It never gets old. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Minna Blumenthal)
Showing posts with label Balance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Balance. Show all posts
April 13, 2023
October 18, 2021
Weight Discrepancy
October 1, 2020
Beautiful Japanese Pagoda
Beautiful integration of stone into natural surroundings.
Centered, self-reflection, mindfulness, enlightenment, peace.
You can see this at Morikami Museum and Japanese Garden in Delray Beach, Florida.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 4, 2020
Shabbat Shalom From DC Duck!
Shabbat is something to look forward to ALL week long.
Time to stop everything.
Look heavenward.
And inward!
Remember why we're here.
Rest and rejuvenate for the next week.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Need to balance and get our lives right.
It's what we do! ;-)
(Credit Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
July 27, 2020
Wow, Not Bad For A Toy
Design is an art, whether for cars, homes, fashion, and more.
Those that get design right make things not only functional, but incredibly beautiful.
And when function and design come together in perfect harmony that is no toy! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 10, 2020
Yesterday a Dog, Today a Cat!
June 25, 2020
Grass Not Always Greener
Sometimes the grass isn't (always) greener.
Instead the grass grows in beautiful multi-colors.
The grass art in this garden looks a lot better than the grass itself.
The only real green is money and envy!
When comparing your lot with others, make sure you're comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges.
Even then you'll never know the person's real "package" (or basket) in life.
Be sure that everyone has their share of good and bad, so never be jealous of anyone. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 17, 2019
OPTIMISM vs pessimism
As Joel Rosenberg put it in his book The Ezekiel Option, "In the long run everything would turn out fine...but tomorrow could be a disaster."
In short, this equates to:
I'm a strategic optimist, but a tactical pessimist.
My mom used to say, "If I am pessimistic, I'll never be disappointed." LOL
I think though when we have faith then we know that truly, in the end everything is for the best and will be okay.
In the short term though, there are challenges to face and these can be tough indeed.
- Strategically an optimist.
- Tactically a pessimist.
Plan for the worst, hope for the best. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 22, 2019
Four Types of Desire
There are four types of greed/jealousy:
- I want what I’m missing
- I want what I had
- I want what you have
- I want you to not have what you have
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 25, 2019
Confidence Speaks
On one hand, when discussing issues, you want to listen to everyone's input, and consider all sides.
On the other hand, it's critical to be competent, confident, and "know what you're talking about."
Amos Oz wrote:
Those who hesitate and doubt are convinced by those who are strong-minded.
So it's an important balancing act:
- Not to be so self-confident that you aren't listening to others,
- But also not being so unsure and hesitant that you don't stand behind your values and views.
Confidence speaks, but overconfidence is deaf. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 1, 2019
Victory Or Defeat
And there is this quote that I really like attributed to Kipling in it:
Victory or defeat: learn to accept both with equanimity since both are deceptions.I just thought this is profound.
We never really fully win or lose.
Everything is on a spectrum.
And where we think we are on that spectrum is often not even nearly correct.
You think you won that one, but guess what someone else has outsmarted you and you don't even know it yet.
Also, wins can be easily followed by loses and vice versa.
Things can turn on a dime and who's up becomes who's down--as the wheel of life turns and turns again.
Recognize that you don't control everything--actually, the only thing you do control is how you react and behave.
Everything else is a test to teach you and help you grow.
And as I heard from a speaker yesterday, "you can't make up in space, what you have lost in time."
Victory or defeat, both are deceptions.
Only how you choose to act is the real win or lose.
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 4, 2019
What Makes Happy
Some like big jobs and lots of power.
Others are happier with more work-life balance.
Some like to pursue lots of degrees and certifications.
Others like to learn on their own and through life experience.
Some like to travel the world.
Others like a day in nature or at the museum.
Some like big families and lots of people around them.
Others like smaller families, close friends, intimacy, or even being more on their own.
Some like lots of money.
Other are happy with having what they need.
Some like to be tremendous athletes.
Other like to just stay fit or maybe are more comfy as "couch potatoes."
Some like to be very religious and follow all the laws.
Others prefer mindfulness, a sense of spirituality and being a "good person."
Some like lots of activities and to always do different things.
Others are more comfortable with routine and incremental change.
We all have basic needs, but we also have different values, priorities and comfort zones.
