When life was so simple, growing up in the 80s

A little house with three bedrooms,
two bathrooms and one car on the street.
A mower that you had to push
to make the grass look neat.

In the living room,
we only had one phone,
And no need for recording things,
someone was always home.

We only had a living room
where we would congregate,
unless it was at mealtime
in the kitchen where we ate.

We had no need for family rooms
or extra rooms to dine.
When meeting as a family,
those two rooms would work out fine.

We only had one TV set
and channels, maybe two,
But always there was one of them
with something worth the view.

For snacks we had potato chips
that tasted like a chip.
And if you wanted flavor
there was ice cream dip.

Store-bought snacks were rare because
my mother liked to cook,
and nothing can compare to snacks
in Betty Crocker's book.

Weekends were for family trips
or staying home to play.
We all did things together --
even going to the sports club for the day.

When we did our weekend trips
depending on the weather,
no one stayed at home because
we liked to be together.

Sometimes we would separate
to do things on our own,
but we knew where the others were
without our own cell phone.

Then there were the movies
with your favorite movie star,
and nothing can compare
to watching in your car.

Then there were the picnics
at the peak of summer season,
pack a lunch and find some trees
and never need a reason.

Get a badminton game together
with all the friends you know,
have real action playing ball --
and no game video.

Remember when the doctor
used to be the family friend,
and didn't need insurance
or a lawyer to defend?

The way that he took care of you
or what he had to do,
because he took an oath and strived
to do the best for you.

Remember going to the store
and just shopping casually,
and when you went to pay for it,
you used your own real money?

Nothing that you had to swipe
or punch in some amount,
and remember when the cashier person
had to really count?

The breadman used to go
from door to door,
And it was just a few cents more
than going to the store.

There was a time when mailed letters
came right to your door,
without a lot of junk mail ads
sent out by every store.

The mailman knew each house by name
and knew where it was sent.
There were not loads of mail addressed
to "present occupant."

There was a time when just one glance
was all that it would take,
and you would know the kind of car,
the model, and the make.

They didn't look like turtles
trying to squeeze out every mile:
they were streamlined, whitewalls, fins,
and really had some style.

One time the music that you played
whenever you would jive,
was from a vinyl, big-holed record
called a forty-five.

The record player had a post
to keep them all in line,
and then the records would drop down
and play one at a time.

Oh sure, we had our problems then,
just like we do today
and always we were striving,
trying for a better way.

Oh, the simple life we lived
still seems like so much fun,
how can you explain a game,
just kick the ball and run?

And why would boys put cards
between bicycle spokes.
And for ten cents, red machines
had little bottled Cokes?

This life seemed so much easier
and slower in some ways.
I love the new technology
but I sure do miss those days.

So time moves on and so do we
and nothing stays the same,
but I sure love to reminisce
and walk down memory lane.

With all today's technology
we grant that it's a plus!
But it's fun to look way back and say,
Hey, look, THAT WAS US!

Never borrow from the future!

An Angel says, 'Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.' 1. Pray 2. Go to bed on time. 3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed. 4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health. 5. Delegate tasks to capable others. 6. Simplify and unclutter your life. 7. Less is more. (Although one is often not enough, two are often too many.) 8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places. 9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together. 10. Take one day at a time. 11. Separate worries from concerns . If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety . If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it. 12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases. 13.. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc. 14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble. 15. Do something for the Kid in You everyday. 16. Carry a Book with you to read while waiting in line. 17. Get enough rest. 18. Eat right. 19 Get organized so everything has its place. 20. Listen to a tape/CD while driving that can help improve your quality of life. 21. Write down thoughts and inspirations. 22. Every day, find time to be alone. 23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.. 24. Make friends with Godly people. 25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand. 26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good 'Thank you my Almighty God' 27. Laugh. 28. Laugh some more! 29 Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all. 30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can). 31. Be kind to unkind people (they probably need it the most). 32. Sit on your ego. 33 Talk less; listen more. 34. Slow down. 35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe. 36 Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.

