Friday’s Jokes and Quotes – Memorial Day

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured with what is right in America.” William J. Clinton

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” Nathan Hale

“Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.” Mark Twain

“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” George Washington

 “The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” Benjamin Disraeli

Keep Working On Your Skills.

One of the most effective educational organizations I belong to is Toastmasters International. If you want to improve your communication and leadership skills, Toastmasters is the most cost effective. Every meeting you are assigned a different role to participate in. One week you may be a speaker, the next an evaluator, grammarian, etc. As a professional speaker I use it for stage time and as the great commedians would say a place to be bad to break in new material.

I don’t normally promote the fact that I am still a Toastmaster on my speaking websites because unlike the National Speakers Association, toastmasters is not created for professional speakers, but for anyone who wants to improve their communication skills at whatever level you may be at. If you have a fear of public speaking, Toastmasters is the ideal organization. They give you the support you need to be able to stand up infront of an audience so that you can convey your thoughts.

I cringe when I hear people who have left the Toastmaster organization talk about how they don’t need it anymore because they are the ones who probably need it the most and they are not a good reflection on the organization. Like any skill public speaking and good communication needs constant practice inorder to be effective. Just like great athletes and musicians, it takes a concerted effert to keep your skill level up. Professional Atheletes and Professional musicians still have a coach and trainer to keep up their level of skills.

I have a colegue who left Toastmasters over 3 years ago and he doesnt think he needs it anymore even though his job requires him to speak almost daily. He swallows his words, uses audible pauses and his content also has suffered. He talks about how helpful Toastmaster was to him and yet his communication skills have declined. People that arent constantly working on improving their craft like Toastmasters embarass the organization.

No matter what your skill is unless you are contstantly working to improve you will digress. Keep working to improve yourself.

Fridays Jokes and Quotes – Basketball

“I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.”  Michael Jordan

“A winner is someone who recognizes his God- given talents, works his tail off to develop them into skills, and uses these skills to accomplish his goals.” Larry Bird

“One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team.” Kareem Adbul-Jabbar

“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” Tim Duncan

“Not only is there more to life than basketball, there’s a lot more to basketball than basketball.” Phil Jackson

“The only difference between a good shot and a bad shot is if it goes in or not.” Charles Barkley

“If you are afraid of failure you don’t deserve to be successful!” Charles Barkley

“It’s what you get from games you lose that is extremely important.” Pat Riley

“Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just God’s way to say nobody’s perfect.” Shaquille O’Neal

“Never mistake activity for achievement.” John Wooden

Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile”

Charlie Chaplin was a comedian during the silent era of film. Even though his comedies were funny, they had a touch of pathos to them. Even though is should seem ironic that he would write such a heart-felt song, many comedians have a little pain that they have channeled to make humor. The following are the lyrics from Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile.”

Smile though your heart is aching

Smile even though it’s breaking.

When there are clouds in the sky you’ll get by.

If you smile through your pain and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You’ll see the sun come shining through

For you. Light up your face with gladness,

Hide every trace of sadness.

Although  a tear may be ever so near

That’s the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what’s the use of crying.

You’ll find that life is still  worthwhile-

If you just  smile.
 

The Power of Wii (we)

I recently had the opportunity to tour behind the scenes of a local hospital. I was amazed with all that goes on behind the scenes to make a hospital work 24 hours 7 days a week. Having been to this hospital on many occasions during my life, the first as a patient when I was 7 year old because I broke my collar bone then as recently as the day before the tour when my x-wife called me to go because she fell and broke her foot, for the first time I saw hospital from the staff’s point of view. Even though it doesn’t make sitting in the waiting room for hours waiting to get treated any less annoying, I do now have more respect for the hard and stressful work they are doing there.

While going through the tour the hospital administrator giving us the tour told us of a trauma room doctor who was hit by a drunk driver and ended up as a patient in the trauma room that he worked in. The doctor said it was a whole different experience entering the trauma unit as a patient. It gave the doctors a new perspective on their work which will help improve the already amazing work they do at the trauma 1 unit.

The hospital also has one of the best burn units west of the Mississippi; a wing of it is dedicated to pediatric burn victims. Our tour guide was telling us about how they had a young child about the age of 8 or 9 and he was not really communicating very much. The burnt child was withdrawn and wasn’t responding to some of the therapy.

One day the burnt child was in physical therapy not doing much until another child came in about the same age. The other child started playing with the Wii and then all of a sudden the patient that wasn’t communicating went over and started playing the Wii with the other patient. They were playing the game together and it became the catalyst that helped the child recover from the mental aspects of his burn. Part of it was the game, part of it was the interaction with one of the other patients. I like to think it was the power of Wii(we).

Friday’s Jokes and Quotes

“Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.” Danny Kaye 

“The road to success is always under construction” Lily Tomlin

“To me, there is no greater act of courage than being the one who kisses first.” Janeane Garofalo

“I couldn’t wait for success, so I went ahead without it.” Jonathan Winters

“just because nobody complains doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect.” Benny Hill

“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just on day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.” Groucho Marx

Philosphy of the Great Comedians

“I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done.” Lucile Ball

“Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” Jack Benny

“A committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours.” Milton Berle

Opening the Door To Success

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Milton Berle

It’s funny how comedians sometimes make the best philosophers. Uncle Milty is right with his quote, “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” In other words don’t sit around waiting for good things to happen to you. Don’t wait for someone to call with a job opportunity or a romance to just fall in your lap. Get out there and make it happen. If you want someone to open doors for you, you have to have a door to open.

Too often we expect opportunities to just appear, we think we deserve an opportunity without earning it. Earning that promotion means you built that door.

Lead By Example

Don’t take yourself too seriously, just because you get promoted to a position with more responsibility and authority doesn’t mean you should walk around as if you are more important. Don’t act like the “New Sheriff in Town.”  You need to treat everyone around you with more respect and lead by example, not by the new title. Respect for the title is fading if you don’t lead by example. Leadership is earned from hardwork. Earn their respect and you will be a good leader.