Whatever You Do ... Don't Try!

Morpheus: What are you waiting for? You're faster than this. Don't think you are, know you are. Come on. Stop trying to hit me and hit me.

The Matrix

This quote is closely tied to something I was blogging about yesterday on my blog for The Millionaire Marathon. In this scene, Neo has just "downloaded" a number of martial arts programs and Morpheus is sparring with him in a secure program patterned after the matrix to see how good Neo is and to teach him more about himself and the actual matrix. No matter how hard Neo fights, he just can't seem to get past Morpheus's defenses.

It may seem like Morpheus is taunting Neo a bit, but he is actually trying to teach him a lesson we all need to understand. We have programmed ourselves to believe that there is a limit for each area of our lives. We are only so strong, only so fast, only so smart, only so capable, etc. And we have proved to ourselves that those limits are accurate by hitting them repeatedly and being stopped by those limits. And whenever we come up against something that lies beyond those limits, we try to accomplish it and fail in the attempt.

I went to a seminar once with my wife that was arranged by Mary Kay and the speaker said something that has always stuck with me. He pointed out that trying is simply failing with honor. When we are faced with something that seems outside our recognized limits, we try to do it so that when we do fail we at least have the honor of saying "I tried". We all need to take the advice of a short, green, muppet-like mentor who instructed us in a better way:

"Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try."
~ Yoda
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

The truth is that the limits never stopped us, we stopped ourselves - we quit - when we hit those limits. The only place those limits exist are in our minds. We are capable of doing far more on every level of our lives than we ever believed we could. All it takes is a little extra effort, a little more perseverence to improve just 1% or go 1 step beyond our previous limit. And if you do that once, you know you can do it again.

So whatever you are trying to do, stop trying and just do it!

A World-Changing Story

My last post reminded me of the following story. So here is a little bonus posting for you:


Love And The Cabbie

I was in New York the other day and rode with a friend in a taxi. When we got out, my friend said to the driver, "Thank you for the ride. You did a superb job of driving."

The taxi driver was stunned for a second. Then he said, "Are you a wise guy or something?"

"No, my dear man, and I'm not putting you on. I admire the way you keep cool in heavy traffic."

"Yeah," the driver said and drove off.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

I am trying to bring love back to New York," he said. "I believe it's the only thing that can save the city."

"How can one man save New York?"

"It's not one man. I believe I have made that taxi driver's day. Suppose he has 20 fares. He's going to be nice to those 20 fares because someone was nice to him. Those fares in turn will be kinder to their employees or shopkeepers or waiters or even their own families. Eventually the goodwill could spread to at least 1,000 people. Now that isn't bad, is it?"

"But you're depending on that taxi driver to pass your goodwill to others."

"I'm not depending on it," my friend said. "I'm aware that the system isn't foolproof so I might deal with ten different people today. If out of ten I can make three happy, then eventually I can indirectly influence the attitudes of 3,000 more."

"It sounds good on paper," I admitted, "but I'm not sure it words in practice."

"Nothing is lost if it doesn't. It didn't take any of my time to tell that man he was doing a good job. He neither received a larger tip nor a smaller tip. If it fell on deaf ears, so what? Tomorrow there will be another taxi driver I can try to make happy."

"You're some kind of a nut," I said.

"That shows how cynical you have become. I have made a study of this. The thing that seems to be lacking, besides money of course, for our postal employees, is that no one tells people who work for the post office what a good job they're doing."

"But they're not doing a good job."

"They're not doing a good job because they feel no one cares if they do or not. Why shouldn't someone say a kind word to them?"

We were walking past a structure in the process of being built and passed five workmen eating their lunch. My friend stopped. "That's a magnificent job you men have done. It must be difficult and dangerous work."

The workmen eyed my friend suspiciously.

"When will it be finished?"

"June," a man grunted.

"Ah. That really is impressive. You must all be very proud."

We walked away. I said to him, "I haven't seen anyone like you since The Man From LaMancha."

"When those men digest my words, they will feel better for it. Somehow the city will benefit from their happiness."

"But you can't do this all alone!" I protested. "You're just one man."

"The most important thing is not to get discouraged. Making people in the city become kind again is not an easy job, but if I can enlist other people in my campaign. . ."

"You just winked at a very plain-looking woman," I said.

"Yes, I know," he replied. "And if she's a schoolteacher, her class will be in for a fantastic day."

By Art Buchwald
from Chicken Soup for the Soul
Copyright 1993 by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen

Sometimes The Simplest Idea Can Make The Biggest Difference

Trevor McKenney: I guess it's hard for people who are so used to things the way they are - even if they're bad - to change. 'Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses.

Pay It Forward

I love the concept of this movie. A young boy named Trevor and his classmates are challenged by their social studies teacher to come up with an idea that can change the world and act on it. The teacher does not really expect anything worthwhile to come out of this assignment, so imagine his surprise when Trevor actually comes up with a simple, yet brilliant idea.

Trevor comes up with the idea of doing three acts of kindness to other people. The recipients of these acts are not allowed to pay the giver back, but instead must pay it forward by doing three acts of kindness for others. The intention is to create an ever-expanding ripple effect of acts of kindness and good that eventually would encompass the entire world.

The quote above, however, illuminates the danger that we all must be wary of - apathy! Apathy is generally defined as the absence or suppression of passion, emotion, or excitement.

Have you ever had an idea that could effect change either in your personal world or the world beyond? Perhaps you had an idea to get out of debt, to lose weight, to develop a significant talent, to render service to others, to start a business, etc. Why didn't you act on it or, if you did act on it, why didn't you see it through to completion? I can almost guarantee it is because you lacked the passion, emotion and excitement to do so or you suppressed it by giving in to your fears.

Passionate people effect change. Dave Ramsey is passionate about helping people become more financially literate and sets them up with a plan and the principles to get them debt-free and financially secure.

Emotional people never give up when those emotions are channeled in the right direction. If you have ever watched The Biggest Loser on T.V., you become a witness to people making extreme weight changes because they have an emotional reason for doing so. And when the pain seems unbearable and the task impossible, they draw upon that emotion to push them through the worst so that they can achieve their best.

