A matter of bias…

The sun sets on another day…

As I drove into the sunset the sky was assaulted by a magnificent barrage of color and life. The warmer air was still chilling, but I opened the window off and on for a spray of fresh air.

I had several conversations about bias today. I have written about bias many times and personal bias is at the core of how people grow and react to situations. Bias is defined as “prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair”. We are faced with a lot of positive and negative bias in our lives and of course a lot of things that we learn and find as relatively real or unreal. Bias is important because usually it’s based on things that we don’t completely know, and we just believe. Sometimes bias is very light and does not affect us very much and sometimes biases very pointed and over the top. It is often our personal bias that creates a significant amount of our personality. We determine how we react and interact based on the bias that we have built and not necessarily based on pure fact.

These definitions are easy to look up and on Sunday I had a long discussion with a fantastic person who was playing chakra bowls about bias and belief. I actually had a lot of discussions on Sunday and several interactions that were directly based on bias, and two incidents that were based on bias. Oh, my. Was a fun day huh?

Not really. Every day we are faced with things that are not real and in those we create bias, fair or unfair, to apply to the world. Extreme examples are things like racism and sexism, but how we interact with just about anyone may be based on a programmed bias. A good example for me has always been shoes. If you look at the shoes someone wears you can sometimes tell quite a bit about them, but it is not fair because it takes a portion of a person and creates a complete picture based on past events. Some people create complete worlds out of bias, and they live their bias every day, whether positive or negative.

I am sure you can come up with millions of examples if you think about it but most people see race, sex, national origin, religion, and politics at the top. I try to be more open and listen to people to know them as I have found if I am feeling bias that I realize it may not be valid. I pay attention and listen and try to pick up on their bias to avoid issues caused by me, whether true of false. In the end, it is a chess game that you sometimes win and sometimes lose.

I have digressed.

My conversation this day revolved around people’s self-realizations in eastern philosophy and how easy it has become to set anything that has worked from the past aside. The young woman noted that we have become a world of injections and pills instead of finding our center and it was a bias that built this foundation. She stated that people don’t trust foundations that have worked for a significant amount of time because someone else discards it, even if there is documented proof of something working.

I agreed with the caveat, and we laughed for a while. Many people wrinkle their noses with things like acupuncture or chiropractic medicine, even if it means something. Fun huh? I have found that if you are not sure or don’t know, you should listen, and maybe even do some research. Stop trusting that what you think is true is true unless you know it is true, and even then, take it a little further. We can all find a better world if we just stop being “sure” and instead open our minds to possibilities.

Maybe at the end of it all there is a tunnel that leads us to paying attention to our days today, and not becoming mired in our tomorrows and yesterdays. Maybe looking for tomorrow always is a bias in itself. Maybe we should push the envelope and live today with passion. Just a thought, or perhaps it is a bias.

So as the sun sets on another day, be spectacular. Realize people are great unless they are not. Pay attention to what your bias is saying. Think about the effect your bias may have, good or bad. Consider well who you are, and make your best choices every day, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and be open…

A light in the darkness…

The sun sets on another day…

I thought about sunset as it passed into the western sky, and I enjoyed the moments, even though I still could not see the colors, or the sun. Still, it was a good day and I knew the night would be better.

Today I met a wonderful young lady who was working the desk at a large shop. I say young because she was young at heart, not of age, and she told me a bit of her story. She had lost family and was alone now, but still she had friends and kept busy in her retirement just by working small jobs like this one.

As I listened she relayed her tales, and they would have devastated many. For her it was just another great and fantastic day, and for her the day would be full of excitement and meeting people.

To me it was positive because here was someone that could have given up, but instead she shined brightly and made a difference. She pushed herself into the light even as life was trying to take it away. It was inspiring to see this and I felt as though there could be few better worlds than one with her in it.

We all have choices. I know it is a tired phrase, but when life gives you lemons make some pie, after all pie is great. Find the best path you can, and in the process lets all be happy with what we have the best we can.

So as the sun sets on another day, I am always happy to find positive people who try to lift me up. I am too heavy though, don’t want to break backs. You know what I mean though, surround yourself with positive people, and make each day amazing, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and be a positive model for all…

Time passages…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was a passage between 2 cascading cloud banks. As the sun set the colors once again muffled, but the beauty was there, as always.

As I sat this evening thinking about the day, I was reminded of the song Time Passages. there is a line in the song that says, “Years go falling in the fading light” and as I sang that song to myself, I thought about how years fade away so fast.

It seems like only yesterday that I held my daughter in my hand, and now I have a grandson from her. It seems like only yesterday that I spent time working so hard to be a professional, only to find that I already was. It seems like only yesterday that I graduated high school thinking about all of the things that I could have done. It seems like only yesterday that my sister and I moved every year and never seem to find any place to call home. It seems like only yesterday that my little sister joined my family and we started an amazing journey together.

There are so many things that slide away from us so fast that we should appreciate more but sometimes don’t in time. There are so many things going on right this moment that we should be sharing with others and we find our time slipping away.

Enough of that depressing stuff. Each day we define the day that we want. To say different is to give up our individuality and our ability to make decisions for ourselves. We need to take that responsibility and acknowledge that no matter what decision we make, it is our decision when it comes to our time. The moments will fly away from us so fast that they will be gone in an instant, but as we look at each day, we need to say I have done the things that are important to me and been with the people that mean something in my life.

I find myself in complex territory that many of you probably share. How do I spend my time wisely, and how do I ensure that the people I feel are important feel the same about me? Even more important, how do I ensure that my perceptions of situations are actually aligned with other people? How do you?

It is funny that I wrote paragraph after paragraph and just deleted them all. I am simply going to end the day with this. Once your time passes, it is gone. Losing a minute or an hour, or a day is something you can never take back and never justify. With that in mind, cherish the people that are important to you because, all too quickly, the time will be gone. This is perhaps one of the few things that are a constant in the perception of humankind, time passes, and time is finite.

so as the sun sets on another day, I hope you know that I appreciate you. Even if I haven’t met you and do not know you, I appreciate that you have taken some time to share a few moments with me. There are people in this world that will never see another moment of time and those people will miss out on all of the things they dreamed of yesterday. Let’s all live our best life today and let people know how great they are, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and howdy out there…

In awe…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was a serious splash of scintillating shades of color. In good company I was lost in the lightshow.

Today was an amazingly eye-opening adventure into art and the life of a very troubled man. I found myself considering everything around me as I visited the Van Gogh exhibit. I was lost in the immersive portion and thrilled to the combination of Art and Technology.

Van Gogh has achieved virtual immortality through his impressionistic vision and somewhere along the way he has taken us all with him. All of this and he barely was known in his own time. I find myself thinking about how many Indie authors will find later that their work made a difference in the world and opened the eyes of so many.

If success is the outcome of many failures as Van Gogh stated then I hope I am failing well to succeed even more and that my successes are gateways to my growth and those I can help grow with me. I will not go alone into the darkness or into the light but will be a stepping stone I hope for others to succeed.

So as the sun sets on another day, consider well all that you do and try to be inspiring. Even though people today may not see your glorious vision perhaps one day the world will know how special you are. In the end be you above all else, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and check out the Van Gogh exhibit..

Progress…

The sun sets on another day…

I heard from a source that a city close to here has not had Sun in quite some time. Fortunately for me I have gotten sun during the day just the sunsets have been interesting. I will continue to look for the sunsets and see the awesomeness in everything.

So each day I try to learn a little more. Some days it’s fantastic and other days, not so much. I do learn at least a few things every day but I have to say the world is full of complexities and those complexities sometimes make us consider what we already know and reconsider a few more things.

So what do you know? What are those things that you know better than anybody? Do you see your growth when you learn more about those things or is it just another day and you already know it all?

My issue is that I trust this over talked about and under understood thing called science. In science there are few hard facts and every day we learn something new. In science knowledge changes the landscape and in science we often end up in a situation where what we once knew was fact is now different. Anyone that says different does not understand science. I know that seems kind of harsh but it’s true science at its core is an ability to evolve and a need to evolve and constantly learn more.

In the early 1980s I was considered an expert on technology and in certain groups I still am. I made a statement in 1989 that a 10 MB hard drive was all we would ever need. This was based on what I knew right then and I was 100% correct. Who could imagine that my phone now is 256 GB and that my computer is considerably more. Way more. Technology grew and the science of Technology changed and as I watch this I think about the rest of the world.

Now I have to ask again, what do you think you know and what do you know or perhaps it’s time to make progress and check on the things you know and make sure they are not evolving. You have an opportunity to learn every day, take the time and learn.

So as the sun sets on another day I think I will continue to learn for all time and as I grow perhaps I might know at least one thing that won’t change. Come along with me and let’s understand that understanding is a journey and make progress every day, no matter what.

Sleep sweet,love life, and enjoy every new thing…

A point of view…

The sun sets on another day…

Today was a fun day, and the sun setting was just a smidge later, making the day a bit lighter, but no sunset. Instead rain, thunder, and a little more rain covered the horizon.

I was laughing today about a discussion. I was discussing lake MI and just had the same discussion yesterday. Someone was telling me that lake Michigan doesn’t have beaches because beaches are only on oceans. Of course, they have never been on the beach at lake Michigan, nor have they ever seen a 10 foot wave coming at them on lake MI. Instead, they made a statement based on what they knew which was the ocean.

For those of you that haven’t been to lake MI it is equally as beautiful as any ocean and equally as treacherous. As you look across the lake there is no end to the horizon and all you see is water and an occasional super freighter. In the end those haven’t seemed lake Michigan don’t really understand. Instead they see a lake as a small body of water that you can put a small boat on.

