The best way to make
Valentine’s Day
a
l i f e s t y l e
of being an ongoing
Caring Catalyst
is summed up with
JUST 4 WORDS
l e t
y o u r
l o v e
f l o w
The H A N D
I’ve got to
H A N D I T
to you. . .
no pun intended!
Really. . .
It’s never the Hand
you’ve been dealt. . .
Go ahead. . .
finish the cliche. . .
it’s the way you play it!
W R O N G !
When I do my presentation:
DID YOU HEAR WHAT I DIDN’T SAY,
I always H A N D
everyone a card as they walk in
and then I let them choose one on their own. . .
Most ask,
“Am I allowed to look ?” or
“What’s this for ?”
Then I forget about it. . .
almost until the middle to end of my talk;
I tell them to take their cards and ask:
“W H O W O N ?”
It’s amazing to me how many people
tell me that they have won and why. . .
. . .Say’s Who ?
“Why did you win?”
I ask,
don’t we know what game we’re playing and more. . .
here’s the clincher:
W H A T A R E T H E R U L E S ?
We play
U N A N N O U N C E D
G a m e s
e v e r y d a y
and as if that’s bad enough,
what’s worse,
we’re trying to F I G U R E
out the rules
let alone being willing to play by them;
Each person,
friend,
family,
stranger
deals up a set of cards for us
and the Game is O N !
The most important Language you’ll ever Speak
or Hear
is the one you’ll never utter or detect by sound,
but begging to be understood. . .
Pssssssssst of the Day:
It’s never the Hand you’ve been dealt,
or the Hand you’ve had
or are currently holding right now. . .
It’s Not the Hand you’re playing—
It’s the Hand you are Extending. . .
the hand you are Sharing. . .
the Hand you’re Giving. . .
and yes, most importantly,
the Hand you’re holding
(THAT’S ATTACHED TO ANOTHER ARM)!
NEVER let the hand you’re dealt
interfere with the
H a n d y o u E x t e n d. . .
The Other PERCENT
Sadly,
we don’t have to be Mathematicians
to know about Percentages, do we?
It makes us ask some fairly significant
UN-Mathematic Questions:
Is “G O O D E N O U G H,”
g o o d e n o u g h ?
O U C H
of the day just might be to actually take the time to consider the
99.9%’s of our lives and how
T H E Y J U S T A R E N ‘ T G O O D E N O U G H:
* The IRS would lose 2 million documents this year
* 22,000 checks will be deducted from the wrong bank account in the next hour
* Telecommunications companies will misdirect 1, 314 telephone calls every minute
* 2,4800 books will be shipped with the wrong covers on them each day
* More than 5.5 million cases of soft drinks in the next year will be flat
* 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions will be written each year
* 12 babies will be given to the wrong parents each day
Uhhhhh, being GOOD ENOUGH
is just not being GOOD ENOUGH
any way you add, subtract, multiply or divide the percentages.
How about we switch it up a little.
IF ALL OF THOSE NEGATIVE THINGS COULD HAPPEN
by not giving our 99.9%
What ONE POSITIVE THING could possibly happen if
F O R E V E R
we actually just gave our .1% of Compassion–FULLY–
U N D I L U T E D ?
Seriously, if a little bad can destroy a lot of good. . .
CAN’T A LITTLE GOOD OBLITERATE A LOT OF TERRIBLE?
Pssssssst: Here’s the things about Percentages–
They’re meant to be challenged and yes, surpassed;
When it comes to DOING GOOD, the numbers seldom add up. . .
Most Compassionate Acts of Kindness never do. . .
Love THOSE Odds!
Is GOOD ENOUGH,
g o o d e n o u g h ?
No. . .
Concentrated Compassion
is better. . .
ALL–WAYS!
The O T H E R P E R C E N T
n e v e r l i e s !
T O U C H E D
He was the first AIDS patient I had ever met, let alone visit.
He was in the hospital and I was a part-time Protestant Chaplain.
I HAD TO VISIT HIM
within the first 24 hours of his admittance;
He was sick. . .
very, very sick. . .
It was 1993
He didn’t say he was gay
. . .I didn’t ask.
I introduced myself and explained why I was coming by to visit him.
I asked if he was comfortable and if there were was a Church or someone he wanted me to contact?
He told me that he grew up Catholic and had fallen away. . .
that he never felt comfortable or was made to feel welcome. . .
