kenlassblog

I often envy a young child’s lack of the concept of time. As adults, our lives are controlled by the clock. We have a sequence of things that must be done before the clock reaches a certain point. The time determines when we have to get up, go to work, keep appointments, eat, and sleep.

A toddler, by contrast, could care less what time it is. He gets up when he wants, asks for food when he’s hungry (and usually gets it), plays until he’s tired, naps when he’s tuckered out. He lives completely in the moment, focusing on what is at hand. He doesn’t worry a bit about tomorrow or have any concerns that he is running out of time. He is never late for anything because he doesn’t know what late is.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just put the clocks and the watches in the closet, sit down and let life just come to us for a while. We need to find room in our lives to do that. Let’s find a little space to live like a toddler.

I am learning the hard way about the various things that become more difficult as you get older. One of them is the ability to lose weight. In younger days, I could just go on a diet and drop several pounds right away. But now I am on the same diet, and not only am I not losing weight, but I’ve gained a couple of pounds!!

I have been working out so I would prefer to think it is additional muscle weight, but in reality I know it’s likely because my metabolism has slowed down to the pace of a sloth. Yep, this growing old is not for sissies. Still, if this is my worst problem, I am incredibly blessed.

Don’t dwell on what you can’t do today. Focus on what you are still able to accomplish. That’s my mission today. I’ll just avoid stepping on the scale.

Walt Disney World likes to call itself The Happiest Place on Earth. For them, it’s just a marketing slogan, but what does it mean to you? What is the happiest place on earth for you? Where do you feel the most peace, the most joy, the most comfort?

Hopefully it’s some place where you are surrounded by family and friends. Most of us are happiest when we are giving love and receiving it in return. You can rent happiness for a while with exciting trips to places like Disney World, or buying extravagant gifts, or attending big events. But the joy is always temporary, and will only leave you wanting more.

Being a good husband, wife, parent, grandparent or friend will make you the happiest place on earth to other people. And that’s a ride you will never want to get off of.

Ever wonder why movie sequels are never as good as the original? It’s probably because the original caught lightning in a bottle, touched just the right tone, told just the right story at just the right time. It captured your interest because it was something you had never quite seen before. Sequels are an attempt to copy the magic. But once you’ve seen how the magic is done, it’s not as magical.

You are the original you. Don’t waste your time trying to be the sequel to somebody else. Your true friends will love you just the way you are. Treat people honestly and be genuine without pretense.

You will be the movie everyone wants to come to see over and over again.

As I write this I am looking out the window of my home office. My neighbor across the street is flying an American flag on his front stoop. I’m so thankful for people who are still proud of our country, and proud of what that flag stands for. Freedom, justice, equal rights for all. One nation, under God.

That message gets cloudy these days. Politics gets in the way. There is pressure on Americans to take a side. We’re all fighting to keep our country great. We just have different ideas about what that looks like.

No doubt we have our conflicts, but I’m still happy to be here. I’m guessing folks in North Korea or Iran or Russia don’t feel that way. There’s a reason thousands want to cross borders into our land. They see what we have. They long for it. They appreciate it.

I hope we do too.

Do you know people that like to hum or sing a song during their daily activities? My mom used to do that. She would croon some of her favorite songs from the 1940’s while she cleaned or cooked or drove us to school. Having the tune playing in her head seemed to keep her in a good mood.

Music does have that magical quality. I’m not much of a hummer. But listening to my favorite songs from the 60’s and 70’s does pick me up and generally improve my outlook. I suppose the songs connect us to a time in our lives that we miss. Youth, ambition, energy, knowing the future is out there waiting to be conquered. Music was the background for the movie of our lives that was playing out.

The next time you feel a bit down, or lonely, or frustrated, try humming a little tune. Maybe one of your favorite spiritual songs. I’ll bet it will make you feel better. Let a little music work its magic on you.

It’s always a challenge to keep young grandkids entertained. Whenever mine get bored, they always come up with the same refrain: “I’m hungry! Can I have a snack?”

It really doesn’t change when we grow up, does it? Whenever life slows down a bit, we tend to think of food. What better way to fill a little idle time than to munch on something sweet or salty or crunchy. Of course as we all know, too much snacking, especially on junk food, eventually causes all sorts of health problems. The issue is not so much the yearn to eat, that’s natural. It’s the idle time. Keep yourself busy with worthwhile activity.

Turn off the TV and pick up a crossword puzzle, read a book, do an exercise routine, go shopping, write a letter, call or text a friend or relative, play golf or tennis or pickleball, or just go for a walk. Get your mind off food.

You will find that you really weren’t hungry after all. Now if I could only convince my grandkids…….

I’ve got a totally random bit of trivia for you today. Did you know that a cucumber is 95 percent water? It’s also one of the healthiest things you can eat, as it helps keep you hydrated, and is an excellent source of Vitamins D and K, as well as potassium and calcium.

My curious mind checked out the cucumber because I was eating a salad filled with generous amounts of lettuce, cheese, onion bits, tomato slices and….very small cuke slices. Which of these ingredients, I wondered, was the most beneficial? Turns out, it’s the cucumber slices, and it’s not even close. This despite the fact the slices were the smallest element in the salad.

Why am I boring you with this? Well, first of all, you should eat more cucumbers. But more importantly, you should realize you don’t have to be a big important person to make a crucial difference in the world. Every little act of kindness and love you give to others changes things for the better in some way.

So be the cucumber in the salad of your world.

Be a person of your word. If you make a commitment, follow through with it. If you mention to a friend that you will call him or her for lunch one day, do it. If you sign up for a volunteer assignment of some sort, show up. If you tell somebody you love them, show it.

Chances are your reputation precedes you. People can tell when you’re invitations and commitments are empty. And they think less of you for it. Don’t you feel the same? When a friend tells you they will call you, or they will show up for an occasion, you know immediately if they actually will, don’t you? Because either they are a person of their word, or they aren’t. And if they aren’t, you don’t take them seriously.

Be reliable. Be dependable. Earn trust. If you speak it, make it so. The world is desperate for sincerity.

Recently I noticed that my pants were fitting a little too tightly around my waist. I had gained a few unwanted pounds. So I decided to cut back on eating and rededicate to daily exercise. After three days, I had lost three and a half pounds. I was so excited! But when I got on the scale after the fourth day, I had actually GAINED a pound back!

It ruined my whole day. I was depressed and grumpy. All that effort and willpower I had mustered up, all for nothing. “What’s the use?” I asked myself, and I was really tempted to just forget the whole thing and binge again.

Life is like that. You’re okay with making the effort to choose godly decisions so long as things are going well. But when adversity hits, it’s easy to ask yourself “Why should I be a good person when all this trouble comes anyway?” You’ve got to find a little patience. Be in it for the long run. Understand there will be setbacks. Eventually matters will right themselves.

I’m not losing weight as quickly as I would like, but it is happening gradually. The weight of your burdens will ease as well. Don’t lose faith.