Modulate, Please!

Who are these people?  You know the ones, those loud-talkers that call attention to themselves in places that were once civil and respectable establishments.

Take this recent dining experience—I’m sitting with the one I love, sifting through my salad, enjoying “normal” conversation, when this sudden noise, this garish shriek of uninteresting garbage, this overloud television commercial of a human being intrudes upon my space to share their day’s events with me, instead of quietly with the person across from them.

I find myself asking an unanswerable question: “Why does this clueless fool feel the need to share their banal personal life with the rest of us?”

Sadly, I always conclude with the obvious:

“Because they appear to indeed be clueless.”

At least I hope that’s why.  Because if ignorance is not the reason for being one of those loud-talking louts who interrupt (dare I say sabotage?) decent social behavior, then the only other conclusion would be selfishness, rudeness, or maybe just plain mean arrogance.

That is a rather frightening thought.

To those scary souls I say:

“MODULATE, PLEASE!”

But it’s not just in restaurants, not just clueless loud-talkers, sharing endless streams of trite drivel.  How about those cell phone gum-flappers?  Or those parents who publicly scream at their kids?  You know the ones that must be suffering from a mild case of amnesia, thinking that they are in their living rooms as they demand that little Sally or Bobby—for the tenth time!—pick up that toy RIGHT NOW!  ONE…TWO…Don’t make me count to THREE!

There is a rudeness going around these days, like a virus, only one with no hypodermic needle available as a remedy for this bizarre epidemic.  I say bizarre because the solution is simple manners, common decency, and the ability to differentiate between acceptable public behavior and the unacceptable.

But that’s just it.  Sadly, again, I am not sure enough people actually understand what acceptable public behavior is anymore.

“MODULATE, PLEASE!”

Blame can be doled out in several places, starting with the breakdown of family values.  These things need to be taught at home, at the beginning of one’s early development, as necessary as learning to read or walk.

Technology is an easy target.  After all, with electronic communication and social networking readily available at the touch of one’s fingertips, folks feel that the world is in their living rooms.  But is that any excuse for selfish, rude, intrusive behavior?  Sadly, again, it is not.

Frankly, I’m befuddled.  Because while I embrace having the world at my doorstep and fingertips, I have never used my cell phone in an intrusive, rude, or selfish manner.  Never imagined doing so.

Leading me to conclude that this problem—be it loud-talkers in public places, rude cell phone barkers, heavy bass music blarers, or oversaturated cologne and perfume spritzers—is linked to the spirit, the essence of our existence.  Basic tenets of decency taught to most of us…but somehow recently forgotten.

Simple, basic—HUMAN—behavioral traits like:

·        Kindness

·        Unselfishness

·        Being charitable

·        Politeness

·        Giving

·        Sharing

·        Considerate

·        Common decency

Anyone who argues that they are all of the above yet exhibit any of the sad behavior mentioned in this post are not only fooling themselves, but polluting the world.

Think about it.

Until next time…

peace (and quiet),

Mike

How to Deal With Life’s Imperfections

How’s this new year going for you?  Getting all those resolutions and goals figured out?  Or have you already given up, like a handful of folks do when confronted by a bump in the road along the path to achievement?

“Life is a series of one roadblock after another.”
                        ~ Mike Foster

Yes, life can be a constant thorn in ones side, or a blessing - it all depends on how you look at it.

Another thing you can say about life is that its one constant is change.  Our challenge is in overcoming adversity while embracing the change that will inevitably seek us.

Call them what you will - roadblocks, unwanted change, adversities, bumps in the road.  One thing that separates those who succeed in life and those who find excuses around every corner is the ability to adapt, to persevere, to overcome and embrace change and roadblocks as challenges to adapt to and not complain about.

What is your major roadblock standing in the way of your success?

The best way I’ve discovered in helping me deal with life’s imperfections and constant curveballs is by using laughter.  A favorite Zen saying of mine is:

"Nothing is left to you at this moment but to have a good laugh."

One of the things that separates us from all other life forms is our  ability to laugh in the face of some of the most dire situations, chuckle when all around us are freaking out, guffaw when life looks its darkest.  Like the old adage suggests: “when life gives you lemons make lemonade.”

