Be Thankful.

Be grateful.

I have been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving these past few weeks. It has traditionally been my favorite holiday for as long as I can remember. It is one in which new traditions have been easy to create because it’s not tied to religion. I am in no way trying to sound like an atheist, but it has always made the day about your tradition and creating traditions vs. having to carry out traditions.

Today we stand on the eve of Thanksgiving. A day that was declared a national holiday in 1863 by President Lincoln that we have done what we as Americans always do gluttonize that entire thing. Somewhere along the line it became about what your favorite side dish is and what time are you eating dinner because you might go to two places. Not so you can say hello but so you can eat two meals. A day that now has three NFL games so that we can be assured not actually to talk and connect with the company around you. A holiday that started as a celebration of a successful fall harvest has been warped into an overindulgence of many things.

As you start to think about your day tomorrow I ask you to be very open and upfront with yourself and those around you about what you’re thankful for. Don’t take the easy road either. “I’m thankful for my health” – WTF does that mean to you? Do you mean that you’re happy you don’t have cancer but not thankful enough to do 30 minutes of exercise every day? “I’m thankful for this meal” – because you know it’s going to be delicious & you didn’t have to cook it? Or are you grateful you can take a day of rest with your family and friends under a protected roof and financially afford to place a meal on the table? Get into what you’re grateful for and enlighten yourself as to just how many wonderful things you have around you.
I thankfully work is busy, and I have to work every day.
I'm thankful I didn't grow up thinking families were perfect, and shit is hard.
I'm thankful I got a job as young as I did and always kept one.
I'm thankful I blew out my knee because it reminds me to slow down and re-evaluate things.
I'm thankful I have seen what alcoholism does to a person, so I am mindful of my relationship with it.
I'm thankful I have people who love me.
I'm thankful I can afford a car.

You’re right there is always something else to drive towards but never forget what you have. Be thankful!

- GS

Extreme Weight Loss

The other day someone asked me what my opinion of gastric bypass and other surgical, and non-surgical, forms of extreme weight loss were.  My response was/is not a very positive one.  I do believe it may be the last resort and possibly necessary for some people to go through with a procedure like that as a last resort, but I think they those cases are pretty rare.  Although these cases may not be so rare as our society continues to puff up like a tick.  

There are several things to take into consideration when talking about these drastic procedures. The person's health and degree of obesity prior to, the persons motives for such steps, the health implications, the restrictions or guidelines following the procedure, and lifestyle changes that may take place before during or after.  If you are not willing to take these things into consideration and follow all of these aspects of such a procedure, then I don’t think you should have such a procedure done.

With regards to these procedures I think people fall into three categories:

Legitimate need: There are people - be it a reasonable health condition or lifestyle conditions - who do need such a thing. If a health care provider believes that your life depends on it, then I would tend to agree and be for it.  

Non-Need Structured: These people are those that in my opinion don’t need a procedure just a good swift kick in the pants to make lifestyle changes.  None-the-less they do go through with it, but follow all of the guidelines and suggestions for making the most of it.  They still make some better lifestyle choices in an attempt to better themselves and become an all around healthier person, with the help of the procedure.

Non-Need Unstructured: Unfortunately, this is where I think the majority of people fall.  They get the procedure because they are lazy and don’t want to do much work to get themselves to a better place.  It’s the quick fix that everyone is looking for nowadays, the magic pill, the overnight cure.  These people also continue their awful habits after the procedure which are the reason they got into this situation in the first place.  Losing weight yes, becoming a healthier person and adopting some lifelong wellness habits, not at all.  

In short - sack up, do the work, and make some serious life changes if you want to lose weight and/or become a better healthier version of yourself.  Don’t look for the quick fix, you’re not doing yourself any favors.

-MS

Make Eye Contact and Say 'Hello'

If you take a look around you will see about half of the people near you with their heads buried in their phones. Whether they are checking messages, emails, or apps they are certainly not noticing you. Today it seems like our society is completely unaware of the people walking by, cars driving, or the scenery. They have simply blocked it all out. Not only are we doing ourselves a disservice, but we have also misplaced common courtesy and the value of many things. Someone walking out of a restaurant may not even realize the person in front of them held the door for them because they’re too busy checking Facebook. 

