No one gets off this planet alive—one of the guarantees life gives us is that it ends with death! (Rather profound of me, isn’t it?) However as vibrant, loving, and caring people we have a choice: As the book, Five Days at Memorial states in the final sentence, “. . . we have the luxury to prepare and resolve how we wish to make decisions!” What decisions are you going to make? Let me challenge you to read on. . .

I was recently reading about the 2005 disaster of Hurricane Katrina and how it decimated New Orleans. This natural disaster caused horrific conditions and chaos at the Memorial Medical Center in downtown New Orleans. The book, Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink, describes the life and death decisions the hospital’s medical staff had to make including who would live and who would die.

As I read the book I was struck with how fragile life is, the amazing dedication of the medical community, and the tough yet fragile nature of the human spirit during life changing decisions.

What really has stayed with me was the statement: “The Ratio of Birth to Death is One to One!” which has raised some interesting questions:

• Why are Americans so unprepared for death when it occurs?
• Generally, why do we celebrate every milestone of life except death?
• Why does everyone want to rush to the miracle of birth yet shy away from the reality of death?

I have a few thoughts on these questions that I will frame with another series of questions that would be fun to discuss, debate, and learn from (and with) others:

• Is it fear of the unknown?
• Is it a total lack of belief in God and eternal life?
• Is it a disappointment that a “wholehearted life” was not lived?
• Is it that fascination with the wonders of the world and those within it were not a priority?
• Is it because life has been filled with regrets and too many “I should haves”?
• Are we disappointed that we did not stretch outside our comfort zone?
• Is it that we embrace the miracle of life, yet do not understand the reality of death?
• Is it that we see birth (new life) as “sweet” and “beautiful” yet death can be so painful and ugly?
• Is it the loss of a loved one and fear of loneliness?
• Or ???

I have many thoughts and reactions to these questions, yet to ramble in a vacuum on these seems to me a bit too self-centered as it is not about Bob, but about those we choose to live and share our lives with.

“Because I love this life,I know I shall love death as well” – Ravindranath Tagore

Take this short Ramble as a challenge to all of us, me included, to embrace life and to honor and rejoice in death in the same manner we do in reading the last chapter of a great book, by being thankful for the time spent, for the insight it gave us, for the value it added to our lives and how we impacted others.

I invite you to go back and re-read my previous Rambling blog post, “Welcome to the Rest of your Life.”

Here is to LIFE and DEATH

This Rambling is filled with questions and not personal commentary. This is the culmination of many of my previous Ramblings and is one of my more personally meaningful Ramblings. I hope you find the questions help create a “Welcome to the Rest of Your Life Road Map” for you (and partner, remember when doing with a partner, this is an US! not a ME!) as it has for me and you find the questions as thought provoking as I have!

I have a friend and good client who religiously reads and comments on many of my posts. Jim (his real name) always adds an appreciated, interesting perspective and color to what has been written. The most recent post on Scuba and Trust is no exception. Jim’s comment regarding my going outside my comfort zone and the great feeling of stretching was:

“Welcome to the rest of your life Bob.”

I found Jim’s feedback so timely as I had already started this Rambling (a follow-up to the scuba Rambling), “Staying Curious and Fascinated with Life.”

What does this topic really mean and how am I looking at it? This question has caused me to pause and actually think about this in more depth. My response to this question is that I wish there was someone that I could do this reflection with and think about the rest of OUR life as it’s not just about me. I’ve been accustomed to being the solo author and architect of my life but I’m am moving to an attitude of flexibility for when the day comes that there is an “us.” However, for now, it is me and outward focus on others.

A while back, I had a real life personal experience that helped frame why I’m more intentionally practicing “welcome to the rest of your life”:

I go to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester every 18-24 months for a full body (I do mean full body), two-day physical (nothing is left to the imagination). When asked by my personal Mayo physician why I am coming to MAYO EXECUTIVE PHYSICAL DEPT, I responded that my goal is to stack as many chips on my side of the table as I can that will provide me the best chance to live a fully engaged, vibrant, and meaningful life—to age 100.

My hope and dream is that I will be on this planet for another 36+ years. Yikes, 36 years, that seems long, however I am learning that time goes by so quickly; that time will pass in a blink and I do not want to do it alone or be left with a lot of “I SHOULD HAVES!”

I am embracing with open arms the richness of the Rest of My Life by staying curious and fascinated with the world and those people around me!

What does that entail? I am not fully sure myself. However, I am asking the following questions of myself knowing that the answers may change based on whether someday I have someone in my life. Perhaps you’d like to do the same with your life partner? it could be rewarding and I am sure will enhance the intimacy and meaningfulness of your relationship.

1. Am I a Conscious Incompetent in who I am? (Do I know what I am not good at and need others help to improve? If not, is it time to figure it out?)
2. Based on what you (we) discover in #1, do I (we) care?
3. How do I (we) become a Conscious Competent? (How do I (we) become intentional in personal growth, maturity, and relationship growth? Do we understand that disagreement and agreement is healthy and adds intimacy to a relationship?)
4. What should I be doing to be selfless? (It is not all about Bob or US!)
5. What actions and behavior are significant to actively being committed to my (our) family?
6. How should I (we) grow in outward giving?
7. How do I (we) grow in spiritual relationship with God?
8. What actions and behavior should I (we) embrace to enhance our relationships and significance with friends and those around us?
9. How do I (we) further master and honor the value of what others have to offer?
10. How do I (we) define and continue to grow together?
11. What experiences should I (we) take to see and feel the wonders of the world?
12. If doing alone, can I remain flexible enough adjust this road map when I do with that life partner?

Perhaps there are additional questions I should consider? I do not have a corner on great growth questions. I would be interested to hearing from my followers. 

Would it not be meaningful to be able to reach that final chapter in our lives and be able to feel that we did our best with the gifts that God has blessed us with, that we’ve grown in our personal and spiritual relationships? That life has been a mutual endeavor with a partner? That we’ve touched others’ lives in a meaningful way? Could all of this intentionality further define a significantly deep relationship with your life partner through meaningful conversation and heartfelt, courageous, and vulnerable sharing and growth?

Welcome to the rest of your life!

Lessons from Scuba Diving: Listening, Trusting, Learning How to Breathe and Comfort in Growth

I decided to take scuba training and certification—something I have always wanted to do. Why? In short, because I am fascinated with life and all it has to offer. I enjoy trying new things and challenging myself to step out of my comfort zone. As a Facebook friend told me, “Bob the world is about to get so much bigger for you, congratulations!”

Indulge me as I “ramble” about my first “controlled” underwater experience.

Confronting fear I enjoy swimming and have no fear of water (although I may fear what’s in the water below me). However, I do have fears and some anxiety of scuba diving: I fear I might get claustrophobic; could drown; or an eel or shark might get me. During a scuba diving training session, the instructor was talking of the beauty and peacefulness of open water ocean diving with fish and sharks. As he said, “for the most part, the sharks are harmless,” I was thinking “most part?!”  On the other hand, as a child one of my favorite TV (black and white of course) shows was Lloyd Bridges’ “Sea Hunt.” I could visualize myself coming to the rescue, spear gun in hand.
Outcome: I loved my first dive (ok, it was in a pool at a maximum of 12 feet and 80-degree water, but still my first). I did not experience as much anxiety as I had anticipated but it was still there. I was not claustrophobic and although I had an initial fear about being able to breathe underwater that soon became increasingly natural. That in itself was a great reminder that fear and anxiety can be overcome by confronting the fear head on and not hiding from it. To continue to practice and engage in different behavior becomes increasingly natural and instinctual. It helped that I knew there would be no sharks or eels in the pool—one less thing to be concerned about (I will save that for the real ocean certification dive!). I also have, as a result of the actual experience, a much greater respect for Lloyd Bridges in Sea Hunt.

 Experiential learning is the only way to either validate or overcome a fear. Until we have experienced something, being critical or overly confident is most likely a misplaced behavior.

 Stretching our comfort zones! Staying within one’s comfort zone may make us feel safe, however it does not offer the opportunity to grow. Growth is comforting and, in fact, possibly even more rewarding than staying within a safe comfort zone and not stretching our personal capacity. The thought of “I should have done _______!” scares me as I have had too many of those in recent years. I feel that I cheated myself out of God-given gifts.

Have you ever thought of stretching outside your comfort zone in this way? I have found it more rewarding than avoidance.

 Outcome: Going outside of my comfort zone and relying on breathing from a tank, even in a safe 12-foot pool that I knew posed no risk to my survival, still created a bit of anxiety and caused my heart to beat a bit faster. Was it anxiety or excitement? Quite possibly it was both. However, I found by the end of the session that I had settled into a new normal rhythm. My comfort zone had been expanded! Now the next test: Will this comfort transfer to open water (lake or ocean) scuba diving?

