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Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Be Proactive and Succeed, " reads as follows:

Whenever I had the opportunity — like when I pulled on the wishbone of a turkey and made a wish or blew out the candles on my birthday cake and made a wish — I would use the opportunity to plan for some future success.  That is, I would make my wishes specific and even place a time frame on them — that is, when I would like the wish to be granted.  I don’t believe in making wishes nor do I ever expect that the wishes I make will come true.  Then why, you might ask, do I waste my time making them?
   

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

Being proactive has not only assisted me in my professional life, but it has helped as well in decision making, problem solving, and dealing with most daily issues and routines.  To plan ahead has wonderful results in relieving stress, saving time, and getting more accomplished.  Being proactive is an essential skill for anyone who is effective or who wants to be successful.





And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Transitions, " reads as follows:

It’s been happening a lot lately.  Life transitions are being thrust before me, and I’ve heard that it gets worse as you get older.  There have been a number of deaths, some people have entered “care facilities,” and there has been a wedding (one of my two sons, and the last of my four children, got married).


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

Life goes on.  Likewise, transitions go on, too.  What has been especially fun for me is that I have had the opportunity not just to observe all of this, but I have had the thrill of documenting and writing about it.  Probably the most important idea in the life transitioning that takes place is being flexible and adaptable, because often transitions cause change — if not physically, at least attitudinally.  They cannot be avoided; attitude shifts take place, and life goes on.  I think Gail Sheehy had it right.  Maybe the best thing we can do is just to Let Go!





And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Life's Second Choices, " reads as follows:

One of my jobs as a college academic adviser was to answer student questions, ease their transition from high school to college, and offer suggestions regarding course work.  Inevitably through my conversations, I would discover that they had come to this college instead of their first choice because of cost (most often), academic ineligibility (they didn’t have the grades), distance (the desired college was too far away), or parental guidance (their parents preferred this choice rather than their first choice).  How I addressed their concern about coming to a college that was not their first choice, offers some general parameters regarding how everyone must deal with life’s second choices.
    


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

Life’s second choices may, at least at first, make a person despondent or sad; but such despondency or sadness should be short lived.  Why?  Life is short and offers us few “do-overs.”  Rather than waste the emotional energy that despondency or sadness require — or any energy devoted to negative emotions — they need to get up, brush themselves off, and begin on a course of action designed to take their best advantage of the hand that has been delivered them.  In that way they are not just making positive use of their time and energy, but they are capitalizing on where they are in life and helping themselves move forward toward greater success and opportunity.          




And Then Some News

And Then Some News

Thursday's Essay Preview

The first paragraph of Thursday's essay, "Aesthetics --- A well ordered, well-organized, disciplined life, " reads as follows:

As I was sitting having breakfast before dawn one morning (on many mornings!), I enjoyed subdued lighting, gentle, comforting music, and a clean, neat relaxing dining room ambiance.  Suddenly, as I enjoyed this incredibly satisfying environment, I realized that it was aesthetics — characterized by an appreciation of beauty or good taste — that was engaging my senses and providing the balance that an ordered, well-organized, disciplined life can bring.



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

I totally agree with this comment, however, I have also discovered that there is surprising beauty in everything with which we have contact.  It may need us to look more closely; it may need us to draw back to see the greater picture.  Once we have satisfied the lower-order needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy, the likelihood that we can see and appreciate the aesthetics in everything we encounter becomes more likely.  And when we get to that point, we get closer to achieving the balance that an ordered, well-organized, disciplined life can bring.             




And Then Some News