas. We stayed at Atlantis, an amazing hotel where activities and fun were within a ten minute shuttle ride down the road. The proximity of restaurants, music, wonderful beaches with sparkling turquoise water, aquariums, snorkeling, and a water park made it feel like we had stepped into paradise. The trip still feels like a dream, and that's probably because our short stay left me no time to get nitpicky.

Once we find “paradise,” it’s interesting how soon we find fault with it. Before long, we’re ready for the next perfect place. Have you discovered the paradise? Maybe this is what you’re looking for:     
                                          http://youtu.be/peSpUDMcGR8 

Daily routines bore us. Paradise is good for two weeks and then we’re in the Bahamas muttering about too many sunny days. Some people believe a utopian society is impossible, but we can still aspire to it. What's paradise look like for you?  

Friday, February 6, 2015

Lifting the Shade on You


Celebrities often complain about living their lives in a fish bowl, with photographers tracking their every move. For average people, social media allows us to live the fish bowl life. We broadcast what we had for breakfast, where we ate it, and post pictures for proof. I’m always surprised about the type of things people share.

For instance, driving through neighborhoods, you’ll see a number of people who don’t mind giving drivers access to what’s going on inside. Fortunately for them, you can’t stop and stare. It’s illegal.  Given some of the sights you see, you’d think people want you to drop by for a visit. Maybe you’ll stop and watch this, if you can wait at least sixteen seconds:
                                         http://youtu.be/3O97eJcSsUE

Did you catch the expression on that face? There’s something intriguing in that room. lf you enjoy attention, here’s how to get it. Draw the curtains and close the shades, then focus on developing the positive attributes in you. Be a role model. Regardless of whether you enjoy the spotlight or prefer being behind the scenes, somebody’s watching you. What traits, habits, and behaviors do you want them to see?