"What a wonderful world it would be..."

"What a wonderful world it would be..."

What are you doing to create a better world? Please don't get me wrong; I believe that protesting has it's place and many good people stand up and march for good causes and can actually make a difference in raising awareness to an issue. But, did you know that you, yes you, just one person in one town somewhere, has the power to change the world?...without marching or chanting or carrying signs or yelling, and without ever leaving your hometown. Change can start small. One act of kindness can change one person's life, and that is a great place to start! The greatest gift we can give is ourselves; our time, our money, our hands and our love. Volunteer, donate, fund-raise... that is how you can make a difference in your world. You can be kind, you can lend a helping hand, you can smile at a stranger; those are all things you can do right now that will make a difference in this world.

What are you doing to create a better world?

Sticks and Stones...

"Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." We all know that little ditty from our childhood. 

Unfortunately, for many, words can actually hurt more than physical pain. 

It's hard to not react when someone says something mean or hurtful. Especially when it's a 'so-called' friend. I don't know about you, but my first reaction is to question the person, try to find out what prompted the hateful words. I'm not a fighter, so firing back with more nastiness isn't my way; I just have a hard time letting it go, and I keep digging and questioning and trying to find logic in the situation, when often there is none to be found. Some people are just nasty. 

When I can't get a satisfactory answer from the perpetrator, I end up even more hurt and resentful, and have a hard time letting it go in my head and the hurtful words go round and round in my brain and the negativity tries to take over my mood. But, in those moments, I do my best to remind myself that my peace of mind is more important than someone's unkind words. Take a deep breath, exhale and let go of the negative thoughts. Restrain from lowering yourself to the level of the unkind person, sit back and let it go. Your life is better off without unkind, hateful, hurtful people, and in the long run, you will be happier with them out of your life. Never forget that they have probably justified their words or actions in their own mind, and may not even feel they did anything wrong. You will never convince them otherwise, so let them go. Move on. 

Find people who build you up instead of tearing you down. Find people who love you for you, not the you they want you to be. I am far from perfect, but I love the ones I love fiercely and completely and I expect the same in return. So, yes, be logical and don't react with emotion, but also don't try to find reason or logic in mean people. Just smile, tell them to have a nice life, and move on. There are plenty of people worthy of your love and time. 

Remember that words only have power over you if you allow them, and say to yourself, "Words will never hurt me."

Truth In Advertising

If companies had to use realistic slogans, ever thought about what they would sound like?  I remember an old Dudley Moore and Daryl Hannah movie, "Crazy People" I think, about a bunch of mental patients who go into advertising and the results were a lot like these.  One of theirs was: "Volvo - boxy but good."  Anyway, these are pretty funny and spot on.  Enjoy!

What if companies marketed the truth, instead of what they (or we) wished was true?

Dasani: Italian for “Coke just sold you water”

Ben and Jerry’s: Who are we kidding a pint is definitely one serving

FreeCreditReport.com: Credit reports are already free, but don’t let our name fool you, this one really isn’t.

Costco: When you’re not sure what you want, but you know you want a LOT of it. (This might be a paraphrase of a Mitch Hedberg line.)

Facebook: We know more about you than you do

SlimJim: If we showed you how we make these you’d stop eating meat forever.

Rewire Your Brain For Happiness

Sometimes it seems like we are surrounded by negativity.  It’s all around us.  We turn on the TV and hear politicians insulting each other; open up social media and see hateful posts and comments; drive down the road and deal with hostile drivers; it seems even magazine covers are designed to upset and inflame us more than entertain.  The world can seemingly be a more and more negative place, and every day we are affected by that negativity whether we realize it or not.  The power of negative thought can influence our mood, our relationships and our health.  Negative thoughts like fear and worry, guilt and regret, jealousy, and sadness cause stress and stress can wreak havoc on both our physical and mental health.

But this trend can be reversed.  The only thing more powerful than the power of negative thought is the power of positivity, the power of happiness.  

Studies show that people who are generally happier and more optimistic tend to be healthier and more successful.  

Based on many psychological tests, happy people seem to have a special quality that enables them to live a better life than the average.  Can you guess what it is?  It is the quality of optimism and positive thinking!  The best news about optimism is that it is a learnable quality. You can learn to be a more confident and optimistic person and have a more positive attitude by thinking the way optimists do. 

By the law of cause and effect, if you do and say what other healthy, happy people do and say, you will soon feel the same way, get the same results, and enjoy the same positive attitude and experiences that they do.

Think about what you want

Can you guess what the most successful and happy people think about all day long? The answer is simple.  Healthy, happy people think about what they want, and how to get it, most of the time. The power of positive thinking and developing a positive attitude are two of the most important qualities a person can have to change their life.

When you think and talk about what you want and how to get it, you feel happier and in greater control of your life.  When you are thinking about something that makes you happy, your brain actually releases endorphins, which give you a generalized feeling of well-being.  As a result, you develop a positive attitude.  

Be kind

Happy and positive people are kind to others. Kindness to others is good for your health. Studies show that even "micro-moments" of connection with others, like sharing a smile or expressing concern, improve emotional resilience, boost the immune system, and reduce susceptibility to depression and anxiety.  Moments of uplifting positive emotions function like nutrients for creativity, growth and health.

Stop the negativity

We all talk to ourselves without realizing it. There’s a little voice inside our head which runs an ongoing commentary on everything we’re doing. It becomes the backing tape to our lives. But, if you’re constantly saying negative things to yourself, guess what? You’ll feel bad.

