Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

Today's reading from "The Journey: A Calendar Book"....February 28th, "Take an active role when you can".

Setting back and letting life quickly pass by, whether it be at home, work, or leisure, is a certain way to become stagnant and become "blue". And anyone who has experienced the "blues" knows how difficult it is to be positive when they come around.

Just as physical activity dispels the "blues", or any level of depression for that matter, emotional and cognitive activity dispels stagnation.

When we take active roles in life we become more a part of life. Having our opinions heard and acted upon provides a feeling of self-worth which is vital to personal success.

Last evening in the Ethnicity and Cultural Diversity in America class which I teach we had a guest speaker who is a first generation immigrant from France. She was around 70 years of age. One of the questions asked of her was, "What does it mean to you to be successful?" Her answer was simple, "Success is a personal thing. Having been an active participant in creating happiness over my life is success to me. Having a family who is happy and searching for their own success means I've been successful".

How true...."Having been an 'active participant' in creating happiness over my life".

Take an active role when you can. You'll find as you pass through life you'll be a more positive, happy individual.

Keep looking up. : ) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "A Teacher's Daily Guide to Success"

For February 27th, from "A Teacher's Daily Guide to Success"...

"Attend social events" (James, 2012).

"I'm bored!" "There's nothing to do around here!" "Why am I just sitting at home all the time?" These phrases are often heard said by teenagers, who seem to think if life isn't a party, then it stinks. Adults can also think these same thoughts when our lives are getting in a "funk". Going through the daily motions of getting out of bed, showering, dressing for work, having coffee/breakfast, seeing the kids off, driving to work, getting home, going through the evening routine, heading to bed and then doing the same thing over and over and over leaves little time for social activities. And when would we fit it into our schedule anyway?

The fact of the matter is there are social events going on all the time. Whether it be at the church we attend or at the community center in where we live, social events are scheduled regularly in most towns/cities. Fitting a special event into our schedules ever so often is a must for social interaction and sporadic breaks from our regular routines. These give us a chance to express ourselves socially and to take a breather from what seems mundane.

Seek out social events if you need to. Attend a play at the local community theater. Head to the area education center for a lecture on an historic topic. Find a cultural event which sounds interesting.

Attend social events. You'll return to your routine thinking fresh and feeling renewed.

Keep looking up. : ) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

February 26th....thought for the day...from "The Journey: A Calendar Book"..."Think".

How many times do we go "gentle into that good night" instead of following the words of the famous Welsh poet whose words were "do not go gentle into that good night" (Thomas, 1951). 

Too often we set our lives on cruise control and allow life to happen to us instead of our happening to life. 

We don't "think" enough.  We allow others to think for us....through the guise of "friends", television, our boss, our parents; you can name for yourself who or what you let do your thinking.

When we take time to think for ourselves we are creating our own path to personal success, not supporting the successes of others.

Think....cause a row...."do not go gentle into that good night" (Thomas, 1951).

Keep looking up.  : )  AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "A Woman's Daily Guide to Success"

Today's reading is from "A Woman's Daily Guide to Success" and is one of the 30 quotes by notable individuals promoting personal success in our lives.....

" Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it." Maya Angelo

No explanation needed.....just do it.... : )

Keep looking up. :) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading -

Sorry I missed posting yesterday.  As all of us, "time is a fleeting".  : ) 




For February 19th from, "A Teacher's Daily Guide to Success", we read,

"Keep your desk orderly" (James, 2012).

Everything about humanity and the trappings of humanity has an order. Earth is placed in the perfect order in the universe for humans to be able to exist. The seasons are ordered to provide the perfect cycle for flora to thrive, rest, then thrive and rest again.

We and our spaces are meant to have order. Humans demand boundaries, order.

Keeping ourselves and the places we live, work and play orderly provides us the environment to thrive and reach personal success.

Keep looking up. :) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

From "The Journey: A Calendar Book" for February 17th..."Be prepared to relate".

Life throws some interesting curves at us from time to time....well...actually our actions tend to stir up quite a wind affecting the trajectory of those curves.

