Work

Yesterday I was reminded of a quote I heard some time ago attributed to Thomas Edison. He said, "opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." The more I have considered this quote the more I have found truth in it. 

How often do we attempt to avoid work? How often do we seek the easier way and the fast results rather than the long lasting changes. Furthermore, how often do we fail to recognize the opportunities that stand right before us because we consider them work rather than the true 
opportunities that they are? 

I recall hearing about individuals work weeks during the summer years of my high school days. I recall how regularly my coworkers would discuss how much they dreaded work and how much more they looked forward to the weekend to do everything they could to forget about that very thing. This reminds me of a quote by George Sand that reads, "Work is not man's punishment. It is his reward and his strength and his pleasure."

We so often fail to see the joy in exertion, in attempt, and in accomplishment. The more I work in a way worth working, the more I enjoy the work that I do and the more those who I work for enjoy me. 

Indeed, in a large way, how we work resembles who we are. Therefore, make work something worth your time. Do something you are passionate about, and if you can't get such a job, be passionate about how you do your work. Be passionate about what you expect from yourself and the integrity in which you work. There are few greater feelings.

Time Is Running Out

Now that Thanksgiving day has passed, Christmas is right around the corner. Then, before the blink of an eye, the new year will arrive. As time runs out for the year 2016, we would be wise to slow down and consider the past months and year. 

Much has changed; a new president elect has been voted into the white house. Changes in the world governments have been abundant. Beyond this, you may find yourself a changed individual. Maybe you have brought a new life into this world, maybe you have said goodbye to another life, maybe you have traveled to places you never thought you would go, maybe you did not experience as much change as you  had hoped. Regardless of your circumstance, regardless of your experience this past year, there is still time to change. 

We sometimes curse time. It seems to go so fast when we look in the past and so slow as we consider our dreams before us. One thing is certain, although time is running out for this year, we can make the time that we have count. Yes, one thing we all have in common is the existence of time and our being bound to it. 

I came across a quote very recently that states, "time changes everyone." What an interesting and true statement. What a privilege we have in being restricted and bound to time. Through the passing of time, we are able to let go of things that have happened, through the presence of time, we are able to capitalize on the moment before us, and in the time to come, we are able to prepare for greater things.

These three phases that are every growing and ever repeating seem to pass through us while we pass through them. Indeed, time changes us as the second hand on the clock changes from the one to the two. 

Time to Slow Down

C. S. Lewis was quoted for stating, "We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship." As I continue to age, I discover on a regular bases the accuracry of Mr. Lewis' claims. 

On July 29, 2016, CNN published and article addressing the amount of screen time the average adult spends each day. The number? Almost 11 hours. The official time spent in front of a screen is 10 hours and 39 minutes. The devices that were considered in the study are as follows;

1. tablets
2. smartphones
3. personal computers 
4. multimedia devices 
5. video games 
6. radios 
7. DVDs, 
8. DVRs 
9. TVs.

If you are interested in learning more about the study click here. Where am I going with all of this? Just as C.S. Lewis once said, I repeat the same; the world in which we live steals us from the opportunity to find peace within because so much is constantly taking place without. 

There must be a time to slow down. We must choose to embrace "solitude, silence, and private" rather than running from these things through social media, online interaction, and all other forms of electronic devices. 

Of course, there is a place for these things; for they are not entirely bad but they must be used in moderation and in reason. I encourage us all to spend more time pondering and "slowing down" in the world of commotion. 

Indeed, it is worth our time to take time to slow down. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/here-there-and-everywhere/201206/36-quotes-meditation

"The Glory Days"

More often than not when someone begins speaking of "the glory days" they are referring to days past. We regularly think of Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite and his high school football escapades.

May I submit that the true "glory days" are always ahead. The longer we walk upon this earth, the greater our capacity to experience the glory of that upon which we are walking. Yes, there are draw backs to growing older. At times, our senses diminish. Whether it be our sight, our hearing, our smelling and taste, our touch, or our brain altogether, these things do fade. That being the case, our ability to empathize, understand, and see as a whole, with the world around us makes life glorious.

