Requirements for Parents

April 27, 2011 by 6 Comments

I HATE roller coasters!

Parenting is not for the weak or faint of heart.  I mean that.  As any parent could tell you, the responsibilities are enormous.  The offspring of human beings are the most dependent for the longest period of time of any mammal.  As our children’s guardians through life, it is our duty to feed them, to clothe them, to protect and lead them.

But the most underrated of our jobs, in my opinion, is to keep the slate with which they’re born as clean and for as long as possible.  Children are born with no (mis)conception of what to expect from the world.  While this naivety can be dangerous (we don’t want them to learn the bad way that running with scissors is bad or that being hit by a car really, really hurts), it is also quite refreshing when you think about it. Read more of this post

Filed under Deep Thoughts and Philosophy Tagged with , , , , ,

Timeliness versus Precision

April 23, 2011 by 2 Comments

Is Speed better than Accuracy?It’s a good thing that crow tastes a lot like chicken- and that I like chicken- because I’ve been eating a lot of it lately.  The latest portion has been served up by way of a discussion or several I’ve had with the leader of one of the companies with which I work.  The long and short of the debate comes down to the importance of timeliness versus the need for accuracy and precision.

You guys know me by now.  I’m a perfectionist.  I like things right.  I insist on putting my best foot forward.  My tagline, after all, is “Addicted to Improvement.”  It is my belief that what people produce and put out for the world to see and consume– whether in words spoken, in writings and reports created, or in physical appearance –is reflective of their personal brand.  So you should always make sure what you do is the absolute best.  Right?  Well, actually I’m wrong.  Sort of. Read more of this post

Filed under Business Stuff, Company Strategy and Culture Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

Recipe for Change: Less Everyday

April 19, 2011 by 21 Comments

Last week, a friend asked what I’d given up for Lent. Well, since I am more of a “Recovering Catholic” than a Catholic, “I suppose I have given up GUILT this year,” I responded. So far it feels pretty good to not worry about a stray chocolate chip (the year I gave up chocolate), a slipped F-bomb (the year I gave up cussing), or being bitchy (the entire 40 days that I refrained from caffeine).

I’m already solid with workouts since I teach six classes per week and do my best to practice Bikram yoga (http://bikramyogalajolla.com) when possible. I generally eat well and don’t have too nasty of a potty mouth (though some may disagree!). So, in recent years, Lent has been purely about guilt for me, which I suppose is ultimately the objective. I would set my sights too high and invariably fail. Technically, Lent is the 6-week preparation period from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday when Christians ready themselves for Holy Week and Easter with prayer, almsgiving, repentance and self-denial. But, for many of us, the religious aspect is lost and Lent is simply relegated to an incentive program to get us moving on a new exercise regimen, diet, or unrealistic deprivation, literally guilting those of us raised on tabernacle wafers and watered down box wine to get to mass, skip the caffeine or sweet-tasting mouthful, and to exclaim “oh, shizer” instead of “oh, shit.” Read more of this post

Filed under Julie M., Uncategorized

Uncommon Courtesy

April 19, 2011 by Leave a comment

I received a comment on my 100th post from a colleague of mine, someone I respect immensely.  After seeing that her email was one I wasn’t used to, I visited her blog and found one of many posts I really liked, Uncommon Courtesy.  It’s amazing how much you can learn about life and the world at large by stopping to learn about people in the outer circle of your life.  Ask the person in the cube next to you what they enjoy doing.  Ask the mailman why he is smiling this morning.  Ask your daughter’s teacher or son’s coach or the Bible School teacher why they do what they do.  At the end of the day, it is my belief, we are all doing the best we can with what we have.

Filed under Deep Thoughts and Philosophy, Family and Friends, Self Improvement & Motivation Tagged with , ,

Just Like Bowling! (Monday’s Workout)

April 18, 2011 by Leave a comment

I have a saying: “Once you knock that first pin down, the rest will fall!”  I normally use it a the gym in reference to my Monday workouts, but you can apply it to a lot of areas in your life.

So, I just got back from ‘Bowling” and aforementioned ‘first pin’ has been knocked down: Read more of this post

Filed under Deep Thoughts and Philosophy, Fitness Stuff, Self Improvement & Motivation Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →