What gets you up in the morning? The Power of Purpose.

Follow the river…downstream!

Everyone has an Achille’s heel. What is yours?

Can you FOCUS without BOKEH?

Repack your bag – lighten your load.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure

My question – can you be in 3 states at the same time?  Not geographic states, like the 4 corners of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico; but 3 states of being, 3 states of progressing.

Per Cantril’s Ladder, are you thriving, struggling, or suffering?

Is your fascia a pliable web of tissue that enhances your body’s ability to sense movement, action and location, or has it become short and stiffened by repetitive movements or inactivity?

Do you keep your eye on your own bobber? Do you focus on things that you can affect and that can affect you?

Was the Grand Canyon created during the biblical 6 days of creation OR the result of millions of years of geological change?   OR could it be both?

In spite of his lack of success during his lifetime, van Gogh’s legacy lives on having left a lasting impact on the world of art. Van Gogh is now viewed as one of the most influential artists having helped lay the foundations of modern art.

I want to pass along the Wisdom of the Gnarly Oak with regards to relationships.  Wisdom, I wish I had early in my marriage, early in my parenting journey.  The Wisdom that is at the heart of MY I Dare to Act commitment to MYSELF – a commitment I wish I made years ago, but as C.S. Lewis says, "You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."

So, what is the WISH and the WISDOM?  I sacrificed my wants, my passions, my interests to make time for active parenting.  I WISH I held onto ME during our parenting years.  If I could do it over again, I would still be deeply involved with my wife and my children; however, I would also make time for ME and my passions and interests.

In the picture of the gnarly oak I see the WISDOM.  I see 2 healthy, intertwined branches.  Two branches thriving individually AND thriving collectively.   I now see the 2 intertwined branches as the metaphor for a healthy and thriving life, marriage, and family.

Per sportsnaut.com, There is a war going on between the PGA Tour, the main organizer of the professional golf tour, and the upstart LIV Golf, which is financed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — a department in the Saudi government.  (LIV) has signed top competitors like Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau by offering up huge sums of guaranteed money.

Unlike the PGA Tour, there are no cuts, fewer events, and over $250 million dollars set to be dealt out for LIV Golf’s first eight events. That is separate from the reported signing bonus received by top stars like Johnson and Mickelson.

Sounds like a good gig for DJ and Phil, huh?  For clarification, Phil Mickelson is the 2nd all-time career PGA earner (after Tiger) with $92 million in tournament winnings in his now 4-decade spanning PGA career.  Phil’s LIV contract is a guaranteed $200 million – more than doubling his 30+ year PGA tournament earnings.   

Bob Costa, famous sports caster in an interview on CNN adds more, “Guaranteed money. $200 million dollars for Phil Mickelson even if he never wins a tournament. The prize money’s on top of that. $115 million, as I understand it, for Dustin Johnson. But what’s the price for your soul?” Costas asked. “What’s the price for integrity? This is a clear-cut matter of morality.” (Bold is mine.)

Whoa big Bob – how did morality and integrity enter the conversation?  The answer is wrapped up in the term – Sportswashing.  Huh?

Ford CEO sees electric vehicle price war as EV costs decline is the headline on a recent AP article, in which Ford’s CEO says he expects the cost of building electric vehicles to fall dramatically, targeting $25,000 electric vehicles (EV).  Sounds good to me!  Is there a downside?  Depends on where you are in the supply chain!

The article states that today an EV SUV costs about $25,000 more than a comparable gas SUV, noting that the battery costs $18,000 and the charger adds another $3,000.  “Big cost reductions are coming with new battery chemistries that use fewer expensive and scarce precious metals such as nickel and cobalt…   Plus, EVs will take less time and labor to build saving more money.”

Ford plans to copy Tesla and cut distributions costs, $2000 per vehicle, by eliminating supply on dealer lots.  Ford may not have to buy advertising to sell EVs, which now amounts to $500 to $600 per vehicle.

