Buy or Not... lol

The Sh*t you don't give

This is a story that a co-worker told me from a church service he went to last weekend.

True story:
A pastor went to a conference in the bible belt and when it was his turn to speak, he said: "40,000 people died of starvation today and you people don't give a shit". The conference drew in its collective breath and sat there slack-jawed. He said: "I'll say it again, 40,000 people died of starvation today and you people don't give a shit.". There was rumbling in the crowd, and he looked at them, and pointed out what I think is the difference between happy, pretty, right-wing, Fox-News watching "Christianity" and the kind of Christianity I want to believe in.

He said, (and I paraphrase): "Which part of that sentence really bothered you?"

- because for many, it was the "curse" word, and in fact there's nothing really wrong with that word. We get so pissed off at politicians and people we work with, and that @$$hole who scratched our car. These little things that maybe, if we had a little perspective, we would brush aside, focusing our anger on real injustice or real pain, then maybe be moved to throw a couple of bucks toward folks who need it.

Whatever you believe, its a good message.

Awesome !

Hah...

Take the High Road and Be Nice

An interesting blurb from an article I read today...

Being nice is something that we should embrace, not just because we want something out of it, but because it just makes us a more fulfilled person inside.

If you consistently portray a nice personality, people are going to remember you for it, especially in a very competitive world. It’s hard to get past that initial fear of lending your hand out there, but if you’re willing to do so, not only will you be able to feel happier, but you’ll influence others in a positive way in which they may one day lend a hand back to you.

Like Jay Leno says, “Life is not that hard. Try giving a little. You would be surprised at how much you get back.”

Are you Happy...

I love flow charts!

Charity Rides — and the Fundraising Dilemma

So I've signed up for a charity ride. The thing I dislike about the charity rides is that they all require payment of a nominal entry fee, and require that each rider raise x amount of money.

I hate to ask people for money. I'd have a hard time selling ice in the desert.

But, if I want to ride in the MS Bike Ride in a few months, I’ve got to.

In my case, it’s not too bad. The MS Society expects each rider to raise a minimum of $300. Last year, I surprised myself and raised around $800. This year, with the economy still in the doldrums, people seem to have tightened their purse strings. I’m not having near the response that I have had in years past. I'll admit I started early since the ride isn't till June, but I am hoping that I could set the pace since I am a team captain this year.

How does a person raise that kind of money? Other than asking will you donate to my cause, how does one raise funds? I've thought about "spirit" nights at a local restaurant or two, but those seem odd too. Should I approach companies? I am open to ideas...

Since most of these big events are organized by big charities, with support staffs, fundraising tips are made available to riders. The MS Society posts a 12-week plan to help you reach your fundraising goal, starting with your participant center. That’s a web page where potential donors can click a link or two and make an online donation to your effort. The unfortunate thing I find with the suggestions they give is it surrounds gaining support from friends / relatives - I've sent an email to everyone I know and will probably send another one as the date draws closer. I've posted a notice through facebook and re-post that same notice every time I log in.

The MS society also suggests that you could also raise some additional money by selling unwanted or unneeded items at a garage sale, or on EBay, or on Craig’s List. I really dislike this idea and don't have anything that I am really able to "sell".

So that's where I am. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any.

Now we're both in the hole ...

This is a story I heard a bunch of years ago on a show called "The West Wing". Something today made me think about it, so I looked it up and decided to share it...

"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.

"A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

"Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on

"Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'"

The Farmer and his Daughter...

Once there was a farmer with a beautiful daughter. Men came from miles around to ask her father for her hand in marriage, but he was the old-fashioned type, and wanted to make sure his daughter would have a husband who provided for her – strong, sensible and industrious.

So finally he settled on three likely young men, and told them he would ask them a question to decide which one could woo his daughter. The three young men nervously waited while he prepared his pipe. Finally, he asked all three of them a single question: “If you are working in the fields and find there’s a stone in your shoe, how long can you work?”

The first young man sprung to his feet. “I can work all day long! I can ignore the stone in my shoe until the sun sets! I am tough and I will endure the pain.”

The farmer nodded and turned to the second young man. “I can do the same, but I’ll even whistle to show I’m not bothered one bit by the stone! I can completely ignore the pain.”

The farmer settled his corn cob pipe and turned to the third young man, who declared, “I can’t work one minute with a stone in my shoe.” The other two young men laughed and congratulated themselves, declaring loudly that one of them would surely be chosen. The third man finished as they laughed, saying “I’ll stop and take the stone out of my shoe and keep on working like I always would. And at the end of the day, my wife won’t have to wash a bloody sock.”

The third young man and the farmer’s daughter were married the next spring.

———-

The moral of the story is that it’s not always about being the toughest or the most driven – sometimes it’s about being smart. This applies almost every day in your work life and in your personal life. Don’t just keep hammering away at a problem to prove you can stick to a task. Know when to quit, reevaluate and begin fresh. And if you don’t know, stop, take a break and start again. The answer will come to you.

In every day a little rain must fall -

As I have grown older, I am coming to realize that I have lost my "support chain". Sure I have my family to talk to, but I tend to temper what I say to them. I have coworkers and many acquaintances, but I tend to share information, but remain quite guarded about it. It's been years since I have had someone I could confide in to talk openly about my irritations, concerns, and such ~ and more importantly, care about what it is I am sharing.

I don't really have any close friends. It sucks, and i don't know how to right the ship. My life has been full of frustrations lately. I used to feel that I was pretty optimistic about life. I don't remember when I lost it, but I now feel like I am a real pessimist. I know that I am my own worst critic - but it makes life tough not having that friend to confide in.