So change the tape to something more helpful. Be your own best friend, inner coach and guru by saying the kind of positive encouraging things you would say to a very good friend. This will help you think positive, feel positive and act positive.

Be grateful

Begin each day by making a list of three things that you are thankful for, or three specific good things that happened the day before and reflect on what caused them to happen. The good things could be anything — bumping into an old friend, a positive remark from someone at work, a pretty sunset.  Celebrating small wins also has a proven effect of powering motivation and igniting joy. As you record your good things daily, you will begin to feel happier and more positive every day.

In the end, it seems it’s all about perception. Like life, it depends on how you choose to view it. If you start making positive changes to your daily habit and personal ‘system’ for living well, you will soon notice a definite upturn in your happiness and wellbeing. Repetition is the key to success, forming new neural pathways and patterns of response in the brain.

It’s good to know science now seems to confirm, you can quite literally ‘rewire your brain for optimum happiness.’

I am making this a personal challenge.  

For the month of November, I will start each day by listing three things I am thankful for.  

Won't you join me?  

We have the power to change our minds and change the world.

Why Are We So Angry?

Something happened to me this morning and I can't stop thinking about it.  I saw something on social media, Facebook, and I was so troubled by what I read; so disheartened by the words of a few people, that I lashed out at a whole town.  A town that I call home.  A town full of people that I love.  A town that is reeling and hurting.  I denied my hometown and I am ashamed.  I worry that I offended people and I am sorry.  I let a few haters color my perspective, change my mood and affect my behavior; and for that I am deeply troubled.

I've been thinking about the nature of negativity and anger.  We seem to be an angry people these days.  We are quick to offend and easily offended.  We watch our leaders attack each other verbally, and we tune into news broadcasts which seem to thrive on keeping us angry.

CONTINUE READING

TURN OFF ANGER, TURN ON LOVE

Love Wins!

In a landmark opinion, on Friday June 26 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the Constitution requires that gay couples have the right to marry no matter where they live.  It was a divided SCOTUS, and the ruling was 5-4.  Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, and was joined by the court’s four liberal justices: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan.

 “No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family.  In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death.”

Kennedy pointed to the idea that marriage was such a longstanding part of humanity, but he framed that differently, pointing out that the men and women who wanted the right to get married were only seeking to join this institution.

“Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions.  They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

The country's views on same sex marriage have slowly been changing over the last decade.  Barack Obama became the first sitting president to openly support marriage equality.  Thirty-seven states and DC already recognized marriage equality, but now the remaining 13 must get on board!  

"The times they are a-changin'!"

Creepy Colonel Sanders

Is it just me, or does anyone else find the new KFC commercials featuring a revamped Colonel Sanders to be just a little bit creepy?  

Don't get me wrong, I am a huge Darrell Hammond fan.  During his long run on Saturday Night Live, he was always one of my favorites.  He was born to play Bill Clinton, and his Dick Cheney was so spot on, it was scary.  Come to think of it, I think that may be what bothers me so much about his Colonel Sanders...it is eerily close to the evil, cackling Cheney and it totally creeps me out.

I read that KFC is tickled with the controversy surrounding the revival of their iconic character.  Of course, in the world of advertising, if people are talking about it, then it's a success.  But, I can tell you, for me personally, it does NOT make me want to go out and buy chicken!

What are your thoughts on the new Colonel Sanders?

Why Are We Still Taking Off Our Shoes?

Why do we take off our shoes to go through airport security?  Some of you are probably saying, “Because of the shoe bomber, of course.”  Ever since some guy put a bomb in his shoe, we've been taking off our shoes in the airport.  But, didn't some other guy hide a bomb in his underwear?  Well now, that little security measure just wouldn't be practical would it?  So, I find fault with the shoe thing.

Have you flown recently?  

I flew Southwest Airlines 2 weeks in a row this month, and both times my printed boarding pass had the words “TSA PRE” stamped at the top.  When I got to the security line, I was waived through to a separate line, conveyor belt and screening device.  

Shoes and jackets remained on and liquids remained in bags.  I asked the TSA agent how I rated that privilege and was told it was totally random.  So, a randomly selected group of flyers are given preferential treatment during security screening, and allowed to leave their shoes on.  Once again, I find fault with the shoe thing.

Did you know that children under 12 don’t have to take off their shoes?  Or that people 75 years of age and older don’t have to take off their shoes?  Fault and fault with the shoe thing.

Year Of The Screaming Goat

What is the deal with all the screaming goats in advertising right now?  So far I have seen three different companies using them in commercials, two of them aired during the Super Bowl this year. 

The first one I saw was the Discover surprise screaming goat during the Super Bowl.  

In this other Super Bowl commercial, Sprint somehow implies their competitors are like screaming goats… but they later come back and apologize, correcting the description to what I presume is supposed to be a more derogatory comparison.  However, I personally find the screaming goat to be much more annoying. 

Then I saw the Geico scapegoat screaming goat ad, and really started to wonder if it was coincidence or if there was something I didn’t know about.  Why have so many advertisers decided to use screaming goats to sell their products?  I realize this is the Chinese Year of the Goat, but I’m still a little confused as to why they are screaming.  Maybe it’s just because screaming goats are funny?  This one particularly really makes me laugh.  I know it’s silly, but I giggle every time.

What are your thoughts on the sudden popularity of screaming goats?