Living for something is greater than having lived for something. The older we get, the more our time is weighted in the past, statistically speaking. Naturally, we desire to reflect and consider the life we led. This is not inherently wrong nor should it be ignored; reflection and consideration are important parts of our becoming. The past is exactly that, an "important part of our becoming." Becoming always takes place in the future.  

Let us move forward with confidence that the fullness of life is always before us, never behind us. I believe this to be the case. Even if I am wrong, there is little worth pointing my wrongness out. For I know that I am much happier, much more filled with joy, and much more hopeful when I choose to look at the future as the days of glory to come rather than only considering the beauty of days past.

Let us believe in the future with gratitude in our hearts for the past. Let us live our glory days today and tomorrow rather than reliving them from the days of yesterday. Regardless of where we are at in life, there is something to hope for. Let us hope on.

The Wild West

While growing up, I spent some time in the old classic westerns. Louis L'amour is among the most famous of western writers and rightfully so. He is a man who knows how to put  a book together. The book Mr. L'amour wrote are always similar in more ways than one but they never get old. 

I remember watching Roy Rogers and playing toy guns like Clint Eastwood. Something about the Wild West always get the imagination going. The more I have had the opportunity to learn the west and the beauty found in it, the more I find this organized randomness. Yes, this sounds contradicting but I assure that it is not. 

The world in which we now lives seems to try and make everything a math equation. If you put in the work you will get the result. If you practice everyday, eat well, and exercise you can be a starting player on the football team. If you study, you will get a good great. All of these things are true of course, but in them lies a dangerous fallacy; life is a summation of your actions and the ending outcome can be determined by the preceding actions taken. 

In truth, the outcome of a given situation is influenced by more than simply our actions before it. There are unpredictable and random influences that cannot be planned or prepared for. I believe this is learned best in the country. No matter how good of a ranch hand you are, no matter how good of a horse breaker you are, no matter how well you can drive cattle, the animals and the ground upon which they live have a mind of their own.  

The Fall

Above all the seasons that I enjoy stands one and one alone: the fall. The longer it sticks around the more I fall in love with it. The fall season brings about songs like "The Boys of Fall" by Kenny Chesney, "Leaves That Are Green" by Simon and Garfunkel, and "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. 

Fall brings about new colors, new games, and new holidays. Fall brings about the end of the heat with a cool westward breeze. Fall brings in the beginning of the holiday season. 

I find myself loving the active birds and working squirrels preparing for the winter season. Seemingly, the world is full of transitional periods. Life is full of moments of change, often preceded by some sign such as the adjusting colors of the leaves.

Fall, for me, is a time of remembrance. It is a time of consideration of the summer past and the new year that lies ahead. During the fall season is often the time when Jack Frost makes his first appearance along with its last of the year.

During the transition of fall, I often find myself considering the beauty of nature and the brightness of the day. I believe this to be the case for three reasons: (1) the beautiful colors draw my eye to nature more fully, (2) the signaling of colder weather causes me to desire to soak up the warmth while I can, and (3) the fresh smells that accompany the fall season bring back oh so many memories. 

Indeed, the fall is my favorite time of year.

Look to the Mountains

Over the past weeks I have found myself in the same spot each morning: sitting on my deck looking up at the mountains to my east.

Each morning I sit, pondering and preparing for the day ahead. My eyes always find themselves resting upon the mountains that I have climbed so many times. Somehow, by spending time each day looking up at them, it is almost as though I am sitting on the mountain side if not for just a moment every morning.

I have found this to be among the most meaningful of moments each day. Some days I spend just four minutes sitting and observing, other days I spend closer to fifteen. However long it takes to remember

Provided by adventure-journal.com

what the world looks like from where my eyes are resting on the mountain.