This time of year millions of people, just like yourself, are making resolutions and setting goals to attain throughout the year.  Goals to lose weight, eat better, be more charitable, compassionate, kind.  I applaud anyone who strives to improve themselves, while also reminding anyone within earshot that goals and resolutions should not just be saved at year’s end or its beginning - set them and refine that as often as necessary, throughout the year and whenever you feel the need to improve yourself.

In summation, life is life is life.  It is up to you to make the best of  not only any bad or tough situation, but all the good ones too.  We may not be able to control a lot of what life tosses our way, but we can control how we react and deal with it.





* Have a laugh at life’s idiosyncratic impossibilities and seemingly unfair results.

* Look adversity in the face and dare to overcome it.

* Embrace not only every new year and opportunity to change for the better, but every day.

* Understand that there will be bumps in the road and challenges along the way…

* …and that you can control how you react to them, as well as your effort and energy in overcoming them.

Remember, sometimes you just gotta laugh at life.

But never, ever give up striving to do your best so that you live your life to its fullest.

Every day in every way.

Until next time...

peace,

Mike

livelive365

This past week a good friend of mine passed away. Sad, very sad. He was my age. We grew up together, played baseball together. Used to hang out Saturday nights together before we started hanging out with our future wives. But that was a while ago; decades. Why did I lose touch with this old pal?

It doesn’t matter that I hadn’t seen or spoken to my friend who is gone for ages; his lose struck me as strongly as if I’d just recently spoken to him. I understand that childhood buddies often grow apart through the years, due to geographical, philosophical, or any or ophical-reasons. But just like reminiscing about an old flame or ex-wife, even a relationship that sadly turned sour after it was once nothing but sweetness, one should not forget what was, especially now when they are no longer here.

This was the third contemporary of mine to have died over the past few years. One sad, but true, commonality was the state of each of their health, and how they lived their lives (not as healthy as I wished they did) every day—a very common topic of this website.

I have mentioned many times over how the death of my father—twenty years ago this coming January—changed my life. How through his death I grew stronger, healthier, more focused and determined…you could even say that my dad’s death was the genesis of livelife365.

All this leads me to the theme of my website, of Mike Foster:

Livelive365!

Every day in every way.

That doesn’t mean to just work at losing weight, eating better, turning bad habits into better ones, enjoying hobbies, bettering relationships, laughing, loving, living. It means to cherish your time on earth, this precious commodity that sometimes seems ridiculous or stressful or mundane. But more often than not is wonderful, inspirational, amazing and worthwhile.



When we lose someone close to us, mortality pokes a finger on our shoulder and whispers the frailty of life into our ears. A wake up call, a reminder. Sad, for sure, but something that we need to hear from time to time.

The best send off for my friend, for me at least, is to remember the good times, the smiles and giggles, those years we hung out together as if they were yesterday.

And mostly to learn through this unfortunate death how vital and precious our time on earth is, and the lesson we must all remember: not to waste a second.




r.i.p…

M.T., B.H., D.W. R.J.P




Until next time…



Peace,



Mike

Life’s Too Short…

Whenever I pick up a new book to read I am very happy, drunk with anticipation that this new venture into this writer’s mind will be a trip well worth the effort and investment.  As a book collector and bibliophile, I research which books I allow to intruded upon my precious allotment of time, so I am seldom displeased with my choice of reading, be it for pleasure or research.  But there are times when all that preparation and forethought does not work out and I find myself ensconced inside a bad read.  What do I do?  I sadly shake my head, offer a nod of apology to the author, who I know firsthand toiled at the keyboard for his or her art and passion, and put the book aside.  Why?

“Because life’s too short to read bad books.”
                                                                      ~ Mike Foster

In fact, when you think about the amount of time we are allowed to spend on this planet, alive, existing, doing that thing called living our lives, it is but a mere dust mote of time.  Time that should not be wasted.  Why?

Because life’s too short…to not do all the things you need and want to do to be all that you must to fulfill your time on earth.



