New Year Goals: Setting Your Sights on 2020

On March 13, 2019, I published my first blog post, aptly titled…”Why blog?” As I said in this first post, I had resisted prior suggestions to “start blogging” but I felt the time was right for me in 2019. (As an FYI, this is the 35th blog posting on this site.) So now’s the time to ask … What are my new year goals for 2020?

What This Blog Is and Was

Going into 2019, I said that I would write about subjects that were universal in nature. I also said that I wanted the messages to be positive, motivational and authentic. I hoped that the topics would be inspirational, while staying far away from controversial subjects such as politics and religion. I believe that we have successfully achieved these objectives.

I wanted to create a conversational writing style so readers felt like they were sitting around the kitchen table with a group of friends discussing topics of the day. I believe that we have created this type of forum, as well.

All in all, I think I have met my new year goals for 2019 as it relates to this blog.

And I want to offer a special thanks to all my “teammates” in creating and maintaining this blog throughout 2019: Karin Bilich, Chris Cockreham, Valerie Morris and Mike Lazear. They are an all-star team.

New Year Goals for 2020

Now, as another year winds down, it’s customary for many, including myself, to reflect on the past and begin to envision where they see themselves in the New Year.

I’m going to leave the year in review up to the readers and focus instead on questions for readers to assess going into 2020.

• Where do you see yourself in the New Year?

• Do you have a clear vision for the upcoming year?

• Do you have clarity of purpose for the New Year?

• Is your path for the future crystal clear?

• Do you envision a bright future?

Your answers to these questions should help to bring 2020 into focus for you…pun intended! ; )

As for myself, I actually plan to start a second blog in 2020. It will be similar in its conversational tone and its hope to uplift and inspire others. But it will focus on my Parkinson’s and what I’ve learned from that journey. If you’re interested in following me there as well, sign up here.

Wishing all a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous 2020! May all your new year goals come to fruition.

The Real Meaning of Christmas: From Commercialization to Humanization

I’m going to go a little tree-hugger with you today on what I believe to be the real meaning of Christmas. Take this with you as you think about getting into the spirit of the holiday season.

How We’ve Strayed from the Real Meaning of Christmas

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. Why? Because it allows us to briefly step off of the roller-coaster of life and to gather with — and to appreciate — those special loved ones in our lives. It also allows us to remember those that are no longer with us.

I would also have to say my least favorite holiday is Christmas. Because to me, Christmas has become over commercialized and in an unfortunate way, seems to have lost its human touch. So what can be done to recapture some of the real meaning and spirit of the Christmas holiday season?

An Inspiring Quote from Bruce Lee

As we aim to recapture the real meaning of Christmas, I’m going to cite a quote I recently heard from Bruce Lee, the internationally known Chinese-American actor, director, martial artist, martial arts instructor, and philosopher. Now I know Bruce Lee is not someone you would usually associate with Christmas festivities, but go with me on this one.

Bruce once said in a television interview: ”If every man would help his neighbor, no man would be without help.” I love this quote for the beauty, simplicity and power of Bruce Lee’s message. Let’s break it down…

Part I: If every man would help his neighbor

What the first part of this quote says to me is the importance of lending a helping hand to a fellow man/woman in your sphere. This can be as simple as spending time with someone that lives alone or helping with a specific priority task, to inviting them to be a part of your holiday festivities. The act isn’t about what it is you do (or even about you at all) but rather the awareness of someone else’s plight and then voluntarily reaching out and helping them in their time of need.

Part II: No man would be without help

The second part of this quote says to me that if everyone was to give of themselves to help another in need then no man/woman would be in need … because their need(s) would have been met. The selfless act of one person giving to someone in need would in turn create an exponential ripple effect — like a stone thrown into a pond — of kindness, goodwill and giving throughout the world. It would make the world a better place for all. (This is where I’m going tree-hugger on you, but I really believe it to be true.)

Take a Step to Humanize Christmas This Year

So for this Christmas holiday I would encourage you to try something: make it a point to spend a little less time focusing on the buying of presents (commercialization) and a little more time on the giving of your presence (humanization) to your fellow neighbor.

It truly will make the world a better place. And isn’t that the real meaning of Christmas? Wishing all a safe, happy, healthy 2019 holiday season!

5 Things to Be Thankful for This Thanksgiving

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, so many people are busy preparing food, watching a parade, starting their holiday shopping, or cheering on their favorite football team. But this year, I’d like to plant a different seed in your mind: things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving; things that you might have taken for granted in years’ past.

