If a 99-year-old can do it, so can you.
And while you don’t need a degree to have a huge success, some people just want one to enrich their lives. Such is the case for Leo Plass, who finally completed something he started 79 years ago.
Check out this story from KTVZ News and find out what this almost-centenarian has to say about donning a cap-n-gown. I ve reprinted the piece here in full for your convenience.
99-Year-Old Gets His College Degree By Mackenzie Wilson, KTVZ.COM
He’s just two months shy of turning 100 — and a few days ago, a Redmond man received his college diploma from Eastern Oregon University in La Grande. Back in 1932, Leo Plass was less than one semester away from graduating from what was then called Eastern Oregon Normal School. Teaching was his future, but the “present” kept him from it. It was the Depression, and a teaching salary of just $80 a month wouldn’t cut it.
When a friend offered him a spot in a logging outfit, Plass couldn’t pass it up. ”He offered me $150, and it was the Great Depression,” Plass said Tuesday. “That was a lot of money – a lot of money.” So at the age of 20, Plass dropped out and tried his hand in logging. He’d later learn he was just a few credits short of his teaching degree. ”They told me I just had three hours to go,” said Plass. “I said, ‘Gee, too bad you didn’t tell me that then — I would have stayed there all night to just get those three hours in.’”
Looking back, the spry 99-year-old who’s still passionate about carpentry says he’s not really sure why he wanted to be a teacher. Although he does think his fellow graduates could stand to learn a thing or two. “They don’t teach youngsters things they need to know about,” said Plass. “When I was in school, that’s about all they did teach. You learned how to cook, you learned how to sew and how to type.” Those skills would get Plass through dozens of jobs.
As for what it took for the new graduate to reach nearly the century mark? “Good family, good life, good food,” Plass said. “I had two good cooks, my mother and my wife. Everything good seemed to work for me.”
With all that good in his life, Plass didn’t expect things to get even better. Then he put on his cap and gown. ”Never dreamed of something like this happening to me,” said Plass, who received an associate’s degree. “It’s out of this world.” Plass said even though years and years separate him and his fellow EOU graduates, they have one unfortunate thing in common. And that’s that then and now, jobs are few and far between.
Sooooo...now it´s your turn! What are your plans for 99?
Friday, 24 June 2011
Sunday, 19 June 2011
A Little Thought on Thoughts......
Have you ever thought that life is somehow just "HAPPENING to you"..and that you are a "victim" of every situation that just seems to happen that you dont particularly like?
Well how would you feel if i suggested that in actual fact life is proceeding THROUGH you and BY you and in actual fact, the way you shape your ideas, changes your experiences.
Try this...every time something happens that you DON´T like, or that you feel uncomfortable with.....PAUSE, take a breath and then CONSCIOUSLY choose what you are going to think about the situation...In other words, "CHOOSE to "THINK" a thought!"
That way you will be able to make what YOU want out of the experience rather than letting the experience make what it will out of YOU!
This lovely poem by Henry Van Dyke puts this aptly..
Thoughts Are Things
“I hold it true that thoughts are things.
They're endowed with body and breath and wings.
And that we send them forth to fill
the world with good results or ill.
That which we call our secret thought
speeds forth to earth's remotest spot,
leaving its blessings or its woes
like tracks behind it as it goes.”
We build our future thought by thought.
For good or ill, we know it not.
Yet so the universe was wrought.
Thought is another name for fate.
Choose then thy destiny and wait,
for love brings love and hate brings hate.”
Sooooo.....remember, it´s not just a question any more of "thinking before we speak"....we need to learn to "think before we think!!!"!
Well how would you feel if i suggested that in actual fact life is proceeding THROUGH you and BY you and in actual fact, the way you shape your ideas, changes your experiences.
Try this...every time something happens that you DON´T like, or that you feel uncomfortable with.....PAUSE, take a breath and then CONSCIOUSLY choose what you are going to think about the situation...In other words, "CHOOSE to "THINK" a thought!"
That way you will be able to make what YOU want out of the experience rather than letting the experience make what it will out of YOU!
