We had a few surprises this week. Although we awakened to clear
roads, snowflakes blanketed the streets
late into the evening. Some neighbors received a second surprise when one of
our kids, willing to chalk up volunteer hours for a club, shoveled sidewalks—for
three hours. I’m guessing a whole block of folks peeked outside and cheered.
There’s nothing like receiving a gift you need when you least expect it. Some
of the best gifts look like this:
Good causes paid forward always create lasting lessons. Paying
something forward doesn’t always cost money, sometimes taking a couple of extra
seconds to lend a hand makes a world of difference. Given today’s cranky
culture, now’s the perfect time to put a smile on someone’s face. How will you
do it? Let us know and post below.
It is
finished. The gifts are given, the lights and trees are gone. Christmas is
over. This last billion-dollar-lottery was like a second holiday celebration.
Conversations centered around the ticket holders’ wish lists. Excitement and
anticipation filled the air. And just like that, they selected the winning
number, three people won, and hopes plummeted. The mega-money dream ended.
Now we’re
smack in the middle of January with the empty, gray skies and bitter cold. Okay,
it’s not that cold, but you get the picture. What can we do to recapture our enthusiasm?
Here’s a suggestion:
Three little
words: appreciate the moment. It sounds like a simple idea, but it depends on
what we’re living through right now. Regardless of whether we’re in a good or
bad season, we’ll never experience this moment again. How can you begin living
each moment to the fullest?ere’Here
Doesn’t
everyone enjoy a good massage? When our kids were younger, I offered them money
for back massages. The agreement worked well, until they got older. I thought
the days of two dollar massages had passed until one of our kids complained
about muscle soreness from sports practice and talked about needing a massage. Jumping
at the possibility of swapping services, I said, “Me, too.” And then, before I could
negotiate a deal, our sweet child added, “I guess we’re both dreamers.”
Talk about crushing a dream. If I want a professional massage,
I better start saving for it. Someone (Mike Phillips) once said: Money will come when you are doing the right thing. Check out the right moves these students are making:
They say you can tell what people value by where they spend
their money. Barring the necessary expenses like rent, utilities, and transportation,
how would you prefer to spend most of your money?
Can you answer the $2.5 billion question? I’ll give you a hint. An expensive rover space craft named Curiosity touched down on Mars this week.If I were a genie, able to grant wishes with a blink of an eye, I would have popped into space and left a sign on the red planet. When the rover landed here’s the message it would photograph: No one’s here. Go home. Back on earth, that might confuse the scientists who dream about the possibility of past, present and future life forms on Mars.
I liked the 1960-70s “I Dream of Jeannie” show about a genie who tried to use her powers to solve her astronaut-master’s problems. She usually created messier situations, but like many old shows, everything turned out for the best. In real life, our wishes don’t always turn out the way we expect and our greatest wish may be the very thing what we don’t need. See if you agree with any of the third graders in this video:
Did you notice how none of the children wished for money? Perhaps the book they read beforehand influenced their answers, perhaps not. Perhaps they believe that money can’t buy happiness. Well, let consider what it can buy. Imagine your wish for $2.5 billion came true, what would you do with the money?
Regardless of which side you choose, I feel both parties deserve equal representation. Why does one side receive major media attention while the other is a blip on the scene.Businesses play a major role in advancing this brand of favoritism because of where they spend their money. This isn’t about politics, it’s about beverages and society’s obvious preference for coffee over tea.
Companies actually redesign their product lines and buildings to offer a latte this and latte that rather than focusing on the green, white, chamomile, black, fruity, mint and the other delicious herbal teas. How often do you see commercials advertising tea? Not very often. Although I drink both, I tend to believe that tea is healthier than coffee since many teas contain antioxidants and assist the body in fighting everything from high blood pressure to cancer. So, given that we’re such a health conscious society, why does tea seem to play second fiddle to coffee?
Let’s consider a theory that points back to us. Don’t we reach for coffee to rev us up and put pep in our step? Coffee reflects our fast-paced lifestyle and our need for immediate gratification. We smell coffee long before we see it, its flavor is bold and robust and it gives us the quick energy jolt we seek. On the other hand, we associate tea with illness and it’s the drink of choice when we’re feeling reflective and slowing-down to savor a moment. Listen to how these people feel about tea and coffee:
Aha, see there? I imagine they went a little deeper than you expected. I think the coffee vs. tea debate is a comment on our lifestyles. We live in a don’t-make-me-wait-‘cause- I-gotta-go-out-and-get culture. Settle down, enjoy a cup of tea. They say good things come to those who wait, I say anticipation is part of the journey. Tell us, who or what are you waiting for?
