Too many ideas, not enough time

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Just since I began recording some possible subjects for future essays (my latest list)—about 3½ months ago, I have generated 122 topics. One problem I have is getting ideas on the list when they occur to me, since I don’t always have the list with me. From that list, only about 5 of the topics have been converted into essays thus far, but I have used the list often to see if a topic appears there. The topic for this essay is not on the list. I always generate far, far more topics than I can write about, hence the title of this essay, "Too many ideas, not enough time."
Just to give you an example of what I am talking about, let me reveal some of the topics that I have generated over the past several months. They appear here in no particular order:

1. Turning over a new leaf

2. Dealing with the impossible

3. What are the basic human obligations?

4. Temporal happiness

5. Identifying your passion

6. Importance of knowing who you are

7. When in doubt . . .

8. What does commitment really mean?

9. What does your legacy really mean?

10. Kissing frogs

11. Developing conscientiousness

12. The importance of looks

13. Permissible shortcuts

14. Finding your purpose

15. Thank your mentors

16. Settling your debts

17. Thinking differently

18. The effects of low self-esteem

19. The spark that makes a difference

20. How far can you go?

21. Signs along the way

22. A life of subsistence

23. Strategic pessimism

24. Going solo

25. The knock-out punch

26. Betting on yourself

Now, think about it, my actual list of topics is about five times longer than just those listed above. When I was re-writing them (above), it sparked my creative juices. There are so many I would love to write about right now—but I don’t have the time!

I loved what Tama J. Kieves (the first reference in the additional readings attached to this essay) said about having too many ideas: "It’s a blessing to be creatively abundant." There is no doubt this is true, and I’ve never been one to disparage in any way the fruitfulness of my brain—or any brain for that matter! I have never drawn a blank when it comes to generating new ideas, and when I am looking for one to write on, too many appear, but not enough time!

I have written extensively about creativity in a book that I consider to be the cornerstone of my philosophy of life. In You Rules - Caution: Contents Leads to a Better Life! (And Then Some Publishing LLC, 2008), in six chapters, I discuss the benefits of creativity, the characteristics of successful, creative people, how the creative process works, establishing the kind of life in which creativity will flourish, becoming immersed in a field of study, and how to capitalize on flow. If your goal was to become a creative person or to enhance your already-present creative abilities, this section of this multi-faceted, motivational book will make a clear and vivid difference in your life.

What I have discovered regarding having far more ideas and not nearly enough time, is that I enjoy being involved in a plethora of stimulation. It not only engages my mind, but it preoccupies my thinking, buries me in contemplation, absorbs me with consideration, and saturates me in motivation. Sure, you could look at it as overstimulation; however, my view is that this saturation of information galvanizes, activates, fuels, and inspires. I am most excited when my brain is electrified. It is a refreshing, revitalizing, and restorative tonic that rouses and energizes.

When I thought of this topic for an essay as I was jogging, I couldn’t wait for all my exercising rituals to end so that I could get to the computer to transform my thoughts into words. I was charged-up. And, even now, as I am bringing this essay closer to a conclusion, I have gone way beyond my time for lunch because I am into the "flow," and I have to capitalize on the moment for generating this verbiage. I have the topic, the interest, and the time!

Perhaps, you have experienced this yourself. Too much taking place in your brain, too many ideas coming forth unexpected and unannounced; too much stimulation that you don’t want to break in or stop the process—the flow.

When I am involved in the preparation for a new edition of my textbook, Communicating Effectively, 10e (McGraw-Hill, 2012), I experience this same feeling. My whole body moves into a mode of operation. It’s like having overdrive in an automobile. My senses are peaked, my awareness is charged, and my motivation is difficult to restrain. I long for the outlet—the opportunity to create.

When I can bring to a project (an essay or book), all that I am, and then infuse that with the energy and creativity that serves as a catalyst for my productivity, the end product, based on my history and products of the past, is not just of high quality, but there is quantity, too. That is how I operate; that is how it has worked; that is what I know.

This is not a new or recent phenomenon. I can’t remember a time when this wasn’t the case. For example, while I taught at Bowling Green State University, I would meet weekly with Howard W. Cotrell, a professor and representative of the Instructional Media Center on campus. His first contact with me had to do with visiting my large lectures. There, he would take notes and make recommendations in our weekly meetings regarding greater teaching effectiveness, the better use of instructional materials, and any additional suggestions on the delivery or substance of my lectures. It was one of the best professional relationships I encountered at any point in my entire collegiate career.

One thing that happened during our weekly meetings, especially as they evolved over the many years—nearly 22 total—that we met, was the generation of ideas for possible academic publication. Together, we would serve as idea generators by thinking of brainstorming new ideas, working off the comments of each other, and, basically, sharing in a mutually beneficial creative endeavor. Together, we co-authored more than 30 published, academic papers. But even then, our publication record came nowhere close to the number of potential ideas that we wrote down. There were so many ideas, but so little time!

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Tama J. Kieves, author of the book, This Time I Dance! Create the Work You Love, , has a delightful website with the subtitle, "A blog about inspired living," and in her brief essay, "Too Many Ideas, Too Little Time? The Secret of Being Creatively Abundant," proves conclusively for me, that she is an excellent writer. Her brief essay on the topic I chose to write about here, is superb, and I wish I could quote the entire thing. Here is just one inspiring paragraph: "Some ideas are springboards.  Some ideas are just passing through.  Some ideas collapse and fold into other projects.  Sometimes ideas whisper your name a thousand ways, in different tongues, shift different angles until you claim the nucleus and find the heart.  Some ideas will take you so deep that nothing else will ever matter in the same way again.  It only takes a moment to make an entire life worthwhile."

At Stepcase Lifehack, the author of the essay, What to do when you have too many ideas, offers four ideas about what to do when you have too many ideas: 1) Write it down, but let them simmer, 2) Adopt a mission statement, 3) Create idea buckets, and, 4) Get real, which means connecting with the ideas that you are fondest of and know will bring about the most benefit to yourself and others.

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Copyright January 31, 2013, by And Then Some Publishing LLC

Quotations by Richard L. Weaver II

Always know that despite rejection, there will be a brighter tomorrow.

