Message of the Day - Our best work in the shortest amount of time

Good Morning,

 

Back in 2006 when I saw Zig Ziglar, he said that people do their best and highest volume of work when they are preparing to go on vacation. If you are working a two day week and leave for a five day vacation, on those two days you tend to be more productive than normal weeks. You have a pressing deadline important to you, that is, you want to get out to your vacation on time with as little work left hanging over your head when you are gone.

 

I see this almost every morning when I try to compose a message of the day or do something else in the house when I get the girls ready for school, prepare breakfast, do some chores, and get out the door on time. Some of the messages that I am most proud of came from those times when I had 5 minutes to generate message before our time to go.

 

Sometimes it just wont work, there are too many distractions, and that is okay, there are times when you can push the envelop any further without negative consequences.

 

Try to balance those times when you can get a lot done in a short period of time with those when you really should not drive yourself too hard. You will find less frustration when you realize you can step back and not fight the constant interruptions. Those interruptions may be more important at that moment!

 

It may be hard to tell which is which, but in the heat of the moment, it often becomes crystal clear.

 

So, I am off to bring the girls to school and will speak to you all tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

Message of the Day - Seeing Your Neighborhood for the First Time

Good Morning,

 

This morning I was driving around town doing some errands. I had the radio off and did not have anything pressing on my mind. I was driving and enjoying the scenery. As I come to a major intersection I saw signs on a building I have never seen before. I wonder to myself when were they put up. Looking closer I notice they are not new.

 

Further down the road I notice an odd entranceway into a building I pass regularly. Again, I wonder when was this changed, and again, further inspection, while waiting for the light to change, it is not new.

 

Then it hit me. They have been here all the time, and it was me who was not paying attention.

 

I am often driving through town, thinking of where I am going, what I am going to do, what I am going to say when I get there and what paper I have to write for college. My mind is so occupied with driving and what I am going to do after I finish driving, I close out parts of the world.

 

When I made the realization I smiled and continued to look around at the neighborhood with the subtle differences that I was seeing for the first time.

 

Maybe we have become a bit too busy to smell the roses, much less see them.

 

Take a step back, and enjoy the ride!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

Message of the Day - Facts not Labels

Good Morning,

 

A tendency we find ourselves doing from time to time is putting a label on a person, a place, a thing or an event. For example, if you are part of a group that has a monthly meeting, you may refer to it as the ‘boring’ meeting or the ‘fun’ meeting. In this action, you have labeled the meeting. When you talk about it, you give that label to others. The same is true when you label people and things. That ‘boring’ or ‘fun’ person is a label. So are less pleasant words.

 

Labels can demean and diminish people, places, things and events. Labels also short-change others on understanding whatever is labeled because of the label itself. Sometimes those labels are accurate, like I don’t like that ‘messy’ store. A family may not want to bring their children to a ‘messy’ store, but if the store were in the middle of inventory or an other one time event, and is now clean, that family may never know what value that store may have for them, because until they see it for themselves, or hear from others, they will envision that ‘messy’ store and pass on ever going there.

 

Facts on the other hand can convey the same information, without conveying a label. Sure, folks listening to the facts may put the label on for themselves, but that is the point, they make the decision for themselves, they don’t have it handed to them. Using facts instead of labels with our neighborhood store, you may hear ‘the store was a bit messy’. This may sound awfully similar to ‘messy store’ but it is really different.

 

Putting this in action:  ‘that angry person’ or ‘the person was angry’.  The first labels the person as always being angry, and the second shows a person who was angry at that time, which happens to all of us from time to time.

 

When describing people, places, things and events, use facts, and try not to label. This way you convey your thoughts, but not a label which limits how others will think and feel about those same things.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Is your self image not what you see in the mirror?

Good Morning,

 

I have started reading Eckhart Tolle’s new book ‘A New Earth’ this week (http://www.eckharttolle.com/). Wow, what a deep read. One section that caught my attention is how Eckhart Tolle talked about how we live our lives based on the image we have of ourselves (physically and mentally) which is generated by our ego.

