LAUGH . . . And Then Some

My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60 years old . . .  Now he's 97 years old, and we don't know where the hell he is.


I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.


The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.


I have to walk early in the morning . . . before my brain figures out what the hell I'm doing.

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet

From Day #252 in a complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II

Focusing on the negative: And it is contagious!

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.    

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us,” said the comic-strip character, Calvin.  "The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race,” Don Marquis is quoted as saying.  "A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices,” said William James.  Doesn’t it seem sometimes like everyone’s complaining?  Everyone is negative.  All you hear about is difficulty, failure, and disaster?  Those with whom you converse all share the negative news they see on television or read in the newspaper?  

It is a negative atmosphere such as this that feeds on itself and, thus, produces more negativity.  It is as if negative talk offers a license (even encouragement) to be even more so.  Examples increase, voices get louder, more people contribute, and if there was a positive environment before, it would completely disappear—vanished in a sea storm of adversity and dissension.  And it is contagious!
    
We have a society that focuses on the negative.  The mass media affects the ways in which everyone thinks and acts. It influences behavior both positively and negatively, of course, but the negative grabs and holds attention and, thus, when ratings are important, negativity reigns supreme.
    
Why is negativity a problem?  Not only does it create problems in our lives such as stress, anger, helplessness, and depression, there are other consequences as well. At Personal Development Coach.net, the essay is entitled, “Negative Attitude: Causes, Consequences And Cures,” there are four main consequences listed for those who are negative.  First, it can shorten lives. Every time you are negative—whether it’s anger, upset, or frustration—your life gets shorter. Second, negativity creates an unpleasant future. Because your present actions determine your future, “If you constantly moan and are dissatisfied with your circumstances, in the future you are sure to meet with more of the things you are unhappy about. The more you complain, the more things you will find to complain about.”  It’s the same as what was mentioned above: a negative atmosphere is a catalyst that accelerates the speed with which more negativity follows.  And it is contagious!
    
The third consequence for negativity is that it harms others. “Your negative mood affects people around you. You should never make others feel bad because by doing so you are contributing not only to your own misery, but to the unhappiness of others also.”  And closely related to the third consequence is the fourth.  A negative attitude produces negative effects. “Every cause has an effect and so your negative attitude (cause) produces negative circumstances. Mostly people think it's the other way round, but that's not the case. Your thinking causes your circumstances.”
    
Not only does negativity sap individual energy but the energy of organizations as well.  Not only does it divert critical attention from an individual’s work and performance, the work and performance of organizations is negatively affected as well.  Some people, too, get stuck in a cycle of negativity and find it impossible to improve their life or their health.  When it becomes severe they think they don’t deserve happiness or money, and sometimes they close their mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such a way that they repel both people and opportunities.  And it is contagious!
    
First, it must be clear that change is difficult.  The barriers to change are enormous.  Attitudes become entrenched.  Behaviors become automatic.  Friends and family often support the negative behavior because it is expected and predictable.  The environment offers support and, unless changed, becomes a prop or crutch in the negative process.   The mental state lends support to a negative spiral, and it becomes worse and worse.  In many situations, a professional is required since individual change becomes difficult or impossible.
    
Because of the barriers to change, change requires a change in attitude, a commitment to change, as well as patience and persistence.  Change will not occur overnight, but wanting to change can be the key to making it happen.  Without these elements in place; nothing long term can or will occur.  But, with these elements in place, you are on your way.  The first step is to make the commitment to be more positive every day and to maintain a positive outlook.  Start now and reverse negative thinking with positive thoughts.  With any kind of start, you must allow at least 30 days for any kind of change to take hold.  But know at the outset that just as negativity is contagious, so it a positive outlook and positive behavior!
    
From the Simplicity.com web site, in the brief essay there entitled, “Overcoming Negative Thoughts,” there is a great suggestion for change: “The moment you catch yourself repeating the same negative thoughts over and over in your mind, use the STOP acronym.  Research shows that people who receive positive distractions for just eight minutes show a remarkable change in their moods and in breaking the cycle of repetitive thought.
    
“S-Say the word STOP to interrupt your internal destructive thoughts. Tell yourself firmly to ‘STOP’ over thinking.
    
