A toy is a toy and this one really is, but a Porsche is not a toy!
Design is an art, whether for cars, homes, fashion, and more.
Those that get design right make things not only functional, but incredibly beautiful.
And when function and design come together in perfect harmony that is no toy! 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Sometimes in life, people are left tongue-tied.
Too shocked, shamed, confused, or abused to speak or perhaps to even know what to say anymore.
Maybe in the face of some horrible things that happen in life, there really are no words.
Instead, the vacant or crazed look in the eyes says it all.
People go through a lot–some of it is inhumane.
Sometimes, only tears can even begin to express what they are feeling.
I think one thing that is important to do, even when we’re not sure what to say, is to acknowledge that it is okay.
Silence is often golden.
Listen more, watch more, feel more, learn more, reflect more.
Ask more questions.
Usually, I’m told to ask at least 5 times (i’d say at least 3) to decompose to what is really going on underneath the superficial covers.
“Tell me more.”
“What else?”
“Can you elaborate?”
Sometimes, people have difficulty getting in touch with their true feelings or accurately diagnosing what’s bothering them.
It’s more than okay to be thoughtful, be deliberative.
Words are often cheap, but they shouldn’t be.
Our words should be truthful, meaningful, insightful, even righteous.
Take all the time you need, your words are worth it. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
I thought this was pretty good.
How do we go from hearing to listening?
We have to be silent (and contemplative)!
– Check out the letters in the word silent.
– They are exactly the same as the letters in the word listen.
Keep the mouth shut and really listen to the what the other person has to say, and you might actually learn something. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
It’s funny, we were out with some other people for dinner.
At one point, the conversion turned to the personality types (in terms of sociability) at the table.
One person said, “I’m an extrovert!” – they were so proud that they are expressive and outgoing.
Another person goes, “I’m an introvert!” – they were equally proud that they are thoughtful and more reticent.
A third person then says, “I’m just antisocial!” – they were half laughing and have serious that they are not sociable and even a little antagonistic to others.
That’s when I came up with the new antisocial term, called an antivert!
Looking up that word on google to see if it already existed, I see someone has used it to brand an antihistamine for preventing and treating motion sickness and vertigo — hence from vertigo, this medicine is an antivert.
If you think of antisocial people as a little of balance or off-kilter and eccentric, then the word antivert works both to treat vertigo as well as to describe people that are the antisocial personality type. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Thought this was pretty funny.
I went to the gym to do some lifting.
And low and behold, someone had left this funny message:
“Dear Tarzan,
Please put the heavy weights back so I can move the bar up and down.”
Thank you,
Jane”
How creative a message was that!
Tarzan and Jane, nice sense of humor.
Effectively asks for what she wants–put away the weights when you’re done!
Is polite about it–please and thank you.
Must’ve worked because the bar was unencumbered and moving up and down fine, and there was no leftover heavy weights to be found.
A little thoughtful note can go a long way. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This was really nice to see.
Someone invented a beach wheelchair.
Thoughtful for people with disabilities.
Not sure how well it actually would work to try and push this over the sand dunes.
But I credit people for trying to help other people.
Too often, we only think of ourselves.
It’s inconvenient to think of those with less or with problems and in need.
But when we come out of or own heads, we can uplift ourselves as well as others to the beach or wherever else they want to go. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So one of our contractors was moving on to a new position.
It was toward the end of the day, and I saw him getting ready to leave the building.
I went over to him to thank him for his service, tell him how we appreciated his contributions, and wish him well for the future.
Someone nearby overhead me talking with him, and in a lighthearted joking way says, “That’s not what you told me about him by the elevators [one of our typical watercooler chat spots],” and then he gave a big smile.
He is another wonderful person and I understood he meant it in complete fun, but I couldn’t help feeling bad for the other person, and his thinking perhaps that people were talking bad about him somehow.
I know I am a sensitive person, but somehow I could sort of feel the possible sting for the person leaving.