Face it: most of us blow through the holiday season at warp speed. But when you wake up this Thanksgiving morning, I want you to pay special attention to the following events throughout the day. And without further ado….

Five Things to Be Thankful For

1. Freedom to travel. If you are traveling to a Thanksgiving Day destination, stop and think for a moment about how fortunate we are to have the luxury of freedom of movement — be it across town or across the country — via our method of choice. Also, consider the fact that there are no restrictions placed on where we can spend our holiday or with who(m) we choose to congregate, both foreign concepts in some countries.

2. Freedom of expression. Sitting around the Thanksgiving table, most families become engaged in conversations ranging from the Thanksgiving Day parade and NFL games on TV, to … ahem … current events (and, no, I’m not talking about the weather). Regardless of the subject matter, we have the freedom to express our thoughts, ideas, and philosophies of life with one another (hopefully in a civil manner) without fear of incrimination.

3. Friends and family. As you sit down for your Thanksgiving meal, take note of the family members and friends around the table. This moment, for many, can be a time of both joy and sadness, as we reflect on family members and close friends no longer with us. Now, I’m by no means trying to bum you out. What I hope is that you recognize and acknowledge how much you appreciate those special individuals gathered with you on this Thanksgiving 2019.

4. Freedom of beliefs. Before the Thanksgiving meal, families may choose to offer a blessing for those gathered, former family members, and the food itself. We have the opportunity to express our beliefs and gratitude (or not) in the manner of our choosing without restriction. And the Thanksgiving meal can be whatever we and those with us want it to be. This again is a privilege we should recognize and appreciate.

5. The positive changes you’ve made this year. Lastly, I want you to think about how your life has changed in 2019. Have you initiated these changes — personal, professional, health etc. — or have they been forced upon you? Which changes are you most proud of? And how can you experience more joy and happiness in your life and with loved ones in the New Year?

There you have it. Five things to be thankful for this year that you may not have thought of otherwise. Wishing all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving 2019!

It’s Not Always About You

I woke up this morning with a thought. I honestly can’t even remember what it was any more. But it was important to me at the time. Then I heard a little voice in my head say, ”It’s not always about you” and that literally stopped me in my tracks. And that voice was right. It’s not always about me. Or you.

What Does That Really Mean?

As humans, we naturally spend a lot of time thinking about ourselves. What are our needs? Our wants? Who do we want to be with? What do we want for lunch? Why is something hurting today? All of that is a normal part of life, and in many ways crucial to our survival.

But many of us forget that, at the end of the day, we are just a speck in a huge world full of billions of people, animals, plants and other living things. And we all have an impact on one another: trees help us breathe, pets bring us joy, and humans love and support one another. When too many individuals become hyperfocused on themselves, they begin neglecting other members of this vast ecosystem that we are all intended to support.

Real-Life Examples

Let’s say you want to get together with an old friend and it’s just not working out. You’re getting frustrated. Why? Because “you” can’t get together with your friend.

But did you ever stop to think that maybe your friend has a legitimate reason for blowing you off (e.g., a health matter, family matter etc.) that you just weren’t aware of? In this case, it isn’t about “you” at all? Because after all, it’s not always about you.

Now let’s use that same scenario but this time you do get together with this friend. The entire conversation seems to be about his life and very little about what has been going on in your world. And you’re feeling kind of ignored and unimportant.

But again, did you ever stop to think that maybe your friend was at a tipping point and just needed someone to vent to? Once again, it isn’t about you at all.

When We Realize That “It’s Not Always About You”

Now, you may be sinking in your chair right about now; sitting there thinking about all the times that you were focused on yourself and how you felt.

But look at this as a growth opportunity; a chance for you to make the world a better place by focusing less on yourself and more on the people around you. Maybe it’s time for you to say “I’m sorry” for those recent moments in which you’ve focused on yourself when maybe you should have been thinking about other people.

I believe, from time to time, we are selected to do things for the purpose of helping others. We just happen to be the right person, at the right time, to perform a necessary task, like listening to our friend who really needed to talk. And yet often we have no idea of the who or why we are performing this task.

This is the beauty of life. We perform certain actions without fully having a grasp on the unintended consequences of these actions. We make the world a better place without even realizing it.

And to do this is so incredibly simple. All we have to do is realize: “It isn’t always about you.”