He told me that
‘t h e s t o r i e s’
didn’t ever make much sense to him
and felt like it was a little late to make any sense of them now. . .
He told me that he was a professional Ice-Skater/Choreographer
and really missed being with his students;
While we talking an Aide brought in his lunch–
Soup. . .
some orange jiggly jello. . .
a toasted cheese sandwich. . .
a carton of milk. . .
and an extra side of sandwich;
There were tears in his eyes which started streaming down his cheeks. . .
and before I could say another word. . .
“THEY do this three times a day. . .
THREE TIMES. . .
and then walk out thinking I can feed myself. . .”
He half laughed as he started sobbing
“JESUS CHRIST. . . I’M IN HERE BECAUSE I CAN’T FEED MYSELF!”
We both started laughing. . .
I opened up his milk carton and put a straw in it and gave him a sip
I cut his toasted cheese sandwich into small squares and gave him a bite
I brought the bowl of soup to his lips so he could sip it
I put a spoon in the jello and brought a small spoonful of jiggle to his mouth
I wiped his chin when another sip of milk dribbled out
and I held his hand
and I held his hand
and I held his hand
and I held his hand
and asked him if he wanted me to offer a prayer. . .
He put his other hand over top of mine
and didn’t look up
for what seemed like a longer than a significant moment could ever hold;
He spoke very slowly and almost in a sigh:
“You know. . .
I can’t remember the last time that anyone has ever touched me without having to. . .
I can’t remember anyone ever touching me without gloves on or wearing protective clothing. . .
I can’t remember. . .
I can’t remember. . .
I can’t remember. . . .”
he said over and over again.
I broke the trance
by asking him again if it would be okay if I offered him that prayer. . .
I’ll never forget what he said next:
“YOU JUST DID”
I said what you usually do a the end of a prayer as I squeezed his hand:
“a m e n”
T O U C E D
It wasn’t the first time
it certainly hasn’t been the last time
but I’m at the very best of me
when I can’t answer,
t r u t h f u l l y
WHO
TOUCHED
WHO ?
The Man on The Moon
https://youtu.be/wuz2ILq4UeA
Are you more of a
V E R B
o r a
N O U N ?
There are lots of Seasons
There are lots of comings and goings
There are lots of Beginnings and Endings
There are lots of Starts and Finishes
There are lots of things that none of those things can compare. . .
L O N E L I N E S S
being just one of them. . .
Loneliness is the only season that lasts all twelve months—
no vacation or holiday.
H O W E V E R
I F
Loneliness were a Disease,
YOU’D be the Cure. . .
I F
Loneliness were a Destination,
YOU’D be the Road from it. . .
I F
Loneliness were a complex Math problem,
YOU’D be the Answer. . .
I F
Loneliness were an Ocean,
YOU’D be it’s Shore. . .
I F
Loneliness were a a Sunset
YOU’D be its Sunrise. . .
I F
Loneliness were a Sentence
YOU’D be its Reprieve. . .
I F
Loneliness were a Verdict
YOU’D be its Appeal. . .
I F
Loneliness were hunger
YOU’D be its Banquet. . .
I F
Loneliness were Thirst
YOU’D be its Oasis. . .
I F
Loneliness were poison
YOU’D be its Antidote. . .
I F
Loneliness were Antarctica
YOU’D be its Equator. . .
I F
Loneliness were a man on the moon
YOU’D be his first Visitor. . .
Y O U
are the Great answer to
Loneliness in all of its forms and guises
I F
You’re more of a
V E R B
than a
N O U N
by just
s h o w i n g u p
instead of just shaking your head and
t a l k i n g i t a b o u t i t . . .
The man on the moon would really like
T H A T . . .
people much,
m u c h closer would, too;
Every Season should have an Ending
after it’s Beginning. . .
Loneliness is the one Season
you can have Effect of
not just ending. . .
but actually making it
e x t i n c t. . .
Are you more of a
V E R B
or a
N O U N ?
SOME ONE
is looking for you to
S H O W T H E M !
F O C U S
in on
t h e m . . .
Make half-way around the world
a
t o u c h
a w a y
All Hands ON. . .
The problem with
H A N D S
is not that we all have them. . .
it’s that they are not always joined;
Our hands c a n
and have done so much on their own. . .
but when they are joined together with other hands
the imagination isn’t vast enough to comprehend
what can be accomplished;
Could have H A N D S joined together
stopped the tragic,
senseless violence that takes place all to often in
Anywhere, USA. . . ?