 

You know, the ‘I’m too this, too that, I’m always sick, I am no good at math, etc.’ This goes beyond invisible limits we put on ourselves. This is living our lives, interacting with others, working, loving, etc., with a fixed image of who we are, which may not be who we are.

 

Imagine finding out after all this time, that you are not who you thought you were? I am not suggesting you were switched with another baby in the hospital nursery, rather that you may be selling yourself short on who you really are.

 

Karen, my wife is a good example of someone who overcame this. She tells me she is terrible with math. She also does all of our finances. And according to my father, a retired EVP of Finance, CFO, etc., a man who lives, breaths and dreams math and finances; Karen is very good, almost as good as him. And he tells everyone this. (He tells people none of his kids have the ‘money gene’, so he is exceptionally proud to have Karen as a daughter-in-law).

 

How is this possible? She did not look at her check book and just give up saying ‘I’m not good with math, I can’t balance my checkbook.’

 

Karen accepted she had limits with math, and worked extra hard to get passed them. She focuses twice as hard and double checks everything. In the end, she did not limit herself to a life of being terrible with math and run into financial ruin, etc.

 

What limitations are you living with in your life which with some effort and rethinking could be overcome?

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Message of the Day - Take a step back and look again

Good Morning,

 

Have you ever been so focused on a target or a goal that you blank out everything else from sight and from mind? This is sometimes called tunnel vision, and we all are susceptible to getting it from time to time.

 

When we focus on one goal with all of our hearts and minds, day in and day out, we can do ourselves a disservice.

 

Here are some reasons why:

 

1. We elevate this goal above all others, no matter how important the others may be at the time.
2. We look at others through the eyes of meeting our goals and this may cause us to act in ways we normally do not act to our friends and loved ones.
3. We pass on other opportunities which may present themselves to us. Other opportunities which may actually be better for us.

 

When we see, or more likely, are reminded, that we are too focused, take a step back and try to draw in the big picture. See what is going on around you and then put your goal into perspective. Maybe you can see things you did not see before, or maybe your goal is that important and you need to get right back at it.  Either way, you have taken a fresh look and given yourself a chance to make the right choice.

 

Lets all take a step back from time to time to see the big picture.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Quitting and Sticking to it, knowing which is best

Good Morning (Happy Easter!),

 

My most recent read was a short and focused book, ‘the dip: a little book that teaches you when to quit (and when to stick)’ by Seth Godin (www.sethgodin.com/GetTheDip). I also enjoyed another of his books, ‘The Big Moo’. I was drawn to buy ‘the dip’ because of the title and that I have not come across many sources of information on the subject of sticking or quitting and how to make the best plans and decisions of what to do.

 

Seth Godin explains the dip to be like a curve. You start a new endeavor, job, etc., and you rise up with enthusiasm along the curve, and then you peak and start a decline, the dip. It is here, in the dip, where most people get stuck. If you push through, you will rise up on the other side of the dip, way higher than the initial peak, to enjoy the benefits of perseverance. In succeeding to get past the dip, you can achieve your own greatness. With millions of niches in the world, you can own one or two, so why not go for it?

 

We often get caught in the dip of some activity or working toward some goal and give up when we get frustrated, we panic, or we question the value of continuing. We all need to size up where we are in the dip and determine if the efforts we need to put in to get us up to be the best in the world in what we do are worth the effort. In some cases the return for our effort will never be worth it; that is a sign to think about quitting. In some cases the return on our effort pays a hundred fold; that is a sign to keep at it.

 

When no matter what we do, when we realize that we will never get past the dip, we may not even on the curve at all. We are either on a cliff with a sure and sudden fall to follow or we are in a dead-end, or as Seth refers to: a Cul-de-Sac. Quitting, here, is NOT bad, in fact, continuing to go forward will send us into a brick wall or worse, over the cliff. Why not stop, and refocus our efforts where they can be more successful?

 

Quitting is not bad if it opens the door to greater opportunity for you. This does not mean that you should quit at the first sign of resistance or problems. When we get frustrated or panic, we should do everything in our power to NOT quit. Quitting can get us un-stuck, it can get us in front of new opportunities.