This time enables me to keep a "bird's eye" perspective through the day. We so often become so absorbed in the details of the day that we fail to remember what life looks like overhead. We fail to remember how small we truly are. No matter how big a building or a task or a problem stands before us, it is never as big as the mountain I look up at each morning.

This gives me a perspective worth keeping. Indeed, it gives me a life worth living. Some call it meditation, others call it observation. My thought is simply that life is better when we look to the mountains. I invite to take some time and look to the "mountains" in your backyard.

To Work Is Good When You Are Called

Regardless of what you may find yourself doing in life, there seems to be no way around work. The more I have pondered this matter the more I have found it to be paradoxical.
My father was a metal worker his whole life and he was good at it. One of my grandfathers was a salesman and from what I can tell, he was good at it.

It seems that we "get good" at whatever we do for work. This comes as no surprise considering we spend a minimum of 40 hours a week doing whatever it is that we do for work.How does 40 hours stack up through the course of your life? Let's find out.

Daily - 8 hours

Provided by Constructioncitizen.com

Weekly - 40 hours
Monthly -  about 184 hours
Yearly - 2208 hours (92 days)
Each decade - 22080 (920 days or 2.52 years)
50 years - 110,400 hours (4600 days or 12.6 years)

No wonder why we "get good" at our jobs. We do them all the time! This should cause us to consider why we work. Do we work just to get home? Do we work because we love the challenge? What is it?

I propose that work is good, especially when you are called. When we have a calling in life, it makes life worth living. Whether that be to provide job for breadwinners or teach the youth or be the president; when we choose to work in a way that our work becomes our calling in life, then work becomes "good."

Even better, life does too.

Kind Words

The longer I am on this earth, the more I value the power of kind words. From a simple but sincere hello to an honest compliment, words do so much more than we sometimes care to admit. James teaches in the bible that,

 "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." (1)

I believe these particular words to be true. This idea of "bridling" the body is one that is worth considering. The word "bridle" means "to restrain, check, or control with or as if with a bridle." (2) A bridle is what is often used for "guiding and controlling a horse." (3) This goes around the mouth of the horse and by pulling the rope in particular ways, a rider to guide the horse.

It is no different for each of us. We must place a figurative bridle on ourselves. Just as the bridle around the horse controls the whole horse,  the same is true with our mouths. The words we choose to speak influence our whole actions. Therefore, if we are able to control our words, as if with a bridle, we will be able to control our whole being.

I believe this to be true for numerous reasons; one of them I wish to express now. Words are easy. and words are cheap. What I mean by "easy" and "cheap" is that they are easily formed, with little effort, and if they stand alone, the words don't mean much seemingly. 
Because it is so easy to talk and speak our mind, we can struggle at controlling what we do say.

If we can come to master our mouths we are on our way to mastering our whole selves. Let us begin with choosing kind words. 


(1) James 3:2
(2) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridle
(3) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bridle

Picture credit - http://inspirationalstorytellers.com

Roots and Branches

With so many opinions and so many perspectives, holding your ground can be a difficult feat. As challenging as this                       “stick-to-it-ness” is, we can learn some valuable lessons from trees. The University of Arizona runs a large, three-acre lot that the university has made into a biosphere. This biosphere is called the Biosphere 2. In it, scientists try to synthesis the biosphere in which we live in. Some of the results were of worth to note.

The University discovered that the trees would grow more quickly in the biosphere than in nature but the trees would not reach full maturity. The trees would collapse regularly before reaching maturity. The university discovered that the trees needed wind to grow in strength. The stress on the trees, created by the wind, resulted in the tree shifting and strengthening the roots both radially and vertically. What can we learn from this? The need for opposition is essential, and that includes opposition in opinions and perspectives of other people. Once we understand this, we begin to embrace the value of these differing opinions and we begin to learn how to grow from them.

In considering a tree in the wind, two things are very apparent: (1) the trunk and the branches sway in the wind, and (2) the roots and base remain steady. Herein lies the principle. As social humans, we must learn to sway and be tolerant in the wind of opposition while remaining planted in our values and our beliefs.

