Touch It's one of the most powerful suggestions you can make. Many cultures and people in general are much more motivated when touched. A simple gentle touch.
Ever tell someone something and they look at you in disbelief? Sure you have. Try this, as you tell that same person something gently touch their shoulder or arm. They will then believe you. Try it.
Touching in a high tech world is loosing favor with many people. We seem to interact more with inanimate objects than people. Hence, the feeling of awkwardness when we communicate one-on-one.
One of my passions is public speaking. I like to roam the audience and "interact with them." Each time I gently touch the shoulder of someone seated, it's like the whole crowd of people can feel the intimacy and depth of the subject. If I'm speaking of something fun at the moment, they will actually laugh harder and longer if I personalize it.
Often times getting in "touch" with your audience is just that.
Reach out and touch someone today.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Why did you squeeze the toothpaste from the middle?
It's really easy to ruin a marriage. All you have to do is focus on something that makes absolutely no difference to anyone. Something that in the great grand scheme of things will never really matter to anyone, except your significant other.
When people focus so closely on the little things, they're not in touch with the big things. Today is Valentines day and I'm reflecting what it has taken to put two long marriages together. The first was for 26 years, the third has been for 12 years. We won't talk about the 4 months from hell.
Here's the lesson or at least my view. If you want to get OUT of a relationship, be critical of something like which end of the toothpaste does one squeeze from and when. Oh yeah, that will do it. Before long, your obnoxious behavior will drive someone, nearly anyone, NUTS.
War, peace, poverty, AIDS, homelessness, Veterans' issues and even a bad hair day are way more important than those little obnoxious things people can allow themselves to focus on. If this is what you worry about. Get a life!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
New Year, New Opportunity
It's now December 28,2005. The year end is closing in on us. Yes, it is now time to look forward into the new year.
Each year at this time I look forward into the next year and try to imagine what it is that I want to accomplish and what it is that I want. This excercise is by choice, very personal. Each of us knows what they want or if they've never thought a lot about it, then they are saying that they don't want anything. Whew.....
By nature, I've always set goals for myself. I usually never actually get the item I wanted, instead I get much more. Much more. I am truly a blessed individual.
Next year will be no different. I want a great deal for me and mostly for others. Those with whom I do business and those that are my family. As the Father of six and the
Grandfather of seven, my family is growing and will continue to do so for the next 5 or 6 years. Good.
It is now time for others to populate good old planet earth. It is time for others to provide bodies for the spirits yet unborn in heaven. It is now someone else's blessing to have children. Still I think of all those children that need help in so many ways.
My wife have some goals that I'm certain we will see realized in 2006. These goals will affect others. We've set them up so that if this happens, then this is what we'll do. If this also happens, then we'll also do. . . In this way were sure to get as much done as possible.
It is possible to make a difference in this world of ours. No matter what country you live in, no matter how rich or poor you consider yourself to be, you can make a difference in life of someone everyday. It may just be your smile rather than a frown. It may be a glass of water offered. It may be to teach a simple principal so that the person being taught doesn't have to learn the principal the hard way. Who knows? Frankly we do. We all get to decide each day what we wil do with our time, talent, money, spirit, friendship, abilities and so much more. We decide.
No one can take that power from us. Period.
My challenge for me is to make even more of a difference in peoples lives this year.
Each year at this time I look forward into the next year and try to imagine what it is that I want to accomplish and what it is that I want. This excercise is by choice, very personal. Each of us knows what they want or if they've never thought a lot about it, then they are saying that they don't want anything. Whew.....
By nature, I've always set goals for myself. I usually never actually get the item I wanted, instead I get much more. Much more. I am truly a blessed individual.
Next year will be no different. I want a great deal for me and mostly for others. Those with whom I do business and those that are my family. As the Father of six and the
Grandfather of seven, my family is growing and will continue to do so for the next 5 or 6 years. Good.
It is now time for others to populate good old planet earth. It is time for others to provide bodies for the spirits yet unborn in heaven. It is now someone else's blessing to have children. Still I think of all those children that need help in so many ways.
My wife have some goals that I'm certain we will see realized in 2006. These goals will affect others. We've set them up so that if this happens, then this is what we'll do. If this also happens, then we'll also do. . . In this way were sure to get as much done as possible.
