Lunch Box Wisdom 1 July 2016...

Lunch Box Wisdom 1 July 2016...

"What ever you decide to do... make sure it makes you happy! "

Do you have things you do just because you have to?  We all do.  There is the trash, the dishes, laundry... never ending laundry... But we are not talking about the day to day that everyone has to do. We are talking about the things you choose to spend your time on.  For example today I choose to write blog entry. I could have done all sorts of the things, but the few hours I get to spend on a blog entry always gives me a that good warm feeling.  I could have cleaned the garage, or revised my resume for the 7th time in two weeks ( I'll have to explain that one later), or take the puppies for a walk.  None of those are really bad choices, but choosing to write and entry today will give me the energy and inspiration to do all those other things better.

The hunt for another IT day job has consumed me for almost 6 months now and it's incredibly frustrating.  I have over 25 years in this field, and I am exceptionally skilled in all sorts of systems and infrastructure.  I have worked all over the world and for all sizes of companies, but I am still job hunting.  Luckily, I run a small consulting company, but its not enough to pay all the bills. So long story short... the 8th revision to my resume may not have been the best way to start my day.  Yes, I need to update it and send it to latest recruiter, but this side track to talk to all of you will give me the "happy" I need to tackle yet another day of interviews with people who know very little about what they need some one like me to do. While I am trying to convince the HR person that my beard does not detract from my ability to present technical solutions to executives over video conferences, I will have this morning of clarity to help me keep smiling.  Additionally, I will have this morning to help me stay awake while I am working on laptop riddled with viruses from an owner swears, " I never downloaded those questionable files".  Let's be honest, those are my favorites.  The ones where no one knows how all the strange pictures got onto there, and the logs of late night chats must belong to someone else... :-) Yes, your buddy that fixes PC's know where you have been on the internet. And if he/she is really good they will fix the problems with out telling you they know about your addiction to cat videos and dungeon porn. It's OK, I have seen it all ;-)

I just finished a book by Jenny Lawson titled, "Furiously Happy" and it was so fun and I learned so much about making the most of the good moments. She has written other books too, and her blog is great!  When she writes about Victor (her Husband) and their conversations it reminds me of some of the wonderful talks I have with my Muse Wendy. She puts up with a lot of randomness from me and I realize Jenny and Victor have similar conversations.  Jenny, you channel my desire for random adventures with Mr. Moose and the Moose family so well, thank you for your Book and for understanding your self so well.... 

So back to you.  I encourage you to take a moment and look at what you are deciding to do today.  Make it a positive choice. There are all sorts of things we have to do, but the things you choose to do today will set the tone for every thing you encounter.  Choose to smile, choose to be kind, and choose one thing to do that makes you happy... You will be so glad you did.  

Have a great day folks! Remember, I believe in you :-)

~ Lost sends...

Lunch Box Wisdom 21 March 2016...

Lunch Box Wisdom 21 March 2016...

"Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance. " ~ Epicurus

Do you ever feel your self sucked into keeping up with Jones?  I do.  Its the entire premise of Apples's marketing strategy for the IPhone. Lets face it, the latest model does not really do much more then the last one. But your friends are getting one... so you have to have one right? No we don't, but some how we think we do.   

I am just as guilty as any one.  I work in the IT field and we are constantly balancing between the new, flashy tech and the old, simple tech that no one wants to let go of.  We try to life cycle people off their side-by printers that they just can't let go of.  All the while they are asking if they can get and IPad they can take it into meetings with them.  I am that one IT guy in the office that asks the real question no one wants to answer... "Why do you need and IPad in the staff meeting?  Aren't you supposed to pay attention so the meeting can end on time?"  Yes they hate me... until they can't access their e-mail or Facebook... then the NEED me :-)  I do like to be needed.

Here is the rub though, a new device or toy or car does not make you happy.  Not long term anyway. And that new thing may cost more then you should spend.  Sure you can just pay payments... but do you really need that one thing so bad that you have to finance it?  And then promise to pay for the next 3 or 4 years? 