 

Quitting is not failure (but can lead to it). We choose to quit, it is causative, failure happens to us as a reaction to our effort or lack of.

 

This book has many more tips and ideas to help us better understand what we should roll up our sleeves and push our way through for, and when we should pack our bags and quit the task at hand. I highly recommend you take the time to read ‘the dip’ it is an easy, yet powerful and fun read!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Humor and You

Good Morning,

 

My current read is ‘Humor Us’ by 18 different authors (including our friend Brad Barton). Yes this is the book I won at December GLI Signature Event. Kinda shows the number of books I have sitting in front of me to read at any given time.

 

‘Humor Us’ has a chapter written by each of the authors. After reading the first six, I can see the value of this book and how humor in our lives can make such a difference. A little humor can put smiles on people’s faces and lighten an otherwise dreary mood.

 

Humor does not have to be in the form of jokes, practical or otherwise, or wearing clown costumes, but then again, we have all seen modern fashion these days…. Humor comes in many forms, subtle and well, not so subtle (hand buzzers and whoopee cushions). Humor can be made and it can be found where it is currently sitting hidden, or in plain sight for those of us who are normally oblivious (Me and possibly a few others….).

 

What can Humor do for you?

 

Take the edge off the day, reduce the pressure of a tough situation, make a boring day go by faster, and make other people more fun to be around.

 

Find the humor, smile, laugh and if you can’t find any, make some up. Maybe not a whoopee cushion, but a cute joke, etc.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - The power of the invisible

Good Morning,

 

Welcome new recipients!

 

Last night I finished the book “Influencer” and found a very powerful section.

 

The book talks about using influence to make changes, but you cannot do it in one area, you need to do it in six different areas. Focusing on one area alone is usually not enough to enact change. If one area fails, another could pick up the effort.

 

To enact change you must influence:

 

1. Personal Motivation – Make the Undesirable Desirable
2. Personal Ability – Surpass Your Limits
3. Social Motivation – Harness Peer Pressure
4. Social Ability – Find Strength in Numbers
5. Structural Motivation – Design Rewards and Demand Accountability
6. Structural Ability – Change the Environment

 

It is the last one that struck me as I read on. Changing our environment can change the way people think and act. That is, things we often take for granted or seem invisible to us for their commonality are sending their own messages. For example, when you go into a bosses off and their chair is higher than yours and your chair makes you sit low to the ground so you have to look up to see them. This can make you feel smaller or make the boss seem more self-important.

 

Things send messages, here are some more examples:

 

• If you have a place you want people to go, and they cannot easily find it, it may send the message, you don’t want them to come.
• Having long hallways and massive rooms so that guests have to walk a long way to get to the end helps people feel the power of the establishment (Hitler did this with his HQ).
• Wearing Jeans and a T-Shirt when everyone else wears formal gives people a lot of information about the person in jeans which may or may not be true.
• Having a room full of flowers in bloom sends a different message than a room full of dying plants.
• Having small cubicals on one side of the floor and large ones on the other tells something to employees.
• A store which is constantly out of stock tells customers they do not matter by saying come back later or take a raincheck.

 

These are powerful messages from inanimate objects.

 

What are your things telling people?

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Message of the Day - The Power of Influence

Good Morning,

 

I have been reading “Influencer: The Power to Change Anything” by Kenneth Patterson (et al), and have really enjoyed the powerful messages the book conveys on influencing others and becoming a person of influence. There are a lot of reoccurring themes with other books of similar subjects, but this books adds a lot of scientific reference to their points which helps bring them home.

 

Some of the key areas are getting others to do what you want them to do (not so much being bossy, but getting folks to stop bad or even dangerous habits). Below are some of the tools the authors give on this.

 

1. Give your message vicariously, not just verbally. You can talk until you are blue in the face, and you will not have your audience always listen or even understand. By giving your message vicariously, you are using other means to convey your message. Brad Barton is wonderful at this by using his magic to show a point without having to talk about it. Other forms of vicarious communications are videos which have actors, or animation playing out the message you are trying to get across. If the character in the show thinks something is bad, so will many of the watchers.

