The Most Important Question You Can Ask – Tony Schwartz – Harvard Business Review.

I’ve been gone a bit. Re-creating myself and keeping busy. It’s pretty hard work~and so worth it.

I would like to share a post I came across today that touched my heart:

http://strongisnewskinny.blogspot.com/2012/01/ex-fat-girl.html

Take a look around…

and

see what your afraid to see

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

The Dalai Lama was once asked what surprised him most about humanity. He answered, “Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.

Years ago I had started a blog on the journey to Ironman. I had recently finished my degree. Both children finally off to school and I felt like I needed an adventure.

So what would a semi-sane, active, bored, middle age person do you ask? Besides work full time and manage a household with husband and children?

Sign up for an Ironman: a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a 26.2 mile run. Yup. That’s what I did.

It was to see what I could do in 10 months of training with the help of a coach who was kind enough to take me on for my passion.

Kinda crazy now that it’s over but so worth it.  The archives are my older blogs that are imported~they are dated.

Things have changed:

I became an Ironman in 2009. My children cheered and friends supported us.

I took a year off (2010) and had work to do on rediscovering myself.

I traveled to Ecuador on a medical mission trip.

We traveled to Alaska to visit my Father-in-law

I changed positions in my full time work life.

I found my faith.

I started Cross Fit at CrossFitSwarm and learned about clean eating.

So this is my journey.

My Life Rediscoved.

Peace Out

Someone once said “Life is a journey”

Someone also said “It’s all downhill after 40″

I am here to say my journey has just begun…Stay Tuned

A little Sunday morning humor in an email that has been passed around–if anyone knows the author please advise:

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford Motors) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action. Their conclusion was the Japanese had eight people rowing and one person steering, while the American team had seven people steering and two people rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order; American management hired a consulting company and
paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion. They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team’s management structure was totally reorganized to four steering supervisors, two area steering superintendents and one assistant superintendent steering manager. They also implemented a new performance system that would give the two people rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the ‘Rowing Team Quality First Program,’ with meetings, dinners and free pens for the rowers.

There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses. The pension program was trimmed to ‘equal the competition’ and some of the resultant savings were channelled into morale boosting programs and teamwork posters. The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid-off one rower, halted development of a new canoe, sold all the paddles, and cancelled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses. The next year, try as he might, the lone designated rower was unable to even finish the race (having no paddles,) so he was laid off for unacceptable performance, all canoe equipment was sold and the next year’s
racing team was out-sourced to India. Sadly, the End.

Here is something else to think about: Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they cannot make money paying American wages. TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US. The last quarter’s results: TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses. Ford folks are still scratching their heads, and collecting bonuses

I simply cannot wrap my tiny head around it.

I just found out yesterday that a friend of mine killed herself about 2 weeks ago–Nov. 19th to be exact.

Now she was the type of friend where we could go months without talking and catch up and be back in the swing of things in a heartbeat. She was a firecracker…smart as a whip…and apparently untreated type 1 bipolar. And a mom to a beautiful 8 year old girl.

I simply cannot wrap my head around it.

Peace
kodiacbear

As I walk around my kitchen on this quiet morning, I feel the heater turn on and a blast of warm air at my feet, looking outside as the sun is just coming up beyond the trees, I realize how grateful and lucky I am for all that I have.

I sit with my coffee and type away with only moments to go before I am off to work on this holiday, there is a special feeling in the air, a chill, an anticipation if you will.

People we meet and greet around the holiday season make the small talk of what we are doing and chances are, either my husband or I are working. Today I work and on Christmas my husband will work. It’s just how it goes. Every 6th year we have it off together. And that is just one of the holidays. Next year it will be Christmas–we will have 5 full days off together-and it just may mean we head down south where my brother and sister live. We will have the 23rd-27th completely off together–so Wendy, get ready!

Have a Thankful and Happy Turkey Day Everyone–and stay safe!

Peace
Kodiacbear