I read a brief article about Michael Jackson that blamed part of his problems on the culture "we" have created. I don't know about you, but I haven't created a culture--this one or any one for that matter. Perhaps I have tried to create a culture within my family that pretty much encouraged a Protestant ethic of hard work,honorable behavior and frequent travel,the latter perhaps being more a Jewish ethic. I don't exactly know how we got to this point in our history, but I know for sure I didn't bring us here. I doubt you did either.
So there are two questions. One is who creates our cultural norms. The other is what about them influenced MJ in hurtful ways. I will try to offer my answers in future blogs,but I hope the readers will offer their views and comments as well.
As for our culture,like most things it has its positives and its negatives. It has grown in my time in so many ways. While part of me longs for the simpler,user friendly times of the 50's,I do appreciate the comforts of today. These range from not having to use white out to correct my many typos for this blog to medical innovations that would have spared my father's life at 49 to the availability of information. Let's not forget that we went from no vision of racial equality to coming so much closer to it today. To sum it up the Holocaust,in my opinion, could not have reached the magnitude it did in today's tech times. Information, at times overkill and annoying,is the basis for creating democracies,which is really the basis for a civillized culture.
OK. So I know you will start thinking dirty politicans, human greed, reality TV,the pervasiveness of drugs and a host of other toxic pollutant's create a culture of smog.For your own sake and sanity I encourage you not to dwell on those. Rather enjoy the privledges our culture offers, even during tough and challenging times, and feel grateful for what you have. Try, as well, not to buy into the temptations of that glopful smog.
I understand that many have lost much and for that I feel sad and sorry. You still have the power to preserve your dignity while restoring your solvency and I sincerely hope that is what you will do. It is that very grit and determination that our ancestors drew upon to build this great nation. I believe those same potentials still exist within the fabric of our culture. Maintaining ourselves is all about focusing on the positives,drawing strength and motivation from them and realizing how fortunate we are to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Bye For Now,
Bill
www.williampenzerphd.com
954 475 1371 x 1
561 361 1898 x 1
check 3/17 blog to know our goals
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Monday, July 6, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
WHITEOUT
Yesterday, while I was typing my blog about the Blackout, I made many typos. They were fixed in a jiffy, thanks to the power of Word and its cut and paste features.
I commented to my wife about these incredibly efficient tools compared to our college and graduate school days. Back then we had whiteout for typo corrections, which always made a soggy and bumpy mess. Before that we had white strips that were placed where the key met the paper and typed over the area to change a letter, word or sentence. This too was a sloppy and inefficient process. All of my typed papers were unsightly. They were, however, better than my handwriting which was and remains illegible. If you don’t believe me ask the kind and patient woman who types my handwritten yellow pad scribbles.
Even when I worked for IBM in the 60’s we had Selectric typewriters that made corrections, but it was not nearly as efficient as today’s computer magic.
My point is that we have come so far in so many ways in my lifetime and yours. So much can be done today that was unknown and undreamed of back then, except by a few visionaries who took us forward
In this context let’s feel grateful for all the good that has come into our lives from the techno revolution of the late 20th and early 21 century achievements. We may, unfortunately, leave our children and grandchildren a legacy of debt, but we are also leaving them the tools and gifts which will make it easier for them to pay those obligations.
More on this issue the rest of the week.
Bye For Now,
Bill
williampenzerphd.com
954 475 1371 x 301
561 361 1898 x 301
see 3/17 blog to know out goals.
I commented to my wife about these incredibly efficient tools compared to our college and graduate school days. Back then we had whiteout for typo corrections, which always made a soggy and bumpy mess. Before that we had white strips that were placed where the key met the paper and typed over the area to change a letter, word or sentence. This too was a sloppy and inefficient process. All of my typed papers were unsightly. They were, however, better than my handwriting which was and remains illegible. If you don’t believe me ask the kind and patient woman who types my handwritten yellow pad scribbles.
Even when I worked for IBM in the 60’s we had Selectric typewriters that made corrections, but it was not nearly as efficient as today’s computer magic.
My point is that we have come so far in so many ways in my lifetime and yours. So much can be done today that was unknown and undreamed of back then, except by a few visionaries who took us forward
In this context let’s feel grateful for all the good that has come into our lives from the techno revolution of the late 20th and early 21 century achievements. We may, unfortunately, leave our children and grandchildren a legacy of debt, but we are also leaving them the tools and gifts which will make it easier for them to pay those obligations.
