Common sense and common courtesy. I have thought about these two items for a long time. To be more exact, the lack of both.
I live outside of Houston,Texas and work in the city. As I write this we are thawing out from an ice storm. Every time there is an ice storm somewhere in the United States, there are pictures and reports on television about accidents caused by people driving too fast on icy roads. For some reason, people seem to think that they can continue to drive the same way and at the same speed as they normally do. But where these people really show their lack of common sense is now that the ice has melted but the torrential rain continues. I was driving to work this morning at about 60 miles an hour. This is about 5 miles an hour less than the limit but it was about the rate of traffic in general. For the most part, drivers were going a little slower than normal and keeping good space between cars. A good idea considering the slick roads and the fact that the posted speed limit in Texas tends to be a minimum speed on most highways as drivers go much faster.
This is where the lack of common sense comes in. There were a large number of drivers that felt like it was okay to drive the same way that they would on a clear and dry day. Numerous drivers seemed to think that 75 to 80 miles an hour while weaving in an out of the other drivers was perfectly fine. And then there was the driver who helped inspire me to write this piece.
Traffic had increased as I got closer to town. So much so that, even though we were still driving at about 55, there was no room to change lanes or to go faster than anyone else. However, the gentleman in the oversized Ford Land Barge must have gotten lost trying to find his way to a NASCAR race as he seemingly tried to ride in my draft, inches from my bumper. While inches might be an exaggeration, he was so close to me that there were times that I could not see his headlights in my rearview mirror. If I had had to hit my brakes, there would have been nowhere for him to go except into my rear bumper. This kept up for about 2 miles until it was time for me to exit. As I looked at this gentleman as I pulled onto the off-ramp, I was greeted with his middle finger extended in my direction. I still can't figure out why he was upset with me, because even if I had been able to get out of his way, he would have been only 1 car length closer to his destination.
His extended middle finger leads me to my second point. The rapid disappearance of common courtesy.
The evening after my observations of the lack of common sense on the highway, a trip to Wal-Mart gave me many examples of the lack of common courtesy. My experience began in the parking lot with one of my pet peeves, people that can't walk 20 steps to put their shopping cart in a cart corral. It annoys me to no end to watch someone leave their cart in a parking place when they are 3 spaces from a corral. People like this are probably responsible for more dings and dents in cars than anyone realizes. Anyway, as I was pulling into a space, there was a car pulling into a space in the next parking aisle. Unfortunately for this family, there was a cart that had been left in the space they wanted to occupy. The female passenger jumped out and proceeded to push the cart into the space I was trying to pull into, with me already pulling into the space. I had to jump out and put the cart into the corral that was next to both of our cars.
My courtesy deficient trip continued as I tried to enter the store. A rather large family must have decided that they needed to have a family meeting while standing in the opening of one of the 2 doors. The other door was blocked by a mother pushing an SUV sized baby stroller who suddenly decided to stop and check on her young child, again, right in the doorway. Both doorways quickly backed up and the door blockers seemed totally clueless as to their inconsiderate behavior.
My visit was full of other examples. Numerous people who would park their carts sideways in an aisle, blocking traffic completely, people allowing their kids to run around the store, often screaming, and then, the people who either cannot read or count. Yes, those that try to go through the express lanes with overflowing carts. I would say 80% of the time I have seen someone mention to these folks they were in the express lane, these same people either ignore the mention or get upset that it was being pointed out to them.
I feel that we are living in a time when common sense and common courtesy both seem lost in our society. I have mentioned just a few examples of things that happened to me in just one day. There is evidence of the lack of common sense and common courtesy everywhere. Listen to news reports. Read the paper. Or just observe when you are out and about. And maybe, just maybe, use a little common sense and show a little common courtesy.
Keep Smiling!
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Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Chinese Fortune Cookie Life Lesson
Upon opening a fortune cookie, I found the following message, "Just because you put tap shoes on an elephant does not mean it can dance."
At first, I thought this was a humorous little message. My very visual mind started to wander, picturing a large elephant wearing these tiny taps shoes and a fifties style skirt and blouse. I pictured this elephant trying do dance but very clumsily. A pretty funny image. So much that I began to laugh out loud to myself. However, I began to in think about the true meaning behind these few words.