This lovely poem by Henry Van Dyke puts this aptly..
Thoughts Are Things
“I hold it true that thoughts are things.
They're endowed with body and breath and wings.
And that we send them forth to fill
the world with good results or ill.
That which we call our secret thought
speeds forth to earth's remotest spot,
leaving its blessings or its woes
like tracks behind it as it goes.”
We build our future thought by thought.
For good or ill, we know it not.
Yet so the universe was wrought.
Thought is another name for fate.
Choose then thy destiny and wait,
for love brings love and hate brings hate.”
Sooooo.....remember, it´s not just a question any more of "thinking before we speak"....we need to learn to "think before we think!!!"!
Friday, 10 June 2011
Create Time For Your LIFE......Choose the Life You Desire......
Sooo..Did You Really Want To Be An Accountant, a Lawyer, A Doctor or a Dentist!!
WHY are so many people miserable in their current careers? Wouldn´t you agree that sometimes the way we think about choosing a career in this modern world perhaps needs to be reviewed? Most of us, when thinking about what we want to do “when we grow up” choose careers that we think will be marketable.
For example, no child grows up thinking they want to be a lawyer or accountant.
So then why is it that our society has so many lawyers, accountants, doctors and dentists.... It’s because at some point, people began to view being a lawyer as a method of survival, of attaining the glamorous lifestyle they see on TV. These people picked Law or Medicine as a career because they saw it as a way to pay off their student debts and meet their needs for happiness and fulfilment.
Wouldnt you agree that many practicing lawyers, accountants, doctors and dentists describe themselves as dissatisfied.. So why then do so many students choose professional careers.. Dont you think it’s because our society has conditioned us to choose careers in the most impractical way possible.
If you choose a career based on what makes you MONEY and not what will drive your PASSION – you’re setting yourself up for misery.
Sooo...How do we break this pattern?
Well first you have to understand the difference between a MEANS goal and an END goal. In fact many people mistake a MEANS GOAL with an END GOAL.
Sooo.. Get to Know The Difference Between MEANS Goals and END Goals.
Wouldn´t you agree that we tend to pick CAREERS, which are MEANS goals. Instead we need to be picking an IDEAL LIF, which is the END GOAL.
How are you going to do this? Well...Decide On Your Dream Life... The trick is to not pick a CAREER. Instead you want to decide on the KIND of LIFE you want to LEAD.
Ask yourself some questions. What KIND of house do I want to live in? WHERE do I want to live? Do I like TOWN, COUNTRY, BEACHES, MOUNTAINS OR RIVERS? What LANGUAGE do I want to speak? Do I want to work in an OFFICE, from HOME, or over the NET? What TYPE of people do I want to be around?
TRY THESE QUESTIONS....
Where would I live?
What would my house look like?
What time would I wake up?
What would I do in the morning?
What would I do in the first half of my day?
Who would I eat lunch and dinner with?
What would my friends be like?
What aremyr clients like?
What are my relationships like?
What do I like about each other?
What would I do for family time?
What is the relationship with my children like?
What do we appreciate about each other?
What would we talk about over dinner?
What would I do at night
Who would I do it with?
What would my thoughts be as I go to sleep?
Sooo.....Now Try and DECIDE On What You WANT To Do..
Actually, It’s not that easy. It might be easy to think of what you WANT but it’s a little HARDER finding out HOW to get there. However....” When you start asking the right questions, your mind will open up to inspirational sources and the necessary steps you need to take WILL start coming to you”. A good coach will help direct you...
Many of us dont understand the difference between genius and inspiration. Some people think it comes from random flashes of insight that hit you. But that’s not actually the case. Those "random insights" only come to you when you’ve actually given your subconscious mind a PROBLEM to SOLVE. In this case the PROBLEM is the kind of life you want to CREATE and how you are going to get yourself there!
When you start thinking in this way.... you’ll start finding shortcuts. For instance,quicker, more EFFICIENT ways to get to your dream life. You may then find that struggling as an underpaid lawyer or junior accountant or tax collector or low level architect for years and years while waiting for the next salary rise will probably NOT be the path to your END vision.