It is possible to make a difference in this world of ours. No matter what country you live in, no matter how rich or poor you consider yourself to be, you can make a difference in life of someone everyday. It may just be your smile rather than a frown. It may be a glass of water offered. It may be to teach a simple principal so that the person being taught doesn't have to learn the principal the hard way. Who knows? Frankly we do. We all get to decide each day what we wil do with our time, talent, money, spirit, friendship, abilities and so much more. We decide.
No one can take that power from us. Period.
My challenge for me is to make even more of a difference in peoples lives this year.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Candy. . .my inheritance
Lots of people get money, cars, homes, businesses, mirrors, trunks, pictures, clothes and more. Me, I received some candy, Peanut Butter candy to be specific.
By all accounts, my Mother was not a good cook. No one ever asked for her recipes. She had two food items that to the best of my knowledge are uniquely identified by the way she prepared them.
First is a single layer cake with either chocolate or white frosting. It was always lovingly referred to as umm umm cake. Why? Well the story goes that my Grandfather Rawson once told my Mother that he hated mayonnaise. He said, “I’ll not eat anything that has mayonnaise in it.” Still, my Father knew that if Grandpa would just taste the cake, he would like it.
In retrospect, what’s not to like about any desert that my Grandfather would eat? Heck, every desert had milk and three or four teaspoons of sugar poured on it before it was ever consumed. How could he possibly tell there was anything in any desert he consumed? It all tasted like milk with sugar in it.
Anyway, the story goes that he tasted the umm umm cake and was surprised at how good it tasted. It became one of his favorites. Whenever he and my Grandmother visited or we would go to see them, umm umm cake was ON the menu.
As children, my Mother would make the four of us candy if we promised to be good. Oh, we were extra good when we knew that Peanut Butter candy was going to be made. Hey, we would act nicely for an entire day just to get her candy.
My Mother passed away at age 42. About a year before she passed on she said, “Do you want to learn how to make your own Peanut Butter candy?” Frankly, I jumped at the chance. It took several attempts before I got the “hang” of it. Her measurements were helpful. A little of this, a little of that and stir until. . . Did I say helpful? Not really. If you’re a cross filed and indexed person, you want exact numbers.
Over the years I’ve made this candy for my own children. Once, each of our six children had a friend visiting our home. I had sent my wife away for a little R and R and was tending the children alone. The noise, my gosh, the noise was deafening. They were just children trying to have a good time.
After a couple of hours I called them all together and put them each in a chair in our family room in front of a TV and VCR. I said, “If you’ll be quiet and watch this movie I give each of you your own bowl of Peanut Butter candy.” Needless to say, they were quiet as a church mouse. Here’s the best part, the sugar rush didn’t really set in until after the movie was over and they had gone to the neighbors to play. Not bad for a Dad.
My Mom was not a wealthy person. After my Mother and Father split up I went to live with my Father and neither of them had much in terms of material wealth. My Mom probably never thought of her Peanut Butter candy as a legacy or inheritance but it surely is.
Today, I’ve added my own distinct touch to her recipe to achieve an even greater level of personal satisfaction from this very personal taste treat. Still, every time I give a piece of the candy to someone for the first time, I take great pride in watching their reaction to this most prized taste treat.
I can’t bring myself to even say the words, “Peanut Butter candy” without thinking of my Mother. It truly is my inheritance and her legacy to me and the generations that follow.
By all accounts, my Mother was not a good cook. No one ever asked for her recipes. She had two food items that to the best of my knowledge are uniquely identified by the way she prepared them.
First is a single layer cake with either chocolate or white frosting. It was always lovingly referred to as umm umm cake. Why? Well the story goes that my Grandfather Rawson once told my Mother that he hated mayonnaise. He said, “I’ll not eat anything that has mayonnaise in it.” Still, my Father knew that if Grandpa would just taste the cake, he would like it.
In retrospect, what’s not to like about any desert that my Grandfather would eat? Heck, every desert had milk and three or four teaspoons of sugar poured on it before it was ever consumed. How could he possibly tell there was anything in any desert he consumed? It all tasted like milk with sugar in it.
Anyway, the story goes that he tasted the umm umm cake and was surprised at how good it tasted. It became one of his favorites. Whenever he and my Grandmother visited or we would go to see them, umm umm cake was ON the menu.
