BIG BLOG BONANZA

Here is the inaugural Big Blog Bonanza trivia question.  Read the rules, become a Lifeworks blog follower and answer the following question:


"You know the actor Tommy Lee Jones right?  Where did Jones go to college and who was his roommate?"

Big Blog Bonanza presented by Lifeworks

Welcome to the Big Blog Bonanza presented by Lifeworks!

Each week you will have the opportunity to win simply by answering a trivia question and being a Lifeworks blog follower.  Only Lifeworks blog followers can play.   Here's the opportunity to learn and win all at the same time.

Here are the Rules:

1.  First sign up and become a Lifeworks blog follower.  Only registered blog followers can win.

2.  The first person to answer that week's "Tougher Than Nails" trivia question wins a $10 McDonald's  gift card. (First correct answer and email time stamp will determine that week's winner.)

3.  All previous winners will then be eligible by answering a "TOUGHER THAN EVER" trivia question for:

   * The Monster Mid-Year Prize on June 29, 2012

   * The Big Blog Grand Bonanza Prize on December 21, 2012  

4.  Multiple winners are allowed.

5.  Weekly prize winners and the "Tougher Than Nails" trivia answer will be posted on Thursday evenings on my Facebook page.  All decisions are final and made by Lifeworks.

6.  Limit of one answer per person each week.  Answers emailed to: rdcreek@cox.net

JOIN TODAY

LET THE FUN BEGIN!

Breaking Through Your Comfort Zones

Picture this...
A little child is crawling around a new surrounding when they notice--for the first time--a huge staircase.  As this little one gazes up at the new apparatus, what thoughts do you think are going on in their mind?  How do one-year olds think about new things?  How do they react to the unknown?


If you are around little children, you now the response.  They would say, "Wow, I've got to get to the top!"


Alternately, do you think they would look up the huge staircase and think, "Wow I've got to get to the top but wait a minute...I didn't go to stair climbing school.  Maybe I'm not ready.  I'll just wait until I have my degree in stair climbing and then watch me go."


On the other hand, would this little one look up they huge staircase and think, "Wow, I've got to get to the top...but wait.  I might get hurt.  I may fail.  I've heard it said 22% of one-year olds fall on staircases.  It's just too risky.


Or would this one-year old think, "Wow, I've got to get to the top...but wait.  What will my friends say?  What if I succeed?  They may think I don't fit in with the group back in the sandbox.  They might think I'm one of those snobby, famous stair climbers.  You know what they say ...it's lonely at the top!  I better not.  It's just not worth it."


NOT!!  A one-year old wouldn't say any of these things.  O one-year old is hungry for adventure.  They have an inborn, risk-taking ability.  It is their nature to risk.  They see it.  They want it.  They take it.


So, what happened?  What happened to the natural risk-taking ability that you were born with?  


Life happened!  Circumstances  occurred.  Disappointments happened.  And you, like me, began to let fear creep in.  Slowly and surely, fear began to grow until it was bigger than your dream, bigger than your faith.


Has life circumstances and disappointments silenced your risk-taking ability?  Has fear crushed your hunger for adventure.


The first step to getting your hunger for adventure back is to realize your innate risk-taking ability.  It's your nature to risk.  So break through your comfort zone and look up the staircase again and dream about what's at the top!

Who's To Blame for Penn State?

If you've been living in a cave or under a rock you haven't heard of the hideous crime that came to light last week at Penn State University and their football team.

Jerry Sandusky, a former long time defensive coach for the staff of Joe Paterno allegedly, sexually assaulted a number of young, vulnerable boys, one in the shower of the football team's locker room on the grounds of Penn State.  In essence, Sandusky raped these boys who he had literally "cut out of the herd" for his choosing.  These boys were selected out of a nonprofit started and run by Sandusky called "The Second Mile".

There are a number of people being implicated as the investigation begins to point fingers at those being guilty for doing nothing to stop Sandusky,  Most of these individuals had prior knowledge of Sandusky's transgressions but turned a blind eye.  As of November 15, 2011 it's clear that there will be more information coming to the forefront by investigators of individuals who played a role in letting this monster prey on these innocent children.