Excited people are contagious. Some might even say they are annoying, but that is only because somebody else is excited about something and the sound of it is intruding on their dull, dreary existence. But the extreme levels of excitement create a magnetic pull that sweeps people up and fills them with excitement for what is going on. Soak some excitement up and pass it on to someone else!

I think all of us should have a world-changing idea that we are acting on whether it is one that we came up with or somebody else thought of it first. It should be an idea that we can be passionate, emotional and excited about. Out of my concern for other people's financial well-being and a desire to increase my ability to give to others, I developed The Millionaire Marathon. I still believe it is a concept that will help change the world when it catches on. I am also working on another world-changing idea that I hope to share with you real soon.

Do you have an idea that you are currently acting on? If not, take the one from this movie and go and complete three acts of kindness and ask your recipients to pay it forward. Who knows - you may just change the world!

Win or Lose

Grant Taylor: I want God to bless this team so much people will talk about what He did. But it means we gotta give Him our best in every area. And if we win, we praise Him. And if we lose, we praise Him. Either way we honor Him with our actions and our attitudes. So I'm askin' you... What are you living for? I resolve to give God everything I've got, then I'll leave the results up to Him. I want to know if you'll join me.

Facing the Giants

The Joke is on the Joker

I was watching this movie with my boys this afternoon and thought I would do a quote from it for today:



The Joker: [Batman puts the Joker in an arm lock] What are you doing?

Terry McGinnis: Fighting dirty.

The Joker: The real Batman would never - [as Batman tightens his arm lock] - Ooh!

Terry McGinnis: Told you you didn't know me. [releases him]

The Joker: Funny guy...

Terry McGinnis: Can't say the same for you.

The Joker: Impudent brat... who do you think you're talking to?

Terry McGinnis: Not a comedian, I'll tell you that.

The Joker: [draws a laser pistol] Shut your mouth! [fires at Batman]

Terry McGinnis: [retreats into the rafters] The real Batman never talked to you much, did he? That's probably why you were so fixated on him. [tossing a bat-arang, knocking the gun out of Joker's hand]

The Joker: Don't play psychoanalyst with me, boy!

Terry McGinnis: Oh, I don't need a degree to figure you out. [hits the lights with a bat-arang, turning them off]

Terry McGinnis: The real reason you kept coming back was you never got a laugh out of the old man.

The Joker: I'm not hearing this...

Terry McGinnis: Get a clue, clowny! He's got no sense of humor! He wouldn't know a good joke if it bit him in the cape... not that you ever had a good joke.

The Joker: Shut up... shut up!

Terry McGinnis: I mean, joy-buzzers, squirting flowers, lame! Where's the "A" material? Make a face, drop your pants, something!

The Joker: Show yourself!

Terry McGinnis: You make me laugh. But only 'cause I think you're kinda pathetic. [mimics the Joker laugh]

The Joker: Stop that!

Terry McGinnis: [still laughing] So you fell in a tank of acid, got your skin bleached and decided to become a supervillain. What? You couldn't get a job as a rodeo clown? [continues laughing]

The Joker: [pulling out some grenades] Don't you dare laugh at me!...

Terry McGinnis: [laughs more] Why? I thought the Joker always wanted to make Batman laugh!

The Joker: YOU'RE NOT BATMAN! [Throws the grenades, knocking Terry out of the rafters and onto the ground]


Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker





Boy! Some villians can dish it out, but they sure can't take it!

Dive! Dive! Dive!

Lt. Nicholas Holden: The scuttlebutt is that we're going to try to submerge at daybreak, and I figured if you've got to go, you might as well go big.

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Mr. Holden, it's past daybreak, and we are submerged.

Lt. Nicholas Holden: We are?

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: We are.

Lt. Nicholas Holden: You mean, we're under?

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Yes.

Lt. Nicholas Holden: Well, it isn't a permanent situation, er... What I'm trying to say is, I mean, we can come up if we like to.

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Well, I like to think we can, but then, I'm an incurable optimist.

Lt. Nicholas Holden: What happens, sir, if we, er... What happens if we can't...? [he motions upward]

Lt. Cmdr. Matt T. Sherman: Oh, well, if we can't, er... [he motions upward], then, we, er... [he motions downward]


Operation Petticoat

Living the Dream - Part 2

If you are just joining us for the second part of Living the Dream, I invite you to go read Living the Dream - Part 1 so you don't miss out on anything.

"The starting point of great success and achievement has always been the same. It is for you to dream big dreams. There is nothing more important, and nothing that works faster than for you to cast off your own limitations than for you to begin dreaming and fantasizing about the wonderful things that you can become, have, and do."
~ Brian Tracy

So we were talking about my dream of being a world-famous author with several published works and the challenge of staying motivated enough to complete a writing project. I mentioned a website that I came across three years ago that helps people get the bulk of their novel written in 30 days. Only 30 days!!! It is a tremendous achievement for anyone who does it. After all, how many people do you know that can say that they started and completed a major life goal in only 30 days? Not many.

"Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia."
~ E.L. Doctorow

Well back in July, 1999 in the San Francisco Bay area, a guy named Chris Baty and 20 of his friends got together to see if they could each write a novel in 30 days. The funny thing is that none of them really aspire to be a novelist - they just didn't have anything better to do (that and they thought that they might have a much better chance at getting dates as novelists than as non-novelists). Out of those 21 participants, six completed the required 50,000 words and they all had a lot of fun doing it. They dubbed it National Novel Writing Month and agreed to do it again the next year.

"Writing became such a process of discovery that I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning: I wanted to know what I was going to say."
~ Sharon O'Brien

As they were gearing up to do it again in 2000, a friend of Chris's volunteered to do a website for the event. Since he was offering to do it for free, Chris let him go with it and he had it done before the start of the event, which had been moved back to the month of November. Thus Nanowrimo.org (I know. It sounds like something Mork from Ork would say ... Nanu! Nanu!) was born and 140 people signed up for the event - over half of which Chris didn't even know. Each year the event grew, as did the organization of people who put it on. In 2007, 101,510 people participated and 15,333 completed the required 50,000 words to win. The participants logged a total of 1,187,931,929 words written as they attempted to write their 30-day novels. A number of Nanowrimo participants have gone on to have their 30-day novels published! Not bad for something that was born out of boredom and lack of dating opportunities.