 

2. The power of peer pressure is amazing (this example is a bit extreme, but it happened). In one experiment in 1961, a Dr. Milgram tested to see how likely people would give electric shock to another person, in increasing voltage even though they here discomfort, pain, crying and then silence (they either passed out or worse). The shock recipient was part of the experiment and never actually was shocked, the cries and all were a recording. If the test subject objected to giving the shock, the man in a lab coat said it was part of the experiment. If the subject objected 5 times, the experiment ended. The results were shocking, 65% of people gave the shocks beyond the silence until the maximum voltage was delivered. When another person was in the room with the subject, if they acted against the experiment, then only 10% of the subjects gave the full voltage, and if they supported the experiment, 90% gave the full voltage. Dr. Milgram was publicly flambéed for this experiment, but it shows some real insight into people and peer pressure.

 

3. When giving information, who gives it matters a lot. When fighting off a horrible disease (Guinea Worm) in Africa, the simple solution was to strain the river water before they drink it to strain out parasites. Many people tried to tell the natives this, Doctor’s, Chieftains, etc. and they would not listen. Then a revered national ICON came and gave the same message and demonstrated the technique and then they got it.

 

Remember when getting your message out, use the tools of vicarious communication, using the right people to give the message and if necessary, some peer pressure (but only for the forces of good) by having others who agree with you join you in conveying your message.

 

Influencers are powerful people, you can be one too, and this book gives great insights on how to.

 

Note: Nobody was hurt during the creation of this message.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Message of the Day - The Ultimate Gift

Good Morning,

 

I was reading “Influencer: The Power to Change Anything” this week and starting to get into it. Yesterday, one of the readers on this list, Ginger, asked me about a book “The Ultimate Gift” by Jim Stovall. During lunch I went to Borders and picked up the book, and told Ginger I would have it ready by Monday. So last night, I cracked it open and started to read to get a feel for the book. Two hours later, I sat there, having finished the book, with a sense of wow and wonderment.

 

The Ultimate Gift is a fictional story, but it gives us twelve powerful, yet simple, lessons on how to improve our lives. Each Gift adds into the next Gift, which leads into the 12^th and Ultimate Gift.

 

1. The Gift of Work: Putting in a hard days work, doing anything, is a great gift. You understand the power of your mind and your hands to craft items or make things happen. You appreciate it more when you can sit back at the end of the day and say, yes…I did that!

 

2. The Gift of Money: This is not having money so much as being able to help others with money. You may have a lot or a little, but giving some to others in their time of need has a lasting impact on both of you. And this gift is not just for money, but could probably work for any resources.

 

3. The Gift of Friends: Friends are the family we choose. Many people are surrounded by folks who call themselves friends, but when times get tough, that crowd often dwindles pretty quick and if you are lucky, you will have one or two true blue friends standing by you. How many people can say that about you?

 

4. The Gift of Learning: Learning helps you grow. Many people can go online and surf the web to learn, others go to libraries or bookstores, others learn by living. Some, sadly even with all the learning opportunities surrounding them, do not take them up. Others have huge obstacles to hurdle to learn, but they never give up.

 

5. The Gift of Problems: Problems are annoying, but they help us grow. When we overcome a problem, we are smarter, stronger and better. Just like stretch goals, they help make us more than we are. Face problems, and grow, don’t hide from them and whither.

 

6. The Gift of Family: They are there, and for some, that is too much, for others, not enough. Family is what you make of it. Embrace what you have and remember, friends can be the family you choose, so embrace them.

 

7. The Gift of Laughter: Life has a lot of issues, challenges and darkness in it. Learning to laugh at yourself and at life’s problems helps you survive the day and live a longer life. Remember, happy people live longer, it is scientific fact. Don’t brood over what upsets you, look for the lighter side, or find memories of fun times in the darkness, you may surprise yourself.

