Halloween is coming soon

Halloween is the gateway to the holiday season! Within rapid succession we have Thanksgiving, Christmas/Hanukkah and New Year's.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of Halloween. The only thing I like about it is the leftover candy that's brought into work, although it's been dwindling the last couple of years.

But it is an excellent time to start planning for your holiday card sending. Even though Christmas and Hanukkah are the big holidays this time of year, there's a lot to be said for sending out cards for the other holidays.

Halloween cards can be fun and not many people send them out, so you'll really stand out from the crowd!

Thanksgiving cards are also good. It's a great time to give thanks to friends, family and customers.

Even though they're not quite as popular as they were in the past, Christmas and Hanukkah cards are always a great idea.

And New Year's cards are also a great way to stand out from the crowd.

If you can only send one card this season, pick out the holiday that most resonates with you. If you can't decide, you can't go wrong with Christmas/Hanukkah.

If you can afford to send out two sets of cards, maybe Halloween and Thanksgiving or Christmas/Hanukkah.

It's up to you, but reach out to your friends and family sometime this holiday season. And if you're in business, don't forget your clients and past clients. They've all helped you to get to where you are today!

For anybody who's interested, I'll be holding holiday card making workshops every Saturday through the end of the year. I'll be concentrating on Halloween and Thanksgiving this month, Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah next month, and Christmas/Hanukkah and New Year's in December.

Interesting days

Today - World Food Day, Dictionary Day, Boss’ Day, Hagfish Day, Steve Jobs Day, Feral Cat Day, Global Dignity Day, Take Your Parents To Lunch Day and Department Store Day

Tomorrow - Get Smart About Credit Day, Spreadsheet Day, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Wear Something Gaudy Day, Mulligan Day, Conflict Resolution Day, Playing Card Collection Day and Forgive an Ex Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week 

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month 

Next Wednesday - iPod Day, Event Organizers Day, Mole Day, TV Talk Show Host Day, Boston Cream Pie Day and SUDEP Action Day

November 16 - Have a Party with Your Bear Day, Fast Food Day, Button Day, International Day for Tolerance and Clarinet day

Week long celebrations:

November 11 - 17: Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week

November 12 - 18: Talk Money Week

The 33 Marks of Maturity

This is the title of a new e-book from The Art of Manliness. I thought it sounded interesting. I know a lot of guys, myself included, that could probably use some help in the maturity department. I haven't read the book yet...I'll probably order it in the next few days, but here's an excerpt from it:

It will mean much to our confused and hostility ridden world if and when the conviction begins to dawn that the people we call ‘bad’ are people we should call immature. This conviction would bring us to the realization of what needs to be done if our world is to be rescued from its many defeats. The chief job of our culture is, then, to help all people to grow up. —The Mature Mind by H. A. Overstreet

That's an interesting viewpoint. And I can see that idea in how immature men in general have gotten over the years.

And here's more from the same author:

In The Mature Mind (1949), psychologist Harry Allen Overstreet argued that “the most dangerous members of our society are those grownups whose powers of influence are adult but whose motives and responses are infantile.” Such individuals have stumbled into roles in which their decisions impact wide swaths of people, and yet lack the psychological resources and steady character to make those choices soundly.

The introduction then continues:

Even if not always existentially fraught, immaturity of mind makes for poor teachers, unethical businessmen, impetuous police officers, ineffective politicians, and brain-explodingly bad customer service reps — a reality easily observed today, where so many domains in life resemble a circus staffed by clowns. Yet, ironically enough, those who roundly lament the state of society are often the same people who seem rather childlike in their own orientation; they want to remain a little immature themselves, while being led, protected, served, and tended to by mature adults. They wish to remain children, in a world of grown-ups. 

But the world of children is only made possible by the world of adults. 

As the story of the Little Red Hen taught us, you cannot eat the bread, unless you’re willing to help make the bread. It takes everyone committing to developing a mature mind in order to create a culture that is safe, healthy, sane, and fulfilling. 

Individually, while the easy path of remaining childlike may seem desirable, the more challenging journey to personal maturity ultimately carries the greatest rewards. An immature approach to life may seem to promise the most freedom, but it invariably restricts our autonomy, as we end up the slaves of our emotions, circumstances, and minds, rather than their masters. Ignorance may sometimes appear to be bliss, but incompetence invariably constricts our choices, closing the number of pathways open to us. Undirected groping may sometimes feel like liberation, but a lack of progress towards an aim ultimately ends in stifling stagnation. Humans are meant to be on a trajectory of continuous, upward growth, and it is thus our destiny, and our joy, to grow to full “stature” in every aspect of who we are. 