You may be wondering why anybody would want to even try to write so many words in such a short amount of time. The reason why this event is so great is because it forces you to get disciplined to achieve your goal. You have a very definite goal (50,000 words) to achieve in a very limited amount of time (30 days). You have to sit your behind in a chair and get to work nearly every day or you will never ever come close.

"If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
~ Toni Morrison

The other advantage of trying to write so much in so little time is that it forces you to shut off your inner editor. So many people, myself included, don't get very far on major writing projects because they are constantly editing and changing what they have already written in an attempt to make it good. You can't do this in Nanowrimo. You learn to just write and get it all out there. By doing so, your analytical mind shuts down and your creative one takes over - which is really what you want when you are writing. You get into a creative flow and your story takes you places you never dreamed of going. Besides, many writers have said that a novel is born when you write it, but a really good novel is born when you rewrite it. So write first, edit later.

"I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter."
~ James Michener

Even though I found out about Nanowrimo three years ago, this will be my first year participating in it. The year I found out about the event, my third son was born on Halloween morning. So, I couldn't spare the time to do the event when my wife needed my help with the new baby, his two older brothers and keeping up on things around the house as she recovered and adjusted to having a newborn. Last year, I was simply too busy getting settled into and adjusting to a new job. This year, however, I am making time.

I signed up under the author name NiceGuy and declared my intention to be a Nanowrimo novelist by November 30th. It isn't going to be easy with the hours that I already keep, but my wife has said she will support me as I embark on this crazy and insane adventure. How many of you out there want to get crazy with me? Go to Nanowrimo.org and sign up! Even if you don't reach the 50,000 word mark, you will at least have a really good start on your novel if you give it a decent effort.

If you don't want to do it with me, you can still look up my author name at the website and see how I am progressing. Anybody out there that wants to cheer me on would be much appreciated. It helps keep me accountable to my goals when I know that someone is watching.

While I wait for the whole event to kick off, I am jotting down plot notes as they come to me but I am not sure if that will make the event easier to complete or simply make it pure torture to not start writing right now. I am working another story in an attempt to establish a daily writing habit early and to gauge how long it takes me to write between 1,600 to 2,000 words a day. I have also joined some writing groups at Writing.com that have set up some writing activities and challenges that are focused on helping people get prepped for Nanowrimo as they participate.

As you can see, I have started living my dream of being a writer and my life is better for it. For the first time in a long time, I am really excited about what I am doing and having lots of fun.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
~ Mark Twain

So what are you going to do today to start living your dream?

I Don't Advise Cross-Dressing

Darcy McGuire: You wore control-top pantyhose?

Nick Marshall: Did you put a pair in the pink box?

Darcy McGuire: [laughs] And how did you look in them?

Nick Marshall: Hot.

What Women Want

Sorry to disappoint...

I must apologize for not having posted the second part of my Living the Dream posting. It has been a non-stop, fingernail-holding, thrill-a-moment day (minus the actual thrills) that started at 2:30 a.m. this morning.

Normally, I would be heading home right now and would just post it then, but I am due at a Boy Scout Skills Rally in 30 minutes and I have to drive 28 minutes to get there. As an Assistant Scoutmaster I must go and encourage my scouts to victory ... or at least to not get completely stomped by the other competing troops.

If the Skill Rally gets over early enough and if my wife isn't completely starved for my attention, I will post the second part of Living the Dream tonight before I head off to bed. Otherwise, check back early tomorrow morning and I will squeeze it in before I have to head off to work. Until then!

Today's Affirmation Is...

Ricky Hayman: Good. Better. Best. Never let it rest, 'til your good is Better and your better is BEST!

Holy Man

Living the Dream - Part 1

Do you have an unfulfilled dream? I'm sure you do. Perhaps, it is one you have had since your childhood. You may have dreamed of being a dancer, an astronaut, a firefighter or a pilot. My dream is to be a world-famous author with several published works. (I know I could have just said that I want to be a published author, but if you're going to dream you might as well dream big, right?)

My passion for writing started the same way many author's dream did ... from reading. I loved to read growing up; I still do! I loved how the authors opened my mind to worlds and ideas that I never dreamed of before. I loved the way they developed multiple plot lines and sub-stories and then drew it all together for a stunning climax. I loved the characters they created and how they could make you care about them. And the more I read, the more I started to daydream of my own worlds, my own characters and, eventually, my own stories.

"I am a part of all I have read."
~ John Kieran

I started to write down notes for a particular story idea a number of years ago. The more I detailed the ideas I had, the more excited I got until I couldn't continue just making notes and started writing as fast as I could. And the more I wrote, the more the ideas started to pour forth. I eventually had to put the brakes on and back up because I was writing in the middle. I started at the beginning and put down about four chapters of material. I shared what I had written with my wife and a few extended family members and they all were impressed with my writing style and my ability to grab their attention. I enjoyed the compliments, but I must admit I was also a little skeptical of them as well. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, I could see the flaws of my rough draft and so I wondered if they were being totally honest with me or if they were just telling me what they knew I wanted to hear. I got my answer shortly I stumbled across a certain website.

In the year 2000, another dreamer took a chance and established a small dot com startup called Stories.com in the midst of a rapidly crumbling dot com world. It started out as a simply idea in that it was a place where people could come and lend their writing talents and ideas by participating and contributing chapters to "interactive" stories. It was very messy and disorganized in the beginning and the site creator, the self-proclaimed StoryMaster, quickly realized additional tools and features were needed. He wanted people to be able to "own" the stories they created so he created member accounts and portfolios for them to store and edit their interactive stories. Shortly after he added the ability for members to create Static Items for members to upload their short stories, poems, articles, etc.

As the site and its membership grew, the StoryMaster quickly realized that they had outgrown the Stories.com name and concept. In September of 2002, it was home to over 15,000 writers and over 150,000 pieces of literature. And with all the added tools and activities available, it was no longer just for stories. So, in January 2003, they unveiled the new site name Writing.com, which is where you will still find it today.

I stumbled across Writing.com back in March 2005 and loved the idea that I could set up a free portfolio and share pieces of my writing with others and have them rate them and review them. I set up my own personal portfolio at http://Writing.Com/authors/nesnejan and started reading and reviewing other people's works. After a couple of months, I added my first piece, The Hunted, based on an actual dream I had when I was living in Denmark. I received great reviews from a number of people who had read it. Everyone who took the time to rate it gave it a full 5-star rating!

