Captain Renault to Rick in Casablanca: “How extravagant you are, throwing away women like that. Someday they may be scarce.” One of my favorite movie quotes. Tonight, it made me think of Michigan water. On our leisurely round-about drive to the beach this evening, going thru Grand Haven, we noticed all the sprinklers on. So many…
August 25th: Danshari (断捨離) … Japanese art of decluttering
Finished reading this book on minimalism. Fittingly, it was an easy read, but a fantastic one. For those of you too busy even for an easy book, below is a link to a pretty comprehensive summary. More than minimalism, this is a book on happiness. Not preachy at all, just illuminating a path, actually many…
August 24th: How’s the book writing going?
“How’s the book writing going?” Said the smiling guy at the community event last night. Smiling because he knew the answer. We had discussed before when I am due to start. “Does it LOOK like summer is over yet?” I laughed and pointed out the window at yet another perfect day in Michigan. Then today,…
August 23rd: Lunch view
I suggested to my wife and daughter that we go to our favorite Thai place for lunch. My daughter’s counter proposal was grabbing Mexican and lunching at a picnic table on the beach. Such a wise daughter… why be inside on such a beautiful day.
August 22nd: Missing the big waves
Up to 10 foot waves! We were excited to see these waves crashing over the fisherman’s pier. And the huge waves at our North Beach. But alas, they were not to be. Another prediction that just didn’t quite happen. Great thing about living here… there will always be another day, another chance for powerful…
August 21st: If your possessions could talk
Suppose your possessions talked to you. Sure, your alarm clock tells you to get out of bed. Your Alexa gives you the weather forecast. But then it gets weird, as you flip on the bathroom lights, the burned out bulb says, “Hmm, still haven’t replaced me?”, as you take your shower, year hear your 17-year-old…
August 19th: Two wrongs
Latest wisdom from my LinkedIn feed, and this came from an executive/owner of a significant business and cheered on by his readers: “When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the…
August 16th: Creating Happiness
Picture this: You have found your beach, and settled into your routine. You wake up in the morning, walk/run your beach, stop by your favorite beach shack for a little brunch. You go back to your humble abode, write for a few hours. Then back to the beach, relax and watch the waves while doing…
August 14th: Happiness and the General’s Horse
There I was, in a restaurant in Kansas City, relating to my uncle just how completely miserable I was at work. The details would make a good story. But one I will not write. The people involved in egregious management and cultural blunders are long gone. So many good people, also gone, and doing well…
August 13th: Happiness… a tale of two plants
(ok, still another post to go before I talk about my personal happiness) Remember the previous happiness post… 50% of your happiness genetically based, 10% from circumstances… with 40% based on actions/activities that we control? Now lets look at work happiness… picture these two factory floor cultures: Twenty+ years have passed. Since I worked in…