Parents Lead

In this episode of Audio Tidbits Podcast, I am struggling to succeed, along with many others who have a goal but who are spending more time thinking about success than time succeeding. Getting down to the business of success is much harder than it seems like it should be. Please join me to see how the struggle is going.

As the New Year starts, it’s time to think about getting into it. The “it” is the Audio Tidbits Podcast. I thought it was time to change my approach to the podcast and today seemed like the perfect time to take the new path. Please listen and see what you think. I hope the new path works for you. Perhaps once we both get into it, we will wonder why I haven’t been doing it that way all along. So Happy New Year and enjoy.

If you weren’t invited to the party and are feeling left out, I thought I could share a brief sample of the stimulating conversation you are missing. This is what you are concerned you missed, along with the after-party hangover.

A few years ago, I was sitting at the negotiation table with the staff negotiator for the UAW who was representing most of the staff of the human services agency I directed. We both knew where the final agreement would settle within a fairly narrow range, so the negotiation was somewhere between proforma at one end and details that didn’t matter all that much one way or another at the other end. As expected, the union made some proposals that we both knew weren’t going to be accepted and a few that were both reasonable and acceptable. The negotiation was to sort out those details and issues. We both knew that labor and management can have big issues at times but also knew that this was not one of those times; or so I thought. In this round of negotiations, the agency would have been fine continuing the current contract but was quite willing to sweeten the deal some. Here is the problem. The UAW negotiator made the first offer from the union that he knew, and I knew would not be accepted. The agency then made

For the past few posts, our focus has been on the southern border with Mexico. You may think that the kerfuffle is all about border security, but that interpretation doesn’t hold up very well. Both President Trump and the opposition publicly agree that enhanced border security is important and would be a worthy outcome. So, what is the issue? Is it the cost? Probably not. Both sides agree that appropriating funds for enhanced border security is necessary. Yes, they are apart on how much funding, but the difference is only thirty seconds or so of the total cost of operating the Federal government. That doesn’t seem like enough difference to justify major disruption in the lives of nearly a million Federal workers and related non-government employment, along with the disruption in government services and responsibilities. The negative effect of the stalemate is just too far out of proportion to the funding gap. In months past, President Trump proclaimed that the cost was neither an issue nor going to be an issu

It seems as if there was once a time when the right and good, the moral and just were guiding principles for the United States. It may be that it was never as true as it appeared, but at least it seemed as if it were truer than not. That may be little more than wishful nostalgia, more fantasy than reality. Even so, it’s easy to consider the daily news and conclude that morality and ethics have nothing to do with how decisions are made, how resources are distributed, how the public’s business is conducted. Let’s play a little mind game. It’s sort of like playing musical chairs. The population of all of Central America is only slightly more than the population of California: about forty million. Let’s suppose that people concluded that California is no longer a fit place to stay and raise a family. Staying is just not possible. Let’s further assume that the only reasonable decision is to close California. The migration into the rest of the United States would be extremely disruptive for a while; but if we look

You likely heard that the Federal government is partially shut-down. It’s not like a private company shutting down part of its operation and laying off some of its employees. For those employees, it’s no job, no pay. For the Federal employees who are off work for now, it’s no job but you most likely get paid later. It’s not so harm-free for private contractors and all of the businesses who depend on the thousands of Federal employees to shop and buy. The point is that the partial government shut-down is causing real problems for thousands of real people. All of those Federal employees who are off work had real jobs and provided real services that many people, businesses and organizations depend on to function. The result of the partial government shut-down is that there is major disruption that is seriously interfering with the economic and transactional life of the country. And the longer the partial shut-down continues, the more harmful the disruption. Why is the Federal government partially shut-down? That

I have been trying to avoid spending any time thinking about politics, economics and the current state of things in the United States. Despite my sincere effort, I keep drifting back into the morass of commentators and politicians. It makes me wonder about how any of us can distinguish the true from the fake, the actual from snake oil. My thought process seems to be more than random but less than objective. I am somehow pulled and pushed in ways that are confusing and hard to track. The border with Mexico is a prime example. Is it merely a boundary between two countries, the door to opportunity for many of our southern neighbors, the dividing line between us and them or the entry portal for criminals and hooligans? My rational self thinks the border is a mix of all of these. The political jousting tends to focus on the criminals and hooligans, of which there are certainly some. Nearly everyone agrees that keeping them out is a very good idea. We definitely do not want more criminals and hooligans to add to th

Your mental health matters. It starts with being nice to yourself. Listen and hear how it is done.

There’s not much else to say. This one is for listening. Press play and relax.

