Friday, May 10, 2013
Just a stream of consciousness on life as the rain falls outside of my window.
As much as a sunny day gives me the “get-out-and-go” feeling, there is nothing like the relaxing energy that comes out of a rainy day like the one I am experiencing right now. I have always loved rainy weather and the calm vibes that they generously give the soul. The skies are cloudy, the temperature is cool and the air is filled with the sound of falling raindrops. This setting is the perfect backdrop for some good ol’ calm reflection if I ever heard one. Sure the body is tired due to the lack of sun, but that is just your mind telling you it is time to slow down and think for a while. Don’t resist the temptation to let yourself get a little more relaxed on a rainy day. Right now I am looking out of the window and watching the rain …
Friday, May 3, 2013
There is always work to get done, but there is also an equal amount of relaxation to be had.
My father always had a saying that has stuck with my over the years: “Work hard, play hard.” Those words are what I design my work life around. Getting my never ending workload done as efficiently as possible to get the best outcome there is. My philosophy has always been to work twice as hard when I can, so I can be twice as lazy later. I have always liked that balance. Many people I know fall to either one side or the other when it comes to being productive. They either kill themselves with work and leave no time to relax, or relax far too much without anything to show for it. There are so many hardworking people around here, but their stress levels usually range from high to “about to throw a golf club into a windshield.” On top of …
Friday, April 26, 2013
Moments are not meant to be seized or captured. They need to be set free.
There are some moments in life where everything seems to be perfect. It can be a fit of laughter with a good friend, cuddle time with the family pet or a sip of coffee at a cafe (which I am currently engaging in.) Moments like these can seem fleeting and appear to leave faster than they came. You’ll never know when they come, or when they will return again, but they are always out there waiting to be cherished. The temptation is always to hold onto them for as long as possible, but the need to cling to a moment can detract from what makes it so special. Time spent wondering how to embrace an feeling is time taken away from that moment. Modern society wants to capture every moment. Everything needs to be photographed or recorded in order …
Friday, April 19, 2013
For the first time ever, a horrific story threatens the people I care about most.
I cried for the first time since I can remember. I have heard stories of irreplaceable loss, been on the scene of terrible accidents and followed updates for terrible tragedies. Yet the news of Monday’s bombing during the Boston Marathon hit me the hardest I’ve ever been hit. People I loved were down there, and I had no idea if they were okay. This is a feeling I have never had before. Tragedy was always safely tucked behind a screen, and could be turned off at any time. The fear I felt couldn’t be turned off and had no mute button to shut it out. I was lucky. I got to watch it all through my laptop. There I sat helpless as images of the seriously injured reluctantly surfaced alongside video of chaos and screaming. Stuck waiting as I …
Friday, April 12, 2013
Staying cool is the best way to get through any tough situation.
Anyone else seeing all of the “Keep Calm and Carry On” products at novelty and home furnishing stores? I certainly have. This simple phrase was nothing but a mystery to me until my old buddy Wikipedia gave me the scoop (like always.) Apparently this phrase was used as British propaganda after major attacks on their cities. That got me thinking. Sometimes a day can feel like a war zone as problems attack from all sides, and negativity is launched from behind cover. It can be a broken-down car or a nasty encounter on the workplace, but some days that is just one of the many worries piling on. The first instinct to these issues are to run away and hide, or fight back. Neither of these methods are particularly useful. Those who run solve …
Friday, April 5, 2013
Some things have a cost that can't be paid out of the wallet.
As a young 20-something, I have friends who are on a wide range of the career spectrum in today’s economy. Some are doing very well for themselves, while others are working just to hold onto their part-time job. One complaint I usually hear is that no fun can be had without paying for it. How can a person living from paycheck to paycheck possibly have enough funds to enjoy themselves? They can. Now don’t get me wrong. It is always a great time to go out to a nice dinner, see a show, shoot hoops with President Obama and buy gold plated bottles of champagne on a weekly basis. (I would like to pretend that is my life) Having money for good times is always a plus, but not a complete necessity to enjoy the finer things in life. Here are some …
Friday, March 29, 2013
Harnessing multiple viewpoints is the best way to tackle any issue, even if it is much harder than relying on a fixed one.
“The more you know, the less you understand.” - Lao Tzu from the Tao Te Ching. Knowing a little is MUCH easier than knowing a whole lot. Having a fixed, narrow point of view makes understanding the world a bit simpler. The complexities of an ever-changing life can be tackled when everything is turned into either black or white. Owning only one point of view, much like they say about ignorance, is bliss. No need to think about all of those pesky things like opposing views and contradictory evidence when your mind is in a little box. Why learn more when confining your thoughts is just much more convenient? I see so many variations of this mindset in everything from a political debate to a philosophical topic it is crazy. Many can be seen…
Friday, March 22, 2013
The house or yard isn't the only thing that needs a little upkeep here and there.
Everybody has said it with zeal at least once the past few days: “Winter is over.” Spring is the season that just makes you want to do things. Clean out the closet, dust off the Bowflex or just do something new for a change. The snow is melting (well, not fast enough) and everything out there is looking brand new again. It is always a good idea to look for mental and physical “clean ups” during times like these. Something to turn around that stagnation and pump some of that energy into yourself. There is no reason why a new season can’t be a jump start to something new. Cleaning up from within means shedding any negative feelings you have clung to or bad habits that have become routine. Just like the warmer temperature makes your pets …
Friday, March 15, 2013
Talking to strangers is a good thing...when you are older.
So I was working in my favorite spot today, A&E Cafe, and had something happen that is usually out of the ordinary in this modern world. A stranger came over to start a conversation. This mystical experience only happens once in a while in our untrustworthy world, but whenever it does it always puts a smile on my face. A person that I don't know actually taking a chance and interacting with another human? Absurd! He came over and complimented my stylish green glasses, which gave me a bonus ego boost. His kids were with him and we had a nice conversation about the job of children in our lives. Then they left and I proceeded to get back to the daily news grind. Simple as that. Nothing crazy or extraordinary to see here. Yet a simple …
Friday, March 8, 2013
What we can learn from these chubby felines about accepting ourselves.
I spent my lunch break today doing one of my favorite activities: watching cat videos on Youtube (As the kids would say: #YOLO.) I stumbled across this gem as I was browsing through pages of videos after searching for “fat cats” specifically (regular cats just weren’t going to do it for me today folks.) This news anchor can’t hold in her laughter as a very fat cat named Holly attempts to lose weight by swimming. The tubby feline apparently “dislikes the outdoors and other physical activity,” according to the news station. She can laugh all she wants, but there is no beast with more confidence and poise than a Fat Cat. The web is full of stories about the declining self-esteem, for both sexes, as we attempt to wriggle our way through a web …
Robert Michaelson
4:19 pm on Friday, April 5, 2013
No problamo! :-D more ›