Sensing maybe something gone wrong, the other person came over afterwards and sort of apologized that he didn’t mean anything bad, which I knew of course.
We all like to have a good congenial relationship in the office, but I suppose even well-intentioned joshing around has to be thoughtful and with good timing. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
This guy is pedaling this ricksha around town in Maryland, USA.
And it carries messages of hope and peace.
Some examples (visible in the photo):
– “Promote the Olympic spirit.”
– “Hope for world peace.”
– “Protecting mother earth.”
It looks like he could be right off the streets of China or something and transported here to deliver and remind us of these important ideas.
What is interesting to me is that in this day and age of social media and online advertising where messages are often drowned out amidst the daily deluge we get, that here a simple ricksha can grab people’s attention and perhaps have a positive influence on them.
With just some subtle messaging along the vehicle’s canopy and with pictures and flags around the back.
Perhaps it’s not only how much one advertises and promotes, but how thought-provoking and novel it’s done.
I don’t know how many miles this guy can pedal a day, but I bet he gets more likes than much of the garbage just being throw up online because it’s so easy and available for everyone to do. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Ok, we’ve all heard of “Death by PowerPoint” (well, I’m advocating death to PowerPoint).
It’s the unfortunate occurrence that happens when a speaker presents a wad too many slides (OMG, some people seem to go on and on forever –get them off that podium)!
Or when they present too much information, too little information, or just don’t know what or how to present at all.
Their (slide) presentations leave the audience basically wanting to just kill themselves, if not the inconsiderate S.O.B. speaker.
But aside from lousy speakers, you have a crappy presentation mechanism, which is PowerPoint slides.
Hello out there, tell the truth…
Can any of you remember much of a darn thing that anyone has ever conveyed to you by PowerPoint?
Think of webinars, conferences, and meetings galore with slide after slide of 2-dimensional boredom.
Is your head hurting you yet or are you just glad you can’t remember any of it–natural selection of memory saves you the pain…why thank you.
Then consider what someone has told you in great thoughtfulness, confidence, or with genuine passion, caring and sincerity.
– Perhaps, the wisdom of a parent or teacher who took you aside to tell you a life’s lesson.
– Or a Rabbi or Priest who shared with you something spiritual and uplifting to guide you on your path.
– How about someone in the office who was passionate about an idea or project and who motivated you as well.
Most of the communication between people that really means something never makes it to a PowerPoint slide.
Imagine for a moment, if something meaningful was conveyed to you by slide presentation–you would think, how ridiculous it is to use PowerPoint for that?
– I love you–will you marry me?
– We’re having a baby, how wonderful.
– Just got that promotion, yes!
– So and so is sick or just passed away, how terrible.
PowerPoint just doesn’t happen here in real life–thank G-d!
And no matter how much organizations such as TED would like to make a (show)business out of presentations using PowerPoint…(ah, nope).
Real communication happens when one person talks from the heart to another person who receives it in their heart.
The greatest orators in history…never used a slide presentation.
Other presentation products like Prezi tried to take slides to the next level with a storytelling format using a virtual canvas, but that didn’t pan out to well either…see many Prezis lately (and without getting dizzy)?
PowerPoint slides, and the like, are for distraction…now I don’t have to pay that much attention to the rambling, numbnut speaker anymore.
The bottom line…we don’t listen with our eyes!
Rather, we hear words of wisdom and see when someone is genuine, sincere and worth listening to.
The rest is PowerPoint… 😉
This was a nice big smile on the base of a light pole.
It’s funny, aside from the smile, the mouth on this reminds me of something very smart my daughter, Rebecca told me the other day.
She said, “Don’t let your tongue be bigger than your mouth.“
In other words, don’t be a big mouth, watch your words, speak carefully and thoughtfully.
Some very good advice, probably for most of us out there.
Mr. Light pole, I have a feeling you don’t overdo it with this, and maybe that’s why you’re smiling so much. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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