FUN FIRST!

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JUNE, 2007

•  My dad is 86 today.  He's a retired plumber and he could build anything.  He built a boat in our backyard.  A big boat.  A houseboat.  One day, after he retired, we drove around town and he showed me some of the large buildings he'd installed the heating systems in and talked about the different challenges he'd faced with each job and how he'd overcome them.  He loved what he did and was very proud of his ability to do the difficult job right.  That's the measure of success.  I still don't know how he got that boat out of our backyard and down to the river.  Guess I better ask him while I still have the chance.
•  "If You Swim Here You Will Die."  In Come Back Alive, Robert Young Pelton recounts the story of a tourist who, after having his picture taken by the sign bearing the above quote, jumped into the water, got sucked into the current and plunged over the 600 foot high waterfall to his death.  This nicely illustrates the difference between risk-taking and stupidity.  Risk-taking involves thinking about what you are going to do and how you are going to handle the foreseeable dangers (in the swimmer's case, the laws of physics.)  The swimmer could have worn a harness chained to a tree and avoided being swept to his death.  But, he didn't. He wasn't so much interested in swimming in the pool by the waterfall as he was in doing something stupid and hoping he got away with it.  It's an important distinction and you need to make sure you've properly evaluated what you're seeking before you jump in.
•  Quick!  Name the last person who experienced God's love through you.  Okay,  who's next?  If you're still thinking about the first question, you need to make the second question a higher priority in your life.
•  Life is like baseball.  A pitcher who can change speed is more effective.  Sometimes life calls for full speed.  Sometimes it calls for a change of pace.  Mix it up.  Don't be afraid to ease up on the intensity.  Ask yourself whether the situation calls for the hard stuff or for backing off some of the heat. 
•  The French Foreign Legion has the right idea.  In the run-up to the first Gulf War a reporter came upon their camp in the desert.  He found a formally set dining table (complete with linens and silver), fine food prepared by a professional chef, and excellent wine.  Men enjoying life.  The commanding officer explained that while they could (and soon would) live without these things, there was no reason to live like they were in combat when they weren't.  They were trained and ready for the stress of battle.  Why be stressed too soon?  Good question.
•  What could you do to make your life more fun right now?  If your first thought was "strangle my boss" or "play chicken with a freight train", you may be suffering from "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me Syndrome".  PPPMS can strike anyone at anytime and can be either acute ("Why didn't she say 'Hi' to me") or chronic ("I hate Monday because I have to go to work. . . . I hate the weekend because I don't have anything to do.")  PPPMS has a simple cure: Stop thinking you are the center of the universe and start thinking about somebody else (and I don't mean thinking about how much better they have it than you!!)  Start by thinking what you could do to make the next person you see smile or laugh.  This ought to make you smile in and of itself.
•  The song "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" by Warren Zevon inspired yesterday's message.  I use the song as an antidote when I've got "Poor Poor Pitiful Me Syndrome."  I sing it to myself and alter the lyrics to fit whatever it is I'm whining about.  The other day I walked in to the smell of freshly made brownies.  Yum! But, alas, they were to be given away to somebody else.  Now, the free and spontaneous eating of chocolate is one of the pillars of Fun First! and I was being denied.  This was very disappointing.  So I sang a revised version of the chorus: "Poor, poor, pitiful me.  Poor poor pitiful me.  These chocolate treats I must let be.  Lord have mercy on me.  Oh, woe is me."  If you don't know the song make a point of finding it and learning the chorus.  It comes in handy.  You'll be laughing at yourself in no time.  Even if your problem is more serious than no chocolate.  Wait, what could be more serious than that?
•  Love is having an all-consuming desire for the good of another and acting in a way that helps bring about that good.  Often this will be accompanied by a pleasant joyous feeling.  Sometimes it will feel like having your fingernails extracted.  That's why the marriage vows say "for better or for worse."  Love (whether marital, parental, or among friends) proves itself in the "for worse" part.  
•  Who are your heroes?  Make a list.  Now take the list and identify why each person is your hero.  What are the character traits or accomplishments that make the person your hero.  Now, determine one thing you can do to imitate the traits you've identified and begin the path to like accomplishments.
•  What image do you see when you think about the power of God?  I see a man conversing with a broken person, reaching out and touching that person, and transforming them completely: physically, emotionally, mentally.  I see myself as the broken person made well.  I also see myself as the man.  The power of God resides in me as it does in you.  We can't get caught up in our brokenness even though it's there.  The power of God in us is far more important.  Reflect on that power and let it flow from you today.
•  Did you make your heroes' list?  Come on, don't be a slacker!  It'll motivate you to imitate them.  Here are two from my list:  1) Mother Teresa.  She understood and lived the fact that the world is changed by loving each person you encounter.  No grandiose scheme.  Just a simple plan to love one person at a time. 2) Roberto Clemente.  Probably the greatest rightfielder in baseball history.  Before every game on the road he'd practice throwing the ball off the wall from different angles to see where it would bounce so he'd be prepared if the ball was hit that way during the game.  He never took his talent for granted.  There's more I admire about both of these people and more people on my list but this gives you the idea.  Get to it!
