Thankfulness 2018: Week 5

Week 5 was a wild ride.  There was a big round of lay-offs at work this week, which creates lots of turmoil and emotions.

• One thing the lay-offs did was help make me thankful for the care of others when they were interested to know if I still had a job, etc.  I think it also helps illustrate the capability of people to have compassion and show the real emotions of how much they like their co-workers.
• Someone gave me some leftovers for supper when my fridge was bare.
• One of my mentors gave me a very sincere compliment on my professional capabilities.  He also gave me some good advice and feedback.
• I went downtown Saturday evening and ate supper with one of my friends who was laid off.  We had a good conversation, we enjoyed the ice sculptures, and I ate some delicious bacon wrapped meatloaf on a bed of mashed potatoes.

It took multiple blocks of ice to make this one.  We estimated its weight at somewhere between 300 and 500 pounds.

Thankfulness 2018: Week 4

Thankfulness from the last week in January - it was definitely a busy week!  A few highlights were:

• Being at robotics, especially because it helps to remind me to celebrate small victories.
• Craziness at work dying down.  We had a testing failure right before production, so I spent the week figuring out a workable path on that.
• Having fun solving logic puzzles with friends.
• Having central heat at work.  I saw some pictures from China where they got a bunch of snow, and I was reminded how thankful I am that I don't have to wear my coat at work here in the U.S.
• Receiving compliments - it was my 15 year anniversary at work this month, and they have a webpage where people can comment and congratulate you.  Some people said some very nice things.

I have a few pictures to go along with the week.

Part of the excitement for the week was having the robot chassis for this year complete and driveable.  Still a lot of work to do since we have aspirations to do much more than drive.

I went with a couple friends to go see Art Garfunkel in concert.  He sang a few oldies but goodies like "Sound of Silence" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."  Did you know he has walked across both the U.S. and Europe?

Our escape room team - we're all engineers, so we were all about those logic puzzles.  We had plenty of time to spare.

Part of the source of trouble at work.  A few millimeters of warp can cause trouble!

Interesting Video on Emotional Agility

I watched this Ted talk by Susan David today and found it interesting.  My favorite line from it is, "You have dead people goals."  The title of the Ted talk is "The gift and power of emotional courage."

I feel like what is said in the video is often what Uncle Bex and my massage therapist try to tell me.  During the times when I wish I was a robot without feelings, this is the reminder - that being a robot is like being a dead person.

Thankfulness 2018: Week 3

Top three thankfulness highlights from the third week of January were:

• The excitement of problem solving.  I think that day it was related to robotics, but it's possible it was related to work as well.  In fact, there were several items related to robotics this week.  Getting a circuit working, in general having fun, etc.
• Celebrating small victories.  That was the theme of one of my fellow robotics mentors that week.  It's always a good reminder for us engineer types because every day of every year at work involves making small victories but not always seeing the final product for months and years.  So you have to celebrate the small things to keep going to achieve the bigger things.  If you don't celebrate small victories, you end up down in a pit only being able to see the problems and you get discouraged.
• Exercising.  It was Week 2 of T-25 Beta.  I was thankful I have the physical capability to exercise, and thankful to have the self-discipline to be doing it.  And I also went to yoga on Saturday where one of my favorite yoga instructors was teaching.

The pictures I took this week didn't have a high variety, so here are a couple scenery pictures from the week.  The benefit of really cold weather is there are some beautiful, clear skies.

Thankfulness 2018: Week 2

A couple highlights from the Week 2 thankfulness list:

1. Seeing a gorgeous sunset.  In fact, I saw 2 or 3 of them this week and stopped to take a moment as I left work to stand on the steps and appreciate them.
2. Feeling excited for the upcoming weekend.  It's not that I haven't looked forward to some other travel and visits that happened in the last several months, but for the first time in a long time I was feeling truly excited about the upcoming weekend.  Maybe the cloud of feeling overworked is lifting slightly.  After all, I only worked 49.5 hours for the week.
3. A day full of laughter.  A couple friends that I saw this past weekend know how to tell a good, entertaining story. And I guess they have a similar enough sense of humor that I think lots of their jokes are funny. Overall my birthday was a great day full of friends and laughter.

