Red Marbles!
I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily appraising a basket of freshly picked green peas.
I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes.
Pondering the peas, I couldn’t help overhearing the conversation between Mr.. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me.
‘Hello Barry, how are you today?’
‘H’lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus’ admirin’ them peas. They sure look good..’
‘They are good, Barry.. How’s your Ma?’
‘Fine. Gittin’ stronger alla’ time.’
‘Good. Anything I can help you with?’
‘No, Sir.
Jus’ admirin’ them peas.’
‘Would you like to take some home?’ asked Mr. Miller.
‘No, Sir. Got nuthin’ to pay for ’em with.’
‘Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?’
‘All I got’s my prize marble here.’
‘Is that right? Let me see it’ said Miller.
‘Here ’tis. She’s a dandy.’
‘I can see that. Hmm mmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?’ the store owner asked..
‘Not zackley but almost.’
‘Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble’. Mr. Miller told the boy.
‘Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller.’
Mrs… Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me.
With a smile she said, ‘There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances.. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever..
When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn’t like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store.’
I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles.
Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could.
Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts…all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband’s casket.
Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes…
Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband’s bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket.
‘Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about.
They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim ‘traded’ them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size…..they came to pay their debt.’
‘We’ve never had a great deal of the wealth of this world,’ she confided, ‘but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho ..’
With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles.
The Moral :
We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath.
Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles:
A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t make yourself…
An unexpected phone call from an old friend …..
Green stoplights on your way to work…
The fastest line at the grocery store…
A good sing-along song on the radio…
Your keys found right where you left them.
Share this with the people you’ll never forget.
I just Did…
IT’S NOT WHAT YOU GATHER, BUT WHAT YOU SCATTER THAT TELLS WHAT KIND OF LIFE YOU HAVE LIVED
~Author Unknown
Are Happy Workers More Productive?
Are happy workers more productive? Should employers and managers hire people that are more positive and happy?
These questions have occupied researchers and psychologists in recent years in an attempt to provide definitive evidence of a link between happy workers and greater productivity. Since 2006, conferences attracting hundreds of experts on the topic have been held worldwide as researchers consider whether employers and managers should hire people that are more positive and happy and whether they should be creating the kind of conditions that enhance worker happiness.
In my National Post column titled Put On a Happy Face, Pile on the Profits (Oct. 31, 2007), I cited research that shows a 1% positive increase in a worker’s relationship with the boss is equal to a 30% increase in salary. Psychologists and researchers from around the world, including studies by Ed Denener, Martin Seligman, Daniel Goleman, Stephen Post, Ruut Veenhoven and John Helliwell have all concluded the following:
*Creating conditions under which workers feel happy about their work results in greater productivity and other positive work behaviours.
* Happy individuals are more likely than their less happy peers to have fulfilling, positive relationships, superior work performance and robust health.
* Happier people tend to get better performance evaluations and higher pay.
In my two decades of working with senior managers — including chief executives — focusing on developing productive workplaces, employee motivation and peak performance, it is clear the vast majority of happy people get more enjoyment from their jobs, are less likely to be bored and enjoy better relationships with their superiors and peers.
They tend also to have more mastery over themselves and their surroundings in order to achieve their goals. They are more serious, intentional and organized about accomplishments and are persistent, autonomous and responsible.
So the question becomes are workers happy as a result of satisfying work, or are they happy to begin with and therefore become more productive employees? In a similar vein, are people happy because they have attained a certain level of wealth, success and status, or have they attained those things because they are happier and more satisfied with themselves? In other words is it correlation or cause and effect that creates happiness?
In my experience, and it’s being borne out by recent research, happy people become more successful and productive. People’s success in life, rather than being the cause for happiness, as we commonly think in our society, just may be the outcome of happiness. And that success includes being a more productive worker.
In a competitive global economy in which companies are struggling to survive and succeed, recruitment, retention and engagement of the top talent have become critical management challenges. If happy workers are more productive workers, it is incumbent upon employers and their managers to make a happy frame of mind a criteria for hiring, and also create working conditions that encourage happiness. Consider it one of the most significant strategies for improving bottom-line performance.
Hold Your Own Feet to the Fire
By Leo Babauta
Lots of us want to change our habits — get healthier, procrastinate less, write a book, save some money, get fit, read more, get good at something.
And when it comes to changing habits, we know what doesn’t work.
What doesn’t work: saying you’re going to make a change, intending to, and then failing to do it.
You’ve done this, and so have I: you say, “I’m going to start eating healthier and exercising!” And you truly mean to do it. And you start out trying your best. And then things just kinda fade away, fizzle out, flop.
That’s what we all do, repeatedly, and it absolutely doesn’t work.
So what does work?
Holding your own feet to the fire. Making it happen. Really committing to it.
How to Hold Your Feet to the Fire
What does holding your own feet to the fire look like? Here are some examples from my own life:
- When I wanted to quit smoking, I signed up on a smoking cessation forum online, promised people on there I wouldn’t smoke without posting on the forum first, had an accountability partner, made a promise to my wife and daughter, publicly logged my successes. I didn’t back down, for the first time in my life.
- When I wanted to run a marathon, I signed up to write a column every other week in my local newspaper. Everyone on Guam knew I was running my first marathon, and they didn’t let me weasel out of it.
- I wanted to get into better running shape a couple years ago, so I let my friend Scott talk me into running a 50-mile ultramarathon. That motivated me to actually train, and I got into probably the best running shape of my life doing that.
- I wanted to get leaner, so I asked my friend Dick to coach me. He gave me a nutrition and workout plan, and kept me accountable for about a year. It worked, and I became noticeably leaner.
- I wanted to go deeper and learn more about mindfulness, so recently my friend and coach Toku created a mindfulness lesson plan, and now I’m meditating, reading Buddhist texts, eating mindfully, every day. And reporting to him weekly.
- I wanted to learn more about chess, but I always seem to quit learning after a couple weeks. So I signed up for a tournament, and even though I knew I would lose, I studied harder and learned more that ever before, preparing for the tournament.
- I wanted to break the habits of snacking on my kids and eating mindlessly when I ate out at restaurants, so I made a 6-month commitment to my friend Tynan, where he promised to throw a pie in my face and post a video of it online if I failed. I didn’t fail.
If you want to get better at something, sign up for a race or tournament.
If you want to stick to something, make a big commitment. Tell people you’ll do an embarrassing consequence if you fail.
If you want to do something daily, ask a friend to hold you accountable. Report daily. Get a trainer. Sign up for a class.
Most people are reluctant to take that big step, which is why they keep doing the same thing over and over: the way that doesn’t work.
Instead, take that big step today. Hold your feet to the fire, and don’t let yourself back down when things get tough.
The World Owes You Nothing (post by Kirk Weisler)
“A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.” – H.L. Mencken
Do you know anyone like that?
cyn·i·cism (sn-szm) n.
1. An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of the integrity or professed motives of others.
2. A scornfully or jadedly negative comment or act.
If successful people have one common trait, it’s an utter lack of cynicism. The world owes them nothing. They go out and find what they need without asking for permission; they’re driven, talented, and work through negatives by focusing on the positives. -Mike Zimmerman
It’s a proven fact that choosing to be positive takes more effort, focus and self discipline than being negative, cynical or sarcastic. So let’s choose to do the hard thing, the best thing, and the right thing by choosing to focus on the positives and the possibilities as we solve the problems that are before us.
Kirk Out.
Johanna channeling Aretha Franklin!
This is my kinda of girl. Too cute!!
9-Year-Old Girl Building Personal Homeless Shelters for Her ‘Friends’ (by ABC News)
Jun 4, 2015, 9:58 AM ET
Her mom said yes, and for the last four years, that’s what Hailey’s been doing: helping the homeless, with the help of her mom. She plans to build 12 mobile shelters this year.
The recipient of the first shelter, Hailey’s mom Miranda Fort told ABC News, is a man named Edward. “She [Hailey] went through all of her homeless friends and made the decision based on a number of things. This shelter doesn’t have a place for a wheelchair, so it wasn’t a good fit for Billy Ray. Similarly, it wasn’t a good fit for her friend Tonka, a dog, and his owner. Edward stuck out because he has always been so gracious when receiving food.”
Miranda said the family has already met with the city to make sure the shelter won’t cause a problem though its exact location has not yet been determined. “Our city ordinance on the issue states that it can be placed on a church lot. We have a few leads on churches that will allow his structure, but for Edward’s safety we aren’t disclosing where.”
Food is another one of Hailey’s priorities. She grows fruits and vegetables, and hopes to grow 250 pounds for the homeless this year. She’s begun documenting her progress on a Facebook page “Hailey’s Harvest.” The homeless, her mom said, are people she counts as her friends. It’s that friendship, in part, that keeps her going. “Hailey is repeatedly told that she can stop at any time but she continues because this is her passion. I think a lot has to do with setting such high goals and then the rush she gets when she meets them.”
In addition to the 12 mobile shelters and 250 pounds of food: 1000 toiletries, 500 feminine hygiene products and 100 coats. She’s trying to raise $1,000 on her GoFundMe page and is about three-fourths of the way there.
The community has been supportive of Hailey’s efforts. The cost to build one shelter, her mom said, is about $300, but the reason that price is so low is because she gets many items donated. The walls are made of pallets, which are stuffed with recycled denim insulation. The structure has a shingled roof, drywall, wood siding, and vinyl flooring. The house will have window curtains, a solar-powered lamp and most importantly, a lock on the front door.
Hailey’s dad Quentin, said Hailey’s — and Miranda’s — selflessness “comes from a place which seems foreign to most but seems completely natural to them.”
“It is no surprise to me that Hailey is this selfless with Miranda as an example, I am immensely proud of the contributions Hailey has made and will continue to make to her community. I just hope we, as parents, can do enough to satiate her desire to help those in need.”