Happiness isn't a yes or no answer, but what makes us feel on track and doing good. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
November 20, 2018
How Does It feel At The Top
He said:
The 360 degree view is good, but it get's windy at times!
I thought this was pretty smart, and one reason that many people opt out of moving into senior and executive positions in their organizations.
Yes, it's great to be able to lead and have more visibility, influence, and impact.
But at the same time, this does not come for free or without risks.
At the top of the pyramid or corporate offices or whatever, there is opportunity.
Yet, your dealing with other top honchos with strong personalities, egos, and often harsh ways of dealing with others and conflict can be perilous for many.
My father used to tell me his philosophy:
Better a little less, but you know what you have.
There is definitely wisdom in those words.
Maybe as with most things in life, there is a time and place for everything.
It is great to have the opportunity to lead.
It's also not bad to have a time to follow and contribute in that way.
What's important is that whatever role your in at the time, that you do it with integrity and passion to do good.
So how does it feel at the top--sure, it's a nice view, but it can get very windy too. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
October 5, 2018
Justice Under The Microscope
Under the microscope of the media, political pundits, and the FBI, no one is guiltless.
When it comes to promoting and appointing people to the highest positions of our great nations, businesses, and organizations, we need to ensure the highest integrity.
At the same time, we need to weigh the good and the bad in people, and not hold them to a bar that no one can live up to.
This is a difficult time for the nation where we must always protect women's rights and also protect people from being presumed guilty.
Let's hope for Heaven's guidance in ensuring a good decision for the Supreme court and the Justice System.
(Photo Credit: Andy Blumenthal)
July 2, 2018
How Do I Choose?
It was about how we are confronted in life with whether to follow our impulses or our values.
I think there is a lot to this topic...
Some may see it as the little good angel standing over one shoulder and another bad angel standing over the other trying to convince us what to do when it's decision time.
Others may be perpetually torn between temptations or pleasures of materialism and the flesh versus of pursuing what you know to be spiritually good and right in this world.
Either way, as human beings, we are a complex make-up of both body and soul.
Do we give in to temptation and do what feels good--more money, more food, more clothes and jewelry, more houses, cars, and yachts, more vacations, more carnal pleasures from the proverbial "wine, women, and song" or do we pursue the path of spirituality, serving our maker, caring and giving and doing good for others and the world?
It sounds simple, but our impulses tell us one thing and our values tell us another.
Are we being selfish or selfless?
Perhaps, too much of anything is bad for us--even too much giving and selflessness--we need to care for ourselves too--we are mortal, we have needs, we have to nourish ourselves, and we need to live.
But you can't be a glutton or a slave to your impulses--you can't take and not give, your can't indulge until you make yourself sick, or take at the expense of and harm to others.
Like all things in life, there is a need for balance.
Certainly our spirit should guide our animal.
If and when our animal is dictating to our spirit then we are in real trouble. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 10, 2018
The Essence of Time Management
1. Urgency vs Importance:
Don't sacrifice the important items for the urgent ones!
- Focus on the items that are important on the right side of the matrix--if they are urgent (upper-right), you need to do now; if they aren't urgent, but they are important (lower-right), you need to make time for them.
- Deemphasize the items that aren't important on the left side of the matrix--if they are urgent and not important (upper-left), limit them or delegate them; if they aren't urgent or important (lower-left), delete them.
There are two potential areas of dissonance that can cause you tension, stress, and anxiety.
- When the urgent top row items and the lower-left life necessities get in the way of your focusing on the quality life items that are of long-term importance to you (the lower-left). For example, work and errands can crowd out your personal, family, community, and spiritual time.
- When you have too many items in the lower-right quality time area and these are in competition with each other for your time and attention, and you don't know how to prioritize them and get it all done. It's like there is never enough time. For example, we ignore our spouse, the kids, or closeness with G-d, because we just can't get to it all.
This is where our personal values and conscience come into play to drive what we do and how we spend our precious time in this world.
We all only have 24 hours in a day, so our actions need to be purposeful and driven by our values!
2. Tasks vs Relationships
Imagine another matrix with focus on tasks on the vertical access and focus on relationships on the horizontal access.
Again here, we want to ensure a healthy balance of focus on both task and relationships (upper-right corner).