In life, we often come across situations that are large clumsy elephants. We are in jobs that we don't enjoy, relationships that we know are destined to fail, situations where we are just out of place. Instead of trying to find a real dancer, we dress up the elephant in its tap shoes, and expect to see a ballet.
There was a time in my life when I was real estate, first in real estate sales and then as a mortgage broker. I quickly discovered that I hated selling homes and houses. I did discover that my natural mathematical abilities seemed to be ideal for the mortgage business, so I changed over to mortgage loan brokering. In California, a mortgage broker has to have passed the state real estate licensing test, so changing over was quick and easy. I felt I was in a field that I was naturally suited to excel in. Oh, how wrong I was. One thing I did discover over and over again is how cut throat the California real estate and mortgage businesses are. Numerous times, I lost customers to other brokers, in spite of the fact that I told them that the other brokers could not offer them anything different than what I could offer. These other brokers would promise that they could get loans at lower interest rates, lower points, or just all around get them a better deal. My potential clients would jump to the other broker only to show up at their closing and find out that the interest rate was higher than they wanted, points were higher, or they had to have much more money than what they felt like they were led to believe that they would need. I would get a phone call, asking what could they do. My response was they could continue and pay the unexpected amount or start all over and still end up paying about the same amount, which was what I had told them in the beginning. And that is what the other broker relied on, that the customer would be backed into a corner with the only options other than forking over the additional dough would be to cancel and maybe start over. I could not bring myself to lower my tactics to this level, so I never really succeeded in mortgage lending. However, I stayed in this field for a long time for one simple reason, the potential money was extremely large. Not that I was making any of that potential money, but since it was in front of me, I was the donkey following the carrot that I would never reach. In other words, I was putting tap shoes on the elephant.
If we all look at our lives, there are times and situations we are putting the tap shoes on the elephant. If we can learn to recognize the dancing elephants in our lives, we can begin to see the situations where we need to stop dressing up the bad and finding the good.
Keep Smiling!!
In an increasingly scary world of biological terror threats, bird flu scares, and increasing environmental stresses on the body, doctors and scientists are saying that the first line of defense is a strong immune system. One way to strengthen your immune system is with transfer factors. 4-Life Research offers their patented line of Transfer Factor products as well as a full line of vitamin, mineral, and herbal health and wellness products. To find out more about Transfer Factor (r) or to purchase any of the 4-Life line of products, click the following link. http://www.qualityhealth.my4life.com
At first, I thought this was a humorous little message. My very visual mind started to wander, picturing a large elephant wearing these tiny taps shoes and a fifties style skirt and blouse. I pictured this elephant trying do dance but very clumsily. A pretty funny image. So much that I began to laugh out loud to myself. However, I began to in think about the true meaning behind these few words.
In life, we often come across situations that are large clumsy elephants. We are in jobs that we don't enjoy, relationships that we know are destined to fail, situations where we are just out of place. Instead of trying to find a real dancer, we dress up the elephant in its tap shoes, and expect to see a ballet.
There was a time in my life when I was real estate, first in real estate sales and then as a mortgage broker. I quickly discovered that I hated selling homes and houses. I did discover that my natural mathematical abilities seemed to be ideal for the mortgage business, so I changed over to mortgage loan brokering. In California, a mortgage broker has to have passed the state real estate licensing test, so changing over was quick and easy. I felt I was in a field that I was naturally suited to excel in. Oh, how wrong I was. One thing I did discover over and over again is how cut throat the California real estate and mortgage businesses are. Numerous times, I lost customers to other brokers, in spite of the fact that I told them that the other brokers could not offer them anything different than what I could offer. These other brokers would promise that they could get loans at lower interest rates, lower points, or just all around get them a better deal. My potential clients would jump to the other broker only to show up at their closing and find out that the interest rate was higher than they wanted, points were higher, or they had to have much more money than what they felt like they were led to believe that they would need. I would get a phone call, asking what could they do. My response was they could continue and pay the unexpected amount or start all over and still end up paying about the same amount, which was what I had told them in the beginning. And that is what the other broker relied on, that the customer would be backed into a corner with the only options other than forking over the additional dough would be to cancel and maybe start over. I could not bring myself to lower my tactics to this level, so I never really succeeded in mortgage lending. However, I stayed in this field for a long time for one simple reason, the potential money was extremely large. Not that I was making any of that potential money, but since it was in front of me, I was the donkey following the carrot that I would never reach. In other words, I was putting tap shoes on the elephant.
