All-Time Chimp

"I really looked up to monkeys as a kid. Monkeys have contributed a lot to society in their way. They were the first astronauts in the Sixties. Which I'm sure made perfect sense in the monkey brain. 'I see, so instead of the little bellhop uniform, you want me to get into a rocket and orbit the earth at supersonic speed. Yeah, I think that is the next logical step for me. Because, I been working with the Italian guy and the crank organ and I feel I'm ready to handle the maximum re-entry G-forces.'" - Jerry Seinfeld

Complaining: Why Not?

"Complaining does not work as a strategy. We all have finite time and energy. Any time we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won't make us happier." - Randy Pausch

Taking Some Time

From Lou Tice:

How can the ancient tradition of Sabbath help you perform better at work and
feel energized and much more creative?

The ancient idea of Sabbath makes sense in modern times, too, and not just
in a religious way. How often do you set aside some time for yourself where
you entirely alter your routines? That is what is supposed to happen on the
Sabbath, or on a sabbatical, which comes from the same root word.

Sabbaticals are sometimes necessary if we are to stay fresh and creative. A
highly successful businessman I know took nine weeks off from his job. He
called it a sabbatical, and he went to Maine where he designed a barn and
took a photography course. When he came back to work, he told me that he was
filled with new ideas and felt much better equipped to lead.

Now, perhaps you are not in a position to take nine weeks off. But no matter
how busy you are, you can build in some time for short sabbaticals, even if
they are only two or three days at a time. Get off the main thoroughfare of
your life and live in an entirely different way for a while! Walk instead of
ride. Plant trees if you work in an office. Take a computer class if you
plant trees for a living. You get the idea.

You will find yourself feeling refreshed, revitalized and renewed. Try it
and see.

You Will Think This Is A Great Article

From Lou Tice:

Do you know what a self-fulfilling prophecy is? If you do, do you know how
it works?

Most people know that a self-fulfilling prophecy is an event, which, because
it is predicted and expected, is therefore more likely to happen, and even
be caused to happen.

Here's one of my favorite examples. According to "Success Magazine," two
different groups of psychologists were asked to observe the same child at
play. One group was told beforehand that the child was emotionally
disturbed. The other group was told that the child was a genius. When the
psychologists were asked to report on their observations, each group had
found evidence to support their preconceived ideas.

Now, it is important to realize that self-fulfilling prophecies are everyday
experiences - not just laboratory experiments. What do you expect your day
to be like when you get up in the morning? How do you expect your kids to
behave? How much success do you expect for yourself?

If you predict failure, failure is generally what you'll find, and if you
expect excellence, excellence is very likely what you'll see. How we think
about a situation determines how we behave, and how we behave, more than
anything else, determines the results we get.

That's how self-fulfilling prophecies work - there is nothing magical about
it. What you get in life is pretty much what you think and believe coming
back at you. So, what do you expect for tomorrow?

Follow The Zebra

In the book "Zebras Don't Get Ulcers," the typical zebra day is described as tedium punctuated by very anxious moments. One moment the zebra is hanging out with his buddies, eating grass, and gossiping about the wildebeest, and the next moment a ferocious lion is breaking up the party. The zebra reacts, physiologically speaking, like the rest of us might. His heart rate quickens, his system is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol, and he runs away. But an interesting thing happens once the zebra has reached safety: all of his physiological stress responses diminish and the zebra returns back to his normal business-as-usual attitude. Unfortunately humans - because of our unique ability to predict the future and remember the past - are not always so resilient.

We have greater capacity for chronic stress. It increases risk of stroke and heart disease. It directly triggers heart attacks.

Fortunately, most of us live in a society where we're safe from lions. We can afford to forget the terrors and stresses of the past. If we can just do it!

Brick Walls

A man's girlfriend of many years suddenly told him that she didn't love him. It had been a long-distance relationship and he was in town for just the week.

"In the hotel, I spent much of the day on the phone with my parents, telling them about the brick wall I'd just smashed into. Their advice was incredible.

'Look,' my dad said. 'I don't think she means it. It's not consistent with her behavior thus far. You've asked her to pull up roots and run away with you. She's probably confused and scared to death. If she doesn't really love you, then it's over. And if she does love you, then love will win out.'

I asked my parents what I should do.

'Be supportive,' my mom said. 'If you love her, support her.'

And so I did that. I spent that week teaching, hanging out in an office up the hall from her. I stopped by a couple of times, however, just to see if she was all right. 'I just wanted to see how you are,' I'd say. 'If there's anything I can do, let me know.'

A few days later, she called. 'Well, I'm sitting here missing you, just wishing you were here. That means something, doesn't it?'

She had come to a realization: She was in love, after all. Once again, my parents had come through. Love had won out. At week's end, she moved to Pittsburgh.

Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to see how badly we want something." - Randy Pausch

Thanksgiving

"Keeping so many people motivated to do the best job possible involves a lot of the different programs and approaches we've developed at Wal-Mart over the years, but none of them would work at all without one simple thing that puts it all together: appreciation." - Sam Walton

Dena and I took a walk on Thanksgiving, and it's easy to rack up a list of things to be thankful for:

- good health, as I've learned a lot about managing any back pain
- good job, and co-workers who know how to have fun
- good family
- good friends, through LMC and other activities
- good home and neighbors
- freedom to do just about anything at the drop of a hat
- freedom from danger, living in the U.S.A.

Thankfulness is a great exercise of peace, and my favorite form of meditation.