The list begins with a graduate assistant who was an eyewitness to the 61 year old Sandusky having alleged sexual contact with a ten year old in the shower.  The grad assistant is reported to have done nothing at the time of the assault.  He ran home and called his father and asked what he should do.  Keep in mind please that this assistant is an adult man yet he failed to do the right thing.

Then there is coach Joe Paterno.  After being told by the grad assistant of the assault, Paterno also failed morally to take action.  Paterno did call the Athletic Director of Penn State who also did nothing but call the college president.  HELLO did anyone ever think of calling 9-1-1?  Did the grad assistant ever think of shoving Sandusky to the floor, grabbing the young victim and running to safety?  Am I to assume that if the same ten year old was hanging out of a burning house he would have called another adult to ask what to do?

Keep in mind that Sandusky ten years earlier had been up on charges for child molestation but witnesses were kept quiet.  And if you've never heard, the prosecutor for that case later came up missing.  As in he was never seen again missing.  It wasn't until this past July that he was legally declared dead.

The Grand Jury report is online and you can read the details of this case.  I warn you in advance it is a very difficult read...but before you begin to feel sorry for the 84 year old grandfatherly Paterno, you should make a good faith attempt to understand how dastardly this crime was by everyone who was involved.

So listening to the stories of this incident got me to thinking in a different light.  If you're a college football fan there's a good chance you're not going to necessarily agree with my opinion. Keep in mind, I've played ball, been a fan and coached.

While watching ESPN's Sportscenter, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, listening to local sports reporters, radio talk shows, everyone basically share the same thoughts about this case.  Never mind if you're a liberal, conservative, independent, Republican, Democrat, atheist, Catholic, Jewish...well you get the picture.  This crime crosses all legal and moral boundaries.

So who's to blame for what happened at Penn State?  Well for Penn State in particular we now know some of the names.  More will come out in the investigation.  But here's my take on this whole story.
The people not being mentioned as being a part of the bigger picture of such crimes are:

YOU and ME

Yep...you and me.  Now before you get offended and say you would never have anything to do with something like Penn State hear me out.  Let me share some thoughts...

Thought #1  College football is a sport that builds statues to "living" coaches and players.  If you need any more evidence that college football is in the midst of a new era of blind extravagance and euphoric self-congratulation all you have to do is start counting statues.  A growing number of schools across the nation have decided that they aren't content to reward coaches by paying them millions of dollars or retiring a jersey number.  The University of Oklahoma, of which I have ties to, is becoming statue central.  OU has four statues of their Heisman trophy winners with former quarterback Sam Bradford's on the way.  OU also plans statues of four coaches including current head coach Bob Stoops.

It's one thing to support Marshall University's decision to display a memorial to the members of the 1970 football team who died in a plane crash.  But when a conversation about football statuary starts to veer towards the likes of Nick Saban, Danny Wuerffel, and Tim Tebow, it's probably time to stop, locate the nearest bag, and breathe into it.

Thought #2  Coaches have way too much power...period.  When a newspaper reporter asked a college administrator who was the most powerful man at Penn State, he hesitated and then said, "Well I suppose the college president but really it's Joe Paterno."  Really a school with an enrollment of over 95,000 students is led by what happens on campus by an 84 year old football coach?

Go to YouTube and watch the ESPN segment entitled, "Nick Saban Explains his Alabama Job."  Listen carefully to what's said in that clip.  It's also reported that when Saban's jet landed in Alabama the day he accepted the head foot coach's position that people lined the roads and chanted his name.

Thought #3  College football is a cash monster!  It has taken on a life of its own.  Coaches are paid millions of dollars.  If you don't think money plays a role in this whole fiasco called college football you would be wrong.  Go back and read about Southern Methodist University and that scandal.  Read how the college regents, the college president, boosters, players, the governor of Texas, and yes even George Bush had a role.  Read about Eric Dickerson and the hot car his grandmother "bought" him.  SMU received the death penalty from the NCAA and to this day 20+ years later has not recovered.  All because of a group of greedy power hungry old men.  

