Before Extraordinary

I think often when I write my blogs if  I have people out there who are not yet over fifty and extraordinary in my viewing audience. There are so many things to learn in life. And the sooner we learn something in life the longer we can benefit from it as we live.  But as the saying goes better late than never.  I do wish I had extraordinary thinking at least twenty five years ago.  It had been instilled in me, the thinking that is, but I didn't take hold of it as well as I should have. I have no regrets tho. I have seen and learned a lot.  But I would encourage others to listen to the advice that comes from people who have lived longer than they have, (the extraordinary one's) in spite of the mistakes some have made in their life. Truly an extraordinary person who could take mistakes from their own life experience and turn them around to putting others on a positive  path and a much straighter one. The thinking should not be, you didn't do it yourself so why are you telling me? That's the kind of thinking that needs adjustments. So many things we were not mindful of in our twenties. I tell my young and I quote:" Don't be smart, because smart people learn from their own mistakes, but instead be brilliant, because brilliant people learn from the mistakes of others(end)". Wouldn't it be amazing to teach our young brilliance and they actually learn it? Of course it would.  What is it that you could think of now that you wish you were aware of in your twenties? I know I could think of a lot, because hindsight is 20/20 but the future remains a mystery. But the most important thing is the lessons we have learned and benefited from. Also to share of them with others. Listening one of the hardest things for people in general to do. It's human nature not to. My best advice to any who have not yet reached over fifty and extraordinary or before extraordinary would be to listen and learn. Live an extraordinary life long before you reach it. Even extraordinary people have setbacks. Adjustments have to be made and we have to begin again. We do have the advantage of having the knowledge that has been fed into us over the last few decades. So may we both extraordinary and before extraordinary folks continue to make smart choices.  It's the choices we make that results in  the way our life will turn out to be.

Re-Thinking Motivation

The word motivate comes from  a word that means motion or move and influence to action. Why is it so important  that we stay motivated or on the move?  One primary reason is  movement is life. It's no wonder then that we got to keep on moving.  But is motivation really the prime thing?  How is one to stay motivated when things around us stop?  The challenges we face and the set backs we experience in life  cause us to slow down in our motion. Mentally we can become so overwhelmed and we freeze so to speak. We all know that no one is motivated 100 percent of the time. The opposite of motivation is discouragement. This is what we fight against most of the time.  Our mind and heart is willing but we find our bodies not able to move. As extraordinary people we can never allow this. Because this is the thing that keeps us extraordinary. Have you ever thought about what it is that keeps us in our same routine day after day? Have you noticed how you find your self doing the same thing at the same time everyday or night?  I've done that all my life you'll say.  You probably have and probably without much effort. It's like second nature.  Life has taught me that we have to look at motivation from a different angle. You may say a different angle, how so? Almost anything can be looked at from different angles. And what is the end result?  Is it not the same thing?  Absolutely, just another way of viewing the same thing. It doesn't change what the situation or thing is. Same situation just viewing it differently. But now how do we relate this to motivation? Well getting back to the question I asked earlier what is it that keeps us doing our same routine day after day after day?  Is it not just simply habits?  Yes habits, the art of doing something over and over again until it becomes so ingrained in us that we cant discontinue. And there are some habits so deeply entrenched in us that we cant break them even if we wanted too. We can have both good habits and bad. So hopefully these are good habits or we may have a problem of another sort. If we can form good daily habits of doing the slightest thing to the most beneficial thing we wont have to worry about staying motivated. We will be doing things we really need to do on a daily routine basis because of it now becoming a habit. So what's better than motivation? A habit is. Having good habits is better than being motivated.  Can you agree with that? So actually motivation is slightly overrated.  Because again it's impossible for one to be motivated 100 percent of the time. We all lose motivation from time to time. But what about habits? When was the last time you lost your habit? They are so much  easier to maintain and continue doing, and that could be good or bad. But it's the truth. They take no motivation but rather take place naturally. So in a nutshell, one way we can all stay motivated is to form good life long habits. Our good habits will not let us down.  And the good things about habits is they can be acquired. It's been said that if you do something for 26 day's in a row, it becomes a new habit. They seem to be performed whether we want too or not. Most times we don't event think about them we just do them.  Habit's. So,look at motivation from the angle of it  being a habit and teach yourself new one's. They will keep us moving or if you will, motivated!

