Reach Out And Touch Someone

Act 153:

“It’s never too late… To Make Contact

Whether a long-lost friend, or a new acquaintance. Break through the barriers. Touch the inner person. Renew old connections. Make new ones. Find common ground. Explore new interests.” – Patrick Lindsay

Quote in book: “Each person’s life is lived as series of conversations.” ~ Deborah Tannen

I know a few days ago I vowed to reconnect with 50 of my old friends. I’ve made tentative plans with some already. So check on that way of connecting. I think that goal really goes w/ this Act. I think all summer I’ve talked about the Face2Face movie. I’ve talked about trying to connect with the Face2Face Family and the Kat Pack. So, I’ve connected in that way. I’ve done that. So how can I really complete this Act and do something different?

I just sat here for about 5 minutes thinking and I got a Facebook invite to an Alumni mixer and it’s on a day that I can actually attend. I’ve been traveling so much that I’m never in town. How freaking crazy is that? It just boggles my mind how in tune my life is to these blogs. So, I’m going to make contact with my B-school friends AND I’ll be able to complete this act and the one from a few days ago.

I know this is very short, but I’m super tired and I’ve got to get on a plane in a few hours. Plus, there’s not much to say on this other than. Make and effort to connect with people. Contact old friends. Make new contacts by using meet-me sites or friends of friends. Either way. Get out there and make a contact goal.

Btw - It's Halloween... I guess that's one way to make contact with other people. But I'm too old to go trick or treating and I never get any kids. I haven't bought candy in 7 years. Although, Halloween is a way to get out there w/out really having to be yourself. You can hide behind a costume. However, that's not really the point of this. Let people get to know the really you. Let them make contact with you're real self, not the one underneath the mask. That goes for everyday in life, not just on Halloween.

To Err Is...

Act 152:

“It’s never too late… To Be Human

Too often we seek perfection. And despair when we don’t find it. There is glory in all facets of humanity. In our struggles. Our achievements. Our failures. Our imperfections. Perfection can be an aim. But it’s not a pleasant state for a human.” – Patrick Lindsay

Quote in book: “Every man is as God made him, and often even worse.” ~ Miguel de Cervantes

As humans, we all make mistakes. It’s what makes us human. We are not perfect nor should we expect ourselves to be. In all of our relationships, no one is always right nor is someone always wrong. This Act came along at a weird time for me.

A friend of mine is going through a really really bad break up. They had a whirlwind romance. They were friends first, but then once they crossed the line into lovers, it was fast. Within one week of acknowledging their feelings for each other, my friend had boarded a plane to visit her ex. About 3 months goes by and they take their first vacation together. Her ex then went off on her during the trip. My friend was berated, told she was not worthy of bring up kids with, and was just emotionally abused. After this very bashing, their romance came to an end.

So my friend told me that her ex began the “I’m a good guy” campaign the minute they got back from their vacation. The ex began to rally the friends trying to say the trip was good and then accused my friend of spreading the fact they broke up and painting a bad picture of the events. This was just a flat out lie. The ex then proceeds to use a mutual friend who is very vulnerable as a way to emotionally blackmail my friend. Her ex has basically used the mutual friend as a go between, never directly talking to my friend.

Why do I bring this up? Well it’s what happens after the break up that just makes me say…. WTF? What is going on? We all make mistakes. Let’s own up to them like adults and just move on. Or if you clearly are not going to ever admit you were wrong… then just shut up and let the healing begin. It makes me want to tell my friend’s ex. “You are not perfect and neither is she. We are all human. Get over it. Stop trying to prove your case and use other people. Do the human thing. Care about other people’s feelings. Have a heart!”

The act of aiming for perfection and the realization of knowing we’ll never reach it makes us human. Forgiveness and understanding is needed in all interactions between humans. No one can do the right thing every time in every situation. We are bound to screw up one time or another. I think what separates the good humans from the bad ones is how we react and overcome those mistakes.