Find tons of quotes to inspire your journey:
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Thursday Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Too many ideas, not enough time," reads as follows:

Just since I began recording some possible subjects for future essays (my latest list)—about 3½ months ago, I have generated 122 topics. One problem I have is getting ideas on the list when they occur to me, since I don’t always have the list with me. From that list, only about 5 of the topics have been converted into essays thus far, but I have used the list often to see if a topic appears there. The topic for this essay is not on the list. I always generate far, far more topics than I can write about, hence the title of this essay, "Too many ideas, not enough time."

The concluding paragraph of the essay is:

One thing that happened during the weekly meetings with Howard Cotrell, especially as they evolved over the many years—nearly 22 total—that we met, was the generation of ideas for possible academic publication. Together, we would serve as idea generators by thinking of brainstorming new ideas, working off the comments of each other, and, basically, sharing in a mutually beneficial creative endeavor. Together, we co-authored more than 30 published, academic papers. But even then, our publication record came nowhere close to the number of potential ideas that we wrote down. There were so many ideas, but so little time!

Chicken soup for the soul: Think positive (101 inspirational stories about counting your blessingsand having a positive attitude)

Chicken soup for the soul: Think positive (101 inspirational stories about counting your blessingsand having a positive attitude)
By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hanson, and Amy Newmark

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

I have been delighted with many of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, but not in the way many of those reading this review would suppose or imagine. My first goal in selecting this book was to find potential topics, themes, or ideas to write about on my own positive-oriented blog Life... And Then Some!

For the short, inspirational stories, of course, this is not unlike most of the previous books of this genre (although a number of reviewers at Amazon.com suggest this selection is not as strong as others).

There was an unexpected byproduct here, however, similar to the one I experienced in reading my father-in-law’s (Edgar E. Willis) book, How to be Funny on Purpose: Creating and Consuming Humor. What I discovered from reading the Willis book, because of its clear, accurate, and detailed explanation of how to create humor, I found myself engaged actively in the process of writing jokes. I had never written jokes previously nor did I think myself capable. What fun I had constructing them!

Well, in reading about "thinking positive," I went through a number of epiphanies. I couldn’t help myself. I thought, for example, about what a positive and pleasant life I have led, and why it has happened.

The life I have led, both by design and positive thinking, fortunate (and lucky) decisions I made along the way, and certainly circumstances that have provided opportunities I never dreamed could happen, has been challenging, exciting, rewarding, and incredibly satisfying. Many of the results of positive thinking occur because of good choices along the way!

Here is my conclusion regarding positive thinking. All of life depends on making good choices. So, if I were to give advice to anyone (as I have done to over 80,000 students during my teaching career), it would be this: Prepare yourself in such a way that you (not someone else) is in control over the decisions of your life.

Now, I fully realize this is easier said than done and, too, that no matter how much we prepare, we cannot be in total control over all the decisions of our lives. That is true, however, that should not be discouraging. The point is to prepare as widely, broadly, and thoroughly as possible—stretch ourselves in all possible directions—in order to give ourselves the edge, the opportunity, or the advantage in any decisions that affect (or impinge on) our lives. We do not (cannot) know what curve balls life will throw at us, but that does not mean we cannot prepare ourselves to meet them.

When you apply this philosophy to your life, you are always looking for ways to improve, expand, or extend. You never stop learning or, even more important, looking for ways to increase your knowledge and potential.

This is the philosophy, I believe, that best undergirds, reinforces, buttresses, supports, and strengthens positive thinking, or it is the most likely philosophy to bring positive results from positive thinking. Positive thinking alone is valuable, but it takes more than just positive thinking to bring concrete results.

I found this Chicken Soup for the Soul book useful and valuable in this regard. I realize that teachers seldom know the impact—long-range results—of their instruction, but if I instilled this single idea in any of my 80,000 students I taught over more than 30 years in the classroom and lecture hall, I would consider my work successful. It is more than just a positive message, it is a charge, command, or instruction that, when internalized and practiced, will send you on a mission to take responsibility for your life.

Friday Humor

A very successful lawyer parked his brand-new Lexus in front of his office, ready to show it off to his colleagues. As he got out, a truck passed too close and tore off the door on the driver's side. The lawyer immediately grabbed his cell phone, dialed 911, and within minutes, a policeman pulled up.

Before the officer had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically. His Lexus, which he had just picked up the day before, was now completely ruined, no matter how the body shop might try to fix it.

When the lawyer finally wound down from his ranting and raving, the officer shook his head in disgust and disbelief.

"I can not believe how materialistic you lawyers are," the cop said. "You are so focused on your possessions that you don't notice anything else."

"How can you say such a thing?", asked the lawyer.

The cop replied: "Don't you know that your left arm is missing from the elbow down? It must have been torn off when the truck hit you."

"My God!" screamed the lawyer. "My Rolex!"

Aspire to inspire before you expire

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Okay, I’ll confess it up front: I loved the title of this essay. It was one of the over 150 topics that I wrote down as possible subjects for future essays, and I have no idea what ignited the idea. I do, however, believe in the topic.
I just finished reading the book The 7 Minute Solution: Creating a Life With Meaning 7 Minutes at a Time (New York: Free Press, 2012) by Allyson Lewis, and I’ll have to admit that Lewis was inspiring. It is loaded with advice and suggestions, and if you are looking for a kick in the pants, Lewis can do it for you! (Read my review of her book at Amazon.com.)

I have no idea where my own desire to inspire originated. I have always enjoyed education, and my courses—throughout my entire formal education—have not just been sources of knowledge, but they have instilled, too, a strong desire for continual learning. I love learning.

Perhaps my desire occurred when I switched my college major from pre-med to speech. I had never had a speech course before the one I was required to take for my pre-medical concentration, and that one course—really the instructor of that course—inspired me to take a second one, and after that one (in which he was also the instructor), caused me to change my major and my entire college focus.

Having speech as your major makes you think. What in the hell am I going to do with this major once I finish college? That’s enough to put you on the road to inspiration. Sounds like a town out in the western desert somewhere!

My parents were both educators, so becoming an educator, for me, was a natural fit. It was in my genes—although that was not a thought I had back then. At the same time I changed my major, I decided, too, to pick up a teaching certificate as a safety net if all else failed. Who knows when you start out on a new adventure what roadblocks lie ahead?

