Sal's Reflections

Everyone would like to think that there life could be extraordinary but often fail to see what a difference they make.It may seem ordinary to raise a child, but there are millions of moments that require total love and devotion.It may not seem monumental to care for an aging relative or to be supportive to a friend in need.Caring about the Mideast or dedicating your work habits to be supportive of everyone regardless of race ,creed or sexual preference may never be in the spotlight but it matters.Each of us touches the world in ways that make a difference, and what seem mundane and ordinary is really thousands of moments that make life extraordinary for others.

Fear of failure prevents more wonderful experiences because there is that constant apprehension about consequences. The voice at the back of our brain urges caution to the point that trying new paths becomes most improbable. What we fear is often grossly exaggerated ,and the consequences of new attempts are often not so significant. Life can be an adventure or a repetition of the same, and I believe that dealing with the fear opens new areas for exploration which can be most rewarding. In essence the biggest failure may be to let our fear create the ongoing patterns that we find less than fulfilling. As a writer every time I sit down to compose there is that fleeting fear that ‘maybe it will not be good enough.” Plowing though that feeling always leads somewhere better than sitting and being governed by the”what ifs”.Today in some small way can the fear and” go for it”.

In an era when downsizing can occur often without warning it is critical to have assistance in the job search.I would suggest that when this happens it would be beneficial to request friends or relatives to become part of a search team. The purpose is not to find you a job themselves, but to lend support,guidance and direction throughout the process.It can be quite a shock to lose a job especially if it has been years since you last were in that position. Knowing that you are not alone is critical, and the wealth of experience that your team brings to the search can be the difference between drifting and securing a new position.

It is normal to spend hordes of time on the most pressing problems in our lives but rarely does total focus on these issues solve anything.Certainly there needs to be an understanding of the dimensions and implications of the issues but too much energy is often wasted by perseverating on the issue.Instead most of our energy should be spent on solving the issue and creating positive ways that will enhance the outcomes.When we spend all of our energy on a problem it becomes mammoth and bigger than life itself.There are boulders in every path, but instead of telling ourselves how gigantic the boulder is, it would be better to see the challenge of getting around or over the boulder.Today consider altering your speech about the main challenge you have, and place most if not all of your energy in developing strategies that make the problem an opportunity.

Part of moving from one place to another is the rediscovery of so many past moments in one’s life.As we fill or empty the endless moving boxes items remind us of people,places and events in the past or present.My heart was touched by so many letters,cards and pieces of memorabilia that for personal reasons always seem to make it to the new home.At the center of this experience is the realization that all of these represent persons that have been a vital part of my life.Some are gone physically and others are in far distant places, but they are always present in my heart.The memories of all of them are blessings that always find a place no matter where I live.

Yesterday morning I was visiting the FDR memorial and amidst all of his profound sayings was”The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”Nothing could be more poignant in America than that statement today.It has become too common for greed to replace community concern and Draconian measures are daily discussed to take what little the poor have.A society should be judged by how it treats those who struggle merely for survival. All of the harsh rhetoric toward those who are the “least of our brethren”should never be associated with true spirituality. It is in giving that we find meaning not taking away food stamps from women and children.

Yesterday I visited the Lincoln Memorial and the two dedicated to those lost in Vietnam and Korea.To see those names of the dead inscribed in stone and to read the profound words of Lincoln about out responsibility to carry on in their names was stunning. This great nation was built on the ultimate sacrifices of so many ,and now we are immobilized by a “do nothing Congress.”It should be part of the regimen of elected officials to weekly stand in front of these memorials and justify their lack of statesmanship to those who perished that we might continue.They were not just statistics but flesh and blood sons and daughters who were not owned by lobbies, but rather be belief in the Union and what it meant to the future.

Race is a topic that often evokes a series of emotions which make it most uncomfortable to discuss openly. The word racist is too often carelessly attributed on both sides of the fence, and the issue is rarely seen as an opportunity for growth. The lack of meaningful opportunities for exchange and understanding make positive movement as a society at best difficult. I believe if we could see the discussion as one where both sides would benefit from actual hands on exchanges there would be an even playing field that would allow people to bee seen as individuals rather than stereotypes. Every culture because of their heritage and experiences has a great deal to offer to the future of our society. It is time to view every issue of race not merely as who is most at fault, but rather what can we gain by reaching out and listening to diverse voice?

America and to some degree many Americans have thrived under Capitalism. The wealthy as in all systems built huge fortunes but the strongest middle class in history also enjoyed the fruits of this economic system.Personally as the child of an immigrant I had countless opportunities because the system was boundless in opportunities. I enthusiastically supported the is way of life that allowed workers to earn living wages and partake of the American dream. However, in many cases today I fear that we have moved from Capitalism to a system of greed which makes profit the sole purpose of the enterprise. The middle class jobs are evaporating and executive pay in many cases has moved from wealth to greed. Environmental concerns are dismissed in order to sustain enormous profit margins and lobbyists have almost total control of policy. The outcome that President Eisenhower so feared has become the reality in America and the system does not represent a way of life that was the envy of the world.

There are some who believe that the poor sit around a campfire and choose to be indolent and to take money from others while contributing nothing. This is based on the premise that poverty is a choice, but I do not adhere to this belief.I have personally through the years worked with those who understand the plight of poverty, and the struggles merely to survive. The choices which are minimal to begin with, are even further curtailed in severe economic times as the one we are now experiencing. The words of the Prophet which fostered concern for the poor not disdain remain the same today” If you did it for the least of my brethren you did it for me.”