If we all look at our lives, there are times and situations we are putting the tap shoes on the elephant. If we can learn to recognize the dancing elephants in our lives, we can begin to see the situations where we need to stop dressing up the bad and finding the good.
Keep Smiling!!
In an increasingly scary world of biological terror threats, bird flu scares, and increasing environmental stresses on the body, doctors and scientists are saying that the first line of defense is a strong immune system. One way to strengthen your immune system is with transfer factors. 4-Life Research offers their patented line of Transfer Factor products as well as a full line of vitamin, mineral, and herbal health and wellness products. To find out more about Transfer Factor (r) or to purchase any of the 4-Life line of products, click the following link. http://www.qualityhealth.my4life.com
My First Lesson Learned in Little League
My First Lesson Learned in Little League
(This is a draft of the first chapter of my book, tentatively titled, "Life Lessons Learned in Little League")
My first formal competitive team was the Baytown, TX East Little League Gators. Mr. Warren and Mr. Donnelly were my coaches. They were excellent for teaching young, beginning hardballers. I also have to give credit to my dad. He played pitch with me. He hit grounders to me. He made sure I was ready for tryouts. I could not have had a better beginning to my athletic career. The very first lesson Mr. Warren taught us and Dad reemphasized was to hustle. Not just some of the time, but whenever practicing or competing. Run on and off of the field between innings. Run out grounders. Give your all. When you are practicing, don't cut corners.
These are lessons that stuck with me thoughout my athletic career. I was not blessed with the greatest of natural abilities. I was, however, blessed with some generally decent skills and a good brain. And I was taught to hustle. Hustle was the edge that allowed me to be considered a better than average athlete at the sports I tried. I didn't run the fastest or throw the hardest nor was I the best hitter. No, I wasn't a superstar but I was a vital cog on almost every team in every sport that I played. Did I have the greatest skills? Again no, but due to my hustle, I made up for it.
How does this first lesson that Dad and Mr. Warren taught become a Life Lesson? I thought back on the roller coaster that has been my adult life. There have been times in my life that I was on top of the world, with bosses and co-workers telling me that the world was mine for the taking. There have been other times when I struggled in my career and in my life. It was during a time of struggle that I was searching for answers as to why sometimes everything seems to come so easy for me and at other times, I felt like an incompetent fool.
It was actually when I had to release (fire) a temporary employee at work, that it hit me. The worker asked why he was being let go. I gave the standard speech that he was a temp and we just no longer needed him. He knew better and continued to push as to the reason for his release. He was smarter than our average temp. He had started out impressively and was a quick learner. Unfortunately for his job assignment, he stopped putting in an effort. He was just going through the motions. In other words, he quit hustling.
It was then that I remembered something that happened to me a few years ago that showed me how hustling was an important necessity in all parts of my life, not just in my sporting life. I was hired by a retail operation that was opening a new store. As we were going through the set up process, I got a reputation as someone who worked my tail off all day long and someone who could get the job done. One day, one of the building contractors who was still working on the store gave me a compliment that really did wonders for me. He told me I was going to be someone special whether for this company or for another if this job didn't work out. I asked him why he thought that. He response was simple but powerful. "You bust your tail. You work like you care."
During that time of reflection, I realized that I had the most success in my life when I hustled. I had success when I worked my tail off. I had success at things in which I might not be the most talented, but because I hustled.
Hustle will overcome deficiencies. Hustle wil get you past those that may have more natural talent. Hustle will get you noticed. Hustle when you don't think anyone is watching. Hustle when you are "practicing" and it will make it easier to hustle when you are playing the "game."
