Life's too short ... to make it even shorter

It would be had to find a surer way to break my heart than to hear the stories of the young people who are taking their lives because of bullying. And so this is just a short message from me to add to the blogasphere - it does get better and when in does you'll be able to be there for others and to shine as the person you were meant to be.

Get attached to people - join conversation groups of all kinds. There are more people out there who care than you are imagining. People who care and who are in your corner. People who have travelled the road before you, and are just a little way ahead, close by and within reach.

Take less than 2 mins to listen to Ellen's emotional appeal and take it into your heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C85QQTXAtnY

Life's too short to ignore my blogging

Sorry about the hiatus - no excuses - life's too short.

Life's too short ... to burn down relationships behind you

I am a consultant by occupation and a life-long learner by nature and I have been struck recently by observing how some people deal with the issue of endings. Healthy relationships require that things change and adapt with the times and the needs of the people involved and yet I watch how the only way some can deal with change and evolution is by picking fault and then burning down the relationship as a means to call it over. It seems that this applies equally to personal and professional relationships and it's an all or nothing kind of approach that I certainly have fallen into in my time on earth.

But really, life is too short to burn those bridges. How many times will you want to call that person for some informal advice in the future only to find you have cut yourself off because you didn't have the courage or integrity to bring things to a healthy point of transition.

I once had a chat with a friend about divorce and we agreed that partners often do more damage on the way out of the door than the issue that caused the breakdown of the relationship in the first place - leaving the possibility of an ongoing but different relationship all but impossible.

It's the same in business and in employee/employer relationships. I watch how people cannot allow people to leave an organization with dignity. What can be thrown away are the years of good service and dedication because this seems to some to be impossible to reconcile with the fact that the needs of either party has now changed and there is no longer a good fit. And life is too short to stay when this is the situation but it is also way too short to burn down the relationship that existed and was part of building the new reality.

So I would say - take the time to save the relationship as well as opening the exit door.

Life's too short ... to short change someone

Attention to this principle calls for being fully in the present. Multi-tasking is the enemy.

I have long held that it is an asset and a skill to be a multi-tasker, little realizing how much I lost from life's rich experiences as I failed to honour people with my full attention.

Being an apprentice to this new realization and life-lesson, I should start by apologizing to a few critical people:

1. My children - cursed by a mother who is one of the world's great multi-taskers they were often short-changed with my time.

2. My dog - I could have given so much more to the walkies if I hadn't always had to make them about something else - as well as the one, single pleasure of just walking in the fresh air.

3. All the friends who needed me to just listen and not to be in solution-mode.

As the greatest gift I can give is the gift of my time, I feel like I short-changed a lot of people. More work-in-progress for me!

Life's too short ... to wash my own car

Compact economical and clean - here she is - looking good after being professionally detailed.

Perhaps because I live in a condo and the logistics of washing a car are complex and messy, or maybe it's the time it takes to spray, suds-up, rinse, and dry, but I really cannot justify doing the job myself when I can pay a little to someone else to do it on my behalf.

And frankly the whole exercise is just a manicure waiting to happen.

There is a bit of me that thinks I should be more frugal and save the twelve dollars but I generally manage to knock that little Jimminy Cricket off my shoulder as a drive to the car wash.

Pay a little I say - and work on your blog while someone else scrubs your hub caps and your car cruises through the process - Vive le semi-automation!

If you feel like getting your funk on while the car is being washed you could do wore than listening to a litlle Motown - Rose Royce singing Car Wash http://www.last.fm/music/Rose+Royce/_/Car+Wash

Life's too short ... to use mind altering substances

Now I know that this one is could alienate those readers who love to relax with a glass of wine. It may even annoy those who think that people who don't use mind-altering substances are (a) dull (b) party poopers (c) recovering addicts a.k.a. 'quitters'.

Thing is .... none of these are true about me and don;t just take my word for it, ask my friends. However, I have watched people in my circle become (a) dull (b) party poopers (c) addicts (quitters and the other kind) - and all because of alcohol and drugs.

Give me a person who enjoys life on its own terms. Who can take the sky whether it is blue or grey and still find fun, peace and enjoyment. Who can enjoy music, dancing and just talking while their mind is clear

If you are in recovery - my greatest wishes and admiration go with you. If you are looking for pain medication in a bottle or whatever - look elsewhere and find other help that doesn't damage you or those around you.

If you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or a cocktail on the patio or a beer with a game I don't want to be down on you if that is where it ends but if the substances is consuming you or your family then try taking this quick self-adminsitered test about your alcohol use: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tests/a/fiveshot.htm

Life's too short ... to always take the short cut

I know, I know, it sounds counter intuitive. Shirley, I mean surely, taking the short cut automatically piles up extra credit in the time available during the lifespan department. So you would think, but no - it's a trick! What has to be considered here is that what you gain time, you miss in experience - the stuff that enriches life. Robbing you of the richness of life is way worse than robbing of what is after all, only time.

I actually like to take the chance of not knowing exactly where I am going in a new city. I've heard of people taking a chance when you are on vacation of setting off on a walk and only taking right hand turns. No, not round and round a block! You have to mix it up a bit for this to work, but just seeing where it takes you. Live a little. Caution - if your gut tells you not to go down that street - trust your gut always. No need to be crazy in your search for adventure. Keep safe.

Do I like to take short cuts to buy me time to do really interesting things? Absolutely! Examples: those meals in one easy crock pot move, quick ways to get stains out of shirts, and skimming an article before you decide whether to do any serious reading. These can buy you time to do a little meandering, trying something new or stopping along the road to smell the roses or stop for a snack or drink at an attractive spot.

So don't go for the big rush every time and in every way - be a discerning short cut taker. Speed up the boring stuff and slow down the interesting or meaningful. Life's too short to miss the possibilities of taking your time - at least some of the time.

When you are considering this way of life, take in the skill practiced in Burma called Chinlone. It's a wonderful expression of spending time just being in the moment. Chinlone sport as meditation - no goal scoring, no rushing, no short cuts to find. Check out Mystic Ball:

www.mysticball-themovie.com

Life's too short ... to live in a home that doesn't feel like home

Been there? The end of a marriage, a tense relationship with a landlord, a dog that has taken over, bad memories - all can lead to that dead in the gut feeling that this place has stopped being 'home'. It has become just your address.


Home is about sanctuary and replenishment. If your current place isn't doing that, not only is life to short to stay there but the place is probably shortening your life - misery and stress being the prime suspects for poor life-span outcomes.

Of course, this could be an outcome that is not really about the physical space and the dog who needs to learn who is boss, than it is about whoever is sharing the space with you. This is a different problem and what will not help, is taking this person with you to a new address without changes being made and serious words having been spoken. This strategy of 'global re-positioning couples therapy' has a really, really poor success rate.

Subjects such as personal space, keeping power tools out of the living room when not in use, the place for dirty laundry, the appropriate use of fuscia and animal skin accessories, and the keeping (or not) of reptiles can lead to greater peace if negotiated by committed adults. These adults need to be attuned to helping all parties to feel at home and to not just relentlessly pursuing self interest. It can be a tall order but may save the move to separation and splitting of assets.

I give you full support to compromise on style but not on the principle that 'home' is about filling-up the spirit and heart of people who live there. Talk about that at your next family or room-mate AGM - or over dinner if that works best.

I leave you with this section of The Prophet by Kahil Gibran

" And tell me, people of OrphaIese, what have you in these houses? And what is it you guard with fastened doors? Have you peace, the quiet urge that reveals your power? Have you remembrances, the glimmering arches that span the summits of the mind? Have you beauty, that leads the heart from things fashioned of wood and stone to the holy mountain? Tell me, have you these in your houses? Or have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house a guest, and then becomes a host and then a master?"

Life's too short ... to miss a chance to love

Having just got back from my son, Daniel's wedding to Chrystal, there was no other blog possible for me.

It was an idyllic wedding conducted by a great friend of the couple and our family (Doug). The vows were deeply meaningful, the setting beside Lake Okanagan was perfect. Look at the photo - how good do they look?

I don't know that I can say any more than just drink this in and meditate on the fact that life is way too short ... to miss a chance to love.

Check out the flickr photo journal http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=sets

Lifes' too short ...to bite the bullet

I am not a medication seeker, nor do I turn to the bottle or other substances to numb psychological pain; however, in the right circumstances I am a firm believer in a little judicious help to ease physical pain. It's more that OK - it's just civilized.

Having experienced child birth by cesarean section (note twice), I believe I can talk with some authority to those medical professionals and others who talk as if experiencing pain is a character flaw.

"Here bite this and it will hardly hurt at all" she says, as she rips off the wax strip. "This will only take a minute" he says, probing that sensitive tooth. "Just relax - my you're tense". Yes, you had better believe I'm tense, you're hurting me and overpowering my slim grasp on yoga breathing.

Another thing, acupuncture, sold as a benign, nay spiritual intervention has a major sting. No one told me that - how about you?

FYI, being lied to about pain just makes me more stressed and so rise up I say! Don't bite the bullet. Insist that people are gentle, thoughtful and give you a reasonable amount of pain relief.

One of my greatest finds is a dentist who believes that treatment should be a painless experience and guess what, I have been going to him regularly for fifteen years. I've not the slightest intention of looking for another dentist any time soon. Painless dentistry practitioners should be handsomely rewarded.

Life's too short ... to not love Sean Penn

I sorta, kinda decided that I would not make my blog about famous people but life's too short to stick to arbitrary rules! Writing this posting started at the wildest possible tangent you can imagine from the Oscar winner, director, and actor's actor.

It goes like this: following my own dictum that life's too short to live with a hair colour you don't like, I am at the hair salon for long appointment and being handed the July 2010 Vanity Fair with the recommendation that I read about the legendary love affair of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton (whole other blog at some other time). I did read that article (did I mention it was a long appointment involving a lot of daubing, rinsing, drying, highlighting, rinsing and drying?) but found myself way more revved up by an article on Mr. Dead Man Walking (and other memorable characters). I cannot suggest strongly enough that you get hold of this article - climb a mountain on sore knees to get to it if you have to.

When the U.S. military pin medals (more than 1) on the chest of the man who in 2002 took out a full page ad in the Washington Post condemning his country's invasion of Iraq, you have to say that in that same chest, beats the heart of a genuine enigma.

The article is based on his commitment to life-saving work in Haiti that has had him living there since the earthquake: getting together a team of dedicated professionals and a few mavericks; persuading the U.S. military to allow medical morphine in from Hugo Chavez's Venezuela; and being formally appointed head of the Petitionville displaced persons' camp in Port-au-Prince. Although filming this August, he is committed to going back until, as he says, "there is more life than death in Haiti".

In his unapologetic way he says he admires his father who was a film director, a decorated WWII veteran who was later blacklisted in the McCarthy era - in short he is saying to all political sides 'nothing to prove'. Love him. Yes!

Find out more about the NGO he has founded for the relief operation http://jphro.org/

Life's too short ... to choose only financial goals

I like the security that money brings, and I like to buy stuff, and I like to share. The proof is that not only did I spend my money traveling to Venice last year, I took a photo of this very classy store on Murano Island. So I am in no way against having financial goals but I can say with absolute certainty that the most boring and trying people in the world are people who only have financial goals and that this is not the same as saying I hate rich folks.

It is not by any means only people with conspicuous wealth that have this problem - those we imagine sitting in their mansions guarding their locked safe and art work. Some people with modest means may in fact be some of the most driven in the direction of a fixation on mullah. I have often screamed (so that only I could hear) as people talk about the price of everything but the value of nothing.

It is possible to plan your finances and set goals that take you beyond the material and self interest. There is middle ground between Gandhi and King Midas. We each need to find where that is for ourselves.

Steven Covey suggests that in planning out your life, imagine looking down on your own memorial service and think what it is that you would like people to say about you. This seems like a good starting place and for most people will stimulate thoughts that go beyond material wealth. I personally have no ambition to overhear the comment: "Oh she had houses and shoes to die for, but we had to pay all these people to be here because she had no friends, and her family are all on vacation."

The legend of King Midas and the Golden Touch was born in Turkey. Check out the story. http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/History/KingMidas.html

Life's too short ...to live with a hair colour you don't like

It's off to the hairdresser for me tomorrow. I like to think about hair colour - imagining being darker or lighter or redder. It's good to have choice and I am grateful for the social engagement with my hair stylist every five weeks.

I think about going greyer, au naturelle if you will, but I'm not quite there yet and that means that I'm not distracted by what I see in the mirror. Yes, choice is good.

Life's too short ... to take credit for things you don't do

There are at least three things I cannot take credit for:

1. environmentalism - I think I've a carbon footprint the size of a small European country and life may be too short to get it into balance (trying).
2. peace and love in the world - spent way too long being angry at myself and others (getting better).
3. the 2010 Winter Olympic Games success - I was at best a 'didn't care' person who felt a bit inconvenienced and then I got caught up in the swell when the event was on but way too late to take any credit for the outcome.

So, it's clear that I can miss the boat; however there are things I didn't miss, like the resurgences of jazz and French Impressionism - I jumped on those things so early that I surely must be able to take a little credit.

Now that I've disclosed my personal status vis a vis taking credit, I need you to know that I was inspired to write on this matter not for personal reasons but because of listening to the story of a friend and her experience with a less than honourable person. My friend is someone who understands what it takes to get a job done well, she is genuinely thrilled at the success of others - for instance, she is usually the first with the email-high five. She shares the credit around and being a fearless leader she will take one on the chin for the team.

If anything critical can be said, she maybe does all of the above to a fault and I say to a fault because lurking in may places of work are people who, without a blush, will take the credit for anything without a word for the effort of others - even when their chief contribution has been to stay out of the way. Sounds bitter, but the larger lesson here is that some people forget to fill up the team fuel account and are quite content to only make withdrawals. Unfortunately, they can ultimately bankrupt the team when it simply runs out of juice.

A lesson for each party:

For the taker - life's too short for you to stay on this trip - you may not have enough time left with the group to grow and come out of the experience positively. One experience like this would be bad, but repeated time after time you might suddenly wonder why you are a little lonely. Good rule of thumb - when in doubt say thanks and share the glory. Now everyone gets to look shiny.

For the giver - life's too short too feel sorry for yourself and angry for other victims (aka holding grudges). Darn it, but we don't always get what we deserve and maybe the way to grow is to reflect on the possibility that you helped to the create your particular monster. For example, in my case I would need to consider how many times I let my jaw drop instead of speaking up? In his book

Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about leadership and how the great ones share praise and shoulder blame. It's nice to know that as a general rule the good prosper, even if in some particular cases it doesn't work out that way. Here's an inspiring clip by Collins on leadership and humility.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-KyQ90XByY

Life's too short ... to be that kinda famous

Now I'm not going to name names but you know who you are and in some ways you're such an easy target for criticism. You're cute, you've got a bit of talent and maybe you've inherited parents that see you as their ticket to the good life. You're seduced by the glitz, you love it that people tell you how wonderful you are, and most of all you've been sexualized way too early. All around you there are so many highs that it's hard to see the lows.

First here's the bad news for you: being famous isn't a career - even if for all intents and purposes you are famous for being famous.

These words are not uttered by a kill-joy. I believe that being a teen should be fun but it is also a time when you start to develop some depth so it's not just a walk in the park. It's one part fun, one part starting to understand the concept of work, and a lot of learning. Life is way to short to miss out on any of this.

There are some who get carried or propelled over this phase and they spend the time in a weirdly fake bubble. If you have landed in this spot, it's going to take work to make up the ground so that you can grow into the person you are meant to be.

The good news is that it is possible to be famous for having a career. We know who these people are: they're the people who make a difference, whose performances take your breath away or perhaps they radiate beauty and joy. They have a gift that is cultured, honed and their fame is genuinely earned. They seem to be the people who know that they are not prisoners of fame because they are willing to walk away from it.

I recently met a well-known, talented singer-songwriter who inspired this blog. She was grounded, family oriented, concerned about the world and eager to meet people outside of the famous-bubble. Interestingly, she said that the latter is what inspires her and gives her the fuel she needs for her art. For her, life would truly be too short to be the kinda famous that prevented her from being her authentic self.

For a more serious discussion about this kind of fame here is a link to a McLeans article that discusses the hypersexulization and vacuous lifestyle that is being sold to girls. This is something we need to be concerned about and we should get active.

"Inside the Dangerously Empty Lives of Teenage Girls"
www.google.ca/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4RNWE_enCA313CA313&q=mcleans%2c+teenage+girls

Life's too short ... to miss the music

Whether it's the music of the street, the birds singing, the jazz when you are savouring your cuppa joe, or your favourite tune popping up unexpectedly - listen and don't miss the moment.

Life's too short ... to work in a job you hate

I believe that every job I have ever had, I stayed there at least a year too long. Now of course the trick is to figure out when the beginning of that year is - whereas I am better at figuring out when the end of it is.

I happen to be a great employee - I work hard, go the extra mile, create, solve problems, and encourage fun in the workplace. When the ads call for 'a self-starter who can work with little supervision' - I'm their girl. But when these very assets turn into things you resent doing, and far from making you popular back at the office they become the things that people don't like about you (and believe me this can happen), it's time to head for the hills and after that to update the old resume.

Life is definitely too short not to know a few basics. I figured out kinda late on that I really only work well when there is a high percentage of innovation and creativity involved. I used to think it was a virtue to stick a job out for ever - forgetting that my skill-set is not in putting one foot in front of the other. I just cannot get motivated to do that and so I have a tendency to become an irritant to people who need to consolidate, to take a break and catch up. So guess what - I begin to hate that job. Even though I'm quite capable of managing the day to day stuff and am solidly dependable, when the atmosphere of creativity goes - so does my motivation. Some people love things to be the other way around. Isn't that a great thing!

So being a consultant is great for me. I get to be with organizations when my kind of energy and skills are just what they need.

I searched on the web to find something educational that would spice up this blog but the people who hate their jobs sound so angry that I couldn't stand it. Angry - now there's a big clue. So instead, I offer Gustavo Dudamel one of my favourite guys in the world - and nobody loves his job the way this guy does. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vwZAkfLKK8

Life's too short ... to spend any of it in traction

I had my next posting all figured out when a friend of mine, Mitch, wrote a response that clearly indicated he was on a completely different 'Life's too short ...' journey to me. Now this is not surprising because he always has been way cooler than me. So not surprisingly he took this blog to be some kind of encouragement to go out and do reckless things - like taking up surfing.

Not true and in fact if you are fifty five years and up, the message that 'life's too short ... to spend any of it in traction' is for you. Rough rule of thumb here -if your Mom said it was stupid to do it when you were ten, then it is not a good idea to do it in the period of life that people seem to qualify with the names of precious metals.

-- Bit of a clarification here: although I haven't heard anyone actually talk about the 'platinum years', I'm pretty sure it will be that time when we decide to lay down our burden and have our every need attended to by people dressed in brightly coloured scrubs --

To add dramatic emphasis to this blog, I almost attached a picture of my son in traction when he was four years old but I thought he might not appreciate it. So discretion has been used, but it's clear from the evidence in my possession that I know what I am talking about. Instead, I have gone with the precious metal theme and thought you might enjoy the famous condom skit from the Golden Girls - Isn't Betty White a hot commodity right now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyhlnL0AbmI

Life's too short ...to resent the time spent in your car

I don't have a commute anymore but I remember the days well. Those of us who live in Vancouver know the joys of the traffic build up caused by the congestion at our various bridges and I have wiled away many an hour - enough to realise that you cannot afford to resent that time or to miss any opportunities that the car ride presents. If you are alone in your car (and why are you not car pooling?) but if you are, you have many opportunities to turn your ride into a time for growth or just plain fun.


Option 1 - turn your car into a travelling ashram. Play natural sounds in the background, unwind, contemplate something deeply. No meditating is allowed but good breathing, utilizing the ergonomically designed driver's chair to improve your posture and calming the mind is a truely wonderful use of time. You can also practice foregiveness ... if that person cuts it - just be compassionate and assume their business is more important than yours. And you can smile at people at traffic lights - thus making their day a little brighter.


Option 2 - dance! If you have yet to discover the joys of chair dancing let me tell you how absolutely brilliant you can be when you don't have to worry about what your feet are doing. Just moving the top half of your body can make you certain that 'you think you can dance'. Times when you are standing still at traffic lights etc provide opportunities for the more complex moves you want to try, otherwise just bop along while keeping your eyes and focus firmly on the road. Don't worry about those looks from other drivers, after all, are you ever likely to see them again?


Option 3 - become a culture thug. It isn't often that you can play classical music or opera full blast, sing along and conduct when you are at a stop. Imagine, no neighbours to bang on the ceiling and you can let you can belt out that piece of music that you have been longing to perform on stage. Don't let rap fans have all the fun. And if you want to see how emotionally cathartic this can be, take a look at the part where Tom Hanks plays at full volume, the Maria Callas aria to Denzel Washington in the movie Philadelphia.