Encouraged by this, I started to add the first few chapters that I had shared with my family members. Again, people seemed to love my writing style and the stories I told. I'm not saying it was perfect. They had many editing suggestions that were also very helpful in improving the content and grammar. But, overall, people seemed to enjoy my writing.

Unfortunately, life got in the way and I had to lay it all to the side to focus on other things. I have tried to come back to it on a number of occasions but looming plot and character problems have kept me from making any real progress on the story. I also suffer a bit from "Idea Avalanche". Every time I read or write, it seems, I come up with a new idea for a new story. I started typing up plot and character ideas and saving them on a USB key for future reference because each new idea would derail me from one I was already working on.

"Write without pay until somebody offers to pay."
~ Mark Twain

I eventually decided to focus in on one story idea. It wasn't the one that I started with years ago because it did not have the major plot problems and character flaws the first one had. I outlined my idea for the story from the beginning almost all the way to the end. I say almost all the way to the end because their are some lingering questions over how to tie it all up without making it drag on. I figured that it would be better to just get writing and put the words down on paper and let the end work itself out in the process.

"First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him!"
~ Ray Bradbury

I made some progress, but, again, life got in the way and the project was bogged down and brought to a standstill. (Are you starting to see a pattern here?) I eventually realized that if I am ever going to get a book complete, I needed to develop the daily habit of writing and overcome my inner-perfectionistic-editor. It is a universal truth that anyone can write a novel simply by writing one page a day. The trick is to motivate yourself to do it every day until it is done.

"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending."
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I came across another website three years ago that helps people get the bulk of their first (or next) novel written in 30 days. Sounds impossible, doesn't it? Well, come back tomorrow and I will tell you all about it.

In the meantime, go to my portfolio on Writing .com at http://Writing.Com/authors/nesnejan and check out some of the pieces I have written. Sign up for a free membership and take a moment to rate and review the pieces you read. I would love to get your feedback, particularly if you see places where they can be improved. If you like the site, check out some of the other pieces written by other members and do the same for them, or add some writing of your own. If you do add something to the site, or are already a member, leave me a comment so that I can check out your work as well.

I hope to see you back here tomorrow for Part 2 of Living the Dream!

Defining Nobility...

Marian: How is it, that a once-arrogant young nobleman has found contentment, living rough with the salt of the earth?

Robin Hood: I've seen knights in armor panic at the first hint of battle. And I've seen the lowliest, unarmed squire pull a spear from his own body, to defend a dying horse. Nobility is not a birthright. It's defined by one's actions.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Answering the Experience Question

[at a job interview for a bank]

Mr. Simms: Do you have any experience?

Robbie: No, sir, I have no experience but I'm a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I'd like to put more in that jar. That's where you come in.

The Wedding Singer

Boys With Toys

James Bond: You were pretty good with that hook.

Wai-Lin: Thanks. It comes from growing up in a rough neighborhood. You were pretty good on the bike.

James Bond: Thank you. It comes from not growing up at all.

Tomorrow Never Dies

The Burden of Proof

[Ellie challenges Palmer to prove the existence of God]

Palmer Joss: Did you love your father?

Ellie Arroway: What?

Palmer Joss: Your dad. Did you love him?

Ellie Arroway: Yes, very much.

Palmer Joss: Prove it.

Contact

Ask a stupid question..

Parole Board Member #1: Good morning.

Danny: Morning.

Parole Board Member #1: Please state your name for the record.

Danny: Daniel Ocean.

Parole Board Member #1: Mr Ocean, the purpose of this hearing is to determine, whether, if released, you are likely to break the law again. While this was your first conviction, you have been implicated, though never charged, in over a dozen other confidence tricks and frauds. What can you tell us about those?

Danny: As you say, ma'am, I was never charged.

Parole Board Member #2: Mr Ocean, what we're trying to find out is was there a reason you chose to commit this crime, or was there a reason you simply got caught this time.

Danny: My wife left me. I was upset. I fell into a self-destructive pattern.

Parole Board Member #3: If released, is it likely you'd fall back into a similar pattern?

Danny: She already left me once. I don't think she'd do it again just for kicks.

Ocean's Eleven

The Mark of a Great Man

[After Mal disarms Atherton and has him at sword-point]

Harrow: "You have to finish it, lad. You have to finish it. For a man to lay beaten... and yet breathing? It makes him a coward."
Inara: "It's humiliation."
Mal: "Sure. It would be humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man. (lightly stabs Atherton with the sword) Guess I'm just a good man. (stabs him again) Well, I'm all right."
[Later]
Harrow: "You didn't have to wound the man."
Mal: "Yeah, I know, it was just funny."

Firefly - The "Shindig" Episode

Responsibility

[To Dr. Simon Tam who objects to Capt. Reynolds taking his sister along on a heist]
Capt. Malcolm Reynolds: Doctor, I'm takin' your sister under my protection here. If anything happens to her, anything at all, I swear to you, I will get very choked up. Honestly, there could be tears.


Serenity

It's not what you get ...

...it's what you do with it!


Neil: [Neil finds Todd sitting alone on the roof] Hey!
Todd Anderson: Hey.
Neil: What's going on?
Todd Anderson: Nothin'. Today's my birthday.
Neil: Is today your birthday? Happy birthday!
Todd Anderson: Thanks.
Neil: What'd you get?
Todd Anderson: [indicating the desk set lying beside him] My parents gave me this.
Neil: Isn't this the same desk set-
Todd Anderson: Yeah. Yeah, they gave me the same thing as last year.
Neil: Oh.
Todd Anderson: Oh.
Neil: Maybe they thought you needed another one.
Todd Anderson: Maybe they weren't thinking about anything at all. The funny thing is about this is, I-I didn't even like it the first time.
Neil: Todd, I think you're underestimating the value of this desk set.
[He picks it up]
Neil: I mean, who would want a football or a baseball or...
Todd Anderson: Or a car.
Neil: Or a car, if they could have a desk set as wonderful as this one? I mean, if-if I were ever going to buy a desk set, twice, I would probably buy this one. Both times! In fact, its shape is... it's rather aerodynamic, isn't it?
[walks to the edge of the roof]
Neil: You can feel it. This desk set wants to fly!
[hands it to Todd]
Neil: Todd? The world's first unmanned flying desk set.
[Todd throws it off the roof - papers fly everywhere and things crash and clatter to the ground]
Neil: Oh my! Well, I wouldn't worry. You'll get another one next year.