So, maturation is essential for societal and personal betterment, but what does it mean to be mature, anyway? 

Maturity is difficult to define, though we instinctively recognize it when we encounter it embodied in another. It is best understood as a constellation of many traits, behaviors, actions, and mindsets which move an individual from the inward-focused egocentricity of childhood to the outward-directed stance of adulthood — from dependence to independence, incompetence to efficacy, bewilderment to wisdom. 

In this book, we draw on insights from Overstreet’s The Mature Mind, the follow-up he wrote with his wife Bonaro, The Mind Alive (1954), and many other sources of second and firsthand experience and observation, to list and describe the 33 marks of maturity that together compose this way of being in the world.

After I get the book, I'll have a follow-up post, probably in the next week or two.

 Interesting days

Today - Global Handwashing Day, World Students’ Day, White Cane Safety Day and Chicken Cacciatore Day

Tomorrow - World Food Day, Dictionary Day, Boss’ Day, Hagfish Day, Steve Jobs Day, Feral Cat Day, Global Dignity Day, Take Your Parents To Lunch Day and Department Store Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week 

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Next Tuesday - Caps Lock Day, Smart is Cool Day, Nut Day and International Stuttering Awareness Day

November 15 - Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, Spicy Hermit Cookie Day, America Recycles Day, Philanthropy Day, I Love to Write Day and Bundt Cake Day

Week long celebrations:

November 11 - 17: Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week

November 12 - 18: Talk Money Week

The Surfaris

I saw The Surfaris in concert in Oakland on Saturday night. This is the third time I've seen them live...once in Modesto, right after I moved there 3 1/2 years ago and the second time was down in Malibu this past June.

The four members of the band on Saturday were Bob Berryhill...original member of the band on lead guitar, Bob's older son Devon on bass, younger son Joel on drums and Ben (sorry Ben...I forgot your last name) on rhythm guitar and keyboards. This is a slightly different configuration than the other two times. Both previous occasions Bob's wife Gene played bass, And in Malibu Ben played rhythm and keyboards, and in Modesto Devon played rhythm. And Joel is always the singer.

Here's a video from Saturday's performance:

I thought I'd also posted Wipeout but I guess not.

And here's a picture of my friend Joe and me...we've been best friends since 2nd grade:

Anyway, that's it for now. They've already posted that they'll be back up this way next year!

Interesting days

Today - Be Bald And Free Day, World Standards Day, International Top Spinning Day, Dessert Day, Native American Day and Columbus Day

Tomorrow - Global Handwashing Day, World Students’ Day, White Cane Safety Day and Chicken Cacciatore Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week 

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Next Monday - Apple Day, Reptile Awareness Day, Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day, Count Your Buttons Day and International Gin and Tonic Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week 

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

November 14 - Loosen Up, Lighten Up Day, World Diabetes Day, Spicy Guacamole Day, Operating Room Nurse Day and Pickle Day

Week long celebrations:

November 11 - 17: Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week

November 12 - 18: Talk Money Week

Your weekend guide to interesting days - October 12, 2019

This week

Sunday - Mad Hatter Day, Badger Day, Noodle Day, Change A Light Day and World Cerebral Palsy Day

Monday - World Habitat Day, Bathtub Day, Team Margot Stem Cell and Bone Marrow Awareness Day, Day of Bullying Prevention, Frappe Day, Physician Assistant Day and Architecture Day

Tuesday - World Octopus Day, American Touch Tag Day, Face Your Fears Day, Ada Lovelace Day, Pierogi Day, Own Business Day and International Podiatry Day

Wednesday - Beer and Pizza Day, Canadian Beer Day, Scrubs Day, World Post Day, Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work & School Day, Emergency Nurses Day, Moldy Cheese Day, Pet Obesity Awareness Day, Fire Prevention Day and Curious Events Day

Thursday -  Sight Day, Cake Decorating Day, World Porridge Day, Hug A Drummer Day, World Homeless Day, Handbag Day, World Mental Health Day and SHIFT10 Day

