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Friday's lighter wisdom—YOU CAN'T SLAP A CLOWN NOSE ON A BAD ATTITUDE

Photo credit: cohdra at morgueFile

YOU CAN'T SLAP A CLOWN NOSE ON A BAD ATTITUDE

No Mandatory Joy, Please

A company or workplace cannot mandate happiness -- although some are trying to do just that. Of course, happiness and humor are supportive of a well-functioning business. But the science of bringing laughter and enjoyment into an organization is being refined.

More and more researchers are looking at what is called "positive psychology." In the recent past, what makes people happy, what makes working environments fun, has often been approached in a simplistic, one-size-fits-all fashion.

Immune to Gloom? Choose a Custom Injection

Not every employee wants to wear a clown nose or odd headgear, or chant "ha, ha, ho, ho." Not all workplace members want to attend a standup comic routine on company time. Humor cannot be applied like a band-aid on low morale or dropping productivity.

Humor, happiness, and joy are very personal matters. Many find their greatest sources of enjoyment and funniness away from work. Yet now we are seeing clowns

Friday's lighter wisdom—TIMELY LESSONS FROM A FLAKY BUSINESS

TIMELY LESSONS FROM A FLAKY BUSINESS

Something Rotten in Michigan

Back in 1894, the brothers Kellogg were trying to make what they considered healthy food more appetizing. Due to their tasteless food, the people who stayed at their sanitarium would sneak into the town of Battle Creek, Michigan, to eat flavorful meals in the restaurants; or even leave before their treatments were completed.

The brothers were trying to make an easily-digested and delicious wheat bread and so made up a big pot of wheat porridge. They planned to run this porridge through rollers that would chop it into tiny pieces to be baked in the bread.

Alas, they forgot about the porridge. They had lots else to do in running a sanitarium, and they left it forgotten for several days. When they remembered, they looked into the pot to see that the porridge was moving into a spoiled state. Nevertheless, they put that mush into the

Friday's lighter wisdom — TURN THE ESCAPE KEY NOW

TURN THE ESCAPE KEY NOW

I think I know how bank robbers feel as they wait for tellers to stuff their bounty into a satchel. . . . I damn near giggled as she handed me that bag, validated my parking stub, smiled, and raised her eyes to the next customer, just like that. Clutching my toy to my chest, I shoved through the crowd and hustled towards the exit.

Geez, would I get away with it? Slip a creative writing book past my mean-spirited internal censor? Would I finally ignore that sour-breathed advisor who had always banished enthusiasm with its sick idea of realism, pointing fingers and thundering, "This will go nowhere. This is a waste of time that will cost you. This is PLAY."
--Tama J. Kieves, from This Time I Dance! Trusting the Journey of Creating the Work You Love: How One Harvard Lawyer Left It All to Have It All! [later edition This Time I Dance!: Creating the Work You Love]

Are You a Flight Risk? Hope So

I don’t suppose any of you have a “mean-spirited internal censor,” that Judgment Jabber? Judgment Jabber is the voice that lives inside your mind that tells you: “You’re not good enough.” “You’re wasting your time on this job/relationship/recipe.” “Who are you to think you can succeed/be different/sing?” “What a failure!” “Look at your wrinkles/big ears.”

And lots of other negative things as it causes, exacerbates, and articulates your fears. It is a powerful

Friday's lighter wisdom — CONSTRUCTION ZONE AHEAD

CONSTRUCTION ZONE AHEAD

Backyard Tents and Cardboard Houses

Many a parent have been surprised, when giving a fancy gift to a child, to discover the big box in which it came holds more allure for the child than the gift itself. Kids have a great passion for forts, playhouses, clubhouses, little nooks and crannies indoors and out, tents anywhere and everywhere, treehouses.

Children are often very inventive in creating these special spaces for themselves -- stretching a blanket from one piece of furniture to another to serve as a roof, putting a sheet over a cardtable to transform it into a clubhouse, cutting windows and a door into a large cardboard box to build a playhouse. The list can go on and on. How did you create your kid space when you were young?

Lots of us still have a great enthusiasm for treehouses, and forts, and tents in our backyard. While I was on a trip recently, the bed where I slept was under a skylight that afforded me a view of a very tall oak tree. I looked up and designed in my mind the best treehouse ever.

