Tag: life

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to make some vacation plans for the future.

Some of us have started to do more things as the pandemic eases; some have not. Your ability to do things varies by country, employers, comfort level, and more. I’ve been doing a few things, and actually had a few vacations this year. Short, but still, I’ve had some.

I want more, especially as many things still aren’t normal. My wife and I started to look forward and plan some vacations. Some plans are more likely, and some are very speculative. We’d like to go to Machu Picchu in Peru, but the country and been opening and closing, and it feels too unstable to really plan something.

However, we have been looking at perhaps going to Alaska. It’s open, outdoors, and less risky than other places. It’s also a bucket list item for both of us, so we’re trying to make some semi-firm plans for the early fall.

We have other ideas as well, like going back to New Zealand. We know we can’t go. Yet, but we’re making some plans for when we can.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to share a happy memory with someone who means a lot to you.

I am lucky in life with quite a few people mean a lot to me. Today, I decided to touch base with someone whose company I’ve enjoyed quite a few times. This person is a fellow speaker who I’ve seen at quite a few events over the years. We’ve had both professional and social time through years and become friends.

In particular there was an event we attended where we went for an early morning walk before a busy day. I don’t remember what we talked about, but for some reason that walk stands out as a pleasant memory for me that I cherish.

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to share a friendly smile when you encounter someone else today.

This has been something I’ve tried to do over the last year, but when wearing a mask, it’s tough to know if a smile is received.

When we stopped wearing masks in the gym (for vaccinated people), one of my yoga instructors noted that it was nice to see faces and smiles after so many months. I felt the same way.

Not everyone is in the same place, and even though we have people in my area not wearing masks, some are nervous, some struggling with the aftereffects of a year of the world changing, not working, etc.

As a result, smiles as still important. They help many of us continue to cope with the world.

I was in Florida recently for a sports event, and while many people were not masked, officials were (by requirement). Some were upset, some didn’t care, and often they pulled them down to talk with me when I was acting as the second official. However, I tried to smile a lot and welcome them when they came over.

I definitely ended up getting along with them better than some other coaches

I started to add a daily coping tip to the SQLServerCentral newsletter and to the Community Circle, which is helping me deal with the issues in the world. I’m adding my responses for each day here. All my coping tips are under this tag. 

Today’s tip is to make a list of joys in your life over the last 30 days.

A simple list, things that have gone well in 30 days.

1. All my kids were together for (Mother’s and) Father’s days.
2. An exciting and fun time coaching a tournament in a hotel
3. Another fun time coaching, and traveling out of state, to coach
4. Vacation in a new place, Key West.
5. Bucket list item, drive US1 from Miami to Key West
6. Submission accepted for an event
7. New lawnmower
8. Put a hitch on my wife’s car, which involved some learning, a new tool, and some time with one son
9. Fixed my sprinkler system with my son, which was leaking.
10. New master bathroom after renovation
11. Got together 3 times with friends to share some time together.
12. A few date nights with my wife.
13. Maintenance on 3 vehicles complete.
14. Moved a trip that would have really jammed me up for time and created stress.

It’s been a good month