Yesterday - Coming Out Day, Egg Day, Sausage Pizza Day, Vet Nurse Day and International Day of the Girl Child

Today - Old Farmers Day, World Arthritis Day and Pulled Pork Day

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Next week

Tomorrow - No Bra Day and Train Your Brain Day

Monday - Be Bald And Free Day, World Standards Day, International Top Spinning Day, Dessert Day, Native American Day and Columbus Day

Tuesday - Global Handwashing Day, World Students’ Day, White Cane Safety Day and Chicken Cacciatore Day

Wednesday - World Food Day, Dictionary Day, Boss’ Day, Hagfish Day, Steve Jobs Day, Feral Cat Day, Global Dignity Day, Take Your Parents To Lunch Day and Department Store Day

Thursday - Get Smart About Credit Day, Spreadsheet Day, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Wear Something Gaudy Day, Mulligan Day, Conflict Resolution Day, Playing Card Collection Day and Forgive an Ex Day

Friday - Chocolate Cupcake Day, No Beard Day and Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day

Saturday - I Love Yarn Day, Bridge Day, Sweetest Day, Repair Day and Evaluate Your Life Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week 

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month  

Next month

November 6 - Stress Awareness Day, Nachos Day, Saxophone Day and Benjamin Banneker Week

November 7 - Men Make Dinner Day, Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day, Hug A Bear Day and Project Management Day

November 8 - Guinness World Record Day, Cappuccino Day, Cook Something Bold and Pungent Day, World Quality Day, Harvey Wallbanger Day and X-Ray Day

November 9 - Scrapple Day, Chaos Never Dies Day and World Freedom Day

November 10 - Tongue Twister Day, United States Marine Corps Birthday, Forget-me-not Day, Vanilla Cupcake Day, Sesame Street Day and Area Code Day

November 11 - Origami Day, Singles Day, Pocky Day, Sundae Day and World Orphans Day

November 12 - Pizza With The Works Except Anchovies Day, Chicken Soup for the Soul Day, Fancy Rat & Mouse Day and Happy Hour Day

Week long celebrations:

November 11 - 17: Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week

November 12 - 18: Talk Money Week

The week in review - October 11, 2019

Monday - "The month in review - September 2019" I usually do these on the first Sunday of the following month, but I was lazy this weekend

Tuesday - "Your First Style Steps: Beyond Jeans, T-Shirts, and Tennis Shoes" From The Art of Manliness. "A lot of guys would like to improve their personal style, but they feel a little overwhelmed as to how to start."

Wednesday - "Who wants some free pumpkin spice caramels?" It's that time of year. "I'm still giving away pumpkin spice caramels!"

Thursday - "Cogito ergo sum #TBT" Are you what you think? "Cogito ergo sum is Latin for "I think, therefore I am"

Interesting days

Today - Coming Out Day, Egg Day, Sausage Pizza Day, Vet Nurse Day and International Day of the Girl Child

Tomorrow - Old Farmers Day, World Arthritis Day and Pulled Pork Day

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Next Friday - Chocolate Cupcake Day, No Beard Day and Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week

November 11 - Origami Day, Singles Day, Pocky Day, Sundae Day and World Orphans Day

Week long celebrations:

November 11 - 17: Human-Animal Relationship Awareness Week

Cogito ergo sum #TBT

Today's blog post was originally published three years ago. This post is especially timely since Kody Bateman is wrapping up his "I Am Blueprint" workshop. I've written about I am statements before.

No, this isn't what Michael Rennie told Patricia Neal to say to his robot, Gort, in "The Day the Earth Stood Still"; that was "Klaatu barada nikto", which probably means "Don't kill me or destroy the Earth".

Cogito ergo sum is Latin for "I think, therefore I am" which is from French philosopher and mathematician, Rene Descartes, who is responsible for giving us the Cartesian coordinate system...remember those x and y coordinates we used when we drew graphs in math class?

 

If you exist because you think you exist, does that mean that you are what you think? I don't think so. At least not totally. We think so many random thoughts that we can't control, but I think our thoughts form the basis of who we are. The thoughts that we think about ourselves over and over again, and that we believe about ourselves, are the start of who we are, not the end result.

Our beliefs, whether true or false, get closer to who we are. Our core values make up part of these beliefs. They don't define us but we are getting closer.

