Countdown to 60 - wise quotes

Here are the last few lessons that I have learned in 60 years. All of the lessons are not necessarily scientific or psychologically correct and in some cases not even well worded but these are the things I have learned and I know there are many more still to come. Thanks to all those people in my life that have been my teachers - parents, friends, family, spouse, co-workers, and so many acquaintances that have improved my life on the way.  

40. If all else fails, lower your expectations

You don’t have to lower your standards though!

41. If you don’t like something in someone else you are looking in mirror

You normally don’t like to see your own shortcomings in other people.

42. You are right, I am right

Something I learned from Ma Veda. Only evil people do things they know is wrong, for the rest of us, we do what we think is the right thing given the information we have. So don’t judge someone’s behavior unless you have walked in his or her shoes.

43. The only limitations we have are those we put on ourselves.

My first lesson from ma-Veda and very true.

44. The best is yet to come.

When we grow and improve ourselves our experiences will also improve and the best is yet to come.

45. Creativity is intelligence having fun

Isn’t this very true? Creativity is the way in which we put our intelligence to work in a fun way. Unfortunately we don’t give ourselves space and time to be creative because we are so into busyness.

46. Nothing happens until something moves – Albert Einstein

To achieve anything, we have to start moving in that direction. Until we move, we are going nowhere.

47. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result

Especially when we work with a computer. We keep on pressing the same key and getting the same result. Maybe we are all a bit crazy

48. Change your thinking, change your world.

If you change the way you see the world, the world will change to the way you see it.

49. Whatever you get for free has no value

Albert Einstein shows the other side of this coin: “ Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing”

The things I value most are those for which I had to work or put effort in to get. The things that come easy or for nothing really have very little value to you in the end.

50. Above all else do no harm.

This is a short version of the medical oath but it applies to all. Whatever we do, do not harm other people or nature

51. If I am coasting, I must be going downhill

This is a law of physics, if you are moving without effort, you are going downhill. Push yourself to make sure you are growing and going up.

52. No rain no rainbows

Things are not always rosy and pleasant but out of these times will come the good things of life.

53. Nature produces no waste.

If we mimic nature we will find that in all natural processes, the waste becomes the wealth of a next process or processes. It is only humans that create waste with no use, or put another way, creates waste without finding ways to turn it into wealth for something else.

54. Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication – Steve Jobs

We make things complicated when it should be simple. If something is complicated, go back and make it simple.

55. Be eco friendly but not ego friendly.

Don’t let your ego get in your way.

56. Never stop questioning

Do not accept that the way things are is the only way they can be. By constant questioning, we will find better ways to do things, better ways to behave, better ways to love.

57. You will reap what you sow

If you sow happiness you reap happiness. If you sow negativity, that is what you will reap, it is your choice.

58. You have freedom of choice, but beware the consequences.

What you cannot choose is the consequences of your choice, they are part of the choice. You cannot jump off a wall and not expect to hit the ground even though you are free to jump off the wall.

59. You are never too old to learn

Life and technology changes at such a rapid rate that if I do not constantly learn more, I will become redundant.

60. Life is wonderful

If we look for the wonders of life we will find a treasure trove. Life is simple and awesome and we have 3 reasons to be part of life

1. To learn something
2. To make a contribution
3. To enjoy ourselves in the process.

Countdown to 60 - Fruits of the Spirit

The following Fruits of the Spirit, even though they are separate are actually connected, the one leads to the other and they form a circle, not a line. As you master one, some of the others become easier. You have to practice them all the time. When you get them right it is truly Bliss.

31. Love

Be loving and loveable. Love is the ultimate gift you can give anyone and yourself. It is important to also be loveable!

32. Joy

Be joyful and fun to be with. If you are happy and joyful, you will also be fun to be with because people are attracted to joy and fun.

33. Peace

Be at peace with your self and others and content with where you are. You have to love yourself before you can be at peace with yourself. Then, even if you are alone, you will never be lonely. Being content means that you accept where you are today and make the most of it, it does not mean complacency.

34. Patience

Be tolerant and patient, especially with those close to you or those not as fortunate as you. At work, remember that those in your care are not as good as you are and with patience you will lift them up.

35. Kindness

Always be kind, even when you have to be firm. Look for kindness in everyone you deal with.

