Author: Dan

I was a lazy kid. No matter what my mom asked me to do, I did it as quickly as possible. This meant it wasn’t done well or even completely. Many times that meant I had to re-do the task until it was done correctly; which took more time and effort than if I had just done it right the first time. At some point my mom “had enough of this silliness” and forced me to memorize (ugh…) the following…

“Whatever you do, do with your might. Things done half, are never done right“

If you’re wondering if memorizing that phrase worked, the answer is a resounding “yes”. The saying is in the forefront of my mind on every household task or work project I do. And, by the way, my younger brother can still recall the exact moment this became part of my life…and his…

The approach we use to combat the challenges life presents matters. My mom could have simply chalked this one up to “boys being boys”, but instead turned it into a teaching moment – a moment that will stay with me and my brother for the remainder of our lives.

How do you handle being critical of another’s work (or lack thereof) or correcting the behavior of those closest to you? Do you come across as “a nag”, “whiny”, or maybe even “bitchy”?

If so, try some honey…because…

“You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”

Baking season has ended at the abbey where I work. The time has arrived to begin packing and shipping our commercial orders. Funny thing though, I’ve already packaged and shipped several commercial orders while we were still baking. Hmm…I guess the past few weeks I’ve been in transition (from baking to packaging) and just didn’t realize it.

Interesting how transition works. It’s like you’re not aware you’re in transition until you’re through it. It’s like looking in the rear view mirror and realizing where you’ve been after you’ve been there.

transition -> “the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another”

Just what is it about transition that makes it so difficult?

One word – “change”

Ask around. I bet you won’t be able to find a single person that truly loves change. Accept change, yes, but love change..well, that’s an entirely different can of worms! Change is challenging because it forces us out of our comfort zone. It makes us learn something new. Sometimes we may even have to give up a level of control…oh control…and who wants to give that away?

Another word – “process”

Isn’t process just a fancy way of saying “activity”? Wait! Taking action sounds like it’s going to involve work. Work is hard, right? I don’t like work, thus transition is hard…hard work. Yup, transition’s not for me. I’m out.

A final word – “period”

Time. Our enemy. I haven’t got enough time, so how much time will this take? What do you mean you don’t know? “As long as it takes” is not an answer I can accept. I need to know so I can plan and have control over it. I need to know when it’s going to end so I can “be done with it “.

Transition.

It’s what takes us from where we are to where we want to be.

Transition.

How familiar are you with the 3 R’s – and I don’t mean “Readin’, Writin’, and ‘Rithmetic”! I’m interested in what you know about these three R’s – Rejuvenation, Restoration, and Revival.

If you’re like me, you seldom use these words. It’s not like we populate our everyday conversations with them. And, when we should use one of these “R’s” we become lazy, using “rest” and “relaxation” instead.

Rejuvenation -> “the act of making something newly fresh or full of energy”

Restoration -> “the act of repairing or renewing something to its original state”

Revival -> “an improvement in the condition or strength of something”

The English language is full of colorful, descriptive words like the 3 R’s. Words that when used add elegance and, perhaps even, a touch of class to verbal or written communication. It has been said that “writing is an art form which uses words as its medium to create a picture or convey a message”.

How do I expand my vocabulary? I recommend reading. Read with a dictionary by your side. Look up words you don’t know as well as those words you “think” you know, but really don’t! You’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn and how much your vocabulary expands.

How do I go about replacing “commonly used words and phrases” when writing? Keep a thesaurus handy when writing. Consult it frequently to avoid using a “lazy word or phrase”. A book of synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms is also a great source for spicing up your prose.

Bottom line – words are fun.

The more words you know –

• the more fun you’ll have
• the prettier pictures you’ll write
• the more colorful conversations you’ll have

My alarm goes off at 5:00 am each morning, weekends excluded. I then stumble my way to the coffee maker to jumpstart my morning routine – usually some stretching exercise or a brief walk to the park and back, but never both. Depending on what activity I selected, I may grab a seat in the recliner to relax & complete the cup of coffee or head to the shower – the second attempt at jumpstarting my day. After the shower I drink a nutritional supplement (Zeal Wellness) and catch up on the latest sport scores and news on my phone. The remainder of the morning is spent preparing breakfast, coffee (yes again) and a lunch for work.