 Expanding our capacity for trust My scuba diving training has helped me learn more about trust: Trust of the instructor who assured us the equipment worked; trust that the breathing regulator would do just that (regulate the air flow); and trust that there was air in the tanks (even though it could not be seen or touched). Sort of sounds like the trust we place in our faith and belief in God; another lesson I hadn’t expected. This showed me more about my relationship with God a growing faith and how to better grow in personal and business relationships.

Outcome: Listening to others who have deeper knowledge, additional perspectives, and who are receptive to questions helps build trust, not just with me, but also the person sending the message…what a great lesson that is. This enhanced the outcome of my experience and broadened my perspective to expand my comfort zone. I am also experiencing this as I consider a trip to Mongolia for a mission outreach, an invitation to explore opportunities with Haiti Teen Challenge, joining a group on a bike ride across (part of the way anyway) Iowa (for the RAGBRAI), and a Crossroads bike trip in Napa and Sonoma…all requiring an expanded comfort zone that creates excitement and need for trust. Learning to trust adds value to many of our experiences.

Sit back and think to yourself or with your partner/spouse: What are you (or we) doing to expand our comfort zone(s) and build trust?

Explore interests and embrace life! Living a wholehearted life requires having a broad spectrum of interests and experiences—those that can add substance to life and our relationships. Experiences can expand our learning to embrace life and to respond to life’s challenges with grace and open-mindedness. Others in that first scuba class were there for similar reasons as me and it reminded me that sharing new experiences with someone else would be even that much more rewarding and meaningful—to share the anxiety and the fear and then banter about it afterward.

Outcome: Being underwater, hearing only the sound of your own breathing (something we usually take for granted) is calming, peaceful, and almost spiritual as you are reminded of the magnificent miracle of life and how our bodies were put together to sustain life.

Listening for understanding How critical this was for my first dive in a controlled environment: There was potential danger if I didn’t listen and learn the correct way to breathe underwater (keeping my mouth shut). It’s a lot like life: There is a time to listen and a time to keep our mouths shut. To listen not just to the words of others, but the meaning behind the words as that is how true learning and understanding is grounded. Listening intently for meaning and understanding is the foundation to almost everything, my scuba instructor not excluded. (There is a great book entitled Keep your Love On! by Danny Silks, possibly one of the best easy-to-read yet substantive books on communication and relationships I have read and embraced).

Outcome; I learned the “why” of what we were being told by the instructor. I felt the “ah ha, I get it!” I was reminded of the power to restate what I heard for validation and understanding. I wanted to make sure I heard correctly as discovering while underwater that I heard incorrectly was not a good time to learn. I was reminded that being challenged by the instructor was for my own good and not to take offense or get defensive as there are clearly others with greater knowledge and perspective than mine.

Scuba is going to be great. It has many parallels to life and I am excited for the added dimension it adds to life. Again as a Facebook friend commented, “Bob this will expand your world!” How cool! 

What dimensions and experiences have you considered alone or as process of co-authoring a book of “US” for your wholehearted life ahead? May I borrow from a Nike commercial and say:

JUST DO IT!

 

  Being Observant is the Facilitator for Change!    

Part II – A note to my readers: This Rambling continues my train of thought from the last post on “being an uncut diamond” and my own experiences in polishing the rough edges to discover the brilliance within.

If you are not observant to what is going on around you, you cannot change. 

There are things in life we cannot change. For instance, I am a full-fledged, 100 percent Norwegian, a genetic gift that I used to be overly prideful of and now am simply proud of. (I’ll explain the difference later.) I am sure you have similar attributes you cannot change and are perhaps proud of. We each have unique attributes that make us interesting and so much fun to get to know more intimately. Our attributes can make the soul tick and become the heartbeat in our relationships. If we don’t take the time to share and learn about personal attributes, our relationships can become shallow, less trusting, and lack intimacy.

How did my personal transition from being prideful to proud evolve? Why do I feel it has made a significant difference in my life? I am of the belief that without being an observant individual, observant to what is being said, observant to what is going on around us, observant to personal behavior and tone of conversation, observant of what is being written by those far more talented and insightful than us, we would not have experience change and growth. So……….Being Observant is a Facilitator for Change!

I have discovered and maybe you have as well, that there are things we can change about ourselves if our attitude is more than, “This is just who I am!”.

I have learned that changes and maturity can occur if we truly care. However, first we need to discover what needs change and why. And, is it really change or is it the intentional and deliberate process of engaging others (like a diamond cutter) who brings out the brilliance in a gem that was always within us?

