Michael

Live your life and forget your age. – Norman Vincent Peale

Society, at times, tries to dictate what is appropriate behavior for different age groups. I find that funny. Certain norms seem so repressive that I don’t know how you can have any fun under their “rule.”

Secretly, we all want to have fun and enjoy life without being told how to do it. We all enjoy freedom. But, the rules of society instill a level of fear and intimidation that some of us use as an excuse to behave in certain ways. I really mean it when I say we use those rules as an excuse, because they really don’t have any binding hold on us or our behavior.

My grandmother taught me that age is irrelevant. That was a big lesson at an early age. So, it makes me feel hope when I see older people doing things that are fun, exciting and different. This new generation of older people are doing more, having more fun and not cultivating the belief that the older you get the more you should be staying home. They are out there experiencing the world in diverse and fun ways.

Our minds are the biggest limiters of our lives. Even people with with appears to others to be constraining handicaps are doing more than some people with no injuries or problems. It’s all about the mind, what we think and therefore what we believe. Our thoughts are our secret ingredient for change and experiencing fun.

The time is now. Don’t wait any longer to throw down the rules that bind you. Go have some fun.

Michael

Taken with an iPhone

Every summer, typically around this time in August, the Newport Jazz Festival becomes a mecca for jazz lovers and people that enjoy outdoor festivals.

George Wein started the Newport Jazz Festival many years ago and except for last year, produced the festival every year. Almost at the last minute, CareFusion became the corporate sponsor which helped successfully launch this year’s show.

Erica and I had the opportunity to volunteer to help at the festival, both Friday night and Saturday during the day. The work wasn’t that hard and we were able to see many performances for free.

This year’s Jazz Festival started on Friday night at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Tennis Hall of Fame is a beautiful facility right on the famous Bellevue Avenue in Newport where many of the large mansions are located. The Howard Alden/Anat Cohen Quartet kicked the evening off. Chaka Khan and The George Duke Trio were the final performances on a lovely evening with an almost full moon peaking through some high clouds, perfect temperature and an enthusiastic crowd.

We took a water taxi on Saturday morning to Ft. Adams State Park where the main festival was held for the weekend. This is a great ride because you can see, up front and personal, all the large boats, yachts and ships that dock in Newport Harbor during the summer.

The day was lovely; blue skies, mid 70’s temperature, low humidity. The grounds around the old fort quickly filled up with festival goers anxiously awaiting the first performances. We worked near the main stage so we were able to see five main performers; Cedar Walton Trio with Lew Tabackin & Curtis Fuller, Esperanza Spalding, The Joshua Redman Double Trio, Branford Marsalis Quartet and Mos Def & the Watermelon Syndicate.

Two other smaller stages hosted a number of other acts; Vijay Iyer Trio, Christian McBride Trio, Vandermark 5, Jane Monheit, Hiromi’s SonicBloom, North Carolina Central Jazz Combo with Joey Calderazzo, Claudia Acuna, Branford Marsalis – Joey Calderazzo Duo, North Caroline Central Big Band and the Miquel Zenon Quartet.

Overall it was a fantastic day; great music, good food, some cool vendors selling their wares, interesting people, wonderful weather and a relaxing time.

Michael

Create a story of WOW that will be retold. – Jeffrey Gitomer

Stop telling the story of what is. In other words, stop re-telling how things are right now in your life or what your reality appears to be, especially if the story is negative. If the story you are telling about yourself makes you feel bad or generates even more negative feelings, stop!

Instead start telling a story of what you are becoming, what you hope to be, what your future dreams are and how you are getting to them. Use your future dreams as a way to make your present moment feel a little bit better. Tell a story that makes yourself and others smile.

This seemingly simple technique is incredibly powerful and can seriously change your attitude and direction in life. When you talk to people about all the “bad” things happening in your life, you set up a thought process that precludes being happy. When you begin using your imagination to visualize where you want to be and what it would feel like, not only does your level of happiness increase but your attitude and perspective dramatically improve.

It may be hard to start this process, so find a something easy, something that gives you a little smile or good feeling when you think about it. Take that idea and expand on it. Try to imagine how good you will feel when you get there. Tell this story to yourself and others.

I have used this technique a lot over the years and find it to be very beneficial.

Have a good day!

Michael

Exhilaration of life can be found only with an upward look. This is an exciting world. It is cram-packed with opportunity. Great moments wait around every corner. – Richard M. DeVos

Just because things are not going perfectly does not mean they are not going well. - Al Groh

Perspective. Its one thing that can immediately change your situation, open your eyes to something new and boost your attitude. Sometimes we go through life with blinders on and other times it feels like riding through a tunnel.

I’m also a photographer and when I’m out taking photographs, there is a simple technique I use when looking for a photograph to take. Most of us stand with the camera in front of us and take the photo. But, if you change your perspective by stooping down, walking around the object of your interested, step back, go closer, go higher and etc. you gain many different perspectives. I find that I see objects or people in a new way and generally it means that the photographs are better.

