1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove.
He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.
2. God won't ask the square footage of your house.
He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.
3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet.
He'll ask how many you helped to clothe
4. God won't ask what your highest salary was.
He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it
5. God won't ask what your job title was.
He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability
6. God won't ask how many friends you had.
He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.
7. God won't ask in what neighbourhood you lived.
He'll ask how you treated your neighbours
8. God won't ask about the colour of your skin.
He'll ask about the content of your character
9. God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Him and get to know Him.
He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not the gates of Hell.
10. God won't have to ask how many people you forwarded this to.
He already knows your decision
I received this from Peter (thanks) who thinks I am a 'keeper', so I've shared it with you. The idea is that you send it to the people who are 'keeper's' in your life. "Good friend are like stars...you don't always see them, but you know they are always there. Keep them close!"
Hey, and no goalie jokes please! Next blog is a contribution from Steve - the offside rule explained for women!
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Friday, January 27, 2006
Some days you live a little, die a little.
I'm berated, on occasions, for not posting everyday! Phew, the pressure of being what Billy Connelly described as "windswept and interesting", which was a funny until he sold out totally to advertise the National Lottery - grrrrrrr!
Quote from the Bridges of Madison County: Things change. They always do, it's one of the things of nature. Most people are afraid of change, but if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a comfort.
Change. Piece of cake, right?
Yesterday was an amazing day. Waking up....again! Seeing Ned's play at school.
Coffee with a wonderful colleague - really stimulated me to think....
"Sometimes a cigar's just a cigar." Freud.
Men's group at lunchtime.
A business meeting in the afternoon - invested 2 hours + travel time, with no visible sign of return / benefit to my organisation until the guy made a throw away comment in the closing exchanges - turned the meeting into something very positive!
Late afternoon - tricky conversation with my sons teacher went really well - bought her a token of appreciation (a Chrysanthemum) and got a kiss this morning! Oh Matron! Errr, yeah, she's a MRS....so back off guys.
Spent some time with a new team member, and later my CEO. My organisation broke some difficult news yesterday. We are closing our Health Club. Some staff will be made redundant. The world has moved on and whereas once we were a successful sole-player in that market place, the club itself is now redundant commercially.
We can't subsidise losses for ever when we have so many young people to cater and care for. Sounds as though we are caring for those who will be disappointed by the news. Have to say there is a sense of relief that a decision has been taken, and a course set - in that sense the above quote applies. Praying for all those affected.
During a conversation in the evening a friend (who had been studying at home most of the day) said "wow, you met lots of people today!" I did. But hadn't appreciated the richness of the day until then. Cool! Was tired though...
Some days you live a little, die a little.
Quote from the Bridges of Madison County: Things change. They always do, it's one of the things of nature. Most people are afraid of change, but if you look at it as something you can always count on, then it can be a comfort.
Change. Piece of cake, right?
Yesterday was an amazing day. Waking up....again! Seeing Ned's play at school.
Coffee with a wonderful colleague - really stimulated me to think....
"Sometimes a cigar's just a cigar." Freud.
Men's group at lunchtime.
A business meeting in the afternoon - invested 2 hours + travel time, with no visible sign of return / benefit to my organisation until the guy made a throw away comment in the closing exchanges - turned the meeting into something very positive!
Late afternoon - tricky conversation with my sons teacher went really well - bought her a token of appreciation (a Chrysanthemum) and got a kiss this morning! Oh Matron! Errr, yeah, she's a MRS....so back off guys.
Spent some time with a new team member, and later my CEO. My organisation broke some difficult news yesterday. We are closing our Health Club. Some staff will be made redundant. The world has moved on and whereas once we were a successful sole-player in that market place, the club itself is now redundant commercially.
We can't subsidise losses for ever when we have so many young people to cater and care for. Sounds as though we are caring for those who will be disappointed by the news. Have to say there is a sense of relief that a decision has been taken, and a course set - in that sense the above quote applies. Praying for all those affected.
During a conversation in the evening a friend (who had been studying at home most of the day) said "wow, you met lots of people today!" I did. But hadn't appreciated the richness of the day until then. Cool! Was tired though...
Some days you live a little, die a little.