I am not using “brilliance” in the sense of vanity, but rather as a description of making the best of the God-given talents we have. It is my opinion that not doing so is a waste and an insult to our creator.

Perhaps you are wondering (as I did!) about the difference between being prideful and proud. I have learned through experiential  discovery, and maturity, that there is a significant difference—a difference that can impact the outcome of so many aspects in our lives.

You can use the dictionary of your choice but basically, proud is defined as “having a proper amount of self-respect; characterized by feelings of pride.” Whereas prideful is defined as “a haughty attitude shown by somebody who believes, often unjustifiably, that he or she is better than others.” When I realized the difference, I was almost appalled by the manner I had used to express myself; I was prideful rather than proud.

Are there areas in your life where perhaps you’ve experienced this as well? Just a thought and question to ponder.

As I get older, I have had to work on being more transparent and vulnerable in my communication. In the past, I believe I have been reasonably good at conversation, but not communication. The two are dramatically different. With communication comes connection and intimacy, I have had to learn and experience that vulnerability and transparency is healthy and actually leads to more meaningful relationships, whether business or personal (which includes friends and a romantic intimate relationship). You may be thinking, what is the difference between the two?

Communication and Conversation: (Encarta) “A sense of mutual understanding and sympathy; the exchange of information (e.g. by means of speaking, writing, or using a common system of signs or behavior). And similarly, conversation is “the activity of talking to somebody informally; an informal talk with somebody, especially about opinions, ideas, feelings, or everyday matters.”

As opposed to: Communication: (according to Bing) “What is effective communication? Communication is about more than just exchanging information. It’s about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information.”

Change and maturity is a lifetime “work in progress” process that relies on being receptive to and valuing the input of others as well as having a variety of life experiences. For me, that includes reading diverse books, going to Nicaragua, attending my Men’s Bible Study group and a men’s monthly gathering for meaningful conversation, going to Haiti, speaking at church about my faith, and looking for other opportunities to do things that get me out of my own head.

Stop and think, what are yours? Do you have a partner to share these experiences with and are you intentionally working on being “Co-Authors” together on the book of “US”?

We do not mature and change without the help of others, being a “lone wolf” produces inferior results. All of this change and maturity has required guidance from those around me. My personal positive reaction to change has added color and perspective—perspective that may very well be different than what I want to hear! However, those perspectives (from meaningful relationships of value) are healthy and of significance in life.

I continue, as I suspect most of us are, to be a work in progress. How are you doing? Do you have that someone in your life with whom, together, you can be a work in progress?

I think that would be a fun and a meaningful life journey to  working together with that life partner to be an “us”!

 

Watch for Part II – Sequel on Friday  

Reader, in this Rambling I am using the images of a rough, uncut diamond and a perfectly cut diamond as an analogy to life and the process (or work) it takes to shape and polish ourselves into an interesting, meaningful and sustentative person.

————

Recently, I was asked how I come up with the themes for my Ramblings and how I outline the content before writing a Rambling post. I found it difficult to provide a meaningful answer. You see, I try to be observant about what’s going on around me. Often times, things I read or conversations I have trigger a lightning bolt of internal thought that goes something like: That was interesting and meaningful, maybe I could do a Rambling about that. I will then jot a cryptic note on my phone.

As for outlining the content, I thought to myself: Outline? Am I supposed to do an outline? I just look at the topic or theme and start writing from the heart and see what comes out—just like what I am doing right now! I guess that’s why these posts are “Ramblings” as they are basically reflections from my heart on topics and discoveries that mean something to me, have impacted me, and/or created change.

My objective? Challenge readers to reflect inward and see if anything I ramble about provides a “lightning bolt” for them.

As I sit here typing, I’m experiencing a rush of emotions at what I am about to write: Should I share what’s about to come out of me? Maybe I shouldn’t. But, heck, if I am being true to myself, honest with who I am, and authentic with my readers, why not? Maybe it will trigger a personal thought and additional insight for someone.

You see, I am single and do not want to be! I have, however, discovered how picky I am, how I have changed, and how I look at relationships—I only want to be married one more time. I have discovered so much in the past 18-24 months as to who I was in the past, and who I am today. I know what’s important to me and what I want in the person I will spend the rest of my life with.

Have you thought about this? If you’re in a relationship, have you discussed what is important with your partner and how to grow in order to be Co-Authors of the Book of an amazing “US”? This discovery is what brings me to my theme for this Rambling. (I pray that someday I will find that person who sees, feels, hears, and experiences this and says…WOW who is this guy?)