Sounds pretty enjoyable, doesn’t it? The reality of the situation, is that lately, it really hasn’t been. But why?

I blame the clock!

In my mind I have the non-stop feeling that I am running “behind schedule” so I am frequently checking to see how much time I have left “to complete this” or before I can “start that”. I felt stressed & anxious over time! Total nonsense!

My solution?

Simply stop looking at the clock. I have begun taking whatever amount of time “I feel I need” for my morning routine(s). The move has been paying dividends ever since.

My day now starts with less stress & anxiety; which in turn makes my workday more enjoyable and relaxed. I have also found I’m not stressing about getting “x amount of work done by such and such a time” because I know the task will be completed when it’s completed. Why assign a “deadline” to everything in my life? That’s just more stuff to worry about, right? Oh and let’s not forget the sense of failure that comes with every missed “deadline”. Who needs it?

Maybe all I’ve really discovered is a way of giving myself a break, kinda like giving myself a little grace. And I think that’s important. I’m far from perfect and so are you. Why do we expect perfection from ourselves? Why do we beat ourselves up when we fall short?

Sprinkle some grace into your life. Sprinkle some grace into the lives of others. What have you got to lose?

Would your opinion of me change if I was a Trump enthusiast? How about if I was a Biden backer? How about if I supported neither? Would you tell me if my political views bothered you? Would you insist your views are “right” and mine are “wrong” without listening to what I had to say? Is there a “middle ground”…ya know, a place where we agree to disagree and we’re “ok” with that? And is that even “ok”?

Whatever happened to civil discourse?

Whatever happened to being tolerant?

Civil discourse – “engagement in discourse (conversation) intended to enhance understanding.”

Tolerant – “showing willingness to allow the existence of opinions or behavior that one does not agree with.“

Don’t you agree the world could use a bit more of these? Why must we “political-ize” every stinkin’ little issue into meaningless, petty exchanges of “we’re right and you’re wrong”? What do we gain by doing this?

Whatever happened to the free exchange of ideas and seeking real solutions?

Yes, I am frustrated with the America I live in today. I’m not saying the America of my youth was perfect or better, but, ya know…in some ways it was…and do ya know what – America can be great again!

Maybe it all starts with a little civil discourse & toleration between friends (and enemies).

So, when “you’ve had it up to here” with work, family or life what do you do? What if you just need some time to yourself to simply “recharge & re-focus”? Where do you go?

For me the answer is pretty simple. If time allows, I will head out to the woods for a hike; which usually ends up with me sitting quietly under a tree listening to the sounds of the forest and “just being”. Ya know, not really thinking about anything specific – turning the brain & thoughts “off”. Sometimes I’ll doze off and sometimes I won’t. Sometimes I’ll do some “primal scream therapy” and sometimes I won’t. It just depends on what I need from “my spot”. Funny thing though, “my spot” always provides whatever I need when I need it. The woods are “my #1 spot”.

I wish I got there more.

If I just don’t have the time, well, then I sit on the patio behind my house with a cup of coffee and give myself “permission” to “just breathe”. It’s important we allow ourselves this time, even if it’s just a few minutes. Sometimes I’ll see a few turkey or deer passing by. It’s times like this that help me find “my place” and restore some balance to my life.

That’s what “my spot” does and why “my spot” has value.

I like to believe Jesus had a “spot”- The Garden of Gethsemane – to be precise. It must have been an important “spot” as it is mentioned in all four of the Gospels, primarily because it was the “spot” He was arrested prior to His crucifixion.

I am sure Jesus and the disciples had been there many times prior to that night. So many times, in fact, that’s how & why the Roman soldiers knew where to find him. Yes, Jesus had a “spot”!

Everyone needs a “my spot” – a place to go and “just be”. A place that restores balance and focus. A place that allows you to rest.

So, where’s your spot?

Years ago in Psychology 101 my team trained a rat to run on a wheel in its cage. Each time the wheel completed a full cycle, the meter count increased. The team that had the highest count after 2 minutes “won”. We focused on training the rat to run hard & fast, to chase the cheese, as it were.

Is your life mimicking the lab rat’s? Do you feel like the harder you work the further behind you get? Is the piece of cheese you get every payday worth the effort? At the end of the day, what have you really won?

