Lately, my days have been so busy that I have had very little time to blog and because of that today's blog is short and to the point. Recently, friends of mine lost their 27 year old daughter in a traffic accident. She left behind three children and a very devastated family.
As I stood in line for the calling hours yesterday evening I could not help but reflect on my life and wondered:
1. Am I loving enough?
2. Am I living enough?
3. Am I making a difference?
I really wanted to answer yes to all of them but I realized that I simply could not do so. Even though I try everyday to love, live and make a difference, I can still do more in all three areas. So, I vowed that I would.
How would you answer those three questions?
What can you do to love more, live more and make more of a difference?
Whatever you do please take the time to tell those you love, "I love you." And let's not sweat the small stuff!
That's all for today! Thank you for reading my blog and always I would appreciate any thoughts, comments, stories and/or questions you may have to share.
Blessings!
Harry
www.raresenseunlimited.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The Wisdom of Zig Ziglar
Today, I wanted to share with you one of my mentors and one of the greatest motivational speakers ever to grace a stage. He is known to millions as a sales motivational speaker but he is much, much more than that. Zig Ziglar teaches and speaks about how important it is to be a person of integrity, faith, love and kindness. He teaches the golden rule and personal responsibility. He is the embodiment of someone who walks the walk, while talking the talk. For those of you who may not know Zig Ziglar, I have presented here a few of his numerous books and 25 of my all time favorite quotes. I know they will give you an insight into a man who has lived a passionate and purposeful life. They are not in any particular order of importance.
For more information about this wonderful, remarkable man, go to his company's website: http://www.zigziglar.com/index.php
1. "The most important opinion is the one you have of yourself, and the most significant things you say all day are those things you say to yourself."
2. “Every choice you make has an end result.”
3. "It's not where you start - it's where you finish that counts."
4. “Success means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.”
5. “You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.”
6. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude”
7. “You cannot climb the ladder of success dressed in the costume of failure.”
8. “The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.”
9. “People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”
10. “You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.”
11. “If you don't see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.”
12. “It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.”
13. "Remember that failure is an event, not a person”
14. “People who have good relationships at home are more effective in the marketplace.”
15. “This I do know beyond any reasonable doubt. Regardless of what you are doing, if you pump long enough, hard enough and enthusiastically enough, sooner or later the effort will bring forth the reward.”
16. “Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.”
17. “Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking the tartar sauce with you.”
18. “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”
19. “If you learn from defeat, you haven't really lost.”
20. “Little men with little minds and little imaginations go through life in little ruts, smugly resisting all changes which would jar their little worlds”
21. "A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
22. “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want”
23. “If you go looking for a friend, you're going to find they're very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you'll find them everywhere.”
24. “Building a better you is the first step to building a better America”
25. “You cannot perform in a manner inconsistent with the way you see yourself.”
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, I really am honored that you would do so. If you have any comments, stories about Zig Ziglar and how he has influenced your life or a favorite quote, please share it with us.
Also, if you have any suggestions for a topic you would like me to write about, suggestions on how I can improve my blog or questions, please contact me at harry@raresenseunlimited.com. I value your insight and opinions.
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
Harry
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A Lesson from My Army Days
The inspiration for today's blog actually came from my Internet radio show last night. I had noticed a glitch in the show and so I endeavored to fix it while affecting the show as little as possible. I continued to talk to my guest, told him about the glitch and that we would continue while I fixed it.Long story short, I made the fix and the show essentially went off without interruption. How did I remain calm and find a solution? I remembered an acronym we were taught in Warrant Officer Candidate school, that at the time was taught to all Army officers and warrant officers. It is AIO and stands for Adapt, Improvise and Overcome.
This lesson has applications for anything you may encounter in your life and is especially important given the uncertainty in the world today.
ADAPT
"Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature's inexorable imperative." - H.G. Wells
When changes occur in our lives and changes are going to happen, how we adapt to them will determine whether it is a positive or negative experience. Being able to adapt allows us to make or accept those changes in a smooth and effortless way.
IMPROVISE
"The ability to improvise allows one to fully tap into their creative core to bring forth a solution to any challenge." - Harry E. Shade
When things do not go the way you expected or do not work the way you thought they would, how do you deal with it? Those that can improvise or to put it another way create a solution on the fly, will do so in a calm and focused manner because they know that there is a solution. All they have to do is look for it and use whatever means are at hand to effect a positive outcome. You want to think like McGyver here.
OVERCOME
"We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome." - R.C. Allen
The third and final step in the process is overcome. If you can adapt and improvise, then overcoming is the natural result for the first two steps lead us to the end. When life throws use a curve ball, all we have to do is ADAPT and IMPROVISE and the solutions we create we will allow us to overcome even the greatest of odds. Overcoming is really more mental than anything, we know we can overcome something if we can adapt and improvise.
So, once we have the knowing that we can do the first two steps, we can OVERCOME any doubt or fear of the outcome because we know it is assured.