It seems fitting to initiate (compliments of www.QuoteGarden.com – edited for audio format) the conclusion of our Christmas wisdom with the thoughts of an anonymous philosopher who said, The message of Christmas is that the visible material world is bound to the invisible spiritual world. Robert Lynd, who is admittedly not a philosopher said, Were I a philosopher, I should write a philosophy of toys, showing that nothing else in life need be taken seriously, and that Christmas Day in the company of children is one of the few occasions on which men become entirely alive. Pope John 23rd added, Mankind is a great, an immense family. This is proved by what we feel in our hearts at Christmas. Carolyn Wells is a little more down to Earth with her perspective on gifts, I love the Christmas-tide, and yet, I notice this, each year I live; I always like the gifts I get, But how I love the gifts I give! She followed up on her wisdom with, ‘Tis blessed to bestow, and yet, Could we bestow the gifts we get, And keep the on

Let’s start down the Christmas trail (again compliments of www.QuoteGarden.com – formatting omitted) with a tradition from Betsy Cañas Garmon’s family. She sits with her husband in a room lit only by tree lights and wants us to remember that our blessings outnumber the lights. Happy Christmas to all. Thomas Tusser also has advice for the season. At Christmas play and make good cheer, for Christmas comes but once a year. Lenora Mattingly Weber is here as well to focus our perspective. Christmas is for children. But it is for grown-ups too. Even if it is a headache, a chore, and nightmare, it is a period of necessary defrosting of chill and hide-bound hearts. Sing hey! Sing hey! For Christmas Day; Twine mistletoe and holly. For a friendship glows In winter snows, And so let’s all be jolly! No one is quite sure who first said it but there’s little doubt that we can all give it a hey! hey! of our own. Gertrude Tooley Buckingham is joining in, Christmas is coming; it is almost here! With Santa and presents, good w

Let’s get started (Compliments of www.QuoteGarden.com) with Louisa May Alcott who said, Very gay they were with snow and sleigh-bells, holly-boughs, and garlands below, and Christmas sunshine in the winter sky above. All faces shone, all voices had a cheery ring, and everybody stepped briskly on errands of good-will. Norman Vincent Peale joined in, Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful. Carol Nelson added, Christmas is a time when you get homesick — even when you’re home. Roy L Smith was there too, He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. Of course, Charles Dickens brought his unique perspective, I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come round, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to

Sometimes it’s nice just to sit back, relax and spend a few minutes thinking of Christmas. Please press play and join me.

Imagine that you are relaxing with a friend, perhaps sipping a bit of holiday cheer, and your friend says, “May you live all the days of your life. May God grant you many years to live, for sure He must be knowing the earth has angels all too few and Heaven is overflowing. May the devil chase you every day of your life and never catch you; and may you get to Heaven a half hour before the Devil knows you’re dead.” You savor the kind words as your friend continues, “May the sun shine, all day long, everything go right, and nothing wrong. May those you love bring love back to you and may all the wishes you wish come true! May you have warm words on a cool evening, a full moon on a dark night, and a smooth road all the way to your door. May brooks and trees and singing hills join in the chorus too, and every gentle breeze that blows send happiness to you, a sunbeam to warm you, a moonbeam to charm you, a sheltering angel, so nothing can harm you.”

Our intrepid hunters are back on the search for the Great Mouse. She was unexpectedly spotted hiding in a strange place, far away and previously unknown to our hunters. The Great Mouse was suddenly a threat to the yearly journey of the jolly old man himself. Will the intrepid hunters Chace her away in time? Will the path be cleared for the man in red and white? With our fingers crossed, press play and let’s see how the latest quest for the Great Mouse turns out.

Christmas is a magical time. WOW! A tree in the house, excitement everywhere and Santa is coming. Yes indeed, the jolly old elf himself. When did we start to doubt? For most of us, it was about the time we got to kindergarten. A question here, an overheard comment there and our confidence began to crack. Even then, we might still believe were it not for the playground expert on everything. Know-it-all types always show up when we least need them. Perhaps you have noticed that yourself. Few of us remember exactly when the crack in our faith became an empty place in our childhood where elves and reindeer used to play. Halloween’s ghosts and goblins, imaginary friends and The Easter Bunny were there too. The Tooth Fairy came in the night with nickels and, if we were very good, maybe a shiny quarter. We remember, like to recall the magic, if only for a little while.

How often do you find yourself close to others who are having an emotional meltdown? They may be uncomfortably anxious. They may be irrationally angry. They may be alarmingly depressed. More likely, they are just far enough into their meltdown to cause you discomfort and concern. What to do? Please listen and consider a tip that will help you get past the episode and will certainly help the meltdowner.

The title tells the tale. Our broadcast license agreement with the Aliens Amongst Us does not authorize any comment by us beyond what has been said. You will need to listen for yourself.

Are you a never go back person or do you like to revisit places you’ve been before? Well, we’ve been here before but it’s a place worth another listen. Of course, if you don’t mind being driven up the wall, it’s ok to take a pass on this revisit.