Not to say that we should not kick back, stop and smell the flowers, chill out with friends and family doing nothing but enjoying the moment.  Of course not; all of the above are necessities in living one’s life completely, to it fullest.  Balancing one’s priorities with hobbies, relaxation, enjoyment, and all those things in between is part of the challenge of daily existence.

My point today is not to waste your time, or life, by doing anything that does not make you happy, more enriched, better, smarter, healthier, wealthier, more spiritual…fulfilled.  Why?

Because life’s too short to…(fill in the blank).

If you hate your job, leave it.  When I talk to people who appear miserable with their jobs, I tell them that I feel sorry for them that they have miserable lives.  They look at me, shocked, and say that their life is not miserable, only their jobs.  To that I say  to them:

“If you hate your job you in essence hate your life.  Change it.”

And not just a career that is making you unhappy, but any other aspect of your life.  If you don’t like where you live, or who you live with, think about it.  That is a major part of your days, your time on earth.  If it is not the situation that you want, you need to look into the whys and hows and ways to remedy said situation.  Easier said than done, yes, but ignoring a problem is not fixing it.


And ignoring our life is, well, a waste of a life.  After all, it’s your life, your time on earth, and the last thing anyone wants to do in their golden years is to look back ruefully at a life unfulfilled, wasted, and not the one that you envisioned living.  Think about it.

Life’s too short to…

Do anything that  you should not be doing that gets in the way of living your life to its fullest, every day in every way, 365.

I’d love to hear your comments on some of the things that  you feel are a waste of your life…and how you are trying to change them, and your life for the better.

Until next time…


peace,

Mike

It Is What It Is

Life happens. Sometimes we react to it in a not-so-wonderful way. It is what it is. Life. In its essence, life can be so challenging that we often feel overwhelmed by it, or so bitter sweet that it brings us to our knees, debating whether to laugh or cry. And sometimes life is so stunning, so utterly, mysteriously beautiful that we are at a loss for words, and can only gasp at its wonder.

No matter what life offers us, it is what it is. In other words, it will happen either with us or without us; transpiring on its own accord, without a thought as to how it effects us.

While our hands may tied, for the most part, when confronted by many of life's karmic misfortunes or idiosyncratic inequities, we CAN control HOW we REACT to it, whatever life has in mind to toss our way.

Our ability to cope with whatever life offers us, both good and bad, is the measurement upon which we are ultimately judged, in this world and the next.

Life. It can be so awesome that your chest hurts from trying to contain its splendor. And then in the amount of time it takes to snap your fingers, can be so cruel, so disheartening, so bewildering that you can only shake your head, and utter in despair and hope:

IT IS WHAT IT IS



Until next time...

peace,

Mike
livelife365.com

Happy Holidays

Seasons greeting, merry Christmas, enjoy your Hanukkah and Kwanzaa...whatever you do and however you go about embracing your own personal choice this holiday season, I wish you all hope, happiness, and health (and those are just the "H's") not only during the next few days, but, as always, throughout the year--365! Oh, and, of course, a video:

SPREAD HOLIDAY CHEER THROUGHOUT THE YEAR



For all of you who got slammed by the recent blizzard that dropped a few feet of snow on my old stomping grounds Back East, I offer you this little ditty:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM LIVELIFE365.COM



Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and an amazing 2010!

Until next (year) time...

peace,

Mike
livelife365.com

MIKE’S ON VACATION!! RRRRRRRR!

RRRRRRR?

What is this, talk like a pirate vacation?

Nope, I’m taking off for a few weeks to:

Relax
Rest
Rehabilitate
Regenerate
Read
wRite
Research
Recycle
Revive
Release
Rewind
Reinvent
Rejuvenate
Reclaim
Recondition
Reinvigorate
Renew
Revitalize…



…Repeat all of the above…

And then...eventually, sadly, inevitably, but Ready and Raring to go...

…Return


Aloha and peace,

Mike

Peace

I say peace a lot, and that's a good thing (I also say that a lot). For those unfamiliar with my videos, I close each vid with the one-word sign-off: "peace." I got that from my father, who used to say "peace" instead of goodbye, way back in the seventies. I thought it was cool and important as a young man back then, and I still think it is cool and important today.

