When I was little I heard, "Find a penny pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck". I looked for pennies on the ground. Later, I heard that it will only bring you luck if the penny is face-up. I'm not superstitious, but I passed up many pennies on the ground over the years because they were face-down. I was either in a hurry or too lazy to pick them up. I left a few face-up pennies on the ground also, because honestly, ....... "it was ONLY A PENNY". Now that I'm older, I seldom pass up a penny on the ground. They go in our granddaughter's Piggy Bank. They make her happy.
A few weeks ago I found a penny on the floor at work. It was face-down but I picked it up anyway. As I walked past a woman sitting at a table, I set the penny in front of her making sure the penny was face-up. I repeated the "Find a penny" quote and told her, "but if you find a penny face-down on the ground, you must give it to someone else face-up and it will be lucky for them and for you". We both laughed and she asked, "Really?" I told her "no, I made that up" and we laughed again. Now when I see her at work she smiles at me and we remember the silliness. For a short moment we feel happier, but the feeling doesn't disappear suddenly, it lingers awhile . So, maybe that's it's own kind of good luck. These kinds of small moments have a significant impact on our lives. In these ways we make our own luck.
When we share a silly moment, we can make someone else smile. Now that's real power! I was thinking about the person who made up the "Find a Penny" quote. Did they understand how many lives they would touch? What would they think if they knew how many people over the last century have picked up a penny thinking about their luck that day.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
An Angry Era
The news is full of stories about young people railing against something; society, law enforcement, an education system, another group of young people, etc. I understand the need for people to push for change. When I was younger, I thought I should have a cause, some corner of my world that I could improve.
I don't know if I did anything during my life that will leave a lasting impression with anyone. If I did, I'm certain it won't last longer than the lifetime of my grandchildren. One thing I do know is that I have never been that angry about anything. I've been dissatisfied and discontented and I've worked to make bad situations better.
For a very long time I worried the world was getting darker. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the world isn't that much different than when I was younger. Technology has erupted into a multi-headed monster. Machines are electronic and far more complex, but opportunities and possibilities are still unlimited if you dare to dream and be creative.
So, what makes those young people so angry? It seems to me, the biggest obstacle to someone's happiness is their inability to accept disappointment. When things don't go as planned, they don't know how to regroup and come up with a new plan because we as a society spent years telling them they controlled the world. We encouraged them to be the best and to have the best. We're forgetting to teach them true happiness will come from the connections you build with other people. The more of yourself that you give to others, the stronger and happier you will become.
I don't know if I did anything during my life that will leave a lasting impression with anyone. If I did, I'm certain it won't last longer than the lifetime of my grandchildren. One thing I do know is that I have never been that angry about anything. I've been dissatisfied and discontented and I've worked to make bad situations better.
For a very long time I worried the world was getting darker. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the world isn't that much different than when I was younger. Technology has erupted into a multi-headed monster. Machines are electronic and far more complex, but opportunities and possibilities are still unlimited if you dare to dream and be creative.
So, what makes those young people so angry? It seems to me, the biggest obstacle to someone's happiness is their inability to accept disappointment. When things don't go as planned, they don't know how to regroup and come up with a new plan because we as a society spent years telling them they controlled the world. We encouraged them to be the best and to have the best. We're forgetting to teach them true happiness will come from the connections you build with other people. The more of yourself that you give to others, the stronger and happier you will become.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Get it before it's gone
It seems to me the ability to respectfully disagree with another's viewpoint is a lost art. It's easier to convince ourselves that we are better (and better off) than our peers or even our parents and their peers. Young people today are so technologically connected that they aren't put in personal situations where they must learn how to live with multiple viewpoints. Lessons on manners and etiquette are no longer passed from the older generations to the younger generations.
While young adults are versed on 'freedom of speech', it's only their speech that is free. The moment they are faced with someone who questions the validity of their information or offers an opposite viewpoint, they hit the 'delete' button. There's no one to hold them accountable and remind them they can't possibly 'know it all' because they aren't 'fully cooked' yet. They can 'unfriend' and 'block' anyone that disagrees with them. In this digital age, it's much easier to build a world around themselves filled with people that pat them on the back and tell them how wonderful they are, even if it's only to avoid becoming their next chastising victim.
Families don't get together in large groups of multiple generations nearly as often as previous generations. I worry that our lives have become more superficial. So much history is lost because we aren't aware of the importance of the experience and wisdom of our senior citizens gained by years of hard work and lives well lived. It's a much underused and neglected resource. I feel blessed to have a few resources left.
While young adults are versed on 'freedom of speech', it's only their speech that is free. The moment they are faced with someone who questions the validity of their information or offers an opposite viewpoint, they hit the 'delete' button. There's no one to hold them accountable and remind them they can't possibly 'know it all' because they aren't 'fully cooked' yet. They can 'unfriend' and 'block' anyone that disagrees with them. In this digital age, it's much easier to build a world around themselves filled with people that pat them on the back and tell them how wonderful they are, even if it's only to avoid becoming their next chastising victim.
Families don't get together in large groups of multiple generations nearly as often as previous generations. I worry that our lives have become more superficial. So much history is lost because we aren't aware of the importance of the experience and wisdom of our senior citizens gained by years of hard work and lives well lived. It's a much underused and neglected resource. I feel blessed to have a few resources left.
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