GOD HAS A WAY OF TURNING THINGS AROUND FOR YOU.

A letter to a daughter

On June 8th of 1950, nine months after being arrested by the Czech secret police on suspicion of leading a plot to overthrow the Communist regime, 48-year-old socialist politician Milada Horáková was found guilty of "high treason" following a show trial that was broadcast on national radio, and in which she remained defiant. On the 27th of that month, despite international outcry and a petition signed by, amongst others, Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill, Milada Horáková was executed at Prague's Pankrác Prison.

The night before her death, she wrote the following letter to her 16-year-old daughter.

In 1991, President Václav Havel posthumously awarded Horáková the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

(Source: George Mason University, via Mark Edwards; Image: Milada Horáková on trial, via YouTube.)

My only little girl Jana,

God blessed my life as a woman with you. As your father wrote in the poem from a German prison, God gave you to us because he loved us. Apart from your father's magic, amazing love you were the greatest gift I received from fate. However, Providence planned my life in such a way that I could not give you nearly all that my mind and my heart had prepared for you. The reason was not that I loved you little; I love you just as purely and fervently as other mothers love their children. But I understood that my task here in the world was to do you good by seeing to it that life becomes better, and that all children can live well. And therefore, we often had to be apart for a long time. It is now already for the second time that Fate has torn us apart. Don't be frightened and sad because I am not coming back any more. Learn, my child, to look at life early as a serious matter. Life is hard, it does not pamper anybody, and for every time it strokes you it gives you ten blows. Become accustomed to that soon, but don't let it defeat you. Decide to fight. Have courage and clear goals and you will win over life. Much is still unclear to your young mind, and I don't have time left to explain to you things you would still like to ask me. One day, when you grow up, you will wonder and wonder, why your mother who loved you and whose greatest gift you were, managed her life so strangely. Perhaps then you will find the right solution to this problem, perhaps a better one than I could give you today myself. Of course, you will only be able to solve it correctly and truthfully by knowing very, very much. Not only from books, but from people; learn from everybody, no matter how unimportant! Go through the world with open eyes, and listen not only to your own pains and interests, but also to the pains, interests and longings of others. Don't ever think of anything as none of your business. No, everything must interest you, and you should reflect about everything, compare, compose individual phenomena. Man doesn't live in the world alone; in that there is great happiness, but also a tremendous responsibility. That obligation is first of all in not being and not acting exclusive, but rather merging with the needs and the goals of others. This does not mean to be lost in the multitude, but it is to know that I am part of all, and to bring one's best into that community. If you do that, you will succeed in contributing to the common goals of human society. Be more aware of one principle than I have been: approach everything in life constructively—beware of unnecessary negation—I am not saying all negation, because I believe that one should resist evil. But in order to be a truly positive person in all circumstances, one has to learn how to distinguish real gold from tinsel. It is hard, because tinsel sometimes glitters so dazzlingly. I confess, my child, that often in my life I was dazzled by glitter. And sometimes it even shone so falsely, that one dropped pure gold from one's hand and reached for, or ran after, false gold. You know that to organize one's scale of values well means to know not only oneself well, to be firm in the analysis of one's character, but mainly to know the others, to know as much of the world as possible, its past, present, and future development. Well, in short, to know, to understand. Not to close one's ears before anything and for no reason—not even to shut out the thoughts and opinions of anybody who stepped on my toes, or even wounded me deeply. Examine, think, criticize, yes, mainly criticize yourself don't be ashamed to admit a truth you have come to realize, even if you proclaimed the opposite a little while ago; don't become obstinate about your opinions, but when you come to consider something right, then be so definite that you can fight and die for it. As Wolker said, death is not bad. Just avoid gradual dying which is what happens when one suddenly finds oneself apart from the real life of the others. You have to put down your roots where fate determined for you to live. You have to find your own way. Look for it independently, don't let anything turn you away from it, not even the memory of your mother and father. If you really love them, you won't hurt them by seeing them critically—just don't go on a road which is wrong, dishonest and does not harmonize with life. I have changed my mind many times, rearranged many values, but, what was left as an essential value, without which I cannot imagine my life, is the freedom of my conscience. I would like you, my little girl, to think about whether I was right.

