We All Have Our Moods

Thought this was a funny comic strip in the office. 

Today I’m feeling {choose your poison}…

While I’m sure that we’d like to be happy all the time, it’s not realistic to think that will actually be probable or even possible.

Sure, everyone puts on the big smile.

But behind the smile is often many other feelings 

As one colleague said to me:

“People are complex!”

Isn’t that true?

Anyway, don’t beat yourself for feeling what you feel–it’s okay to be relaxing, excited, angry, sad, stressed or whatever.

Of course, that doesn’t excuse letting it get the best of you and bad behavior.

We’re adults, not children with temper tantrums.

Certainly, though, we are all human, and all feelings are fine. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Type A-nus

So it’s the first full day of vacation in Florida.

And as it goes, you transition from the busy everyday world of work and chores to a more relaxing vacation mode…Ahhhh!

As I’m still transitioning, my wife says to me, “Stop your type A-ness.”

Then we look at each other and start cracking up, because it sounds like she says “Type A-nus.”

Okay 7-year olds, stop the silliness.

But maybe she is right, we need to pull our heads out of our asses, and look up at the sky, savor the warm sunshine on our faces, take a breath of fresh beautiful air, and just chill!

A-ness, or A-nus–either way, stop it and live free. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Many Faces Of Coffee

Coffee wakes us the “f— up”.

There is enough time to sleep when we are dead.

Coffee isn’t just a nice to have.

It’s always coffee time.

Coffee beans give us the sharp flavor and the quick pick me up.

Coffee is not only for working, but for relaxing.

I’ll take mine iced with half & half and plenty of sweetener. 

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

The Chalkboard Car

This is a photo of a chalkboard car. 

And on the hood is written “Happy Memorial Day!”

On the side was a design in chalk and on the back even a peace sign. 

Wouldn’t it be sort of funny if everyone had a car with handwritten messages on it (as long as they were kept clean and non-aggressive). 

A little entertainment, humor, how ya feeling today, and more. 

It’s also nice when we don’t take ourselves so seriously and can just have some kosher fun in life. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Doll For Every Worry

Some kids put their baby teeth under their pillow for the tooth fairy.

But in Guatemala they make Worry Dolls that children can put under their pillows, so they can be released from their worries and sleep better. 

If those were my worry dolls, I wouldn’t put them under my pillow and have a lumpy sleep and wake up to them once again, but rather I would throw them out the window, so hopefully they would be gone for good. 

Man, if only we could really get rid of our worries and problems that easily–I think they call it transference! 😉

(Source Photos: Andy Blumenthal)

Going For A Healing

So my wife tricked me today…

First day in Santa Fe and there was so much to see. 

By afternoon, my wife said she was tired and wanted to stop in an “Oxygen Bar.”

Good Jewish boy from the Bronx, what do I know from Oxygen Bars?

So they had these cool health tonics, soothing music, beautiful artwork, oxygen therapy, and…

In the back, they did healing treatments!

So my wife tells me I should do this.

Ah, why do I want to spend money on healing treatments?

She jumps up, goes over and talks to the owner, and comes back and says “Okay honey, she is going to give you a sampler.”

A what!

I hem and haw, but my wife doesn’t take no for an answer, so I reluctantly go to try it.

Well…

I really enjoyed it.  

From spa-type treatments to spiritual healing.

I had a smorgasbord of some light massage/reflexology, oils, sprays, rocks, branches and leaves, warm wet cloths, figure eights with a dream catcher, angels and animal spirits, and even prayers said. 

The very nice Jewish owner, Kadima Levanah, spoke about releasing your energy, having compassion on yourself, doing your best, starting anew, and having a full healing. 

By the end, I was smiling and feeling a lot more stress free–even though my wife tricked me like usual! 😉

(Source Photo: Rebecca Blumenthal)

Pain Relief – SUPER SIZED!

This was funny at CVS today.

The “value size” extra strength Tylenol (equivalent)–1000 pills!

Think about it that’s something like 500 headaches…

It reminded me when I worked in the financial service industry in New York City.

The Comptroller of the corporation has a mega size bottle of aspirin right on the front of his desk when you walked in.

It was clear he was quite S~T~R~E~S~S~E~D out.

From a personal branding perspective (my wife is the expert at this), I would imagine that this is not the image you would want people to have of you all the time.

Anyway, pain relief for some is a very big bottle of Tylenol and for others a nice bottle of wine or some time at the beach. 

My father used to tell me the joke, “If I have to give up wine, women, or song…I’ll give up singing!” 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Total CIO Ping Pong

Excuse the quality of this video, which my wife took while challenging me to a game of ping pong.

So what’s the point?

It’s important to work hard, but also to enjoy life and have some good times as well.

There is a Talmudic saying that he who goes through life without enjoying the world will be held accountable by G-d.

Aside from Judaism being against strict asceticism, this saying always sort of bewildered me, like why would religion need to tell you to enjoy yourself?

I think the answer is that in our zeal to advance ourselves–whatever that means for each person (accumulating wealth, offspring, expertise, fame, wisdom, spiritual growth)–we can go overboard, become obsessive-compulsive, and forget to refresh, rejuvenate and just relax and enjoy the life too.

You don’t have to deny yourself; but also, you don’t have to go crazy and be a pig either–just be balanced.

Play some ping pong or whatever, let loose a little, and be yourself. 🙂

Down In The Dumps

This is a display at a retailer in posh Rockville, Maryland.

As crazy as these mugs are including their $4 price tag, what adds to this comical scene is that there is the broom leaning up against the stack on the right, which I suppose you would rightfully need if these mugs were accurate.

I am sitting here thinking (briefly–very) about what exactly the social commentary is for these nasty mugs, and I believe that this is about people wanting to let down their (no, not their pants!) facade of perfection and propriety and having to do everything right at work and at home, and just instead for a while being silly, crude, and even (a little) stupid.

It’s like the person who says the most inappropriate thing at the most inappropriate time and says, “Did I say that?” And everyone starts laughing as the tension of the moment is swept away.

I think to some extent we all need that…to break the tension of the everyday rat race we live, and to give everyone pause to just say or do something a little silly and for everyone just to laugh it off. And then the real business can go on with everyone knowing that there are real human beings behind those suits and stone faces.

Anyway, this was probably the strangest display in a retail store I have seen, outside of the Village in New York City, but that’s another story. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)