Bucket List

My wife and I saw Bucket List over the weekend and it got me to thinking.

Life is not infinite, so you need to enjoy it while you have it.

The past is the past and you cannot change it.

One of my favorite lines from the movie is Virginia said I left a stranger and came back a husband; I owe that to you. What this line means to me is you never know exactly who is going to have a positive effect on your life. In the movie, Edward was not a person very many people liked (if anyone liked at the beginning) but Carter saw something in him even though Edward was not nice to him in the beginning. Give people a chance. I would rather error and find someone not to be nice than to miss the opportunity of meeting someone nice.

I have an amazing grasp on the obvious; one of the main themes that the movie tries to get across to the audience is to live your life to the fullest.

Do you have a bucket list (things to do before you die)? If not, make one.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. Even though you have done this, you can't cross it off your bucket list because it is something you need to do every day in order to live your life to the fullest.

Life is Like an Ice Tray

Ice.

It has many purposes. It can make a drink cold by adding it to the drink. It turns into water when the temperature rises. It helps keep the earth as we know it by keeping the polar caps as they are. It can bring swelling down an an injured body part.

Ice trays are a pretty cool contraption. They come in different sizes and can make different quantities and shapes of cubes.

An ice tray can be used for making Jello for bite size consumption.

An ice tray can also be used for making individual pop cycles for kids (or people who just want to act like a kid).

Ice trays can also be used for helping build sand castles. They can also be used by kids as building blocks or just toys.

Don't let the world box you into doing what they think you can do or just being what they think you are. If an ice try was limited to just making ice in one size, think about all the cool stuff you would miss out on.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. They might just need a reminder that they can do anything they set their mind to doing.

Look at the Good in Everything

Even when bad things happen, you need to look at the good that is in it.

For example, on January 9, 2008, I was in a head-on car collision. Firemen had to break into the remnants of my car to get me out and I had to be life-flighted to the trauma hospital.

I think we can all agree that this is a bad thing. Instead of looking at the bad in the incident, I am choosing to look at the good. "What good could come out of this?" you ask.

I am glad you asked.

1. The person in the other car was able to literally walk away from the accident.
   
2. I am alive and able to tell you about it.
3. I have no broken bones - zero, none, nada, zilch - from the car accident.
4. I do not require any surgery as of this moment.
5. I still get spend the rest of my life with my family.
6. People from my work came by to visit me at the hospital and home.
7. People from church came by to visit me.
8. I have aches and pains that I can feel. This is much better than the alternative. The aches and pains remind me that I am alive.

No matter how bad things get, always try to look at the good in what happens. This does not mean that everything that happens is good. What I do mean is you should try to find the good in a bad situation.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. It could be the something that someone needs to find the good in a bad event.

Wahoo

I was watching ESPN Sports Center this morning and heard Les Miles, the LSU football coach let out a Wahoo during an interview. His team had just won the NCAA Division 1 football championship.

Here is one of my favorite dialogs from the Movie IQ:
Catherine Boyd: You took Albert Einstein for a ride on that thing?
Ed Walters: Sure.
Catherine Boyd: Well don't ever do that again!
Ed Walters: Come on. He loved it. He went Wahoo.
Catherine Boyd: Wahoo?
Ed Walters: When's the last time he said Wahoo?
Catherine Boyd: Well I'm sure I don't know.
Ed Walters: When's the last time *you* said Wahoo?
Catherine Boyd: Well I'm *sure* I don't know.

You need to enjoy the good things that happen to you and every now and then you need to let people know that you are enjoying them.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. You never know, that person might let out a Wahoo!

Pace Yourself

Today is Monday of the first full work week of the new year.

Don't over do it today, as there are four more days that you still have to work.

There is neither a break in the middle of the week nor does the week end after 3 or 4 days.

There is no designated time for you take a nap during the middle of the day either.

You need to pace yourself.

Things are back to normal. And this is a good thing.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. This should be a normal thing for you to do.

Keep On Keepin' On

Some days are better than others; it is just a fact of life.

On the days that are more challenging, you still must persevere. Just because it is not easy, does not mean that you get to give up. Just because it is not easy does not mean that you don't have to do it. You must keep on keepin' on.

There is an adage that goes something like this - that which does not kill us only makes us stronger. The only way it can make us stronger is if we take it on and overcome our fear of it.

Take on all challenges with a happy heart. It makes it easier to keep going.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. It might be what someone needs to keep going.

2008 - Happy New Year

Yesterday was the end of one year. Today is the start of another one.

Yesterday is a memory. Tomorrow is the future. Today is now, which is why it is the present.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Make the most of it.

Here is to a wonderful 2008.

Make someone's day and perform a random act of kindness. It is a great way to start the new year.