I've always been a fairly easy person with whom to get along, however; there have been at least three times in my life when I was confronted with individuals who for one reason or the other just didn't "click" with me. As uncomfortable as these times can be, having the ability to relate to their point of view can change how we handle the discomfort.

Relating means, although we may not agree with their perspective, we can put aside emotional biases and attempt to understand where they're coming from.

Relating to others allows less negativity. Having the ability, courage, and humility to set aside our ego builds personal success.

Remember...although it's not always about us...it is in the long run. Protect yourself against negativity. Be prepared to relate to others. It goes a long way toward building positivity.

Keep looking up. :) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

For February 13th from "The Journey: A Calendar Book" we read, "Go with Dad on a special trip".

No matter our age, spending one on one time with our mom or dad is something which always provides growth for us and for them.

My father and I weren't the best of buds as I was growing up.  He was 1st Sargent Sterling S. Harryman in the army, father of 7, and a product of generations of disciplinarians.  We kids were his little soldiers.  My being the youngest didn't help my case much.  I was tagged "Momma's boy" as soon as I left the birth canal and the label has stuck to this day.  There was never a chance of shaking it.

Mom certainly recognized the rift as I grew.  Like the great mother she was, in her subtle way she worked to assuage the rift and bring my father and me closer.  When I was 12 my father's Grandmother Scott passed away and he was going to travel to Buffalo, Missouri for the funeral, alone.  Mom entertained the idea of my going along with him, which I did.

Although the road trip started out subdued, before sunset Dad was betting me the sun would set in so many minutes and I was betting it wouldn't.  The remainder of the trip was a great experience.  I was no less respectful of the man who was such a present in my world, but we had come to an unspoken agreement we could do this.

Toward the end of his life I drove him back to his "hometown" of Longlane, Missouri.  After grandchildren came along Dad had become a much more mellow individual, no longer the strict disciplinarian he had once been. We spent 4 days visiting his parents' graves, visiting the old home place and other locations he recalled from childhood.  It was a wonderful road trip.  His life ended with my sister and me at his side and his and my relationship melded into a close father/son connection.

Go on that trip with Dad.  Cultivate a strong relationship.

Keep looking up. : )  AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "The Journey: A Calendar Book"

Allen James' Calendar Books can be previewed and purchased either from his website at www.jamesharryman2002.wix.com/allenjamesbooks, his author spotlight at www.lulu.com/spotlight/allenjames1961, amazon.com or barnesandnobel.com. 

The reading from "The Journey: A Calendar Book" for February 12th is,

"Dance" (James, 2012).

Oh the importance of today's thought: dance.  I wouldn't argue during every time period of the existence of mankind on this planet, taking the time to "dance" has been a difficult concept for which to allow time.  Of course we have our celebratory events when we take time to literally dance and have a good social time; but to take the time out of our lives to truly "dance" in our spirits or hearts seems to come along with less and less frequency as we age.

The "dance" to which I'm referring can be compared to the times of our days, yet I said days, not months or years....but those times of each day of our life where we embrace and experience our individual FREEDOM.  Just as when we dance literally; we allow our bodies and minds to unite with the sound of the beat of music.  In our daily "dance" we release our minds and feel LIFE deep inside our soul.

In the Good Book we are enlightened to the fact in life there is "a TIME to mourn and a TIME to dance" (Ecclesiastes 3:4)

Life brings us different times of life. FREEDOM comes in all sorts of ways. It first begins in our minds. The way we think matters. Believing in ourselves and seeing ourselves strong is important. Confident people are those who know who they are where they should be in their lives and living in a way which builds them and others up. Allowing ourselves the liberty to "dance" fulfills a true determination to keep doing those things and allow the Spirit Within FREEDOM in our lives.






Stop allowing the world's ills the space in your life to overwhelm you.  DANCE....each day....positivity and personal success is assured of coming your way.

Keep looking up.   :) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading

 


Our thought for February 11th comes from ALL "Daily Guide to Success" calendar books..."Be polite".

