The Joy Spot

This week while waiting at a red light, I watched a crossing guard help four little students cross the street. I don’t know if they anticipated Christmas or appreciated being with friends, but their trip across the street made me smile. One kid trotted, one skipped, one leaped, and another ran to the other side of the street. They were bursting with joy. For some reason, it’s easier to identify a happy kid than a happy adult.

We’re at the end of another year, maybe it was a tough one or your best one yet. Check out this person's perspective:

                                          https://youtu.be/pjeRxW5QHZ4

In order to celebrate the present, it helps to see past struggles as learning opportunities to triumph over new challenges. Isn’t that the greatest advice for us all? Regardless of the circumstances you face, what gives you joy?        

The Following

No one noticed that I wore one blue and one black sock this week. It wasn’t planned. That’s what happens when you get dressed in dim lighting. One time, after a busy morning, I accidentally wore mismatched shoes to an event. Again, no one noticed. In my own defense, both pairs of shoes were identical, except for the color. In college, I sported mismatched earring—on purpose. It was my attempt at unconventionality. Apparently, a well-known fashion magazine now calls it a new trend. Fashion is a weird thing. Sometimes what seems so different at first winds up becoming popular, like these:

                                         https://youtu.be/BspA-FF7wAo 

Maybe you’ve seen these on the street. Don’t laugh. I heard they’re making a comeback, and before long you might own a pair, too. Once a group of high profile people latch on to a trend, we’re more likely to try it.

What trend did you decide not to follow, and still won’t?   

Tools, Talent and Time

I have a talent for spotting tools—on the street. Not long ago, I saw a man strolling down the street carrying a chainsaw. The scene resembled something out of a horror movie. This week, I spotted a man crossing the street with a drill in his hand, holding it like a gun. Maybe it’s me, but if you need to transport a tool, put it inside a bag until you've arrived at your destination. Brace yourself when you see people using tools in unconventional places. Here’s an example: 

                                           https://youtu.be/tebBXrIEW7E

The manufacturer didn’t make the saw to spread salmonella. Tools, designed for particular purposes, belong in specific situations. Tools are like talents and gifts, they require proper care.

If you’re a singer, you develop your gift by enrolling in vocal classes to learn how to stay in tune. If you’re a serious singer, you protect your vocal cords from the cold with a scarf, and do exercises to warm them up before performing. Although you’ll find outstanding singers singing in subway tunnels, you don’t usually find them singing while roaming neighborhoods. That would be as peculiar as exposing a tool in the streets.   

There is a special gift tucked inside every one of us. When it’s time to unveil yours, who will it benefit?  

Who’s Your Trainer?

I joined a gym. My initial visit turned out well, or at least I thought it did until I told my family what I did. Judging by their puzzled looks and laughs, my workout routine “exceeded” their expectations.  

I used the normal equipment like weight machines, the treadmill, and the stationary bike. The overall program sounded fine, but I think my family had a problem with the execution. Apparently, experienced exercisers don’t do fifty reps per machine. Apparently, they use more weight and fewer reps. Apparently, I need a trainer to provide some guidance.

Given my recent gym experience, here’s my advice for workout newbies: be careful when you increase the treadmill’s speed, and don’t overlook the importance of the handrails, if you want stay on your feet. And, if you want to zoom past your workout goals, ask for help. Above all, don’t be this guy: 

                                          https://youtu.be/HiY_jVyQT3M

At some point, we all need training about a certain part of life. In what area do you need guidance and from whom will you get it?