I challenge you to look closely at your things... all that stuff you paid so much for.  If you lost your job today and knew It would be three months or more before you had a steady job again, would all that stuff matter as much?  My guess is you might think very differently about all your stuff, and might even start to value the people in your life way more then the stuff.  Give it a try... I believe in your ability to sift though it all and learn what you really enjoy!  

Have a great day folks! 
~ Lost sends...

Lunch Box Wisdom 12 Jan 2016...

Lunch Box Wisdom 12 Jan 2016...

"It's not about having time.  It's about making time. "
 

When you look at your day, what do you see taking up the most time? Is it what you want to be spending that much time on? Is it something that brings a smile to your face?  No?  Then why are you making time for it? 

In the typical day you have to spend time on certain things.  In my day, I have to eat, sleep, work, clean up etc.... But I have the privilege of spending time with my Sweetheart and Muse, spending time with my kids, playing with my pets, going on adventures, or just watching a show.  How I choose those things and make time for them assigns a priority to them.  When I choose to watch TV over spending time with my Wendy, I devalue her.  When I choose to spend time with her, I make her more important in my life and I send the message that she is precious to me.  Over time, if I neglect my time with her I will loose the connection that makes these notes so meaningful. So I have to make time for her.

I am not great with my time.  I am a busy body and I tend to take on more then I can complete in a day.  The dance of making time for what is most important has always been a struggle for me.  The tyranny of the urgent often tosses a huge monkey wrench in my best laid plans. Each day I have to stop and take a moment to look at what I have given the most time to.  Then ask my self if that is what is most important. If not I have to re-prioritize my day and make time for the most important things or people. 

Here is my challenge to you.  Take a close look at your day and recognize what you are saying with your schedule.  Everyone has some things they can shift around to make time for those things you truly want in your life.  Don't let anyone else dictate what should be important enough to make time for.  You choose what you want in your life and make time for it.  You will feel so much better I promise. Save some of you best time for those you love. You can do it, I believe in you :-)

Have a great day folks! 
~ Lost sends...

Lunch Box Wisdom 6 Jan 2016...

Lunch Box Wisdom 6 Jan 2016...

"When writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen."

Its your story right? Why would you let some one else be the author of it? Sure, some people like to read a biography, but the person in question still made all the decisions about how things went down. They were the original author, and the biographer is just the chronicler of the tale.

Some folks are going to hit me with, "well they had no choice" or "I had to let them do that to me" or better yet "who am I to stand up for my self?" You are exactly the right person to stand up for you. No one else really knows what is in your heart... only you really know how you feel about a certain decision. And only you have the power to make the choice. Don't give that power away.

I have made that mistake plenty of times. I have let duty bind me when I should have chosen duty with a conviction of heart. The strength you have have when you make every choice your own is nothing short of amazing! The obstacles seem much less of a hindrance and more of a launching point. The wall that stopped you before becomes the very stepping stone to your next goal. I love that scene in Animalympics when René Fromage breaks through a wall ( YouTube link... at 1:04 ).  He breaks though and presses on ... and later he even gets the girl. Animated movie Magic :-)

I am reminded of so many times when great leaders were put in such difficult situations and had to make difficult choices. They did not say, "This is to hard, I will just give in." No, they stood firm and hoisted the colors of their chosen path and drove on, blazing a trail for others to follow. Be that person, tap into the strength that is right there inside you and choose your path... write your story... paint the most magnificent picture or your life. You can do it, I believe in you :-)

Have a great day folks! 
~ Lost sends...

Lunch Box Wisdom 11 December 2015...

Lunch Box Wisdom 11 December 2015...

"The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score." ~Bill Copeland

Do you set goals for you self?  Are they real goals or are they outrageous. Like, " some day I will fly to the moon!" If you are and Astronaut, that might be and aspiration, but its not a goal. A goal is something attainable. Now I don't mean something super easy like, " I will get out of bed," either. It needs to challenge you. If you were bed ridden for weeks that might be closer to a goal for you, but it still needs a few things. 