Indeed, there is much to be learned from the roots and the branches.

Sources
http://awesci.com/the-role-of-wind-in-a-trees-life/

Meditation Minded

An expert of meditation, I am not, but a student of its power, I am. As time goes on I am discovering each day that this life moves, and it moves fast. 

I remember as a boy racing my mom across the yard, so amazed with the genes I had inherited. I was amazed with my ability to jump and run and smell and climb. It was a discovery of my physical being and the space around me. Soon, those days spent with my mother turned into days spent at school. 

At school, I remember making friends and socializing with boys and girls of my age. I remember learning to ride a bike. At some point along the way I learned how to Rollerblade although I never got the hang of skateboarding. 

As time passed, I learned to drive jet skis and a dirt bike. Finally, I got my license. 

Fast-forward through the years and now, I am married. We live in a home, we work, we study. Ever-seemingly becoming all the more busier. The longer I live the more I realize that life has no intentions of slowing down. 

This is the very purpose of meditation (for me at least)- to slow down. When so much information, so many opinions, and so many stories are being told at nanosecond speed, we must learn to take time and slow down. We must learn to be silent in a world of great noise. We must learn to be still, to observe, to listen, and to judge not. 

This is the purpose of mediation. 

Meeknes and the Power Therein

Some may consider the meek to also be the weak; I would suggest the meek to be quite the opposite.

Qualities like humility, meekness, long-suffering, kindness, etc. are not often considered to be qualities of power. To understand this, we must consider the meaning of the word "power" along with one of its antonyms; "weakness."

As defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, along with a number of other sources, the word "power" means:
(A) the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events.
(B) the ability to do something or act in a particular way, 
(C) the ability or right to control people or things

On the other hand, "weakness" is described in the following way:
(A) displaying or characterized by a lack of enthusiasm or energy.
(B) lacking the force of character to hold to one's own decisions, beliefs, or principles; irresolute. not convincing or logically forceful.
(C) of a low standard; performing or performed badly.

Allow me now to define "Meekness"- 
(A) "Meekness has been contrasted with humility as referring to behavior towards others, where humbleness refers to an attitude towards oneself^[4] - meekness meaning restraining one's own power,^[5] so as to allow room for others." 

We can see why meekness is so often considered something of the weak. Rather than imposing opinions, controlling others, or demonstrating ability; the meek choose to "allow room for others." This act is often confused as no act at all; for the society in which we now live claims that "seeing is believing." As a result, because the act of being meek is not seen (or noticed), we quickly dismiss the individual exercising such action as weak. 

In truth, meekness creates not only a power within oneself, but also a power in our community. When we choose to be meek, all can be heard, all can listen, and all can learn.  Therefore, true meekness brings knowledge; and it has been said that, "knowledge is power." 

Hypocrisy in the Headline

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hypocrisy as "a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not." Known as a strong reproof, hypocrisy (and its partner name calling form; hypocrite) is something that no one likes to be known by yet it is something that stings us all. For we know deep down, that there is truth in such an accusation.

So why "Hypocrisy in the Headline?"Two weeks ago a wrote the post "Talk vs. Teach." In it, I discussed the difference between talking at the student and truly teaching. What is such a fascinating concept is that in the very blog that I wrote just two weeks ago, I "talked" rather than taught.

One may ask, "how do we move past the blogs and articles that claim to teach and change? How can we communicate ideas without talking at an individual, especially in such a platform as reading material?"

I believe the answer is simple; question.  Questions are a powerful, provoking source that drives a student to ponder. How would this change the way that articles are written? Let me do all I can to avoid hypocrisy in this article by suggesting so questions worth considering.

1. Have you ever learned something without questioning that "something" before accepting it?

2. Have you ever deeply and truly changed something about yourself or within yourself because of that "something" you learned, without first questioning how it would apply in your personal life?