Dead Poets Society

Some Things Money Can't Buy...

After a day of mowing the lawn and doing a bunch of yard work, I thought this quote is appropriate for today's post...

Cindy Mancini: Are you high?

Ronald Miller: I want to rent you.

Cindy Mancini: You want to rent me?

Ronald Miller: Yeah. You pretend you like me and we go out for a few weeks... and that will make me popular.

Cindy Mancini: Just going out with me is not gonna make you popular.

Ronald Miller: Well I have a thousand dollars that says it will.

Cindy Mancini: I think you've mowed one too many lawns!

Can't Buy Me Love

Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go and practice dancing the African Anteater Ritual.

Be A Hero!

Henry Jackson: Hi, Peter!
Peter Parker: Hey, Henry! You've grown tall.
May Parker: You'll never guess who he wants to be... Spider-Man!
Peter Parker: Why?
May Parker: He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams.


Spider-Man 2


If there is one thing that this world can use more of, it's heroes. We have plenty of celebrities these days setting great examples of sex, drugs and riotous living for our children to look up to. Athletes are more concerned over how many millions of dollars they will earn this year than their potential influence on today's youth. Not that I am saying all celebrities and athletes are like that. There are a few that I would consider heroes. There is just a significant amount of media attention given to those who set the worst example for our youth.

We need more heroes like Oprah who inspire people to live better. We need more heroes like Denzel Washington who sets a tremendous example of giving when he sees the value of a particular hospital and immediately writes out a personal check for the full amount to build another one.

But, most importantly, we need everyday heroes like you who sometimes must sacrifice grand dreams for the sake of being a steady provider for spouse and children. We need everyday heroes who sacrifice and give to worthy causes like the United Way, the Red Cross, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and similar organizations. We need everyday heroes who give more time and attention to their kids than they do to sports programs and sitcoms.

Be a hero!

I Will Never Forget!

Today I will be taking a break from my usual foolishness and frivolity in honor of the victims of those tragic events that took place on September 11, 2001 and their families who survive them.

I have often wondered at how people would say that they remember quite clearly where they were and what they were doing when they saw the news regarding certain events that include the deaths of John Lennon, Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy. I never experienced anything like that until that fateful morning when my wife brought me in front of the television and we witnessed in shock the events taking place. We watched in amazement as one of the World Trade Centers smoldered and burned from the plane that had struck it and then in horror as we saw the second plane strike the second tower.

Those events combined with that of a third plane striking the Pentagon and a fourth, believed to be heading towards the White House, crashing in a Pennsylvania field are, even still to this day, overwhelming. I can't think of them without getting emotional over the pointless loss of the lives of so many of my fellow Americans and world neighbors. I can't look at the pictures of the events of that day and its aftermath without thinking of the families left incomplete, the friends and coworkers whose associations were broken and all those who live in New York City and the surrounding area that must face a skyline every single day that is missing an essential component to make it complete.

My heart goes out to those families who have been deprived of their loved ones, to those friends and coworkers who have suffered the pains of loss, the denizens of those cities who have grieved and to all the children who were exposed to those images seven years ago and have had to grow up in the shadow of the acts of evil men.

An entire nation lies between me and the locations where those events took place, but each thunderous impact struck my heart as well. It is a day I will never forget.





I generally steer clear of political discussions and debates and so I leave such comments out of my blog postings as well. However, regardless of what any of you may think of our current president and how he and his administration has handled affairs over the past years, my admiration of George W. Bush grew when I heard him speak following the 9/11 attacks. I believe his comments to be one of the greatest speeches I have ever heard. Here is the speech in its entirety:

Good evening. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong.

A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.

America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining.

Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could.

Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington, D.C. to help with local rescue efforts.

Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks.

The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight, and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business, as well.

The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. I've directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.

I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance.

America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me."

This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day. Yet, we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world.

Thank you. Good night, and God bless America.

~ President George W. Bush

In the time that has passed since the attack on the Twin Towers, it seems that the support for the war on terror has waned. People have been clammoring for us to end our involvement in Iraq and to bring our troops home. While I am a staunch supporter of peace and get no pleasure from the loss of our valiant soldiers, I believe that we must fight the fights that need fighting. We should never give up because it has become difficult. We should not pull back because it isn't our land we are fighting for. The day we do that, the enemy has won.


Freedom is a cause worth fighting for - I don't care if it is at home or abroad. Everybody deserves to be free from the cowardly acts of terrorists and the ruthlessness of dictators. It is a cause that our men and women of the armed services willingly give their lives to defend. It is a cause that so many people lost their lives for that September day when a few evil men attacked it.


If you have suffered from that sense of apathy, if you have grown complacent in the past seven years simply because nothing like those attacks have happened since that day, I urge you to rededicate yourself to the cause of freedom - both at home and abroad!

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

~ Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburgh, Pennsylvania
November 19, 1863

May God bless you and grant you a long life of peace, happiness and freedom!

Have You Forgotten?
By Darryl Worley


I hear people saying we don't need this war
But, I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start your preaching let me ask you this my friend


Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?


They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well, after 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?

To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell
And we vowed to get the one’s behind bin Laden
Have you forgotten?


I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for


Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yeah, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?


Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?

Remember these words...

I was watching a movie last night when I came across a quote that would make a great compliment to any woman:

[Catching Chris staring at her...]
Liz Cooper: What is it?
Cris Johnson: There's an Italian painter, named Carlotti, and he uh, ahem, defined beauty. He said it was the summation of the parts working together in such a way that nothing needed to be added, taken away or altered, and that's you. You're beautiful.
Liz Cooper: Wow.

Next




So, guys, memorize those words and say them to your wife, girlfriend, significant other, etc. some day when the two of you are sharing a special moment and you will have the pleasure of seeing her go weak in the knees. But don't wait until that special moment arrives to give her a compliment. Give her one today! Tell her just how she puts the Whoah! in woman.

