Tag: NeverFeartheDream

Posted in Philosophy

The Goal: Average

Posted on by simplebender

Ask yourself if you would rather be called ‘Average’ or, ‘Average At All Things’?

No, seriously, ask yourself; and give the question a lot of thought.  They are different.  How you answer could dictate your outlook on your entire life and influence your assessment of everyone around you.

Be realistic as you ponder this.  Every day you strive to excel in so many things; your relationships, profession, education, arts, hobbies, and athletics.  You measure yourself against your peers and your competition.  Your supervisor and coach assess your performance and give you advice on how to improve.  Your peers and competition may not be so willing to help you excel.  Those with whom you are in a relationship; well, they shouldn’t be trying to change you, they should be accepting and enjoying (but that’s a topic for later).

Of course, you’re not ‘average’; that’s for someone else; the other folks not trying as hard as you to be the best.  And you’ll be damned if you’ll accept being average at all things; you work too hard.  Be realistic….

What does being ‘Average’ really mean?  Statistically, it’s a single measure which summarizes the general significance of a set of unequal values.  It means, if you honestly assess your relative level of performance, or expertise, you are going to be better than some and inferior to others.  Strive as you might, as they are too, there will always be those better and worse than you across the spectrum of your life activities.

If you’re ‘Average At All Things’ you acquiesce being, or striving to be, better than anyone at anything.  You accept mediocrity.  You will neglect some aspects and struggle in others.  Will you not strive to improve in those areas you can?  Will you take for granted your natural talent?

If your answer is yes; then enjoy the stagnation of mediocrity.  Forever forgoing the intoxication of victory and the power of re-commitment after failure.

As for me, I’m working and training just to be called ‘average’… but down-deep for ‘above average’.

#NeverFearTheDream #Average #WatchoutForTheCrazies #MakeItGreat

Posted in Philosophy

Indecision is a Decision

Posted on by simplebender

Being indecisive is clearly a decision.  It’s a decision to abdicate your rights and obligations and let events, and/or others, decide for you.  It’s a decision to acknowledge you aren’t in control of yourself.

Maybe you are overwhelmed with too many options or opinions.  Maybe you don’t have a clear direction or have no dreams to catch.  Maybe you are paralyzed into inaction because you are over thinking and over analyzing the opportunity.

Regardless of your ‘maybe’; you’ve let go and now are a leaf adrift in the current of life’s river. Events are in control, and they don’t care about you.   You have no one to blame but yourself.  Unfortunately, you will probably, inappropriately, blame everyone else for the events which unfold.  The opportunities missed.  The challenges left for someone else.  The exhilaration of the try.  The excitement of the win, and the loss.  All gone, you are along for the ride.

The good news is, it’s never too late to change.  It is up to you, and only you.  So; do you want to decide to decide?  Know you will inevitably make mistakes, and that’s alright. Just don’t make the same mistake twice.  Or, do you want the uncontrolled alternative.  Either way you have no one to blame but yourself; you might as well step up and be in control.

 

#NeverFearTheDream #IndecisionisaDecision #WatchoutForTheCrazies #MakeItGreat #KicktheCan

Posted in Philosophy

Dreams are meant to be caught….

Posted on by simplebender

If, everyday you’re not doing something daunting; why bother.  Worthwhile dreams are supposed to be daunting.  They are also meant to be caught.  We should never stop dreaming and should never fear our dreams.  They propel us forward to achieve things greater than we would have expected.  No matter how audacious, dreams can be caught.  It just takes work.  Your dreams inspire you, they compel you, they drive you, they improve you.

Believe in your dreams with as much heart as you believe in yourself; because, they are one in the same.  Share your dreams; let others help and celebrate with you.  Dreams are not fantasies.  Fantasies are emotional illusions, mind mirages.  Dreams are our inspirations.  Goals are waypoints in pursuit of our dreams.  As long as we believe, strive, and achieve; dreams become real

Do something daunting today and every day.  Dream and achieve; then dream again… It will change your life.

Go Catch a Dream.

 

#NeverFearTheDream #DoSomethingDaunting #CatchDreams #WatchoutForTheCrazies #MakeItGreat

Posted in Philosophy

Who am I?

Posted on by simplebender

It’s the hardest question seldom asked.  It’s the question I should be asking myself before I ask; Who are you?  And it’s the question only I can answer.

The answer isn’t what I’ve done.  That’s ‘What I was.’  It isn’t what I’m going to do.  That’s ‘What I want to be.’  It’s not what I know; because the more I think I know the more I know I don’t know.  It isn’t what I believe; because my beliefs have changed as I’ve lived life.  Who I am, is a swirling blend of them all.

What I’ve done is my foundation for what I want to do.  I am what I was and what I hope to be. What I think I know is the foundation for what I currently believe.  I’ve learned from what I thought I knew and challenge what I believe.  It’s upon these shifting foundations I will build my future.  I will Never Fear the Dream, but I will have a Dream.

