FUN FIRST!

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•  A big advantage of hands-free cell phone technology is that you can now walk down the street talking to yourself and people just think you're on the phone instead of thinking you're schizophrenic.  This opens up some great opportunities for self-entertainment while walking. [Like saying as someone approaches: "You mean somebody can catch this from me just by passing me on the street," then quickly looking at the passerby, gasping, and running to the other side of the street.]  We all talk to ourselves.  The problem is what we say is usually negative.  We have a choice.  We can talk ourselves into success or failure, joy or despair, action or inaction.  The most important conversations we have every day are the ones we have with ourselves.  We need to make those conversations productive and upbuilding.  What have you been talking to yourself about so far today?  Have you been encouraging or derogatory?  Maybe it's time to change the tone of the conversation. Give yourself a break.
•  I'm in a fog this morning.  Not the usual metaphorical morning fog in my sleepy little head, but a real fog outside my window.  When it's foggy, you have to slow down because you can't see more than a few feet in front of you.  While this is unnerving, it does help you focus on your next step because you don't really have any choice.  It's a good reminder that no matter where we're going, we only get there by taking the next step.  We don't need to know what future steps will lead us to achiveing our goals, we just need to take the step that lies right in front of us.  Each step we take leads us to the next.  You can only see tomorrow's step after you've taken today's.
•  I spent yesterday afternoon with a young man from China who is here attending college.  At one point, he said "I have no idea what just happened" and I realized I had no way to explain it.  The lack of a common language is an obstacle.  This is true even if both people speak English.  Our different life experiences make the same words or actions mean different things to different people.  [If you don't believe this, that means you've never been married!!]  That's why it's important,when you have an "I have no idea what just happened [or why you just said that or why you just did that]" experience with somebody, not to jump to the conclusion their motivation was bad.  It's good to give people the benefit of the doubt until you know enough about them to make an accurate assessment of what they are up to. 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

 "We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit." (Aristotle)  And, a habit of excellence starts with an act.  Unless you want to excel at procrastination, you have to actually do something to succeed.  The best way to begin a habit of excellence is to start doing things that are easy.  Take small steps that move you toward mastery.  If you want to be in excellent physical shape, start small.  Maybe walk around your car before you get in it to drive somewhere.  That's pretty easy and it has the added advantage of making people who see you wonder what you're doing.  If you really want to have fun, when you're walking in a public parking lot you can look intently at a random parked car, squat down while continuing to look at the car, stand up, shrug your shoulders, and walk on.  Anything to start a pattern of more physical activity and maybe give yourself a laugh at the same time.