One of the gorgeous sunsets.  That's the nice thing about temperatures near zero.

Good friends and a great weekend.

Thankfulness 2018: Week 1

Here's what I've decided to do for thankfulness in 2018.  I'm still keeping my daily log, but for the week I'll just highlight a couple special ones along with maybe a picture or two with a little more in-depth explanation instead of just a bullet-ed list.

Some special thanks from Week 1:

1. Watching a full moon rise.  This one was exceptional for some reason.  As it came above the horizon it was almost like a harvest moon on the first of January.  It was really big and an orange color.  The very cold temperatures probably helped it look extra clear.
2. Inspirational reading.  Not every single leadership book that I read is completely revolutionary, but I like to read one now and then for the spark of inspiration and the reminder that we can be better than we are right now.
3. A good conversation with my mentor at work.  He gives some good advice and also challenges me when needed.

From Stephen Covey's "The 8th Habit" on finding your voice.  I love my kindle for reading when I'm traveling because it's less space and weight in your backpack, but there's also something special about a real book that you can mark up and flip through randomly if you like.  This seemed like good advice as long as you also check in with God on what you plan to be doing.  Maybe that's part of #4 on those questions.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 52

I did it!  Fifty-two full weeks of logging my thankfulness.  Overall I would say it was a good project, and it's a habit that I plan to continue.  As I said one other time, I think it helped improve my attitude and helped me sleep better.  This year was a tough one, and I would say this habit helped me to endure.  There was the occasional day here and there where I forgot and had to do a make-up log the next day, but I think at least 95% of the time I actually did log the thankfulness at the end of each day.  Even on the days when you get to the end of the day and feel like nothing much good happened that day - that is was the same old boring routine, finding something to be thankful for helps to change that perspective.

I don't think I'll publish the log for the next year as I think that would start to get tedious for me and my reader.  Or should I say readers.  There might be 2 or 3 of you.  I think I'll do a weekly thankfulness post, but it won't be the same format and might be more simple so I can spend some of my blogging time writing about other stuff.

Here it is, the final thankfulness log of 2017.

Sunday

• Fellowship with extended family
• Playing board games with family
• Delicious potluck

Monday

• Loving family
• Time spent together with family
• Big homemade meal

Tuesday

• Getting some exercise
• A warm house in subzero temperatures
• Spending time with nieces and a nephew

Wednesday

• A nice talk with my mom
• People who make me laugh heartily
• Peace and quiet

Thursday

• Seeing extended family
• Playing an enjoyable board game
• Not throwing up

Friday

• Feeling partially in better health
• Interesting reading
• Family braving the elements and getting me tea while I sit in the car

Saturday

• Extra time with family
• Living for eternal things
• The feeling of crisp cold air freezing the inside of your nose (-20 F!).  There is something special about that unique feeling.

Sunday

• Beauty of the sunrise
• Seeing sundogs
• New Year's Eve spent with friends playing games

I think this could be described as "stark" beauty.  I know some of you think this scenery is boring, but it's beautiful to me.

Playing an old favorite board game.

If you played along with this exercise at home and made you own thankfulness list, I hope you found it as helpful as I did.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 51

Thankfulness from the week before Christmas:

Sunday

• A well-timed text from a friend
• A day at home without an agenda
• The privilege of prayer

Monday

• Birds chirping
• Sunshine and warmth
• Good reminders

Tuesday

• Feeling in better spirits
• Healthy eating
• Teamwork

Wednesday

• Beef brisket
• Good bible study despite the capter being difficult
• Cleaning service

Thursday

• Lunch not eaten at my desk
• Upcoming long break from work
• Days will start getting longer

Friday

• Time to read a book
• Splurging on supper (eating dessert)
• A cleaner desk at work

Saturday

• A quiet reading nook in the airport
• A meal voucher
• Arriving at Mom and Dad's house

Airport entertainment that helped pass the time during flight delays.