Everyday, in my imagination, I would climb the tree and sit in my treehouse. When we left, I was sad to leave my treehouse up in those oak branches. So I relocated it and take it with me every place I go. It is now the treehouse of my heart.

You've Always Had the Blueprint

Build the treehouse of your heart. From its heights, you can look down and get a new perspective on problems. The lofty limbs of your heart hold you safely in your arboreal shelter, and that security is always there whenever you choose to enter. Judgment Jabber does not have the secret password so cannot intrude.

Your treasures and talents are stashed there and you can always find them easily. You laugh in this place and invent new ways to play. Ah, the gratitude that soaks through you in your treehouse. You only allow in playmates like joy and generosity and good cheer. On the outside of your treehouse is a big sign that says, “No grumps, or grouches, or grudges allowed,” and that rule is magically enforced.

Friday's lighter wisdom — TODAY'S STAR POLISHING DAY

TODAY'S STAR POLISHING DAY

When You Wish upon a Star

Aster means star. Dis-aster occurs when you don’'t honor your star.

Your star. That place in you that holds all your brilliant qualities, traits, and talents. You know when you are operating from your star. Your Fabulous Four — health, wealth, relationships, and self-expression — blaze with success and well-being. You know it when you are in your star-being and your star-doing.

Have you lost contact with your star? Not a good thing to do as you then court disaster. Where is your star hiding its light? Have you forgotten it into some black hole? Have you developed the habit of mediocrity? A routine of ordinariness? Have you obfuscated it into fuzziness?

Dust off and propel your pulsar. Quicken that inner quasar. The world wants to see your radiance. When we shine as stars, we let other people know their dreams can come true, too. People can make wishes on your star.

Star Light, Star Bright, First Star I Recall Tonight

Your star never burns out. It may burn dull. Be very still and you can feel it. Recall all the good things you have

Friday's lighter wisdom — YOUR INNER TARZAN KNOWS

YOUR INNER TARZAN KNOWS

No Awareness in the Spin-Cycle Thoughts

"A problem cannot be solved on its own level. It cannot be done any more than you can lift yourself up by pulling upward on your legs. Something higher, something outside yourself, must be contacted.

"That something is awareness."
-Vernon Howard, Psycho-Pictography

 

Sometimes when we encounter a problem, we are swept into twister thinking. Our thoughts spin, twirl and whirl around in our brain, seldom under control, seldom productive.

Perhaps we begin to worry about money and are then sucked into our usual, routine thinking about finances. Round and round we go, thinking in circles about poverty. The well-worn circles, the time-worn circles.

Or perhaps we are concerned about health? Into that tornado of illness thinking we are drawn. The same old thoughts, the same old fears, the same old channel.

Perhaps we are tenaciously seeking our life's purpose? Over and over, our thoughts reel around in the habitual hurricane of our mind. Old thoughts do not bring new solutions.

The Awareness Elevator

Imagine you frequently inhabit an eighty-story building. And you find that whenever you begin to worry about wealth, you routinely and chronically get off the elevator on the third floor; you pace there ruminating and exploring all your thoughts and concerns. Every wealth worry carries you to the third floor where you think only in third-floor patterns.

Friday's lighter wisdom — GIFTS FROM YOUR INNER DONKEY

Last Friday I looked at the advantages of living in the Comic Zone versus living in the Drama Zone. Today let's consider some benefits of being a drama queen or king, at least as I define those roles.

(photo credit below)

GIFTS FROM YOUR INNER DONKEY

A philosopher with very big ears

Eeyore is Winnie the Pooh's cloudy, overcast, glum little donkey friend. He never lets Pooh's optimism sway him. He remains a funny killjoy, an amusing wet blanket. His predictable misery has earned him many fans.

And the donkey has a gift for you. Read on.

Ernest H. Shepard has written a wonderful and witty book called Eeyore's Gloomy Little Instruction Book. In the book are some classic and typical Eeyore sayings. For example . . .

Do join in the search for a lost friend-or-relation. But don't be surprised when nobody bothers to tell you he’s been found, and you search on alone for two days.

Poor Eeyore. Ever feel like that?

There are those who will wish you a good morning. If it is a good morning which is doubtful.

Remind you of any of your mornings?

Ah, woe is me

Don't be surprised if it hails a good deal tomorrow. Blizzards and what-not. Being fine today doesn't Mean Anything. It's just a small piece of weather.

