Tuesday, September 26, 2017

2017-39 - Pay it forward...

We have evolved the ability to simply 'pay it forward': I help you, somebody else will help me.

I remember hearing a parable when I was younger, about a father who lifts his young son onto his back to carry him across a flooding river. 'When I am older,' said the boy to his father, 'I will carry you across this river as you now do for me.'

'No, you won't,' said the father stoically. 'When you are older you will have your own concerns. All I expect is that one day you will carry your own son across this river as I now do for you.'

Cultivating this attitude is an important part of Humanism - to realize that life can be much more than a series of strict tit-for-tat transactions where you pay me and I pay you back. Learning to pay it forward can add a tremendous sense of meaning and dignity to our lives.

Simply put, it feels good to give to others, whether we get it back or not.

~ Greg M Epstein



"A purposeful act or extension of kindness to another is never wasted."

~  Molly Friedenfeld

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

2017-38 - Perfectly Imperfect

We have all heard that no two snowflakes are alike.

Each snowflake takes the perfect form for the maximum efficiency and effectiveness for its journey. And while the universal force of gravity gives them a shared destination, the expansive space in the air gives each snowflake the opportunity to take their own path. They are on the same journey, but each takes a different path.

Along this gravity-driven journey, some snowflakes collide and damage each other, some collide and join together, some are influenced by wind... there are so many transitions and changes that take place along the journey of the snowflake.

But, no matter what the transition, the snowflake always finds itself perfectly shaped for its journey.

~ Steve Maraboli



"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work."

~ Vince Lombardi

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

2017-37 - Have A Piece of Cake

Often we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did life have to do this to me?"

A daughter was telling her Mother how everything was going wrong, she failed algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her, and her best friend was moving away.

Her mother, baking a cake, asked her if she would like a snack, and the daughter said, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offered. "Yuck" said her daughter.

"How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe some baking soda?" "Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replied: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! Life works the same way. There are always ups and downs, no matter how successful you are."

~ Liana Liberato



Thank you for life, and all the little ups and downs that make it worth living.

~ Travis Barker

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

2017-36 - Innovation is...

Once Steve Jobs was giving a small private presentation about the iTunes Music Store to some independent record label people.

There were a lot of interruptions with people popping up left and right asking, "Does it do [x]?" and "Do you plan to add [y]?"

Finally, Jobs said, "Hey guys, wait a minute... and please put your hands down. Listen: I know you have a thousand ideas for all the cool features iTunes should have. So do we. But we don't want a thousand features. That would be ugly. Innovation is not about saying yes to everything. It's about saying no to all but the most crucial features."

~ Author Unknown



"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

~ Steve Jobs