 

8. The Gift of Dreams: Have them, and keep updating them. The reason a lot of retirees die shortly after retiring was that their ultimate dream was to retire, not what they were going to do when they go there. Have something to live for and when you obtain it, get another dream or two.

 

9. The Gift of Gratitude: If you truly looked at the things in your life that you could give thanks for, you would find that list would grow quickly. Sadly we often take the simple things for granted. I am thankful for my health, my wife, my family, my friends, this list, the authors who write the books I read, the company that employees me, my coworkers, and most of all, God.

 

10. The Gift of a Day: If you had one last day to live, and it was coming next Tuesday, what would you do in that day. Think about it after reflecting on the earlier 9 Gifts and see what that day would hold for you. Most folks would pass on the trip to Mount Everest in lieu of a nice get together with loved ones and friends, sharing tales of love and happiness.

 

11. The Gift of Love: Love makes the world go round. Love is what makes everything worth living for. Focus on what you love and who you love, and embrace them more often.

 

12. The Ultimate Gift: Living life with all eleven prior Gifts together. Everyday, is another gift, a chance to share with those you love the gifts above.

 

Wow, what a powerful message. Thank you Ginger!!

 

I truly enjoyed the Ultimate Gift, I hope you will to!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

Message of the Day - Are You Serious?

Good Morning,

 

I was chatting with some friends about some troubles an organization I am a part of was having. The prior administration of this group had talked about fixing the problem and this persisted for about eight months. A new administration had then come in and inherited the problem. Within a month and a half, they had not only got to the bottom of the problem, they had resolved it. What was the difference between the two administrations? Why did one take eight months and not come up with a solution, much less understand the full scope of the issue, and the other had it resolved and explained within a month and a half?

 

As it turns out the leader of the last administration had asked for advice and help on the issue from friends and coworkers, and they were slow in getting back to him and even then, they came with partial information. The leader of the new administration hired a professional firm to look into and resolve the issue. The cost was minimal and the issue explained and resolved in one fell swoop.

 

Why did the one leader not provide the results that the second did? He certainly tried.

 

It seems to me that the first leader did not take the issue seriously or approached resolving it seriously. He wanted to address the issue on his terms and not on those of the entity with which the problem existed. The second leader faced the issue, and used the appropriate vehicle to get the job done.

 

In the problems you are facing in life, if they are lingering, ask yourself, are you being serious about resolving them. Are you acting like the second leader who took care of the problem?

 

Think about it!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Message of the Day - The Rituals We Love

Good Morning,

 

Yesterday afternoon, I spent some time with my daughter, Samantha. We drove to the local mall to sell of bunch of my CD’s to a store to raise some funds for an upcoming trip to NYC for my other daughter, Stephanie’s sweet 16 present. During the trip, Samantha purchased yet another stuffed animal. Today’s craze is the ‘Webkins’ where you get the stuffed animal and get to play them online. What marketing genius!

Samantha now has enough stuffed animals to play the House of Representatives. “The floor recognizes the stuffed penguin…..”

 

On the way home, with her new acquisition (a cute stuffed elephant) in hand she starts our ritual for every stuffed animal she owns.

 

Sam asks “What should I name her?”

I say “How about wrinkles, because elephants have wrinkles?”

Sam replies “Not this one.”

I respond “How about trunkie?”

“No!”

“How about Dumbo?”

“She is a girl”

“Ok, Dumba!”

“No”

 

And it continues for a few minutes during the drive home while I grasp at straws.

 

“How about Africa or Asia because elephants come from there”

“No, do you know any African words?”

“I know Uhura, which is based on the Swahili word for Freedom”

“I like that one”

 

And the ritual comes to an end, until what time I have to spell Uhura for her.

 

These little rituals make life worth living. I know it can be tedious and annoying playing the name game here, but this special ritual is part of my relationship with my daughter and I would never give it up. Of course, until she outgrows stuffies.

 

What are the rituals in your life that you love?