There are many lessons that I learned playing Little League baseball. Many that could have a great impact on your life. But if there is nothing else that I can pass on to you to help you to get a leg up in this world, it would be to HUSTLE!
Keep Smiling!!
I have had some wonderful results taking natural products from a company called 4-Life Research. It you are interested in wonderful, natural products designed to enhance your immune system, assist your body in maintaining optimal health, or just, in my opinion, some of the best vitamin and mineral products click the following link. http://www.qualityhealth.my4life.com
(This is a draft of the first chapter of my book, tentatively titled, "Life Lessons Learned in Little League")
My first formal competitive team was the Baytown, TX East Little League Gators. Mr. Warren and Mr. Donnelly were my coaches. They were excellent for teaching young, beginning hardballers. I also have to give credit to my dad. He played pitch with me. He hit grounders to me. He made sure I was ready for tryouts. I could not have had a better beginning to my athletic career. The very first lesson Mr. Warren taught us and Dad reemphasized was to hustle. Not just some of the time, but whenever practicing or competing. Run on and off of the field between innings. Run out grounders. Give your all. When you are practicing, don't cut corners.
These are lessons that stuck with me thoughout my athletic career. I was not blessed with the greatest of natural abilities. I was, however, blessed with some generally decent skills and a good brain. And I was taught to hustle. Hustle was the edge that allowed me to be considered a better than average athlete at the sports I tried. I didn't run the fastest or throw the hardest nor was I the best hitter. No, I wasn't a superstar but I was a vital cog on almost every team in every sport that I played. Did I have the greatest skills? Again no, but due to my hustle, I made up for it.
How does this first lesson that Dad and Mr. Warren taught become a Life Lesson? I thought back on the roller coaster that has been my adult life. There have been times in my life that I was on top of the world, with bosses and co-workers telling me that the world was mine for the taking. There have been other times when I struggled in my career and in my life. It was during a time of struggle that I was searching for answers as to why sometimes everything seems to come so easy for me and at other times, I felt like an incompetent fool.
It was actually when I had to release (fire) a temporary employee at work, that it hit me. The worker asked why he was being let go. I gave the standard speech that he was a temp and we just no longer needed him. He knew better and continued to push as to the reason for his release. He was smarter than our average temp. He had started out impressively and was a quick learner. Unfortunately for his job assignment, he stopped putting in an effort. He was just going through the motions. In other words, he quit hustling.
It was then that I remembered something that happened to me a few years ago that showed me how hustling was an important necessity in all parts of my life, not just in my sporting life. I was hired by a retail operation that was opening a new store. As we were going through the set up process, I got a reputation as someone who worked my tail off all day long and someone who could get the job done. One day, one of the building contractors who was still working on the store gave me a compliment that really did wonders for me. He told me I was going to be someone special whether for this company or for another if this job didn't work out. I asked him why he thought that. He response was simple but powerful. "You bust your tail. You work like you care."
During that time of reflection, I realized that I had the most success in my life when I hustled. I had success when I worked my tail off. I had success at things in which I might not be the most talented, but because I hustled.
Hustle will overcome deficiencies. Hustle wil get you past those that may have more natural talent. Hustle will get you noticed. Hustle when you don't think anyone is watching. Hustle when you are "practicing" and it will make it easier to hustle when you are playing the "game."
There are many lessons that I learned playing Little League baseball. Many that could have a great impact on your life. But if there is nothing else that I can pass on to you to help you to get a leg up in this world, it would be to HUSTLE!
Keep Smiling!!
I have had some wonderful results taking natural products from a company called 4-Life Research. It you are interested in wonderful, natural products designed to enhance your immune system, assist your body in maintaining optimal health, or just, in my opinion, some of the best vitamin and mineral products click the following link. http://www.qualityhealth.my4life.com
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Here We Go Again
After difficulty with my previous blog host, I have moved and will start posting my blog here. I am going to paste some of my past postings along with my new ideas. Just because I haven't been able to post, doesn't mean I haven't been writing. I will start posting soon.
Keep smiling!
Eddy
Keep smiling!
Eddy
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