SOOO.. Why not Follow your Inspiration And Take Action?
How would you feel about perhaps taking the plunge and instead pursue your PASSIONS...for instance... Reading, writing, travel, building websites., writing music, studying personal growth and meditating to help you discover your true passions.
At first you might struggle.... Or spend a few years not earning as much as you had hoped. You might watch as many of your friends who were graduates or lawyers or programmers get good jobs and start ‘proud careers’. But following your PASSION WILL get you somewhere. You will end up perhaps running a company of your own and having A CLEAR END VISION IN MIND OF THE LIFE YOU WANT TO CREATE!
TRY not to sit down and decide you are going to build a business. Instead think about what kind of life you want to lead and the inspiration will come that will help you CREATE that life. The BEST ideas for getting clients. The BEST models for marketing your talents. The BEST people in your life. And then.....take action. Try and listen to your gut instincts and ideas and PURSUE the opportunities that come your way. This is how you build a LIFE. Put the “career” part to one side!
Sooo.... if you’re wondering what to do with your life - maybe you’ve just graduated or perhaps you’re leaving a 15 -year career.....think about your END goals and not your MEANS goals. Then when you´ve worked out your END goal, follow it up with ACTION and Create Time For Your Life...
WHY are so many people miserable in their current careers? Wouldn´t you agree that sometimes the way we think about choosing a career in this modern world perhaps needs to be reviewed? Most of us, when thinking about what we want to do “when we grow up” choose careers that we think will be marketable.
For example, no child grows up thinking they want to be a lawyer or accountant.
So then why is it that our society has so many lawyers, accountants, doctors and dentists.... It’s because at some point, people began to view being a lawyer as a method of survival, of attaining the glamorous lifestyle they see on TV. These people picked Law or Medicine as a career because they saw it as a way to pay off their student debts and meet their needs for happiness and fulfilment.
Wouldnt you agree that many practicing lawyers, accountants, doctors and dentists describe themselves as dissatisfied.. So why then do so many students choose professional careers.. Dont you think it’s because our society has conditioned us to choose careers in the most impractical way possible.
If you choose a career based on what makes you MONEY and not what will drive your PASSION – you’re setting yourself up for misery.
Sooo...How do we break this pattern?
Well first you have to understand the difference between a MEANS goal and an END goal. In fact many people mistake a MEANS GOAL with an END GOAL.
Sooo.. Get to Know The Difference Between MEANS Goals and END Goals.
Wouldn´t you agree that we tend to pick CAREERS, which are MEANS goals. Instead we need to be picking an IDEAL LIF, which is the END GOAL.
How are you going to do this? Well...Decide On Your Dream Life... The trick is to not pick a CAREER. Instead you want to decide on the KIND of LIFE you want to LEAD.
Ask yourself some questions. What KIND of house do I want to live in? WHERE do I want to live? Do I like TOWN, COUNTRY, BEACHES, MOUNTAINS OR RIVERS? What LANGUAGE do I want to speak? Do I want to work in an OFFICE, from HOME, or over the NET? What TYPE of people do I want to be around?
TRY THESE QUESTIONS....
Where would I live?
What would my house look like?
What time would I wake up?
What would I do in the morning?
What would I do in the first half of my day?
Who would I eat lunch and dinner with?
What would my friends be like?
What aremyr clients like?
What are my relationships like?
What do I like about each other?
What would I do for family time?
What is the relationship with my children like?
What do we appreciate about each other?
What would we talk about over dinner?
What would I do at night
Who would I do it with?
What would my thoughts be as I go to sleep?
Sooo.....Now Try and DECIDE On What You WANT To Do..
Actually, It’s not that easy. It might be easy to think of what you WANT but it’s a little HARDER finding out HOW to get there. However....” When you start asking the right questions, your mind will open up to inspirational sources and the necessary steps you need to take WILL start coming to you”. A good coach will help direct you...