What about the things that we say or do? I think a lot of our actions and the things we say come in large part from who we are but we still have a lot of choice in what we say or do.

I think that our habits, the things we say or do automatically, come the closest to who we truly are...at the current moment. Our habits are the things that we've repeated so much that we do them without thinking.

 

This pretty much goes along with what I've just said.

But the good news for most of us is that all of these things can be changed. And the best place to start is at the beginning...with your thoughts. Be careful about what you put into your brain. If you feed it with negative words and images, you'll tend to develop negative thoughts. And if you feed it with positive words and images, you'll tend to develop positive thoughts.

About 20 years ago a woman I worked with told me that I was the most negative person that she knew. I don't really know how I got to be that way, but she was right. She gave me a bunch of books, like "I'm OK, You're OK" and a bunch of Wayne Dyer's books...among others. And she told me to read them. So I did, And it helped. But it's something you have to keep up with constantly. About 87% of the inputs we receive on a daily basis are negative. It's up to us to tune as much of that stuff out and to replace it with positive inputs.

My older son, Danny, read Stephen King novels non-stop for several years. He filled his mind with those words and mental images and he played violent video games. In fact, I happened to catch one of the games he was playing and one of the players got his arm cut off by a sword. And he wondered why he had a nightmare a day or two later where he and his friends were heroes in a game and one of his friends had her arm cut off by a sword.

 

Not only can you change your thoughts by putting new words and images in your mind, but you can also change your habits. Check out this blog post from August of last year.

So, turn off the news (especially the presidential debates) and read an inspirational or motivating book. Listen to uplifting music. And become the best you that you can be!

Interesting days

Today - Sight Day, Cake Decorating Day, World Porridge Day, Hug A Drummer Day, World Homeless Day, Handbag Day, World Mental Health Day and SHIFT10 Day

Tomorrow - Coming Out Day, Egg Day, Sausage Pizza Day, Vet Nurse Day and International Day of the Girl Child

Next Thursday - Get Smart About Credit Day, Spreadsheet Day, International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Wear Something Gaudy Day, Mulligan Day, Conflict Resolution Day, Playing Card Collection Day and Forgive an Ex Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week

November 10 - Tongue Twister Day, United States Marine Corps Birthday, Forget-me-not Day, Vanilla Cupcake Day, Sesame Street Day and Area Code Day Does anyone know the area code for Sesame Street? 

Who wants some free pumpkin spice caramels?

I'm still giving away pumpkin spice caramels!

It's very easy to enter...just watch a 25 minute video, then let me know that you've watched it and you'll be entered in the drawing. I had the first two drawings at 8:00 PM Pacific time on the last two Fridays and I'll be doing it again at least one more time this Friday.

The video is about SendOutCards and it's presented by Jordan Adler. Nobody who's watched the video has had anything bad to say about it and I've actually gotten some positive comments about it. Jordan will be doing an updated video on Thursday at 6:00 PM Pacific time (9 Eastern/8 Central). I'll be hosting a live watch party at that time to share the new video with you.

Here's a link to the video.

If you'd like to receive additional tickets to the drawing, just get your friends to watch the video...they'll receive a ticket and so will you!

You can share this post to your Facebook page (just click on the Share icon on the image below):

And to make it even easier, I'm going to schedule a watch party this afternoon at 4:00 Pacific time. If you are on Facebook at that time you'll be able to watch from my Facebook wall. Just tag your friends in the comments for my video and they'll be able to watch also.

Interesting days

Today - Beer and Pizza Day, Canadian Beer Day, Scrubs Day, World Post Day, Bring Your Teddy Bear To Work & School Day, Emergency Nurses Day, Moldy Cheese Day, Pet Obesity Awareness Day, Fire Prevention Day and Curious Events Day

Tomorrow -  Sight Day, Cake Decorating Day, World Porridge Day, Hug A Drummer Day, World Homeless Day, Handbag Day, World Mental Health Day and SHIFT10 Day

Month long celebrations:

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

Next Wednesday - World Food Day, Dictionary Day, Boss’ Day, Hagfish Day, Steve Jobs Day, Feral Cat Day, Global Dignity Day, Take Your Parents To Lunch Day and Department Store Day

Week long celebrations:

October 13 - 19: Healthcare Foodservice Workers Week

November 9 - Scrapple Day, Chaos Never Dies Day and World Freedom Day