Boomers and their Babies

Having recently left a position where there was nearly zero collaboration between the Millennials and the Baby Boomers (or maybe they were the parents of the Boomers...what does that make them?  Or maybe they were in-between...and that might explain why they felt so lost and angry (they wanted a cool nickname group to belong to?), and also coming under fire (seemingly constantly) about my own off-the-beaten-path life, it has become blatantly obvious that with each year comes a new set of people who are exactly different enough from the ones before them to make their relationships dangerous.

...Multiply this times the number of years between the Boomers and their babies, and you've got chaos...but only if you let it be.

I think understanding one another is half the battle...or more...probably much more, in fact, because I think understanding might be the best we'll be able to do between these two polar vortexes and I think even that could be considered a huge accomplishment.  For now, I yield to someone who has done a fine job of explaining some niceties about the Boomers and Gen Y and really bundles us together into a nice tasty wrap that we could probably all agree has some flavor worth trying.  Enjoy!

Mitch Hedberg...share the joy!

Mitch Hedberg.  He died the same day as Pope John Paul II.  I remember this because I was at a Catholic University at the time and it felt like everyone was going nuts like it was the end of the world. I realized later that it was sad because he is said to have been one of the best Popes in terms of his love for humanity.  Given what I know about the current Pope, Francis, I might be willing to imagine that I'll feel the way people did at school the day JPII passed, but anyways...Mitch Hedberg.

He was definitely NOT the pope.  He was a drinker, and was addicted to drugs, and unfortunately, the latter was the demise of him.  This post, though, is great because it's a link to a list of contributions that the guy gave to the world.  He was a comedian.  He took the everyday and pointed out the joy and humor in it.  He was actually a brilliant mind and I think when you can combine intelligence and use it to make people laugh at themselves and the daily things that you'd otherwise completely overlook, then you're doing something right.  For example, whenever I take the escalator, I giggle a little;

"Why do they block the escalator when it isn't running?  

They should leave it open and just put a sign next to it.  

'Escalator...temporarily stairs...sorry for the convenience.'"

So, if you want to see the world a little differently, take a look at some of his top jokes (according to Buzzfeed).  And if you're someone that thinks like Mitch and can find something humorous in the otherwise hum-drum of daily life, please share it.

I think making people laugh and smile is one of the greatest gifts out there.  

Be the change!  We all need a little more joy in our lives!

Support and Encourage Others!

What was your resolution this year?  Did you stick to it?  Is there still more to do?

Just saw an awesome and short article about a facebook post.

The original post was a note to a girl the poster saw running at the local track, and it starts off something we see so often, bashing and judging a girl based on her looks and extra weight, but it's a setup.  The message is moving and inspirational and a wonderful reminder for people who might normally bash other people to instead be kind.  Remember...you once were in that position.  You once had a goal.  You once had hopes or aspirations or dreams that you wished to achieve and worked hard at.

Support others.  

Give them encouragement and strength.  

We'd all be much better off. :)

Smile-worthy technology: looping

This had me smiling from the outset.  I'm not sure if it's the song, Billy Joel's humility, or Jimmy Fallon's big goofy grin, but I couldn't help but share.  Technology is amazing!

Jim Kelly: A Beautiful Example of Shining Hope

I posted an article back at the beginning of March but in light of recent events I feel like this is an important one worth re-posting.  My friends and Buffalo Bills fans everywhere are mourning the death of 95-year-old Buffalo Bills owner, Ralph Wilson, for whom the Bills' stadium in Orchard Park, NY is named, while Jim Kelly, about whom the original post below is written, has just been moved to a New York City Hospital after finding out that his cancer has not only returned but is spreading. 

Don't be sad.  Be thankful.  

