Just Thinking

Mountaintop Reflections – I Saw The Universe – Really!

March 27, 2020 By Rick Leave a Comment

Have you ever climbed a mountain or even the local ski hill just to get away and think? About what you’re doing with yourself, whether it be your job, your family, school, or even about the meaning of life (whatever that means to you)?

Now, I come by mountain climbing naturally having been raised in the mountains and accustomed to having a mountain to climb outside my back door. This was the perfect opportunity for a teenage boy to take the dogs for a hike, hang your feet over a cliff, and view the distant highway, wondering where everyone was going and how important was it that they got there.

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We Are Responsible For The Place We Live And For Making It Better

March 23, 2020 By Rick Leave a Comment

At no other time has being responsible for the place we live been more important. In this time of a worldwide pandemic, we must take care of our little corners of the world – our communities.

We’re told to self-isolate and meet only in very small groups. Great advice, even when it includes your family. We will get through this but we must get through it together.

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We Are Responsible For Others And Helping Them Grow

March 4, 2020 By Rick 2 Comments

Once we accept and become being responsible for ourselves, as noted in Part 1 of this series, we must continue to be this for ourselves because the next step is to realize that we are responsible for others.

I don’t necessarily mean for their day to day sustenance and upkeep (although that might prove to be the case at some point) but, rather, for their growth and support. I believe this also includes accepting them and ensuring that they know they belong and that they matter.

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We Are Responsible For Ourselves And The Decisions We Make

February 26, 2020 By Rick Leave a Comment

I went to an old friend for the definition of responsible; a hardcopy dictionary from my young adult years that I haven’t used since Google searches came into our lives.

Responsible:

“Able to answer for one’s conduct or obligations.”

“Trustworthy: able to choose for oneself between right and wrong.”

Synonyms: trustworthy, accountable

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (published 1986)

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We Are Responsible – Introduction

February 24, 2020 By Rick Leave a Comment

I recently wrote that “you are not responsible for other’s happiness, but you could be the reason for it.” But that didn’t seem quite right. It didn’t ring true and as I thought about it I realized that we are indeed responsible for it; just as we are for treating people with love and respect.

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The Value Of Friendships

February 21, 2020 By Rick Leave a Comment

I’m one of those people who far too easily give up on those who are close. And to be completely honest, I don’t let them in at the time they could become even more valuable as friends.

I think we too often let opportunities to get to know better those we come in contact with. This includes at work as well as any social gatherings or neighborhood get-togethers. We are given opportunities to matter to others and we (I) let them pass.

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You Are The Life Of Your Dreams

February 10, 2020 By Rick 2 Comments

Focus on the desires of your heart and you will be living the life of your dreams.

Throughout life, we continually ask, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Never satisfied and always searching, some say they never find.

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Your Answers Are Yours To Be Lived

February 5, 2020 By Rick Leave a Comment

If it’s truth you seek don’t give up. The answers might surprise you but they are yours to be lived.

It seems we grow up wanting to be adults and then when we get there, we let the expectations of society – others – dictate who we become and what we do. We settle for society’s “truth” rather than let our own truth come out and be lived.

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