•  When Michaelangelo was sculpting his masterpiece statue of David, a little boy asked him why he was hitting that rock.  He said: "There's an angel inside this rock and I intend to free him."  Michaelangelo saw in his mind the thing of beauty inside the block of marble.  He just needed to pound, chip, and polish to bring it out.  Chris Widener's book The Angel Inside explains that each of us has an angel inside us.  We are a work of power and beauty waiting to be formed.  Chris explains the process we can use to bring that angel out.  It's a great book.  I've given copies to many people.  Some say it helped transform them.  Some never read it.  One person I sent it to has since been indicted for murder.  Wonder if she read it?  We are all free to believe in the angel and work to free it or not.  My goal is to convince people the angel is really there and it's worth the effort to free it.  Do you believe?
•  "Fun First!" means enjoying the moment.  This requires paying attention.  If you're distracted by some negative thought, you're not paying attention to the gift of the moment.  Treat each moment like it's a gold coin.  Spend it on what's important to you.  Don't let it drop out of the hole in your pocket unnoticed. 
•  "It's your church Lord.  I'm going to bed."  This was the night prayer of Pope John XXIII.  We'd do well to adopt it.  Ultimately, we can only do what we can do.  The rest is beyond our control.  Fretting about what we can't control is useless.  Fretting about what we can control is silly.  Just control it.  Think. Decide. Act. Sleep.  Sounds like a plan.
•  Life is like baseball.  In baseball, a foul ball can injure an innocent bystander.  In life, a foul mood can do the same.  Foul words can change a fan into a casualty in no time.   
•  I was nearly in a car accident a few minutes ago.  Someone at a stop sign didn't see me and started to go when I was almost if front of them.  After we stopped and I restarted I could hear the other driver speaking loudly.  Something indistinguishable but I got the sense they were feeling I was taking advantage of them.  Going when it wasn't my turn maybe.  We've probably all had those feelings.  The question that comes to my mind is "Didn't you ever make a mistake?"  I try to ask myself this whenever I'm in a situation like that.  Of course, the answer is: "Yup.  I make them all the time.  Inattentiveness is my specialty."  I like to receive mercy for my mistakes.  It would be kind of hypocritical not to give it.
•  Happy Fathers' Day!  One of my best memories of my dad is the time he put me in a furnace.  He was going to install a new boiler in a school and the old one had to be removed.  There was a lot of ash that needed to be cleaned out before it could be dismantled.  I was about 9 years old and was just the right size to climb in and shovel.  I got nice and dirty and I probably got paid for it though I honestly don't  remember.  It was definitely a hoot.  Bet your dad never put you in a furnace!
•  When I was a kid the guy across the street had a fishing boat and motor.  Every morning at 5am he'd run the motor for awhile.  It didn't bother me because I usually slept through it or just went right back to sleep.  Other people, however, expressed some dismay at his practice.  I'm not sure why he did it but it just occurred to me that maybe it was a Fun First! thing.  "Start your day doing something you love" is a Fun First! principle.  Maybe running that motor and imagining himself cruising to his favorite fishing spot gave him what it took to face the day.  Maybe he thought: "This is why I get up and go to work.  So I can afford the boat, the motor, and the fishing trips."  It's important to start the day with something you love. It sets your attitude for the day.  Try it yourself. You'll find your days much more enjoyable.  Try not to wake the neighbors though . . . if you can help it!
•  Think of something funny that's happened to you.  Something that makes you laugh out loud.  Write it down and carry the piece of paper around in a place where you'll randomly find it.  When you do, preferably in a public place, pull it out and read it.  When you start laughing, people will look at you like you are nuts.  You'll get a good laugh and you'll perform a public service.  It'll make them laugh then and whenever they remember the crazy person laughing in the checkout line.
•  Thought it was time to run this again for the new folks. Using the image of a thoroughbred horse for a woman.   Head Strong? Temperamental?A challenge to control?A man who has these foolish thoughtsKnows not–  the passions of her soul. This thoroughbred’s built for gloryShe’s the pinnacle of Grace.Every inch of her a wonder.Of flaws, you’ll find no trace. A man who wants to break herWould destroy her sweet perfection.Conformance to his puny will– A grotesque abomination. This horse should be a horse.Not a docile pet to man.She should live her full potential.Run her race.  Not fit his plan. A man could maybe break her.And a pretty pet she’d be.But a thoroughbred in a stable’sLike a ship without the sea. If he wants to find true pleasureWith this filly bold and strong,He must drop the whip and bridle– See it’s to herself that she belongs. A carrot and a sugar cubeA soft look in those bright eyes.A whispered word: “I love you!Run your heart out. You’re my pride!” “I love to see you run my dearWhether toward me or away.To know you’re running for yourselfIs all I hope and pray.”
•  The Summer Solstice.  I love this day.  All that daylight.  One of the best times I ever had was being in Alaska in June.  Needed sunglasses at 10pm.  Sunlight gives energy and powers enthusiasm.  Enjoy this day.  Absorb the light and share it with others.  Let it fuel a sunny disposition in you and in those you touch today.