I absorbed the information in my college classes with a new sense of urgency, as if I was sucking it up through my pores—I was engrossed completely and occupied wholly. There was now, like no other time during my formal education, a light at the end of the tunnel, and this may be the time when the desire to inspire was hatched. It seems right that it would have been coordinate with a desire to teach!

When I finished my formal education—about six years after this transition from pre-med to speech had taken place—I began teaching speech-communication classes at the University of Massachusetts. It was during my work for the Ph.D. at Indiana University when I learned about having to publish to stay afloat as a professor—the "publish or perish" syndrome. I never thought about it very much, but I learned that others did. After all, if they chose to teach at a Ph.D.-granting institution, it (their publication record) was likely to determine their fate!

I wanted to be a great teacher. Fortunately, for me, I didn’t have to worry much about the "publish or perish" syndrome simply because I never had a problem writing. It came easily.

With all the classes I had taken, all the books I had read, and all the professors with whom I had contact, I realized that I had accumulated a wealth of information. Although I hadn’t yet formulated any specific philosophies, unique convictions, outstanding theories, distinctive doctrines, or particular principles, my views were traditional and represented, for the most part, what others in the profession were thinking at the time.

Perhaps that was a good thing considering that during my first year after having earned my Ph.D., I received a call from Saundra Hybels asking me if I wanted to write a textbook with her. I already had instilled in me the desire to be a great teacher, and I thought that writing a textbook might serve as an extension of my strong desire to teach well. Also, I thought it might help me achieve tenure.

What was interesting at this early point in my career, was that I began to discover I could inspire others at various levels and using a variety of venues as well. My early academic publications—begun because I saw them as one route to gaining tenure and a permanent faculty position and security—started immediately. I published six chapters out of my dissertation. Each of those had been a paper I wrote for one of my college classes at Indiana University.

I was writing feverishly.

But, what I discovered was that I could write and publish academic articles, teach my classes effectively, and write speeches and pieces for the local papers at the same time. I didn’t have to restrict myself to only teaching, or only writing the textbook (work on which began at once), or only writing and giving speeches.

When I left the University of Massachusetts for Bowling Green State University, the textbook was already in print, so I adopted it as the required textbook for my basic course. Not only that, I put together a book of readings I used for my third-level course, interpersonal communication.

The textbook Saundra Hybels and I wrote did well immediately. This gave me confidence to continue. I was one of the first people in the profession to write a book on the subject of interpersonal communication. Now, my desire to inspire had reached full bloom. It was all the confidence I developed from that first textbook, but it was more than that, too.

I wrote (and delivered!) fifteen, fifty-minute lectures for the basic, required, speech-communication course—one for each week of the semester. I had never done this before, but the reaction of students to the lectures was overwhelmingly positive. I was even nominated for a "Best Teacher" award!

Also, my effective lecturing resulted in a large number of invitations to speak at a wide variety of local functions. Now I was on an inspirational high and loving every minute of it. I was giving motivational lectures, motivational speeches, writing colleges textbooks that contained motivational undertones, and soon I began writing motivational essays for the local newspaper.

My need to inspire (before I expired) had been fully realized. Reactions to my speeches, my essays, and—most important because it paid well!—my textbooks, was truly sensational. Yes, it took awhile, and although I’m not certain exactly when the desire to inspire took hold, I realize, looking back on it now, that that doesn’t matter as much as I now felt fulfilled! ----truly inspired.

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Dr. Harry Carter, at the Firehouse website , in his essay, Aspire to Inspire before you Expire, when he said, "A number of years ago, a Brother Maxon and fellow fire person from Texas, Hank Salzmann, sent me an email which included a series of ‘New Church Signs." There were a number of really cute cartoons each with a slogan which was created to get the reader thinking about their faith and their church. The slogan which caught my eye immediately is the one which now serves as the title for this commentary." I get those emails as well, albeit from a different source, but I’ll bet that’s where the idea for my title came from as well.

Steven Pace also wrote an essay, Aspire to inspire before you expire, which is all about choice and the choices we make: "We get the choice of whether we let the external world determine our fate, or if we determine our fate. Inside of you lies the power to create or destroy. To rise or to fall. That is the power of choice and decision. If you believe that you are beaten, you are. If you believe that you can achieve anything, you can. It is really that simple."

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Copyright January 24, 2013, by And Then Some Publishing LLC

Quotations by Richard L. Weaver II

We are traveling by car in the Canadian Rockies along the trans-Canadian highway near Lake Louise. Every time the car turned a corner in the highway, it was as if a new postcard opened in front of us—spectacular scenery. At every new scene, everyone in the family would audibly gulp in a new mouthful of air to signify that we were all overcome by the awesome beauty, and in that moment, we knowingly voted in unison: "takes your breath away."

Nature holds the elegance and grandeur of untold allure and charm that provides everyday opportunities for recognition, acknowledgment, and gratefulness.

Find tons of quotes to inspire your journey:
SMOERs - Available at Amazon
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Thursday Essay Preview

The first two paragraphs of Thursday's essay, "Aspire to inspire before you expire," reads as follows:

Okay, I’ll confess it up front: I loved the title of this essay. It was one of the over 150 topics that I wrote down as possible subjects for future essays, and I have no idea what ignited the idea. I do, however, believe in the topic.

I just finished reading the book The 7 Minute Solution: Creating a Life With Meaning 7 Minutes at a Time (New York: Free Press, 2012) by Allyson Lewis, and I’ll have to admit that Lewis was inspiring. It is loaded with advice and suggestions, and if you are looking for a kick in the pants, Lewis can do it for you! (Read my review of her book at Amazon.com.)

The final paragraph of Thursday's essay is as follows:

My need to inspire (before I expired) had been fully realized. Reactions to my speeches, my essays, and—most important because it paid well!—my textbooks, was truly sensational. Yes, it took awhile, and although I’m not certain exactly when the desire to inspire took hold, I realize, looking back on it now, that that doesn’t matter as much as I now felt fulfilled! ----truly inspired.

