Words of Wisdom: From Everest to Kindness

I like to share potent words of wisdom from time to time.

Here are couple more poignant ideas to add to the mental vault.

1. Fifty years ago, Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Mt. Everest. He shares some pretty great thoughts about getting out to experience nature and being willing to fail.

2. I don’t know much about this George Saunders cat, but he gave a pretty awesome commencement address at Syracuse University. You can read the full speech on the New York Times, and here is a money quote Kottke highlighted…

Since, according to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving: Hurry up. Speed it along. Start right now. There’s a confusion in each of us, a sickness, really: selfishness. But there’s also a cure. So be a good and proactive and even somewhat desperate patient on your own behalf – seek out the most efficacious anti-selfishness medicines, energetically, for the rest of your life.

Word.

Awesome Life Advice from an Awesome Dude, Kelso.

Check out this awesome life advice from Ashton Kutcher. At the Teen Choice Awards no less.

Kelso may not be able to find his car, but there’s more than meets the eyes.

Seriously good advice to teens….or anyone. Nice work taking the high road Chris.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fepUlDbx5Y[/youtube]

Hat tip Airows.com.

The Dude Seeks Life Advice from a Chain Email & a Farmer

Old Farmer from Chain Email

Old Farmer from Chain Email

I hate chain emails as much as the next dude, but sometimes the chain just speaks to you!

I would imagine that I delete 99.99% of chain emails without a mere glimpse. Yet somehow this brilliant advice not only caught my attention, but convinced me to keep it lodged in my inbox for 51 days.

I’ve been waiting for the perfect time to pass on the chain email advice, and here we are…muy perfecto. Not sure what make this perfect other than I’m tired of looking at it after 51 days.

Are you excited?! Me too…I can finally delete this thing.

Here are some seriously wise words from a chain email…and a farmer.

Since an unknown troll under and unknown bridge creates chain emails, I have no one to credit except Tanta Linda. Thanks for clogging my inbox! 🙂

Life from the seat of a tractor – An  old farmer’s words of wisdom we can all live  by… 

  • Your  fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and  bull-strong.
  • Keep skunks and bankers at a  distance.
  • Life is simpler when you plow around the  stump.
  • A bumble bee is considerably faster than a  John Deere tractor.
  • Words that soak into your ears  are whispered¦….not yelled.
  • Meanness don’t just  happen overnight.
  • Forgive your enemies; it messes  up their heads.
  • Do not corner something that you  know is meaner than you.
  • It don’t take a very big  person to carry a grudge.
  • You cannot unsay a cruel  word.
  • Every path has a few puddles.
  • When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
  • The  best sermons are lived, not preached.
  • Most of the  stuff people worry about, ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
  • Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
  • Remember that silence is sometimes the best  answer.
  • Live a good and honorable life, then when  you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second  time.
  • Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t  bothering you none.
  • Timin’ has a lot to do with  the outcome of a rain dance.
  • If you find yourself  in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
  • Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
  • The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have  to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
  • Always drink upstream from the herd.
  • Good  judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from  bad judgment.
  • Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a  whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
  • If you  get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try  orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
  • Live simply,  love generously, care deeply,
  • Speak kindly, and leave  the rest to God.
  • Don’t pick  a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll  just kill  you.

The Dude Has Always Wanted To…Blow Glass

If I have an idea, I tend to give it a whirl.

Thanks to a wise sage (Mr. S. Barry :)), I tend to live by the motto of “Be the Expert.”

Wise words, right? We’re all just faking our way through life. Regardless of how smart we might think we are, we have no clue. Zero. Nada. Zip! We are all just making it up as we go, so we might as well “be the expert.”

I love to tell Mrs. Dude that everything is easy….she loves it too. 🙂

I know that lots of stuff is pretty darn difficult, but a huge part of me does believe that everything is pretty easy when we put our mind to it. If someone else did it, odds are, you can too.

As a result of this can-do attitude, I tend to latch onto ideas that I have no business holding on to. Like blowing glass.

Blowing glass seems awesome, right?! Shaping molten glass into gorgeous designs. Awesome.

Where do I sign up?

Then I watch a video like this that reminds me that sometimes it’s ok to leave it to the “experts.”

Who knows, someday Mrs. Dude may end up with a mis-shapened glass vase crafted by the Dude in an overcrowded garage utilizing dangerously hot materials in dangerously hazardous ways, but for now, I’m cool with watching this dude create an awesome glass blown horse in all of 90 seconds…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFSB3-SzgoQ[/youtube]

Hat tip to The Kid for sharing the love.