So be the best that you can be and when you mess up… be humble and learn from it. Try not to be too hard on yourself. You are human. But remember that those around you are human too, so demand perfection from them, but be understanding when they can’t achieve it. I know I’m not perfect, but over the last few months I’ve gotten a lot closer. I’m still making some mistakes, but not as many as before and not the same ones as before.

It’s In The Eye Of The Beholder

Act 151:

“It’s never too late… To Find The Beauty

It’s there in everything we see. Sometimes it’s shining out at us. Sometimes it’s hidden deep within. Look for the core beauty: in nature’s balances; in the human spirit; beautiful friendships; the beautiful mind; the beautiful heart.” – Patrick Lindsay

Quote in book: “Beauty is eloquent even when silent.” ~ Proverb

There is beauty all around us. We can pretty much find the beauty around us. Most people define beauty with respect to humans as physical attractiveness. However, there is beauty within. Beauty of the soul, beauty of their heart, and beauty of the spirit. Everyone is beautiful in their own way.

I know sometimes we believe that people are all good or all evil or all beautiful or all ugly (because we were taught to think that way by our childhood stories)... however, that is just the fairytale we are told to believe it’s not true. There is beauty in everyone or at least that’s what I like to believe. We may have to look harder to find it for some people, but it is there. We are all beautiful in some way.

The words to this song really says what I want to say in this Act. I know it’s the laziness coming out in me, but the song really is perfect.

Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly, I saw debris
Now and then, I get insecure
From all the pain, I'm so ashamed

I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down
So don't you bring me down today

To all your friends, you're delirious
So consumed in all your doom
Trying hard to fill the emptiness
The piece is gone left the puzzle undone
That's the way it is

You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down
Don't you bring me down today...

No matter what we do
(no matter what we do)
No matter what they say
(no matter what they say)
When the sun is shining through
Then the clouds won't stay

And everywhere we go
(everywhere we go)
The sun won't always shine
(sun won't always shine)
But tomorrow will find a way
All the other times

'cause we are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won't bring us down, oh no
We are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring us down
Don't you bring me down today

Don't you bring me down today
Don't you bring me down today

Don’t let anyone bring you down. You are beautiful and so is the person next to you. So let’s all have beholding eyes towards the people around us. Let’s all see beauty in others. I think the world would be a better place if we did. I leave you with this quote from St. Augustine "Beauty is indeed a good gift of God; but that the good may not think it a great good, God dispenses it even to the wicked."

Trivia

10 Points: Name the Artist and Song of the lyrics in the main part of blog

10 Points: Name the 1969 Disney Movie about Princess Aurora and the curse bestowed upon her about pricking her finger on a spindle.

10 Points: Name the 1991 Disney Movie that had singing Tea Pots, Candelabra, and Clock. It has now become a Broadway Musical.

10 Points: Name the Academy Award winning 1999 movie starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Thora Birch that dealt with a family and their sexuality and self liberation.

10 Points: Name the Anna Sewell novel about a horse’s life teaching about animal welfare, it also teaches how to treat people with kindness, sympathy and respect.

10 Points: Name Musical set in 1962 Baltimore about a plump teenager Tracy Turnblad's dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show that contains the song “Big, Blonde and Beautiful”

10 Points: Name the filmmaker/artist responsible for Beauty No. 1 and Beauty No. 2. He is mostly known for his pop art in the 60s creating paintings of iconic American products such as Campbell's Soup Cans and Coca-Cola bottles and celebrities like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Troy Donahue, Muhammad Ali and Elizabeth Taylor.

10 Points: Name the Artist and Song of the lyrics below

You are so beautiful to me
You are so beautiful to me
Can't you see
Your everything I hoped for
Your everything I need
You are so beautiful to me

Such joy and happiness you bring
Such joy and happiness you bring
Like a dream
A guiding light that shines in the night
Heavens gift to me
You are so beautiful to me

10 Points: Name the Musical and Song of the lyrics below

There's a bright golden haze in the meadow.
There's a bright golden haze in the meadow.
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye.
And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky...