Many of us dont understand the difference between genius and inspiration. Some people think it comes from random flashes of insight that hit you. But that’s not actually the case. Those "random insights" only come to you when you’ve actually given your subconscious mind a PROBLEM to SOLVE. In this case the PROBLEM is the kind of life you want to CREATE and how you are going to get yourself there!
When you start thinking in this way.... you’ll start finding shortcuts. For instance,quicker, more EFFICIENT ways to get to your dream life. You may then find that struggling as an underpaid lawyer or junior accountant or tax collector or low level architect for years and years while waiting for the next salary rise will probably NOT be the path to your END vision.
SOOO.. Why not Follow your Inspiration And Take Action?
How would you feel about perhaps taking the plunge and instead pursue your PASSIONS...for instance... Reading, writing, travel, building websites., writing music, studying personal growth and meditating to help you discover your true passions.
At first you might struggle.... Or spend a few years not earning as much as you had hoped. You might watch as many of your friends who were graduates or lawyers or programmers get good jobs and start ‘proud careers’. But following your PASSION WILL get you somewhere. You will end up perhaps running a company of your own and having A CLEAR END VISION IN MIND OF THE LIFE YOU WANT TO CREATE!
TRY not to sit down and decide you are going to build a business. Instead think about what kind of life you want to lead and the inspiration will come that will help you CREATE that life. The BEST ideas for getting clients. The BEST models for marketing your talents. The BEST people in your life. And then.....take action. Try and listen to your gut instincts and ideas and PURSUE the opportunities that come your way. This is how you build a LIFE. Put the “career” part to one side!
Sooo.... if you’re wondering what to do with your life - maybe you’ve just graduated or perhaps you’re leaving a 15 -year career.....think about your END goals and not your MEANS goals. Then when you´ve worked out your END goal, follow it up with ACTION and Create Time For Your Life...
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Should Happiness be a DESTINATION?
Some thoughts on "happiness...... "
1. Which one of these quotes sums up how YOU have viewed happiness most of your life?
a)"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Unknown
b)"The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion."
Unknown
c)"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you ARE or what you HAVE, it depends solely
upon what you THINK." Dale Carnegie
d)"Happiness is when what you THINK, what you SAY, and what you DO are in harmony." Mahatma
Gandhi
2. Which one of these quotes would your Mum OR Dad have said sums up your view on life?
a)"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Unknown
b)"The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion."
Unknown
c)"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you ARE or what you HAVE, it depends solely
on what you THINK." Dale Carnegie
d)"Happiness is when what you THINK, what you SAY, and what you DO are in harmony."
MahatmaGandhi
3. Which one of these quotes would your BEST FRIEND say sums up your view on life?
a)"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Unknown
b)"The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right
companion." Unknown
c)"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you ARE or what you HAVE, it depends solely
upon what you THINK." Dale Carnegie
d)"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Was your answer the same for all 3 questions?
Read them over again and really THINK about what they all are saying......
If your answers VARIED, then you probably find it difficult at times to maintain a state of harmony and balance.....
If your answer was the SAME from all three "perspectives" that's good - you're consistent. (But it's only GREAT if you picked the "right" one...)
Sooooo...Remember....”Happiness is NOT a destination....it s a way of life.....”
1. Which one of these quotes sums up how YOU have viewed happiness most of your life?
a)"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Unknown
b)"The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion."
Unknown
c)"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you ARE or what you HAVE, it depends solely
upon what you THINK." Dale Carnegie
d)"Happiness is when what you THINK, what you SAY, and what you DO are in harmony." Mahatma
Gandhi
2. Which one of these quotes would your Mum OR Dad have said sums up your view on life?
a)"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Unknown
b)"The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right companion."
Unknown
c)"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you ARE or what you HAVE, it depends solely
on what you THINK." Dale Carnegie
d)"Happiness is when what you THINK, what you SAY, and what you DO are in harmony."
MahatmaGandhi
3. Which one of these quotes would your BEST FRIEND say sums up your view on life?
a)"If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." Unknown
b)"The thing that counts most in the pursuit of happiness is choosing the right
companion." Unknown
c)"Remember, happiness doesn't depend upon who you ARE or what you HAVE, it depends solely
upon what you THINK." Dale Carnegie
d)"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Was your answer the same for all 3 questions?