Years ago during one of the many times in life I've become frustrated with conforming to a society which appears to have discarded any semblance of what I have been exposed to as a child (which now I realize is simply called "progress") I wrote this poem which encapsulates what I believe is the reason politeness has been thrown out the window for many:

Untitled - Allen James (1994)

Words, phrases, sights, sounds, pictures.
My brain filled with thoughts, memories,
Intelligence bombarded by reality.
Truth over-whelming fantasy.

Why did life have to get so scary?
Day to day living with no time to tarry.
You take your chances, pay your dues,
Life goes on, everything on cue.

But fate has a way of throwing us curves.
Mom and Dad's teaching now on our nerves.
Bring me some sanity, give me some rest,
And I hope in the end, I pass the last test.

We simply grow weary of abiding by the lessons we've been taught growing up. We feel we're adults now, "Do as I say, not as I do". But the Good Book says "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6 KJV).

"And I hope in the end, I pass the last test" the poem ends. Our coming BACK to those character traits which we continue to instill in our children, such as being polite to others, ensures personal success. Remember, in the end good wins out...

Be polite. Keep looking up. : ) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "A Teacher's Daily Guide to Success"

Our reading for February 10th is a quote from a renowned 14th century astronomer and mathematician who's life and legacy undoubtedly effects each of us in the 21st century. 
Born on February 15, 1564, in Pisa, Italy, Galileo Galilei was a mathematics professor who made pioneering observations of nature with long-lasting implications for the study of physics. He also constructed a telescope and supported the Copernican theory, which supports a sun-centered solar system.

His words, "You cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself" (www.biography.com), certainly supports the reality of the idea "free hand-outs" do little but help in the short term.  Long term success and happiness MUST come from within, our use of our own personal abilities and potential to survive on our own.

Keep looking up.  :) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - "A Teacher's Daily Guide to Success"

Today's reading, February 7th, from "The Journey: A Calendar Book" is "Be prepared. It prevents poor performance" (James, 2012).

The saying, "Proper preparation prevents poor performance" is attributed to a US government elected military official, which is more than likely where the individual from whom I first heard it learned it as he was in the army as a young man. Better known as P5 (some add an additional "P" in front of the word "poor" for a word which rhymes with "miss"), the lesson learned from its instruction is a must for personal success.

The first 13 years of my teaching career was spent sharing a collapsible wall (a remnant from the team teaching fad of the late 70s and early 80s) with a veteran history teacher we'll call "George". Daily "George's boisterous voice could easily be heard next door. "George" would use mnemonic devices to assist his 9th graders in learning the many dates and facts which the learning of history demands. Weekly I would hear his strong, loud, experienced voice holler, "PPPPP....Proper preparation prevents poor performance".

Not only did his students gain this vital lesson in life, but I, at the age of 25 learned it as well. Four years later when I would have the same students as seniors in College Prep. English, they would recall fondly the lesson they learned from "George" regarding the importance of being prepared.

Prepare. The outcome will be more positive than if you had not.

Keep looking up. : ) AJ

Calendar Books by Allen James - Daily Reading - A note to welcome February

Welcome February.....for most in the Mid-west we awoke to yet another snow covered landscape, with more to come it appears tomorrow.....today I thought I'd give you something different....

Enjoy "White", a poem inspired by just such a morning as I looked out my patio doors at the winter wonderland one winter morning.

White

The snow falls, subtly winter arrives,
Pelting stillness surrounds.

The snow falls, a fresh blanket of pure
White pervades the twinkle less sky.

Diamonds glisten in the moonless night,
Beauty encompasses the orb on which life is sustained.

Sleep is interrupted by a quietness so loud
It beckons us to attend.

Such a miracle need not be announced.

Bleak no longer lusts for a season.
It is sustained only by our need for rest.

The snow falls, and peace, that sanguine
Reality, enthralls creation like a newborn's arrival;

A welcome talisman of a time that stands still, 
A time of childlike wonder.

The snow falls, a soft hand caresses the globe,
White.

(This and other Allen James poems can be found in his book, "From the Heart: prose and poetry from the depths of life" at www.lulu.com/spotlight/allenjames1961 both in paperback and as an immediate download ebook.)

Keep looking up.  : )   AJ