Today, by the way, is the International Day of Peace, a day dedicated to global unity, with the goal of having one day out of the year free from war, fighting, terrorism, genocide, violence, anger and hatred.

In honor of this great day and as a tip of the cap to my old man, I produced this short video:



To learn more about how you can take action to help create a more peaceful world, please visit peaceoneday.com.

Until next time...

peace (what else?),

Mike

Happy Holidays!

Wishing all a very happy holiday season and a fantastic 2009!



peace,

Mike

Streeeeeetch Your Life

Before I take my daily walk, I do something that has helped me avoid injury, remain fit, and extend my lifetime warranty.

I STRETCH.

I perform a series of quick and simple stretching exercises that work all the muscles of my legs, from calf to hamstring. Watch this video to see my complete stretching routine.

STRETCH YOUR BODY

I have been on a steady exercise and walking program for decades and during that time I have not had one leg cramp or pulled muscle or any number of the injuries associated with the wear and tear of persistent pavement-pounding. Why? Because stretching works. Stretching warms up and loosens muscles and joints, better preparing you for the task at hand.


But don’t stop with merely stretching your legs or other body parts. Stretch the rest of your TRIAD (Mind, Body, Spirit).

I’ve demonstrated several ways how to stretch the BODY, now lets:

STRETCH YOUR MIND

I often stress the importance of feeding your brain as much intelligent food (data) as possible. All too often, the mind is consuming too much junk food, or bad data. We all know what happens, physically, when you eat too much junk food: you gain weight, consuming too much sodium, cholesterol, saturated fats and sugars, which causes heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and other health problems.

Instead, stretch your mind, feeding it good, healthy foods (data):

* Read, every day (“A Book a Week is All I Ask“). Stretch your mind by reading diverse topics, explore your weak areas that need developing, spanning all genres, utilizing every media available: newspapers, magazines, novels, non-fiction, self-help, how-to, blogs, and websites.

* Learn a musical instrument or a foreign language. This exercises different parts of your brain, stretching you further.

* Continue your formal education. Full-time or part-time, go for that AA, or BA, or BS, or MBA, or PhD. This will not only stretch your mind, but it’s also a valuable career asset.

* Pursue your autodidactic education.
An autodidact is a self-taught person, someone who continues his or her education through methods other than formal schooling. Never in history has there been more opportunity or information at your fingertips than today.

Stretch your mind, read every day, learn something new, explore the oceans of data available only a mouse-click away, while avoiding all the negative, unproductive junk food (data) that same mouse-click away. Your brain with benefit, just like your body, in the long run.

STRETCH YOUR SPIRIT

Spiritual fulfillment, or happiness, or just contentment, especially during challenging times like these, is as difficult to attain as it is essential in becoming he complete person we all strive to be.

If you possess great physical strengths and an exceptional intellect, yet remain unhappy, your Triad of Balance is lacking, incomplete. Besides feeling the pain of being out of balance, your are also spiritually bereft.

Stretch yourself spiritually:

* Give to charities, volunteer your time to worthy causes. By helping those less fortunate than yourself, you help yourself.

* Join local clubs or groups where you can interact with like-minded thinkers. Sharing thoughts, mingling, talking and laughing in a community setting go a long way toward improving your mental, happy health.

* Meditate, practice yoga. Relax the soul, and the body and mind will follow.

* Be positive, all the time. Easier said than done, but well worth the conscious effort.

*Perform random acts of kindness. Sometimes just a smile can make someone’s day.

* Believe in the goodness in yourself, and the basic goodness in the world.

* Keep the faith.

Stretching is good for you. On those days when I do not feel like taking my walk or exercising, I still put on my shorts or sweats and slowly ease my body into my stretches…and soon I begin to feel the soothing, comfortable healthy ache that motivates me into action.

Make stretching your Mind and Spirit as much of an everyday activity as stretching your Body.

The benefits will far outweigh the effort.

Until next time…

peace,

Mike