Another value is work. I don't know which to assign the first place and which the second. Learn to love work! Any work, but one you have to know really and thoroughly. Then don't be afraid of any thing, and things will turn out well for you.

And don't forget about love in your life. I am not only thinking of the red blossom which one day will bloom in your heart, and you, if fate favors you, will find a similar one in the heart of another person with whose road yours will merge. I am thinking of love without which one cannot live happily. And don't ever crumble love—learn to give it whole and really. And learn to love precisely those who encourage love so little—then you won't usually make a mistake. My little girl Jana, when you will be choosing for whom your maiden heart shall burn and to whom to really give yourself remember your father.

I don't know if you will meet with such luck as I, I don't know if you will meet such a beautiful human being, but choose your ideal close to him. Perhaps you, my little one, have already begun to understand, and now perhaps you understand to the point of pain what we have lost in him. What I find hardest to bear is that I am also guilty of that loss.

Be conscious of the great love and sacrifice Pepik and Veruska are bringing you. You not only have to be grateful to them...you must help them build your common happiness positively, constructively. Always want to give them more for the good they do for you. Then perhaps you will be able to come to terms with their gentle goodness.

I heard from my legal representative that you are doing well in school, and that you want to continue...I was very pleased. But even if you would one day have to leave school and to work for your livelihood, don't stop learning and studying. If you really want to, you will reach your goal. I would have liked for you to become a medical doctor—you remember that we talked about it. Of course you will decide yourself and circumstances will, too. But if you stand one day in the traditional alma mater and carry home from graduation not only your doctor's diploma, but also the real ability to bring people relief as a doctor—then, my little girl...your mother will be immensely pleased...But your mother would only be...truly happy, no matter where you stand, whether at the operating table, at the...lathe, at your child's cradle or at the work table in your household, if you will do your work skillfully, honestly, happily and with your whole being. Then you will be successful in it. Don't be demanding in life, but have high goals. They are not exclusive of each other, for what I call demanding are those selfish notions and needs. Restrict them yourself. Realize that in view of the disaster and sorrow which happened to you, Vera, Pepicek, grandmother and grandfather...and many others will try to give you what they have and what they cannot afford. You should not only not ask them for it, but learn to be modest. If you become used to it, you will not be unhappy because of material things you don't have. You don't know how free one feels if one trains oneself in modesty...how he/she gets a head start over against the feeble and by how much one is safer and stronger. I really tried this out on myself And, if you can thus double your strength, you can set yourself courageous, high goals...Read much, and study languages. You will thereby broaden your life and multiply its content. There was a time in my life when I read voraciously, and then again times when work did not permit me to take a single book in my hand, apart from professional literature. That was a shame. Here in recent months I have been reading a lot, even books which probably would not interest me outside, but it is a big and important task to read everything valuable, or at least much that is. I shall write down for you at the end of this letter what I have read in recent months. I am sure you will think of me when you will be reading it.

And now also something for your body. I am glad that you are engaged in sports. Just do it systematically. I think that there should be rhythmic exercises, and if you have time, also some good, systematic gymnastics. And those quarter hours every morning! Believe me finally that it would save you a lot of annoyance about unfavorable proportions of your waist, if you could really do it. It is also good for the training of your will and perseverance. Also take care of your complexion regularly—I do not mean makeup, God forbid, but healthy daily care. And love your neck and feet as you do your face and lips. A brush has to be your good friend, every day, and not only for your hands and feet; use it on every little bit of your skin. Salicyl alcohol and Fennydin, that is enough for beauty, and then air and sun. But about that you will find better advisors than I am.

