Daily Mood Quote - October 26, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 175 – October 26, 2011

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.

~Abraham Lincoln

The more I read about Abraham Lincoln (the name of the book is Worthy Of Their Esteem: The Timeless Words and Sage Advice of Abraham Lincoln, America's Greatest President), the more respect I have for his accomplishments. How many of us just think of tomorrow as a day, one that follows today? I did too, but in actuality tomorrow is the future. It's coming with or without our permission, or approval. Good thing is comes one day at a time.

I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day.

~Abraham Lincoln

Policy to me implies a rule, a law, something that must be followed each and every day. Life can throw curve balls that do not obey rules, at least our rules. So living under the strictest rule doesn't always allow you to do, or be, your best. Sometimes you have to just go with the flow and “be the best you can be.” Life isn't a job, it's an adventure (thank you United States Navy). One where we make the choice to do our best, or not. It's up to us...

I will prepare and some day my chance will come.

~Abraham Lincoln

I have been preparing all my life for what the future holds. First, I served my country, thank you for allowing me to serve you. Then I became a mom, this career never ends and it's one I am very proud of. Now, I am preparing for a second career. All along the way, I have lived life one day at a time, preparing for tomorrow and doing the best I could. Sometimes that worked out, sometimes not. But, each situation I have been through has better prepared me to face the challenges that will come my way, today and when my chance does come (maybe its today). I can think of few things more disheartening than coming upon a great opportunity that I am ill prepared to utilize. I'll be ready for that ol' curve ball, and the opportunity for a home run it presents, when I see it again. I know that from experience. “Fool me once shame on you; fool me twice.....”

In the movie Unstoppable with Denzel Washington (Frank) and Chris Pine (Will Colson), Frank said, “I'm stepping on it, in it, around it and through it.” And, that's what life is, we step on it, in it, around it and through it. We can't get away from it, it happens, yesterday, today and tomorrow and if we're really blessed or lucky, we'll be prepared for the opportunities it presents and meet the future on its terms... successfully.

How will you prepare for the future?

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Thank you for reading.

Daily Mood Quotes - September 23, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 143 – September 23, 2011

The truth ... is a beautiful and terrible thing and should therefore be treated with great caution.

~ J. K. Rowling, The Sorcerer's Stone

I heard an interesting statistic this morning. Now, understand something, I don't put a lot of stock, or faith in statistics. There is an old adage, “Statistics lie and liars use statistics.” Even if the numbers are accurate, the interpretation of those numbers is most often subject to multiple points of view. Two equally matched scientists, equally matched theologians, or two equally matched sports fans, could look at the same data and have completely different points of view about what it means. That said, the statistic I heard on a morning radio program still gave me pause. The number was 2.5 billion and the issue was daily texts in the United States. So, I did some quick math of my own and: if we are a nation of 300 million, then that means that there were 8.33 texts per day for every man, woman and child in the country. Now I'm careful of averages, because they only tell a little bit of the picture. As W.I.E. Gates said, “Then there is the man who drowned crossing a stream with an average depth of six inches.” Still, that seems like a lot of communication, so I have to wonder what is being said and why folks think it is so important? Perhaps, it's better not to know...

Anyway, here's how I see that number (2.5 billion). Lots of people, mostly teens through late twenties, who no longer have the benefit of face to face conversation after school or work hours. Lets face it, its a scary world out there for kids and after the teen years, folks are buried in “urgent” work and life issues like video games and DVR movies.

I have to wonder, how many of these texts happen while driving? There are laws against texting and driving in several states, including mine... that doesn't seem to even slow people down. Just yesterday, there sat a young man in the car next to us, wobbling through traffic, cell phone in both hands, texting along. His eyes were on the phone, not the road and his mind obviously elsewhere. So gee whizz, what's more important than careful driving? They won't let me drive, yet fools like this abound on the roads. So, when I heard 2.5 billion texts a day, my concern was; are people texting at work, perhaps in dangerous situations like rail yards, airports, and/or on the roads? What is their response when something happens, or goes wrong????...

It reminds me of the movie Unstoppable, a runaway train story with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine.

Connie (played by Rossario Dawson) said, “How the hell did this happen?'

Dewey (Ethan Suplee): “It just got away from me.”

Connie: “It got away from you? It's a train, Dewey, not a chipmunk!”

