Message of the Day - What My Eyes See

Good Morning,

 

This past weekend I camped with the Boy Scouts in a winter skills campout aptly out called Klondike.  On the trip to the campsite, I took the wrong exit, leading a caravan behind me.  I had to think quick to get our cars back onto the highway and took us through the Zappos fulfillment center and outlet store. The running gag through the weekend, and I suspect for some time to come will be my path to the campsite will lead through the Zappos store.

 

So at the end of the weekend I did just that and went back to the Zappos store. This time actually going into the store. I figured I would look for a pair of Crocs as I have been told over and over again how comfortable they were. With a 50% off the lowest price sale, I hoped to have a good bargain. Anyway, I searched the racks of men shoes for crocs and did not notice any in any size remotely close to my mine. At the end, I did find a pair of shoes I liked, but they were too big, so I looked over the racks again for these kinds of shoes. And so it happened again and again where I looked through the shoes for a specific type or kind and each time I saw different shoes.

 

It was as if the search for one kind of shoe opened my eyes to seeing something that I had not seen before. As if I had blinders on for only what I wanted to see.

 

I suspect that we all go through life with a certain pair of blinders on, and that we change the blinders from time to time as we look for something different than what we looked for in the past.

 

It’s when we realize that we have had blinders and start to take them off that we start to see all sorts of things we have not seen in the past. Like when you go to a place for the first time, you follow directions and focus on landmarks and getting to the destination, but ignore nearly everything else along the way. Then on your way out, when you know where you are going, you see all sorts of other things that had already been there, but simply missed.

 

As we go through life, we will tend to see more and more in the very same places that we have looked each and every day. We do that by changing our focus, or taking our blinders off.

 

It’s when we stop looking, when we stop seeing anything new, that we have come to a point where life starts to dull. It gets mundane.

 

By changing our focus, we can change how we see things.

 

And in those changes, we can experience new worlds in the very places that we have been living; in some cases, for our entire lives.

 

Take your blinders off and look at life through different eyes.

 

And enjoy what your eyes see.

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
Follow Me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/sberenberg

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Message of the Day - Persistance, Dedication & Focus and you can break a world record!

Good Morning,

 

In the world of Scottish Highland Games there are, like most sports, world records and heroes. One hero of the sport is Kerry Overfelt, or ‘KO’. KO is a three-time US National Champion in the Scottish Highland Games, and has been actively preparing and participating for many years.  A few weeks ago, KO broke a world record in one of the events, the 42 pound weight for height, where he effectively threw a 42 lb block of steel 22 feet over his head, clearing the bar. KO has had injuries over the years due to this extreme sport and has persisted with a dedication which at times seems unnatural. He is focused and he puts his energy to meet his goals.

The following video records the event of KO’s record.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDqf0ZgKOE4&feature=youtu.be  

 

The sport may not be glamorous to some, there may not be thousands of screaming and adoring fans in the bleachers, but it is achieving a goal and a dream which this man has earned the respect of so many others.  What’s more is KO spends a lot of his time helping others. He knows life is more than just himself. He is an inspiration through and through.

 

I have started exercising daily, and by that, I mean more than letting Bo, my 100 lb Pit Bull – Lab drag me around the development for 15 – 20 minutes every morning. I have started using the Tony Little Free-Style Gazelle. I put in about 15 minutes every day (okay, usually 6-7 days a week).  I am following an exercise program created by Dr. Covert Bailey (his real name) in his book ‘Fit or Fat’.

 

So far, I have been at it for over four weeks now. While I have begun to see some changes (smaller gut, etc.), it is slow going.  All the same, it is important to take these small gains and turn them into fuel to keep going.

 

While I have dreams of getting fit and even trying my hand at some of the Scottish Games, my challenge has been being persistent and remain focused. There is a lot of exercise equipment in my house which is not getting much use and I hope to change that…again.

 

I know that unless I stick with it, I will remain out of shape. I know if I keep with it, I may never win any awards for fitness and health, but I will have a healthier, and happier life because of it.

 

Like all things, when we persist, when we remain dedicated and when we keep focused, we can improve our game on so many levels.

 

The harder we work at something, the better we will do. It is a simple fact.

 

If we wing it, unless we are really good at what we do, folks will know. If we put a lot of time and effort into something, unless we are just downright inept at it, folks will know.  

 

My goal is not to break any world records, but to follow simple plans to improve my health through a better diet, better supplements, and regular & consistent exercise.

 

What are your goals?

 

If you remain persistent, dedicated and focus on achieving your goals and dreams, it will help you excel and maybe even break a world record or two?

 

Keep it up. And if you have not started, NOW is as good a time as any.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
Follow Me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/sberenberg

http://learnandgrowdaily.com  Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"

502-533-9336

 

 

Message of the Day - Reduce Stress, Stop Doing What You Hate (restrictions apply)

Good Morning,

 

It was Sunday morning and I had overslept and missed my regularly scheduled Bible study class. The previous night was a late night with the Scottish Society Burns Night Gala, and me getting home sometime near midnight. Way passed the bedtime of someone who likes to be in bed by 9:30 or 10 the latest.  Anyway, the night before I got to know the Pastor of another church who attended Burns Night and who invited me to their service. Since that was about two hours later than my normal 9 AM class, I decided to drag my sorry butt out of bed and get ready.

 

I was joined by some friends who normally attend that church. During the service I tried to put a little distance between me and others as we sang. We sang hymns that I am not familiar with. So coupled with my lack of familiarity and my hideous singing voice (don’t try to make me feel better, I know my singing voice is atrocious, and I am okay with that), I realized that this was just another thing that I am not good at.

 

Like working on cars, I have to be very careful not to mess anything up or I would have to add to the number of mad dashes I’ve made to the auto repair shop to fix the mess I made as well as the original problem.

 

There are just things that I am not good at.

 

And there are things that I do pretty well.

 

And there are a few things that folks think I am the Bee’s knee’s (I believe that means something good).

 

In some recent reading I came across ways to reduce stress in life by doing more of the things that we are good at, and less of the things that we are not. That when doing the stuff that we struggle with or have a hard time with, the frustration at our poor execution causes us stress. It makes it difficult for us to enjoy the effort.

 

I don’t mind singing, knowing that to whom I am sing to enjoys it. The folks around me, not so much.

 

That to make our lives more enjoyable, and less stressful, we need to focus our time and efforts in areas where we have more talent, skill and get more enjoyment from what we do.

 

As a test, look over those things that you like to do and those that you hate. Which do you do better at? Which do you perform better? Which do you finish without any loss of life, or threats of loss of life?

 

If our lives are getting too crazy and frustrating, one tip is to focus our time and energy on those things we do well at, that give us enjoyment (with the caveat that they are legal, ethical and within your budget, and no, I am not going to lend/give you money).  

 

When working in teams, and families are teams, or should be, we can shift duties and activities so that those folks who enjoy certain tasks can do them and hand off those they don’t. It may never end up with everyone doing everything they love, like cleaning toilets or cat boxes, but it may result in everyone doing less of the things they are not so good at and cause them stress.

 

At your job, instead of stopping doing what you hate (you need to work to get paid), work with your boss to change your role and responsibility if there are activities which you struggle with and drain you. You may be surprised that they already know your strengths and struggles are more than happy to help you become a more effective team player.

 

It might be worth it to take a look at what you can divest to reduce the stress in your life.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
Follow Me on Twitter! http://twitter.com/sberenberg

http://learnandgrowdaily.com  Click here to order: "Learn And Grow Daily!"

502-533-9336