Positive

We’re surrounded by so much negativity, particularly in this election season.

I’m making a conscious effort to get rid of negativity in my own life by turning around my attitudes. It’s all too easy to immediately jump to the thing that’s wrong with something or someone – rather than focusing on the larger portion that is positive, clean, helpful and good-intentioned.

Focusing on the negative side only makes me someone that is no fun to be around. And it greatly cuts into my enjoyment of life.

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (from here).

 

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

The plague of hold music

cell phone face showing options

Customer service means waiting on hold.

Waiting on hold means listening to pop music. Or a loop of the same weird song, over and over and over.

Customer service should mean choices. I should be able to press “1” if I want to hear nothing but a message every minute or so saying, “You are still on hold. We are waiting for a representative to become available.”


And then there’s: “Please listen carefully, as our options have recently changed.” But we all know they changed the options five years ago! Customer service directors should understand that playing that message is a reflection of their being asleep at the wheel.

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

Police brutality and the National Anthem

No doubt by now you’ve read about football players not standing during the singing of the National Anthem. They are using their visibility to make a statement that they stand against our country allowing police to do bad and sometimes horrible things to African Americans.

I believe they could turn that important energy elsewhere. Yes, it’s a horrible problem. But malaria kills thousands of times more Africans than American police kill unarmed African Americans..

I lived in a malaria-prone country for five years. I love that country. Overall, people there seem happier than Americans, in spite of the significant challenges of daily life.

Malaria was not a problem for me there, as we were privileged to have been taught ways to prevent the disease. Many there aren’t – or simply don’t have the $10 for a mosquito net.

I know that no NFL football player will ever read this, but for the rest of you, Unicef is just one place you can give to help prevent deaths caused by malaria.

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail

The healthiest person in the world

blurred runner

If we knew who the healthiest person in the world was, would we do everything they do?

We measure our health in the physical, mental and spiritual realms. If one person had all of those at the optimum levels, would we change our lives to mirror their choices?

Probably not.

We all have different definitions of pleasure and fulfillment. (And those are not the same – though they may overlap at times.) Our choice of pleasure or fulfillment may interfere with our optimal health.

Let me give some examples.

A selfless person finds fulfillment in serving others. They serve others to the point of physical and mental exhaustion and may die an early death. But they wouldn’t have it any other way. They die fulfilled.

Many of us enjoy a fine meal with several courses. But we know that when we’re finished, we have eaten more than our bodies needed and end up in an almost comatose state. Or we choose to ride a motorcycle, knowing ahead of time that it’s a dangerous choice but brings a great deal of pleasure.

It’s almost as if life is a video game. We know that if we make certain choices they will reduce our “life points,” but we’ll enjoy our journey more.


 

It’s OK to not be the healthiest person in the world. But remember that your choices effect those who love you too.

FacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterpinterestlinkedinmail