Saturday, October 18, 2008

DOES OUR FAMILY WORK HARD?


Some find it hard to believe that work is as satisfying as most other good things in life. But experience says “nothing comes easy” - career, hobby, relationships and health. Everyone wants happiness - it comes either like magic or by hard work. You can’t buy it, it is the byproduct of doing something right.

If we want a nice home, that means a lot of work. If I want a good job, that means work. If I want to play an instrument, that means work. If I want a good friend, that means work.

The big misunderstanding is that the work is at least half the fun. In other words, work has a bad name. Maybe work is really a good word.

The good from work is huge. We use our minds and bodies and learn that discipline leads to success. Nothing comes easy. Few satisfactions match the sense of accomplishment when we get it right. When that happens, we have something that stays with us, no matter what. Once I learn to play the guitar, I can always go back to it. My accomplishments become part of my self-image for life.

There are a number of big misuses of work. The most usual is making work an addiction. In this case work becomes an escape from life. It crowds out many other important things. This happens for some because they are afraid to be still and think. They probably are carrying past problems that bring them shame or fear - so it’s easier to shut them out with work. That’s what some do using high volume music or noise.

The other main work mistake is “working to retirement”. This is getting to be old fashioned partly because retirement is now less available. Still, too many look on work as the necessary evil to get where they really want to be. The thought is “If I work hard and save, then I can stop work and enjoy myself”. That hardly ever happens. What does happen is a person stops work and looks around hoping to find the fun.

It is said we humans are “goal-seeking beings”. We all want something. This says we don’t get anywhere without a goal and an effort. This also says that the wise person learns that the “getting there” usually can be as good as the result.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

THE FAMILY IN A TECH WORLD


Want to know something? Now we go to the internet. Does this mean that the internet knows all we need? Does it know as much as God? Does it mean that the internet knows better than our own family? This is going to be one of our biggest questions.

What does our family know that the internet doesn’t? That’s an even better question. Let’s see:

The internet doesn’t know me, my parents, brothers and sisters and all our other family members. So the internet knows lots about families in general but not my family specifically. Even as the internet collects all sorts of financial, educational, medical information about us - it still doesn’t know about us.

As Google digs deeper and deeper, sounds like we need to get clearer and clearer how we are special and unique - something Google can never know.

Google knows our illnesses but not our healthy attitudes.

Google knows our money but not our priorities.

Google knows our religion but not our beliefs.

Google knows our family stats but not our closeness.

Google knows our education but not our special talents.

Google knows all about our house but not our home.

Google knows our cars but not our energy conservation.

Google knows all our stuff but not our environmental interests.

Google knows our work but not our community contributions.

Google knows our taxes and donations but not our generosity.

While Google knows practically everything about everything, IT doesn’t know us and our family.

So, while we make good use of Google, we should not let Google distract us from what really makes our family:

Family attitudes, Priorities, Beliefs, Closeness, Talents, Home, Contributions, Interests, Generosity, Caring for Community and the Environment.

This is our FAMILY CHALLENGE.