36. Goodness

Be good and do good. Look for goodness in everyone

37. Faithfulness

Be faithful and trustworthy. If you want others to trust you, you have to be faithful and trustworthy. People will only trust you if they believe in you

38. Gentleness

Be gentle with all Gods creation, not just other people.

39. Self control

You are the only one that can control yourself and your attitude. How you interpret things that happen to you is the only thing you have absolute control over. If you think you can control others, you are fooling yourself.

Countdown to 60 - continued

Here are some more lessons I have learned.

26. Catch people doing something right

This is a great philosophy to have. Go out of your way to catch people doing something right and recognize them for it. The amazing thing that will happen is it will be noticed and people will keep on doing more “right” things because they get positively noticed and recognized. A much better way than looking for everything that is going wrong. I know when I have done something wrong I do not need to be reminded, especially not in public. Rather use the mistakes as learning experiences and keep catching people doing things right

27. There is always a better way

This is a personal motto of mine. I don’t have all the answers or all the knowledge to make the ultimate decision or find the best way. There is always a better way.

This can be frustrating too, because at some stage I have to make a decision and get things done otherwise I will be in research mode all the time. Sometimes we have to do what is right for now and live with it until we get a chance to make it better again.

28. All is well that ends well, if it isn’t well, it isn’t the end.

This is a humorous slogan but true. We have to keep on trying until we get a good result in the end. If the result is not good, we are not done.

29. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care –

John Maxwell

I have learnt this lesson the hard way. My education, upbringing, and experience do not count in the work place until those working for me know that I care for them and have their backs.

30. Develop your strengths – delegate your weaknesses

It is important to play to your strengths and to develop them. You will enjoy the process because you will get positive feedback and will naturally do a good job.

On the other hand, delegate your weaknesses to someone who has that strength. Then your team will all work on their strengths and do exceptional work.

Countdown to 60 - The 7th Sense

This is a fun, tongue in cheek but very true subject. We all have 5 senses unless through some misfortune you have lost one.

In my walk through life, I have learned that you can acquire 2 more!

“Blake said that the body was the soul’s prison unless the five senses are fully developed and open. He considered the senses the ‘windows of the soul’ “– Jim Morrison

19. In the one ear, out the other

A lot of people may listen, but not everyone actually hears. We all have selective hearing; we hear what we want of what we understand. I will walk into a machine room and hear a motor that needs attention; someone without the knowledge of motors will only hear noise.

In general we have to listen and hear what is said or what is happening around us. Mathew Henry said “None so deaf as those who will not hear.”

The other part of hearing is that you have to stop talking if you want to listen to what other are saying, when you are silent, you hear so much more.

Someone said “Your actions speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying” and this is very true. What you say and what you do must be congruent if you want people to listen and hear what you are saying

20. You see what you look for.

Have you noticed that when you are planning to buy a new car, you see so many of them around where previously you didn’t notice? That is because we see only that which we take notice of. There are so much going on around us that we tend to filter what we want to see. Sometimes I would drive home and cannot remember what I saw on the way!

What is also true is that when we look around us and take notice of everything around us we see so much. There is a caution though, if you look for the negatives in life, that is what you will see, if you look for the beauty; that is what you will see.

For me, I look for the beauty, the positive, it is much more fun and better for my soul.

21. You cannot buy taste

There are two types of taste that which you taste in your mouth and then the subjective one of taste referring to style. Let me stick to the actual one that you experience when you eat of drink. Most of us including me do not savor food and drinks, we eat and drink too fast and therefore miss the subtle flavors that the cook or chef prepared. Some people however do not develop their taste to enable them to experience these subtleties.

Your taste buds will also tell you what you shouldn’t eat because it will be awful. So do not neglect your taste buds

22. Stop and smell the roses

Although this lesson actually means we have to stop and enjoy what we have in the present, it makes a case for developing and using our sense of smell. Some people have a keen sense of smell and they are normally those who depend on smell for their livelihood like chefs. Smell is one of the senses that we actually use a lot and it tells us what smells good, bad or dangerous. How do we develop smell? By using it. And analyzing what you smell, smelling different things so you can recognize it.

