Notes to Self

Thoughts on psychology, spirituality and soft skill development for personal improvement

 

Laugh

"Laughter is the shock absorber that eases the blows of life." - Unknown

  • If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

    (Hardly seems worth it.)

  • The human heart creates enough pressure, when it pumps, to squirt blood 30 feet.

    (Oh my God!)

  • A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes.

    (In my next life, I want to be a pig.)

  • A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death.

    (Creepy ... I'm still not over the pig.)

  • Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.

    (Do not try this at home ... maybe at work.)

  • The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.

    ("Honey, I'm home. What the....?!")

  • A flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field.

    (30 minutes ... lucky pig ... can you imagine??)

  • A catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.

    (What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?)

  • Some lions mate over 50 times a day.

    (I still want to be a pig in my next life ... quality over quantity)

  • Butterflies taste with their feet.

    (Something I always wanted to know.)

  • The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

    (Hmm ...)

  • Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people.

    (If you're ambidextrous, do you split the difference?)

  • Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump.

    (OK, so that would be a good thing....)

  • A cat's urine glows under a black light.

    (I wonder who was paid to figure that out?)

  • An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

    (I know some people like that.)

  • Starfish have no brains.

    (I know some people like that too.)

  • Polar bears are left-handed.

    (If they switch, they'll live a lot longer.)

  • Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure.

    (What about that pig??)

Life As Others See It

I have learnt -

Love:

  • That when you're in love, it shows.
  • That love, not time, heals all wounds.
  • That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.

Kindness:

  • That being kind is more important than being right.
  • That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
  • That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.

Understanding:

  • That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
  • That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
  • That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life threatening situation.

Revenge:

  • That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
  • That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them.

Spirituality:

  • That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
  • That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
  • That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

Elders:

  • That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
  • That simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult.
  • That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.

Kids:

  • That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
  • That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
  • That there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks.
  • That when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life.

Relax:

  • That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
  • That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
  • That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
  • That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.
  • That I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it.
  • That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.

Success:

  • That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
  • That opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss.
  • That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
  • That life is tough, but I'm tougher.
  • That money doesn't buy class.
  • That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.
  • That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.

(Attributed to: Andy Rooney)

Related Notes »

Books »

Leadership

”A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” ~ Rosalynn Carter

Leadership

The seven elements of leadership:

  1. Leaders challenge the status quo.
  2. Leaders create a culture around their goal and involve others in that culture.
  3. Leaders have an extraordinary amount of curiosity about the world they're trying to change.
  4. Leaders use charisma (in a variety of forms) to attract and motivate followers.
  5. Leaders communicate their vision of the future.
  6. Leaders commit to a vision and make decisions based on that commitment.
  7. Leaders connect their followers to one another.
(I'll write more on this when I get time).

Related Notes »

Useful Books »