Words of Wisdom from the US Forest Service

Check out this awesome list of “What to do When Lost in the Woods” from the US Forest Service way back in 1946.

It’s a practical list that can save a life in a dangerous situation, but as Brain Pickings points out, it’s also a great guide for those of us that lose our creative way. Very cool to see practical and creative joining forces.

Hats off to Brain Pickings for sharing the love – I’ve said this before, but if you haven’t checked out the B.P., you definitely should.

Words of Wisdom from the US Forest Service

Words of Wisdom from the US Forest Service

Say It Ain’t So: 2012 Ice Cream Crisis!

i-deem-man

i-deem-man

I try not to have regrets. Life is too short to worry about what might have been. However, the Dude missed two career paths that have left trails of regret.

1. Zamboni driver. You know. That car-type thing that cleans the ice at hockey games. Always seemed like a great job. I should have earned some college money driving the school zamboni.

and

2. Ice cream man. Awesome high school summer job. It’s mindless. Outside, somewhat. And you’re driving a truckload of happiness. Perfect summer job.

I’ve pretty much moved on from these regrets, but now that summer is here, and Little Dude learned what the “i-deem-man” does, it’s all flooding back.

The ice cream man is a pretty hilarious concept.

$3 for one of what you can buy a box at the store. .But somehow it makes sense because a dude in a truck, that’s about to breakdown, is selling it out of his window.

Okay. Two please.

At the beginning of the summer it’s great. Once. Maybe twice. After a few weeks, it settles in that this dude is coming everyday. And the kids want ice cream. Everyday.

Kids and parents react instinctual. Consistently, the same reactions. Kids scream. Amazing, ridiculous screams. And may run around in circles.

Parents, hang their head and slouch their shoulders – like their favorite team just lost a big game – knowing they are about to get ripped off.

Little Dude now recognizes the “i-deem-man’s” music and knows that it leads to a truck with delicious snacks.

It’s pretty adorable.

Dada. I-deem-man. I-deem-man.

Awesome.

Which is why I’m dismayed to learn that the there is a 2012 Ice Cream Crisis. Don’t tell Little Dude. He’ll be heart broken.

Good Humor is short on the Toasted Almond, Chocolate Eclair, and Candy Center Crunch in the Northeast. They are blaming it on an unusually warm spring.

Is this a plot to get us to believe in climate change?

And why only the Northeast?

Those aren’t popular on the west coast.

No taste buds in Cali?

Make Good Art

Growing up, I never really considered myself an “artist.” But over the years, that’s changed.

The Dude is now a believer that everyone is an artist. We all have great art inside of us. In fact, everyone has absolutely brilliant and unique “art” just waiting to be tapped and shown to the world.

Life is art, and our daily actions are the brush strokes we’re using to paint the world around us. If we can take ourselves seriously as artists, and not sabotage our efforts with negative thinking, we’ll be amazed by the art that we create.

This commencement speech by Neil Gaiman at the Philadelphia University of Arts 2012 graduation is a great artistic motivator. I’m not all that familiar with Gaiman, but I’m a big fan after this great talk.

His simple message: “Make good art.”

And a great secondary message: “Let go. And enjoy the ride.”

Nobody else is you. Paint the world around you with your unique strokes. Everyday. All the time. And have fun doing it.

Thanks for the great motivation Neil!

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/42372767#[/vimeo]

Finish Strong

I’m a big fan of the story of this dude Nate Ebner.

I spent a large portion of my life living outside of Boston. And as a result, Boston sports have been ingrained in me.

Boston is a pretty crazy sports town. Die-hard fans of all sorts. I’ve had the luxury of cheering for some  amazing teams, but I am happy to say that now that I’m removed from the daily sports talk, it’s nice to be a casual fan rather than a die-hard. There are more important things in life to think about.

However, you can’t remove the fan altogether, and I’ve already started to brainwash the kiddos. Although, considering we don’t have TV, there’s really not much sports watching happening anyway.

So, what does all this Boston sports talk have to do with Nate Ebner? Nate is a new draft pick by the New England Patriots. He was a standout rugby player, and went on to play special teams at Ohio State as a walk-on.

Not all that impressive considering amazing NFL athletes, but Nate has the “intangibles.” He’s got a great attitude and an amazing work ethic. He may have spent most of this time on special teams for Ohio State, but his coach says that he was without a doubt the most valuable player on the team.

That’s the type of person you want on your team, and that’s the type of player Boston fans love to root for. Underdog with the heart of a lion.

So, I’m looking forward to seeing how Nate does in the NFL. But more than that, Nate’s story struck a chord with me.

