What – Me Worry?

“You can destroy your now,
by worrying about tomorrow.”

He was an unlikely cover boy.  His distinct face, parted red hair, gap-tooth smile, freckles, protruding nose, and scrawny body, first graced the cover of the magazine in November of 1954.  He would appear on all but a handful of the magazine’s over 550 issues, being last seen on the final publication in November, 2019.  The publication was “Mad Magazine“, the cover boy was Alfred E. Newman and his mantra was simple, “What – Me worry?”

Open Your Mind

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

His words stick with me until this day.  It was just prior to retirement, and I was attending a study council session at the University of PA.  Richard Shell, a Wharton Professor and author of The Conscience Code and Springboard: Launching Your Personal Journey to Success  had concluded his presentation and was now enjoying informal interaction with those who had attended the program. …

More Powerful Than Words

“Have the maturity to know that sometimes silence
is more powerful than having the last word.”
– Thema David

Do you remember the last time it happened?  It was uncomfortable to say the least.  Eyes looked nervously about the room.  At the ten second mark it was unbearable, and then, thank God, the silence was broken.  Someone spoke up.  A sense of relief swept over the room, the silence had ended.  There were two powerful lessons to be gained through that experience:

  • Silence is Powerful

  • Silence Fosters Communication

Communication is the bond that connects people. …

Learning to Unlearn

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”  – A. Toffler

I remember my father once telling me,  “Knowing what something is, is also knowing what it’s not.”  The phrase stuck with me, and I was reminded of it the other day when reading an article examining the importance of learning as a contributing factor to healthy aging.  Yes, I read lots of things about aging, not just because I’m a senior citizen, but to better understand the process. …

What Are Your Reference Points

“We are each other’s reference point at our turning points.”   
                                                            – Elizabeth Fishel

The most common, and the one used for centuries, is the North Star, but there are also the cardinal points of the compass.  Then there’s the infamous ten point scale (With 1 being none and 10 excruciating).   My son advised me that he is expected to meet one on a monthly, quarterly and yearly basis.  During golf season this one is updated daily to reflect recently posted scores and once a month my bank will notify me that the one related to my credit is now available. …