Curling

This weekend the 2017 World Women's Curling Championships was on television. Being from the south where football reigns, I do not frequently watch this sport. The game appears easy enough to understand but seems to take a lot of balance, strategy, and an understanding of geometry. 

In an oversimplified explanation, someone slides a 40-pound stone down 150 feet of ice to reach a target or to knock another stone out of the way while two other people with brushes sweep the ice ahead of the stone to control the speed of the stone. 

I see a relationship between curling and everyday life.

We are the stone sliding through life. There is a destination or a goal that we are trying to reach. We rely on others to help us reach that goal. This explanation of life is also an oversimplification.

We do not all have the same goals in life. Goals for which we are aiming may include business success, better relationships, making the world a better place or fulfilling whatever we consider our purpose to be. 

The target is straight ahead of us. We just need to get there. The problem is life is like ice. It is slippery. The possibility of staying on course for the whole trip is difficult. Distractions try to pull us off course or to slow us down. There are things that we do that may stop us from getting to the target. Knock the distractions blocking you from your goal out of the way.

We need assistance to reach our goals. Some people have lists to keep them focused. Others have people around them to encourage them to stay on track. Some rely on God and the scriptures to show them the correct way to go.

Whatever your purpose in life is, be careful not to just slide on the ice without assistance or direction. Let something or someone help guide you. Life is a team sport. Assist others with their goals and allow others to help you fulfill yours. No one reaches his or her destination alone. 

When Tomorrow Comes

The dictionary defines Tomorrow as the day after today. The very definition proves the proverb "tomorrow never comes." However, we know that tomorrow will come disguised as today. Sometimes we are ready for it. At other times, we dread its arrival. 

I once hated a job so much that on my first day of vacation I dreaded my return. I did not enjoy my vacation. I could not appreciate my time with my family. They deserved my attention, but my focus was the fear of going back to that awful workplace. The stress levels were so high that I struggled to sleep. There were days when I could not help but cry over my situation. My wife told me to quit my job, but how would I support my family? 

I feared tomorrow would come. In that circumstance, it always came too early. 

Many years later, I look back and am glad that I was able to get free from that place. It only took a phone call to a previous boss to get a position that allowed me to regain enjoyment in life. Had I not decided to make that call, I would hate to think of how things would have turned out.  

There are still times when I wish tomorrow would never come. Normally, those times are when I am enjoying today so much, I never want it to end. When I spend time with my family, I would love for that moment to be endless. This is especially true when that family time involves my granddaughter. While I do not dread tomorrow in these instances, I only wish for today to linger. I have a great family. I love each one of them. Time together is not necessarily rare, but it never seems to be enough. (They may or may not feel the same way about time with me.)  

I can hardly wait for some tomorrows to arrive. Just like not wanting to leave my family, I cannot wait for the time to come to gather with them. When that is tomorrow, it cannot come soon enough. 

Paydays, holidays and weekends are some of the days I love to see coming. Obviously, I cannot wait for more than these days to arrive. My wedding day was one such day. On Friday, Saturday could not come quick enough. Some people are nervous about their wedding day, but I was as calm as I could be. I knew I made the right choice. I knew what I wanted. My life would change, and it did so for the better. Who would not be thrilled to have something great arrive sooner than later?

  

Regardless of what you want, tomorrow comes. We cannot wait for something so eagerly that we do not enjoy the present. We also should not dread anything so much, that it ruins today. The manner in which we wait is just as important as what we anticipate.  

Prepare for tomorrow's arrival but realize that today is worth living. Sometimes it only takes a change of attitude or thinking that can make your current situation better. It may also take action, like a phone call. However, do not ruin your today but waiting for tomorrow.   

Enjoy today!

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

I am not a supporter of Daylight Savings Time. In fact, I hate it. Port Arthur, Ontario, Canada started this in 1908. Germany was the first country to use it so they could conserve fuel during the war in 1916. Over 70 countries currently use the time change. The point is to make better use of the natural daylight.  

