Posts Tagged ‘Self-Improvement’

Are you a parent? When your kids were born, didn’t you sometimes stare down at those miniature versions of yourself and wonder how they’d turn out? Maybe you fantasized that one day they’d grow up to lead your nation or your favorite sports team, to run a big company or find the cure for cancer, to crusade for peace or feed the hungry. Or maybe you just hoped they’d grow up healthy, happy, and successful at whatever they chose to do.

Not to burst the parental bubble, but according to a recent study on teen motivation and engagement in civic life, the vast majority of American kids lack the fundamental factors that combine to set them on any kind of positive life course.

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When the traffic light turns green, I’m usually quick to hit the gas and barrel through the intersection. But on this day, for some inexplicable reason, I feel the need to hang back for several seconds. Suddenly, a car runs the opposing red light at high speed. If I’d hurried into the intersection, as I usually did, I’d have been broadsided.

My brother and sister-in-law are heading home from an afternoon get-together at a friend’s house. My brother would usually turn right to leave the development. But on this day, for some inexplicable reason, he turns left—and sees the tornado heading straight for them. He’s able to make a u-turn and get back to the shelter of his friend’s home. If he’d gone the other way, as he usually did, he wouldn’t have seen the tornado that devastated much of the neighborhood until it was too late.

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Launching a Web site has been an adventure. It’s also been a reaffirmation of Murphy’s Law. When my site designer was available, I was sick. When I finally felt up to par, his wife needed surgery. When all the humans recovered, my laptop casing inexplicably cracked and even duct tape couldn’t save it. Before finding the Logo Co., the terrific firm that created my logo, I wasted nearly a month working with designers who never met a piece of clip art they didn’t like. And now that we’re finally up and running, we’re trying to work our way through the daily glitches that seem to pop up with the launch of any enterprise.

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Too bad that can’t be said of the rest of us.

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A helicopter. After being stranded thanks to other delayed flights with this carrier, I thought it only fair that this time the airline should comp me a helicopter to La Guardia. And I wanted transportation from customs to the helicopter pad at JFK and then from the helicopter pad to the gate at La Guardia. It took a lot of polite persistent persuasion, but the airline finally granted the requests. Not bad maneuvering for a nearly broke recent college grad. But, hey, I was just channeling Lucy Ricardo.

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Larry Walters wasn’t a famous movie star like Dean. He was just a 33-year-old truck driver living in San Pedro, Calif., and if not for Fulghum, I’d never have known his name. But I stuck Larry’s story on my wall because he was a dreamer and one day he did something wild, wonderful, and totally insane. His story has been inspiring dreamers ever since.  

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It’s kind of tough to change your life when you can barely drag yourself out of bed. If you’re having trouble getting motivated, maybe what you really need is a good dose of Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell, or John Candy. According to two new studies, the adage is true: Laughter is the best medicine. 

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“I don’t want to gain immortality through my work. I want to gain immortality by not dying.”

Of course, writer/director Woody Allen knows better. But when, despite my earnest attempts to explain otherwise, my then six-year-old nephew insisted—red-faced at the top of his lungs—just because people get old doesn’t mean they have to die!!! I didn’t have the heart to keep arguing. Passionate protests aside, I suspect he knew better, too.

When it comes to moving mountains, we understand that while we may be able to survive an accident or illness and postpone our departure for a while, death is one challenge that will eventually best us all. But beyond the last gasp, what other mountains should we learn to accept as permanent parts of our landscape? And which should we fight to move? If you’re having trouble deciding which challenges to take on, try asking yourself these questions:

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