Look and learn! [1]
"Trust your feelings, Luke." Obi Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
"I find your lack of faith disturbing." Lord Vader .... can't remember!
"Do or do not. There is no try." Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
When it all comes out in the wash
"Your thoughts are your thoughts ....Give me your opinions and observations. "
If anything in life is worth watching, reading, or listening to, it's often because it stirs our souls and our passions. There is a connection. To him. To her. To the music. To the script. To the images. To a group or a team.
I was in a meeting yesterday that left me highly frustrated. I got back to the office and wrote down 12 reasons why that was.
Observation: have you noticed how when men are asked "how do you feel about that?" they will almost certainly reply along the lines of "I think that..." or "My view is..."
Opinion: I think that guys are less in touch with how they feel about stuff. Especially me.
I don't think that to say I am frustrated about 12 different things is anywhere near a true reflection of what I actually feel. I am trying to learn the process of breaking that stuff down so I can understand it. Frustration, in other words, may be resentment, disappointment, anger, fear, inaction, inappropriateness, desperation, jealousy, dread, confusion and so on, not only in units but a mixture of them?
The process of writing down my list helped my to get to grips with what I was thinking and feeling. I wrote it all in an email about 2 o'clock and decided not to send it. I felt calmer and more in control of my emotions.
A friend today pointed out that an email I sent later about 4.45 pm could have been softer, and so it could. It was another instance of frustration, entirely separate to the above, some of my earlier feelings went into the latter email. Feio!
Can observations connect? Can thoughts? Maybe. But if this blog is worth writing, if it is worth reading, it will be because it means something - to me at least. It is written by a human, not a machine, who cannot easily assign observations, thoughts, opinions and feelings to disconnected compartments.
I guess I could just have presented the above observation and opinion and then said "Discuss". But that seems pretty bland to me. So if, guys, you want my opinions and observations ONLY, it just ain't gonna happen - do you see? Anyway, if YOU have found a way to separate out then, please, tell me your secret! Chow baby. ;o)
If anything in life is worth watching, reading, or listening to, it's often because it stirs our souls and our passions. There is a connection. To him. To her. To the music. To the script. To the images. To a group or a team.
I was in a meeting yesterday that left me highly frustrated. I got back to the office and wrote down 12 reasons why that was.
Observation: have you noticed how when men are asked "how do you feel about that?" they will almost certainly reply along the lines of "I think that..." or "My view is..."
Opinion: I think that guys are less in touch with how they feel about stuff. Especially me.
I don't think that to say I am frustrated about 12 different things is anywhere near a true reflection of what I actually feel. I am trying to learn the process of breaking that stuff down so I can understand it. Frustration, in other words, may be resentment, disappointment, anger, fear, inaction, inappropriateness, desperation, jealousy, dread, confusion and so on, not only in units but a mixture of them?
The process of writing down my list helped my to get to grips with what I was thinking and feeling. I wrote it all in an email about 2 o'clock and decided not to send it. I felt calmer and more in control of my emotions.
A friend today pointed out that an email I sent later about 4.45 pm could have been softer, and so it could. It was another instance of frustration, entirely separate to the above, some of my earlier feelings went into the latter email. Feio!
Can observations connect? Can thoughts? Maybe. But if this blog is worth writing, if it is worth reading, it will be because it means something - to me at least. It is written by a human, not a machine, who cannot easily assign observations, thoughts, opinions and feelings to disconnected compartments.
I guess I could just have presented the above observation and opinion and then said "Discuss". But that seems pretty bland to me. So if, guys, you want my opinions and observations ONLY, it just ain't gonna happen - do you see? Anyway, if YOU have found a way to separate out then, please, tell me your secret! Chow baby. ;o)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Go in peace, or stay and play!
Hi Guys…. Happy New Year.
Haven’t blogged for a while, sorry. Christmas threw my routine completely. I’ve just about got my sleeping patterns together after time off over the holidays. No work, so didn’t get tired, so still still reading at 3 am, so couldn’t get up in the morning!! First day back at school my son woke us up at 8.20 – we slept through the alarm – fastest we have ever got ready and left the house!!
