LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

    Take your time before you decide what you want to do. Yes, the holiday season is just around the corner. There is so much excitement and joy beckoning for our attention. It’s almost mind boggling to make choices. But that’s ok if we don’t resort to impulsive decisions.  We are all not out of the woods with corvid or many social problems.  Being cavalier, that is not serious or caring enough about matters that other people are serious about can be neglectful of their feelings. Even amidst the joys of the season it pays to be cautious and avoid risks to our personal health.

    Keep in mind we all have the privilege to choose what we like and don’t like to do. Take some time to ask yourself what is most important to you. There is no rush to find answers to your thoughts.  It takes patience to avoid impulsive wishes. When we look around the world is here for us, and we can enjoy each day if we care about what is available to each of us.

    Relax and look carefully at our options for feeling comfortable. They keep popping up at us yet, we don’t have to jump to them.

“Look before you leap.”

12-1-22                                          "😄😄😄😄"

 

 STAYING CONNECTED

     We come into this world alone but is it fair to leave, to leave it alone? Yes, that’s a fair question. I guess while we are here there really isn’t an easy answer.  Sure, for our life there is a lot to do.  We could accept the end.  But not yet. Why? Because we have so many things to do and see. You can still be alone and an individual with a vitality to enjoy many of others around you.  Most important you can meet new friends and find new relationships.  The thought that you are alone or feel lonely is merely a time out zone where you might allow yourself to feel sorry, lonely or a feeling that you are being left out.  But you are not left out.  Remember, you oversee your life.  You have a lifelong license to do so many things, go to so many places. So, what is stopping you? Some say you are lonely and feeling sorry for yourself.  I speak. It’s because you have temporarily disconnected and got off the track. Wallowing in sorrow is no excuse for storing your strength.    

    You know many abilities you have from many experiences you had on responsibilities you have had in your career of work.  They are never lost. They have been disconnected temporarily. Why?  Maybe, because they offer no challenges to you. So, you owe it to yourself to get back on track to feel accomplishment. 

“Your train only goes forward.”

 

10-25-22

 

 

 

 

DRIVE TO SURVIVE

    We are all motivated to find our way each day to find satisfaction for our existence any way that gives us peace of mind if not satisfaction.  We feel that whatever we believe makes sense to us.  We get a feeling that everything is not what we like or want but, we seem to think we are justified in thinking we are right even if we are not fair in all our decisions.  It’s very important to us that no matter what we think, say or, believe is certainly acceptable to everyone else, But the facts of the matter don’t seem to result that way. why? Why? Maybe, we really either don’t care what others hear us say or we feel they are against us. Oh, no what we say or believe is the truth. There is no need for defending our point of view. After all, our thinking is as good as anyone else’s point of view.  

   Now, maybe it’s time to take a breath and start to become more open minded and begin to reflect on how we believe and think.  Taking the time to reflect on what we think and believe may open our mind to what is sometimes called the………

“AHAH! PHENOMENON”

   This is the moment or time when one sits down in a comfortable chair and begins to do some thinking about what drives one so hard to survive.  What is really so important to drive one to think what we think or believe is so immutable, absolute or unalterable. Yes, it takes an open mind to seek satisfaction for our existence.

 

 SERVING THE COMMUNITY

  Living in our community since 2001, I have learned how important it is to respect what it means to be part of it.  I have had the opportunity to be active in many of the activities that have been made available. Many of you may know that I served as a Board member for two terms. I remember hearing residents’ comment that it was a thankless position and often perceived as an ego trip for some who sought recognition. I say that, to me, that was and has never been my perception.  Being elected to the Board was an honor. It was an endorsement of the residents’ trust and confidence in me that I would serve their interests as primary.

    Over the years, I have seen an erosion of the ideals that I cherished to be the primary mission of each Board member. What I have observed is that some members’ desire for personal recognition and power has gotten in their way. Yes, significant attributes of leadership are the ability to express empathy, patience, warmth, and sincere interest in the sentiments of others. It seems that the fiscal matters of the community are so significant and somehow have become so dominant that there has been a loss of insight into the human sentiments, opinions, or views of some board members.  

    Yes, knowledge of management is important but need not supersede the human             relation skill to enhance goodwill for all.

                         "Please open your minds to what your mission is."      

 

WHERE IS THE P0WER

I guess it all depends upon where we want it.  Throughout history humans have developed social systems which have established rules for controlling or managing our social behavior.  Some of these have found their source from establishing power structures that have been distinguished by one or more several characteristics such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, corporate, religious, political, or even military control.

Historically, these power structures have become tyrannical that rely on public obedience that have emerged into what are called oligarchies.  The origin of oligarch is derived from the Greek (oligarchies)(obliges) “few”-and the (arkhA”,” rule”) Oligarchy is one of numerous English words for a type of rule or government that has come to refer to rule by an economic elite.

It appears that our country faces some of the oligarchic conditions to challenge us not to be consumed by its conditions. Fortunately, our democratic way of life provides many avenues for us to support a healthy economic environment. It is important to maintain the balance of power by our democratic and constitutional process.

 

3-22-2022

 

 

 

TRUTH’S PERSPECTIVES

    Ordinarily, we refer to the property of truth as being in accord with the facts or reality as we experience things, Truth is usually held to be the opposite of falsehood.  Most of what we believe is based upon the everyday news we are exposed to in the newspaper, television, or social media available. It is quite a challenge for anyone.

   Our society has always been open to various points of view and it is a challenge for anyone to accept what is the truth.  Sometimes, what we see, hear, or read appears to be the truth.  But think for a moment.  It’s truth if it fits your belief system.  How careful are we to sift out what is true?  Please keep in mind that the power of social media can be astounding, amazing and even distorted in providing information.  How willing are we to understand the perspectives that influence our individual or group decisions and consequently our actions that allow us to know what is truth?

   The Human Dynamics Institute provides an inquiry process to help us create opportunities to move out of dilemmas and find new ways to seek an understanding of the perspective of truth. There are four model perspectives of truth that can allow us the best fit to identify what is truth to each one of us.

We can see truth as:

1.  Objective--What exists and can be proved.  The sun moves each day.

2.  Normative--What we as a group agree is true. The word day that time when the sky is lit.               

3.  Subjective--How we see the world. Today is a good day for me.

4.  Complex--How we focus on the truth most useful to us at one time.

   Instead of drawing a conclusion of one perception, take time to identify clues of how other people are thinking.  Share your observations of the situation to help others make sense of what’s happening.

   It takes an open mind to avoid being blindsided dealing with such thinking that blunts the encouragement of open discourse. 

“There are three sides to every thought. 

 Yours, the other person's, and the truth.”

 

 

 

 

JUDGMENT

    Almost every day we are faced with a situation that requires every one of us to make decisions.  Yes, the pandemic haunts us with how to respond to it. How do we deal with it?  We are flooded with information that is overwhelming and many times confusing. Yet, we are responsible to find a way to make decisions that are for our safety.  No one has all the answers, and we try to make decisions that are not always easy.

 Why? There is so much information flooding us that we are faced with making serious judgments of what to do. Making judgments is based on careful thought. If you decide to wear or not wear a mask, remember that such a decision has a consequence. It’s important to understand that using good common sense implies a reliable ability to judge and decide with a sense tempered and refined by experience.

   Maturity usually implies a full development and the ability to make judgments in the best interests of others as well as oneself. Given the pandemic facing us we still can make sound and sensible judgments. With wisdom we have information that provides us with the opportunity to judge what is in our best interests.