Podcast Episode 140: Social etiquette and graciousness are civilization’s tools of human interaction. If we fail to learn these skill sets, we are bound to be compromised in our career goals and in life.
Age
I have a secret to tell you. It is great getting old! At first blush, that sounds like a foolish statement. Who would want to anticipate the march of time towards a bitter and unknown end? That is the point, isn’t it? If you do not view your life as a grand journey, at any point in its trajectory, you are destined to be cursed and vilified by your failures, and tricked by your successes. We often hear that it is a short, unfulfilled life. This is patently not true. Too many souls have described the magnificence of life — my life if I so choose.
Continue reading AgePodcast Episode 139: Trust in yourself and you will reap a positive and wonderful existence. Yes it’s true, life is filled with failure, pain, and suffering. But the success, happiness, and joy of just being alive far outweigh its anguish. How I see the journey is up to me.
Podcast Episode 138: The gift of age is a phenomenon that should be embraced. It is a poison chalice, however, if the body and the mind have not been nurtured during life’s journey. But, fortunately, when I seize control of my piece of life, the results will be fortuitous.
Respect all!
Although for the most part, we no longer live in an age of kings and queens, we realize, as a population, that we are ranked in terms of social status, intellect, and moral standing. If we are fortunate enough to reside in the so-called middle class, we may have a greater chance of social mobility. But if we sit on the fringes, our path is virtually predetermined. In the extreme world of the highly intelligent and ultra-wealthy, there is little movement, even if their world collapses. You can think of the transcontinental marriages of the Gilded Age. Many people had no liquid assets, but, through marriage, were soon wealthy again. (1)
Continue reading Respect all!Podcast Episode 137: Friendships are an important part of life. A confidant, however, must be of a superior moral quality to help a person grow.
Podcast Episode 136: Why do we travel? We voyage to gain experience and, through our curiosity and openness, to make the world a better place.
The Now
We are all told to live in the now, to live in the moment. This is very difficult to do. We are surrounded by images that constantly tell us to anticipate the future — buy that new phone, purchase this bigger house, create more attractive relationships, etc., the list goes on and on. It is hard to imagine how I can remain stationary long enough to actually grasp the here and now, the moment. But, there is nothing but this time in life, is there? All of our mental activity is actually focused on the moment, and even more strangely, that moment is soon swept away to be replaced by another moment. The only way one is able to appreciate this concept is to consciously begin to document time. That is where Emerson’s (1) suggestion of the notebook is truly clever.
Continue reading The Now