•  Today's the feast of St. Thomas More.  He died at the hands of Henry VIII because he wouldn't tell Henry something was true when Thomas thought it wasn't.  Most everybody else accommodated the king's wish.  But Thomas wouldn't.  Henry was his friend as well as his sovereign and Thomas preferred death to aiding the king's self-deception.  Truth is more important than self-preservation.
•  Yesterday, I wrote about Thomas More's courage in defense of the truth.  He's on my hero list (you made your hero list didn't you?!!)  Besides courage he was noted for his wit and ability to have a good time.  These traits served him well as his execution approached.  As he was climbing the steps to the place where his head was to be chopped off, he stumbled.  One of the guards reached out to help him up.  Thomas looked at him and said: "I can make my own way up, but I'm going to need some help coming down."  As a fee, the executioner received the cloak of the condemned man.  Not surprisingly, they took it before the head chopping.  The executioner told Thomas he needed Thomas's "upper garment."  More responded by handing him his hat!  This story was reported by a witness who was a critic of More's.  He used these incidents to prove his point that Thomas More just couldn't take anything seriously.  Not even his own execution.  More would have agreed completely.
•  Here are five keys to living a good life.  Believe them and live by them and your joy will really take off.  Life is Fun.  Every day is Christmas with new gifts from God to unwrap.  The Face in the Mirror is the Face of Christ.  See it and live so everybody else sees it.  You Don't Matter Much.  The more you focus on being Christ to others the happier you'll be.  The  more you focus on yourself the less happy you'll be. If you love people, the world will change. If you judge people (as Mother Teresa said), you have no time to love them.
•  My friend Annette starts x-ray technician school today.  I wrote this poem for her to mark the occasion.  Any single guy who is blessed to be her patient will be thinking these thoughts. I'm in a terrible fix. My body placed always at risk. Broken bones are now my ambition. I'm in love with an x-ray technician.   Off roofs I cheerfully jump. Down the stairs I fall and go thump. I seek fractures and have no contrition. I'm in love with an x-ray technician.   Large men I challenge to fight. Drive high speed with my eyes closed at night. "Did something snap?" Oh, that's what I'm wishin'. I'm in love with an x-ray technician.   Will she love me before it's too late. Of bones, I've just two hundred eight. Every one I'll dislodge from position. I'm in love with an x-ray technician.   Oh, Annette you'll be hard to pursue, When I'm casted from my head to my shoes. But my heart won't surrender the mission: Win the love of my x-ray technician.
•  Life is like baseball.  Always be in position to back-up a teammate.  Most of the time he won't need it but it could save the game if he happens to miss.  It's important to be there and it's important for your teammate to know that you'll be there.  Confidence in you enhances your teammates' performance.
•  A friend told me it takes all the restraint he can muster not to send a daily cynical response to these emails.  I told him to go ahead.  Another friend has sent me some and they were hilarious.  I'm very grateful to everyone who has sent me a comment about something I've written and to everyone who reads what I write.  I'm having great fun jumping into your life everyday and am happy if I inspire you to laugh or think a bit even if you think: " This guy is so positive I could puke!"
•  It's almost halftime.  June 30th marks the end of the year's first half.  Chris Widener suggests the analogy with halftime in a sporting event is useful to use at this time of year.  I agree.  How have you played in the first half?  Have you made progress toward your goals for the year?  What's the score?  Are you playing well?  Are you getting your butt kicked?  Take a few minutes to review your first half performance to see if you're where you want to be.  Chances are some things are better than you aimed for and some are not.  Some you may have completely forgotten to act on.  See where you are.  Tomorrow we'll talk about halftime adjustments.
•  Yesterday you evaluated the first half.  Now it's time to make adjustments.  Is there a goal you totally neglected?  Reevaluate.  Maybe you're really not that interested in accomplishing it.  Decide to put it aside and work on something you're actually interested in.  More likely, you didn't get to it because 1) you didn't break it into small enough bits so it looked too hard or required too large a block of time to accomplish or 2) you didn't write it down or you didn't look at your goals' list often enough and you forgot about it.  Take a few minutes now and write down what you want to accomplish by the end of the year.  Then, decide what the first small step to getting there is.  Then do it now.  After you've done that first small step, take some time today or tomorrow to write down the next 5 small steps.  Step 5 should always be to make a list of the next 5 small steps.  Do a step per day.  If you can't do a step in a day it's probably too big.  Set your goals big but your steps really, really small.  
•  I belong to a fitness center where I go to exercise.  Sometimes people ask me: "Isn't it just a 'meat market'?"  I always reply: "Well, if it is, I'm already in the dumpster in the back.  Nobody's there shopping for me!"  Most things are what you make of them.  For me, the gym is a place to get some exercise and to have a chance to listen to people.  I've been able to develop some good friendships and help people through some difficult times in their lives.  You'd be surprised how readily a person may open up to a deep conversation when the alternative is doing another set of abdominal exercises!