What I learned from my cat!

My cat's name is Kennedy, a.k.a. "K-K". She's not really my cat, she's the kids cat. If you base ownership on who feeds the cat, let's her in & out of the house and who cleans out the litter box - then she is my cat. If you base ownership on who loves on her the most -- she is the kids' cat.

Here are some things that I've learned from K-K:
1) Stretch - before you do anything! K-K stretches before she does anything. She wakes up ... stretches. She goes to eat ... stretches. She's heading outside ... stretches. It's no wonder she can clean all those hard to reach spots ... she stretches constantly! And I've yet to hear complain about a pulled 'hammie'.
2) Eat - when you are hungry, but don't over indulge. And be picky about what you eat - only eat what's good for you.
3) Play - outside if possible, but play. Playing keeps you young! Chase a string or a lizard or another cat. For people, chasing a string would look very silly. But you can chase a soccer ball, roller blade, play frisbee ... just play.
4) Work - earn your keep, add value to the household/community. It builds character and makes you feel good
5) Rest - when you need it; don't sleep too much or you'll miss out. Take a nap once in a while so that you are fresh and ready to go at a moments notice!
6) Alone time - make sure that you have some alone time (Jim Rohn refers to it as "go to your closet and shut the door"). Take time to be alone, reflect on your day, your year, your life
7) Keep your claws sharp - K-K is always sharpening her claws (mostly on the wood legs of our tables). It's instinct, she has to be ready to fight - to defend herself. Hopefully you never, or at least not frequently have to get into a physical fight. Though it is good to be prepared. Rather, you will face many mental and verbal conflicts. Be ready to defend your position passionately and righteously.

Have a great day! Stay sharp, stay focused!

No man is an Island - Dad's advice

This is a re-post of a blog that I had done on 6/16/08 ... some of the best advice a father could ever give his son.

I was thinking yesterday (Father's Day) about all the advice that my Dad ever gave me, or at least what I remember hearing. As I am sure that when I was a teen I wasn't doing too much listening. Anyway, the one piece of sage advice that still sticks with me today was what my Dad said to me the night before I moved to Florida. It was a bold move for me. I was leaving home to go to graduate school about 1,200 miles away ... all by myself. This was a choice that I was making partly just to get out from under the roof that I had lived under for over twenty years. It's been almost 17 years and I am still there. In any case, we were in the driveway of my parent’s house. I was finishing up packing my car with all the essentials ... two or three pairs of clean underwear, 50 posters of super-models & famous actresses and a calculator (I wasn't sure if I'd need it, but it was small and fit in the glove box so no harm in bringing it). Dad was letting the dogs out to stretch their legs before bed time. Coincidentally (?), we finished up at the same time and as we were walking into the house Dad said to me "Warren, no man is an island, remember that." I was stunned. I am not even sure if I responded with anything more than an obligatory "Okay, Dad." BAM! Out of left field, with no conversation leading up to it, Dad dropped on me "no man is an island." Perhaps one of the most profound things he has ever said and something that I had heard before. What I do remember thinking at the time was 'what the heck is this guy talking about and why is he saying it to me.' What I realize now was that he was preparing me for life on my own. Basically, letting me know that I wasn't alone, nor should I try to be alone. Of course, I was a young man who knew everything back then ... I'm sure glad that I've forgotten enough to finally start listening. Though I still struggle with it at times, I realize now that I am not an island, I can't do it all myself and when I try to it doesn't always turn out well. I have my wife, my children, my friends and neighbors ... I am not an island, I am not alone. Life gets easier when I (you?) accept this fact. Thanks Dad, Happy Father's Day!

Putting the toothpaste back in the tube ...

Have you ever squeezed too much toothpaste out of the tube? Have you ever tried to put the extras back in the tube? It's an impossible task and makes quite a mess (trust me). It's even more difficult if you have one of the stand-up/pump style toothpastes. You pump the top to open it ... allowing you to attempt the return of the excess and more comes out! It's like the manufacturers designed the dispensers so that you couldn't put it back.

And, where's the #1 spot (on your body) that you use toothpaste ... right, your mouth! It's a funny thing about your mouth ... it's a lot like a toothpaste tube. Once its contents (words) have come out ... good luck getting them back in.

And this is where the "Tip from Tubby" comes in ... think before you speak. You cannot take your spoken words back. So before your lips release any hurtful, regrettable words ... make sure that they are exactly what your heart and mind have conjured up; know what their potential impact will be on your audience. Once the words have crossed your lips they very well may echo in your audiences minds and hearts for the rest of their lives.