Gardening!

Have you ever stopped and really looked at a beautiful garden? I've found that some of the most beautiful photographs taken are up close pictures of beautiful flowers, perhaps with an insect, a dragonfly or butterfly sitting on the top of it. The variety of colors, and the arrangement of them can really leave you speechless. The smell of the scented flowers, say perhaps a rose garden, or one blooming jasmine.  Centuries ago the hanging  gardens of Babylon went down in history as the most magnificent gardens ever. I can only imagine the beauty of those gardens of babel. They must have been truly a sight to see. The people who work or build such tranquil places of beauty whether it be a private home or otherwise are to be commended for the artistry and hard work. The making and the cultivating of them takes perseverance  and determination, and a lot of hard dirty work on a routine daily basis. It cant be overlooked. If a gardener neglects his or her garden, weeds began to grow almost immediately. With them the beauty will fade. The return you get from gardening is rewarding. Not just the beauty of it. Something far more wonderful. What you ask? Longevity! Yes, gardening promotes longevity. Studies show that people who work diligently in their yards or gardens  are healthier happier and live longer. Gardening is good therapy for us extraordinary people. It's relaxing and relieves stress. It fills a void in our lives after the kids are grown and gone. That need of taking care of something on a daily basis makes us feel needed. A natural human desire. Without us the garden would not survive. It lowers blood pressure and gives a overall feeling of satisfaction. And the end result,  it yields beauty and perfection. I've always admired a beautiful garden that's fluttering with humming birds. A true gift of nature. The feeling can be compared to being at the ocean and listening to the sounds of the water. So peaceful and calming. I never thought about gardening before, but I'm seriously thinking about it now.  I remember my mother once told me, when I complained about not getting flower's. Then plant your own garden instead of waiting for someone to send you flower's. That was good advice, although not appreciated at the time, I  do now. The next time you see or pass a beautiful garden, stop and smell the rose's and think about the benefits you  could get personally from growing your own.

They Got Game!!!

Hello Extraordinary Friends,  this one is about never stop doing or being involved in whatever it is you love to do.  In this entertaining video, we find an extraordinary person by the name of Uncle Drew and his partner. Doing what they love most, playing basketball. And from the looks of it, much better than their much younger counterparts. It's amazing how young people watch and observe our example and are really impressed by some of what we really can do if we keep our mind to it. Staying active and involved is so important.  We may move from the front line, but the sideline line is always there. This is where the real mentoring comes in. When circumstances prevent us from playing the role we used to play in anything, we can teach and observe from the sideline.  I find the funny thing about growing older is that the same thinking and wishes and desires I had at sixteen are still present with me.  Those things don't ever really leave us, we leave them. Society has us somehow thinking that we are too old now to pursue certain things. We have to remember that we are never too old for nothing as long as we are willing and able to do it.  It's true we make mature sensible choices but we should never stop doing what it is we love or in some way being involved in it. It will keep us alive and moving forward. The saying is true, the older we get the better we get! It's just too bad that we didn't have the knowledge and the insight we have today forty years ago. Boy what a life that would have been, rather than wishful thinking!!! So like dear old Uncle Drew let's keep what ever it is we love to do on  the forefront. We will be so much happier we did !!          PS: Read Below!




OK, OK- Uncle Drew is really a young man just pretending to be an extraordinary person. But from the video you could tell. It was for your entertainment, hope you enjoyed it! But just to show the length some will go thru to appear to be extraordinary people. Everyone want to be extraordinary. We are often imitated but never duplicated!  But the rest is true. So like stated earlier keep doing what you love!!!

