Words are interesting things. It seems that sometimes a word is used so often that we forget what it means. Life van be that way too, making it harder to make today a good day.
"Extraordinary" is a good example. If you break it apart you get "extra ordinary". It's more than the usual, it's special. The thing is though, that when you pay attention, what may seem ordinary really isn't. It's more. It's extraordinary.
Have you ever grown anything? One day you have a seed, then you have a sprout, then you have a plant, then you have a fruit; finally you have a snack. Magic. Extraordinary.
Or perhaps you've watched a baby grow? I love watching pregnant women and I love watching newborns. I find it amazing that at first they can't even hold their heads up by themselves but soon they're crawling around putting everything they can find into their mouths. Fantastic. Again, extraordinary.
Your mission (should you accept it) is to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. To look past what may seem hum-drum and see the marvelous. Your goal should be to become enthusiastic (root meaning: having God within) about something and tell someone about it.
Go out and make today a good day!
[Speaking of babies . . is it any wonder that re-creation (making babies) and recreation (playing a game) are very much the same?]
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Good deeds are not just for Boy Scouts and Superman
Making today a good day is not just about noticing what makes a good day. It's also about doing to *make* today a good day. Doing something for others is a sure way of making today a good day.
Have you ever had a secret admirer? Have you ever had a secret love? Have you ever participated in a secret Santa exchange? Have you ever left hints to find a prize?
There is something powerful and joyful and exciting and rewarding in doing something good in secret. The anticipation of how the recipient will react can be a thrill. You imagine smiles and laughter or perhaps just surprised satisfaction when the secret is revealed.
Combining the doing of a "good deed" with a secret that can not be known can make a day a good one.
Do something nice for someone today. Do something big or small. Do something and never tell a single soul that it was you that did it.
I'll bet your day will be a better one . . and so will theirs.
Have you ever had a secret admirer? Have you ever had a secret love? Have you ever participated in a secret Santa exchange? Have you ever left hints to find a prize?
There is something powerful and joyful and exciting and rewarding in doing something good in secret. The anticipation of how the recipient will react can be a thrill. You imagine smiles and laughter or perhaps just surprised satisfaction when the secret is revealed.
Combining the doing of a "good deed" with a secret that can not be known can make a day a good one.
Do something nice for someone today. Do something big or small. Do something and never tell a single soul that it was you that did it.
I'll bet your day will be a better one . . and so will theirs.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
A list of good things at 9:30 in the morning
- The sounds of birds
- Waking up.
- Having all my hair.
- Being surrounded by family.
- Having a sense of sight.
- Colors.
- Smells.
- Pets.
- Coffee.
- Clean water.
- Food.
- Choices of food.
- Music.
- A voice.
- Cool sheets.
- A breeze.
- Computers.
- Home movies.
- Cicadas.
- Roses.
- Clothing.
- Asprin.
- Pencils/paper.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Being a part of something good is great
Being alone can be very peaceful. It can be healthy. It can make a day better. More powerful though, it being a part of something . . . anything.
I've met a few recluses in my time; people that might have been called hermits if they weren't smack in the middle of a suburb; people that keep to themselves more than most.
As I am a gregarious person, I've made efforts to engage these folks in conversation. Sadly, I've concluded that, while they have some days that are better than others, they have fewer good days than they'd like to have.
Being a part of something makes most people feel better. Being part of something good can make you feel great.
Take a moment to think of all the things you belong to. It might be work or school. You might belong to a church or a club. It might be a neighborhood or an apartment complex. Do you volunteer somewhere? Do you play a sport? Do you spend time with other people doing something together?
It doesn't always matter what group you are with to make today a good day. The thing that can transform belonging to a group into something "more" is recognizing that you belong.
Belonging makes today a good day. Focus on belonging. Focus on making other people feel that they belong. Focus on making today a good day.
I've met a few recluses in my time; people that might have been called hermits if they weren't smack in the middle of a suburb; people that keep to themselves more than most.
