Sal's Reflections

One of the wisest persons I know told me recently “Joy is the one feeling that always reminds me that life is worth living. “Being one who never settles for the quote alone I inquired” “but where does one find Joy”?The person paused for a moment, smiled and said”it is all around us and often in the smallest events and daily experiences.”After reflecting on the statement I thought that a smile,a caring moment,a song and an endless array of daily wonders can be savored if we take a moment or a second to realize the experiences of life.I understand that all of us are caught up in the tasks of responsibility, but today and ever day there are the penetrating opportunities that fill us with Joy.

I hear the pundits on cable TV predicting all of the horrors that will occur if we raise the minimum wage..One imitator of Solomon stated”that if they are unhappy with the job they should secure one that pays more.”The reality is that those higher paying jobs are disappearing and in my opinion it is impossible to get out of poverty if minimum wage is all a person can make week in and week out. My Father as an eleven year old worked in a sweat shop, but because the country had a plethora of well paying jobs, he eventually secured a better position and ultimately had a successful business with his brothers. Those working minimum wage are not living on the rest of us, and often they are the primary bread winner for a family. Can you imagine trying to raise a family on such a pithy salary. So much of the promise of America lies in the foothold of at least one family member. I have been blessed in this great land beyond description, and all I want is for those people who every day make my life easier to participate in the promise.Congress, get over the “we”-them” mentality and raise the minimum wage and pass a real jobs bill.

In the midst of the immigration debate it serves us well to remember the difficulties of our individual heritage.Part of my family during the Irish immigration period endured blatant discrimination actually facing signs on factories that stated”Irish need not apply”.The route for the Italian side of my family experienced equal blatant discrimination being closed out because they were”Wops”.Many of us have never felt the sting of such bias, and in the debate regardless of our political beliefs these memories behoove us to remember that we are discussing the lives of Mothers ,Fathers and children.If we conjure images of our loved ones who paved the way for us years ago, I believe it will enable us to deal with this complex issue in a fair and decent manner.

I have been out of commission for the past three days due to the flu and moving to Washington. In the course of this saga again I learned the value of others. It is often fashionable to criticize workers today and harp about the lack of the work ethic, However these past three days we encountered nothing but fantastic people who made the transition as smooth as possible. Starting with the movers, despite the surly manager, they could not have been devoted, followed by the employees at Best Buy and every other business frequented in the past three days. Often these people go unnoticed or are taken for granted ,but once again I realize how much they enable all of us to function,expecially during the moving saga.

Moving is such an ambivalent phenomenon. There is the moving from the known to the unknown and despite the fact that I have ventured down this road many times before, there is always a certain degree of uncertainty. I know on the other side of this transition there will be a host of growth opportunities if I am willing to be aware and receptive. Never in all of my moves has the new environment failed to offer significant moments, people and learning that have positively changed me, hopefully for the better.

I often hear the words”I have enormous difficulty making decisions. “I learned from the inventor of “Direct Decision Therapy “Harold Greenwald that it is impossible not to make decisions.The prior statement about not making a decision is in itself a decision. Harold believed that the most important decision we make is about ourselves.His contention is that the initial decision is at a time when we are most impressionable and needs to be examined as adults. Making a positive decision about oneself as an adult surprisingly often leads to a greater awareness and concern for others.

This morning was the last time I would visit my favorite bakery shop. This place had become part of my routine, and here I established a new community and dear friends the last two and one half years. There was a great deal of comfort each time I entered and was so warmly received by employees and other friends. It is hard to let go of this place, and New York.However,the experiences over and over repeated in my life is what a dear friend once said to me “life begins where your comfort zone ends. “There will be new places in Washington, and a host of new opportunities if I am willing to reach out and embrace the challenges that lie ahead.

Everyone wistfully hopes that someday they will win the Lottery and fulfill every one of their dreams There are hundreds of dreams built around the purchase of a lottery ticket.However ,if think about it many of us have already won a plethora of lotteries.If we are loved by someone and have been fortunate enough to have family and friends we have won a Lottery. If we can see, walk and hear we have again won a Lottery.If we have core beliefs and understand the meaning of community we have won a Lottery. So many simple gifts that have been showered may not have significant economic value but when we lose them we realize that they were priceless.

This week I will move from New York to Washington D.C.but as usual in the trail of many moves there are mixed emotions.There is a tinge of sadness leaving dear friends and the wonder of this great city. The vibrance of the multi-cultural environment filled with endless opportunities to experience incredible museums,Broadway and so many other unbelievable art venues is not easily left.However,there is another dimension to moving because every time this pilgrim has entered a new environment there has been a plethora of learning, new relationships and endless opportunities to experience different dimensions of the human experience. Good bye New York and thank you for all the memories. Hello Washington I am ready for the next part of the journey.

One of the real advantages in the business world is the ability to periodically take the time to reflect on what has been learned about the business. Changes in every aspect of customers, competition and a host of other influences provide opportunities to make the necessary strategic adjustments. I believe the same is true in our personal lives. It is worth the time and effort to every three or four months to reflect on what we have learned about our life. and ponder the adjustments that will give us deeper meaning. These moments may not always be easy because in the process we may uncover areas that need change and that in itself can be most challenging. The analogy for me is exercise because I almost always can find a reason not to do it, but when I do it always brings results and satisfaction.