The unbelievers: The evolution of modern atheism

The unbelievers: The evolution of modern atheism
By S. T. Joshi

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

I picked up this book because it looked like a good read. First, it looked as though Joshi had an excellent background as a writer, scholar, and editor, and at least five previously published books to his credit. Second, his 10 pages of notes looked solid, and I knew his information was well researched. His 30 years of knowledge and background in researching this topic is remarkable and impressive.

This is truly a competent history book that is well-written. It is a clear, easy-to-read, thorough documentary. The book covers the works of Thomas Henry Husley, Leslie Stephen, John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, Mark Twain, Clarence Darrow, H. L. Mencken, H. P. Lovecraft, Bertrand Russell, Madalyn Murray O’Hair, Gore Vidal, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. I am not a reader of any of these writers, although I have to admit that I read and enjoyed Hitchen’s book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (2007).

In the epilogue, I agreed entirely with his personal note: "I will frankly confess that many of the central issues pertaining to religion—the existence of God, the existence of the soul and its survival after death, the existence of heaven and hell, the dependence of morality upon religion—have ceased to interest me because they have, to my mind, been all but settled in favor of atheism" (p. 247). Joshi adds in the next paragraph, " . . . after more than thirty years of investigation of these questions, I have not found a single argument offered by the religions as even remotely compelling or convincing. Every one of them has been demolished by far superior thinkers than I, and I do not pretend to hold out hope that the pious can somehow come up with better arguments than they have" (p. 247).

I have found, in my own life, a similar discovery to the one found by Joshi: It is unlikely any book or any set of evidence of any kind, " . . . will convert, any significant number of the populace who are devout, or even those who are fencesitters;; such individuals tend not to read books that might threaten the stability of their belief structure, to which they have become psychologically dependent" (p. 247).

I believe the author’s intent writing this book is well-supported and well-represented throughout: "I have written this book in the hope that it might shed some light on the development of atheist thought over the past century and a half or so" (p. 16). I especially enjoyed Joshi’s reasoning regarding which writers to include in this book and which to exclude. (p. 16)

For those who are religious and are reading this review, please not eht author’s comment on page 14: ". . . for perhaps the first time in human istory, it can plausibly be said that civilized societies are essentially nonreligious" (p. 14). "Intellectually, . . . at least in the West, the battle is, in my mind, over. Atheism has won. The intellectual classes are, if not explicitly atheistic, certainly nonreligious and in many cases anti religious" (p. 14).

". . . It does take a certain amount of knowledge—knowledge of science, knowledge of history, knowledge of language and literature, knowledge of fundamental philosophical conceptions—to grasp the intellectual issues and stake in the battle between religion and irreligion, and once those issues are grasped, the majority will come, regretfully or joyously, to the realization that religion simply has no credibility. It is an emperor without clothes and has been without clothese for the better part of two centuries" (p. 15).

If for no other reason, this statement alone offers a strong endorsement of this book and, too, reason enough to read it cover-to-cover. Five stars out of five!

Friday Humor

This isn't an office. It's Hell with fluorescent lighting.

I pretend to work. They pretend to pay me. Sarcasm is just one more service we offer.

If I throw a stick, will you leave?

If I want to hear the pitter patter of little feet, I'll put shoes on my cats.

Does your train of thought have a caboose?

Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.

A PBS mind in an MTV world.

Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.

Well, this day was a total waste of makeup.

See no evil, hear no evil, date no evil.

Not all men are annoying. Some are dead.

A woman's favorite position is CEO.

I'm trying to imagine you with a personality.

A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.  

Can I trade this job for what's behind door number 1?

I thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted paychecks.

Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
Macho Law prohibits me from admitting I'm wrong.

Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?

I plead contemporary insanity.

How do I set a laser printer to stun?

Meandering to a different drummer.

I majored in liberal arts. Will that be for here or to go?

How to live a long, healthy life

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

It’s not a matter of dwelling on death, nor is it a quest for the "magic potion" that leads to eternal life, it is, instead, a realistic examination of the facts: what are the factors most likely to guarantee a long and healthy life? Yes, it is a search for a guarantee.

The search is over! And even though it cannot be considered a "magic potion" simply because it is not an instant remedy, it is something that can be encouraged or nurtured if begun early. Not surprisingly, the "remedy" is usually all in place and being used (or not used) by the time any concern over death or the quest for a "magic potion" takes place.

To provide the context for this essay, let me supply readers with the source of this discovery. The book, The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study (Hudson Street Press, 2011), was written by two highly-qualified, highly-credible research psychologists, Drs. Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin.

The book or its authors is not, however, sufficient justification for suggesting that the search is over. It is, in part, the impressive study and its results that merit close scrutiny.

The study was begun by Stanford University psychologist Dr. Lewis Terman in 1921. (He died in 1956 before the study was complete.) It involved 1500 bright boys and girls born around 1910. Although most have died, Friedman and Martin "have documented when and how they died, and . . . have studied their lives in meticulous detail" (p. ix).

There are no known longitudinal studies of this magnitude which makes this study unique, and, as the authors explain, "One of the best ways to avoid research traps and biases is to follow individuals for their entire lives and see which characteristics influence subsequent qualities, behaviors, and outcomes" (p. xi).

When you discover the results of the study, you will easily see why they are not a "magic potion." As the authors explain, "many of the insights that emerged are helpful not only to adults looking to get on a healthier life path but also to those hoping to set their children on a good track. Many of our findings can help people rethink the potential long-term effects of their parenting decisions . . ." (p. xiii).

The study was continued by others after Dr. Terman’s death, and the authors of this book began serious work on the study in 1990. No essay of this length can provide a fair understanding of what this study entailed, and reading The Longevity Project is highly recommended. What is important to know is that the authors used "a number of scientific techniques to . . . validate old scales and measures from contemporary samples of young people" (p. xv).

Also noteworthy in drawing conclusions from the Terman study, Friedman and Martin "have always compared [their] findings with what is more broadly known from other research" (p. xv). In addition, it is helpful to know, the subjects in the study "were engineers, businesspeople, housewives, lawyers, administrators, writers, teachers, and all sorts of other blue- and white-collar workers" (p. xv).

Conscientiousness is the key. Now, to give you some understanding of the breadth and depth of this term, I looked it up on Wikipedia. It is "the trait of being painstaking and careful, or the quality of acting according to the dictates of one’s conscience." Of course, if the definition ended there, most people would consider themselves conscientious. It is what painstaking and careful mean that can make a difference.

