The Person of Interest

  

Your physical appearance impacts your personality for bad or for good. For instance, a tall person might develop a strong level of confidence, walking around towering over people. The same circumstance might cause another person to be shy, hunching over to blend in. Physical attributes may dictate who we become, but so many other factors guide us in becoming our best version of ourselves. Listen to what this guy learned:

                                     https://youtu.be/_TbWcdN-W8o

We limit our potential by overemphasizing how we’re built, where we live, and how the outside world responds to us. Once we’re determined to be our best selves, we’ll find ways to make that happen. We’ll attract supportive friends, find positive environments to shape us, and develop habits and lifestyles to help us to reach our goal. Despite the obstacles in life, good choices allow us to push forward. What’s the biggest thing that will keep you on the journey to becoming your best self?         

Meat Me Halfway

If one more person tells me that they’ve stopped eating beef or all meat, I don’t know what I’ll do.  I’m beginning to feel like a vegetarian lifestyle represents the newest wave of political correctness and, if this continues, people will leave the local drive-through window and secretly devour their burgers an alleyway to avoid the no-meat enforcers.

Not long ago, I heard the high cost of cattle feed caused one owner to feed their cow chocolate and Mexican food. If that strategy helps the cow to produce chocolate milk and spicy, pre-seasoned beef, I’m all for it! I find it difficult to infuse beef with good flavor. In all fairness to cattle farmers, I know marinating is the answer, but when I start making dinner plans at around three o’clock in the afternoon, it doesn’t leave me a lot of time for defrosting and marinating. Several weeks ago, my children made their own meat dry rub using brown sugar and other spices. I hope they wrote the recipe down. Regardless of how creative the preparation is, some people can’t be convinced to eat meat; conversely, other people refuse to give it up. Listen to the debate:   

The experts provided great pros and cons. In short, we should listen to our bodies and do what works for us.  We can make our own personal choices, but why do we feel such passion about convincing others to agree with our lifestyles?                

Back from the Edge

Bravo to the horticulturists and garden enthusiasts who toil in the soil to cultivate beautiful annuals and perennials. I love flowers—the colors and the smells. I usually choose the independent kind. You know, the hardy plants that practically tell you when they need attention. A lack of water causes their leaves to droop and when it seems they won’t last another day, they surprise you by surviving for an entire week.  

Several months ago we bought a dried, shriveled up ball of brown stems called a dinosaur plant. It was a great kid’s birthday gift because even drastic dehydration couldn't make the plant look worse. According to the directions, as soon as the dinosaur plant received water it would snap back to life. You could let it shrivel up and revive it repeatedly, just by adding water. Now that’s my kind of plant! There’s something extra special about second chances. Listen to one man’s story:

  

If you’ve received a second chance, a do-over, then the million dollar question is: did it change you and how did it change your life?

What's the Small Stuff?

As I sat at a stop light on a multi-lane road, the light changed from red to green. A millisecond later, one driver beeped the car horn. Was that for me? What’d I do wrong? That’s what I would have thought years ago when I first started driving. Back then a parallel parking spot used to send me hunting for a “regular” space. Okay, it still does. But the point is now, with years of experience under my belt, whenever I hear a car horn beep while I’m driving, I think, “Hold your horses. You should’ve left home earlier!”   

If you talk with anyone sixty years and older, I believe they’ll tell you that the things they worried about decades ago pale in comparison to the issues that occupy their thoughts today. It’s interesting how knowledge and experience change our perspectives. Sometimes it’s a matter of focusing on the big picture.

One of our kids chose to replicate Neptune for a science project, and I learned that it’s approximately seventeen times the earth’s mass. I’m always fascinated by the solar system and our position in it. We always seem to discover something new things in space. This video provides us with a fresh perspective on life and our universe:

If you’re feeling insignificant, be encouraged! Despite the minuscule blip of space we occupy in the universe, we still have big jobs to tackle, like creating lasting legacies through parenting, teaching and role modeling. As you pass on the wisdom you’ve learned over the years, what small stuff would you advise a young adult not to sweat?        

The Real Reality

Yes, fact is stranger than fiction. The famous writer, Mark Twain, suggested that fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities—truth isn’t. Given the outrageousness we hear in news stories and reality shows, it’s no wonder we feel like drama addicts constantly feasting on the spectacular, unending, over-the-top, idiosyncrasies of life.  Sure, reality shows exaggerate drama for TV, but after we sweep away the wackiness those same shows might offer a little nugget of truth and a lesson to boot.

Let’s consider a show like Wife Swap. Two families, with contradictory lifestyles, switched wives for two weeks while the wives slowly introduced their versions of “normal” life to their new families.   Although the title seemed questionable, no hanky-panky occurred. At its best, Wife Swap taught a lesson; at its worst, well…it sometimes epitomized bad reality TV. Most of the families eventually accepted recommendations from the new wives, but sometimes—they didn’t. Have a brief peek at an episode:

Why do reality shows grab our attention? Are we fascinated by the abnormal or do we want assurance of our own normality? I bet you could star in a reality show. What would you name it and what aspect of your life does the world need to see?