1. Happy Memorial Day (late)…
Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember those who died while serving our country in the Armed Forces. I have always had great admiration for those putting their lives on the line so we can retain the incredible freedom and lifestyle we have. I remember visiting Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C., looking out over this 624 acres, where over 400,000 have been buried, and being moved to tears thinking that these men and women gave their lives… the ultimate sacrifice… for you, me, and our country. I also remember seeing a painting when I was very young that stopped me in my tracks, and for some reason had a big impact on me. It’s called “Reflections,” by Lee Teter, depicting a man in business clothes, with his briefcase next to him, leaning forward with his hand outstretched against the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. In the reflection are several members of what must be his platoon, men that died in that war, with one soldier’s hand up against the man’s hand. The man has his other hand in his pocket and his head bowed down, apparently crying. You can see this painting here. (I’m linking to Amazon so you can see the painting without me infringing on copyright issues.) Happy belated Memorial Day, and a huge thanks to all those who have died for our freedom and for those who have served, or are serving, our country, and putting their lives on the line for ours.
2. Optimal living tip…
If you are like me, you get thoughts of things you need to do, but then put them off. You may even write them down to remind yourself to get them done later. Problem is, you never end up with MORE time, so your to-do list gets longer and longer. I’ve been working on implementing what is called the 5 Second Rule. The bottom line is that I try to get whatever it is done right then, within five seconds of having the thought. It might be a phone call I need to make, an email I need to send, or anything that I can get done quickly. It is awesome! I knock out a lot of little tasks that would linger on my to-do list, and it helps to override my brain’s super powerful ability to make me procrastinate. (I learned about “The 5 Second Rule” in an article written about author and speaker, Mel Robbins, who is the author of the book, The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage. I did not read the book yet, but you can read more about it or buy it here.)
3. Just for fun…
Summertime is here! We live on a lake and have a water trampoline. Every year it takes some work to get it blown up, on the water, and anchored. Since I’m always looking for ways to use my elapsed-time feature on my phone’s camera… well… here I am setting up the water trampoline last weekend in high-speed. (Click the image below to watch.) Why am I sharing this? I have no idea… I just thought you’d get a kick out of it. Have a blast this summer!