People have become masters at multitasking, but when technology is involved, that is where 90% of their attention is focused. This world has become so infatuated with technology that we are losing the skills to communicate with one another. And I do not mean communicating with texts. There are some skills that technology can’t teach you, one being social interaction. As I returned to school, I noticed that this was amplified even more. I walk into a classroom, and everyone is slouched down in their seat and the only thing moving is their thumb on their screen. Maybe there are two conversations going on, and they are most likely between the people who came to class together. If you even try to say 'Hi' to someone they look at you as if you have five heads. 

Even when you are hanging out with friends, sometimes you realize every single person is on their phone. Enjoy the company that is present, not the one behind a screen. Kids are slowly becoming deprived of what a true childhood play is. They beg to stay inside to play “educational” games on their iPad, instead of getting some exercise outside or playing with other kids. Some of the activities on these devices can be advantageous to children's learning, but social interaction and playing outside with their neighbors is just as important. This applies to people of all ages. People are forgetting about the little things in life. Instead of sitting around inside, why not leave all the technology aside. Enjoy the simple things. Go for a hike and look up around you. Take your headphones out and talk to the person next to you. You might even surprise yourself and like it!

One of the things I love most about working out and this career is that I am completely engaged. There is no distraction of a phone or electronic; it is simply you and the challenge ahead of you. You need your full attention and effort towards whatever workout you are doing. This is why I am always trying to encourage my friends to tag along for a run, to the gym, or a pickup game. You can have someone's undivided attention at any of these activities. The next time you walk by a stranger with their eyes locked on the screen say 'Hi' and you might just give them the biggest surprise (or startle) of their day.

-- Amber 

When you rush through it, it sucks.

I am a person that wakes up on a mission. I make lists and I like to get that list done before the day expires. If I don't complete that list I'm pissed. I evaluate what could I have done differently. Where was I off in my projection? Where did I made extra steps and become less efficient? Another question I regularly ask myself: when does efficiency make you suck?

I look at my productivity to find ways I could be faster, more efficient and crisp. I like the way I do things, but I certainly don't do anything perfectly. Quite frankly, I have never expected too - it doesn't exist. I understand that when doing a task you should do it with integrity, passion, and pride. Making sure that you devote yourself to IT; no matter what IT is. It leaves you with a sense of pride to say I did THAT. 

When I cut grass at the golf course, I wanted the greens to roll crisp and true. When I commercially cleaned carpets, I never left a job site with a spot on that floor. When I made sandwiches at the deli, every piece of lettuce was hand selected and certainly never just tossed on the roll and thrown in a paper. In all the jobs I've had (yes there are a lot more,) I have found it less "work" when I poured in that level of pride and walked away knowing that my job was an extension of what I had to give. 

Lately, I have found myself increasingly irritated with the lack of integrity placed into things by people. From a prepared coffee to a sandwich. The greeter at the storefront to the front desk attendant at a hotel. Waitress to electrician. Comcast Rep to the trash guy. I really don't get it. You're gainfully employed and earning a living. More importantly YOU filled out the application! It's not my fault you're tired or stressed. Or that you're hungry or hung-over. It's your job. Do it well, do it with integrity, and stop making it suck for everyone around you. I have never understood rushing through something to be left with doing nothing. Anyone? 

Rushing through life hoping that by chance at the end of tomorrow it's going to be different. Guess what? It's not! It's what you do right now that writes the script and allows you to find happiness. Oh yeah, It's not anyone else's fault, issue, problem or concern either. It's YOUR issue - OWN IT. That life you are unhappy with, complain about, and rush through everyday like you're going to escape it - you are the one making it suck. Slow down, face it head own, and devote your entire self to it, whatever it is. Trust me, do that and you will find joy in everyday you are given.

~Sully