"[Conscientiousness] includes such elements as self-discipline, carefulness, thoroughness, organization, deliberation (the tendency to think carefully before acting), and need for achievement. It is an aspect of," the definition at Wikipedia continues, "what has traditionally been called character. Conscientious individuals are generally hard working and reliable. When taken to an extreme, they may also be workaholics, perfectionists, and compulsive in their behavior. People who are low on conscientiousness," Wikipedia says, "are not necessarily laxy or immoral, but they tend to be more laid back, less goal oriented, and less driven by success."

Why does this definition go on forever? Friedman and Martin state, "Conscientiousness, which was the best predictor of longevity when measured in childhood, also turned out to be the best personality predictor of long life when measured in adulthood. The young adults who were thrifty, persistent, detail oriented, and responsible lived the longest" (p. 15).

You may wonder why conscientious people stay healthier and live longer? It shouldn’t be a total surprise after reading the definition, however, these are the three reasons given by Friedman and Martin: 1) "Conscientious people do more things to protect their health and engage in fewer activities that are risky. They are less likely to smoke, drink to excess, abuse drugs, or drive too fast. They are more likely to wear seat belts and follow doctors’ orders. They are not necessarily risk averse but they tend to be sensible in evaluating how far to push the envelope" (pp. 15-16).

"The second, and least obvious, reason for the health benefits of conscientiousness," the authors continue, "is that some people are biologically predisposed to be both more conscientious and healthier. Not only do they tend to avoid violent deaths and illnesses linked to smoking and drinking, but conscientious individuals are less prone to a whole host of diseases, not just those caused by dangerous habits" (p. 16).

The third reason conscientious people live longer, Friedman and Martin considered to be the most intriguing one. "Having a conscientious personality leads you into healthier situations and relationships. In other words," the authors continue, "it is not only that conscientious people have better health habits and healthier brains, but also that they find their way to happier marriages, better friendships, and healthier work situations. That’s right, conscientious people create healthy, long-life pathways for themselves" (p. 16).

When I looked over Friedman and Martin"s "Self-Assessment: A Key Personality Component" self-test (pp. 10-12), I thought about how deeply entrenched many of these behaviors become as people grow older: being prepared, leaving belongings around, planning your work in detail, making a mess of things, getting chores done right away, forgetting to put things back in their proper place, liking order, shirking duties, following a schedule, and being persistent in the accomplishment of your work and ends.

It may be that the best predictor for living a long and healthy life was really known all along and comes as no surprise. On-the-other-hand, it appears that the ingredients for living a long and healthy life are fairly precise and specific, and if that is your goal, you know what to do.

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At the Live Fit Blog , the article, The Benefits of Being a Conscientious Person, outlines seven traits: 1) hard working, 2) doing the right thing, 3) doing things the right way, 4) striving for perfection, 5) being stubborn, 6) being detail oriented, and 7) being prudent.

At the ChangingMinds.org blog , there is a brief summary of a relevant article: Margaret L. Kern, Howard S. Friedman (2008). Do conscientious individuals live longer? A quantitative review. This scholarly article appeared in the journal Health Psychology, volume 27, issue 5, and appears on pages 505-512.

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Copyright January 17, 2013, by And Then Some Publishing LLC

Quotations by Richard L. Weaver II

What I didn’t know when I began collating my book, SMOERs–Self Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules: Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living (And Then Some Publishing LLC, 2009), was simply that the daily rules enumerated there would prompt me to write some of my own quotations. I have been told by some of my readers that my quotations are just as good, deserve just as much attention, as many of the others I cite.

Here, then (on the Wednesdays of each week until I run out of quotations) is a collection of some of my own quotations from my SMOERs book. They appear here in no order at all, except as they appear in the book.

"Moments of reflection are a gift for a deeper understanding and appreciation of all that we have, all that we know, and all that we feel."

Find tons of quotes to inspire your journey:
SMOERs - Available at Amazon
Self Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules

And Then Some News

Thursday Essay Preview

These are the first two paragraphs of Thursday's essay, "The Best Predictor for Living a Long, Healthy Life."

It’s not a matter of dwelling on death, nor is it a quest for the "magic potion" that leads to eternal life, it is, instead, a realistic examination of the facts: what are the factors most likely to guarantee a long and healthy life? Yes, it is a search for a guarantee.

The search is over! And even though it cannot be considered a "magic potion" simply because it is not an instant remedy, it is something that can be encouraged or nurtured if begun early. Not surprisingly, the "remedy" is usually all in place and being used (or not used) by the time any concern over death or the quest for a "magic potion" takes place.

And this is the final paragraph of Thursday's essay:

It may be that the best predictor for living a long and healthy life was really known all along and comes as no surprise. On-the-other-hand, it appears that the ingredients for living a long and healthy life are fairly precise and specific, and if that is your goal, you know what to do.

Tangled Webs: How false statements are undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff

Tangled Webs: How false statements are undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff
By James B. Stewart

Book review by Richard L. Weaver II

If you like crime novels, an excellent reading experience, or you are just looking for entertainment, this would be an excellent book to choose. Stewart is a great writer, and the detail he provides in each of the cases he discusses (Martha Stewart, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Barry Lamar Bonds, and Bernard L. Madoff), gives you a tremendous sense of presence throughout this book.

This is an engaging, captivating, and totally encompassing experience. One reviewer at Amazon.com characterized the book as: "suspenseful, ensnaring, and powerfully emotional." I agree. Despite what you may have read about each of these cases previously, and despite what you may think about each of these individuals, Stewart does a superb job of explaining why these four people are not innocent victims nor victims of anything but their own behavior.

Incidentally, there are eight pages of small-print sources the author used, and it is clear that his findings and conclusions are exhaustively investigated and researched (through the use of notes from investigations, court proceedings, and personal interviews). Of course, he is a journalist and a lawyer, so you would expect a high degree of credibility, and it is demonstrated throughout the book.

I recommend this book highly—without reservation or qualification. Lying in our society is rampant today, and it doesn’t matter whether it emanates from high-profile people or from citizens in general, it has the potential of undermining the fabric of our society.

