A-1 series beginning w/ the letter-A: Appreciation

Appreciation

Appreciation is all about relationships: friends, family, organizations that I value. A friend no longer living here in town is my “pick you up in the middle-of-the-night friend,” the kind for which we all are grateful. Although we've shared each other’s likes/dislikes, burdens, joys, tragedies, humorous and sarcastic moments, for thousands of cell-phone minutes; I most appreciated his friendship when he picked me up late one night when my car broke down. Cognizant that this friendship is purely unmerited favor, I regard him with high respect, that’s what makes it special. 

Being “aware” gives us the sensibility to actually experience and live for today, not stuck on another day; appreciative of the present. Estimable affection can be temporal; indeed it also allows us to see the miraculous in the common. The hobbyist and the connoisseur both relish what they see and taste; settling softly on their palette with warm appreciation. They know it when they see it, recognition is passionate and instantaneous. I can hear a few notes of my favorite music and respond immediately with singing, and a glance at my children pictured as toddlers shines into my heart like bright rays of morning sun.

Awesome begins with an A, a word overused and trite; yet when we look at something with awe, appreciation rises. As the year begins, I am committed to show and experience appreciation. We crave it ourselves, if we make the effort to perform a nice deed on another’s behalf their acknowledgment makes it worth it; as long it is given freely and not from obligation. Have you noticed the difference between a sincere thank-you note and a canned one?

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An antidote to the venom of narcissism, thankfulness has been proven to improve both mental and physical health; likewise, studying the cause of sincere customer satisfaction captivates business.

Appreciation: joy’s cousin spreads a smile to a passer-by, a call to a lonely, elderly relative, and returns a large tip to a jovial bartender. Worth taking time to stop and be appreciative for the blessings of life, we take a receptive posture; absorbing the pleasantry with satisfaction and happiness. Further, pursuing appreciation is subtle and important; as edifying as the experience is lovely. As I mature I am increasingly aware of the joy I experience over the littlest of things, or the largest of concepts. Give thanks, for this is the day the Lord gave us; life is not a dress-rehearsal.

Next time:  arbitrage

©Mark H. Pillsbury

Beginning with the letter-A: Awareness

Awareness

I’ve stopped at the same light for years, waiting 3-minutes for a left turn arrow. Today the driver window was down, beautiful spring smells filled the air, the clickety-clack of the old V-8 pistons mesmerized me. Even though I’d sat serenely at the same exact spot before; this time, I looked to my left to a scrawny oak tree and saw it for the first time just 6 feet away. Around the trunk was a small wooden sign the size of a 4x5 index card, affixed with a striped, taffeta ribbon and painted robin's egg blue. On the dainty sign was written one simple word in a winsome fresh pink cursive. It's the word that can change the world by melting away fear, filling us with courage and hope: LOVE.

Hiding in plain sight was what I needed to hear that day, for real; however, had I not been aware and open to this tiny signal, my life would have been totally different. Awareness means the ability to Stop, Look, and Listen to the world in which one lives. It pumps fresh air into relationships and protects us from a number of maladies, pratfalls, and dead-ends.

Recently, certain words caught my attention. They either shine like new or keep turning-up like a dirty penny. These words resonate to me, they pique my curiosity, and they made me want to incrementally write them down on a tiny Post-it® note on my desk. 

As the list grew, I saw a thread tying them together: they begin with the letter “A,” and so I was destined to blog about them; even though they all have enticingly different meanings and significance. Now, in a semi-regular series, words beginning with the A-B-Cs will be the topic for my posts. As long as I stay aware of the words as they speak to me. Thank you for reading along.

Next post: Appreciation

©Mark H. Pillsbury

The Second Obama Presidency

A window into Obama's second term actually happened just days before last fall’s general election when the President talked on the telephone with Des Moines Register [DMR] editors about their endorsement (October 25, 2012).

Obama didn't run on an overt second term agenda, and has not stressed details since the election; nevertheless, his main points in the interview were: 

• Continue growing “in-sourced” manufacturing jobs instead of losing them overseas
• In education he identified the need for improvement in STEM topics and more community college access
• The energy plan concentrated on alternative fuels, long-lasting batteries, and fuel efficient cars.
• Realistic immigration reform is now possible because the Republicans have scared all the Hispanics into the Democratic Party and finally there is enough political will to attempt this.
• Finally, he discussed deficit reduction through negotiating with the Republican House of Representatives in what he named the “Grand Bargain.” 

Editors brought him back to their number one issue which was economic growth. [Like the DMR editors, my perspective is that the other issues he discussed weren't common topics on the campaign trail; my concern therefore, on the precipice of his second term, is that they will distract from what needs to be done in the next few weeks].

During the interview, the President said corporate profits were at “record levels,” and big companies were “awash in cash.” [But why are corporations on the sidelines as far as spending for growth, and new hiring? Will the Obama administration consider the current oppressive regulatory environment or how businesses fear the upcoming Obama-care mandates?]

In October, what was said to be the “grand bargain,” which was $2.50 worth of budget cuts for every dollar in spending on programs, was essentially achieved during the fiscal cliff deal; however many of the Simpson-Bowles targets weren't met. [How serious is the President about either controlling spending, or negotiating with Congress? The immediate major hurdle for the his new administration: the fight over raising the debt ceiling].

The President says this fight is not about new spending; instead, raising the debt ceiling is necessary so the US Government can “pay our bills.” In his press conference today he did not sound like a man ready to negotiate. I ran across a well-written letter this weekend; if only the President read his mail:

©Mark H. Pillsbury