Starting to get in touch with your inner Eeyore?

Friday's lighter wisdom — POWERFUL MEDICINE: TANGO WITH YOUR TOAST

July 8 was the sixth annual SCUD Day. SCUD is Savor the Comic, Unplug the Drama; July 8 is a day to remind people of the many benefits of living in the Comic Zone and the perils of living in the Drama Zone. Today I have posted in honor of the Comic Zone. Please throw drama out the window, throw caution to the wind, and participate in at least one of the "unusual" activities recommended below. Let me know how the tango goes. (And pass this post along to grumpy lawyers; it will be very good for their health.)

POWERFUL MEDICINE: TANGO WITH YOUR TOAST

Power in the Comic Zone

The Comic Zone contains much laughter. People in the Comic Zone are infused with the spirit of laughter, they have an aura of smiles. They have high self-mirth. And that is good for those inhabiting the Comic Zone because laughter has power.

Great power. Sacred power. Astounding power. We should honor laughter and what it does for us. Laughter torpedoes stress levels, accelerates learning, catapults creativity, forges strong teams, and strengthens our health. It gives us many gifts.

It is a magic potion, elixir of life and fountain of youth all rolled up into one hearty hee-haw.

Lots of laughs a day keep the doctor away

A study out of University of Maryland indicates that laughter reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. A

Friday's lighter inspiration: Humility, Humor, and Humanity

HUMILITY, HUMOR, AND HUMANITY

Angels fly because they can take themselves lightly.
--G. K. Chesterton

Tales of two painters

The early years of the great painter Paul Cezanne were difficult and his career was, from the very start, troubled with frequent rejection and failure. His family considered him peculiar and were unsupportive of his art.

After much family turmoil in his younger years, his father gave him a small allowance and he left for Paris where he worked alone and ignored.

Another painter Camille Pissarro became his mentor both lending him moral support, and influencing his palette. Cezanne, in a relatively short time period, switched from dark tones to bright colors.

Cezanne produced beautiful works as an unknown painter for many, many years. His commitment to, and passion for, his art was strong and unwavering and he did not strive for fame or even lesser recognition.

One day, a French art dealer happened to see the masterpieces of Cezanne. He was so impressed that he collected several of the paintings and arranged an exhibition in his gallery. Visitors to the dealer’s gallery were stunned as they saw for the first time the works of the unknown master.

The story goes that Cezanne arrived at the gallery and was also stunned. He had never before seen his work featured and admired this way. He walked around looking at his paintings, leaning on his son for support. Slowly he turned his head and looked at his son in surprise and awe. Cezanne then said, “They have put them in frames!”

And the second painter story: Picasso was being interviewed by an inexperienced critic. The critic asked why Picasso did not paint things to look as they actually do.

“I am not sure what you mean,” Picasso replied.

The critic took a photo of his wife out of his wallet and showed it to Picasso saying, “Like this. This is how she really looks.”

Picasso looked at the photo and said, “She’s quite small. And rather flat.”

Humming along

Two of the excellent “hum” words are illustrated by these stories -- humility and humor. Humility and humor are interconnected. One sure way to see their relationship is the I Can Laugh Now phenomenon.

Having trouble reaching your goals? Then aspire in the fire!

ASPIRE IN THE FIRE

Grill Your Goals

What do you want? Each day, through your mind floats images of things for which you wish. You fancy this; you are interested in that. Maybe you would like some of this objective, or you mildly aspire to that goal. This and that drift through the stream of your consciousness.

You may say: “I sort of want to lose weight and exercise and I did so for a few months. And I kind of want to establish a working schedule that will lead to success; even did that for several weeks. And I had a yen to be focused but seemed that only my head and not my energy was involved, so I dropped that. And I recall having these resolutions about being a better person but no one noticed, so why bother.” Lots of lukewarm efforts.

The surefire way to get what you want from this laid-back, relaxed river of wishes is burning, blistering, blazing DESIRE. The fire of desire is what accomplishes your goals. Cool or even tepid wishing will not achieve your dreams. You have to boil.

Robert Collier is a master boiler. Read his books and you will be inspired to heat up your goals. If your watery mind is filled with loose objectives, you must apply the heat of desire to generate the steam -- the steam of your will to get what you want. In his book The Secret of the Ages, he says: