This information was brought to you by: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities.  This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation” which stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”

President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. From left: Alvin J. King, Wayne Richards, Arthur J. Connell, John T. Nation, Edward Rees, Richard L. Trombla, Howard W. Watts

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA’s General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989 when VA was elevated to a cabinet level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee’s chairman.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Kirk was privileged to talk to a wonderful group of people yesterday about what they felt were some of the things that stopped groups or teams from realizing their fullest potential.  One of the first things they identified was gossip or back biting.  And he couldn’t agree more.  How can we achieve great heights if we can’t keep our minds and mouths out of the gutter and mud?

The discussion reminded him of this poster from his youth… and a story about nails.

It says… “Gossip, don’t pass it on.”

The story is about a boy who was constantly cursing, speaking ill of others, and basically being mean to everyone. His father told him that every time he did any of that, he was to take a nail from the can of nails on the porch and go out and hammer the nail into the fence behind the house. And so, the boy did. He was just two nails short of using up the large coffee can full of nails when he finally gained control of how he reacted to everything. He sheepishly admitted to his father than he had learned his lesson.

The father then told him to go and remove all of the nails from the fence and put them back in the can. It tried the boy’s patience and new-found control something fierce to pull all of those nails out, but he did it. Some nails came out straight, but many were mangled and bent as he struggled to get them back out. When he had cleared the fence of the extra nails he had pounded in, he returned the can of nails to his father.

The father then asked him to look at the fence and tell him what he saw. The boy said that he saw a bunch of holes. His father told him that harmful words and actions were like that, no matter how you try to take them back, they always leave holes behind.

Be kind to souls… and don’t leave holes…

Kirk Out

The Little Book of Procrastination Remedies
<http://zenhabits.net/procrastination/>

Post written by Leo Babauta <http://zenhabits.net/about/> . Follow me on
twitter <http://twitter.com/zen_habits> .

Procrastination is one of those topics that, it seems, I can’t write
enough about. There isn’t a person among us who doesn’t procrastinate,
and that’s a fact of life.

It’s deep within us. We think we’re going to do something later, or read
that classic novel later, or learn French later. But we always
overestimate how much we can do later, and we overestimate the ability
of our later selves to beat procrastination.

If our current self can’t beat procrastination, why will our future self
do it?

I thought I should cover some of the best procrastination-beating
strategies, in light of my recent book, focus
<http://focusmanifesto.com> . People seem to want ways to beat
procrastination, so they can actually get down to focusing.

Here’s a quick guide.

Why We Procrastinate

Let’s take a quick look at what makes us procrastinate. There are
several reasons, which are related in various ways:

1. We want instant gratification. Resting on the couch is thought of as
nicer, right now, than going on a run. Reading blogs is easier, right
now, than reading a classic novel. Checking email or Facebook is easier,
now, than doing that project you’ve been putting off. Eating chocolate
cake is tastier, right now, than eating veggies.

2. We fear/dread something. We might not write that chapter in our book
because there are problems with the writing that we haven’t figured out
(often because we haven’t thought it through). Or we might be afraid
we’re going to fail, or look ignorant or stupid. We’re most often afraid
of the unknown, which has more power because we don’t examine this fear
– it just lurks in the back of our minds. Dreading or fearing something
makes us want to put it off, to postpone even thinking about it, and to
do something easy and safe instead.

3. It’s easy – no negative consequences right now. When we were in
school and had a teacher looking over our shoulders and scolding us if
we didn’t do our work, we tended to do the work (until some of us
learned that we could tune out the scolding, that is). But when we got
home, sometimes no one would be looking over our shoulders … so there
wasn’t any immediate negative consequence to watching TV or playing
games instead. Sure, we’d get a bad grade tomorrow, but that’s not right
now. The same is true of using the Internet or doing other kinds of
procrastination tasks – we’ll pay for it later, but right now, no one is
getting mad at us.

4. We overestimate our future self. We often have a long list of things
we plan to do, because we think we can do a lot in the future. The
reality is usually a little worse than we expected, but that doesn’t
stop us from thinking the future will be different yet again. For the
same reason, we think it’s OK to procrastinate, because we’re going to
do it later, for sure. Our future self will be incredibly productive and
focused! Except, our future self is also lazy, and doesn’t do it either.
Damn future self.

Four Powerful Solutions

Now that we know the problems, the solutions aren’t that hard to figure
out. Just don’t put them off, OK?

1. Stop and think. When we allow the above thoughts to go on without
really being conscious of them, we procrastinate. When we actually pause
and think about those thoughts, we can rationally see that they’re
wrong. Instant gratification in the form of goofing off or eating junk
food can lead to problems later. Fears are overblown and shouldn’t stand
in our way. Not having negative consequences now doesn’t mean there
won’t be consequences later. Our future self isn’t as bad-ass as we like
to think. So think about what you’re doing, and start to do the more
rational thing. Use the strategies below as well, but thinking is the
start.

2. Enjoy the process. When we dread something, we put it off – but
instead, if we can learn to enjoy it, it won’t be as hard or dreadful.
Put yourself in the moment, and enjoy every action. For example, if you
want to go out to run, don’t think about the hard run ahead, but about
putting on your shoes – enjoy the simplicity of that action. Then focus
on getting out the door – that’s not hard. Then focus on warming up with
a fast walk or light jog – that can be nice and enjoyable. Then feel
your legs warm up as you start running a little faster, and enjoy the
beautiful outdoors. This process can be done with anything, from washing
dishes to reading to writing. Enjoy yourself in the moment, without
thinking of future things you dread, and the activity can be very
pleasant and even fun. And if it is, you won’t put it off.

3. Set up accountability. If no one is looking over our shoulder, we
tend to let ourselves slack off. So set up a procrastination-proof
environment – find people to hold you accountable. I joined an online
fitness challenge this month, for example, so that I’d report my
workouts to the forum. I’ve done the same thing for running, quitting
smoking, writing a novel. You can even just use your friends and family
on Facebook or email.

4. Block your future self. Your future self is just as likely to put
things off. So block that sucker. Use a program like Freedom to block
your Internet access for a predetermined amount of time, so your future
self has to actually focus instead of reading blogs. Turn off your cable
TV, get rid of the junk food in your house, cut up your credit cards …
do whatever it takes to make it really hard for your future self to
procrastinate or give in to temptation, or at least force your future
self to pause and think before he does anything dumb.

A Different Mindset

Three other things that must be said about procrastination:

1. Do what excites you. If you do what you’re excited about most of the
time, you’ll be less likely to put it off. Focus on why it excites you,
rather than the dreaded aspects of the activity. I do this and my
procrastination is lower than ever.

2. Productively procrastinate. If you’re going to procrastinate, do
other productive things instead. So if you don’t want to do your
project, at least get some smaller tasks done. Read more
<http://www.lifeclever.com/how-to-procrastinate-more-productively/> .

3. Sometimes, procrastination is OK. I’m not anti-procrastination, at
all. This guide is for those who want to beat it, but in my book, lazing
around can be a beautiful thing. Reading stuff on the Internet that I’m
interested in isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes, give in to procrastination.
But other times, you might want to get off that lazy butt and actually
accomplish something.

–
Bloggers: If you’d like help creating amazing content for your blog, I’m
running a Blogging Bootcamp starting Nov. 8 – and the first week is
free. Read more: How to Write Like an A-List Blogger
<http://www.alistbloggingbootcamps.com/> .

We must be silent before we can listen.

We must listen before we can learn.

We must learn before we can prepare.

We must prepare before we can serve.

We must serve before we can lead.

~ by William Arthur Ward as quoted in Leadership . . . with a human touch

‘Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.’ ~Lao Tzu

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow me on twitter .

A lot of people come to Zen Habits (and read other personal development blogs and books) because they want to improve something about themselves. They’re not satisfied with their lives, they’re unhappy with their bodies, they want to be better people.

I know, because I was one of those people.

This desire to improve myself and my life was one of the things that led to Zen Habits. I’ve been there, and I can say that it leads to a lot of striving, and a lot of dissatisfaction with who you are and what your life is.

A powerful realization that has helped me is simply this: You’re already good enough, you already have more than enough, and you’re already perfect.

Try saying that to yourself, as corny as that might sound, just to see if it sounds true. Does it resonate as something you already believe (in which case, you can probably stop reading now), or does it not feel right? Do you feel like there are things you still need to improve?

The thing I’ve learned, and it’s not some new truth but an old one that took me much too long to learn, is that if you learn to be content with who you are and where you are in life, it changes everything.

Consider what changes:

• § You no longer feel dissatisfied with yourself or your life.
• § You no longer spend so much time and energy wanting to change and trying to change.
• § You no longer compare yourself to other people, and wish you were better.
• § You can be happy, all the time, no matter what happens in the world around you.
• § Instead of trying to improve yourself, you can spend your time helping others.
• § You stop spending so much money on things that will supposedly improve your life.
• § You can be smug about it, like me.

OK, the last bit was a joke, but the rest is true, in my experience.

And here’s another realization that I’ve written about before: You already have everything you need to be happy, right here and right now.

Do you have eyes that see? You have the ability to appreciate the beauty of the sky, of greenery, of people’s faces, of water. Do you have ears that hear? You have the ability to appreciate music, the sound of rainfall, the laughter of friends. You have the ability to feel rough denim, cool breezes, grass on bare feet … to smell fresh-cut grass, flowers, coffee … to taste a plum, a chili pepper, chocolate.

This is a miracle, and we take it for granted. Instead, we strive for more, when we already have everything. We want nicer clothes, cooler gadgets, bigger muscles, bigger boobies, flatter stomachs, bigger houses, cars with leather seats that talk to you and massage your butt. We’ve kinda gone insane that way.

The sane thing is to realize we don’t need any of that. We don’t need to improve our lives. We don’t need to improve ourselves, because we’re already perfect.

Once you accept this, it frees you.

You’re now free to do things, not because you want to be better, but because you love it. Because you’re passionate about it, and it gives you joy. Because it’s a miracle that you even can do it.

You’re already perfect. Being content with yourself means realizing that striving for perfection is based on someone else’s idea of what “perfect” is … and that that’s all bullshit. Perfect is who you are, not who someone else says you should be.

Also, as corny as it may sound, I love you, completely and unconditionally, and if everyone else in your world betrays and abandons you, you always have me. 🙂

Now stop reading this blog, and go be happy. 

‘A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.’ ~Lao Tzu

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Francine Jay of Miss Minimalist.

I’m often asked what inspired me to become a minimalist. The answer: I fell in love with traveling lightly.
After over-packing on a few trips—and suffering the misery of lugging around a heavy suitcase—I vowed never to check a bag again. On my first trip to Europe, I opted for a small carry-on instead (replacing my wardrobe of clothes with a packet of laundry detergent).

The experience was exhilarating! I was mobile, flexible, and fancy free. I felt like I could go anywhere, and do anything, when I wasn’t loaded down with stuff. And I thought, wow, if it feels this great to travel lightly, how wonderful would it be to live this way?

I began to edit the contents of my home with the same fervor as I had my suitcase. As I slowly ditched the extra “baggage,” I could feel the weight being lifted from my shoulders. 

Lighten your load

Excess possessions are like excess luggage: they can tie us down, get in the way, and drain our sense of energy and adventure. (Have you ever passed up a job offer because of the hassle of moving, or a vacation because there was nobody to “watch the house”?)
Conversely, the less stuff we have to worry about, the more nimble we become—and the better able to embrace new opportunities and experiences.
To regain our freedom, we simply need to lighten our loads. We can accomplish that by borrowing a few packing techniques:

Start with a clean slate. Travelers start with an empty suitcase, and select each item that goes into it. Take a similar approach when decluttering: empty the entire contents of the drawer, closet, or room you’re working on. Then carefully consider each item, and decide whether to return it to the space. Choose what to keep, rather than what to toss.

Question every item. In a small carry-on, every item must pull its weight. Demand the same of your household possessions: have a conversation with your stuff, and ask what value it adds to your life. If the answer is “not much,” give it the heave-ho.

Set limits. To keep his bag light, a traveler might limit his pants to two, his shirts to three, and his socks to four. Use a similar strategy to keep your stuff under control: decide, for example, to own only five sweaters, fifty books, or the amount of craft supplies that’ll fit into one storage box.

Use modules. Take inspiration from packing cubes, and gather like items (cosmetics, office supplies, video games) into separate “modules.” Consolidating your stuff helps you see how much you have, weed out duplicates, and keep a lid on further accumulation.

Think versatility. To save space, light packers favor items that do double- or triple-duty (like clothes that can be dressed up or down, and layered for different climates). Use the same principle in your home: choose versatile or multi-functional items (like a sleeper sofa, or all-purpose saute pan) over single-task ones.

Digitize. Digital music, books, and documents are not only easier to transport—they’re also easier to store. Use technology to transform physical possessions into bits and bytes: scan paperwork, convert CDs to MP3s, and buy electronic books instead of paper ones.

Live on the edge. The light traveler addresses her needs as they arise; if she runs out of toothpaste in Tokyo, she simply buys some more. Adopt a similar philosophy at home: instead of stockpiling stuff or holding on to “just in cases,” acquire things on an as-needed basis.

Lighten your step

In addition to lightening your load, it also helps to lighten your step. Life, like travel, is no fun when you’re plodding through each day, checking off an itinerary, or worrying about what might go wrong. It’s significantly more pleasant, in the words of an old Chinese poem, to “drift like clouds and flow like water.”

Some tips for traveling well through life:

Take the slow train. Instead of speeding through your days, slow down and savor every moment—we only get to take this fabulous trip once. I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly in no hurry to reach the destination.

Look out the window. Too often, we approach our lives with tunnel vision—focusing only on the road ahead, with our foot on the accelerator. Instead, give up the wheel and enjoy the ride; look around, and take in all the beautiful scenery.

Ditch the itinerary. Much fuss is made over goals, plans, and schedules. But any good traveler will tell you that the magic happens when you let go of the reins, and let things unfold of their own accord. Take each day as it comes, and be surprised and delighted by what transpires.

Be mindful of fellow passengers. You’re not on this journey alone; be considerate of your travel companions. Smile, be polite, and respect their privacy and space. Don’t be the guy that nobody wants to sit next to.

Go with the flow. Not every route will be smooth, nor every connection on schedule. Don’t despair if your plans fall to pieces; be fluid, and welcome the possibilities a detour may hold.
When we approach life-like wayfarers, we realize that “more” isn’t necessarily better—and in fact, can be downright burdensome. I’ve never known any traveler to envy how much luggage his neighbor has.

“Less,” on the other hand, can be absolutely liberating—and make for an easier, more exciting, and infinitely more interesting journey!

Francine Jay is the author of The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life. She writes about living with less at Miss Minimalist.

My favorite childhood Ghost Story.  Whooooo has my golden arm?

http://the-haunted-closet.blogspot.com/2009/01/golden-arm-1973-great-ghost-stories.html

I would like to invite you to read today’s powerful pull quotes from the great BEYOND illusions.

Is reality set and real or is it fleeting and subjective?  Is the way I perceive the world right now really the way the world is, or is this just my current perception?

Often what is perceived as real is not in agreement with the true facts in the environment.  Spin yourself around quickly ten times and the room starts to spin – but is it really spinning?  Stare at a revolving disk with a spiral design on it and you will perceive movement that isn’t real.  Sit in a car at a stoplight and, if the car beside you starts to roll backward, you get the physical sensation that your car is moving forward and you instinctively press harder on the brake.

Shakespeare wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”.  I suggest similarly that there is nothing good or bad but perception makes it so.  If I decide that a bad situation is actually in some way good – then it is.  Real magic is our ability to change – to turn a bad deal into a good deal – simply by changing the way we look at it.  That is the power of positive perception; and it is powerful magic.

Stephen Covey says it this way, “It isn’t what happens to us that affects our behavior.  It is our interpretation of what happens to us.  And when we can learn to get a better paradigm – get to a different level of thinking – then we are on the road to significant improvement.”  He calls this the essence of self-determination.    I call it the Power of Positive Perception.

“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem.”~ -Theodore Rubin

Believe in magic.   Not rabbits coming out of  hats magic, but real magic – magic that comes out of challenging our interpretations of reality to choose a perspective that creates more options than might first appear.  Beyond Illusions

I know you will enjoy Beyond Illusions…and that it can help you to help others to move beyond their own disabling illusions and help them to change the way they see the world, and themselves in the world.  It can help us to see past the timid little kitten and find the courage to awaken and realize the great lion of our potential.  And it can help us to help others to do the same.

Kirk Out

TFTD by Kirk Weisler

This was written by a Hospice of Metro Denver physician:

I just had one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and wanted to share it with my family and dearest friends:

I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die – I barely managed to coast, cursing, into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. It wouldn’t even turn over.

Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the “quickie mart” building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay. When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I  helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her.

It was a nickel.  At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95. I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying “I don’t want my kids to see me crying,” so we stood on the other side of the pump from  her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now.  So I asked, “And you were praying?” That made her back away from me a little but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, “He heard you, and He sent me.” 

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling walked to the next door McDonald’s and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.  She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City.

Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet.

She knew she wouldn’t have money to pay rent Jan 1, and finally in desperation had finally called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and said she could come live with them and try to get on her feet there. So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.

I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road. As I was walking over to my car, she said, “So, are you like an angel or something?”  This definitely made me cry. I said, “Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people.”  It was so incredible to be a part of someone else’s  miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car it started right away and got me home with no problem. I’ll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won’t find anything wrong.

Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings…

Train Blog – where are all the crazy people I talk about that ride the train? Where I say! Today we had police and sheriffs asking for tickets and passes.   Not RT cops but the cops with guns and bullet proof vest. Oh where oh where is the dude with the clear box of weed, the loud mouth fruitcake, the KungFu Lee wanna be.

OH THE HORROR!!!

So now I’m waiting for the bus and a cop is asking people if they heard gun shots or anyone talking about gun shots being fired. I think its time for me to get a bullet proof vest. Because I’m a reporter for Facebook. Lol lol lol lol.