The same goes for life in general. We can turn our heads and look at our situation a little bit differently, find something positive about it, find the hidden opportunity, realize everything that happens is only temporary and understand that change is as close as a new thought. We don’t have to be stuck. We don’t have to see the world as if through tunnel.

Around the next corner could be the one thing you want or need. I agree with Richard DeVos; the world is packed with opportunities. We only have to take them.

Use the power of perspective to help you. It won’t take long for things to change.

Michael

Creativity arises out of the tension between spontaneity and limitations, the latter (like the river banks) forcing the spontaneity into the various forms which are essential to the work of art or poem. – Rollo May

Take a look at this short video that my daughter sent me yesterday. It is quite amazing. You may not understand what is going on at first. Just be patient, continue watching and all will be clear. You may need to turn up your volume at first because it starts off fairly quiet, put every sound is important.

I love examples of creative expression that are unusual or never seen before. Enjoy.

You can view the video here.

Michael

As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has–or ever will have–something inside that is unique to all time. It’s our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression. – Fred Rogers

We are all have a unique opportunity to help each other. Each one of us carries something that no one else has and that is our individuality. It’s what makes the world go around. It’s what makes us so interesting.

By using encouragement, constructive criticism, kind words, a smile or two, gentle pushes, help and many other things we can make a difference in someone’s life. It’s that simple. We can make a difference with family, friends and strangers. It doesn’t matter.

Make the decision to be the one who steps up to the challenge and help someone be who they can and want to be. It’s up to each of us.

Michael

Gretchen Rubin of The Happiness Project blog had some fantastic ideas on her post titled “A New, Quick, Easy Way to Keep a Non-Journal.” This was actually a “tweak” to an idea of hers in an earlier post, “Keep a One Sentence Journal.”

The one sentence journal idea is simple. Instead of trying to write reams of material in a journal every day, of which most people give up after a short time, write one sentence. This one sentence would describe a significant event of the day. So, after months or years, you would have a succinct history/memory of all the most important things that happened every day of your life. You could focus on general topics or pick something more specific like your young children that are growing, learning and experiencing new things every day.

Gretchen’s twist on her original idea is to buy a blanked lined notebook. At the top of every page list the day, like January 3rd and etc. for every day of the year. Each day when you write the important event, put the year first and then the one sentence description. Her example looks like this:

January 3rd:

2009 – first night in my new apartment in San Diego

2010 -bought my dog Sandy

2011 – finally finished the tree house

After a decade, you would have 10 entries for each day of the year. You could look back and have pleasant memories each and every day. Very cool. I really like this idea.

And if you record positive memories in that one sentence, when you look back and read it, you’ll experience nothing but positive feelings.

Thanks Gretchen.

Have a good day!

Michael

In a world that seems increasingly snarky and judgmental, be kind. Be kind to your friends, be kind to your family, be kind to yourselves. And remember, just as you are, everyone really is just doing the best they can. – Katie Couric

We are really doing the best we can. We judge so quickly and so harshly now. It’s important to give people a break. What happened to mature discussion about controversial topics?

Next time you are quick to judge, step back and think about things a little bit. Would you be happy if you were judged that quick? Would you like to have your side of the story listened to?

Here is my “practice this” list:

• Practice being nice.
• Practice being a good listener.
• Practice getting angry without being hurtful.
• Practice smiling on a regular basis.
• Practice seeing the humorous side of a situation.
• Practice taking the high road.
• Practice less judgment.
• Practice “chilling” out.
• Practice what you preach.
• Practice compassion and empathy.

Lighten up more in your life.

Michael

Don’t believe the world owes you a living; the world owes you nothing–it was here first. – Robert Jones Burdette

I’ve never had this particular belief myself, but I know many other people who feel the world owes them something. They feel their life is not all they want it to be and then blame the world for their own problems. Hence, if the world is the cause of all their issues, then they should be compensated in some way.

I see things slightly differently. I believe that we are solely responsible for our lives regardless of where we have been born, the state of our family, our economic situation or a host other factors that people use to put the blame/responsibility on something else.

My life thrives because of my attitude. I can react in any number of ways to what life throws at me. I’m always in complete control of how I choose to react. So, my life is my own and not the world’s. Therefore, I don’t feel the world owes me one thing.

It’s a much more relaxing way to live once you get used to the idea of taking responsibility for your own life. Personally, I don’t want to depend on anything outside of myself for my own happiness because once those go away, your happiness level drops. I don’t like the sound of that at all.

So, what ends up happening is that I can be happy most of the time without any outside or external influence. Though, I make my own way, it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy being and doing things with other people. The difference is that I don’t need them to be happy. I think that it makes being around people that much more enjoyable, because I don’t depend on them for having a great life.

It took many years to get to this point, but it was worth it. I chipped away at my dependencies little by little and before I knew it, here I am.

And that’s a good place.

Michael