FSS Spotlight: Thought To Live By

Every now and then friends send me articles and messages that have inspired them to change something in their lives. Often, (and perhaps it's their intention in sharing them) I have to step back and evaluate my situation in light of their musings.

Bob Dilenschneider of The Dilenschneider Group, a public relations firm, passed along these words of wisdom to me. It was sent to him by his nephew, who received it from one of his students at the University of Tokyo. Clearly then, the issues it raises are not unique to our little corner of the world! I wish I knew the origin of this piece, but I am risking sharing parts of it with you anyway because it is so thought provoking and valuable. We all work hard for what we hope will be a better life, but this little gem might help us all put things in a little different perspective:

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints. We spend more but have less. We buy more but enjoy less.

"We have bigger houses but smaller families, more conveniences but less time. We have more degrees but less common sense; more knowledge, more experts, yet more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. "We drink too much, smoke too much, eat too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, stay up too late, read too little, watch too much TV and pray too seldom.

"We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living but not a life.

We've added years to life, not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but we have trouble crossing the street and meeting a new neighbor. We've conquered outer space but not inner space.

"We've done larger things but not better things. We've cleaned up the air but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom but not our prejudice. We write more but learn less. We've learned to rush but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate with each other less and less. "These are times of fast food but slow digestion, big men and women but small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses but more broken homes. We have pills to provide quick fixes, to cheer, to quiet, even to kill.

"It is a time when there is much in the showroom window but nothing in our inner stockroom. It's a time when technology can deliver a message like this, and you can decide whether to share these insights or delete them from your sight."

After reading this, I know that when you think about what's really important, you will realize what matters is that you spend time with your loved ones. You know they will not be around forever. You know that a kind or encouraging word to someone who looks up to you might mold that person's future. That the people you help through your business are as important as the income you make from it.

Right now, I almost dread turning on the TV. The airwaves are cluttered with negative ads, conflicting reports, and some of the nastiest mud slinging we've seen in many years. Of course, we've come to accept these things as part of a big election. But are these the important things in our everyday lives?

Lest you think I'm a complete pessimist, let me reassure you. I'm probably one of the most optimistic people around. But I do know that it's easy to get bogged down in everyday issues and events, and before you know it, you've forgotten why you work for a living and that what you do has real value.  Allow yourself the luxury of a little time just to think about what's really important in your life - at home, at work and in the community.
Clear out the rest of the clutter and see if your outlook doesn't improve.