Sal's Reflections

Many Americans are living longer more healthy lives due to the ongoing counsel they receive.Floss your teeth daily,limit your food intake,give up smoking,exercise and take certain medications to control your blood pressure.There is support for a healthy approach to our bodies ,and most of us have a sense of our daily minimum requirements.However, I believe that is not true for our emotional well being which is often too dependent on the opinions and evaluations of others.It is common to be taught that endorsing yourself as a person that deserves to be loved ,needed and respected is selfish.I believe that this is not healthy and endorsing yourself is as vital to your health as all of the physical prescriptions that we are counseled to follow.We need a minimum of daily self endorsement to keep in balance the natural tendency to be too self critical.
It has been my experience that loving yourself does not make you more insular, but rather more generous and giving to others.The statement that” you should love others as you love yourself is still the gold standard for a healthy life.”
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Sorry to see the last episode of Downton Abbey because it captivated me through each season.I cared about the characters and as in all good writing they became so real that I believed I knew them on a personal level.This is the the beauty of the arts, and why we should support those wonderfully creative people that spend their lives developing works that elevate our souls and minds. The actors,actresses,playwrights,film makers ,writers painters, musicians,composers and all whose devotion makes our lives more fulfilled deserve our praise and support.. The lyrics of a song that moves us to tears, or the portrayal of a villain that promotes the desire for us to make the world a little better are moments that take us out of the ordinary to the world of enrichment, and the experiences often have a lasting effect on us.

Spent a lovely evening
At a  dinner for our friend Andrea who recently died.Over and over persons stated how so many lives were touched by her caring and mentoring.Andrea literally found time to share all of her skills with many who were struggling to find meaning and purpose.Her life reinforces that the truest path to legacy and meaning is the service of others.Many will never know her name ,but their lives and loved ones have been blessed by her love and commitment to others.

One of life’s difficult situations is being alone and experiencing the pain of loneliness.It can be the outcome of a personal loss like the death of a loved one,the absence of purpose or a host of other challenging issues. We are all looking for something in our lives that makes the world a little better, and I would suggest that contacting those who are in the midst of difficulty is readily available to all of us. Is there someone you know that has been immersed in loss ,or who feels unimportant? A phone call,note,email or visit may be the only beacon that someone cares that they will experience. Those little gestures that they are not forgotten will have not only benefit for them but also for you. Reaching out has the blessing of the receiver and the giver and it is worth trying to think whose life you can touch today.

I am so tired of the personal insult approach that is taking place in presidential politics.I find it demeaning when one personal physical insult is hurled at each other instead of addressing in detail policies that are critical ,and searching for common ground.We are a people that needs answers to the challenges that face this great nation, and it may be amusing to talk about big ears,small fingers and who sweats the most, but it is below the standard of what we deserve.This great nation has a crumbling infrastructure,and a plethora of challenges that beg for common ground.

When I gave the keynote presentation on Leadership in Atlanta I was struck by the reality that no one in the audience was exactly alike. Different sizes,color of eyes,different smiles,temperament a host of other variables.It is truly amazing that each of them was singular and their presence had never been seen for literally billions of years.Each of us is a treasured unique person and it is not only futile trying to be someone else, it destroys the beauty of our singular value.Be yourself, and do not get bogged down in what you don’t have but rather celebrate that you are one of a kind.

There is a beautiful island that resides in our head that is filled with wonderful dreams and accomplishments.The island is filled with new ventures,exciting vacations,career opportunities and a host of thrilling opportunities. The name of the island is “Someday”.Someday I will get to the things that I desire but not right now”Someday I will look into furthering my education but not now”.Someday I will get involved with a charity but not now.”

The island is so wonderful, but to get there we have to travel through the sea of procrastination.What is the one thing you have been thinking about for a long period of time that you have housed at the island of Someday”Maybe it is time to take a boat across the sea of procrastination and claim that opportunity.

Some of the things I learned from Jeanne Mount:

You can be totally overwhelmed with tragedy, or you can find ways to rise above even the most impossible circumstances

Spend little time and energy on telling children what they can’t do