Reading is Fundamental

Reading is fundamental. Or reading is fun.  That was something we were always told as a child. Well one thing for sure it is fundamental to our clarity. Because it supports our mental structure or function of our brain in actuality. Its through reading that we keep building  ourselves up or become aware. We continue to learn, absorb, share, explore through this channel.  Reading forces our brain to continue to function normally. When we read we exercise the muscle of our brain. Because we use it. As we age, everything slows down unless we continue to use it. It is a very easy exercise we can do on a daily basis (and from sitting). It is the only real naturally legitimate exercise from sitting. It will help to keep us extraordinary people sharp, alert and  mentally healthy.  In today's technological advances, many things are taken away. The  things that made us move our bodies. For instance a walk to the mail box. Now we have email that eliminates that physical exercise.  Or for years now, the t.v. and the remote control, we no longer have to get up to change the channel. What a convenience! But what are the draw backs?  We need to become more aware of the things we are receiving versus the things that are being taken away. Even reading has changed through technology, we can now click a button on the computer and things are read to us. Movement is life! So when we read, we move our brains in a sense. Yes we exercise it. Mentally speaking , that's huge. I hope you all enjoy reading my blog. In it I put things I think about and have come to know through personal experience or through the experience of others. I was told a long time ago by someone whom I thought to be a very wise person, to never stop reading. Ahh, but the eyesight soon  starts to fail us and we have to  take out those visual aids, what ever they are . So be it! Without this fundamental activity, where would mankind be? Think about the importance of being an active reader for our entire life.  It closes the gap of every space of boredom, every sleepless night. Oh did I mention a loyal companion?! So many benefits come from reading.  So to continue to thrive mentally and at the same time derive a real pleasure, Read On!!!!!

Giving of Advice

Advice, something we all need. Circumstances change inevitably as we age. We can all probably recall the time when advice was hard to take. Some of us had to learn the hard way. My mother used to say, some would go thru  the school of hard knocks. Yes the recommendations of the oldie's was not favorably heard. No matter how old we get, this counsel is always gonna be called upon to a certain degree. So we will look to others whom we feel are adequately qualified to hand it over to us even now. But on the extraordinary end, we tend to seek advice less and less after all we have lived long enough to know how to pursue a better course of action. Life has trained us to know better.  We have arrived at the age where we have become qualified to be  giver's of advice.  And we are now the counselors.  The recommendations for a certain course of action now lay in our hand. We can do this because we have been there and done that. Whats the lighter side of this? Well it's a privilege to grow older, not everyone does it. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said and I quote" The young man knows the rules, but its the old one that knows the exceptions to the rule." So my extraordinary friends, lets give advice to the young and live by the advice we teach them.  Besides we find it enjoyable to give good advice because now we can no longer set the example. It's true as we live we  learn but  we will continue to learn as we have the privilege to keep living.  Be among the best of adviser's.  The best is yet  to be.

Looking Back

Looking back, how beneficial is it for us to look back? I think its human nature to look back or reflect on the past. And in most case's we seem to feel that the past was always better for some reason. When I look back I always remember that the past was at one time  the present then I try to remember if I could how I felt at the moment.  In most cases it's the same as I do now.  What do we learn from reflecting on the  past? The slightest benefit we can derive from reflecting on the past is only  if we learn  something from it and we now make different choices for the better. In reality, then is no better than now when it comes to making wise decisions and mentoring our young to do the same! That should be our only motive for reflecting back. Pondering on things learned in life is not a bad thing. Not bad as long as they are positive. Otherwise we are a prisoner in our mind to yesterday and this can prevent us from moving forward. Life is a forward moving process. Living well and being happy is and has always been our primary motive. And doesn't that go for our past, present and future?  You can never go back and do the things you wish you had done. Bringing back your yesterday is impossible, it's gone. Yes that's right, forward moving and no back tracking. Enjoy the gift of the present now. We need to act, do and say the things we know we should have done yesterday. We now know what they are.  Live life without regrets. Say I Love You today, apologize, spend quality time, forgive, forget, love God now and have a wonderful day! And going forward when you look back at this day you will smile!