Read them over again and really THINK about what they all are saying......
If your answers VARIED, then you probably find it difficult at times to maintain a state of harmony and balance.....
If your answer was the SAME from all three "perspectives" that's good - you're consistent. (But it's only GREAT if you picked the "right" one...)
Sooooo...Remember....”Happiness is NOT a destination....it s a way of life.....”
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
YOU ARE A WORK IN PROGRESS!
How would you feel if I suggested that we live on a media roundabout,on which we are constantly being fed information such as.....this is good for you, this is bad for you.....try x and y will happen......go here ....don´ t go there....... watch this...listen to to that.....read this....don´t read this......study this......don´t study that.....eat this...don´t eat that....wear this......dont wear that....the list is ENDLESS and I could go on and on...
Would you agree that this could give us ALL hang ups! I imagine we realise DEEP DOWN that everything we read in the press, watch on the television or listen to on the radio is normally all down to a marketing campaign that someone´ s come up with. They probably do this in order to either make us spend money on their products or services or conform to their values.
However the issue is not that we should fall for this propaganda, it´s that we should constantly be reminding ourselves that NO ONE has the right to criticise, judge or disrespect us....even by IMPLICATION!
May I suggest to you that we are ALL a work in progress!
Imagine choosing NOT to read all the fashion articles which imply that we are too fat, too thin, have the wrong style of hair......How would you feel about choosing NOT to watch the news which mostly only feeds us depressing stories about what s happening in the world - or choosing to swtIch off from the documentaries about air disasters or health problems!!
Wouldn't it be great to watch, read and listen ONLY to things which make us feel FANTASTIC and to commit to doing things which only make us feel GREAT. Don´t you agree we should give ourselves loads of CREDIT for just being how we are!!
Sooo....try and visualise that we are all MAGNETS!! If we took a magnet and made it look as ugly as we could....that magnet wouldn't repel anything would it? It would still keep ATTRACTING the things its supposed to....you see changing the OUTSIDE of the magnet doesn´t actually change the INSIDE of it!! It s what´ s INSIDE of us that attracts others to us!!
That s the same for you, me and anyone we meet!! Sooo.... let s give ourselves a chill pill!! Let s give ourselves a a break! Lets decide to to be content with who we are as an individual. Let´s focus on the inner us! That is what matters....knowing who you are, what your values are and being true to them!
Would you agree that this could give us ALL hang ups! I imagine we realise DEEP DOWN that everything we read in the press, watch on the television or listen to on the radio is normally all down to a marketing campaign that someone´ s come up with. They probably do this in order to either make us spend money on their products or services or conform to their values.
However the issue is not that we should fall for this propaganda, it´s that we should constantly be reminding ourselves that NO ONE has the right to criticise, judge or disrespect us....even by IMPLICATION!
May I suggest to you that we are ALL a work in progress!
Imagine choosing NOT to read all the fashion articles which imply that we are too fat, too thin, have the wrong style of hair......How would you feel about choosing NOT to watch the news which mostly only feeds us depressing stories about what s happening in the world - or choosing to swtIch off from the documentaries about air disasters or health problems!!
Wouldn't it be great to watch, read and listen ONLY to things which make us feel FANTASTIC and to commit to doing things which only make us feel GREAT. Don´t you agree we should give ourselves loads of CREDIT for just being how we are!!
Sooo....try and visualise that we are all MAGNETS!! If we took a magnet and made it look as ugly as we could....that magnet wouldn't repel anything would it? It would still keep ATTRACTING the things its supposed to....you see changing the OUTSIDE of the magnet doesn´t actually change the INSIDE of it!! It s what´ s INSIDE of us that attracts others to us!!
That s the same for you, me and anyone we meet!! Sooo.... let s give ourselves a chill pill!! Let s give ourselves a a break! Lets decide to to be content with who we are as an individual. Let´s focus on the inner us! That is what matters....knowing who you are, what your values are and being true to them!
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