As children, my Mother would make the four of us candy if we promised to be good. Oh, we were extra good when we knew that Peanut Butter candy was going to be made. Hey, we would act nicely for an entire day just to get her candy.
My Mother passed away at age 42. About a year before she passed on she said, “Do you want to learn how to make your own Peanut Butter candy?” Frankly, I jumped at the chance. It took several attempts before I got the “hang” of it. Her measurements were helpful. A little of this, a little of that and stir until. . . Did I say helpful? Not really. If you’re a cross filed and indexed person, you want exact numbers.
Over the years I’ve made this candy for my own children. Once, each of our six children had a friend visiting our home. I had sent my wife away for a little R and R and was tending the children alone. The noise, my gosh, the noise was deafening. They were just children trying to have a good time.
After a couple of hours I called them all together and put them each in a chair in our family room in front of a TV and VCR. I said, “If you’ll be quiet and watch this movie I give each of you your own bowl of Peanut Butter candy.” Needless to say, they were quiet as a church mouse. Here’s the best part, the sugar rush didn’t really set in until after the movie was over and they had gone to the neighbors to play. Not bad for a Dad.
My Mom was not a wealthy person. After my Mother and Father split up I went to live with my Father and neither of them had much in terms of material wealth. My Mom probably never thought of her Peanut Butter candy as a legacy or inheritance but it surely is.
Today, I’ve added my own distinct touch to her recipe to achieve an even greater level of personal satisfaction from this very personal taste treat. Still, every time I give a piece of the candy to someone for the first time, I take great pride in watching their reaction to this most prized taste treat.
I can’t bring myself to even say the words, “Peanut Butter candy” without thinking of my Mother. It truly is my inheritance and her legacy to me and the generations that follow.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Freedom is still a privilage
The events of early this morning (daytime in London) are shocking and frustrating.
In a world where so many people are not at peace, why would people want to do this? This question has plagued man for years. My view is that when we look at this and other events from our own "limited" perspective, we just don't have the experience to help correct the situation.
Consider this - we working diligently to bring FREEDOM to Iraq. The question is why? Basically, because we feel that democracy works for us, it should work for others. Someone once pointed out, how do you really know what freedoms are until you've enjoyed them? Most in that country don't understand what they are fighting, correction what we're fighting for.
My eyes were opened once I had the opportunity to travel the world. Having spent a few years of my life doing that, I have a greater appreciation for what I enjoy, my FREEDOM.
I pray that those injured will heal quickly. I pray that those families who've lost loved ones will be comforted. I pray that as a world community we will one day be able to understand one another in more meaningful ways.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Still more change in life
Someone once said, "when you're through changing, you're through." True. Over the years I've watched as people ultimately hit a wall so to speak, not wanting to change they now because to focus on the past and feel most comfortable where they are. Wherever that is.
Some folks can sit and do nothing or simply maintain. Others of us still yearn to change. We change ourselves, our surroundings, our environment and most of all we enjoy seeing others change in a very positive way.
As I personally near the end of this decade of living, my thoughts are all about helping others. I sincerely hope I'm remembered in this way.
Some folks can sit and do nothing or simply maintain. Others of us still yearn to change. We change ourselves, our surroundings, our environment and most of all we enjoy seeing others change in a very positive way.
As I personally near the end of this decade of living, my thoughts are all about helping others. I sincerely hope I'm remembered in this way.
Friday, January 07, 2005
Rawson Significance
How have the many Rawsons around the world contributed to our global community. Wouldn't it be interesting to note such things as:
Discoveries, Firsts, Unique Accomplishments, Humanitarian Events, Social Distinction and more.
Everywhere you turn, people are making a difference in their communities, the cities, their states, nations and in the world we live in. How are we making a difference? What will we as a group or an individual be remembered for?
Do you care?
All good ideas, what are your thoughts? Please. . . don't be shy.
Discoveries, Firsts, Unique Accomplishments, Humanitarian Events, Social Distinction and more.
Everywhere you turn, people are making a difference in their communities, the cities, their states, nations and in the world we live in. How are we making a difference? What will we as a group or an individual be remembered for?
Do you care?
All good ideas, what are your thoughts? Please. . . don't be shy.
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