Joe: “My dream job is to be an engineer. I don’t think it will happen.”
Pete: “Why?”
Joe: “I’ve burned too many bridges.”
Month: December 2023
Thinking Out Loud: It’s Time for a New Way of Thinking
When I was in academia my research was in the field of appreciative inquiry. Appreciative inquiry often shortened to AI has nothing to do with artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, Bard, or other artificial intelligence applications. It has everything to do with human intelligence and the inherent belief that human beings can construct the type of world in which they choose to live. It provides real hope to people who feel as if they’ve hit the bottom and the only option to give up. If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, there’s barely a week that goes by where I fail to mention the words never give up or never quit. I must have had the appreciative inquiry gene in my DNA when I discovered it’s existence. It made all the difference for me, the students enrolled in my appreciative inquiry classes, my doctoral students, and the organizations and communities where we applied appreciative inquiry. I will share and reflect on appreciative inquiry over the next week with the hope that you will discover the best of what is in your world and use it to stimulate your imagination to make it even better.
It’s Time to Exercise Your Brain – Take the Anagram Challenge
Today’s mind sharpening anagram is a two or three word phrase. Can you unscramble the anagram to discover the two or three word phrase? It’s time to exercise your brain!
Today’s Anagram:
What Do You Do When Life Isn’t Easy? See Today’s Quote by Marie Curie
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.
Marie Curie
The Hope of Loving ~ A Poem by Meister Eckhart
The Hope of Loving
Meister Eckhart
What keeps us alive, what allows us to endure?
I think it is the hope of loving,
or being loved.
I heard a fable once about the sun going on a journey
to find its source, and how the moon wept
without her lover’s
warm gaze.
We weep when light does not reach our hearts. We wither
like fields if someone close
does not rain their
kindness
upon
us.
How Far Do You Have to Walk to Get the Benefits?
I asked ChatGPT how far one has to walk to get the health benefits from walking. Here’s what ChatGPT reported:
To achieve health benefits, walking a certain distance or number of steps each week can be effective. The general guideline from health experts is that adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, which can include brisk walking. This guideline, established by organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), equates to about 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
In terms of distance, this can vary depending on your walking speed. A brisk walking pace is typically around 3 to 4 miles per hour (4.8 to 6.4 kilometers per hour). Therefore, walking for 30 minutes a day at this pace would cover about 1.5 to 2 miles (2.4 to 3.2 kilometers) per day. Over a week, this would amount to about 7.5 to 10 miles (12 to 16 kilometers).
However, the exact mileage for health benefits can differ from person to person based on various factors like age, fitness level, and specific health goals. It’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare provider for personalized advice, especially if you are starting a new exercise routine.
Today’s Joke:
Joe: “I feel sorry for my girlfriend.”
Pete: “What’s wrong, Joe.”
Joe: “She’s and archaeologist and her career is in ruins.”
Thinking Out Loud: Be a Force for Good
Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection from William Faulkner’s Banquet Speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1950
“I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet’s, the writer’s, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet’s voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail.” ~ William Faulkner
Note: William Faulkner gives a resounding YES to life. He is speaking to each one of us when he says we are capable of compassion, sacrifice, and endurance. Too often we see the negative in ourselves, in others, and in society. It frightens us. When we choose to search for the good in ourselves, each other, and our society, we find it. There are good people throughout our planet contributing to benefit of all people. When we choose to become a part of the good, we contribute to the overwhelming and undefeatable force of love.
Today’s Inspiring Photo ~ Believe in Yourself and Your Dreams