As I am a gregarious person, I've made efforts to engage these folks in conversation. Sadly, I've concluded that, while they have some days that are better than others, they have fewer good days than they'd like to have.
Being a part of something makes most people feel better. Being part of something good can make you feel great.
Take a moment to think of all the things you belong to. It might be work or school. You might belong to a church or a club. It might be a neighborhood or an apartment complex. Do you volunteer somewhere? Do you play a sport? Do you spend time with other people doing something together?
It doesn't always matter what group you are with to make today a good day. The thing that can transform belonging to a group into something "more" is recognizing that you belong.
Belonging makes today a good day. Focus on belonging. Focus on making other people feel that they belong. Focus on making today a good day.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
You are what you eat
Food is amazing. I love food. The right food can make today a good day.
I'm a sucker for spicy-hot food. Chocolate should be its own food group. I think pizza is nature's most perfect food. I don't think an unreasonable rule would be that peanut-butter or cheese should be served as part every meal. Birthday cake. Birthday cake, no matter the flavor, has got to be one of the greatest things ever.
Having food you love (not "good-for-you-food" or even "good food") should be a part of making every day better. Make sure you are going out to that dive or that fancy-shmancy place now and again.
Perhaps, if your favorite food is turtle cheesecake or poutain, then it shouldn't be an every-day thing . . but it should be in regular rotation.
Having said all that; eating "good-for-you-food" *is* good food and will make you feel better. Fresh food beats processed. Home-cooked beats going out.
Lastly, doughnuts or cupcakes or what-have-you will likely make everyone's day better. Think about it.
I'm a sucker for spicy-hot food. Chocolate should be its own food group. I think pizza is nature's most perfect food. I don't think an unreasonable rule would be that peanut-butter or cheese should be served as part every meal. Birthday cake. Birthday cake, no matter the flavor, has got to be one of the greatest things ever.
Having food you love (not "good-for-you-food" or even "good food") should be a part of making every day better. Make sure you are going out to that dive or that fancy-shmancy place now and again.
Perhaps, if your favorite food is turtle cheesecake or poutain, then it shouldn't be an every-day thing . . but it should be in regular rotation.
Having said all that; eating "good-for-you-food" *is* good food and will make you feel better. Fresh food beats processed. Home-cooked beats going out.
Lastly, doughnuts or cupcakes or what-have-you will likely make everyone's day better. Think about it.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
When life give you lemons . . .
There are times when life gets you down. When it seems like it's just one more thing . . over and over again.
Then those people show up. The ones that tell you to make lemonade out of the lemons in their life. The full of "happy, happy; joy,,joy" people that make you want to strangle them.
These are good people doing good things. Don't strangle them.
It’s first hour; Isabella is wearing a light pink jumper with a pink skirt and three or four petticoats. She vaguely resembles a Raggedy Ann doll gone mad with happiness. I walk into class....
The whole time during this conversation Izzy has been spelling out her every word in sign language. It is one of her most infuriating habits. The scary thing is that when you hold her hands, so that they cannot move, she talks . . very . . slowly, as though she is spelling the words in her head. After a while I learn to ignore it. Then she’ll get upset or excited and put her hands directly in front of my face to make sure I understand. On the other hand (hah!), sometimes she’ll put them in front of her own face, maybe she is checking to make sure her fingers agree with her mouth.
Izzy is small, but like a rat terrier that thinks it is a Doberman, she exudes a feeling of fearlessness. When someone that knows her is told that she’s tiny they would first think about it for a while. Then, all of the sudden, their face would light up with surprise and they would walk away, as though it had been a revelation from God. She is so filled with energy; it seems that any person would need more body to contain so much activity.
Sometimes Izzy can make me very angry because she is so happy and I am not. She even does this on Monday mornings when no student has any right to be happy! Izzy has the gift to make me feel very good, no matter how bad I feel or want to feel. I especially like the way she sees the good side of everything, be it a bad weekend or nuclear holocaust.
This character sketch was an assignment given almost 25 years ago. Some of those people may be alive because of it. Try to make lemonade out of the lemons . . . . and make today a good day.