“Half of the fixtures, half the workstations, half the welds, 20% less fasteners…”

I do not want to start this post with complaining but I must!  Sorry!  My computer-based job has been causing tremendous eye strain – even with my 3-screen, NASA-like display set-up.  Mayoclinic.org says, “Eyestrain is a common condition that occurs when your eyes get tired from intense use, such as while driving long distances or staring at computer screens and other digital devices.  Eyestrain can be annoying.”  Annoying?  Check!  Mayo goes on, “Eye strain can have causes that aren’t due to underlying disease.    (Whew!)  Examples include prolonged screen time, prolonged driving, bad eyeglasses prescriptions, extreme fatigue, or lack of sleep.”  Prolonged screen time – YES!

I confess – this has been a 6-month journey, but I am glad to report my finding.  YES – prolonged screen time defines my job, but that is not the primary, underlying reason, the root-cause of my eye strain.   You curious?  You have a diagnosis?  Ok Sherlock –what is my eye strain’s root cause?

My findings – a combination of monitor height and trifocal glasses.

An editorial in U.S. Tech April/May 2022, titled The Unionizing States of Amazon, tells how a small, organized group led to the unionizing of an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, NY.  On April 1, the workers voted 2,654 to 2,131 in favor of the union.  The article goes on to say, “Now, the union has to take on the next difficult challenge, which is to negotiate a contract with Amazon, a collective bargaining agreement.  …their main goal is to boost wages to a minimum of $30 per hour.  The average hourly wage, according to Amazon, is $18.  Other demands include longer breaks for workers and eliminating mandatory overtime, except in a few special cases.”

My question for you – is this a victory or could it have unintended consequences?

Per Sparknotes.com, “Louise Mallard has heart troubles, so she must be informed carefully about her husband’s death.”  The newspaper has a list of those killed in a railroad disaster and it includes Louise’s husband Brently.    Louise begins sobbing and goes upstairs to be alone in her room and looks out the open window. “She sees trees, smells approaching rain, …  hears someone singing as well as the sounds of sparrows, and there are fluffy white clouds in the sky.  She is young, with lines around her eyes.  Still crying, she gazes into the distance.  She feels apprehensive and tries to suppress the building emotions within her but can’t.  She begins repeating the word FREE! to herself over and over again.  Her heart beats quickly, and she feels very warm.”

“Louise knows she’ll cry again when she sees Brently’s corpse.  His hands were tender, and he always looked at her lovingly.  But then she imagines the years ahead, which belong only to her now, and spreads her arms out joyfully with anticipation.  She will be free, on her own without anyone to oppress her…   She feels ecstatic with her newfound sense of independence…  She feels ecstatic with her newfound sense of independence.”

“The front door unexpectantly opens, and Brently comes in.  He hadn’t been in the train accident or even aware that one had happened….   Doctor arrived and pronounced that Louise died of a heart attack brought on by happiness.”

 Please read the opening paragraphs again and let the story sink in.   Got it?  As you likely know, this is a Kate Chopin 1894 short story titled The Story of an Hour that was published in Vogue.

The question:  How did she die?  Go a little deeper – For How did she die?

It is ANOTHER glooming Monday morning (May 2) – I got up to my alarm with the intent of WRITING – making progress on a personal goal, but instead, I zoned out to mindless crap on TV until it was time for SHOWER, SHAVE, SHIRT, SHOVE Off…the start of another week.  Uggg!  My down-n-out feelings were met with a text from a fellow ID2A-er, “Currently I’m trapped in the whirlwind of life again…the everyday normal routine consumes my life.  Breaking out of the norm…is scary, more opportunities to fail.”   I responded with, “I am there too.  New month – new recommit.”  But how?

If you know from The Whirlwind According to Covey, the business book The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) helped me understand and address the whirlwind of life.  Per Covey,

Most of our workdays are filled with unexpected, urgent, and routine tasks that will keep us from doing anything new. These tasks are called the WHIRLWIND.

Quick question – does that describe your life? 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), unfortunately, has been a hot news story in past years, as a diagnosis for symptoms war veterans were exhibiting. My question – is PTSD only combat related? And, selfishly positioned, does PTSD have to involve an intense exposure to short-lived trauma or can it result from prolonged not necessarily intense negative pressure?