I think I also needed a while to reflect on the comments left for me recently. I think I see where the brothers are coming from, but if you want to take the post below as a thinking or opinions post then… I probably won’t bother. By the way, funny as some of the post is, it doesn’t reflect my views of relationships and, though I observe the reality of some of it, all it really tells us is what we already know - that we are different from women. The interesting bit for me is how to work that out in relationship in a loving win / win situation.
So, am I gonna stick to just opinons? I don’t think so. I offer the process for your benefit. Knowing that it's hard for us guys to talk about lots of this stuff. The purpose is to firstly explore level 5 for myself and secondly to see if my stuff chimes with you.
If it doesn’t it could be you are not wired for a single spark of emotion, but then you may be in denial of that, or have no idea of how to see / feel / share the deeper magic? Whatever, if my stuff doesn’t do it for you – that’s fine. Doesn’t negate who I am, or who you are – so go in peace.
Otherwise, I hope that my level 5 is bearable and that seeing it tried by someone else helps you to reflect who you are and where you are. I was listening to a leader of an national organisation at the weekend talk about his love of orienteering. You're stuck in the middle of somewhere, given a map, and told to get to a particular point. The trouble is, unless you know where you start from, you have no chance of plotting a route. Dig?
Isn't it true that we often realise what we think or feel about something when we have to articulate it to someone else. It's true for me. Hope you'll stay and journey with me. Welcome back. x
Haven’t blogged for a while, sorry. Christmas threw my routine completely. I’ve just about got my sleeping patterns together after time off over the holidays. No work, so didn’t get tired, so still still reading at 3 am, so couldn’t get up in the morning!! First day back at school my son woke us up at 8.20 – we slept through the alarm – fastest we have ever got ready and left the house!!
I think I also needed a while to reflect on the comments left for me recently. I think I see where the brothers are coming from, but if you want to take the post below as a thinking or opinions post then… I probably won’t bother. By the way, funny as some of the post is, it doesn’t reflect my views of relationships and, though I observe the reality of some of it, all it really tells us is what we already know - that we are different from women. The interesting bit for me is how to work that out in relationship in a loving win / win situation.
So, am I gonna stick to just opinons? I don’t think so. I offer the process for your benefit. Knowing that it's hard for us guys to talk about lots of this stuff. The purpose is to firstly explore level 5 for myself and secondly to see if my stuff chimes with you.
If it doesn’t it could be you are not wired for a single spark of emotion, but then you may be in denial of that, or have no idea of how to see / feel / share the deeper magic? Whatever, if my stuff doesn’t do it for you – that’s fine. Doesn’t negate who I am, or who you are – so go in peace.
Otherwise, I hope that my level 5 is bearable and that seeing it tried by someone else helps you to reflect who you are and where you are. I was listening to a leader of an national organisation at the weekend talk about his love of orienteering. You're stuck in the middle of somewhere, given a map, and told to get to a particular point. The trouble is, unless you know where you start from, you have no chance of plotting a route. Dig?
Isn't it true that we often realise what we think or feel about something when we have to articulate it to someone else. It's true for me. Hope you'll stay and journey with me. Welcome back. x
Monday, January 16, 2006
Try these on the wife!
At last it's written down. Finally, the guys' side of the story. Here are the rules from the male side. These are OUR rules!
Please note...these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never goingto think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints! do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem! See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and! void after 7 days.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...really.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as cricket, the offside rule, torque or nano technology.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.
1. Thank you for reading this.
Try these on the wife! Ok, so you'll sleep on the sofa but, hey, it's like camping out ,right? And do we care!?!
Please note...these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.
1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.
1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never goingto think of it that way.
1. Crying is blackmail.
1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:
Subtle hints! do not work!
Strong hints do not work!
Obvious hints do not work!
Just say it!
1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.
1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.
1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem! See a doctor.
1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and! void after 7 days.
1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.
1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.
1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.
1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.
1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.
1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.
1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...really.
1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as cricket, the offside rule, torque or nano technology.
1. You have enough clothes.
1. You have too many shoes.
1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.
1. Thank you for reading this.
Try these on the wife! Ok, so you'll sleep on the sofa but, hey, it's like camping out ,right? And do we care!?!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
