Tick tock, Tick Tock

All Goals


It is such a cliche' that even the mere discussion of time is a cliche' in of its' self.  Rich or poor, black or white, we all are given the same 24 hours in a day.  Time and death are the great equalizers.  Maybe that is why we hold time in such high esteem, or do we?  Many times we just let it waste away like it's water flowing between our fingers.  We think, "Oh well, there's always more and besides, it doesn't cost anything." However, it costs everything.

One of my goals for this year was not in what I wanted to accomplish, but what I didn't want to do anymore - "wasting time on the Internet."  Not wasting time is always on my mind when I'm surfing.  Most of the time I look for something that I'm researching and that's it.  Then, there are other times.  You know the ones, "I'll just click on this interesting article."  Then it happens, you are swallowed up in a vortex of endless information that is more fascinating than the last piece.  On and on and on it goes - "What was I searching for?" Alright, I admit it, these times happen more often than I care to admit.

The Internet is a great tool.  I remember the other day telling my wife that I could not imagine not having this at my disposal.   I'm glad that we have it, but with everything, there are good and bad uses.

Hey wait a minute, that looks interesting.....click.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day | Fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way | Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town | Waiting for someone or something to show you the way

Pink Floyd

The Lab

Intellectual/Self Improvement
Goal: Deliver three speeches by year end


Trying and failing is not something that we strive for these days.  It's thought that if you make a mistake while trying to learn something, well, it's bad, wrong, you are stupid, and what were you thinking?  It is for this reason that we very seldom step out of our comfort zone and become someone that we never imagined. I have a "lab" for this kind of activity - a place to fail, make mistakes, and to fall down.  This place is called Toastmasters.

 I joined Toastmasters three years ago.  It has been a great place for me to improve my public speaking skills.  I especially need these skills in my career as I'm continuously making presentations and meeting with clients to explain how we can help them.  However, even if I didn't need these skills for my work, they would still be very valuable.  Being able to speak before people is considered one of the most scary things you can do.  However, the power of the spoken word is enough to liberate countries, move people to action, and to be a voice against evil.  Yes, it is that important.

There are times when we need to stand up and speak the truth.  There will be times when we will be called upon to lead. What then?  You going to let someone else do the talking?   No! Stop it! You have a voice, all you need is to improve it.  Go and visit a local Toastmasters club and fail. Yes, come and fail often. It is only by trying, messing up, and then doing it again will we get better.  Like someone posted on the attached link, "Courage doesn't mean that you aren't scared. It means you do it anyway."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAm7gRXFiRo

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