What’s Free And What’s Not

I like this saying and wanted to share it:

“The dream is free, but the hustle is sold separately.”

Yes, this is the home of the free. 

And we are all able to dream BIG dreams.

However, without the hard work and hustle, dream are not made, but rather they die on the vine. 

So dream big–imagine the very best.

Reach for the stars…

And then work your butt off to make it happen.

Choose carefully. 

No one can have it all.

You have to prioritize.

Also, you need to balance. 

In the end:

Dreams+Hard Work+Blessing From G-d

That’s success by whatever standards you measure. 

(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)

Random Luck My A*s

Here’s an interesting enterprise architecture themed fortune cookie. 

“Good luck is the result of good planning.”

Everybody wants good fortune, but a big differentiator is whether you are willing to think through life’s scenarios, pull together a solid plan (A, B, and C to be on the safe side) and put in the effort and hard work to achieve your dreams and goals.

Fortunes rise and fall likes the tides, but a solid plan (with G-d’s blessings) can take you further than any ocean spans.  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Wanting It Too Much

It’s funny how we all dream about something…

Money, honor, success, large families, health, beauty, popularity, big houses, fancy cars, exciting vacations, and so on. 

Some people even dream of technology and big data, and wanting to either come up with “the next big thing” or simply have all the answers to everything. 

In the election session now, Saturday Night Live (SNL) frequently makes fun of some candidates at how much they desperately want to be president. 

I wonder though between the connection of wanting something so much and actually getting it. 

Does wanting it…led you to actually get it. 

OR

Perhaps, it actually can push it further away. 

One women who I was talking with told me that the more you want something, the less likely you are to get it, period.

You want it too much (you’re greedy, narcissistic, or think you are somehow ultimately deserving and the world just owes it to you)!

The universe just won’t let you have it when you are desperate for it. 

You have to be ready for it…cool with it…and most importantly, at peace with yourself, and then you can get where you want to be. 

There is something that rings so true about that. 

Desperation and success do not make good bedfellows. 

In fact, the more you know somebody wants something, isn’t that just such a huge turn-off (you start questioning their motives and everything) and in a way you want to recoil and not give it to them. 

Sure, knowing what you want helps. 

Hard work helps. 

But being okay with whatever G-d decides for you is critical. 

You can’t go with your head through the door!

G-d will either open or close the path to you…and all the kings horses and all the kings men won’t make the difference in the end. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Cup Runneth Over

I took this photo today in Washington, D.C. near the Capital. 

It’s a really nice fountain…actually 3 double-fountains in a row. 

The top fountains run over into the bottom ones, which in turn runs over into the larger pool basin at the bottom. 

I like the contrast between the grey and white stone, the gold fountain, and the pewter basin with the water overflowing between them. 

As the water (a symbolism of life) continues unabated to run over in the fountain, so too, I pray that our good fortune is abundant and overflowing, and that we have more than we than enough for our needs, and plenty extra to share with others. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

What Are You Thinking?

This was a funny painting on the window of this eatery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The woman is thinking romance, but the man is thinking about his delicious sandwich.

This fits in very well with John Gray’s bestseller, Men Are Mars, Women Are From Venus–where one theme is that men tend to retreat to think about or distance themselves from problems (in this case with a sandwich) and women seek to grow emotionally close.

See that happening here?

In a relationship according to Gray, you are either going to have balance in giving and receiving or you will have resentment.

Life’s little lessons…better take heed.

My guess is that if this guy in picture doesn’t start paying better attention to the love and attention needs of the women, he is likely to get a sandwich right over his clueless head! 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Accomplishing What?

What do you want to accomplish before you die?

Four university students in Canada developed a list of 100 things a few years ago and as of the publishing of their book on this called The Buried Life, they had accomplished 53 of them–including playing basketball with President Obama at the White House!

Also on their list was to “get in a fight”–and so a couple of them beat the h*ll out of each other. Uh, now you can cross that one off your list.

Number 100 on their list is “go to space”–now are they really going to make it there?  Maybe one call to CEO Elon Musk and they’ll get on the next flight of the new SpaceX Dragon capsule.

MTV made this into a reality TV show in 2010 and aired it for two seasons, and it was nominated for a number of awards.

The book came out in March 2012 and it hit #1 on the New York Times best seller list the very first week!

The premise of the book is pretty cool–they collected ten of thousands of entries on what people wanted to do before they died, chose the ones they thought best, and had an artist creatively portray these.

Some of the items in the book are things you’d expect from people in terms of becoming rich, powerful, famous, and so on.  Others are more intimate and from the heart like reconciling with estranged family members, forgiving those that have hurt them, understanding why bad things happened to them, and even finding true love.

What I find interesting is not so much even what people want to do with their lives, but how everyone is in a way (or actually many ways) imperfect and they seek to fill the voids in their hearts, souls, and lives.

Does creating a list of 100 things and checking off the list really mean anything or is it just a gimmick to get on TV, write a book, and earn some cash?

I think to me it’s not how many things we accomplish, but what we are really trying to achieve–is it bragging rights and fulfillment of our mortal desires, or is it to get a deeper understanding of ourselves, improve who we are, and give back to others.

I don’t have a list of a 100 things or even 10 things…I just want to live my life where I can look myself in the mirror in the morning for who I am as a husband, father, son, as a professional, and as a Jew.

I am not sure it is the big splashy things like the authors put down, including getting into the Guinness World Recordsthat is all it’s cracked up to be–but all the power to them.

My parents used to have a little sign hanging over the kitchen that said “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice”—yes, a little corny and cliche, but the point is well taken about setting priorities for ourselves that we can truly be proud of–and those things don’t necessarily make a list, a record, or get you an ovation.

Today, I read in the news about how Lance Armstrong, champion cyclist, may end up losing all 7 of his Tour de France titles for doping–just another example of what people are willing to do or give up of themselves to get what they want in life.

I say dream big, try your hardest, but don’t get lost in lists of accomplishments and stardom–stay true to who you really are and want to be.

And like the picture shows, it’s good not to take yourself too seriously.  😉

(Source Photo: Dannielle Blumenthal)