LAUGH . . . And Then Some!

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!
Except that one where you're naked in church.

My short-term memory is not as sharp as it used to be.
Also, my short-term memory's not as sharp as it used to be.

Bar Harbor, Maine

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
    
We left Sunset Point Campground (Harrington, Maine) at 10:20 a.m. bound for Hadley Point Campground just outside Bar Harbor.  It was only 56.9 miles and took 1 hour and 20 minutes.  We were towing our fifth wheel, and as soon as we had paid for two nights ($67.41) and set up camp, we left for the town of Bar Harbor.
    
Our stop in Bar Harbor followed our 14-day trip around the Canadian side of Lake Superior, and it was only our second day back in the United States.
    
Bar Harbor, once considered a small fishing and ship-building community, is nestled on the east side of Mount Desert Island and is the Island’s largest community.  It was New England’s premier summer resort during the 19th century, and today, it is a favorite destination for people throughout the world.
    
When we entered the small tourist venue, a large cruise ship was in port.  “All told, 118 cruise ship visits are scheduled for Bar Harbor this year [2010], the most that have ever been scheduled for this Mount Desert Island town in any calendar year.”  Between March and October [2010] “nearly 175,000 cruise ship passengers [are] scheduled to visit.” (See: Trotter, B. (April 30, 2010). “Bar Harbor will see more cruise ships.” Bangor Daily News. Retrieved January 25, 2011. 
    
It takes just a few minutes to walk the entire downtown area.  Besides the typical tourist-oriented souvenir shops and restaurants, there are a couple of outstanding museums as well.  When you get down to the coast and it is low tide, you can actually walk out to Bar Island; however, you have to be careful because the tide returns rather quickly and can leave you stranded.  The view of Bar Harbor from Bar Island is spectacular.
    
I haven’t yet mentioned the outstanding tourist attraction in the Bar Harbor area: Acadia National Park (ANP).  The park consists of more than 47,000 acres or 73 square miles.  We saved our visit for our second day in the area, and our “Golden Age Passport” gave us free entry.  

We heard about the crowds and the traffic, so we designed our visit for early in the morning.  It was just 6 miles from our campground, and we went directly to the Visitor’s Center where we saw a short movie, and purchased a “Tour Acadia” CD for $13.60.  We then followed the Park Road Circle Tour seeing the mountains, ocean shoreline, woodlands, and lakes.  Although we began early, we did not avoid the traffic.  There are small parking areas off the main Park Road at each of the scenic venues, and in many cases these small parking areas were already full or nearly full of cars.
    
We followed our “Tour Acadia” CD closely, turning it on and off as directed.  Overall, if visitors read the signs and stop at all the sites, they really don’t need the CD.  Although it provides some additional information, a free park map (provided at the Visitor’s Center) supplies all of the essential information.
    
In addition to following the Park Road Circle Tour and stopping often, we visited Bass Harbor and Lighthouse as well as Southern Harbor.  Also, we drove to the top of Cadillac Mountain — the highest point within 25 miles of the Atlantic Ocean coastline along the entire Eastern United States.
    
There is no doubt that ANP is worth a visit.  At the Wikipedia: Acadia National Park web site, under the topic “Expansion,” it says: “From 1915 to 1933, the wealthy philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. financed, designed, and directed the construction of a network of carriage trails throughout the park. He sponsored the landscape architect Beatrix Farrand, with the nearby family summer home Reef Point Estate, to design the planting plans for the subtle carriage roads at the Park (c.1930).[6] The network encompassed over 50 miles (80 km) of gravel carriage trails, 17 granite bridges, and two gate lodges, almost all of which are still maintained and in use today. Cut granite stones placed along the edges of the carriage roads act as guard rails of sort and are locally known as "coping stones" to help visitors cope with the steep edges. They are also fondly called "Rockefeller's teeth."
    
Although we did not take the time to enjoy a carriage ride, we stopped several times to see the roads and bridges.  They are magnificent structures.
    
We ate our lunch in the car on top of Cadillac Mountain, but for dinner we wanted to sample Maine lobster, so for $29.95 we ordered the “Lobster Special” from “The Travelin’ Lobster” — close to our campsite.  For that price, we had 1 lobster, 1 crab, 1 ear of corn, and 1 small melted butter each.  Actually, it wasn’t much to eat, so we each had a bowl of cereal as well.
    
We increased our stay at Hadley Point Campground by one day, and on the day after visiting ANP, we went into Bar Harbor once again.  One of our goals while visiting the Maine area was to eat lobster.  Having read and heard about lobster rolls (neither of us had ever had one), we decided to try one.
    
We found a small restaurant right on the waterfront.  A number of tourists — visiting ship passengers — were already seated, so we were seated near the back.  This may sound expensive; however, we were told that it was a very good deal.  (Having checked the price of lobster rolls at other restaurants in Bar Harbor, we consider this a deal as well.)  The price was $22.41 each, and for that price each of us had a large lobster roll, a bowl of thick New England clam chowder, French fries, cole slaw, and a piece of blueberry pie ala mode.  Everything was absolutely delicious.
    
What we hadn’t realized is that Maine is known for its blueberries, and so we decided to purchase blueberry syrup as presents.  The cheapest bottles of syrup — surprise, surprise! — were found at the Visitor’s Center on the main road coming into Bar Harbor.  The same bottles were all $1.00 or $2.00 more in the tourist shops in downtown Bar Harbor.
    
Having been in a large number of tourist-oriented “port towns” Bar Harbor is special.  But, then, I think all New England towns are special!  It is quaint and small with wonderful little shops.  (I think our restaurant choice and lobster roll skewed our vision somewhat!)  Part of its uniqueness, too, is its proximity to ANP.  Viewing this town of about 5,000 residents from the top of Cadillac Mountain revealed how small and “nestled” it really is. 

It is hard to believe it was once home to the enormous Rodick House, expanded in 1881 to include 400 rooms with a dining room that would seat 1,000 people.  It was Bar Harbor's largest hotel at that time and dominated the town for two decades.  What a delightful location.
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At Bar Harbor & Acadia National Park, there is a short history about the places.  At the web site it says, “All of the old hotels are gone either torn down or burned down by the great fire of 1947.”

