Monkeybar Wisdom
Recently, Hallie, the little girl with sparkling ocean eyes and curly blond hair, was chatting me up about her passion for the Monkeybars at her school. This is a fierce love, this thing between Hallie and the metal challenge of her life. As an infant, Hallie was challenged by biological issues. Her heart’s pipes were too small. The tiny little girl had to struggle a bit to catch up in development. Well, fight, actually. And she did. On the Monkeybars. For reasons beyond my understanding, our MightyMouse set her heart on mastering what must have been, to her, something akin to San Fransisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. She would come to our house, hair flying, eyes dancing, words flowing: “I beat Sarah on the MonkeyBars today. I stayed...
Read MoreWisdom in Curiosity
One of the halllmarks of influencers is that they are curious. In fact, great influencers tend to remain greatly curious. Leaders are eager to learn or know. They are inquisitive. And often, it is their inquisitiveness…their curiosity…that makes them the people others want to follow. To see another’s kite flying up there in that wild blue sky inspires beginners to give it a try. Curiosity ignites curiosity. Inquisitive about what? Wisdom has something to chime in, here. There are curiousity arenas that can damage your life. There is a video circulating out there that involves a curious little boy, a brick, and how that brick interacts with gravity. The little boy fared badly in the exploration of that particular curiosity,...
Read MoreSatisfied
Recently, Wisdom hit me on the forehead. A gentle slap. With it came no pain, but a flood of relief. And a word: Satisfied. Satisfied. Here’s how it happened. Christmas is upon us. Each year Christmas comes packaged with so many competing issues around it that it takes me a while to sort it all out and get down to the simple, stark one thing my heart is searching for. Amidst all the music, shopping, gift wrapping, pressure joy, baking, cooking, planning, attending, sorting, decorating and just plain hard thinking about everything I want to do, I want to find…satisfaction. Yes, that is it. That is the right word. That is what Wisdom told me. I want to be satisfied. Why do we do all this “stuff” for Christmas? We...
Read MoreLast call for Andy Rooney’s wisdom
In honor of Andy Rooney’s recent exit from this world, here is a post that contains several of his wise observations during his sojourn here. Mr. Rooney had a beautiful perspective on life, I believe. I’ve learned…. That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I’ve learned…. That when you’re in love, it shows. I’ve learned…. That just one person saying to me, “You’ve made my day!” makes my day. I’ve learned…. That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I’ve learned…. That being kind is more important than being...
Read MoreIt’s wise to plug in
It’s fall, and that means the Pistachio trees at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior, Arizona are on fire. With color, that is. That’s where we were this past Saturday, soaking in the cacti blooms, birds, flora, interesting scientist’s presentations, Australian walk-about paths, and, best of all, the hunt for the Coati. More on that later. BTA http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/events.html This little gem is hidden away in Superior. It’s about a 1 hour drive from Phoenix, and well worth the drive. If you are a birder – oh my – this is birding heaven. There are so many species that winter here. Hummingbirds are zipping everywhere, bird calls divert your attention constantly, and lots of oohs and ahhs are emitted from the...
Read MoreGoal Wisdom
I’ve read so much about goal setting. SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Short- term, mid-term, and long-term goals. You can set goals for every area of your life: physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial, personal growth, etc. Writing down your goals, research proves, improves the odds of reaching your goals by an impressive percentage. Motivation But what so many goal speaking and seeking people don’t address is the fire within: motivation. Motivation is what keeps you going through dips, crashes, and rainy and hot days. Motivation is why we love watching movies like Rocky and It’s a Wonderful Life. They flood us with inspiration to keep doing the right thing, because see: it...
Read MoreWisdom, please
Wisdom hungry is what I am. There’s a whole lot of information out there. So much knowledge. A lot of it is interesting, but useless. Did you know, for example, that crocodile sizes are influenced by location? If a croc is living in a swimming hole filled with fish and other protein morsels, it will grow into the behemoth of our nightmares. But if the croc’s watery home is protein challenged it will remain a little bitty reptile for all of its life. I never knew that. Not until I watched Nature on PBS last night. Useless information. But interesting. Useless, unless I find myself stranded in the Outback of Australia and I’m really thirsty. Thanks to PBS Nature, I’ll be searching for small, isolated water...
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