In the past, I thought I knew who I was as a person, but I was way too consumed with the wrong things to know how prideful, righteous, and shame-filled I was. This attitude and poorly placed attribute clouded my potential brilliance, has caused others to run and throw away the relationship (actually at the time, I was way too rough and had not learned to accept cutting and polishing), much like a rough, uncut diamond. I now know what it means to change and self-discover. Regret and change is so emotional, tough, and exciting all at the same time. I was told I couldn’t change. However, like an uncut diamond, while the core of who we are, along with our God-given talents that there are something’s that cannot change, however I am learning that we can cut and polish the stone (core), with the help of others, to bring out the true brilliance of who we are, smoothing away what is often clouded by rough, ragged edges. Boy, was I an uncut diamond!

Have you given thought to who you are at your core? What might need to be cut and polished? Do you surround yourself with those who can help? Do you want to renew a connection with someone in your life—a partner, friend, family member? Are you searching for the one who you wants to co-Author an “US” with?

As I write this, I am reflecting on the multi-faceted aspects of how I am attempting to live my life in a wholehearted, meaningful, and purposeful way. Maybe you, too, are struck with how to do this. A good and interesting support for me has been my renewed interest in reading. I have found Brene Brown, The Gift of Imperfection, and a great relationship book by Danny Silks, and Rick Warren’s, The Purpose Driven Life, insightful reads to name a few. Rick Warren’s  is based in faith and belief in God. However, regardless of our beliefs, the book remains a recommendation as I have found it so significant.

When we look at an uncut, rough diamond, what do we see? Perhaps we can see the gem inside what simply looks like a piece of glass. It is shapeless, colorless, jagged, and rough around the edges. You may wonder whether it’s something special or just a piece of worthless glass. Is there value here or just an interesting creation of science and God? You may hang on to it for a bit, but if it is not explored more closely you may discard it and look elsewhere, not realizing you’ve just thrown away something of potential brilliance and significant substance. If that did occur, who’s fault was it?

Now imagine it’s a person, not a rock, that we’re talking about. There could be two dimensions of fault: The rough diamond itself (the person) who has chosen not to be polished, not to change, not to be shaped and polished into something special. They then wonder why they were discarded. It could also be the observer who did not see the depth of the brilliance, did not have the patience to wait for the polishing, did not trust it was possible, or just did not ask the right questions. In any event, there was a tragic loss.

With some effort, and a willingness to make a change, the rough-cut diamond can be cut, polished, and shaped to reveal the true brilliance of what’s underneath. The brilliance will have multiple facets, much like a diamond, all slightly different, yet the collection of the facets creates something very special. That does not mean there may not still be a few imperfections (inclusions), yet those inclusions also create a uniqueness that can add significant value as there is no such thing as perfect—in the diamond world—or with people and relationships.

Commit to finding your brilliance!

I have discovered that with great effort and help from others who have unique talents and perspectives (diamond cutters), that the rough diamond can become a brilliant, wonderful, and fantastic creation. This happens when we are committed to working on creating a brilliant, meaningful, and uniquely purposeful and wholehearted life and a relationship with a lifelong partner, a partner who also wants to grow, live a purposeful life, and continue to polish (and be polished) by sharing and embracing all the brilliance and inclusions together.

 

 

Sometimes you need to choose courage over comfort.  –Dr. Penny Wheeler                              CEO Allina Health

Choosing courage What do US Airways Flight 1549, the number 155, United Airlines Flight 93, and the Jacob Wetterling tragedy all have in common? They all represent and exhibit a deep and undeniable commitment to courage, faith, and caring for others.

If you think you’ve blown God’s plan for your life, rest in this: You, my friend, are not that powerful.               –Helen Baylor

I have been reflecting on these dramatic and emotional events. They have moved the needle so to speak, in terms of what commitment looks like. I’m talking about wonders that make you sit back and reflect on things that really matter and that are far bigger than ourselves. There are remarkable qualities individuals have, qualities that are hard to define and truly understand, yet easily recognized and admired when you see them.

 When the porch light is finally turned off For 28 years, the Wetterling family kept their porch light on for the return of their son, Jacob, who was abducted by a stranger one night. That porch light symbolized their love, faith, and dream that he would safely return home. The family wanted Jacob to know that he was thought of constantly and had a loving family waiting for him. Their love was unwavering as they prayed for his return. Recently, we finally learned what happened to Jacob.

