Sunday Morning Reflections: Just another day? Not hardly!

White pelicans on the Inland Waterway. It was as if they were waiting for the 5:00 pm bus! (Lumix FZ300 - ISO100 f4 @ 1/2000)

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It's 7:30 am on a Sunday morning, and I've been up for half an hour just reading. I don't read enough anymore. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day. I wake up, check email, check Tweets, jump over to Facebook and then get ready to go to work. However, there's one luxury I afford myself - a few minutes to check under the hood.

In the "old days" before self-service gas stations, the attendant would come out, ask you how much gas you wanted and in the process, you'd often ask, "Can you check the oil and battery for me?" I just realized there are some of you who don't know a time before self-service gas stations! Scott Bourne is right; I am older than dirt! LOL

I started a tradition a few years ago on the tweet streams for both my handle, @SkipCohen and @GoingPro2010 to put two quotes a day out on each; one in the morning and one late afternoon. The benefit was for my followers, but the spin-off has been, in order to find the quotes, I have to read a little. Most of the things I find are longer than 140 characters. While they're not tweetable, they are very readable. I always find one that gives me a little lift.

So, just like the cars we drove in the 70's and 80's, I'm picking up a little fuel for the day ahead. In the process, and here's my point this morning - you've got to take the time to feed your soul. I know, it's a lofty expression and one I barely have the right to share, since it took me so many years before I could practice what I preach! Even that expression bugs me because I'm not a preacher - just a knucklehead who seems to learn everything the hard way. I want you guys to have an easier time learning from my mistakes, so you can make new ones of your own.

And here it is - READ SOMETHING INSPIRATIONAL AT THE START OF EVERY DAY. It doesn't matter if it's a kitchen magnet - just read it and then take a couple of minutes to relax and think about what you just read - before you jump into the work pit. Check to see your battery is charged and you're in the right frame of mind.

By the way, here's what got me going this morning...

You think this is just another day in your life? It's not just another day. It's the one day that is given to you today. It's given to you. It's a gift. It's the only gift that you have right now, and the only appropriate response is gratefulness. If you do nothing else but to cultivate that response to the great gift that this unique day is, if you learn to respond as if it were the first in your life and the very last day, then you will have spent this day very well.
                                                      Louie Schwartzberg, filmmaker

The quote came out of a new book I just bought from Amazon and it's loaded with great concepts. Well worth ordering and having in your stash of daily "vitamins."

I'm making it a day with Sheila and doing nothing that can be interpreted as work. As far as I'm concerned it's a National Holiday at this address and starting with one of those eleven-second therapeutic hugs as soon as she wakes up.

Wishing you a day where you too can appreciate the gift you've been given - just a day of peace and appreciation for everything and everyone in our lives.

Happy Sunday everybody!

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