Who am I?  Because I’m alive, I’m excited to think I’ll probably never be able to succinctly answer the question; but, I’ll keep asking.  If you are living and growing, you probably can’t answer either.  And that’s okay.  Be who you are; because, in your own way, you are amazing.

 

#NeverFearTheDream  #WhoAmI #MakeItGreat  #WatchoutForTheCrazies

Posted in Philosophy

Have or Make…..

Posted on by simplebender

My father-in-law was in the habit of saying goodbye with ‘have a great one…’.  He was a thoughtful man and truly wanted you to have, not a ‘good’, but a ‘great one’.  However, phrase ‘have a great..’ anything has always struck me a bit passive, almost submissive.    Why be satisfied with ‘have a great one’ when you can ‘MAKE a great one’?

You’re in control of, and responsible for, yourself.  How you think about and perceive things.  How you act and react.  If you want a great day why wait for fate, or destiny, or someone else to give it to you.  No one can make it great, or crappy, except for you.  You choose.

Every minute of every day you are presented with challenges.  Opportunities to excel.  How you perceive them dictates how you will respond.  Will you allow them, or someone, to control the outcome?  Should you? Why would you?

If you are going to resolve to do anything this new year, commit yourself to taking charge of yourself and MAKE a great one….

And in the world we live in today I’d be remise not to include my Dad’s succinct goodbye… ‘watch out for the crazies…’  I’m just glad he didn’t say ‘watch out; you’re crazy…’

MAKE A GREAT ONE….It’s crazy not to…..

 

#watchoutforthecrazies  #makeagreatone  #neverfearthedream

Posted in Philosophy

Know Your Why; Plan Your How…..

Posted on by simplebender

 

goal-setting2

Know Your Why; Plan Your How…….

We are being inundated by social media, newspaper editorials and comics, radio and tv commercials, coaches, managers, friends, neighbors, and family imploring us to set our New Year’s goals.   There is not passion in goals.  They will leave you unsatisfied if too low, disillusioned if too high, and/or are rendered meaningless and summarily dismissed if too much of your environment changes. Let’s not spend any time on something we’re going dismiss; so, just say NO to goals.  What, no goals?….that’s right;  NO goals.

Rather than goals; know your why and plan your how.  We’ve been taught and browbeat to establish ‘SMART’ goals.  However, nothing in a ‘SMART’ goal is from your soul, no commitment, no understanding of WHY that’s your pursuit, your dream.  Look deep inside and clearly determine why you want to commit to accomplish anything.  Without a clear WHY, you can’t really focus, will miss your mark and fail.

Keep asking yourself why until your motivations and aspirations are clear. Once you articulate WHY, plan your HOW.  Your plan should acknowledge your strengths, weaknesses, fears, and confidences.  Bolster your strengths and focus on your weaknesses.  Include regular opportunities to benchmark your progress.  Strive for constant improvement, ok, maybe that’s your goal; but not your end.  With a WHY and a PLAN there is no end.  There is a cycle Plan-Do-Check, repeat.  You can adjust your plan to account for changing circumstance, as long as it squarely addresses your dream.

Don’t limit yourself by setting goals.  Dig deep; know your why and plan your how and get better and better and better…..

 

#NeverFeartheDream

Posted in Political

Amerihypocrism…

Posted on by simplebender

amerihyp

The outrage, the unbelievable, the unimaginable;  a foreign nation interfering with another’s national elections and governmental process. The audacity of disclosing emails; the horror. Marshall the members of the Senate and the House.  Form special committees, investigate and retaliate… but, but, wait; take a deep breath….
Let’s look at ourselves in this process.  We, the United States, have sponsored, promoted, and engaged in overt and covert regime change actions as a standard practice.  Since the end of WWII Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been a, not so subtle, influencing tool we’ve employed to spread our version of the truth to destabilize the communist east.  We double downed and added Radio Free China and Radio Free Cuba, along with others as well.  We’ve spied upon and hacked our allies’ networks; as they no doubt have done to ours. We’ve participated in and sponsored ‘justified’ attempts at regime change, which were ‘in our country’s best interest’.  We were there in Chile ’73, Nicaragua ’82-’89, Panama ’89, Haiti ’91, Iraq ’94-’96,  Iran ’03 & ’05, Libya ’11,  and Syria ’05-’16.  
And now we’re incensed over the exposure of emails during our Presidential election.  We should be more incensed over the DNC favoritism and manipulation during the primaries.  More frustrated by the arrogance of candidates who put themselves above the law and common sense for convenience. More disappointed by the pandering and policy statements in private fund-raising and speaking engagements which were found to be in direct conflict with what was being declared publicly. 
Maybe it does matter how we found out about these travesties.  But maybe, just maybe, it matters more that they took place than were disclosed.  Whether it was Assange, Wikileaks, Russia, Putin, or that guy in Jersey, we found our system is not pure and clean.  Something we already knew, Bernie told us, but who listened? 
Before we get too carried away with our outrage let’s take a real hard look in the mirror and reassess our efforts in regime influencing and change.    This year, the choice between a bombastic, insulting chauvinist and an arrogant, deceitful elitist left us to wallow in a cesspool of our own making.  Our system works best with an educated, informed electorate and candidates who are willing to engage in thoughtful policy debate. The principles of our system are strong, but let’s recognize other nation’s will also do ‘what’s in the best interest of their country’ just as we have repeatedly done for ours, and will undoubtedly continue to do.
#NeverFearTheDream
Posted in Political