Today, there is a lot of anxiety, uncertainty and fear in the world, most of it put upon us by others. But if we truly take a moment to step back and apply AIO, we will be certain that the outcome will be positive. One thing we need to do is place ourselves in the natural flow of things and try not to fight the current of change.
I know that there are people losing jobs and homes, as well as, retirement money, however those that can adapt, improvise and overcome, will in the end carve out a positive experience in the midst of all the negativity. Maybe we will learn to budget our money better or perhaps learn a new skill and start a new career. The outcomes are of our creation and so we get to decide if they are going to be positive or negative.
Thank you for taking the time to read this today, I am honored that you would do so. I would love to have you share you comments and stories about how you have used AIO in you own life.That way others may benefit from your experiences and wisdom.
May you be blessed always and in all ways.
Harry
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Algae - An energy source?
I do not have much to say about this (I know, who is this and what have you done with Harry?)other than the fact that I have always known that in nature there are renewable sources of energy that we can tap into, which will not cause irreparable harm to the environment.
And as Merrill Lynch once said: "If you want to see something done, just tell some human beings it can't be done. Make it known that it's impossible to fly to the moon, or run 100 meters in 9.9 seconds, or solve Fermat's Last Theorem. Remind the world that no one has ever hit 62 home runs in a season or stuffed 18 people into a Volkswagen. Dangle the undoable in front of the world. Then, consider it done."
Take a look at this video and pay particular attention to the very last statement made by the spokesman.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and watch this video. I encourage you to share this will your circle of influence and as always I welcome your comments.
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
Harry
Monday, November 10, 2008
When You Thought I Wasn't Looking!
A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say. I have said before that we are both teacher and student and while this is geared towards children, it is a universal truth for us at all times.It reminds me of the Liberty Mutual commercials which show people seeing other people commit acts of kindness and so they pass it forward, because at that moment they became the student and then in turn the teacher.
WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator,
and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw you feed a stray cat,
and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw you make my favorite cake for me,
and I learned that the little things
can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I heard you say a prayer,
and I knew that there is a Higher Power
I could always talk to,
and I learned to trust in it.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw you make a meal
and take it to a friend who was sick,
and I learned that we all have to
help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking,
I saw you give of your time and money
to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something
should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it,
and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw how you handled your responsibilities,
even when you didn't feel good, and I learned
that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that
sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I saw that you cared,
and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know
to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking
I looked at you and wanted to say,
'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'
THIS GOES OUT TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE
WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OTHERS,
BUT THINK THAT NO ONE EVER SEES.
LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT .
Each of us influences the lives of those around us, especially the children.
How will you touch the life of someone today?
Just by sharing this with someone else,
you will probably make them at least think
about their influence on others.
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.
Thank you for reading this today, I am honored that you would take the time. Please feel free to share your thoughts and stories And by all means please share this with everyone you know!
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
Harry
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Power of Love
From time to time, I come across wonderful stories full of wisdom and life lessons. This is one of those stories.A Wonderful Chinese Story About Love & It's Powerful Effect On Others:
A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all. Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped arguing and fighting. But what made the situation even worse was that, according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it! Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs.She told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr. Huang thought for awhile, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you." Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr. Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a package of herbs. He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspects you, when she dies, you must be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her, obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot of murdering her mother-in-law. Weeks went by, and months went by, and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.
After six months had passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset. She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with. The mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best daughter-in-law one could ever find. Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was very happy to see what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my mother-in-law. She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her."
HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat you? There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be loved in return."
The Universe might be trying to work in another person's life through you.
Thank you for taking time to read this today, I am honored that you would do so. Please feel free to comment or share an inspiring story of your own.
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
Harry
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
What we can learn from a dog!
Since I was unable to post yesterday I thought I would do two today. We can learn many things from many different places and one of those places is from a dog. If you have never had a dog as a family member, this may not resonate with you but just so you know that for those that have had the privilege of being blessed with the unconditional love of a dog, this is Universal truth.Now some of you will probably have read or heard these things before but positive, simple life lessons are always worth experiencing again.
"Dogs are not our whole lives but they make our lives whole" - Roger Caras
The picture is of me with my dog Toby in front of a Brutus Buckeye statue at The Ohio State University.!
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy,dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
"A dog owns nothing, yet is seldom dissatisfied" - Irish Proverb
Makes you want to run out and get a dog, doesn't it? If you are so inclined I highly recommend adopting a dog from a local shelter. You can start by googling dog adoption or go to these links for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Humane Society of the United States: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer or http://www.hsus.org/.
"The dog was created especially for children. He is the god of frolic." - Henry Ward Beecher
As aways I welcome your thoughts and stories. It is in the sharing of such things that we all learn and grow together. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am blessed that you have done so.
"Old age means realizing that you will never own all the dogs you wanted to." - Joe Gores
May you be blessed always and in all ways!
Harry
http://www.raresenseunlimited.com/
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