As a father and grandfather, I can’t comprehend how the Wetterlings have endured what they have for the last 28 years. In place of outward bitterness, the Wetterlings have acted with love and shown they have received the comfort and support not just from family and friends but from something far more powerful. The Bible tells us in 1 John 3 that we are children of God and that God bestows His love on us. I hope to learn from the Wetterlings’ remarkable example of how to live with grace, faith, and care as they have exhibited.

Flight 93 heroes On 9/11 after two hijacked jetliners crashed into the Twin Towers in New York City, and another, American Airlines Flight 77, crashed into the Pentagon, there remained one more plane still in the air, United Airlines Flight 93. Hijackers charged the cockpit, took control of the plane and were in the process of changing course to head to the U.S. Capitol. The passengers, after making phone calls to their loved ones, realized what was going on and knew they had a choice: let fate take its course and likely die along with an untold number of others, or democratically vote to take control of the plane and get into that cockpit, not knowing what the result might be. We all know how it ended. I wonder how many of us have really thought about what went on in that plane during those last minutes. What were the discussions? What were the emotions?

I am in awe of the passengers’ (and flight crew’s) courage, bravery, and the incredible care they showed for others while making the ultimate sacrifice. If I had the opportunity to interview each of those passengers before the flight to dig into their beliefs and values, I am rather sure I would discover that what occurred on the plane was symbolic of how they lived their lives.

On September 11 of this year I watched a documentary narrated by Dana Perino, the former White House press secretary for President George W. Bush. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I watched the video, seeing the crash site memorial and hearing from one of the passenger’s brothers. Flight 93 represents one of the most selfless demonstrations of courage I can think of. Take a moment and watch the video: Touring the Flight 93 National Memorial

155 Souls Recently, I went to see the movie Sully, the story of Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and US Airways Flight 1549 that did not crash in the Hudson, but rather, landed on the Hudson (as clearly articulated by Captain Sullenberger).

While there were many aspects of the movie that struck me, some of the most memorable scenes were centered around Captain Sullenberger’s commitment and unwavering focus on the safety of his crew and passengers. From the moment that plane made an emergency landing on the Hudson, Captain Sullenberger did everything he could to personally see that everyone made it off the plane. We watch him conduct a search of the plane as others are imploring him to leave. He is reluctant, fearing that someone may still be on board. As he’s ushered away from the scene to the hospital he repeatedly asks about the passengers. Are they all safe? We feel the weight of his concern. Hours later as he finally receives official confirmation that all 155 passengers and crew made it safely off the plane, you can feel his burden being lifted. In the midst of being praised for a remarkable landing, Sully could think of nothing other than those 155 souls he was responsible for.

Later, after Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles endured a grilling by a team of FAA investigators, one of them said that looking at all the facts, looking at all the scientific models, looking at all the computer simulations there was only one factor that made the difference, and that was Captain Sullenberger. Sully’s response? That it was the actions of his co-pilot, the flight attendants, the ferry boat operators and first responders, and the passengers themselves, that made the difference in everyone being able to walk off that plane.

As we live our lives, interact with others, and deal with our daily challenges I hope we can remember that each day is precious, each day is a gift, and each day is an opportunity to make others feel that they are the most special person in the room.

Honoring the Wetterlings, the passengers of Flight 1549 and Flight 93, and Captain Sullenberger

“10 Personal Discoveries for a Meaningful Life”

I am back from a nice summer and it is time to rekindle the Ramblings. The first 14 Rambling Blog Posts (www.bobstrommenblog.com) last spring were centered around reflections on lessons learned from reading,  from others. All of the past Ramblings created personal thought, introspection and change for me, I am hoping that previous ramblings caused some of you to pause and dwell on what was written as well.

This fall, the theme will be more outward with the objective that each of the future ramblings creates a nugget or two of value that adds to your life in a way that moves the needle personally  in a positive and meaningful way.

As I reflect on this falls theme based series of 10 Ramblings I am reminded of the symbolic nature of a lighthouse, symbolic of both a warning, but also for direction. I strive that these future ramblings add a bit of both to your personal arsenal for living life in an intentional and meaningful way.

Stay tuned for the titles of the upcoming series : “10 personal discoveries for a Meaningful Life” ;  I am not an expert, I continue to learn daily, I have found these 10 have meaning for me as a result of things I have read, and what I have observed in the world around me!   I will challenge each of you to add your input and perspective in and email or the comments so we can all learn and gain insight from each other.

What I do know is the first of the series will be entitled:

#1 – “ What to say when the porch light finally is turned off!”

 Stay tuned next week for the 9 remaining titled themes of this series of Ramblings. I hope you enjoy, reflect and gain a morsel from these future ramblings.