Lessons After The Bell
A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life *
by
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So, Just What Was I Thinking
I am not keen on laying my vulnerabilities out for the world to see, yet I am compelled to write about my experiences in the hope that others may benefit from them. Part of me can truthfully says I really don’t care what people think about me, yet not all of me. No one wants to get blind-sided and have to endure the venomous assaults of contentious, condescending people. This is especially true when those doing the assault have a quickness of wit and eloquence of voice that exceeds my capacity to respond and refute. But when I put things in their proper perspective I realize I’d rather be me with all my foibles than them with all their disingenuousness. I know, too, that I can be combative, and (when in that mood) I can respond to those with the condescending remarks in like manner, with all the mean words polite company is not supposed to use, commingled with all the customary swear words in a plethora of combinations. I try to keep that part of me firmly under control, though. For most situations the better response is to think of the contentious as being too insecure to face their failures and frustrations in life. Denial, after all, is not an uncommon protection mechanism, and proverbially, my skin is thicker than it used to be. ..
.A Bite Out of the Apple
Musings follow - thoughts with questions that probably won’t lead to answers. In this case answers aren’t essential because they aren’t the objective. Those are not what I’m striving for. Rather, the thoughts are what I want to concentrate on.
Initial thoughts lead to deeper thoughts, and those may lead to conclusions. Conclusions lead to decisions; decisions lead to actions; actions lead to a lifestyle. The lifestyle I choose to live defines my legacy. I don’t spend much time thinking about my legacy, however, since I would like it to be one of lifting up others - adoring my wife so she knows she is much loved; raising my children well so they can enjoy thoughtful, happy, well balanced, successful lives; and helping others so they experience a fullness of life that may be their’s - its worth my time to stop and muse.
As the saying goes:
Reap an action, establish a habit.
Establish a habit, define a lifestyle.
Define a lifestyle, set your destiny.
So, it all starts in your head. ...
Earning Another’s Trust
How ironic. My plan for this essay was to write about an author whose works I have enjoyed reading. The man died many years ago, yet his books remain popular. The writer had a gift for story telling, and with references cited I assumed the facts of his stories were presented appropriately. As I gathered background information however, I discovered the author’s accuracy of pertinent details had been called into question. ...
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About the Book
“I wish I had learned some things earlier in life.”
We all can make that statement. The “things” will vary, but the principle is the same. The lessons learned would make our lives easier, or better, or different. That is why I chose Muhammed Ali’s quote as the subtitle: “A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.” I do not wish for anyone to experience the difficulties associated with living a wasted life. For every age group, this book addresses that.
It is better to prosper, to live with a sense of peace and joy, and to be in a position where you are able to help others. Regardless of your age, the thoughts written in this book may help you in that way.
About the Author
“Contrarian” is a term that denotes moving against the crowd. Contrarians can view the same information as others but come to decidedly different conclusions—sometime right and sometimes wrong. Many of my contrarian views will be evident through these essays. I hope you find them interesting, thought-provoking, and pleasing to read.