If we focus on tasks at the expense of relationships or relationships at the expense of tasks, we are going to have a problem. Moreover, it makes no sense to focus on items that are neither task- nor relationship-focused (lower-left).
We need to collaborate with others to accomplish great, complex tasks (we can only accomplish so much alone).
Again, dissonance (tension, stress, anxiety) is caused when we are pulled off-balance to focus on work or people to the exclusion of the other.
As they say,
"Mission first, people always!"
We've got to build meaningful relationships and work together to get the mission done and the mission can be helping people and building a better society in a variety of ways.
In a sense, it's people helping people. Love thy neighbor to help thy neighbor.
Time is of the essence--we have so little of it--it is precious--we can't get it back--it goes so fast--we need to manage it like gold. ;-)
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
April 13, 2018
Why Worry?
Worrying is suffering twice!
I thought this was pretty smart.
With worry, we suffer when we worry and then we suffer again if the thing we are worrying about actually comes to fruition.
So in essence, we are doubling up on the suffering.
Yet, worry can be constructive if we use it to spur us to positive action such as in confronting and dealing with challenging situations.
But when we worry just for the sake of worry because we can't control our anxiety and moreover, it actually may paralyze us with fear, then this is obviously a bad thing.
Do I worry?
Sure do, but like my dad, I use worry to try and think out-of-the-box, to plan, to problem-solve, to figure out coping mechanisms etc.
Worry is suffering for sure.
However, if we can channel the worry to positive impact, then the worry can be worth the pain it inflicts on us. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 11, 2018
Three Legs of Quality of Life
Quality of life means perspective and balance.
When people go to the extreme and focus all their energies on any one area almost to the exclusivity of the others in their life, it usually means they are going wrong.
Some people are "party animals"--life is all about their fun, enjoyment, experiences (and even excessive partying, sleeping around, getting drunk and high), and their very immediate gratification.
Others are all about work--climbing that professional ladder and earning more money, material goods, and more power is the holy grail and also the bane of their existence.
And yet there are some people that are focused on faith, family, and community--they are mothers and fathers, religious students and
The problems is that people need multiple facets of their lives--yes, they need playfulness, interests, activities, hobbies, and fun and joyous times; at the same time, they need intellectual curiosity, professional contribution and achievement, and the wherewithal to be responsible and pay the bills; and very importantly, they need social, spiritual, and emotional fulfillment from family, friends, giving, and faith.
When a person stands on only one of these legs, like many seem to--they are on
Even on two legs, something is missing in their lives--they are standing tall, but not strong and stable.
On all three legs, a person can be grounded and able to not just stand for themselves, but able to bear weight like on a stool, and they are can play music and sing and smile, knowing that they have a genuine quality of life that few ever really achieve. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
February 26, 2018
What's Free And What's Not
"The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately."
Yes, this is the home of the free.
And we are all able to dream BIG dreams.
However, without the hard work and hustle, dream are not made, but rather they die on the vine.
So dream big--imagine the very best.
Reach for the stars...
And then work your butt off to make it happen.
Choose carefully.
No one can have it all.
You have to prioritize.
Also, you need to balance.
In the end:
Dreams + Hard Work + Blessing From G-d
That's success by whatever standards you measure.
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
November 3, 2017
Tooting Your Own Horn
But sometimes it is hard when they are so intent on tooting their own horns.
Bragging, boasting, patting themselves on the back about how smart they are or a job so incredibly well done.
Oh, you've got to ask yourself...
Is it all really true?
OR
Do we have perhaps some slight exaggeration going on with a dose of self-aggrandizement, a spoonful of self-promotion, and more than a pinch of big ego?
Perhaps, also the person is in denial as to what their own capabilities--and limitations--really are.
For example, many artists are enthralled with their work and themselves.
"Isn't this so good?"
"Can you believe I made this?
"Wow, this is impressive, right?"
Sure, there are plenty of talented people out there doing good and even amazing work.
But even then tempering your achievements with a little modesty and balance, like "I do this well, but I need to grow more in that area"--goes a long way to making the admirable talents and achievements more honest, humble, and believable.
Always, people are good at some things, and worse at others.
We all have things to work on and improve, and nobody is so perfect in this world!
We can try to come close--that's our job to strive for it--but true perfection belongs to G-d alone. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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