Life goes on....

Even after the thrill of living is gone John Mellencamp

Over the past few weeks, I seem to have surrounded myself with people who seem to have lost the thrill of living and are just moving through life. This happens from time to time--as we move through life we create a circle of friends and acquaintances of about 200 people. These people help us keep with the paradigms we have created for ourselves to make living easier.

But from time to time, people creep into our circle without our realizing they are becoming a greater part of our life then they should. For some people life is routine, the joy of living is not part of their routine, but they like to be around people who find joy in life, living and other people. What they do however is suck the energy out of the people who find joy and soon the joyful person is caught in a downward spin, and without great determination will lose their joy of living. I wonder when did these people lose the thrill of living go? I watch my grandson, and my nieces and great nephews, and the thrill of living is alive and thriving in them. I watched Jackie Evancho on PBS and saw a great singer, but also a twelve year old girl, who appeared to be excited about what she was doing. 

When do we lose the thrill of living and life goes on, when do we settle and not become excited about what life means? When do we forget the wonders of the universe and  the beauty of life around us? 

Maybe retirement is a time to recapture the joy and thrill of living rather than settling for what we have had to put up with when we were working to raise a family and make our mark on the world. I know that over the next few weeks, I will be moving the people who have lost the joy of living out of my inner circle, I will do it in a positive way and will move back to finding the joy in life. I  wonder at the joy the small things in life bring me, the sunlight touching the frost on the window, the cat playing with the ball  of string, hearing a bird singing as we wake up, seeing the smile on a young persons face as they delight in the music in the are. These and other small things are amazing reminders of how wonderful life can be for us.

The mark we leave on the world, will not be about our successes in business, but our mark will be with the people that we touch and bring joy and happiness to in our everyday interactions.

Life goes on, keep the thrill of living with you as we pass through the time we are given and be thankful everyday for the opportunities life has given us to bring joy to others and ourselves.

Bonds Baby Search

My daughter has entered my grandson in a baby search contest in Australia, voting starts March 5th. Check him out and vote for him if you think he is cute. I do. The link is here:
Ryder S | BONDS Baby Search 2013

More time management ideas

11. Don’t waste time waiting. If you find yourself waiting for things to get done, bring work along with you, or even a good book that you have been wanting to read. Getting an oil change? Bring something to work on.
12. Get a planner. There are many types of planners out there today, some of the better ones out line each day of the week in 15 minute intervals, as well as included a full page monthly calendar. Once you find one you like, use it.
13. Differentiate between urgent and vital. Urgent are things that are due soon, but may not be life or death. Vital are things that may or may not be urgent, but that you absolutely must do.
14. Schedule your priorities do not prioritize your schedule. Take charge of what you have before you. You have the power to decided what you do and when.
15. Time journal for two weeks, giving account for every 15 or 30 minutes of time. This will help you see where your time is going and what takes up most of your time.
16. Learn to say no. This is your greatest ally. Practice saying no in polite but firm ways. You are no one’s door mat. Decide what you are going to do, then do not get distracted by other tasks that people may want you to do for them.
17. Learn what drives procrastination. Examine that times that you find yourself procrastinating. Is it because of the task, the time of day, or your overall mood?
18. Figure out what your time is worth. If you make 30,000 a year, each hour is worth roughly $3.50 (including waking and sleeping hours). Now, decide what tasks are worth your pay and don’t sweat the small stuff.
19. Set clear goals. Having a clear direction will help keep you on task. For everyone item on your to do list, think through each step that needs to get done to complete that task.
20. Put things into perspective. Take a moment each day to take a larger picture look. This can be considering yourself in relation to your life goals, or to humanity in general.

Two years and counting

Ryder like all toddlers find life an adventure and in his two years and counting he has learned many things, most of which will be not remembered at a conscious level but will be part of the building blocks to his personality and his vision of who he is and how he is loved. 

I recognize that our experiences that were shared with him helped us get to know him and helped him grow, but that he will not remember us as we are now, or the experiences we shared later in his life. But these experiences  helped us create memories about him. 

During our time in Australia, this time, Ryder learned about the joy of water slides  the joy of scary rides down dark, tunnels with people who would protect him so he could feel safe about the experience. He learned about riding in Air planes and helping to carry luggage.

 In his third Christmas, he is beginning to understand the meaning of the day and the joy of giving and receiving and being with family and extended family. 

Grannie and grandpa paid close attention to him and we believe that we were able to help his development because we listened and played with him in a way that parents don’t—not because they don’t want to but because they are tired from working and running a household. 

Ryder learned more about swimming because we built on the lessons that he had taken, we danced with him when the music moved us and he learned that dancing is something that all of us can enjoy.

 He learned where Canada was, not on a map but more importantly he learned that Canada was in the basement suite because that is where Granny and Grandpa from Canada lived. One day he will actually learn about Canada, but for now I am content to know that he understands that Canada is a warm and loving place because Granny and Grandpa live here. I only hope that the Canada that I love will be here in future and will not be destroyed by our present government in its zeal to move us to a less compassionate and caring country.