Today, Bills fans can share their memories with other fans and gloat about their team's incredible owner and his dedication to a team even when it wasn't winning and a city, even when it was down and out.  And we can all learn more from Jim Kelly, like the previous post explains:

Jim Kelly, former all-star quarterback of the Buffalo Bills NFL team, including leading them to four straight Super Bowl Championship games, has seen things most of us probably only have nightmares about.  It seems, though, that this nearly bionic man must have been born with a heart made of stainless steel and a smile etched on his face, because despite his many upsets, brushes with death, disappointments, and mind-numbing sadness due to major losses...he still motivates other people and gives them hope, and fights to make things better instead of sitting on his laurels and groveling in self-pity.  You might say it'd be easier to be so hopeful when you're sitting on a pile of money that any NFL football star is bound to have amounted in his years, but the reality is, when a person has been through what Jim Kelly has, there is no amount of money that can "fix" it...and that's why he's such a inspiration.  He reminds us of our humanity, and of our own power to be the change we wish to see in the world.  He is a shining example of hope and change and I'm glad to share this ESPN article with you if you are feeling down or defeated.  You cannot be defeated by anyone or anything other than yourself.

If you've got a heartbeat in your chest and oxygen in your lungs

...keep living!  

Find your passions.

Who's lying?

FASCINATING!  

I read once that one nearly foolproof way to guess if someone is lying or not is by their...

(can you guess what it is?) 

Eye movement!  Specifically, the direction in which the person looks when he or she "searches" for information to respond to a question or create sentences.  Lies are creations, not facts.  It was explained that when we lie, we tend to look toward our creative right side (remember, the left side of the body is controlled by the right side of the brain, which is why, they say, left-handers are often more creatively inclined).  Our left-side, then, is generally the side connected to logic (and reality as it is).  For this reason, when we are discussing facts and figures, we often look up and to the left...seeking out the logical side of our brain.

I just saw this NY Times post about studies of people who were told to answer questions either with a truth or a lie.  I decided to play the game using solely what I had learned about eye movement and got 80% of them correct!  Additionally, one of the two that was wrong was a video of one of the participants whose eyes actually didn't track together, meaning that they don't move with 100% synchronization, so it's possible that the percentage would be even higher in favor of eye-movement as a means of determining lies from truths when we specify eye tracking for correct determination.

Do you have any other "sure-fire" ways to know when someone is lying?  Try them out on these participants and let us know how it worked!

Your body naturally shows your negative traits and intentions AND your positive and honest intentions...

Be the change!  Stay honest and help others do the same!

And remember: If you never lie, you don't have to remember anything!

Save for your Future!

JP Morgan came out with a great graphic example that requires little reading or thought to understand.  If you've ever considered any long-term savings options but haven't jumped in yet, or even if you've already started...you need to see it.  It's actually surprising how compound interest works out in numbers, and even if you THINK you know, it's worth a reminder.  I know $5,000 is a lot for many of us at an early age or early stages of our professional lives, and older people might be worried that it's "too late."  Don't fear.  Just get started.  Every penny counts.  You can do it!

Save on!  

What's so punny??

Have pun today!

The more you know...offensive things that people say about race

I've heard some of these before, and others are just straight racist or stupidity, not ignorance.

A project by Harvard students to bring comments and questions that they find offensive to themselves, their races, or backgrounds.  Worth reading because, even if you disagree, it's still important to know that what you say can offend, and perhaps it will make you think twice, have better relationships, and enjoy more open dialogue for change.

 

See the Project Info Here

 

I noticed, for example, that one girl seemed offended that someone would say "I don't see color."  I never would have thought this would be offensive.  I think it was probably intended to be accepting of race as simply an attribute (much like blonde hair or green eyes)  as opposed to the all-encompassing characteristics of a person.  But now that I know this, I will be more careful with my speech, or perhaps have a dialogue with others about how they would take this information (taking care not to expect one person to speak for an entire race, obviously, as we are all unique individuals with different histories and opinions shaped by our environments).

 

The more you know, the better the world will be...educate yourselves.

 

Be quick in thought but slow to speak. 

Do not be afraid to correct yourself when you find fault.

Poetry, Beauty, Romance, Love...

These are what we stay alive for.

You are here.

Life exists.

The powerful play goes on...

and you may contribute a verse.

What will your verse be?