TRICK OR TREAT

You can get a trick pulled on you or you can give a treat.  Today most people give a treat and don't even think about the trick part.  The joy of seeing costumed children makes us want to give them a treat.

  

Treat your family and friends with love and sweet behavior.  Don't put on a witch's hat and do the opposite.

RHYTHMS OF LIFE

 First rhythms: a mother's heartbeat and walk, a lullaby, nursery rhymes and songs.  Later on: dance melodies, anthems, holiday tunes.  Next: rock and roll, slow dances.  Also: school and team songs.  Adult rhythms: romantic and mood music.  Each phase of life has its rhythms.  Some rhythms change slowly and naturally; some out of choice.  Other rthythms change suddenly, perhaps not of our choosing.

A new rhythm needs time and practice to feel natural.  As your new phase of life begins, take each step with the most important first.  Take your time and proceed to the next.  Have patience with yourself as you try to adjust to your new rhythm.       

 

POST AND SHARE

 Using social media can be fun, but what we post and share reveals what we want others to see.  Individuals and families post pics and videos to show their activities.  Some posts may reveal our beliefs and values.  We may want to brighten the day of others or give them a good chuckle.  Sometimes we want to share our feelings.  Sometimes, political or religious views are posted in hopes that they may influence others.  Products and services can be advertised, recommended, bought, and sold. 

Unfortunately, some posts can go to extremes and become exaggerated, negative, or even false.  The effects may be on purpose or accidental.  Bullying can even show its ugly head. Some posts have rallied groups to protest and worse.  

 Take care in what you post and share.  Be sure you are having the effect on others that you want.  If you don't like someone's post, you can hide the post or the original source they are sharing.  If you tire of someones posts for whatever reason, you can delete the person completely.  Offensive posts can be reported.

Follow those you like; like, love, or show you care; comment if you wish and share with friends.  This is part of the fun of social media. 

  

     

INVESTMENTS

 When choosing an investment,  these three principles of a corporation should be considered: environmental, social, and governance.  The corporation should be concerned with environmental issues like climate change, reducing carbon emissions, pollution, energy use, waste, and conservation.  Social issues like human rights, labor standards, diversity, and inclusion should be important to the corporation.  Corporate governance includes relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and the communities where it operates, plus fair pay for executives and other workers, internal controls, audits, and  shareholders rights. 

Of course our investments should produce profits, but just as important are these ESG principles and standards of behavior.  Your investments should not only benefit your pocketbook, but also be an asset to the world now and for the future.     

LISTEN and SPEAK

 Many methods of communication are available these days, but listening and speaking face-to-face in person has many advantages.  Many decades ago this along with snail mail were the main ways to communicate, then the telephone, smart phone, texting, and email added to the methods.  

Perhaps the best communication is still in person.  One obvious challenge to make this happen is distance; we may not live close enough to easily do this.  We may also have gotten used to the ease and comvenience of sending quick brief texts. 

Surly, we still see the value of spending time with the other person.  The value of being with each other in the same room, the social aspect, the addition of sharing our lives with each other, body language, facial expressions, tone of voice are among the many advantages of communicating in person.  The quick back and forth in response to each other is easier.  The conversation can take many turns and the subject can change.

Those family members living under the same roof have many opportunities to communicate as long as they make the time and effort, as longs as they don't let other distractions interfere.  Friends and neighbors can also listen and speak to each other.

We all appreciate the convenience of texting, but hopefully this will not become our main way of communicatimg.  A phone call is one step better to hear the voice and expand the emotional connection.  Texting, however, does have advantages.  We need to stay connected.

Please consider the effect your methods of communication have on others.     

HOT

 Too hot for humans and many animals.  Our bodies can't tolerate continued heat and can develop heat stroke.  We rely on air conditioning to survive.  

Our planet is changing and we are at fault.  Extreme heat causes the soil and vegetation to dry out which creates the condition for fires to spread rapidly.  This further reduces the number of trees which help keep the atmosphere healthy.  

Many workers must perform their jobs outside; they aren't in air conditioned buildings.  Their work may involve creating and maintaining infrastructure or working on farms.  This allows us to travel and eat.  Many of us are crowded into urban areas and depend on others to bring our food to grocery stores.  

Become aware of what we humans are doing to our planet.      

GROWTH MIND-SET

 Both mind-sets can exist in your brain, but the more you develop a growth mind-set, the more successful you will be.

A fixed mind-set makes us feel we know best, that we want to stay in our comfort zone and avoid mistakes.  A growth mind-set makes us feel we can change our minds, welcome feedback, and realize mistakes help us learn.

A growth mind-set can help in our personal lives, in our careers, and allow us to develop ways to cooperate and even become effective leaders.  This mind-set broadens our thinking to understand ourselves and others.