Here is some interesting information that I picked up from "PennDOT Teen Driver Safety Week News Release." Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. October 22, 2008.

• AAA attributes 330,000 highway injuries annually to cell phones being used while driving
• Over 60 percent of American teens admit to risky driving, and nearly half of those that admit to risky driving also admit to text messaging behind the wheel.
• Each year, 21% of fatal car crashes involving teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 were the result of cell phone usage. This result has been expected to grow as much as 4% every year.

The point is; be it statistical or not, the truth is people are texting in hazardous situations, when their mind should be focused on what they are doing. Unfortunately, all to often they are dying, because they are serving the "urgent" and "immediate" need to text. Ask yourself, is anything really that important to risk your life and the life of someone else? Statistics aside, that's the truth.

Let's keep our priorities straight and eyes on the road! TTFN...

Where will you text today?

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Daily Mood Quote - July 7, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 64 – July 7, 2011

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

~Helen Keller

I have often asked myself the question, do people, who have never faced adversity; true adversity, not a broken nail, in their life, understand the difficulties they put upon someone when they pass judgment on those who are different? Today's blog is a personal story and its a bit grumpy. Be forewarned.

It was November 12, 2002, when I was told I was loosing my eye sight. It would be gradual and slow, but it would be noticeable. Over the years, I, along with my husband, have found creative ways to see, to read, to graduate with honors from college, to maintain a 4.0 in grad school and live life daily. It isn't easy, but it is worth it. Outwardly, I look like anyone else, well-mannered and courteous. I try to dress nice and always look presentable. I also wear a pair of glasses to make the big picture a little less blurry, most of the time. Picking out details in that big picture, even up close, is very difficult, so I have learned to enjoy the “scenery”. Sunsets are amazing, a bit like a Monet painting.

When it comes time to read, I add a second pair of glasses over the pair I am wearing. This little trick permits me to see the pages clearly enough to read, study and participate in class discussions. Without another viable solution, I got creative. This works for me, even my ophthalmologist said, “That's very creative and smart.” To the point of our story, I am smart, creative, educated and I have a lot to offer any employer. But, after 434 resumes submitted and many interviews locally, the word has spread that I “wear two pair of glasses” GASP! at the same time. I have heard through conversations with friends and even HR professionals in my area, that the pervasive local irrationality is, “If you have low vision (now), you must have low intelligence.” The interview usually ends when the glasses go on. As if one had anything to do with the other. It's kind of like saying; Beethoven suddenly couldn't compose, since he lost his hearing. Although his best work came after. He had sharpened his ability to focus. I have interviewed with hospitals (you think they would know better), banks, retail establishments and small businesses. It doesn’t seem to matter that I might be the smartest cookie on the sheet. I am different and because I have something people cannot readily see, they don't understand. Nor do they want too. I have passed the tests and have the skills, education and experience, so after two years one simple conclusion remains...

The most difficult part of this process hasn't been losing my eye sight, it has been in comprehending and accepting the attitudes of others. Quite the shocker! I simply wasn't raised to discriminate, I grew up in a racially, financially and socially mixed neighborhood, so I find I have to work to understand the discrimination. In the movie Philadelphia, Joe Miller (played by Denzel Washington) defending Andrew Beckett (played by Tom Hanks) said, “The Federal Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination against otherwise qualified handicapped persons who are able to perform the duties required by their employment.” he continued to say, “This is the essence of discrimination, formulating opinions about others not based on their individual merits, but rather on their...” For me, the fact that I do something just a bit differently, I wear two pair of glasses at once, causes elimination from consideration for a position almost immediately. In this economy it's tough enough to find a job, but when you add petty discrimination, it becomes all but impossible. So be it, enough whining.

The thing I want to convey isn't that my situation is difficult. It is. What I want to talk about is resolve and character. We all are given gifts and burdens and every once in a while it's OK to take a look at both honestly. My husband says “Adversity doesn't build character. It reveals it.” Helen Keller says “...only through trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Well, my soul is well built and my character laid bare to the world. I guess I'm ready for the success. Like Beethoven, my best work is yet to come. When we look inside and view our strengths and our weaknesses, we must be honest and fair about both. I can't see so well, but I can think and do... and so I shall.

What will a look inside reveal about yourself today?

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