Do You Talk To Yourself?

The answer is, "Yes!"
We all do. I know I do - quite often.
It's true. He does.
See.
Stop interrupting!
Sorry, geez.
Anyway...

OK, I don't mean like that - not really. But, yes we do talk to ourselves. The real question is: What are we saying? The problem is that in our talks with ourselves we are often quite negative. Not healthy.
In class tonight, we dubbed this inner chatter "self-talk."
Self-talk shapes our attitudes, which shapes our behavior, which shapes the results we experience from day to day.

It's true.

We have a choice to think positively or negatively. If we're honest, we'd admit that we often choose negativity?
Just think about that for a bit.

When does your life begin?

I was watching a documentary earlier today - passing in and out of consciousness because I'm coming down with a cold.

Then the narrator said something that forced me to open my eyes, which I'll paraphrase here:

A man's life has started long before he is born.

Is that true? I think in many ways it is. Now it doesn't apply as a blanket statement, but there's truth in it. We each make decisions that determine where our lives go. So, yes, we still bear responsibility.

However, to a certain extent, our collective lives were determined before we were ever born. What does that say about your life? Can you see where that might be true for you? If so, what does that say about your life?

Just questions. If you don't agree, then simply look down at your feet. Your socks are the proof.

What If Everyone Was Like Me

At church today, our minister asked the congregation this question:

"What if everyone in church was like you?"

Guess we could all ask ourselves that:

"What if everyone at work was like you?"
"What if everyone at school was like you?"

Etc., etc. That means like you in all those bad ways, too. We all have those character flaws - the ones that make us imperfect.

What if?

Are You Outraged?

Driving along the busy highways around Washington D.C. gives me plenty of time to think.

The other day I was stuck in traffic and noticed a bumper sticker on the back of a car.

The bumper sticker was in the window of a Mercedes and said: "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention." I didn't get a look at the driver or passenger before they sped away from my view. I wonder what they were so outraged about? It made me wonder if I was outraged about anything.

Part of me thinks I should be. My students might say I'm outraged at their composition papers (I use a lot of red pens). Lol! I would red mark myself for using text language if this were a school paper.

Back to the outrage... More good might get done in this world if more concerned citizens were outraged about stuff that's wrong with our families, our neighborhoods, our cities, states, etc. Then again most people do not passionately believe in much to be outraged about. Oops! Did I say that out loud? Guess I did.

So, it seems that many of us may in fact be wandering about our lives not paying attention to much.

If I'm part of that many, well, that's enough to get me outraged.

Hola! Here's to you Socrates... and keeping your eye on the ball

So, my four year old has a bit of advice for me when it comes to catching a football. Just a few minutes ago she stood at the other end of the living room holding the ball. She turned to me and said:

"Remember, get your eye on the ball."

It didn't matter that I was trying to write this first entry. It was time to play catch. She launched it with her right arm. Following her advice, I kept my eye - both in fact - on the ball and caught it. She smiled. I then whipped it back to her with my left arm. She kept her eye on the ball... all the way to the moment that it smacked her upside the forehead.

She giggled.

"Hey!" she said, and then cradling the ball, shuffled off to the bathroom for a tissue to wipe her nose.

Good times.

Over 2,500 years ago the Greek philosopher Socrates warned his fellow Athenians that "the unexamined life is not worth living." I often share this warning with my students.

So... what does that look like nowadays, what's that got to do with getting smacked in the face with a football, and why am I blogging about it?

Here's what.

Every day we encounter a series of events - random or otherwise. Everyday we create an entry to our collective lives - examined or not. As a blogger, I can examine in a way Socrates could not. That's it. I offer this blog (or me as a blogger) as a metaphor to help explore the idea of living an examined life.

The way I see it (especially if I'm taking my four year old's advice), if I'm gonna live a life worth living, then I must get my eye on the ball - examining every moment of it, especially when it smacks me in the head.

Ok, the kids are launching paper airplanes across the room. Gotta run!