Thought #4  Intelligent, rational, good-hearted people who attend and support college football as fans are willing to offer blind trust to mere men.  And that my friends is where you and me are complicit.  Joe Paterno is a man.  Bobby Bowden, long-time Florida State football coach with his "dadgum" folksy way is a man.  Nick Saban, Tom Osborne, Steve Spurrier, Barry Switzer, any coach is just a man.  Ask Jim Tressel what happened this year at Ohio State when the power of the position went to his head.

The power granted to football coaches by the thousands if not millions of fans, boosters with big bucks, and other funders is dangerous and bad things can happen as we have witnessed at Penn State.  As fans we are at least partially responsible for the consequences of what occurs on our college campuses. We empower mere men to go beyond being football coaches...and in some cases would it be wrong to say we create coaches with a god complex?

So Penn State played Nebraska this past weekend.  As Nebraska fans prepared to travel to College Station to attend the game the question they were asking Coach Osborne was should they wear their red shirts.  Was it OK to wear red?  These were adults, 40, 50, 60 years old asking!  Really!  The last time anyone asked me what color would be appropriate to wear...was...well my daughter when she 7 years old.

And what were some of the Penn State fans wearing at the game?  They were wearing a t-shirt that read:

"You have Jesus...We have Joe-paw."

Enough said.

Pray for those who are the true victims.

Now Where Did I Put My Memory

One of the simplest but most powerful habits I have established in my life is to write things down.  Why is it so important?


1) If your memory is anything like mine it's a leaking bucket.
I have noticed when reviewing old notes how much my memory can leak.  The memory isn't all that reliable.  Every time we remember something we recreate what happened rather than just replay a film from our mental archives.  So we need some kind of system outside of ourselves.


2) Ideas don't stay for long.
Fine or awesome ideas can pop up at the strangest times but they tend not to stay for long in your head.  So you need to capture them fast or they are gone in the wind.


3)  Written goals are very important.
One thing a lot of very successful self-improvement writers go on and on about is the importance of having written goals.  A written goal brings clarity and focus.  It gives you direction.  And by rewriting your goals you not only reaffirm what your goals are you may also find new insights that bring more clarity and focus to your goal and life.


4)  To remind yourself of what to focus on.
Often we get caught up in our everyday business and lose track of what is most important.  To keep yourself on track - instead of just keeping yourself busy with low-priority tasks - simply write down a reminder that can stop your thoughts when you see it and guide you back on track again.  It can for example be your current goal.  I also like reminders like: "keep things extremely simple" and "what is the most important thing I can do right now?"  Write down your reminder and put that reminder where you can't avoid seeing it throughout your day.


5)  Unloading your mental RAM.
When you don't occupy your mind with having to remember every little thing - like how much milk to get - you become less stressed and it becomes easier to think clearly.  This is, in my opinion, one of the most important reasons to write things down.  Feeling calmer and more relaxed does not only improves your health but also makes life easier and more smooth and effective.


6)  Get to know yourself and your life better and improve long-term focus.
You can use a journal as a way to keep an overview of your thinking over a longer span and to recognize both positives and negatives in your thinking and actions.
By writing things down you can help yourself to spot trouble and get yourself back on track and keep yourself there within a larger time frame.  Or your journal may tell you something that you haven't really paid much attention to about yourself and/or about your life.  And so this can bring clarity.


So here are some of the most important reasons why I write everything down.  How to capture your thoughts?  Well, that's up to you.  Try different ways and find the ones that you feel most comfortable and effective with.

Timeout!

Wow Walmart has all their Christmas trees and aisles set up.  UGH!  Already?  Really?  OK let's call a timeout on 2011.  How is your year going so far?  It's good from time to time to review how things are going.  So I have four valuable questions to ask yourself as you track the year.

