Did I Do Anything to Make the World a Better Place Today?

Did I do anything today to make the world a better place? I don't know. I probably inspired four or five people, but why didn't I reach out to four hundred or five thousand?

I read a book, "The Good Black" by Paul M. Barrett. I grabbed it on my way out of the house because I couldn't find "The Mis-Education of the Negro", which I am re-reading for the third or fourth time. [If I were as smart as everyone thinks I am, I would have gotten it by the second go-round, but like "Go Rin No Sho" I go back to that book and although the pages seem familiar, I don't know these books as well as I know some of my other favorites such as "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People", "The Goal", "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", and of course "Fox in Socks".]

I hugged my son. He hugged me back. That always makes my world a better place. I know I shouldn't watch television and I usually don't, but this season I had to watch "Celebrity Apprentice" with HollyRod and Brett Michaels. We DVR'ed it and watched it as a family and used it as a teaching tool for the Bear. That Donald Trump is something else, and I saw in that show many of the mistakes I was committing and identified several of my gifts which I was not fully utilizing, so like Darryl Strawberry, I am grateful to have learned from "The Donald", even if my learning was filtered and controlled. I still remember the first time I went into one of his establishments. I was mesmerized with his attention to detail and his demand for perfection. I truly admire that. Hugging our son was great.

I stood up for right, at least twice. I opened someone's eyes to what was going on around them. I got involved in political debates with people who had opposing views as well as came to the defense of those who share my views. I helped an anonymous child simply because he needed my help. I think I made his world a better place.

I did the right thing instead of the easy thing or the fun thing simply because it was the right thing to do.

I've probably accomplished more than 96% of the general working population, but before this afternoon I could never understand why I couldn't seem to crack that 97th percentile. That's my glass ceiling. Then it dawned on me that I was not engaged. I was not passionate.

I used to think that I wasn't doing my part, but someone explained that all I was doing was my part. That's probably not the message they intended to send, but that is how I interpreted it. I am doing my part, but I am strong enough that I need to be showing others and encouraging others to do their part as well.

I must not only become part of the solution, but I must drive the solution. This is the fourth post I have written today, but the first time I've thought anything that truly mattered.

I've been quite diligent about praying in the morning and at evening, and I have found that my quiet time with God works well for me, especially when I share them with the Bear, even if that means I have to pray twice in the morning and twice at night since we are not on the same sleep schedule. [If I were as smart as I think everyone thinks I am, I probably should have been able to so the math and figure out that I'm praying at least four times per day, but I'm an engineer, not a mathematician!]

(After I post my "When I Was Younger I Wanted to Be A ..." that last comment will make more sense.)

Did you do anything to make any part of the world a better place?

Dashed Hopes

I had such high hopes of making the world a better place, but I have slowly accepted the inescapable reality that I am not that person.

Another Day Just Like Yesterday

I know right from wrong which paralyzes me because I don't want to do right but I refuse to do wrong.