The airport was recently remodeled, and they now have these nice reading nooks.

Bathroom Behavior Observation #15

Well, it's not so much an observation on behavior.  But this post is about a bathroom.  Specifically the women's restroom in the lobby at work.  The general layout is like this:  Door.  Small "entry room" with a low bench in case you need to take a small rest.  Sink area.  One toilet stall that is good sized because it's handicap accessible.

The bathroom stall looks like this.  Because it's comforting to feel like you're outdoors when using the toilet.  And people who have physical disabilities enjoy having obstacles in the bathroom stall to deal with.

Probably there's a good explanation on why it's in there, but at the same time it's amusing.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 50

Below is the thankfulness from the past week.  Overall it was kind of a rough week, but it had some really good highlights too.

We got a fair amount of white stuff this week.

Sunday

• Hugs
• Sunday afternoon naps
• A clear message from gospel meeting

Monday

• Psalm 27:14
• Grocery stores
• Some work meetings getting moved

Tuesday

• Friends I trust
• An evening without conference calls with China
• Poems

Wednesday

• Keeping my calorie consumption under the RDA target
• No mishaps during winter driving
• Being in a better mood

Thursday

• Eating my favorite pizza
• A free meal
• Taking time out of a busy day for me

Friday

• Doing something to bring a smile to someone's face and brighten their day
• The power of music
• Some introvert recovery time

Saturday

• An evening of board games
• Brunch with a friend
• Bright sunshine after a week of clouds

This might give more clarity to the items on Friday.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 49

The thankfulness log from a couple weeks ago is below.  I got a bit behind because I had used all my fast internet data too early in the billing cycle.

A good reminder I saw at work.

Sunday

• Hymns
• Prayer
• Reading inspiring books

Monday

• Reminder to be a lifelong learner
• Chiropractor appointment
• Balmy weather in December

Tuesday

• Seeing the beauty of a large moon in a clear sky
• Song lyrics exactly matching my thoughts and feelings
• A friend bringing me lunch

Wednesday

• Finding edible leftovers I had forgotten I had in the fridge
• A hug from my mentor
• A pause from work to go to Bible study

Thursday

• Beautiful sunset
• E-mail from a friend
• Canned chicken

Friday

• Lunch outside of work
• Getting almost 8 hours of sleep
• Arriving at my destination before I fell asleep

Saturday

• A day spent with good friends
• A listening ear for an in depth conversation
• Delicious corned beef hash for breakfast

The aforementioned friends.  Me with Bex and KarmX.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 48

Thankfulness from the week after Thanksgiving.

A beautiful sunset with the flag as I left work one evening.

Sunday

• Beautiful sunset
• Fellowship during and after meeting
• Leftovers

Monday

• Interesting reading material
• Loud snoring on a conference call that made everybody laugh
• Taking time to notice people as they are

Tuesday

• A weight-in number moving in the right direction
• Recipe learned from Mom
• Making progress on projects

Wednesday

• Slightly less chaos at work
• Meat in the freezer
• A good Bible study

Thursday

• Inspiration and encouragement
• The power of freedom of choice
• Playing a tuned piano

Friday

• Eating supper with a friend
• It's finally Friday!
• Making documentation progress

Saturday

• Volunteering with gracious professionals
• Enjoying the excitement and idiosyncrasies of middle school kids
• Chilling out to some Willie Nelson

Part of the robotics competition that I helped judge.

Literature Lesson

A poem has been going through my mind the last couple days, so I thought I'd share it for your encouragement as well.  The internet mostly attributes this poem to Edgar A. Guest from 1921 under the title "Keep Going".  Edgar Guest was an American poet (originally from England) writing poetry in the first half of the 1900's.  However, it seems there is some debate on this poem particular poem as some attribute it to John Greenleaf Whittier.

"Keep Going"

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit-

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a fellow turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow -

You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than

It seems to a faint and faltering man;

Often the struggler has given up

Whe he might have captured the victor's cup;

And he learned too late when the night came down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -

The silver tint in the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It might be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit -

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 47

Hey, this week was made for this activity since it includes Thanksgiving day!

Thanksgiving week thankfulness:

Sunday

• Seeing the sunset after a mostly rainy weekend
• Purchasing capability of the internet
• Feeling like making conversation after meeting

Monday

• A short work week
• Warmer afternoon temperatures
• Clear sky

Tuesday

• Getting the end of year review done
• Mental break while exercising on the stair stepper
• Caring friends

Wednesday

• A visit from my parents
• A short work week
• Planning to get some home projects done

Thursday

• Help with reaking leaves
• Delicious food on the Thanksgiving table
• Parents who are good examples

Friday

• Mom's cooking
• Another productive project day
• A dad who helps with projects

Saturday

• New bath doors installed
• Having people over for supper
• Mom helping with the cooking

I think my Thanksgiving post covers the pictures for the week.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2017

The Thanksgiving weekend was somewhat low key with a good level of productivity.  Mom and Dad came for the weekend.  Mostly I put them to work on projects, and we had a couple meals with company.  I went all weekend and didn't take any people pictures.  Whoops.  But if you need a picture of a page from a dishwasher installation manual, I have that.

Thursday

• Thanksgiving lunch with Mom, Dad, Meeting Man, and his son.  We were partially non-traditional, but at least we had mashed potatoes.
• After a relaxation break, then we went outside and raked leaves until sundown.  We finished in 2 hours and 20 minutes what normally takes me 7 or 8 hours by myself.
• Hung the kayaks up for the season.
• Put the table top on the new table frame

Filet mignon, squash, mashed potatoes, salad, cranberry sauce, and home-squeezed apple cider.

 

We cleaned it up better than this, but I took the picture a couple days later after more leaves fell.

Kayaking season completed for 2017.

 

Nearly completed!

Friday

• The piano tuner came to tune the piano - first time in about 15 years, so it took him a while.
• Went to the warehouse to pick up the new dishwasher.  It fit in Herman no problem!  No special hauling vehicle needed.
• Uninstalled old dishwasher
• Made list of parts needed at Lowe's
• Installed new dishwasher
• Checked for leaks and ran the first load of dishes!
• Finished installing shelf on new table and fastened it to wall (it is a bit top-heavy)
• Dad tore out the old bath shower doors

Table completed with stereo and knick-knacks upon it.

New dishwasher fully installed!

Saturday

• Bathtub shower doors installed
• Ran to the grocery store for the upcoming supper company
• Cleaned up the house from dishwasher and shower door installation projects
• Ate supper with guests
• Chilled out / learned how to use Dropbox to trade some files

New shower doors ready to use.

Sunday

• Went to morning meeting
• Made a brief stop at a local state park to see the dunes
• Ate leftovers for lunch
• Bid Mom and Dad adieu
• Chilled out and took a nap
• Took a brief sunset walk
• Various and sundry cooking, computer work, eating supper, etc.

A good weekend.  Thanks for visiting Mom and Dad!

Book Review: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Normally it takes me forever to write a review of a book I've read, but tonight I'm feeling inspired to write.  I just finished "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell.  He's a relatively well-known leadership author and trainer who's probably more well known in church leadership circles.  One of my mentors gave me a different book by John C. Maxwell a couple years ago, so I read that one.  When I was at Goodwill with Uncle Bex a couple weeks ago this one caught my eye for a several reasons:

• It's about leadership and personal development
• The author's name was familiar
• One of the irrefutable laws in the table of contents was the Law of Intuition.  Uncle Bex and I often have discussions and debates about intuition, so this particular subject caught my eye.

I've been reading a chapter or two a day for the last several weeks and enjoyed the book.  Some days when my attitude was tending to sink a bit, I'd read a chapter while eating supper and it helped give a better focus.  Like most leadership books, there is that main thread that runs through it related to creating trust, establishing relationships with people, being consistent, and working on improving every day.

This book reminded me again why I think Abraham Lincoln was a great leader, and it gave me a fresh appreciation for Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill.  In the introduction of the book, I also found this passage to be encouraging:  "The laws can be learned.  Some are easier to understand and apply than others, but every one of them can be acquired."

I'll try to keep the review short.  As you might guess, the book has a chapter for each leadership law.  I think I'll give a super brief summary of the table of contents and one (or two) of my favorite quotes from each chapter.

1. The Law of the Lid - Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness.  "Wherever you look, you can find smart, talented, successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership."
2. The Law of Influence - The true measure of leadership is influence - nothing more, nothing less.  "If you are a businessperson and you really want to find out whether your people are capable of leading, send them out to volunteer their time in the community.  If they can get people to follow them while they're serving at the Red Cross, a United Way shelter, or their local church, then you know that they really do have influence - and leadership ability."  "He who thinks he leads but has no followers, is only taking a walk."
3. The Law of Process - Leadership develops daily, not in a day.  "The secret of our success is found in our daily agenda. -Tag Short"
4. The Law of Navigation - Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course.  "Leaders who navigate do even more than control the direction in which they and their people travel.  They see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock."  "Sometimes it's difficult balancing optimism and realism, intuition and planning, faith and fact.  But that's what it takes to be effective as a navigating leader."
5. The Law of E.F. Hutton - When the real leader speaks, people listen.  "Being in power is like being a lady.  If you have to tell people you are, you aren't. -Margaret Thatcher"  "Don't listen to the claims of the person professing to be the leader.  Instead, watch the reactions of the people around him.  The proof of leadership is found in the followers."
6. The Law of Solid Ground - Trust is the foundation of leadership.  "Trust is the foundation of leadership.  People will forgive occasional mistakes based on ability, especially if they can see that you're still growing as a leader.  But they won't trust someone who has slips in character.  In that area, even occasional lapses are lethal.  All effective leaders know this truth."
7. The Law of Respect - People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.  "When people respect someone as a person, they admire her.  When they respect her as a friend, they love her.  When they respect her as a leader, they follow her."
8. The Law of Intuition - Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias.  "Leadership is really more art than science.  The principles of leadership are constant, but the application changes with every leader and every situation.  That's why it requires intuition."
9. The Law of Magnetism - Who you are is who you attract.  "If you think your people are negative, then you better check your attitude."
10. The Law of Connection - Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.  "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."  "To lead yourself, use your head; to lead others, use your heart."
11. The Law of the Inner Circle - A leader's potential is determined by those closest to him.  "People who are able to lift up others and boost the morale in an organization are invaluable, and they are always a tremendous asset to a leader's inner circle."
12. The Law of Empowerment - Only secure leaders give power to others.  "If you are able to continually empower others and help them develop so that they become capable of taking over your job, you will become so valuable to the organization that you become indispensable."  "A key to empowering others is high belief in people."
13. The Law of Reproduction - It takes a leader to raise up a leader.  "People cannot give to others what they themselves do not possess.  But just because a person is a leader, it does not necessarily mean that he will raise up other leaders."
14. The Law of Buy-In - People buy into the leader, then the vision.  "People don't at first follow worthy causes.  They follow worthy leaders who promote worthwhile causes."
15. The Law of Victory - Leaders find a way for the team to win.  "When the pressure is on, great leaders are at their best.  Whatever is inside them comes to the surface and works for or against them."  "You can't win without good athletes, but you can lose with them.  This is where coaching makes a difference. -Lou Holtz"
16. The Law of the Big Mo - Momentum is a leader's best friend.  "It takes a leader to create momentum.  Followers catch it.  And managers are able to continue it once it has begun."
17. The Law of Priorities - Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment.  "The things that bring the greatest personal reward are the fire lighters in a leader's life.  Nothing energizes a person the way passion does."
18. The Law of Sacrifice - A leader must give up to go up.  "When you become a leader, you lose the right to think about yourself. -Gerald Brooks"
19. The Law of Timing - When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go.  "Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed in leadership.  Only the right action at the right time will bring success.  Anything else exacts a high price.  That's the Law of Timing."
20. The Law of Explosive Growth - To add growth, lead followers - to multiply, lead leaders.  "Leaders who develop followers grow their organization only one person at a time.  But leaders who develop leaders multiply their growth, because for every leader they develop, they also receive all of that leader's followers."
21. The Law of Legacy - A leader's lasting value is measured by succession.  "Achievement comes to someone when he is able to do great things for himself.  Success comes when he empowers followers to do great thing with him.  Significance comes when he develops leaders to do great things for him.  But a legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him."

This book review reminds me of two other book reviews that have been lingering in "draft" state for a year or two now.  Maybe I'll get to them sometime soon.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 46

Thankfulness from this past week is as follows:

Sunday

• A weekend spent with friends
• Two nights in a row of good sleep
• Spiritual conversations

Monday

• Getting eating habits back on track
• Eating lunch with other people
• 24 hour Walgreens

Tuesday

• Books
• Spending almost two hours exercising
• Checking things off the to-do list

Wednesday

• Going to bed before midnight
• Having a good attitude today
• Snapchats from family

Thursday

• Reflecting on the year's accomplishments
• A low key evening
• Feeling motivated at work

Friday

• Bible verses that jump off the page at me
• A tasty, low calorie supper
• Supper with a friend

Saturday

• Time to cook lots of food
• Getting things done on the to-do list
• Getting out of my comfort zone

One of my more healthy lunches from this week.  Thankful for the nice salad bar at the work cafeteria.

2017 Thankfulness: Week 45

Thankfulness from last week:

The cute pictures I got in the mail.

Sunday

• Getting more than 8 hours of sleep
• Talking to my sister on the phone
• Clear messages to my heart

Monday

• Not having a 6:30 AM meeting on a Monday morning
• Cute pictures arriving in the mail
• Exercise

Tuesday

• Not eating lunch at my desk
• Making time to stretch
• Able to reschedule an appointment easily

Wednesday

• Being inspired to search the scriptures
• Thanksgiving gathering at work
• Clear sky

Thursday

• Work week almost done
• Looking forward to a weekend hanging out with friends
• An hour and a half of relaxation

Friday

• Fleeting golden morning sunshine on the fall leaf colors.
• Interesting lunch conversation with my mentor.
• Snack of fruit before bed

Saturday

• A walk with a friend
• Those who have served our country
• Sleeping in

2017 Thankfulness: Week 44

I guess I fell a little bit behind in posting my thankfulness.  Don't worry, I've been faithfully keeping my log, but mostly it's been on paper until I transcribed it into the digital world.

Sunday

• Some brief rays of sunshine
• The spark of energy from starting to read a new leadership book
• Playing a board game with competitive people

Monday

• A cool breeze on my face
• The joy of learning
• Exercising strenuously

Tuesday

• A caring e-mail from a friend
• Strenuous, challenging yoga
• Going to bed by 11:30 PM

Wednesday

• Spiritual lunch conversation
• Small compliments
• Better work-life balance today

Thursday

• Qdoba for lunch
• Thinking about opportunities
• Talking to Mom on the phone

Friday

• Noticing the beauty of the maple leaves turning
• Awesome full moon rise
• Eating supper with a friend

Saturday

• Eternal perspective reminders
• Time to do little things around home
• Having a hymn in my mind

I must be approaching middle age because now I feel like I have experienced part of what that verse means when it says "have borne the burden and heat of the day".

The small compliments on Wednesday were all related to this sweater.  Three compliments in one day!  I've had it more than two years and worn it several times.  This was the first time I had worn it in several months because it's more of a fall/winter article of clothing.  Oh, and this sweater is also one of the purchases from the shopping spree two years ago.

Climate Control Results For 2017

I don't think I posted when I turned on my AC this summer, and last week I turned on my furnace.  I thought I held out pretty long for turning on the furnace this year, but it turns out it wasn't any kind of record or all that much out of the ordinary.  Another "average" year.  Possibly slightly warmer than normal.