“Life” is happening all around you. How much “life” have you missed because your focus was on “chasing the cheese”? How many times have you told yourself –

• “I’ll play ball with the kids later AFTER I …”
• “We’ll take that family vacation trip AFTER I …”
• “Let me check my phone for texts BEFORE I…”
• “Hang on, let me post this BEFORE I …”

The time has come to stop the wheel or to, at least, slow it down.

Why?

Because there is much more to life than work, texts and posts. Your life can be so much more than work, texts, and posts. But, it’s up to you to change it.

How?

Start small.

I suggest –

• Play with the kids, even if it’s only for a few minutes. They won’t be kids forever, but they’ll remember the times you played with them forever. Make lasting memories!
• Put the phone down. Step away from the phone. It’s an addiction you must break. Your phone is not only keeping you from “living”, it is also a source of stress & anxiety. (i.e. I hope people like this post! What? No likes!?!?!) Do yourself and your family a favor – PUT THE PHONE DOWN!
• Plan and take a short weekend trip or longer vacation. Get the entire family involved. The time away from “chasing the cheese” will strengthen your relationship with your spouse and kids, restore your mind, body and soul as well as restore some level of work/life balance.

DON’T BE A RAT

Judgment.

Whether or not we have “all the information”, at one time or another, we have been guilty of  “jumping to it”.  It’s something we do all too naturally, and, unfortunately, has become all too common in today’s world.

As a kid, my parents usually followed up my “judgment” of a given situation with a phrase like:

• “…walk a mile in another man’s shoes…”
• “…what if the shoe was on the other foot…”

which changed my perspective and caused me to reflect upon my judgment.  It also taught me the value of empathy and grace.

Empathy – the ability to understand and share the feelings of another

Grace – the quality or state of being considerate or thoughtful

When was the last time you practiced these? For  most of us the answer is either: “Far too long ago” or “Not nearly enough as I should be”.

This needs to change. The world we live in needs this to change. The funny thing about change is this –  “If nothing changes. Nothing changes”. But…”If something changes, everything changes”.

You have the power to create change. I challenge you to start practicing a tiny bit of empathy and grace. It’s what the world needs. It’s what you need. It’s what we all need.

Change Something & Change Everything!

Each year we celebrate life events like birthdays, anniversaries, new homes, graduations, and holidays. These events are full of joy and happiness. We gather our friends and family together and give thanks for another year of life, another year of friendship, another year of “wedded bliss” and so on…

We never seem to not celebrate the major milestones in life, do we? Sure, the celebrations may grow smaller and less “event-like” as time passes, but we always find the time and a way to celebrate.

What about celebrating the “smaller” achievements in life? You know, those “small victories” like finally completing the project you began months ago, or finishing the final chapter the book you’ve been reading, or finally reconnecting with that friend you lost contact with years ago…

Celebrating is fun, right? So, why don’t we celebrate the “small” things?

That needs to change. And it changes now!

With that thought in mind…(Insert drum roll here…)

Today I am celebrating the 100th post in Dan’s View!!

So, what happens next?

I’m glad you asked…

My current plan is to consistently post every Thursday just like I have done for the past two years (yikes!). However, I am planning on a few visual changes to the page itself, so be patient with me as I iron out the technical issues. I am hoping to begin the page “refresh” shortly after “#100” has been posted.

I am also going to write an eBook; which will be a compilation of “the best of Dan’s View” – in some sort of devotional/self-help format. I am hoping to have the compilation completed in time for the holidays, but I will keep you updated as things progress.

Until next time…

Celebrate the small stuff!

Have you ever considered writing a book or story? What type would it be – a romance novel, a humor piece, or a book full of international mystery and intrigue??

What if the story you wrote contained elements of all those and a few others? 

“Impossible!” You say??

“Not so impossible!” I say. “You’re already writing it!”

Each morning you are given a blank sheet of paper on which to “write your story” for that day.

Go ahead, write it!

You’re “in charge”. You’re the one who controls what is “written” and how it is “written”. You’re the one who “write protects” your “sheet” from others trying to control your story.  After all, who is better at writing your story than you? Yup, I thought so…

Over time these “pages” add up and create “your life story”.  A “book” you can share any time and any place with whomever you choose. Just how cool is that?

So, what type of book are you writing?