“T-TAKE a deep breath. Then, take a break: Go for a walk or a hike, read a great book, listen to your favorite music. Do something to take your attention away from over thinking and, if possible, to change the environment.
    
O-Focus on the OUTCOME of your 30-Day Goal.  Affirm why you are committed to your goal [destroying your negative attitude forever].
    
P-PRAISE and acknowledge yourself for the progress you are making. Remember, you're looking for progress, not perfection!
    
“As long as [you] are aware of [your] own negative attitude and are willing to adopt a more positive attitude towards life, change can and will occur. Once [you] realize that a negative attitude is the biggest obstacle to [your] happiness, [you] can make a conscious choice to help [yourself]. There will be obstacles and setbacks on the road to personal change but [you] must remain focused on the bigger picture: [your] success and happiness.”  This is the tenth item in an essay, “Ten Ways to Overcome a Negative Attitude,” by Thich Nhat Hanh, at the web site, InTek Online.  There are no guarantees, of course, but this is a solid, productive, and potentially rewarding way to change both negative thinking and a negative attitude.  The great thing is you can begin at once—and it is contagious!
-----
At ZeroMillion.com, Bob and Jeff Griswold, of Effective Learning Systems, Inc., have an essay entitled, “How to become totally positive right now,” in which they list and discuss a dozen suggestions for changing negative thinking to positive.  

David Spero, at the web site, HealingWell.com, has an essay entitled, “Get a Better Mirror: Overcoming Negative Thoughts,” in which he discusses where mirrors come from, when it’s time to change mirrors, and how we can get a better mirror.
-----
Copyright September, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC

Day #270 - Make a difference.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

"We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee." --Marian Wright Edelman

Day #270 - Make a difference.

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 #270.

Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of the essay, "Focusing on the negative: And it is contagious!," reads as follows: ""Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us,” said the comic-strip character, Calvin.  "The chief obstacle to the progress of the human race is the human race,” Don Marquis is quoted as saying.  "A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices,” said William James.  Doesn’t it seem sometimes like everyone’s complaining?  Everyone is negative.  All you hear about is difficulty, failure, and disaster?  Those with whom you converse all share the negative news they see on television or read on the Internet or in the newspaper?"
             
                                                                                                                                                     

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

'"As long as [you] are aware of [your] own negative attitude and are willing to adopt a more positive attitude towards life, change can and will occur. Once [you] realize that a negative attitude is the biggest obstacle to [your] happiness, [you] can make a conscious choice to help [yourself]. There will be obstacles and setbacks on the road to personal change but [you] must remain focused on the bigger picture: [your] success and happiness.'  This is the tenth item in an essay, 'Ten Ways to Overcome a Negative Attitude,' by Thich Nhat Hanh, at the web site, InTek Online.  There are no guarantees, of course, but this is a solid, productive, and potentially rewarding way to change both negative thinking and a negative attitude.  The great thing is you can begin at once—and it is contagious!"


And Then Some News

The Facebook Era: Tappping online social networks to market, sell, and innovate

By Clara Shih


Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
   
It should be clear from the outset that I am reviewing the 2011 (second edition) of this book, not the first.  Most of the reviews at Amazon.com (as I write this) are of the first edition, and there have been significant and important changes since then.


Changes from the first edition?  Shih writes of the changes on page 2:
    — Each chapter now ends with a summary of takeways and an actionable to-do list.
    — There are now two dozen case stuides and example that bring concepts to life.
    — Rather than discuss Facebook alone, Shih now offers extensive coverage of Twiter and Linkedin as well.
    — There are expert opinion sidebars from well known social media authorities.
    — Five new chapters have been added including one on customer service, one on innovation and collaboration, one on ways to develop an individualized Facebook Era plan, one that offers advice for small businesses, and one on advice for nonprofits, healthcare, education, and political campaigns.


The book is divided into four parts:
    1. Why social networking matters for business
    2. Social networking across your organization
    3. Step-by-step guide to social networking for business
    4. Social networking strategy


This is a basic book written for beginners.  If you are a regular Facebook (Twiter, Linkedin, MySpace, Renren in China, Mixi in Japan, Odnoklassniki in Rusia), you may not find a whole lot that is new here, but Shih is not writing this book for you.