For another great line, see Not all pick-up lines are bad...


For lines I hope you never use, see Worst Pick-Up Lines

Mom's Always Know...

[Talking to his son 30 years in the future...]
Frank Sullivan: John, say hello to my wife Julia.
John Sullivan: Hi.
Julia Sullivan: Hi John. Frank tells me you're a cop.
John Sullivan: Yeah, that's right.
Julia Sullivan: My six year old keeps telling us he wants to be a policeman right after he retires from the majors. We just bought him a badge and a whistle for his birthday.
John Sullivan: Yeah, I remember I used to play cops and robbers all the time, and y - my mom wouldn't let me have a toy gun.
Julia Sullivan: Sounds like your mom and I would get along.
John Sullivan: Yeah, she's pretty special. I'm real proud of her.
Julia Sullivan: I bet she's proud of you too, being a cop and all.
John Sullivan: I hope so. I hope she knows how much I love her.
Julia Sullivan: She knows. Mom's always know how much their kids love them, even if they don't tell them all the time. Well I gotta go. It was good talking to ya John.
John Sullivan: You too.


Frequency

Mom's may always know how much their kids love them, even when they don't tell them all the time, but I am sure they wouldn't mind be reminded every now and then. So call your mom today and tell her you love her. It will make her day and yours.

Rise to the Occasion of Your Life

I started to watch a movie with my 4-year old son this weekend and, while we did not have time to watch to this point, this is one of my favorite quotes from the show....

Mr. Edward Magorium: [to Molly, about dying] When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is "He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with "He dies." And yet every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies." but because of the life we saw prior to the words.
[pause, walks over to Molly]
Mr. Edward Magorium: I've lived all five of my acts, Mahoney, and I am not asking you to be happy that I must go. I'm only asking that you turn the page, continue reading... and let the next story begin. And if anyone asks what became of me, you relate my life in all its wonder, and end it with a simple and modest "He died."
Molly Mahoney: [starting to sob] I love you.
Mr. Edward Magorium: I love you, too.
[picks Molly up, sighs heavily]
Mr. Edward Magorium: Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.


Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

That last line "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." is a piece of advice we should reflect on every morning that we wake up to a new day. I was just thinking about this very thing last night before I drifted off to sleep. I know that I live my life well below what I am capable of. It is one of the reasons that I push myself so hard at the things I do and the sports I play. I am curious just how far I can go and how much I can do. And do you know what? I haven't found the limit yet.

If you know my wife, I am sure you will agree that she is an incredible woman. But if you knew her like I do, you would also know that she, too, lives well below what she is capable of. She has an incredible potential in her that is so under-tapped that when she does tap into it, even just a little bit, she accomplishes incredible and amazing things.

And I bet that, if you really and truly look at your life, you would agree that you live well below your level of potential as well.

Why do we do this? Why do we have those moments of greatness and then settle back into living lives of mediocrity? I believe part of this is that it is a little uncomfortable for us and for those around us when we live out there on the edge. It is uncomfortable for us because we are living outside of our comfort zone. And nobody likes to be uncomfortable, do they? So we pull back before we can realize that if we just stayed out there a little bit longer, our comfort zone would have expanded to encompass where we were at.

It is uncomfortable for those around us because, when one of us strays from the "herd" of mediocrity, we become an automatic outcast. We open ourselves to ridicule and criticism by those who hang back with the rest of the "herd". We become one of those "weirdos" that are different from most everyone else. And there are few that are strong enough and confident enough to openly admit that, while it is nice and comfortable within the safety of the "herd", the grass is definitely greener and lusher where the lone "stray" has moved to.

If you want to see the gap between where you are now and where you potential lies narrow, I recommend that you memorize and short little saying that my mentor, Mike Litman, taught to me:

"In life, you're either consistent, or you're non-existent!"

Whatever you want to improve in life, you must consistently strive to improve upon. Moments of greatness do nothing for you. One great day does not make a great life any more than one great shot makes someone an incredible basketball player. If you want to lose weight, you must consistently eat right and exercise every day. If you want to learn to play a musical instrument, you must pick it up and practice every day. If you want to have a more loving relationship with your spouse and kids, you must consistently express your love in words and deeds every day. There isn't anything that you want more or better where this universal truth does not apply. Consistency is key!

But in order to establish a life of consistent greatness, you have to get started.

Your life is an occasion. What are you going to do today to rise to it?

What Do You Think?

Centauri: Alex! Alex! You're walking away from history! History, Alex! Did Chris Columbus stay home? Nooooo. What if the Wright Brothers thought that only birds should fly? And did Galoka think that the Ulus were too ugly to save?
Alex Rogan: Who's Galoka?
Centauri: Never mind.
Alex Rogan: Listen, Centauri. I'm not any of those guys, I'm a kid from a trailer park.
Centauri: If that's what you think, then that's all you'll ever be!

The Last Starfighter



While this was a somewhat "cheesy" movie, I really enjoyed it. It was fun, action-packed and carried a good message. Alex always dreamed of doing more with his life. He dreamed of life beyond the little trailer park community he lived in. I mean, their idea of excitement was everyone turning out to watch Alex break the high score on the Starfighter video game. That was a real life accomplishment in their book. And while that was exciting for Alex in itself, he dreamed of doing something more significant. Little did he know just how significant an opportunity he would get.

Never let a big opportunity in life pass you by because you think it is too big for who you are. That is something even I struggle with. I dream big dreams but then struggle to think of myself as more than what I am. Be big in life by thinking big. I'm not just talking about riches and celebrity status. Be a great parent by thinking of yourself as a great parent. Raise a significant amount of money for a charitable organization by thinking yourself able to do so. Inspire a child to reach great heights of athletic, artistic or musical achievement by thinking yourself a great teacher and/or motivator. Think of yourself as being more ... and you will be.

