Author: jeff noel

When was the last time you had a heart to heart talk with yourself? Seriously!

Congratulations if it was recent, meaningful and you feel you acted with decisiveness.

If you didn’t, why not? This is the process I repeat over and over.

As the CEO of Fast Company said in a presentation I observed many years ago, his process was (and probably still is) Launch, Learn, Revise.

Launch, learn, revise. Has a nice ring to it.

There is a book out, which I haven’t read (but hope to soon), called “What Got you Here Won’t Get you There”.

Does this title stir any emotions with you?

Are you happy with the current path your life is on? Many times on my mid life journey I ask this question. Even this morning. And, oh yes, even yesterday. How about this thought from Phillip Brooks (1835 -1893), noted American clergyman and author:

“You must learn, you must let God teach you, that the only way to get rid of your past is to make a future out of it. God will waste nothing.”

Let your “successful failures” give you the seeds of wisdom to make choices that will help you make your 2009 one of your best (if not the best) years ever! And let your glorious victories, small or large, help you see that anything is possible. You just have to believe.

I challenge myself to do the impossible. Like this entry a few days ago about the 10-year old boy with luekemia: https://midlifecelebration.com/?p=220

Carpe diem! Gotta go. The sun is up and it’s time for a run. Later.

I believe Winter starts the first morning you hear a Robin (bird) chirp. So, this year, Winter starts today, December 29. This is a tradition I created a decade ago, when I was thinking about my mid life celebration (aka mid life crisis) and looking for ways, if I ever got the privilege to be a Dad, to help our child understand the changing of seasons. Seasons change in central Florida, but only if you pay attention.

In fact everything changes.

And once again, only if you pay attention. As you approach mid life, change is everywhere. Most ignore it, deny it, hate it.

Change is as subtle as the one morning you hear a chirp you haven’t heard in about a year. Do you know how in tune you have to be to listen for this without listening for this?

Anyway, I’ll leave you with this: “When are you going to decide to kick your own ass and use the second half of your life, to be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Lunch. The meal most consider eating in the middle of the day, say from 11am – 1pm, more or less. We do this every day. If we’re smart anyway. And, if we’re blessed to have live in a part of the world that isn’t challenged with war or famine. So generally speaking, we all “do lunch” everyday.

And, it is far from “inspiring”.

Because of the usual and customary habits we have, lunch can be fairly uneventful. It’s something to do (or have to do) in order to nourish our bodies and ward off hunger.

No flash of brillance. No earth-shattering revelation. Just lunch. Alone or with others. Just lunch.

So yesterday, I’m eating lunch with two eight-year olds. My son and his good friend. We all had simple sandwiches and chips. We decided to eat on our patio, since the temperature was a balmy 78 degrees.

I offered the boys two choices of chips, and placed the bags on the table, something I don’t usually do. Anyway, the bag of Dorito’s is in front of me, with the back of the bag facing me. A boy’s photo was staring me in the face. It had the look of a “missing child” announcement, for a 13-year old Florida boy named Pat Pedraja. It seemed odd to me that Dorito’s would have a “missing child” notice on their bag, so I started to read it and here it is word for word:

“At the age of 10, Pat developed leukemia. After seeing patients die with no matching donor, Pat learned there was a critical shortage of ethnic minorities on the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Pat and his mom got into an RV and drove cross country to 32 cities, to get minorities to join the registry. By selling sponsorship on his bald head, he raised over $140,000 and added 8,000 donors to the NMDP Registry.”

I sat there, humbled.

Humbled and amazed by what a 10-year old boy and his mom did. They did something great! In fact, there is a website – www.dosomething.org – at the bottom of the chip bag.

Check it out if you want. But even if you don’t check it out, do something. In fact, I’ll be as bold as to challenge you to do something GREAT!

Make it a great day for yourself and for others. Because if you don’t, who will? Carpe diem!