I found the book informative, easy-to-read, and comprehensive.  If there is anything about Facebook that you don’t know, you will find it here.  I found the gray boxes by other authors (“more than three dozen guest contributions from world-class experts”) interesting and valuable.  The inclusion of actual pictures from Facebook pages was helpful.


Although I regret the fact that Shih avoided using any references (other than the boxes by guest authors who were all experts in their respective fields) or offered “Other Books to Read,” or even a bibliography, there is a great deal of information here to digest.


I found her hands-on techniques useful, her insights valuable, and her easy-to-use “To Do” lists solid.  This is a book for anyone who wants a complete look at social networking.


This book can be found at Amazon.com: The Facebook era: Tappping online social networks to market, sell, and innovate

LAUGH . . . And Then Some

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room.  When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. 

The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet

From Day #246 in a complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II

Aphorisms to live by

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D. 

There is no rhyme or reason for the order of aphorisms in this essay.  The single criteria I used for selecting the aphorisms is that they touched me in some way.  My addition in each paragraph is designed to explain the value of the aphorism to me—or the lesson I learned.  The paragraphs are not connected, and there is no relationship between the various choices.  Each paragraph stands alone.
"People need to learn when to abandon pursuit, give up the race, and turn their attention to other matters.  It was Norman Thomas who said, “I am not a champion of lost causes, but of causes not yet won.”
    
Why is it that people of a certain religion or political persuasion, only read literature or listen to viewpoints that support the way they believe?  “Most of our so-called reasoning consists in finding arguments for going on believing as we already do,” said James Harvey Robinson.
    
“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored,” said Aldous Huxley.  It’s a little like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, but you have to admit, it’s a whole lot easier speaking out against a position you oppose when you can simply ignore the facts that do not support your position.
    
How do human beings explain their attachment to organized religion and all the trappings associated with their beliefs?  It was Galileo Galilei who said, “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use.”  There is no excuse for not using sense, reason, and intellect in some instances and then abandoning them entirely in others.
    
Have you ever wondered the difference between knowledge and wisdom?  “Knowledge tells us that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom prevents us from putting it into a fruit salad,” said Miles Kington.  Knowledge teaches you how to drive; wisdom is reflected in how you choose to drive.
    
Have you ever discovered a better argument for possessing knowledge, being well informed, or getting an education?   Louis Pasteur, said, “Chance favors only the prepared mind.”
Louisa May Alcott said something similar: “I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning to sail my ship.”  Whether it’s chance or preparing for storms, success lies in preparation, preparation, preparation.  “He who has imagination without learning,” said Joseph Joubert, “has wings and no feet.”
    
In my writing and research I often depend on serendipity—the chance discovery of information.  It was Yogi Berra who said, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.”  I would add, “Even when you know where you are going, be alert and take advantage of winding up somewhere else.”
    
When I talk with fourth and fifth graders about writing, rather than advocating learning how to write well (although important), I put my emphasis on learning how to read and read well.  I am supported by Samuel Johnson, who said, “The greatest part of a writer's time is spent in reading, in order to write; a man will turn over half a library to make one book.”  “Grasp the subject,” said Cato the Elder, “the words will follow.”
    
“Do not believe that it greatly advances a skill if you practice incorrectly over and over.”  I said that.  You would think that practice makes perfect; however, imperfect practice undermines perfection—and it always will.  “Insanity,” said Albert Einstein, “is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  Einstein also said, “The difference between genius and stupidity is; genius has its limits.”
    
Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”  Survival here could well refer to relationships, business, and most everything else in life.
    
 There is no better guide for writers than what E.B.White said: “The best writing is rewriting.”  Along with William Strunk, Jr., he wrote the writer’s bible, The Elements of Style, and if imitation is the highest form of flattery, I modeled my book, Public Speaking Rules, on the handy size of theirs, and I even used the same color for my cover as they did for their first edition.
    
 Perhaps I am naive, but I seldom think about death; however, I believe that my goal (and that of everyone else, too) is to live a long and productive life.  It was Leonardo da Vinci who said, “As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.”
    
