thinking
Today’s Thought: What Are You Thinking
We can be good at a lot of things, one thing that stumps us is mind reading. You ever have someone say to you, “I know what you’re thinking?” How can we know what someone else is thinking? We can intuit what they are thinking. When we do that we are just guessing. I recall when a colleague said to me, “I know what you’re thinking?” I didn’t say anything because what I was thinking was, “You’re nuts.” He then made to wild guess, which changed my thinking to, “You need an intervention.” I never told him what I was thinking. I not sure what I am thinking until I stop what I’m doing and think about what I’m thinking. I’m now thinking, “Ray, are you as confused as you sound. lol”
Today’s Thought: Choose to Think
People who think about things and weigh the pros and cons of issues have an advantage over those who allow others to think for them. When we allow others to think for us we forfeit our freedom. Reject what is bad and uphold what is good.
Today’s Thought: Don’t Quit, Press On!
We all need dreams. Dreams come true on TV, in the movies, and in books. In real life we have to prove we’re worthy of achieving the dream. We have to endure the struggles, setbacks, and periods of time when it seems we’re not making progress and we’re never going to catch a break. Lots of folks walk away from their dreams. They find the struggle to hard. They can’t handle the disappointments. For those who continue to work hard, endure the struggles, and patiently press on, unexpectedly it happens. They cross over to a place they thought of but never knew they could get there. I know this to be true. I’ve witnessed it my life and in the lives of friends. Stay true to your dream. Hang tough. When in doubt, don’t quit, press on.
Today’s Thought: C’Mon, Chill
I know some folks who make everything into a fight. A kid cuts across their lawn, they get upset. A dog poops on their lawn, call out the Marines. If they have to wait for a table at a restaurant, they’ll leave and go through a drive through. They’re angry people. They haven’t learned how to work through issues with others without having winners and losers. Working with others takes a bit of work and patience. When we follow through on it, we create or maintain friendships, and we accomplish a lot more.
Today’s Thought: Good Enough is Never Good Enough
Herbert Simon, an American economist and cognitive psychologist developed the concept of satisficing strategy. The concept states that people often settle for solutions that are good enough and not the best solution possible. Are you settling for good enough and not really testing to see if you could do better? Good enough is never good enough. Give it your best and you’ll never regret it. You were born to shine. Put in the work and never quit.
Today’s Thought: The Interdependence of Humanity
We depend on each other. That’s the way life is. The moment I get in my car I’m depending on those on the same roads as me to drive safely. They are depending on me as well. When I go to the supermarket, I am depending on farmers, ranchers, the folks who pick and pack the crops so they reach the markets. I’m dependent on those who provide electricity, water, sewerage, and make the Internet work to enhance the quality of my life. You get the idea. We’re interdependent. Our lives and livelihood share a mutually beneficial connection. When we seek ways to work together, everyone benefits.
Today’s Thought: Anyone Can Criticize
There’s a country expression that goes something like this, ‘When you’re pointing your finger at someone, there’s three fingers pointing back..We live in an age where criticizing is part of the everyday fabric of life. It’s criticizing that gives talk shows life. It’s criticizing that gives news and sports shows life. I’m surprised I haven’t heard of a college major in criticizing. Criticizing is easy when we use digital means by which to criticize. We can say something nasty in a social media post or more directly in an email or text without facing the other person. I think it’s much better to show the way through a challenge. I also think that criticism seldom improves a situation. When criticizism is helpful the critic offers a helping hand to the perso he/she is criticizing. Be a positive force. Lift people up.
Today’s Thought: Making a Decision?
We all face big decisions. Most will ask others what they think about the choices. We may even do some research. In the end, the decision is ours. We can’t lay off blame on someone else. It is squarely on our shoulder. A mentor gave me three guidelines: 1) Never sell out. 2) Keep your soul intact. 3) Will you want everyone to know what you decided? I’ve tried to follow my mentor’s advice. Sometimes following his advice has caused me problems, but they were the kinds of problems caused by doing the right thing. I can live with myself. And, I think being able to live with yourself is a big deal.
Today’s Thought: What Are You Waiting For?
Today’s tools await us to apply them to a new creation. There are people we’ll meet. There are people we live with. There are things we’re planning to do. There are unexpected events. There’s the weather. There’s our work. These are the tools we can use to create a spectacular day. What is the focus of our day. Is it confined to ourselves? Or, do we dare broaden our vision to include other people? We have in front of us an opportunity to make today something special for those we encounter as well as ourselves. What are you waiting for? Time’s a wasting.