A long time ago I moved to Kentucky and after several years I decided to rent a boat on a Kentucky lake. I took care of all of it online and then went down to the lake with my family. I had grown up on lakes in Michigan and thought a lake was a lake. When I arrived and got the boat together I asked where the lake was in this small Marina on what I thought was a river. I was rapidly told that I was on the lake. After going up and down on the lake I realized that it’s largest it was maybe 100 feet wide. I soon learned that that was about it and had to look for larger lakes in the state.

So what, right?

Without common views you can’t understand everything. I only say this because maybe we all need to listen a little, learn a little, and not be so sure of ourselves. I am sure when the person I talked to today, and the others I talked to yesterday, see Lake Michigan they will go “oops”. Just like I did in Kentucky.

So as the sun sets on another day, lets be open to knowing we might not know, and learn something new every day. After all, days are amazing right? Keep being as amazing as any day, each day, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and live wisely…

‘Twas…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset. Well, wow. Instead though for today I have a picture of a leaf holding on, holding on tight, and making the world a place to be fun

I liked this picture because of the lone leaf and for another reason, the horizon was blurred due to the heavy clouds and calm waters. With that the edge of the world was just not there. You could have walked over it and the world would have faded into another without a thought.

A poem for the day….

Twas the night before halloween and all through the land
the wind was whipping up crystals and spraying the sand
The day and the night were as lost as could be
and lakes, mists and oceans were not to be seen
When life came on strong and play well on the day
the ghosts and the goblins all came out to pla
The horror the terror the bumps in the night
served only to give us one heck of a fright
With all that I thougbt I will give you my mind
that perhaps this halloween we can all be kind
that terror and horror are fine for us all
but not for out lives for we soo may just fall
So hold to your whispers and hold to your sighs
and I hope we all share some fantastic lives

So as the sun sets on another day, the weird things that come out of my brain are, well, weird. I hope you have a fantastic day and a super day tomorrow. If you feel like a little fun, jump on Amazon and get “A Slice of Fear” or “Another Slice of Fear” and find a fun thrill along the way.

Sleep sweet, love deeply, and booooooo…

Just a picture…

The sun sets on another day…

Sunset was somewhere beyond spectacular and I enjoyed every moment as the sky was lit up with solar fireworks.

I’m going to take just a moment today and let the pictures speak for themselves. Take a moment to yourself and realize how wonderful you are. Then believe in you because you are amazing.

So as the sun sets on another day, keep believing and enjoy every sunset that you can, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and be amazing…

A question of…

The sun sets on antoher day…

The sky was filled with chilled color as fall embraced us with its icy grip. I smiled a little at it all, and laughed at the wonderment.

When you think about 29,000 sunsets what do you think about? I hope you take a moment and think about time. Everything is actually a question of time, right?

I’ve stated many times the purpose of 29,000 sunsets was to get people to think about living for each day. Can’t we take a step back for just a moment and realize that waiting for tomorrow or next week or next month becomes a vaporous mound of silliness. Yes I said silliness.

We seriously need to take the time to understand that if today were all we had we would live our life to the fullest and we often think that we are guaranteed days, weeks, or more.

It is with a pure heart that I ask all of you to have a great day. Not just a good day or a day but have the best day that you can. Call someone special, do something special, be someone special, it’s all the same. We have an opportunity to be positive and live a positive life, don’t we owe it to ourselves to do so?

So as the sun sets on another day, make the best of every day and please make the best of today. I think you’re worth it, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love life, and get to living…

Well mostly…

The sun sets on another day…

I missed tonight as I considered the rain falling opn my car and driving to the beach. Instead I watched colors dance in the woods as the sky parted for only a moment, lighting a path to the west.

I was thinking tonight about the movie “Aliens”. A fun movie to be sure, but there are numerous lines that stand out and if you listen, can make you think a little about life. During the movie there is a poortion where a ship crashes and a series of survivors are left on the planet. A small girl warns them all that they should go back to the base and notes “they mostly come at night, mostly”. It is the softness of the last statement that resonates like thunder.

With that in mind we should always take the path of “mostly”.

We may even wanna think about it more pointedly and try to decide if even mostly is enough. There are times when we know there are things that may affect us negatively but with a little bit of a sidestep, we can overcome almost anything, mostly. With a little bit of positivity, we can do even better, mostly. With a friend, we can step out above everyone else, mostly.

My point is there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but there is a level of positivity that we can have that will protect us mostly. That positivity can be a guide if not a beacon to others to let them know the world cannot get us down, mostly.

So as the sun sets on another day, it’s OK to know that everything may not align exactly the way we want it. At the same time, let’s take a moment and look at how much we have and realize they didn’t spite of the doubts we have a pretty good path. Choose well and keep making the world yours, no matter what.

Sleep sweet, love deeply, mostly…