You put your trust in politicians that they are not just familiar with history but, too, that they will be wise in their understanding and application of historical precedent in the decisions they make.  David McCullough said, “To plan for the future without having a sense of history is like trying to plant cut flowers.”  That is precisely why you don’t nominate or elect politicians who are educationally challenged, not well read, do not think well, or cannot answer questions in a reasoned, well-informed, and educated manner.
    
Most people in a democracy both know and understand the importance of the freedom of speech they are granted; however, those times when their belief is most challenged occurs when those they dislike are granted the same right.  Noam Chomsky said, “If we don't believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don't believe in it at all.”
    
Over and over the aphorism, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely,” is proven in individuals we at first admired and respected.  Albert Einstein said, “Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.”  In organizations, associations, and groups, when such respect occurs, the result that often takes place is groupthink—long associated with faulty decision making.
    
George Bernard Shaw said, “When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth.”  What truths might there be?  The book, How to be funny on purpose: Creating and consuming humor , by Edgar E. Willis, offers instruction and insights.
    
And your challenge to grow, develop, and change can take place at any time in your life.  “You are never too old,” said George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), “to be what you might have been.”  H. L. Mencken said, “You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Aim above the mark to hit the mark.” And, to end on a light note, it was W. C. Fields who said, “Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.”  This essay is now “over with.”
-----
At Thinkexist.com, there are “Deeper Quotes.”  If you enjoyed those in this essay, you will surely enjoy those at this web site.

At the QuoteGarden, there are a large number of “Philosophical Quotations,” that offer insights, significant thoughts, and great language.

Mark Vernon, at the web site NewStatesman, wrote an essay, “The Art of the Aphorism,” in which he ends by saying, “This explains why writing a good aphorism, like constructing a good soundbite, is an art. The best are simple and the opposite of simplistic. In an age when the average attention span is apparently decreasing, the sagacious soundbite could yet become the solution to - rather than a symptom of - the tendency to dumb down.”
-----
Copyright January, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.
    

Day #269 - Keep reaching for the stars.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

"Every great dream begins with a dreamer.  Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world." --Harriet Tubman

Day #269 - Keep reaching for the stars.

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 five motivational quotations for Day #269.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first two paragraphs of the essay, "Aphorisms to live by," (I could have called it "Motivation by Quotation!") read as follows: "There is no rhyme or reason for the order of aphorisms in this essay.  The single criteria I used for selecting the aphorisms is that they touched me in some way.  My addition in each paragraph is designed to explain the value of the aphorism to me—or the lesson I learned.  The paragraphs are not connected, and there is no relationship between the various choices.  Each paragraph stands alone.
   
People need to learn when to abandon pursuit, give up the race, and turn their attention to other matters.  It was Norman Thomas who said, 'I am not a champion of lost causes, but of causes not yet won.'"
                                                              
                                                                                      

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

And your challenge to grow, develop, and change can take place at any time in your life.  “You are never too old,” said George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), “to be what you might have been.”  H. L. Mencken said, “You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Aim above the mark to hit the mark.” And, to end on a light note, it was W. C. Fields who said, “Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.”  This essay is now “over with.”


And Then Some News

I can make you confident: The power to go for anything you want!

By Paul McKenna

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

    
I put on the CD that accompanies the book as I began to read it.  Interestingly, it offers a soothing background for reading: a soft voice (almost a whisper) that is ongoing and comforting, music that is truly ethereal and subtle, ideas that are reinforcing, positive, and confidence-inducing, and an echo (at times) or a double voice that sounds almost ghostly.  (Using a microphone with speakers that offer a heavy bass, I often role play the voice of a ghost at Halloween, so I know exactly what a ghost should sound like! —said with a smile on my face!)   I was intrigued from the outset.

Now, I have to admit that I am not one who needs more confidence, and I would never be the one who would approach McKenna at one of his public performances and say, “I’m just not a confident person.”  Nonetheless, the title of the book and the CD intrigued me.

I was caught, too, with one of his marginal boxes (I use a plethora of marginal boxes in my textbook with McGraw-Hill, Communicating Effectively, so being “caught” is not at all unusual.).  On page 15, he quotes Aristotle as saying, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence than is not an act, but a habit.”  I might use that quotation in a future edition of my textbook.  Another marginal quote that caught my attention was by Sir John Lubbock: “What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

His choices for marginal quotes, for the most part, added interest (for me) to his book, for there are no footnotes, no references, no suggested readings, no bibliography, and no other sources cited of any kind (except for the marginal boxes).  He uses numerous personal experiences for his support or the experiences shared with him by others.

