Category: Life

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Hire the right person

This is a house. It looks like an office. The owner paid somewhere north of $4 million, I’d guess.

Mistake? The owners hired an office architect to build their house, rather than a proper architect who knows houses. Some architects operate well in designing both residential and commercial buildings. Not this one.

Takeaway? Hire someone who has proven themselves to be successful in the area you need help – not the field you’d like them to be successful in. (There is, of course, a place for giving people experience. But not in every arena. I’d hate to have an amateur do bypass surgery on my heart.)

I took this photo along the Highline Canal in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The poor quality is due to using my camera phone.

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Use it or lose it

So many times I feel like I’m saying such basic things in my blog. Things you already know. But one thing I’ve learned in this life is that the lessons I know need to be learned again. And again.

In this case, it is the basic idea that if you don’t use something, you will lose it.

One of my current tubes of toothpaste was running out, so it was time to tap into the Museum to find a new one. I pulled out one of my very favorites – Trybol. Unfortunately, Colorado’s dry climate had taken its toll – the paste was rather hard. (But it is still usable.) If I had pulled it out a few years ago, it would have been perfect. Alas, I waited too long.

Moral? Use what you have. Now. For the purpose it was intended.

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The purist vs. the realist

Coffee. I enjoy grinding the beans at the supermarket – or simply buying ground beans. Reason? The difference in taste is very small compared to the hassle of grinding your own beans each morning for every coffee pot.

Many areas of life are like this – if you spend twice the effort, you might get a 10% improvement. I would challenge you to examine your life – small things you do each day – and look at what is not worth the extra expense of time and money.

Having said that, sometimes it’s worth it to go the “long” way. Last weekend, Heather and I spent a nice evening listening to vinyl records. It took several extra minutes to grab each new song from a different album, but that warm sound of clicks and pops, as well as the fact that I don’t have those songs in digital form, gave us a pleasant change of pace.

ps Millstone Coffee provided a free half-pound of coffee with last Sunday’s paper!

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Crowds

A few weekends ago, some friends invited us to A Taste of Colorado. Fun. Hot. Lots of people.

Being an introvert, there is a contrast – I like being alone in quiet places. But I also get a buzz out of being in a crowd.

What contrasts are in your personality?

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Be nice

I’ve been meditating on this particular topic for several weeks. It’s something you already know. But I’m saying this to remind you – and me – to do it.

It is so much easier to serve someone who is nice to you. I find myself jumping to fulfill the requests of those who are nice much faster than those who are demanding and, well, not as nice.

Nice can be a tepid word (so mild it can be almost an insult). But I’m referring to the basic positive aspect of being nice.

So let’s be nice to each other. We’ll help each other want to serve each other more.

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Go digital

Recently I went on about how great it is to go analog – by writing or receiving a letter. Today I’ll backpedal. I think you should not save everything. Simply take a digital photo and then throw whatever away (or give it to your local charity shop). You will save yourself the hassle of throwing it away later.

At one time in my life, I may have saved this little moving tag. It’s a remnant of an era that passed several year ago. I may have put it in an envelope for looking at on a rainy day. (It rarely rains in Denver, though.)

And those analog letters you receive? Recycle them. If you really like them, save a few – but not all. (If your dad lives in a different town and never writes – and you finally get a real letter from him – by all means, save it! Just strive for balance.)

If you liked this post, you’ll like this other post.

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How to ride a bicycle (video)

So here is how to ride a bicycle:

If you do this (and you don’t already), you will be amazed at what a difference it makes!

Notes: a) If you have a single-speed bike, this may not work very well. b) If you have multiple gears, use a lower (easier) gear to get the optimum spinning speed.

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