Here are some more quotes on how thoughts influence your life:

For as (a man) thinketh in his heart, so is he.
-- Proverbs 23:7

A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.
-- Mahatma Gandhi

A man sooner or later discovers that he is the master-gardener of his soul, the director of his life. -- James Allen

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.
-- Buddha

All that you accomplish or fail to accomplish with your life is the direct result of your thoughts.
-- James Allen

Build this day on a foundation of pleasant thoughts. Never fret at any imperfections that you fear may impede your progress. Remind yourself, as often as necessary, that you are a creature of God and have the power to achieve any dream by lifting up your thoughts. You can fly when you decide that you can. Never consider yourself defeated again. Let the vision in your heart be in your life's blueprint. Smile!
-- Og Mandino

Change your thoughts, and you change your world.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts.
-- William Hazlitt

I think and that is all that I am.
-- Wayne Dyer

If constructive thoughts are planted positive outcomes will be the result. Plant the seeds of failure and failure will follow.
-- Sidney Madwed

If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.
-- Peace Pilgrim

Life consists in what a person is thinking of all day.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Man is made or unmade by himself. By the right choice he ascends. As a being of power, intelligence, and love, and the lord of his own thoughts, he holds the key to every situation.
-- James Allen

Nothing has any power over me other than that which I give it through my conscious thoughts.
-- Anthony Robbins

Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.
-- Benjamin Disraeli

Our life is what our thoughts make it. A man will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him.
-- James Allen

Our minds become magnetized with the dominating thoughts we hold in our minds and these magnets attract to us the forces, the people, the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominating thoughts.
-- Napoleon Hill

Our thoughts create our reality -- where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go.
-- Peter McWilliams

Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward.
-- Napoleon Hill

Some thoughts always find us young, and keep us so. Such a thought is the love of the universal and eternal beauty.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The game of life is the game of boomerangs. Our thoughts, deeds and words return to us sooner or later, with astounding accuracy.
-- Florence Shinn

The human mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.
-- Oliver Wendell Holmes

The more clear and definite you make your picture then, and the more you dwell upon it, bringing out all its delightful details, the stronger your desire will be, and the stronger your desire, the easier it will be to hold your mind fixed upon the picture of what you want.
-- Wallace D. Wattles

There is a basic law that like attracts like. Negative thinking definitely attracts negative results. Conversely, if a person habitually thinks optimistically and hopefully his positive thinking sets in motion creative forces - and success instead of eluding him flows toward him.
-- Norman Vincent Peale

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.
-- Napoleon Hill

Thought is the sculptor who can create the person you want to be.
-- Henry David Thoreau

To find yourself, think for yourself.
-- Socrates

To put away aimlessness and weakness, and to begin to think with purpose, is to enter the ranks of those strong ones who only recognize failure as one of the pathways to attainment; who make all conditions serve them, and who think strongly, attempt fearlessly, and accomplish masterfully.
-- James Allen

We are formed and molded by our thoughts. Those whose minds are shaped by selfless thoughts give joy when they speak or act. Joy follows them like a shadow that never leaves them.
-- Buddha

We are what we think. All that we are arises With our thoughts. With our thoughts, We make our world.
-- Buddha

What is the hardest thing in the world? To think.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.
-- Buddha

What your heart thinks is great, is great. The soul's emphasis is always right.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
-- Author Unknown

When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds: Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and your discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.
-- Patanjali

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
-- James Allen

(I have the distinct honor of having a portion of this entry being quoted by Dr. Laura Markham as today's Quote of the Day at YourParentingSolutions.com.)

SERIOUS Music Instruction

I was sitting on the couch last night with my 3 year old son and he shows me these music flash cards from his older brother's Kindermusik class that he took several years ago. Apparently, his brother had been instructing him in beats and rests and he felt that I needed a lesson as well. He makes me repeat after him as he points at the three bars on the card and says "Tee", "Tee", "Tee", and then he points at the "rest" sign, gets a serious look on his face and says in a lecturing tone: "This means don't play the pinano." I did my best not to crack a smile and asked him, "What does that mean?" Again, the serious look comes back, along with the lecturing tone as he repeated, "Don't play the pinano." It was so cute that I sent him into the kitchen to give his mother a music lesson as well.

When you feel all alone...

[Lindsey talking to Bud as he descends, fearing he may be going into shock...]
Lindsey Brigman: I know how alone you feel... alone in all that cold blackness... but I'm there in the dark with you. Oh Bud you're not alone... Oh, God. You remember that time - you were pretty drunk, you probably don't remember - but the power went out in that little apartment we had on Orange Street? We were staring at that one little candle, and I, I said something really dumb like, that candle was me, and like every one of us is out there alone in the dark in this life... and you just, you just lit up another candle and you put it beside mine and said "No! See, that's me. That's me"... and we stared at the two candles, and then... well, if you remember any of this, I'm sure you remember the next part. But there are two candles in the dark. I'm with you. I'll always be with you Bud, I promise that.

The Abyss
I think this scene struck me and called for me to share due to some recent events in the lives of our friends and acquaintances. There seems to have been a rash of deaths in the lives of the people we care about; a friend's husband, another friend's mother, and, just yesterday, my boss's father. Our hearts ache for them and what they must be feeling. I can only imagine how alone they must suddenly feel when they are suddenly deprived of that close relationship they shared with their loved ones.

I pray fervently for these people that they may find comfort and peace. I pray that they may be reminded that they are never, ever alone. If every last family member, loved one, friend and acquaintance should be taken from this earth in some cataclysmic accident and they, for some reason, were spared, they would still not be alone ... for God is always with them.

For some reason, the scene from The Abyss reminds me of the following song. It has always seemed a very romantic song to me, and perhaps to you as well. Today, just for today, read the lyrics as though God were singing them. And allow them to remind you that you, too, are never alone.


To Make You Feel My Love
By: Garth Brooks

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I would offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go blind for you
I'd go crawling down the aisle for you
There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on a rolling sea
Down the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
But you ain't seen nothing like me yet

There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
Make you happy, make your dreams come true
To make you feel my love

The Weathered Old Barn

The Weathered Old Barn
By: Author Unknown

A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off he was crazy. He was a city type, you could tell by his clothes, his car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.

Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. The summer sun's beat down on that old barn till all the paint's gone, and the wood has turned silver gray. Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.

That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he's building down the road. He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful. Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.

It came to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I. Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure we turn silver gray too and lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. As the years pass we use the hard wealth of our lives, the dry spells and the stormy seasons, to do a job of beautifying our souls that nothing else can produce. And to think how often people complain because they want life easy, when it is because of the struggles we live through that we become the people we are.