Thus, so far, I have been swept up by this book and CD!  But a warning is necessary: This is simply and forthrightly a book (and CD) designed to plant the “seeds of confidence, self-belief, and motivation” (p. 1) — nothing more.  That is McKenna’s goal and purpose.

Although the book is about 213 pages long, it is really much shorter than that because there are wide margins, and the lines are almost double-spaced (about 1 3/4ths spaces apart).

The main ideas with which McKenna deals are developing the confidence habit, motivation, and confidence in the real world.  Because of my interest in public speaking, I paid special attention to pages 164-172.  He says “there are only three things you need to do in order to feel easy and comfortable making powerful presentations in front of even the largest group: 1. Manage your state.  2. Know your content.  3. Speak with passion” (p. 164).  And I would totally agree; however, that is precisely the problem.  People are unable to manage their emotions, they do not know their content well-enough (often, they think they do!), and because of their negative emotions (fear), their
passion becomes muted — sapped.  To help him find passion before he speaks, McKenna recommends asking yourself two simple questions: 1) What is the essence of my message to the audience? and 2) What experience do I want them to have from listening to my talk? (p. 170).

The essence of what McKenna does is to use NLP (neurolinguistic programming) and hypnosis to change mindsets — to plant the seeds of change.  He has you imagine positive situations (even create movies that illustrate concrete, encouraging, and supportive behaviors), and then he has you step into those situations and take on the behaviors you have imagined.

If you lack confidence in yourself, if you are looking for motivation to do the things you want to do, if you need help to overcome the fear of public speaking, poor business performance, problems in dating and sex, or in how to leave bad situations, then this book may offer you some assistance.  Much of your success will depend on your own ability, persistence, and desire, but isn’t that the true story of our lives?  We can depend on teachers, facilitators, and mentors for only so long, then changing any behavior at all is up to us.

This book can be found at Amazon.com: I can make you confident: The power to go for anything you want!

LAUGH . . . And Then Some

I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?"

To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?"

He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."



A cop, stopping a drunk, asks, "Can you explain why you're out at this hour?"

"If I could," the drunk said, "I'd be home by now!"

Laugh Like There's No Tomorrow: Over 2,000 jokes from the Internet

From Day #244 in a complete manuscript compiled by Richard L. Weaver II

Living a balanced life: An unexpected discovery

by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.    

In 1964 (47 years ago), I was inspired, encouraged, even energized by a book by M. C. Richards entitled, Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person (Wesleyan University Press, 1962, 1964).  The book is philosophical in nature, and it was Richards’ theme as much as her language (writing style) that roused and stirred me.  “Centering is the image I use,” Richards writes, “for the process of balance which will enable us to step along that thread feeling it not as a thread but a sphere.  It will, it is hoped,” she continues, “help us to walk through extremes with an incorruptible instinct for wholeness, finding our way continuous, self-completing” (p. 6).
    
From the G. Merritt, of Boulder, Colorado, review at Amzaon.com, Merritt writes, “M. C. Richards was a potter, teacher, and poet, and her 1962 book is ‘a story of transformation’ (p. 4). In his Foreward to the 25th Anniversay Edition of M.C.'s ‘truly subversive book’ (p. ix), Matthew Fox writes, ‘I consider this book one of the great works of American philosophy: it is so cosmological, so feminist (without once using that term), so original, so full of wisdom, so post Cartesian, so nondualistic, so moral, and so fully a part of the mystical tradition of the West that one wonders from what source it arrived in our world . . . This is a prophetic and mystical book. Such books are dangerous. They are the kind dictators burn, churches tend to ignore, and consumer cultures leave on the shelf. For they have the power to awaken, to stir, to disturb, and to transform’ (pp. vii-viii).”  That is the effect it had on me.
    
"I sense this," Richards writes; "we must be steady enough in ourselves, to be open and to let the winds of life blow through us, to be our breath, our inspiration; to breathe with them, mobile and soft in the limberness of our bodies, in our agility, our ability, as it were, to dance, and yet to stand upright, to be intact, to be persons" (p. 12).  This is truly inspirational writing.
    