*Names have been changed . . because it seemed like the thing to do.
**It has been republished twice (by me) since high school and the urge to edit it has been . . . powerful. I believe in the end though, that Han shot first. Period. End of story. Because of that, I've not revised it. Thank you for understanding.
Then those people show up. The ones that tell you to make lemonade out of the lemons in their life. The full of "happy, happy; joy,,joy" people that make you want to strangle them.
These are good people doing good things. Don't strangle them.
It’s first hour; Isabella is wearing a light pink jumper with a pink skirt and three or four petticoats. She vaguely resembles a Raggedy Ann doll gone mad with happiness. I walk into class....
“Hey Izzy, guess what I just heard on the radio while driving to school? President Bush launched a nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. They say we have about 27 minutes until they retaliate. We are all going to die.”
“Good morning Aaron My cat had kittens last night about 8:30, right before bed. They are s-o-o-o cute! One is gray with white stripes and one is all gray. The others are...
“Izzy, don’t you understand? We are close enough to Topeka that we’ll be killed almost instantly!”
“Aaron, think of how lucky we are! We’ll die quickly. Think of all the poor people and pets that will die a slow lingering death. My, you have worn a plethora of nice clothes this week. It suits you.”
“I will say this very slowly, so that there will be no confusion. Life on Earth is about to come to a very abrupt halt. Every living thing on the planet will die. Now, do you understand why I’m a little excited?”
“I understand what you’re saying, but Aaron, you’re wrong. I read that rats and roaches will probably live through the catastrophe and evolution cart begin again with them: So what are you doing this weekend?”
“I don’t think I’ll be doing anything. I’ll be dead. And stop fluttering your hands in front of me. That really makes it hard to think.”
“Oh well, sorry. I can’t help it. I better do the journal entry now or else you won’t get credit on the paper due Monday.”
“(Sigh)”
The whole time during this conversation Izzy has been spelling out her every word in sign language. It is one of her most infuriating habits. The scary thing is that when you hold her hands, so that they cannot move, she talks . . very . . slowly, as though she is spelling the words in her head. After a while I learn to ignore it. Then she’ll get upset or excited and put her hands directly in front of my face to make sure I understand. On the other hand (hah!), sometimes she’ll put them in front of her own face, maybe she is checking to make sure her fingers agree with her mouth.
Izzy is small, but like a rat terrier that thinks it is a Doberman, she exudes a feeling of fearlessness. When someone that knows her is told that she’s tiny they would first think about it for a while. Then, all of the sudden, their face would light up with surprise and they would walk away, as though it had been a revelation from God. She is so filled with energy; it seems that any person would need more body to contain so much activity.
Sometimes Izzy can make me very angry because she is so happy and I am not. She even does this on Monday mornings when no student has any right to be happy! Izzy has the gift to make me feel very good, no matter how bad I feel or want to feel. I especially like the way she sees the good side of everything, be it a bad weekend or nuclear holocaust.
This character sketch was an assignment given almost 25 years ago. Some of those people may be alive because of it. Try to make lemonade out of the lemons . . . . and make today a good day.
*Names have been changed . . because it seemed like the thing to do.
**It has been republished twice (by me) since high school and the urge to edit it has been . . . powerful. I believe in the end though, that Han shot first. Period. End of story. Because of that, I've not revised it. Thank you for understanding.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Being touchy can be a good thing
In addition to keeping all the other parts of us protected and in the right place it transmits the sense of touch. That there is pretty powerful.
Touch can be amazing. Touch can make a good day.
A firm hand-shake. A pat on the back. A massage. A hug. These can be day-changing touches.
The other day, my daughter had her hair washed by the hair-stylist. She left the chair not showing me her (lovely) new do. The first thing she told me was how good the shampoo was. It made her day better.
Today is a good day to focus on touch to make someone's day a good day.
{Note: When dealing with anyone . .make sure you are aware of the level of touch they find comfortable and work within that. Law-suits do not typically make today a good day.}
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