Things Worth Sharing

Abou Ben Adhem

2011-02-26T05:56:00.003-05:00

My wonderful friend from Mattapoisett, Dexter Eldredge, reminded me of this poem we read in Junior High School and its message struck me to tears again. Love Thy Fellow Man

Abou Ben Adhem, by James Henry Leigh Hunt (1784 - 1859 / London)

Write me as one that loves his fellow men

And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest

The Emotional Food Chain

2010-06-21T11:03:00.008-04:00

Today, I am exploring what I call the "emotional food chain" - a system by which the emotional component of our interactions with others feeds their well being, their growth, and their ability to serve the emotional well being of others.

I love a good analogy or metaphor - some way to tie things together and help explain a complex or interconnected concept and to draw new understanding from a different frame of reference. This morning I listened to a discussion on the Diane Rehm Show on NPR on the impact of the oil spill on the Gulf's marine food chain. One panelist cautioned against counting only the dead and injured pelicans, turtles, and fish; he asked that we not forget about all the plankton and small organisms at the bottom of the food chain that make life POSSIBLE. How inspiring to think of the all the tiny, but crucial components upon which the quality of life depends.

I love to go to Pluta Cancer Center because I have such a wonderful time interacting with all the folks there - staff and patients. It has become a natural place for me to interact with others - to open doors, to share stories, to tell jokes, to make someone smile - a place where heartbreak and danger lurks, but courage and resilience can prevail.

Today, on the way home from getting my blood work done there at ACM Labs, I was reflecting on how we impact those around us, which got me back to the food chain concept. We are all part of the emotional environment upon which everyone around us survives; we are automatically environmental factors in their lives. What kind of factor is a matter of our free will - we can chose to be a toxin, an irritant, some inert gas, plankton, a main course, or a delightful delicacy. IT IS OUR CHOICE.

It turns out that all the little stuff does matter! Our bigger and more complex emotions and emotional balance depend upon the small stuff down the chain. That is why it is so important to have a warm and nurturing environment for our children and for those that are in need.

What a wonderful opportunity that we can be a positive factor in that environment and hence, something that contributes to others survival. Too often we measure our legacy by easy and big units of measure - our financial wealth, our material possessions, our educational achievement, or our position or our status. We tend to forget that we live on in others from thousands of small, medium and large interactions. It is not just our immediate friends and family, but the countless lives for which we have been an active part of the emotional food chain.

So what should we do? Choose something on the positive side of inert gas !!

Smile more, open more doors, give out more handshakes and hugs, take more active
interest, listen more keenly, give back more encouragement, share positive things from your experience. Even your smallest kindness can be one factor, one bite of food, that helps make another human being emotionally whole.

Turning Back Time

2010-06-13T16:55:00.010-04:00

A Facebook conversation with my daughter's friend Johnathan Glass led me to reflect on the notion that one might like to "turn back time".

While "do-overs" have some strong attraction, the very permission to have one can keep us from struggling to do our very best each time. Not that we would not like to be able to undo wrongs and injuries - but instead we must focus on new action that work toward that goal.

During our recent visit to Chimney Bluffs State Park we witnessed the beauty of erosion at work - in the jagged "chimneys" as well as the smooth, rounded rocks along the shore. Life acts on us in similar fashion, rounding us out and carving some jagged features in our faces and our personalities. It is when we are able to take the jagged parts and put them to work to inform our lives and the lives of those around us that we achieve a unique "rugged" beauty.

Draw on all the beautiful moments of your life as a source of energy and light. Take your jagged features, put them in an illustrative context and share them with others in a positive way. Don't attempt to "turn back time" but do "turn back to the past" to become stronger and more giving.

Seeking Serenity In Life

2010-06-02T11:19:00.004-04:00

Seek through will and strength,
the Serenity to Accept the things you cannot change;
the Courage to change the things you can;
and the Wisdom to know the difference.

My secular version - thanks to my friend Dexter for sharing the Serenity Prayer of Reinhold Niebuhr, now part of the AA creed.

The Optimist Creed

2010-05-19T08:57:00.004-04:00

The Optimist International Creed:

Promise Yourself

to be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

to talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

to make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

to look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

to think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

to be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

to wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

to give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

to be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

On a lighter side, from George Will:

"The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised."

See also my PessOptimist.org

Playing For Change

2010-05-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

I was very touched by the very first Playing For Change video. Not only was the song, "Stand By Me", and the concept great, but some early and ending scenes include a man holding and dancing with a little girl. This just brought tears to my eyes as I remembered all the times I held and danced with my grandchildren, especially the first in Greensboro, NC. What joy these young ones have brought to my heart and how much I love standing by them and having them stand by me!!!

You are the New Day

2010-04-29T08:30:00.000-04:00

We loved this PBS positioning spot which says so much about our commitment to our children and our grandchildren. The singing is by the King's Singers a group worthy of their own post - check out their YouTube Channel !

The Trap

2010-04-28T08:13:00.000-04:00

Thanks again to Roger for reminding me to keep my eye on the real world !!

Creative Commons 2.5, XKCD.com

Morning Light Invites Us Out

2010-04-27T12:32:00.000-04:00

Copyright © 2006, Bradford Mandell

The natural world often calls to us for recognition of special places and moments. I loved how the morning light beckoned us to come out and share our coffee time with the lovely nature around us.

I Begin With Thanks to Roger

2010-04-27T09:22:00.000-04:00

I start this blog with some inspirational content that my long-time friend, business partner, and best-man, Roger Tubby shared with me.

I urge my viewers to find some extra time to view the entirety of this wonderful Natalie Merchant Video from TED.com. The poems set to music are touching and the live version of Thank You near the end is just plain wonderful and expresses how I feel about my lovely wife and so many folks who made my life special.

PS: turn on the subtitles to "get" all the words (:>)