Electoral Sports

Posted on by simplebender

score

After this election, as many are thinking about dumping the Electoral College, we should reassess and change how the victor of our favorite sports are declared.  If we are willing to accept the nation’s highest office be determined by the major population centers, the states of New York and California, and a few counties in Florida; then we should be demanding a change in sports as well.

We shouldn’t accept football scores as the way to determine the winner.  The victor should be based on total yardage.  After all it’s more exciting to see a lot of offense, and who really cares about those few yards in the Red Zone.  Winners in basketball and hockey, well of course, should be based on shots on goal.  Counting if they made their mark is silly, just keep shooting that’s what’s fun.  Baseball, clearly should be based on the the number of hits.  After all, getting a hit is the hardest thing to do in sports.  Tennis, well surely, most hits on ball; because what the hell is a love game anyway? And my favorite, being a fiscal conservative social liberal; golf.  With the cost of green fees; without question, golf should be based on number of swings.  It’s silly to win with the lowest number of strokes.  After all, I get more swings per buck than anyone I know.  And my passion, triathlons; well, just finish, uninjured, and you’re a winner.

The presidential race, well, it wasn’t as close as it might seem.  Ok; one candidate, did get  more individual votes.  Maybe about 1% of all votes cast.  Let’s look a little deeper.  The ultimate winner won 31 states to 19; a 62% win margin.  On the Electoral College front, needing 270 votes, one received 306 the other 228; a 57% win margin.  Geographically, by county results, the winner took over 80%.  There aren’t many ways one can make the outcome any different and still be representative.

But hey, I’m gonna continue to lobby for my swings per buck trophy and just keep finishing those tri’s.

#NeverFeartheDream
Posted in Political

Stuck in a Jam….

Posted on by simplebender
traffic2I paused on an overpass viewing the highway traffic coming and going.  When I noticed a few on the right had made poor choices resulting in an unfortunate altercation.  The right lanes almost immediately came to a halt as their sudden loss of momentum caused subsequent accidents.  Backing up and in the ditch, the masses stymied and stopped by those decisions.  It’s hard to tell if it’s a major accident or a series of minor incidents, nevertheless traffic stacked up. 
But then, I noticed the left lanes beginning to slow and they too came to a virtual halt.  The left, not directly affected by the right, had become so absorbed with the events they too became slowed and bottlenecked.  Although uncertain to the magnitude of the right’s calamity became embroiled in their own mess, but by their own choosing.  The on and off-ramps completely stopped; so, no matter right or left, those wanting to leave or join the mainstream, in either direction, were trapped in the every growing morass.  The left began to express anger at those on the right, but they were stuck by their own actions. 
It seems that rather than accept the situation for what it is, and control our own actions, we are too quick to blame others for our own misfortune, real or imaginary.  The jam we are in, or might be in, if of our own making, is for us to resolve.  If, it is because we gawked in awe and disbelief, or curiosity, then we impeded ourselves; shame on us, not on them.  Stay focused, attentive, and true to your own course and everything will work out.  Treat the other drivers as your conscious dictates, but no less than you want to be treated. 
Now,  if we can only clear at least one lane on the right, maybe the left will stop gawking and honking.
#NeverFeartheDream
Posted in Philosophy

Silhouettes…..

Posted on by simplebender
Silhouettes…..
silhoette
Long after the buds became leaves.  After the green leaves fluttered in the warm summer breeze.  After they slowly changed to yellow and red radiance in the crisp fall air.  Soon after they lost their grasp and fell to the ground.  Their silhouettes magically appear for us to remember and enjoy their existence.  So are our memories of people and events of our lives.  We desperately strive to make some always present and pray painful ones quickly fade.  With time, details become blurred; but, are forever emblazoned upon our soul. They make us what we are and will influence what we will be.  Your silhouette has and will undoubtedly be part of other’s future, so be as unforgettable as possible.   Don’t be alarmed, your’s too will be one to remember to some and hoped to fade to others.  Either way, you may get only one chance; make the best of it.
#NeverFeartheDream