To put “a balanced life” into some practical perspective—a perspective from which, incidentally, Richards’ concept of Centering would most likely emerge—I would list the ingredients of a well-balanced life to be some equitable, proper, and just distribution of interest, time, and energy among: a positive attitude, exercise, diet, sleep, being healthy, listen well, quiet personal time, creative expression, education and the ability to think rationally, family and friends, work, a sense of humor, and faith (however you define it and in whatever context you choose).  

More attention to the balance of these elements alone, would help us live more appropriately within the delicate balance of living creatures, the daily demands made upon us, and the personal needs required to live a healthy, productive, and rewarding life.
    
Without being fully aware of it ("an unexpected discovery"), I wrote a book about living a balanced life.  The book, You Rules—Caution: Contents Leads to a Better Life (And Then Some Publishing, 2008), focuses on self-improvement, and, as I say in the preface to this book, “. . . if one wants to make changes in his or her life—and change is what this book is all about because for self-improvement to occur, one must change—how much, how soon, in what direction that change will go are all decisions that will take place as you read the essays in this volume” (p. xi).
    
Rather than repeat myself in this essay, let me clarify—using the book You Rules!—where the elements above can be found.  In the first two chapters of the book, I discuss both optimism and developing a positive attitude, and I offer a number of specific suggestions for obtaining both.  

Along with optimism and a positive attitude, one needs to make self-discipline a habit and become passionate about life—characteristics that are enablers for they make achieving the other elements in the list possible.   The other four essays in the first section of You Rules! treat the issues of how to take control of your life (“Make Your Own Luck”), how to break out of your comfort zones (“Get Out of Your Comfort Zones”), an essay on how to stop procrastination (“Make TNT [Today Not Tomorrow] Your Motto to Feed Your Mind With Positive Input”), and, finally, an essay on how to become more organized (“Get Organized”).
    
The entire second section of the book, You Rules!, is devoted to the next three elements in the list above: diet, sleep, being healthy.  Chapter 9 carries the title, “Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle.”  Chapter 10, “Make a Commitment to Regular Exercise,” and Chapter 11, “Develop a Sense of Wonder.”  This section, too, includes a chapter on “Have a Sense of Humor.”  These chapters not only discuss the importance of these elements, they offer specific methods for accomplishment.
    
The third section of the book, You Rules!, is designed not just to keep you on track in the accomplishment of the elements of a well-balanced life, but to overcome the many stones in the road.  It covers such issues as self-discipline, self-management, listening to your instincts, controlling worry, pursuing a program of growth, development, and change, and how to take risks in stretching the boundaries of our mental, spiritual, and physical worlds.  This section also includes a chapter on, “Become an Effective Listener,” which is another one of the elements.
    
The next two elements essential to a well-balanced life, from the list offered above— creative expression, education and the ability to think rationally—are covered in the fourth section of the book, You Rules!, entitled, “Exercise Your Creativity.”  Not only are the benefits of creativity discussed but so, too, are the characteristics of successful, creative people.  When you know how the creative process works, explained in Chapter 28, you are more likely to recognize the process in action and the value of quiet personal time (another element), and when you know the kind of life in which creativity can flourish (Chapter 29), you will know exactly how it can be nurtured.  The need to become immersed in a field of study [which encompasses the area of “work” in the listed elements] and the nature of and how to capitalize on “flow” are the final two chapters in this section.
    
The fifth section of the book, You Rules!, “Maintain Your Progress,” helps in achieving a well-balanced life because it offers specific, pragmatic advice for dealing with failure and mistakes, overcoming obstacles, resisting undesirable social influences, wrestling with the devil, keeping your brain in good shape, and making your self-improvements last.
    
It is in the final section of the book, You Rules!, “Look to a Positive Future,” where there are chapters that focus on the final two elements in the list not previously considered.  The importance of family and friends is covered in Chapter 48, “Become a Loving Human Being,” and faith is covered in “Reflect Upon Your Blessings” (Chapter 44).
    