Sometimes, a smell can remind you of a wonderful time you had, or a meal or a specific dish. Those who have broken eggs in a hot car will always remember the smell of rotten eggs.

23. You cannot hug without touching

Our whole body is a touchpad, we feel with every part of our bodies, not just our fingers. If you take notice, you will feel your shirt, your socks, and the sun on your head. These are all physical touch feelings but you also have emotional feelings and those can actually also fall into the sixth sense.

Why do most people enjoy a hug? Because it involves using the sense of touch over  a big part of your body.

Concentrate a bit on what you are feeling, the texture of fabric or surfaces, the softness of someone’s hand and be impressed next time you have to screw a small nut into a bolt and you cannot see it! Our sense of touch is awesome.

24 The Sixth Sense

What is this thing called a sixth sense? How do you develop it? Not so difficult, develop and train and use your 5 physical senses. When they all work together, you will have a great 6^th Sense.

Mothers are normally good at this. You think she is not looking and you can sneak out and then it is as though she has eyes in the back of her head but really, she has a sharp sense of hearing developed with small babies, a great sense of smell so she knows what her children smells like, good eyesight and therefore she knows what you are doing even though she is not actually looking.

The sixth sense also works when there is danger. The problem is we do not always take note of the input we are getting through our senses. When you sense danger it is because subconsciously you have heard, seen, smelled, touched, tasted (or a combination) something wrong. That is one very good reason to develop your senses.

25. The 7^th Sense

Wow, what more can we do to develop a 7^th sense? Actually, if you don’t use your 5 physical senses, you do not develop the 6^th sense BUT you develop the 7^th sense – NONsense or senseless. Please do not neglect your physical sense and acquire this sense. If you have it, most things you do will be nonsense or turn out to be nonsense.

Countdown to 60 - Traveling

Some of the lessons I have learned in 60 years were through traveling

13. The map is not the territory

So many times I have tried to find my way on a map just to get lost because some of the roads have changed. The other thing that is different between maps and the territory is the interesting detours you don’t find on a map.

In life we plan and sketch our own “map”. When we actually live the plan, we find that the territory is different and we have to adapt our plan. If not we may go in circles and not reach our destination or not get there in time.

14. Life is not a destination - it is a journey.

This lesson is connected to living in the moment. The journey of life is the interesting part (because the final destination of life is death) so we have to make most of this journey. We should have goals, yes! We should put in the effort to reach them but we should not make our goals the end, they are just mileposts in our journey through life.

15. Pack less, take more money.

When we started traveling, we could not fit enough into our backpacks and someone gave me this advice.  My good friend Karl used to take one t-shirt in his back pack, wear it until it needed washing and then bought another cheap one and gave the old one away. He didn’t believe in excess baggage!

In life, the same applies, we tend to take too much of our past baggage with us on our journey. Most of the time this baggage slows us down and even makes us stop or break down or slide back. Get rid of the baggage, leave it behind and take more of your own abilities with you to help you in you travels through life. Believe in your abilities, not on your baggage to support you through life.

16. Know where you are, know where you’re going.

Imagine staring on your journey without knowing where you are. None of the signs will make sense and the map will be useless. The same goes for your destination, if you don’t know where you are going, how will you get there?

So, for your journey through life, know where you are and who you are and know where you’re going and who you want to be when you get there. And then make sure that everything you do, moves you from where you are to where you want to be.

17. Check for the signs

On any journey, as in life, we get many signs. Some of it we can ignore, some of it we have to pay attention to but more importantly, we have to know to look for the right signs. These are the signs that tell you that you are on the right way, still moving towards your destination.

There will be a lot of signs that will be distractions or diversions too. Things to do that look great and worthwhile to divert from your chosen path. Sometimes, you have to explore the unknown to experience the adventure or to grow. Just don’t make the diversions the only thing you ever do, keep your destination in mind.

18. Your tongue is longer than your arms

This is something my mom told me every time I reached over the dinner table for food. What has this got to do with traveling? The message – ask! (I have to work hard on this one.)  When traveling I find it hard to ask directions, maybe that is a male thing! It is so much easier to just stop and ask though.

If you don’t know, ask someone - you don’t know it all. I like to share my experience and knowledge, so do everyone else. I like it when people ask me things so it is not a sign of weakness if you ask.