P E R H A P S
We will never know. . .
but H A N D S joined together can go along way in
providing the
H E A L I N G
What to do. . .
Imperfect hands in an imperfect world. . .
S I M P L E :
H E A L I T !
I’m often. . .
too often reminded
Of the story of a Rabbi who prayed daily that God would make a perfect world in which there would be no hatred, jealousy, pain, disease, pain or problems. One night, God appeared to the Rabbi in a dream and took him on tour of the world made perfect. The Rabbi saw his house, his synagogue, his town. Lions and lambs laid together. Still, the Rabbi was troubled. . .something was missing. “Where am I in this perfect world?” the Rabbi asked. God offered an apologetic answer: “This is the Perfect World you requested. You must understand that you are not perfect, so you cannot be included.”
Now, this is where
I would usually plug in some
facts,
figures,
data
scientific studies
that would prove
K I N D N E S S
is not just an option
it’s a healthier life style. . .
but
sometimes you just don’t need a study
to tell you
what you already know. . .
F A C T :
Terrible. . .
most horrible things take place in our lives and in our World
but they have no relationship on how we live our lives of
Care and Compassion. . .
F A C T :
Expecting the World to treat us fairly
because we are nice people
is like expecting a Bull not to gore us
just because we’re vegetarians. . .
F A C T :
We may never be able to prevent horrible events from happening again. . .
but by coming together
by joining hands
by Unconditionally Caring
by Unrelentlessly being Compassionate
we lessen pain and make the World a better place
N O M A T T E R W H A T
F A C T :
The Future isn’t a place we go to
It’s a Place we Create
F A C T :
By joining hands in Care and Compassion
the Future becomes a much better
P R E S E N T
a more hopeful
N O W
Join me
p l e a s e
oh please oh please oh
p l e a s e
A Place
https://youtu.be/aFPcsYGriEs
Is there
a
P L A C E
A
S P O T
that makes it feel like a
h o l i d a y
even when. . .
especially when it actually
i s n ‘ t. . . ?
Maybe it’s where
you are known. . .
maybe it’s where
you are comfortable. . .
maybe it’s where
you are misunderstood. . .
maybe it’s where
you are embarrassed. . .
maybe it’s where
you are feared. . .
maybe it’s where
you are seemingly out of place. . .
maybe it’s where
you are . . .
There’s a place
not so much where people meet you. . .
b u t j u s t a p e r s o n
who accepts you
with all of your
flaws
misfortunes
disformaties
and sour notes
and at
t h a t m o m e n t
makes a mere place
H O M E
D O
t h a t
often
Go ahead. . .
Open your Heart to Everyone
and watch another’s life
LIGHT UP
THANK LESS DAY
W H E W
We Survived IT, huh?
O N E Down
(T H A N K S G I V I N G)
and two more to go
(C H R I S T M A S A N D N E W Y E A R ‘ S)
They kind of all blur together
as do many things
this time of the year. . .
H A N U K K A H and K W A N Z A A
i n c l u d e d
but it sort of all starts with that
T H A N K L E S S D A Y
The Research is clear:
GRATITUDE IS A SUPERPOWER
It’s been overly documented
just how grateful people enjoy the benefits
such as improved physical health
better relationships
higher self-esteem
and actual longer
l i f e s p a n s. . .
but here’s the real shocker:
Despite the benefits of
g r a t i t u d e
there’s an overwhelming vast majority
who aren’t grateful–
even less than a week ago on
T H A N K S G I V I N G D A Y
A very recent survey conducted by the Harris Poll
on behalf of Cleveland’s own
AMERICAN GREETINGS
sheds light on why people aren’t t h a n k f u l
during these wild 40-some days:
3 out 5 Americans
say they’d rather do something else
rather than reflect on what they’re
t h a n k f u l f o r. . .
A whopping 71% say that Holidays cause too much stress. . .
92% believe the holidays are a time
to say t h a n k s to family and friends
. . .but 1 in 5 confess
they are more grateful for material possessions
than p e o p l e . . .
12% admitted
they would rather spend time
on their smartphones
than have a meaningful conversation
with family. . .
O U C H
The Cure?
. . .wait. . .
is there an illness?
G R A T I T U D E
just like
Love
Compassion
Care
Empathy
Sympathy
Kindness
can’t be legislated
but they can be
i n s p i r e d
and that’s where
y o u
come in
. . .or don’t;
There’s not much use for
a week-old over-done-dried-up-Turkey-Dinner
. . .in fact,
it just wouldn’t leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. . .
it’d be enough to make a person
p u k e. . .