Well, oh what a beautiful morning, aw now.
Yes, what a wonderful day. (Look out there).
You know I - I've got a beautiful feeling.
Everything's - everything's going my way. (Ya'll c'mon now).

10 Points: Name the Artist and Song of the lyrics below

While we’re young and beautiful
Kiss me like you mean it
Treat me like I’m special
Cover me with sweetness
Cause the time will come
when we’re not so young and beautiful

While we’re young and beautiful
Livin’ free and easy
Here without a worry
Dancin’ in our barefeet
Cause when the summer’s done
We might not be so young and beautiful

Faith... Love... and...

Act 150:

“It’s never too late… To Hope

Hope is part of our life force. Never surrender hope. We know life comes in cycles. And an upturn can be just around the corner. Hope helps us struggle through the desperate times. It guides us through the dark.” – Patrick Lindsay

Quote in book: “Hope well and have well.” ~ Proverb

I of course didn’t really know where to start on this, so I consulted The ORACLE. If you just look at the disambiguation page on Wiki, there’s a lot of information you can gleam about the word “Hope”. It gave me hope that I would get inspired… haha. Here are some interesting facts that I knew and learned. Hope is…

• Defined as a belief in a positive outcome.
  
• A comic book character in Marvel Comics. The abilities are cool: Immune to infection. Able to inject other objects and beings with transmode virus.
• A political party in Slovakia
• A programming language and is also an acronym for Hackers On Planet Earth
• An international Seveth-day Adventist TV network
• The name of a girl band that appeared on The X Factor in England
• The name of a German Musical based on the life of Obama (really??? I had to got click that link and check it out. haha… )
• The name of 10 albums and 19 songs
• The name of 13 cities in the US and 6 more all over the world

So did I get inspired?? Well sort of, but first who remembers that show Hope & Faith? When I was looking at the movies and TV shows, where was that show?

Let’s talk about Hope. Hope as it’s defined. We all need a little hope in our lives. They say that Love is the only thing that connects us and that you can only count on two things.. Death and Taxes. Well, I think Hope is the other thing that connects us all and in times of need Hope is one of the only things that we can count on to brighten our spirits.

We all have hard times. We all need a little hope…whether it’s a sick child, parent, grandparent, spouse, other family member or friend. Not everyone prays, but everyone does hope. Hope for a good score or grade on a test. Hope for their team to win the game or match. Hope that the story ends the way you want it to. Hope for our lives to be happy.

We all hope. It’s what connects us. I’ve shared so many of my hopes in these blogs. I don’t really want to repeat them all here again. So what are some of your hopes?

Mini Trivia

10 Points: Name one of the artists that either has an album or a song entitled "Hope"

10 Points: Name the Medical Drama created by David E. Kelly starring Mandy Patinkin and Christine Lahti

10 Points: Name the Movie and Song where Sandy professed her love on a swing set while thinking of Danny. Also name the actress.

10 Points: Name the musical that starts with the song “I Hope I Get It” – Here’s a hint... I saw the composer of this Musical last week.

10 Points: Name the Artist and Song of the lyrics below

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat
But always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed
I hope you still feel small
When you stand by the ocean
Whenever one door closes, I hope one more opens
Promise me you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance
I hope you dance

10 Points: Name the Artist and Song of the lyrics below

I walk the wire every night
I can't decide between wrong and right
I've lost control over the thing I do
Cos I'm hopelessly falling in love with you

Now the one who never took a chance
Becomes a victim of circumstance
I've lost my way, now I'm so confused
Cos I'm hopelessly falling in love with you

10 Points: Name the Artist and Song of the lyrics below

I can stand with the weight of the world
On my shoulders
I can fight with the toughest of the tough
I can laugh in the face
Of all my insecurities
Anytime, anywhere, anything
I'm strong enough

But when you're holding me like this
I'm carelessly lost in your touch
I'm completely defenseless
Baby, it's almost too much
I'm helplessly, hopelessly, recklessly
Falling in love