At the United States History web site, there is another short history ob Bar Harbor.  

Wikipedia has the most complete information about the history and demographics of Bar Harbor.
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Copyright January, 2013, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.

Look at life as it is and not as you want it to be.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom"It is much easier to deal with things as they are because our senses can determine the proper course of action.  To deal with things as we want them to be is much more difficult because nothing will conform to our dreams and fantasies."  ---Richard L. Weaver II

Day #344 - Look at life as it is and not as you want it to be.

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.  This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #344.  

Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first two paragraphs of Thursday's essay, "Bar Harbor, Maine,'" read as follows:

We left Sunset Point Campground (Harrington, Maine) at 10:20 a.m. bound for Hadley Point Campground just outside Bar Harbor.  It was only 56.9 miles and took 1 hour and 20 minutes.  We were towing our fifth wheel, and as soon as we had paid for two nights ($67.41) and set up camp, we left for the town of Bar Harbor.
    
Our stop in Bar Harbor followed our 14-day trip around the Canadian side of Lake Superior, and it was only our second day back in the United States.
   
Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

It is hard to believe it was once home to the enormous Rodick House, expanded in 1881 to include 400 rooms with a dining room that would seat 1,000 people.  It was Bar Harbor's largest hotel at that time and dominated the town for two decades.  What a delightful location. 

Retirementology: Rethinking the American dream in a new economy

Retirementology: Rethinking the American dream in a new economy

By Gregory Salsbury

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II

This is a terrific book for many reasons.  First, Salsbury does a great job covering his topic.  Both the breadth and depth of the information is impressive, and any one approaching or in retirement — especially those who are pre-retirement — will find a great deal of material here from which to learn.  The subject of the book is behavior economics — your conduct when it comes to matters regarding money.

The second reason this is a terrific book is the way Salsbury makes his points.  It is consistently outstanding.  He uses examples where he places his readers in the position of having to make practical decisions on subjects closely related to their everyday experiences.  He then extrapolates those decisions to the broader context of retirement and makes poignant points about their importance and relevance.  Let me give you an example from page 12 of his book:

        “Dr. Kahneman often uses this seemingly simple math problem in his lectures.  A bat and a ball together cost $1.10.  The bat costs a dollar more than the ball.  How much does the ball cost?

        “Your intuitive side may quickly tell you that the ball costs 10 cents.  Tempting answer, but wrong.  In fact, if the ball costs 10 cents, that would mean the bat costs one dollar more than that or $1.10, so the two together would be $1.20.  After you put a little more thought into the problem, you realize the ball must have cost five cents.  The point is, it is important to distinguish between decisions that should be made by intuition and those that require careful thought and calculation” (pp. 12-13).

He uses these kinds of simple, practical, relevant examples throughout the book that make the text both engaging and interesting.

The third reason that makes this a terrific book is the author’s writing style.  The book is extremely readable.  Not onl that, Salsbury has a delightful and contagious sense of humor.  True, he doesn’t use it a lot, but as you read, delightful anecdotes or comments come at you in unexpected places and in unexpected ways.  Also, he is continually coining new words that are inventive and humorous.  They are all included in the glossary at the end of the book which he labels, “Reterminology: The New Language of Retirement” (pp. 205-210).  This book is fun to read.

There is a fourth reason, too.  He ends chapters with sections designed to help readers improve their Retirementology IQ.  These are different in each chapter; however, all of them are practical, advice-oriented, with specific suggestions to help readers who want to change their behavior and become better managers of their lives.

This may mark me as an academic (or, perhaps, as one accustomed to the old —more academic — style of writing books), but I enjoy having chapters that end with “Endnotes”—a fifth reason I liked this book.  I like to know where authors are getting their information or whom they are using to support their ideas.

Salsbury includes many, many footnotes — and they reek of credibility.  He has definitely done his homework, so, despite his own credentials, which I found at the website, Financial Times (FT) Press, his knowledge is thorough and impressive.

At the FT Press website, I found the following information about his background: “Salsbury received a master's degree in communications from the University of Illinois, and a second master's degree in communication technologies from the Annenberg School of Communications. He received his doctorate in organizational communication from the University of Southern California and is published in the areas of sales, marketing, employee motivation, behavioral finance, and retirement. From his work and experience as a long-standing executive in the financial services industry, Salsbury was uniquely positioned to craft a visionary view of retirement’s future. His landmark book, But What If I Live? The American Retirement Crisis, was a wake-up call for a generation of undersaved, overspent, and unprepared Baby Boomers.”

When I began reading this book, I could not put it down.  The information is relevant and timely, the approach is engaging, the examples and statistics are solid (numerous statistics are used to make his points), and the amount that I gained from the information is breathtaking, to say the least.  For pre-retirees, put this on your “must read” list.

LAUGH . . . And Then Some!

A very respectable woman went into a pharmacy and approached the pharmacist. “I need to buy some cyanide.”

The pharmacist asked, “Why in the world do you need cyanide?”

The lady replied, “I need it to poison my husband.”

The pharmacist could not believe what he heard. “Lord above! I can’t give you cyanide to kill your husband. I’d lose my license and we’d both wind up in jail! I absolutely WILL NOT sell you any cyanide!”

The woman then put her hand into her purse and produced a photograph of her husband in bed with the pharmacist’s wife.

The pharmacist examined the picture, gasped and then replied, “Well … this does change things. You didn't say that you had a prescription.”

Live with passion

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

   
As a professor of speech communication I lectured to thousands of students during my 22 years at Bowling Green State University — over 1,000 per term in a basic speech course and close to 300 per term in a 300-level interpersonal-communication course.  In some cases the terms were semesters, and in others the terms were trimesters.   I was often asked, “How do you do it?”  And the best, most concise, accurate answer was always, “passion” — strong emotion.  

The surprise. however, is not just the passion I had for the subject and for teaching, it was, too, the passion I attempted to instill in my students.  Indeed, what is education worth if you cannot instill in students the need and desire to grow, develop, and change beyond the classroom — in the real world.
    
There is little difference among the techniques used for stimulating passion in students and doing it with co-workers or employees, group or team members, congregations, friends and family members, or relationship partners.
    