3. What can you do in your own life to avoid lecturing or "talking" and begin to truly "teach" through questions?

4. What challenges do you foresee in such an endeavor as this one?

5. Will you commit to put this principle into practice? Namely, that you will provoke learning through questioning the student rather than simply offering information to him or her (regardless of the platform of communication).

I submit that those of you who have taken these questions to heart, and those of you who have accepted the invitation to commit to this style of communicating have gained more from this article and are more likely to change from it, than from reading an article that simply explains this principle.

Now, go and do.

"Wild Montana Skies"

Released in 1983, John Denver's album, "It's About Time' will forever hold a place in my soul. At the age of thirteen I was given the opportunity to explore the skies of Montana in Glacier Park. In some obscure area, at the top of a mountains rests a deep blue lake, High Park Lake. Me and the party that I accompanied explored that ice water and the rocky ridges around it for enough time to teach me something about myself; I need the "Wild Montana Skies."

Of course, as they all do, the excursion came to a close. We finally came down from those skies, we finally crossed paths with other life besides wild life, and we finally sat in small boxes with wheels and headed for "home." 

There, I went about doing all the things that most young boys do while at home: studying, playing, working, etc. Although it felt like home when I arrived home at the time, I realize now, only fourteen short years later that I never returned home the same. 

The home that my heart longed for was the one with no walls, no wheels, no worries, and no chairs. I went back to those mountains five years later with a good friend and loved it all the same, but haven't been back since.

Just last weekend my wife and I found ourselves at the top of a small mountain or enormous hill (depending upon where you are from) in other country. Like all things, that go up, we made our way down the steep slope of the beast. There always seems to be a sensation that comes with leaving high places. I find the feelings to be almost nostalgic.

As we made our way back home from our trip, the song "Wild Montana Skies" flowed through the speakers. That song, one might even call it a hymn (and would be right to do so I do believe), was the album "It's About Time." 

A week has gone by, and now I understand why Mr. Denver chose to name his album with such a name as "It's About Time." Although 14 years have gone by since the first time I peaked that mountain in Montana, I am now just discovering what peace, what joy, and what need I have to explore the wild Montana skies every day of my life. Indeed, "it's about time" that I go home to the Montana skies. Whether in person or in spirit, I will take my time to "[Give] a voice to the forest, [give] a voice to the dawn, [give] a voice to the wilderness and the land that [I] lived on."

 

Talk vs. Teach

               Teaching, it is done in many ways but there is only one end goal: to cause to know (1). Regardless of one’s experience with teachers, it is valuable to recognize that we have all had them, and continue to have them. Whether it be in a formal setting such as school, or in a less formal setting like on the ranch, in the health clinic or in the business world, there are always those who attempt to cause to know in others.  They may come in the form of a mentor, a trainer, a colleague or a supervisor; the end goal is always the same. These people want to “cause [you] to know.” As a result, they are considered teachers.

               Although so many attempt to bring about this knowing, not all are equally effective in doing so. What makes the difference? I submit the difference is found within two words; “talking” and “teaching.” This seems to be an obvious and simple truth; of course talking is not teaching yet we fail to live according to our believed understanding.

               In my relatively short, yet very intense four years of being in positions of training, I have come to discover that teachers often believe that to teach and to talk are synonymous. Somehow we believe that explaining is the same thing as exploring and talking results in learning. Not true.  

               According to studies at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, “memory is strengthened by multiple sensory inputs” (2). Again, any learner could have shared that they learn best when they do more than listen yet those who attempt to cause to know still fail in applying the principle.

               We learn best when we experience. That includes hearing, seeing, feeling, expressing, feeling emotions, and the like. So the next time you are tempted to tell someone how to do something, or talk to them in an attempt to help them learn, try adding a couple more sensory inputs to bring about the learning. Or the next time someone tries to simply talk at you or tell you in hopes that learning will take place; you take action and find ways to become more involved in the learning process. It will surely benefit both parties and it will have the potential to bring about true and lasting change. 

1 - Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2016.

2 - BT, By Atlantic. "Content Development." How the Brain Learns. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Sept. 2016.