Tag: advice

Don’t reserve your kindest praise for a person until their eulogy. Tell them while they are alive when it makes a difference to them. Write it in a letter they can keep. – from Excellent Advice for Living

This is something I try to do more. Not the letters, though that’s not a bad idea, but I find myself reaching out with short messages or thoughts (text, FB, etc.) to touch base with people. Friends, sometimes people I see often, sometimes people I see rarely.

In either case, as I age, I realize life is getting shorter and I ought to try and ensure I communicate more with people I care about.

I I’ve been posting New Words on Fridays from a book I was reading, however, a friend thought they were a little depressing. They should be as they are obscure sorrows. I like them because they make me think.

To counter-balance those, I’m adding in thoughts on advice, mostly from Kevin Kelley’s book. You can read all these posts under the advice tag.

Learn how to take a 20-minute power nap without embarassment. – from Excellent Advice for Living

I don’t like naps. In fact, I try to avoid them and keep going, even when I’m tired. I’d rather power through things and then go to bed early and get rest.

That being said, there are some times when traveling that I’ve decided to just give in and nap. Turn off distractions, leave my phone out of reach, and just sleep. I’ve even done that a few times during the work week at home when I’m exhausted. Getting 20-30 minutes of rest can be refreshing.

If I sleep. Sometimes I end up laying there and not sleeping and then I feel like I’ve wasted my time.

This is good advice, and I should follow it more often, not just when land multiple time zones away from home.

I’ve been posting New Words on Fridays from a book I was reading, however, a friend thought they were a little depressing. They should be as they are obscure sorrows. I like them because they make me think.

To counter-balance those, I’m adding in thoughts on advice, mostly from Kevin Kelley’s book. You can read all these posts under the advice tag.

Don’t let someone else’s urgency becomes your emergency. In fact, don’t be governed by the urgent of any sort. Focus on the important. The urgent is a tyrant. – from Excellent Advice for Living

I try to set my life up to be fairly relaxed. A little chaotically busy, but relaxed. I try to stay ahead of work, plan things, get them prepped, and beat my milestones, at work or at home.

However.

As some people might say, life happens. Others might use a different 4 letter word, but I’ve liked life. As John Lennon says: Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.

I do try to help others and accommodate them, but another’s emergency isn’t mine. I am here for support, and to listen, but encroaching on my wallet or my time is something I have to choose to give you. Sometimes I might, but sometimes I might not. Ultimately. I don’t want to get jerked around by others, at work or in life.

I try to remember what’s important, which might not be someone else’s thing. This might mean previous plans take precedence. Or it might mean that I decide to help with your emergency. The important thing is the important thing.

I’ve been posting New Words on Fridays from a book I was reading, however, a friend thought they were a little depressing. They should be as they are obscure sorrows. I like them because they make me think.

To counter-balance those, I’m adding in thoughts on advice, mostly from Kevin Kelley’s book. You can read all these posts under the advice tag.

If you have any doubt about being able to carry a load in one trip, do yourself a huge favor and make two trips – from Excellent Advice for Living

As I get older, this tends to resonate more with me. Certainly I’ve learned not to strain my body because pushing past a limit is painful for days or weeks (or months).

However, this “carry a load” can make sense in more than just the physical carrying-a-bunch-of-stuff situation. This is a similar situation is you’re trying to accomplish too much in a day, or a sprint, or committing to too many things in a short period of time. It also applies when you try to communicate too many things at once.

I live my life in a busy fashion, usually having too much stuff on my list of things to do. I’m perpetually behind on fixing things on the ranch, taking care of the house, cooking meals, getting to the gym, improving my coaching skills, etc. I rarely take a day off from not doing something to make my (or someone else’s) life better. That’s a little of how I am built.

However, I have learned to pace myself a bit more and be cautious about how many things I tackle in a day. I have projects that I might try to rush through in a day and perhaps not get them done the way I expected. Instead, I might break them up across two days. Or two sessions.

I’ve also learned to communicate one thing and not try to get people to think about three things at once. I try to get myself, and others, to focus on the one important thing that we’re talking about at that moment.

And, of course, I try not to carry too much at once. I find myself using carts or UTVs rather than piling everything into my arms.

I’ve been posting New Words on Fridays from a book I was reading, however, a friend thought they were a little depressing. They should be as they are obscure sorrows. I like them because they make me think.

To counter-balance those, I’m adding in thoughts on advice, mostly from Kevin Kelley’s book. You can read all these posts under the advice tag.