Your photograph showed me your new hairdo; it looks good, but isn't it a shame to hide your nice forehead? And that lady in the ball gown! Really, you looked lovely, but your mother's eye noticed one fault, which may be due to the way you were placed on the photograph—wasn't the neck opening a little deep for your sixteen years? I am sorry I did not see the photo of your new winter coat. Did you use the muff from your aunt as a fur collar? Don't primp, but whenever possible, dress carefully and neatly. And don't wear shoes until they arc run down at the heel! Are you wearing innersoles? And how is your thyroid gland? These questions don't, of course, require an answer, they are only meant as your mother's reminders.

In Leipzig in prison I read a book—the letters of Maria Theresa to her daughter Marie Antoinette. I was very much impressed with how this ruler showed herself to be practical and feminine in her advice to her daughter. It was a German original, and I don't remember the name of the author. If you ever see that book, remember that I made up my mind at that time that I would also write you such letters about my experiences and advice. Unfortunately I did not get beyond good intentions.

Janinko, please take good care of Grandfather Kral and Grandmother Horakova. Their old hearts now need the most consolation. Visit them often and let them tell you about your father's and mother's youth, so that you can preserve it in your mind for your children. In that way an individual becomes immortal, and we shall continue in you and in the others of your blood.

And one more thing—music. I believe that you will show your gratitude to Grandfather Horak for the piano which he gave you by practicing honestly, and that you will succeed in what Pepik wants so much, in accompanying him when he plays the violin or the viola. Please, do him that favor. I know that it would mean a lot to him, and it would be beautiful. And when you can play well together, play me the aria from Martha: "My rose, you bloom alone there on the hillside," and then: "Sleep my little prince" by Mozart, and then your father's favourite largo: " Under your window" by Chopin. You will play it for me, won't you? I shall always be listening to you.

Just one more thing: Choose your friends carefully. Among other things one is also very much determined by the people with whom one associates. Therefore choose very carefully. Be careful in everything and listen to the opinions of others about your girlfriends without being told. I shall never forget your charming letter (today I can tell you) which you once in the evening pinned to my pillow, to apologize when I caught you for the first time at the gate in the company of a girl and a boy. You explained to me at that time why it is necessary to have a gang. Have your gang, little girl, but of good and clean young people. And compete with each other in everything good. Only please don't confuse young people's springtime infatuation with real love. Do you understand me? If you don't, aunt Vera will help you explain what I meant. And so, my only young daughter, little girl Jana, new life, my hope, my future forgiveness, live! Grasp life with both hands! Until my last breath I shall pray for your happiness, my dear child!

I kiss your hair, eyes and mouth, I stroke you and hold you in my arms (I really held you so little.) I shall always be with you. I am concluding by copying from memory the poem which your father composed for you in jail in 1940...

1 idea to rule them all

1. Be Passionate About Your Big Idea

Examine your motives for wanting to launch your business. Successful entrepreneurs don’t look first at how full their bank accounts will be if they’re able to get their new business off the ground. They want to make a difference in the world through their Big Idea’solving a common problem, offering an easier way to do things, developing a new product that fulfills an unmet niche.

Passion is the underlying thread for success. There’s no doubt about it, starting a business is a lot of hard work. It’s your passion for your Big Idea that will see you through any obstacles that will come your way.

Just look at eBay’s Pierre Omidyar, who followed his passion for computer programming and saw a unique niche that could be filled on the Internet. Writing code for the launch of his online auction site while still working full-time, Pierre was focused on creating software that would benefit people, rather than solely on making money.

‘You have to really believe in what you’re doing, be passionate enough about it so that you’ll put in the hours and hard work that it takes to actually succeed,’ Pierre said.

Passion’it’s the driving force that you just can’t ignore. It’s what will make your new adventure seem more like fun, than work. It’s the difference between wanting to start a business and craving it.

‘Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.’

‘ Albert Schweitzer

2. Let Quality Differentiate Your Product or Service

Maintain the quality of your product or service. Your product or

service is your calling card…and your business reputation. Like Mary Kay, who built her business on the ‘Golden Rule,’ you should create the same type of experience for your customers that you would like to receive.

For Kemmons Wilson, his commitment to quality spawned the idea of giving families an alternative to the second-rate motels prevalent during the early 1950s. That alternative standardized amenities travelers now take for granted and differentiated the Holiday Inn motel chain in the travel industry.