I do not know many people that enjoy changing the clocks twice a year. Laziness is not why they hate it. It is the losing an hour of sleep and regaining it months later. It throws people out of their routines. People appear more tired. Our bodies seem to take longer to adjust. 

In fact, we do not actually save any time. You still have the same amount of time throughout the year. My question is simple. Is this something that we need to continue, or has it outlived its purpose? 

Journals have published articles about the effects of the time change. Groups have conducted studies on the subject. It appears that the time change sparks more heart attacks and strokes, more auto accidents, and a reduction in work productivity. 

Studies have been unable to show any significant energy savings as a result. Many people have voiced the preference to change the laws, but only Arizona and Hawaii do not change their clocks.  

To me, the idea of continuing Daylight Savings Time is madness. 

People and businesses often refuse to let go of ideas or practices that no longer prove beneficial. We are often stuck with the thought of "it is what we have always done." Maybe we need to look at the direction we are going and the methods we are using to see if they are helping or hurting our goals.

Technology, society, and circumstances can make what was once a necessity into something outdated and impractical. Yet, many people continue their journey but never accomplishing what they once would. 

I once heard a man say, "If the horse you are riding dies, get off the horse." That is great advice. There are committees, meetings, and business plans that should be extinct. Letting go may be hard to do. We should periodically look at what we do. If something is not working, adjust it. Get rid of ideas that are no longer viable. There may be a better idea out there that will help you achieve your goals. 

Do not let pride get in the way. It may have been your idea, but it is more important to complete your purpose than to receive credit for a failed mission. If you cannot see why things are not moving in the right direction, ask others for the perspective. Others may see what you cannot. 

THE DIET SOLUTION

For the last twenty years, I have seen my weight fluctuate quite a bit. This is not surprising since I love food. Some people eat because they need to survive. I eat food for my enjoyment.

A doctor once asked me how a person could possibly gain that much weight in such a short amount of time. (I found a new doctor.) Another doctor once called my weight loss an anomaly asking how I could possibly lose that much weight so quickly.

I have read about many diet plans. I examined the pros and cons about most of them. I have scanned many articles about what worked for others in their search for a better, healthier body. I have even looked at the benefits of diet pills.

What I discovered was far from a mind-blowing discovery. Everyone said the same thing but in a different way. It all came down to eating less unhealthy foods, eating more healthy foods, and move a lot more. It is not rocket-science.

I laughed when I read the directions on the side of the diet pill bottle at the store. It said that the product is effective in aiding weight loss with a proper diet and exercise. Why take a pill if I still have to do the other things needed to lose weight?

I can lose weight. That is not the issue. My problem is I like to eat what I like to eat. What I like to eat makes me regain the weight I lost.

When I lose the weight, people ask me how I lost it. What plan did I use? I used the same thing everyone else does, but it only works if I am motivated.

Motivation is the key. I wanted to lose 30 pounds for my son's wedding, I did. Another time, I lost 30 pounds so my wife would no longer hear my heartbeat when sitting near me. I lost 40 pounds to avoid needing medicines the doctor prescribed.

Motivation can help accomplish great things, not just in weight loss. Everyone has things that make him or her respond. Most people know what changes they need to make to help them be successful in making the change. Even knowing how to make the change is useless if you are whatever endeavors they face. We need to go from knowing what to change to not motivated to continue.

Find out what motivates you. Providing for and watching your family grow up may be a motivation. Staying off or getting off medicines may be a motivation.

Motivations are not the same for everything. Wanting to get off medicine will never help me do my best at my job. I must have another reason. I am motivated to be friendly. There is a motivation behind everything I do successfully.

If you want to be successful, find out what will truly motivate you. Having a legitimate reason behind your goals will help you stay on the path to accomplishment.

You may need to make the same changes as someone else, but only you can determine what will get you to do it.