More on this issue the rest of the week.
Bye For Now,
Bill
williampenzerphd.com
954 475 1371 x 301
561 361 1898 x 301
see 3/17 blog to know out goals.
Friday, April 24, 2009
TODAY IS………………….
There is a family story that dates back over 40 years. My wife was teaching second grade in a rough and tumble neighborhood in the East Bronx, NY. The principal was a bit rigid. Although English was a second language for most of the students, she insisted that all the children always speak in complete sentences. The teachers were all told to focus on and emphasize that. Obviously, this was before FCATs.
A friend of my wife’s taught kindergarten and would practice each morning with her class to say, “Today is sunny, Today is Monday, Today is warm, etc.” as simple sentences. The teacher was showing a circus filmstrip one day (this was before VCRs or DVDs) when the Principal appeared unexpectedly. She asked the class what the boy in the film was eating? A boy quickly called out “ice cream.” The principal said, “Say it in a sentence.” He stood tall and smiled proudly and proclaimed in a booming voice, “Today is ice cream.” To this day there are times our family says that sentence as a joke.
This morning (4/16/09) I left my house at 8:30 A.M. and took in the brightly shining sun, cloudless blue sky, gentle breeze blowing through the trees and said, “Today is gorgeous. Today is ice cream. I am grateful to be alive.”
Despite whatever physical and /or emotional pains you are experiencing, I hope you can enjoy an “ice cream” day from time to time. Feeling grateful for what we have is a powerful salve to help heal the wounds resulting from what we lost.
Bye For Now,
Bill
www.williampenzerphd.com
954 475 1371 x 301
561 361 1898 x 301
check 3/17 blog to know our goals
A friend of my wife’s taught kindergarten and would practice each morning with her class to say, “Today is sunny, Today is Monday, Today is warm, etc.” as simple sentences. The teacher was showing a circus filmstrip one day (this was before VCRs or DVDs) when the Principal appeared unexpectedly. She asked the class what the boy in the film was eating? A boy quickly called out “ice cream.” The principal said, “Say it in a sentence.” He stood tall and smiled proudly and proclaimed in a booming voice, “Today is ice cream.” To this day there are times our family says that sentence as a joke.
This morning (4/16/09) I left my house at 8:30 A.M. and took in the brightly shining sun, cloudless blue sky, gentle breeze blowing through the trees and said, “Today is gorgeous. Today is ice cream. I am grateful to be alive.”
Despite whatever physical and /or emotional pains you are experiencing, I hope you can enjoy an “ice cream” day from time to time. Feeling grateful for what we have is a powerful salve to help heal the wounds resulting from what we lost.
Bye For Now,
Bill
www.williampenzerphd.com
954 475 1371 x 301
561 361 1898 x 301
check 3/17 blog to know our goals
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Your De-Stress Kit
Your Personal De-Stress Kit
This De-stress kit is for anyone experiencing extra stress from the ongoing financial meltdown, or any other challenging event.
The global community is becoming aware of a need to shift from pursuit of self gain at other’s expense, to a balanced system of care for the rights and needs of everyone. Even as we become aware of this need, people are going through different emotional stages - shock, denial, anger, blame and despair.
Eventually we need to engage in thoughts and actions of self-care and health concerns to reach a point where we can rebuild our coping capacity and create a psychological turn-around.
Doc Childre of the HeartMath Institute suggests the following practices to reduce stress and reset our systems to move forward.
1. Communicate and interact with others - Take advantage of the free Cope with the Economy support group on this website.
2. Re-open your heart feelings by offering kindness and compassionate support to others.
3. Practice appreciation and gratitude.
4. Decrease drama.
5. Manage your reactions to the news - Listen from a neutral position.
6. Prayer or Meditation
7. Heart focused breathing to reduce stress and anxiety.
8. Sleep
9. Exercise
10. Reduce comparing the present with the past - stay in the now.
11. Reduce Fear.
12. Engage with your family.
13. Don’t blame yourself.
14. Write a letter to yourself - with a commitment to move forward.
A complete 15 page booklet describing these suggestions in detail is available from:
Marcia S. Seeberg, MS,LMHC
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