With all of the competing interests and expenses a start-up company faces, there may be a temptation to lessen the quality of your product in order to cut costs, but it is your relationship with your customers that will suffer. And that’s a relationship that all entrepreneurs cannot afford to damage or take lightly.

3. Select Your Company Name Carefully

Your company name is your identity, so choose it carefully to best communicate your mission and your brand. From Spanx creator Sara Blakely to Jeff Bezos selecting Amazon.com rather than Cadabra Inc., successful entrepreneurs know that capturing customer attention is a key first step to launching your business.

So take the time to brainstorm and try on the sight, sound and connotations of various names. Choose a name that’s short, memorable, has a positive feel to it and as much as possible, one that captures what your business does. Think about how your business name will look on your business logo and if people will remember how to spell it when searching for your website. Be sure to check with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and domain registers to see if your suggested name is available to do business under.

Let your company name make a great first impression for your new business.

4. Believe In Yourself

As you begin to put your Big Idea into action, there won’t be a shortage of naysayers who may think your idea has no merit. To create a business where there was none before, you have to steadfastly believe in the benefits your business idea will bring to others.

In each of the success stories listed in this book, the entrepreneur listened to what others around them had to say, but believed that what each of them felt in his or her gut was right…and then acted on it.

Cookie connoisseur Debbi Fields is a great example of following through on instincts. Everyone around her told her the cookie business would not be a success, even as they devoured her chewy delights. But she knew in her heart that she was on to a great idea…and more importantly, followed through on that idea.

Entrepreneurs see opportunity where others do not. Listen to the concerns of others. (They may have thought of something you haven’t.) But, trust your own judgment and believe in your own idea. If you don’t, who will?

‘Don’t limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve.’

‘ Mary Kay Ash

5. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

Entrepreneurial is another word for risk. But for successful entrepreneurs, starting a business is a calculated risk, one they investigate thoroughly before taking the leap. It is that leap which differentiates entrepreneurs from would-be business owners. Every entrepreneur with a Big Idea has some trepidation about leaving the security of a salaried income.

Starbucks’ Howard Schultz took a huge pay cut to get his ‘feet wet’ initially as Starbucks’ head of marketing. But, he really stepped out of his comfort zone in launching his own company, betting that Americans would enjoy espresso served right in stores, as he had during his trip to Italy. He knew that making the decision was a milestone moment’one that would affect the rest of his life, and that of his young family. He also knew that he had to try.

The fear of regret is a powerful motivator for moving beyond any qualms…and taking action. Those with an entrepreneurial spirit don’t want to look back on their lives and regret not stepping out of their comfort zones, missing the opportunities that could have changed the course of their lives for the better.

6. The ‘Devil Is in the Details’

Everyone knows that if you eat at a McDonald’s in New Jersey or New Mexico, you’ll experience the same quality…thanks to Founder Ray Kroc’s commitment to detail. Ray understood that if you focus on the small stuff’the myriad of details it takes to construct a burger in an assembly-line fashion’you’ll be rewarded with consistent quality and efficiency.

Regardless of what your product or service is, as an entrepreneur you’ll be faced with a long ‘to-do’ list’from developing a business plan, defining your customer niche, securing capital, laying the groundwork for your infrastructure, deciding your marketing plan, building relationships with suppliers, planning cash flow to hiring staff and launching day-to-day operations.

That ‘to-do’ list is often longer than there are hours in a day. But each element of a business is important and deserves its due because the ‘devil is in the details.’

Take the time to do the research and legwork, reaching out to experts (accountants, lawyers, marketers) for advice, when you need it. The more time you put in up-front, the smoother your transition to owning your own business will be.

7. Experiment and Listen to Your Customers

Landing your first customer is only the first step in making your business successful; you need to continually exceed your customers’ expectations to keep them coming back for more.