1.  How can I give value in this situation?  This is a great way to improve your relationships and interactions.  Four awesome reasons to give value in your everyday are:
*It makes you feel awesome
*You tend to get what you give
*It makes your life a whole lot more fun
*It makes it easier to start start new relationships and improve old ones.
What value can you give in a situation/to another person?

2.  Would I rather be right or be happy?  Wow what a question.
Right in this question means the need to judge, the need to be right while interacting with other people.  It's not   just about the guy who can't be wrong in a discussion though.
It's about the thought that you don't always have to be against people or things.  You don't have to exist in a "me against the world" or "me against someone" head space.  You can just relax, be cool and be with people instead of being against them in some subtle or not so subtle ways.

Feeling like you are right can bring some pleasure.  But beyond that there is a lot more connection, happiness and positivity to be found.

3.  What is the mot important thing I can do right now?  If you are lost in what you do next in your day, your week or life, ask yourself this question.  The answer might not always be what you want to hear because the most important thing is often one of the harder things you want to do too.  But it can help you to check your priorities and stop you from getting lost in busy work and instead start tracking the really big stuff that will improve your life in any area in the long run.

4.  What do I think is the right thing to do?  One of the hardest things to do in life is to do the right thing.  What you think is the right thing.  Not what your friends, family, teachers, boss and society thinks is the right thing.  What is the right thing?  Here are three reasons to do the right thing:
*You tend to get what you give.  By doing the right thing you tend to get the same things back.  Give value to people, help them and they will often want to help you and give you value in some form.  Do the right thing, put in extra effort and you get good stuff back.
*To raise your self-esteem.  When you don't do the right thing you are not only sending out signals out into your world.  You are also sending signals to yourself.  When you don't do the right thing you don't feel good about yourself.  To not do the right thing is a bit like punching yourself in the stomach.
*To avoid self-sabotage.  A powerful side effect of not doing the right thing is that you give yourself a lack of deservedness.  By doing the right thing you can raise your level of self-esteem and feel like a person who deserves his/her success.

CHILL OUT!

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.  Let me share with you my favorite tips to minimize stress and live more relaxed.  I hope you find something helpful here, even if it's just a reminder of ways to relax that you had forgotten.

1.  Accept the situation.  You may be in a stressful situation and think to yourself that this shouldn't be but the incident has already arisen.  So to decrease the stress you can accept the situation and deal with it rather than fight it.


2.  Take many things less seriously.  Taking things or yourself overly serious adds alot of unnecessary negativity and stress in your life.  A minor situation may be blown up to a major one in your mind.  Learn to lighten up a bit and life becomes more fun and you realize that you get great results even if you aren't super-serious about everything.


3.  Decrease or put a stop to negative relationships.  If someone is making you more stressed or creates a lot of negativity in your life you may want to consider decreasing the amount of time you spend with that person.
Some people almost seem to like to dwell in negativity.


4.  Just move slower.  If you slow down how you walk or how you move your body you can often start to feel less stressed.  A stressed mind tends to run in circles a lot of the time.


5.  Exercise.  A simple and time-tested way to decrease inner tension is to exercise.  This is one solution that works most consistently for people.


6.  Find five things you can be grateful for right now.  Being grateful and appreciative in your life is one of the most effective ways to turn a negative emotional state to a more positive one.  So find a few things you are grateful for right now!  What's the first thing you think of?


7.  Look for solutions.  When faced with a challenge that can cause stress, try to direct your focus to solutions rather than to dwell on the problem for too long.  Dwelling only causes more stress and makes your mind less open to finding a solution.


8.  Be early.  just be 10 or 15 minutes early for meetings, etc.  This very simple tip can cut down on stress quite a bite.


9.  Do just one thing at a time when you're in a stressful period.  Simple tasking and focusing on doing just one thing at a time not only decreases stress but from my experience gets things done a whole lot quicker.


10. Talk to people around you about it that you respect.  Perhaps they can offer you advice or just lend an ear and some support.  Just telling someone about something can often bring relieve.