I wish I could tell you exactly what to do
h e r e . . .
but I
or the Survey’s
or the Greeting Cards
or the Songs
or the Gifts
or the Meals
or the Parties
or the Masses
Psssssssssssssst of the Day:
Only you can. . .
Ironically:
That’s one of the things
I’m most
t h a n k f u l
NOT Lives Touched
I became a part-time-on-call-Chaplain at Fairview Hospital in 1988
The hours were from 5 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. five or six days a month,
and it was usually Emergency Room cases
that had me rolling out of my warm bed
on cold winter nights to attend to those crises. . .
It was those catastrophes
that involved car accidents,
shootings,
heart attacks,
still births,
suicides
and some natural caused deaths. . .
I met and cared for many more family members
than I ever did patients in those settings and they taught be
the most important,
the most sacred,
the most intimate,
the most significant,
the most heart-wrenching,
the most profane
the most consecrated,
the most hallowed lesson
I’ve learned in all my 61 years
and had affirmed and validated countless times over since:
IT IS NOT THE LIVES
YOU TOUCH THAT MATTERS. . .
SO MUCH AS THE
L I V E S
T O U C H E D
BECAUSE OF THOSE YOU FIRST HAVE TOUCHED !
It’s a lesson
I’ve learned
re-learned
continuing to learn
and never fully
comprehend
or
understand. . .
and hopefully never will–
even with the very next life I touch
to continue the never-ending
wave. . .
Go ahead. . .
T O U C H A L I F E
Create a Ripple–
try seeing where it ends. . .
or better still. . .
what it starts in yet another person
A Helper’s High
It happened. . .
T H E Y
said it would happen. . .
I T D I D
I can’t run anymore. . .
L I T E R A L L Y—
X-RAYS
don’t lie. . .
they showed my poor 61 year old knees are in reality
9 0
from 8 marathons and countless miles to prepare for them
and more recently,
just running for the
r u n n e r ‘ s h i g h
G O N E
The most painful thing I’ve found out through this
cut off
is that nothing
no thing
not one thing
replicates that high
Not an elipitical
not a weight-lifting
not planks
not water jogging
no steam room
no sauna
no hot tub
uhhhhh-nada
nil
null
aught
zilch/zero/zip/z i p p o
except what’s been there all along. . .
Desmond Tutu once said:
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Nice words. . .
or
T R U T H ?
or. . .
D A R E ?
THE STUDIES
show that generous people are happier and healthier. . .
so why are these acts often questioned and mocked?
Sandi Mann, a psychologist at the University of Central Lancashire went out to prove it, literally, She wrote a book entitled, PAYING IT FORWARD: HOW ONE CUP OF COFFEE COULD CHANGE THE WORLD
Michael Norton, at Harvard Business School paid attention. He offers some of the most convincing evidence, repeatedly finding that people who spend a bigger proportion of their income on others tend to be far happier, in the long run, than spending it on themselves.
What makes it impressive is that Norton has tested this theory all over the world in more than 130 countries from the US to Uganda.
“Across all countries–rich or poor, and in ever every continent–people who gave more tended to be happier people,” he says. For this reason, he thinks the joy of giving appears to be a ‘psychological universal’–a trait that lies at the core of human nature, independent of your culture.”
B A M
Mann has also proven that taking time to help others may even protect you from disease. Over a 30-year study, women who volunteered for a charity were 16% less likely to suffer a major illness during that period–maybe because it actually lowers stress levels, which may also, in turn, boost the immune system.
B A M
Ms. Mann believes heavily in a Helper’s High. . .in fact, as a clinical psychologist, she has often counseled people with depression to try and incorporate small acts of kindness into their therapy. . .she offers that it’s not a cure but it does give a way to contribute–to give back–and that makes them feel good and that they are useful.
I don’t run any longer.
My knees often ache a good bit during the day and throb at night,
but there’s another race I’ve been running all of my life
that often leaves me breathless, too.
And so far. . .
I’ve never gotten tired;
G I V I N G
Paying IT Forward
it turns out
isn’t a Season. . .
It’s a Lifestyle
The Road isn’t crowded. . .
and I’d love the Company–
Join me
You’ll never be the same again
and that Helper’s High
will always have the Clouds looking up
A T Y O U
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 52
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- …
- 60
- Next Page »