Outstanding customer service will help differentiate your business from the competition. Respond quickly to customer issues and resolve them with respect. Listening to your customers about what you are doing well and not so well provides an opportunity to fine tune products and processes or to uncover additional customer needs that you can fill with new products and services.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Sam Walton continually tinkered with pricing, promotion and distribution strategies before hitting upon the combination that made Walmart the global success story it is today. Experimentation is key to finding the winning formula for success.

8. Select the Right People for Your Team

As an entrepreneur with a Big Idea, you already have a number of skills that you need to succeed’innovation, commitment, and confidence. Another part of being successful is recognizing the skills that you lack and then hiring the right people to complement your team.

‘I experienced this first hand when I started Successories. My former Creative Director, Mike McKee, brought not only his creative talents, but also his ideas and enthusiasm for my new venture. Together, we created an unstoppable team.’

They say that the ‘whole is the sum of its parts.’ That’s never been more true than in business, where someone else’s passion may be just what’s needed to do what you cannot do well.

Look for those who share your values and your vision. Working together, with a passion for the same cause, will prove to be an unbeatable combination.

9. Value Your Employees

Southwest Airlines’ former CEO Herb Kelleher said it best, ‘You have to treat your employees like customers,’ he told Fortune in 2001. ‘When you treat them right, then they will treat your outside customers right.’

While there’s no arguing that equitable compensation and benefits are at the top of any employee’s list, to keep your employees motivated, you need to make them feel valued and recognized for their contributions. As a small business owner, you’re in a unique position to offer life/work balance perks, seek input on business tactics, provide opportunities for people to grow in their jobs, express appreciation for a job well done, and most of all to treat everyone with respect and dignity.

10. Persistence Wins the Race

Launching your Big Idea is just the beginning of your success as an entrepreneur. There will be many obstacles along the way, some of which you expect to encounter…and some which will blindside you. Each entrepreneur profiled in this book held the courage of his or her convictions and didn’t give up when times got rough.

Fred Smith had to overcome a number of hurdles to get Federal Express off the ground, literally! Whether it was governmental regulations, rocky starts with investors or cash flow problems, Fred hung in there. Despite taking 26 months to break even, Fred knew his overnight package delivery business model was a winner. Each day, millions of individuals and businesses prove him right.

Perseverance is the real test of success for new business owners. You’ve already created your Big Idea, so plan your strategy, surround yourself with those who are as passionate as you are, and work through the challenges one by one. Success is there for the taking…if you persevere.

Children

Children are...
Amazing, acknowledge them.
Believable, trust them.
Childlike, allow them.
Divine, honor them.
Energetic, nourish them.
Fallible, embrace them.
Gifts, treasure them.
Here Now, be with them.
Innocent, delight with them.
Joyful, appreciate them.
Kindhearted, learn from them.
Lovable, cherish them.
Magical, fly with them.
Noble, esteem them.
Open minded, respect them.
Precious, value them.
Questioners, encourage them.
Resourceful, support them.
Spontaneous, enjoy them.
Talented, believe in them.
Unique, affirm them.
Vulnerable, protect them.
Whole, recognize them.
Xtraspecial, celebrate them.
Yearning, notice them.
Zany, laugh with them

What does the world need?

Gems of wisdom from Cary Tennis.

What does the world need? 
The world needs wise resource allocation and new patterns of industrial production that require less energy. The world needs better, cheaper, wiser food distribution. 
The world needs 10 million more psychotherapists. 
The world needs fewer warlords. 
The world needs individuals who can inspire the masses to slow down their consumption. 
The world needs better cookstoves. 
The world needs a reordering of social and family hierarchies. 
The world needs to change centuries-old methods of conferring social status. 
The world needs emerging countries to not repeat the resource-hungry mistakes of developed countries. 
The world needs to reroute its emotions and beliefs into modes of conflict resolution. 
The world needs to defeat malaria. 
The world needs China to develop more wisely than the United States did. 
The world needs more yoga teachers. 
The world needs a massive effort to understand how family and environment create fanaticism. 
The world needs more rational resource sharing. 

The world needs for no one to starve to death.