Find peace with who you are and embrace the problems you come up against every day. You will only become more beautiful for it.

Not all pick-up lines are bad...

After that last post, I had to prove that not all pick-up lines are bad. Joe uses one when he talks about calling Kathleen that probably would have worked under better timing....


[Talking about who Kathleen's internet friend could possibly be...]
Joe Fox: [walking] He could be the Zipper Man.
Kathleen Kelly: Who?
Joe Fox: This guy on Amsterdam who repairs zippers. You'll never have to buy new luggage.
Kathleen Kelly: Stop teasing.
Joe Fox: Timing is everything. He waited until you were primed. Until you knew there was no other man you could ever love.
Kathleen Kelly: Yes.
Joe Fox: Sometimes I wonder...
Kathleen Kelly: What? [they stop]
Joe Fox: If I hadn't been FoxBooks and you hadn't been the Shop Around the Corner... and you and I had, just you know, met... Yeah. I would have asked for your phone number and I wouldn't have been able to wait 24 hours before calling and asking, "How about coffee, drinks, dinner, a movie, for as long as we both shall live?"
Kathleen Kelly: Joe.
Joe Fox: And you and I would have never been at war. And the only things we would've fought about would be what video to rent on Saturday night.
Kathleen Kelly: Well, who fights about that?
Joe Fox: Well, some people. Not us.
Kathleen Kelly: We would never.
Joe Fox: ...if only.

You've Got Mail



Lucky for Joe, the person Kathleen was rushing off to meet for the first time was ... Joe.




I do have to share this one little tidbit that I came across while researching pick-up lines. In an article on Forbes.com, Neil Strauss talks of a time when a friend challenged him to try to meet women using a story about dental floss. "Me and my friends were having a big debate, and your answer to this is going to change the rest of our lives," he would begin. "I know we're just at a bar, but me and my friends talk about these things. So, a very important question ... Flossing: before or after you brush?" Half said before; half after, and nearly all entered into a longer conversation.

And that is the key right there: initiating a long conversation. In my experience of meeting and dating women, women much prefer good conversation over being treated like a propective conquest. You can use a line to make them laugh because that is all they are really good for unless the line is really romantic and you already have a relationship with them - otherwise you just come off as desparate and creepy.

So, if you are a single guy, take note - conversation is key. How you start it is up to you.

Worst Pick-Up Lines

Last week I took a quote from the movie Labyrinth and turned it into a bad pick-up line. My sister-in-law commented with a list of pick-up lines that cracked me up. I decided that you could all use a laugh so I searched the internet for more. I selected only those that weren't totally crude because there are some real offensive ones out there. I also made up four of my own and put them in here as well. Let's see if you can pick them out.

(Note: If you are single, good-looking and find that some of these might actually work on you, send me your name, phone number and a photo and tell me which lines work so that I can forward that information on to my single brother. At 28 years old, I figure he could use a little help.)

You look like a girl that has heard every line in the book, so what's one more going to hurt?

Hi. You'll do.

Come on. We're leaving.

I'm sorry, were you talking to me? (No.) Well then, please start.

Your name must be Mickey because your so fine.

Let's make like a fabric softener and Snuggle.

You're ugly but you intrigue me.

You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy.

Do you believe in love at first sight or should I walk past again?

Excuse me, do you have any raisins? How about a date?

Hi, my name is Chris. I'm funny, financially stable, and have a very interesting DNA structure.

Can I take your picture? (Why?) Because I want Santa to know exactly what I want for Christmas.

I'm new in town, could I have directions to your house.

Hey baby, I'm like American Express; you don't want to leave home without me.

My love for you is like the Energizer bunny, it keeps going and going.

I want to melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

Is your last name Gillette? Because you are the best a man can get.

Your place… or your place?

There must be something wrong with my eyes, because I can't take them off you.

You look a lot like my future ex-wife.

Do you... Yahoo!?

Are you lost? Because heaven is a long way from here.

If you were a new burger at McDonald's, you'd be McGorgeous.

All those curves and me with no brakes.

You might not be the best looking girl here, but I’m not picky.

My friend wants to know if you were born in those jeans.

Hey, baby, I am like Allstate. With me, you'll be in good hands.

You see my friend over there? He wants to know if YOU think I'M cute.

Your legs must be tired because you've been running through my mind all night.

Do you have a quarter? My mother told me to call home when I met the girl of my dreams.

Hey baby, what's your sign? Caution, slippery when wet, dangerous curves ahead, or yield?

Were you just smiling at me from across the room, or do I have my contacts in wrong?

Hey, I am a professional wrestler … wanna learn some new moves?

We both know that I am going to follow you home anyway, so why don't you just come along peacefully?

Baby, if I was a car I would be a Jaguar because I was born to perform.

If I told you that you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me?

This isn't a beer belly--it's the gas tank for a love machine!

I was so enchanted by your beauty that I ran into the wall over there. So I am going to need your name and number for insurance purposes.

I know that milk does the body good, but wow, how much you been drinking?

Have you been arrested? It’s gotta be illegal to look that good.

Are you going to kiss me, or do I have to lie to my diary?

Excuse me, can I have your phone number? I seem to have lost mine.

Do you have a name or can I call you "mine"?

I gotta thirst and baby, you look like my Gatorade.

They say loose lips sinks ships so why don't you fasten yours on mine.

Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes?

I hope you know CPR, because you take my breath away.

Oh no, I'm choking! I need mouth-to-mouth, quick!

Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!

You must be a broom because you’re sweeping me off my feet.

Do you have a license? Because you’re driving me crazy.

Are you religious? Because you’re the answer to all my prayers.

Is it hot in here, or is it just you?

If I could rearrange the alphabet, I’d put “U” and “I” together.

Are you a parking ticket? Because you have FINE written all over you.

Do you know karate? Because your body is kickin'.

I may not be the best looking guy here, but I'm the only one talking to you.

Hey baby, you must be Visa, because you're everywhere I want to be.

If I follow you home, will you keep me?

There you have it. Some of the worst pick-up lines out there without getting obscene and vulgar. Now that you have read them, I want to know how you would respond if someone used one of those lines on you. Let's see who can come up with the most creative response to some of the worst lines. Leave me a comment and let me know what you come up with.