In my mind there is one overriding technique that surpasses any other in importance and influence.  It is simple to say, more difficult to do.  The first technique is to model passion yourself.  It is essential to let others know — whether by saying it, showing it, hinting at it, or giving examples of it — what it is that excites you in life.  What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning, drives you tirelessly toward your goals, and gives you satisfaction and pleasure on a regular basis?  It is what stirs, inspires, motivates, encourages, influences, and energizes you.
    
When I stood before my students, I felt compelled to use examples that were vibrant and exciting.  The personal experiences I shared had to be meaningful and relevant to the material I was teaching.   Also, I had to demonstrate that the subject matter was special in the way it had contributed to my life, could have a practical, real effect on the lives of my students, and could, too, have a serious, positive, and worthwhile effect on their future.
    
When you are the model of passion, others cannot help but be impressed and influenced.  It is similar to what I taught students in public-speaking classes for close to 30 years: If you cannot show your listeners, whether by example or through emotion, your own commitment to your topic, then you cannot hope they will leave your speech with any commitment to your topic, purpose, or desire.
    
After modeling passion yourself, the second most effective method for generating passion in others is connection.  In the speech-communication discipline there are entire books that adopt as their sole focus an audience-centered approach to communicating with others.  That is, indeed, how important it is.  When others perceive a bond, association, or some kind of attachment — no matter how small — they are more likely to listen to you, respond to you, and even follow you.  The connection can be demonstrated in your identification with their needs and values as well as or in addition to their beliefs and attitudes.  The point is, they must feel like you are one of them, understand them, or want to help them.  When this occurs, they feel engaged.  If there is no connection, it is unlikely that you will touch their feelings or affect their behavior in any meaningful manner.
    
Following modeling and connection, the third most effective method for generating passion in others is knowledge.  Your credibility does not depend on what you know; it depends on what others think you know.  If you are always learning, re-inventing yourself, and exploring new things, you will develop a sound base of information from which to operate.  Through your sharing of ideas and information with others, they will quickly discover how much you know, whether your observations can be trusted, and whether to come to you with ideas and suggestions.  Knowledge alone can pave the way to greater understanding.
    
One thing that you need to know is that people appreciate hearing or learning about new information.  Ask the question, what can you offer your listener/audience that is new?   There is no doubt that you have the potential of winning  plenty of friends by offering practical advice. When people feel they have learned something from you, your knowledge and enthusiasm will be convincing, and people will see and feel your passion.
    
Speaking of enthusiasm, in addition to modeling, connection, and knowledge, the fourth method for generating passion in others is enthusiasm.  Enthusiasm is sometimes used instead of the word passion.  It can also be revealed when you model passion, in the way in which you connect with others, your eagerness to learn new things, and in so many other ways.  Passion without enthusiasm, however, is like having logs in the fireplace but no fire.
    
In teaching and writing about public speaking, I have always emphasized the importance of substance in a speech over delivery; however, you have to understand that delivery without some substance to deliver makes no sense; it serves no purpose.  Effective delivery sells content.  It is your enthusiasm that audiences first perceive; it is your enthusiasm that people judge, and it is enthusiasm, indeed, that will be remembered.
    
Throughout all of these traits of passion, there is one key essential, the fifth method for generating it in others is genuineness.  You cannot pull the wool over others’ eyes — at least not for very long.  People are not stupid.  When you pretend to be someone you are not, the fraud is quickly detected; most people see through it almost immediately.  

The key to being genuine is simple: Be yourself.  Use natural language, normal gestures, and a comfortable, relaxed approach.  Some would say, “Speak from the heart.”   I have told people that one of the purposes of education is to create skeptics.  Graduates don’t need to be pessimists, prophets of doom, or nonbelievers, but they do need to possess and use a questioning mentality.
    
You may have noticed it throughout, or you may have come to the conclusion at this point: Passion is a composite quality.  It emerges from a gestalt (separate elements that taken together, function as a unit that is more than a simple summation of its parts) that is the essence of your persona.  When you have passion you demonstrate it in everything you say and do; thus, it becomes a way of life.  You live with passion.
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At the web site Career Thought Leaders, there is a delightful essay by Debra O’Reilly titled, “How to Use Your Organs to Show Your Passion,” that covers such organs as the brain, mouth, vocal chords, larynx, eyes, ears, heart, torso, and limbs.  

From Legacy Magazine (December 27, 2010) there is a short essay, “Let Your Passion Show,” by Ethan Rotman.  Rotman talks about how to fill your talks with passion, and he begins his essay saying this: “We often feel being ‘professional’ requires being sterile—keeping emotion and passion out of our work and out of our talks. Yet heartfelt stories of personal tragedy, drama, discovery, loss, and triumph are universal experiences that help build rapport with audiences.”
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Copyright January, 2013, by And Then Some Publishing, L.L.C.
    

Concentrate and be dedicated.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom"I never could have done what I have done without the habits of punctuality, order, and diligence, without the determination to concentrate myself on one subject at a time."  ---Charles Dickens

Day #343 - Concentrate and be dedicated..

SMOERs: Self-Motivation, Optimism, Encouragement Rules! - Daily Reminders for Outstanding Living An everyday guide full of quotations to uplift your spirits.  This is one of four motivational quotations for Day #343.  

Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

The new news for 2013 is the publication by And Then Some Publishing LLC of Edgar E. Willis's new book of fiction: Moss on the Ivory Tower: A Novel of Mystery and Intrigue (2013). The book is available at Amazon.com. If you want to read an excellent book that is superbly written and one that will grasp and hold your attention throughout the book, this is an excellent choice.

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Live with Passion,'" reads as follows:

As a professor of speech communication I lectured to thousands of students during my 22 years at Bowling Green State University — over 1,000 per term in a basic speech course and close to 300 per term in a 300-level interpersonal-communication course.  In some cases the terms were semesters, and in others the terms were trimesters.   I was often asked, “How do you do it?”  And the best, most concise, accurate answer was always, “passion” — strong emotion.  

Thursday's Essay Excerpt - from the last paragraph of the essay

But it is not really an accident (chance) at all; it happens because I am prepared, and preparation in any field, discipline, domain, occupation, area, branch, or sphere is the key.  You don’t prepare because you know what the future holds, you prepare to lay the foundation for a productive and active life!