If you chose to live a balanced life, and you decided that the elements listed above were even some of those for which you wanted to strive, then the book, You Rules!, includes a wide range of useful and immediate recommendations for beginning at once on such a project!  Indeed, You Rules! will help each of us to, as M. C. Richards says, “walk through extremes with an incorruptible instinct for wholeness.”
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At EssentialLife Skills.net, the five priorities discussed include: 1. Take care and nurture yourself, 2. Know what your priorities are, 3. Create an efficient mindset, 4. Expect the unexpected, and 5. Maintain a positive mental attitude.

At everydayhealth.com in the essay, “Top Tips for Creating a Well-Balanced Life A balanced life addresses the basics of exercise, good nutrition, and stress relief. Wellbeing stems from paying attention to both your emotional and physical health,” Chris Iliades, a medical doctor lists time management, stress management, exercise, nutrition, support, more support, and health care as the essentials.
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Copyright August, 2011, by And Then Some Publishing, LLC.

Day #268 - Work hard.

SMOERs: Words of Wisdom

"I learned that the only way you are going to get anywhere in life is to work hard at it.  Whether you're a musician, a writer, an athlete or a businessman, there is no getting around it.  If you do, you'll win --- if you don't you won't." --Bruce Jenner

Day #268 - Work hard.

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 twelve motivational quotations for Day #268.
Free 30-Day sample: smoers.com

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of the essay, "Living a Balanced Life," reads as follows: "In 1964 (46 years ago), I was inspired, encouraged, even energized by a book by M. C. Richards entitled, Centering: In Pottery, Poetry, and the Person (Wesleyan University Press, 1962, 1964).  The book is philosophical in nature, and it was Richards’ theme as much as her language (writing style) that roused and stirred me.  'Centering is the image I use,' Richards writes, 'for the process of balance which will enable us to step along that thread feeling it not as a thread but a sphere.  It will, it is hoped,' she continues, 'help us to walk through extremes with an incorruptible instinct for wholeness, finding our way continuous, self-completing' (p. 6)."
         
                                          
                                                                                      

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

If you chose to live a balanced life, and you decided that the elements listed above were even some of those for which you wanted to strive, then the book, You Rules!, includes a wide range of useful and immediate recommendations for beginning at once on such a project!  Indeed, You Rules! will help each of us to, as M. C. Richards says, “walk through extremes with an incorruptible instinct for wholeness.”






And Then Some News

The way we’re working isn’t working

By Tony Schwartz


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


I agree with Schwartz’s basic premise that “nearly 75 percent of employees around the world feel disengaged at work every day.”  Also, I think that Schwartz’s ideas for “reenergizing our lives so we’re both more satisfied and more productive,” are on target.
    
Schwartz includes a 3-page bibliography and over 13 pages of notes.


His first three chapters (and their titles) clearly identify the problem: 1) “more & More, Less & Less (overwhelmed with technology and the urgencies that correspond, our creativity, quality, engagement, throughtful deliberation, and performance is undermined), 2) “We Can’t Change What We Don’t Notice,” and 3) “We’re Creature of Habit.”  Unfortunately, people cannot override negative inertia, and one book, no matter how good, cannot and will not (is unlikely to) help.


Make no mistake, this is a very good book and Schwartz’s strategies in the four areas of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual, are excellent — not necessarily ground breaking (or earth shattering) — but certainly they are fine ideas none-the-less.  I liked, for example, in the area of the physical, his chapters, “Sleep or Die,” and “Use It or Lose It.”  “The Facts and the Stories We Tell,” in the “emotional” area discussed “realistic optimism” and perception.  Excellent chapters.  The chapter, “Cultivating the Whole Brain,” in the “mental” part of the book is very good, and the chapter, “Purpose for Passion,” in the “spiritual” part is also well done.  Schwartz has some very good ideas.


I though Schwartz’ inclusion of “The Big Ideas,” Chapters 1-20 (pp. 277-296), which summarized all his chapters, was a great addition to this book.


Overall, I this book is superbly written, includes captivating stories and examples, offers well-illustrated (with tables and graphs) concepts, and uses excellent sources.  The average rating of the 21 reviews written at Amazon.com as I completed this review was five stars out of five.  That certainly says a lot.  


What I find unfortunate in all of this is that those who need this information the most will never see or read it.


This book can be found at Amazon.com: The way we’re working isn’t working