Goals also need to Specific. For example if we said, " I will get out of bed on time," we are getting much closer. For me, my goal is to get out of bed by 6am and walk for 15 minuets. I am able to get out of bed, but by 6am is the challenge and to walk for 15 minuets is very specific.  The aspiration is get into better shape and this goal is attainable while still challenging me. Plus its specifically for 15 mins of walking... which I can measure. Now I am headed some place... towards better health. Now I can and should set a new goal once that one is reached. So lets set a new goal... I will get out of bed every weekday by 6 am and walk for 15 mins.  Then I can ratchet that up to 20 and then 25 and so on.  

Can you see how that method will keep me moving along the right path?  Now its your turn.  Set a goal. Pick a path you want to head down.  Then choose your first step... your first goal.  Then take the next step, add a challenge to your next goal ... and so on.  You will be achieving your goals and heading along the path you choose in no time!  You can do it, I believe in you :-)

Have a great day folks! 
~ Lost sends...

Lunch Box Wisdom 10 December 2015...

Lunch Box Wisdom 10 December 2015... a little late ;-)

"Happiness is always an inside job!" 

An inside job... meaning its up to you.  Yes you.  Not your partner, not your mother, not your dog... but I am sure when the is dog is so happy to see you that he or she can hardly control them selves ... it does help.  Opie and Seth even smile at me when I come home.  Sure it looks like they are snarling, but the vigorous tail wagging gives them away.  Pets may be an exception to that statement :-)

The point being that you are responsible for your happiness.  It is a choice you make and no one can make the choice for you. You can face each of the challenges in your life with a joy filled heart or one that is full of anger and malice. Anger will only lead to more anger. But when you choose to be happy, you will find happiness right there in the same place you would have found anger before.  And then your happy thoughts will lead to more happy thoughts.  

This where most folks start to scoff and make faces at me. They say things like, " No one is happy all the time," or "everyone gets angry."  And for the most part they are right, but with a very subtle difference... Act vs. React... or more bluntly being contributor instead of the victim. I would encourage you to take on the role of the contributor and be the key to your own happiness. Decide to be the architect of your own destiny, the hero of your own life story.  You can do it, I believe in you :-)

Have a great day folks! 

~ Lost sends...

Lunch Box Wisdom 9 December 2015...

Lunch Box Wisdom 9 December 2015...

"For some people small, beautiful events are what life is all about." ~ The Doctor

Yes, that is a real honest to goodness Dr Who Quote from my non SciFi wife.  Seriously, I am not even making this up. It goes one step further too.  She was at a white elephant gift exchange last night and she got this great scarf.  Wait for it... its a Tardus Scarf!  She said that she opened it and knew right away I would love it.  Now that is love... Tweew wuv!

I am willing to bet, when you look at your happiest memories they are of simple events. Things like that have great positive impact on your values. I am not talking about the bad things that frightened you... those have an entirely different effect. I am talking about the warm fuzzy moments.  One of mine is of the lights on our Christmas tree when I was very young. They were the old school bigger lights that glowed softly as you watched them. I would fall asleep waiting for Santa, and my mother would carry me to my bed.  Those simply beautiful moments are what the good life is made of for me.

I am sure you can remember some great stuff too. Like the first time you ever rode a bicycle, or your first puppy, or maybe that first kiss.  Maybe it was something someone did for you.  Like the first time some one thanked you for your work, or the first time some one winked at you, or that moment when someone fell completely in love with you. What ever the memory, it was likely something simple and beautiful.

Now here is your challenge... take a moment to offer a small but beautiful moment to others. Leave a thank you note, congratulate some one, offer a warm smile the mean old lady at the store.  You will be pleasantly surprised how that tiny stone tossed in to the waters will make lovely ripples all around you. You can do it, I believe in you!

Have a great day folks! 

~ Lost sends...