Here, take a quick peek before someone forces You Tube to take it down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b0p9mTJOJI

Life's too short ... to argue with uber-authoritarians.

Of all the lessons I learned in law school, chief among them was never to allow the words ‘I know my rights’ to pass from my lips in front of an officer of the law or other authority figure. The wise Prof knew that if any of us got full of the zeal of the young law-grad going we would do nothing but force authority figures into over drive just in order to take us down.

For those of us who are lucky enough to live in countries where the concept of the rule of law applies, the idea that the rules aren’t applied fairly can be quite a shock to the sensibilities. I know how authority figures can get right under the skin when you: only went to get change for the meter; were only there for two minutes; did not see the sign/fire-hydrant/fine print etc, etc and often you can just be on the wrong side of an authority-thug; but believe me, there just isn’t enough time in the world to change the mind of an uber-authoritarian by sheer force of your superior knowledge, intellect or brilliant turn of phrase.

You need to be smart: smile, ask for their name or i.d. ‘just in case you have any questions in the future’, use your smart phone to record details and photos and then deal with your defense later. Incidentally, don’t make matters worse by snapping the official/officer’s photo (red flag at a bull material). If you have a legitimate case you are more likely to convince a dispassionate person than a raging ego-maniac. Copy the letter you or your smart friend writes to the department to your civil liberties association or elected representative – anyone who will watch how the rules are applied. If they get a number of complaints about the same person then this is a valuable piece of information that they will never get hold of if all you do is wate your time standing toe to toe with Officer McEgo.

If you have no defense then why are you wasting your time? Don’t be angry with a person for doing their job. 'Fess-up, pay-up, chalk it up to experience and get on with life in the areas where you deserve to win.

Take a peek at “10 Most Unreasonable Parking Fines of All time”
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-547350/Tickets-rile---We-reveal-unreasonable-parking-fines-time.html

Life's too short ... to carry a grudge.

To understand the scale of this understanding for me, you need to know that I am a Scot and we can carry a grudge for centuries - through multiple generations. We can still feel the pain of getting ripped off by the Act of Union with England in the 17th century for goodness sake. And so letting go is genetically hard for me but it needs to be done. Breathe in, breathe out and let it go.

Getting eaten up by anger and bitterness does nothing for the soul or the complexion. That cortisol hormone does terrible damage to a body that does not need any more stress - trust me and my multiple frown-lines on this one. On a more global and less self-centered level, the world really doesn't need even one more angry bitter person looking for ways to get back at something - anything. Breath in, breath out and let it go.

Work with me on this role-play. Go to the mirror - first smile and then look angry. Which version of you do you want to hang out with? Breath in, breath out and let it go.

Life's Too Short ... to chop salad and veggies.

Believe me, I'm all for recycling and being socially responsible but I really cannot include washing and chopping my life away in this category. It maybe means that Farmer's Markets won't work for me but at least I'm not driving a Hummer to the market, and I am not using gallons of water to wash mother earth off my spinach - surely that counts for something. I'm a single woman it doesn't even make economic sense to watch left-over fresh veggies rot in my fridge and then there's all the cleaning out of the rotten stuff. I am, however, more than happy to wash my cans for recycling as there is no viable alternative for the environmentally conscious.


BTW - no arugula in the salad mix if I am eating at your place!

No, it really just makes sense to do something else with my time - patting a dog, emailing a friend, emailing a not-so-much-friend, getting some exercise, paying a bill I forgot, cleaning a closet, contemplating my next move.

Life’s too short … to miss a chance to help another.

The big stuff – our quality of life, relationships with others, the amount of misery and crime, are all made up of small decisions that we make every day: dump that person, follow that leader, buy this, sell that, don’t make the phone call, forget about the donation, ignore the hungry guy on the corner or the kid devastated by an earthquake. It’s the small things that make up what we vaguely refer to as the ‘world we live in’ as if ‘the world’ happens by chance.

There is enough of the chance stuff without any of us missing an opportunity to do something that makes a difference – and maybe all the difference in the world. I’m taking no chances with that karma-thing because I have a strong desire to live in a better place.