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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Message of the Day - Dispute Yourself

Good Morning,

 

Continuing with the book “Authentic Happiness” by Martin Seligman, Ph.D. The author talks about defusing the negativity we face in life. That is to actively question and criticize our negative thoughts and feelings to remove the negativity. This ties into what I recently learned from Todd Arwood (Todd Arwood Performance Partners) where 77% of our thoughts are negative in nature.

 

Many of our negative thoughts and feelings are fleeting and really are not founded in any reality, yet we feel them and often get swept up into them and depress or anger ourselves.

 

Why not look at our feelings head on and ask: “why am I upset.”

 

I remember a time in Buffalo, NY when I was shopping in a supermarket and I passed by an upset lady. Suddenly I started feeling down and upset. I wanted to get out of the store and just go home, because the day was going to be horrible. So I stopped myself and asked, “Why am I upset?” I thought to myself that a few minutes ago, I was happy, so I asked myself “What changed?” So I thought about that and realized that nothing had changed. Then I remembered the very upset lady who looked sullen and depressed and then it hit me, I was empathizing with her. At that moment, the dark feelings lifted off and I felt better.

 

We may not be able to diffuse all negative feelings this way, but why not try. Use logic and facts to defeat negative feelings, and Dispute Yourself!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Message of the Day - The Good and the Tired

Good Morning,

 

The last two nights I did not have the energy to stay up and read much. Normally at 9:25 PM I am tucking in my daughter Samantha after she watches an episode of Scooby-Do (a family ritual until the TV line up changes), and then I go off and read for an hour or so and then tip toe into bed (honest Karen, it is tip-toeing).

 

The last two nights after tucking in Samantha, I did not have enough energy to read and stay focused. I felt like I would fall asleep on my feet. So I went to bed at 9:30 PM both nights. I tried to get up early and do some of the reading I missed, but it has not been the same.

 

I am not upset though. The reason I have been so tired these last two nights is due to my donating blood for the second time in my life this past Tuesday. Donating a pint of blood takes a lot out you, and forces your body to redirect energy to recreate that missing blood. So my reading time for the last two nights has been donated to save the lives of others. Not a bad trade; makes me proud, really.

 

Isn’t it interesting that the good deeds we do for others can tire us out and yet leave us feeling fulfilled? A lot of times what is needed is not as easy to do as it may look. And only the truly committed (or those who should be….just kidding…or am I?) to doing the work to help others see it through to the end, and endure whatever consequences come from their actions. That is, you make sacrifices or give up what you want or need to do to help others.

 

It is a beneficial trade off. So when you are good, it is okay to be tired.  You earned it!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Message of the Day - Scientific Proof Being Positive is Better

Good Morning,

 

My current read is “Authentic Happiness” by Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D. This book was recommended by Kirk Weisler and covers movement of Psychology into a whole new arena, determining what is right with us and why we are happy. I really like the move away from what is wrong and our failings. This looks to be a great book.

 

Early on in the book, there is a description of some experiments to determine the impact on people and their ability and performance. In this case, there were three randomly created groups of internists who were to be handed a list of medical symptoms for a hard it diagnose case. One group was prepared with medical information. The second group was sent candy. The last group, the control group, was given nothing. After receiving the list of symptoms, the group who had the candy performed the best in determining the correct diagnosis of liver disease. The candy put them into a good mood and in that mood they were able to be positive.

 

This result has been replicated in other experiments, but we don’t really need them to know that when we feel good and positive, the world is our oyster and can take on anything. I remember back to the Tony Robbins seminar in NYC, and that feeling of being able to do anything. It would be then that I would love to be faced with my greatest challenges, not when I am down or upset.

 

Since we can choose how we act, it makes sense to positive. We will do better in life being positive. Another part early in the book talks about people who normally have ‘Duchenne’ smiles (you know the huge ear to ear grin forming wrinkles on the face they are smiling so hard), tend to live longer.

 

Seems to me if we want a longer happier life, then we should smile more and work to be more positive.

 

Science has proved it!  But, we can live it.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

PS: If you know others who may enjoy this message of the day, please pass this message on or invite them to receive them themselves by sending a request to me. If you wish to stop receiving these, please also let me know. Thank you!!!