I’ve carried a “finish strong” mantra with me since I was a kid. As I was playing sports, my Padre would remind me to finish strong. He helped me understand that this simple mindset is what makes someone a leader and pushes you above the pack.

It’s easy. You’re going to finish anyway. Just put in that last bit of effort to finish strong.

This mantra has stuck with me. I still say it to myself when I’m working on a challenging task, physical or mental, and now I’ve caught myself passing these sage words onto the kiddos.

It turns out that these are the same words that Nate lives by. Nate’s dad instilled these same words in him. Unfortunately, Nate’s dad has passed away, but “finish strong” has lived on in Nate, and he’s brought that message to all of his teammates as well.

It’s also great to see how much love and respect Nate has for his father. Great people finish strong, and they make other people great along the way.

Here’s a nice video about Nate. Looking forward to seeing you on the field Nate…when I visit someone that has TV. 🙂

Finish strong.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIq-MaR5rCM[/youtube]

Verbal Storm

Little Dude = Happy

Little Dude = Happy

It has been raining words at the Dude casa over the last week.

We had the pleasure of enjoying a visit from Grammie and Papa, and Little Dude chose a great time to open the flood gates on his vocab.

He started walking/running during their visit over the summer as well. I’m not sure if the Grandparents help to draw out these new skills, or if it’s just great timing, but either way, it’s awesome that they have the opportunity to enjoy the development first hand.

And enjoy it they did. Grammie and Papa both seemed quite surprised at the the quality, consistency, and quantity of the words pouring out of Little Dude’s mouth.

Putting two words together before two. Grammie was quite excited. Baby genius? Duh. 🙂

It’s pretty comical to hear what he’s putting together. A few examples…

  • “Hey guys.”
  • “Feesch” = Fish
  • “Wherzit?” = Where’s it?
    • Mostly used when Nemo is captured.
  • “Whereditgo” = Where’d it go?
    • Mainly used when hunting for the paci that we’ve hidden.
  • “Peese” = Please
  • “Ti ty” = Thank you
  • “Outside”
  • “Let’s go”
  • “Tada!”
  • “Moy” = More
  • “Bac” = Bacon
  • “Sawsig” = Sausage
    • The Boy loves some breakfast meats. Primal, like his Old Man. 🙂
  • “All done”
  • “Ud u” = Love you

But no question, my absolute favorite new Little Dude vocab word is “happy!”

I enjoy the nightly routine of putting LD to bed – one of the best moments of the day because we get some quiet hugs for a minute….that’s something special from a kid that sprints everywhere he goes.

As we hugged the other night, LD said “happy,” “Dada, happy.”

I wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was the first time I heard it from him, and he only said it a couple times. I wasn’t sure if I even heard it correctly. I left it at that, and decided not to read into it too much.

Then the next night the “happys” came on full steam. As we hugged, he must have said “Happy.” “Dada, happy.” about twenty times. It was clear as day.

Who knows why he said it, but I’m reading into it. I’m coming up with my own conclusion.

My boy is telling me he’s happy and/or I’m happy as we hug at the end of the day. How can I not read into that? How can I not assume what seems obvious?

He knows what happy means, and he knows that we’re happy. That’s a heart melting moment. And I loved every millisecond of it.

Indeed, Little Dude, “Dada, happy.” Thanks for being a bottomless pit of happiness for the Dude.

Extra Sprinkles

Extra Sprinkles

Extra Sprinkles

This passed weekend, the Princess enjoyed a sleepover. Always an adventure.

The excitement could hardly be contained in her little body. Of course Mrs. Dude pulled out all the stops, including movies, pizza, and an ice cream party.

The ladies each had the opportunity to decorate their cones with a wide selection of goodies.

As the Princess added some extra sprinkles to her cone, the Dude walked into this conversation:

  • Amigo: That’s how people get fat.
  • Dude: You don’t need to worry about that. But too much candy could give you an upset stomach.
  • Princess: It’s over-sized.
  • Dude: You girls don’t need to worry about that.
  • Princess (to amigo): Over-sized is a nicer way to say it.
  • Dude: Well, I agree, that is a nicer way to say that, but you don’t need to worry about that.
  • Amigo: Well, I know who’s oversized, “J.” (Identities have been removed to spare the innocent.)
  • Dude (chuckling): We really don’t need to worry about that.

As I walked away, I overheard…

  • Amigo: Yada, yada, yada, then “J” kicked me…somehow. I don’t know how, his legs are tiny.

Now I have the image of a cartoon character in my mind – over-sized with tiny violent legs.

Hilarious. Glad the Princess is always trying to protect feelings…even if they are the feelings of an over-sized cartoon character with tiny, violent legs.