Sometimes it's just a nickle

I spent a little "mom time" on our school websites this morning. My eldest daughter's English teacher does a weekly poll of the students on all kinds of crazy questions. I was amused by a few of them and then shocked by one of the polls.

He asked the students whether they would stop to pick up a nickle, dime, or quarter and 44% of the students said they would would pick up a nickle or a dime and 85% said they would pick up a quarter.

Now, I don't know why some of these kids wouldn't pick up the money. But here's what I do know: 41% of the kids feel there is a reason to pick up the quarter but they won't bother with a nickle or a dime. That fascinates me and it rings true in the lives of many adults I know as well.

We go through our lives asking for things, or saying we want to be happy, or healthy or wealthy. But we don't recognize or appreciate the sight of the child building a sand castle. We won't take a minute and skip down the street with our own child or grandchild. We don't have time to stop and listen to a beautiful piece of music. These things are only nickles and dimes to us. They aren't worth our time, effort or attention. But . . . if I pick up 2 dimes and a nickle today then I've accumulated a quarter. If I laugh here and appreciate beauty there then I find happiness. It isn't always the monumental things that bring us what we ask for, sometimes it's a nickle.

Are you missing the most beautiful music in the world?

This is a story sent to me in one of the myriad emails I receive. I delete most of them unread. However, I felt compelled to open this one and I'm so glad I did! I don't know who wrote the original email but I looked on Snopes and the story is true. Take a minute and read it, then see if it changes your priorities, your perception or how you go through your days.


Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately two thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.. This action was repeated by several other children.. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made..... How many other things are we missing?

Getting double rewards

"To help others develop, start with yourself." -- Marshall Goldsmith

When I read this quote this morning I realized how often we choose to spend our energy worrying about what others are doing or trying to change what they're doing. The truth is that we can't change other people directly. They have to choose their own change. However, we can be an example to them and an inspiration to make the choice to change.

And here's another of those dichotomies: When we put our energy into ourselves, caring for ourselves, being our best self, sharing ourselves with others, we inspire others to do the same. So we get a double reward! We get all the benefit of being our most wonderful selves and at the same time we get to enjoy those who've been inspired by us to make changes for themselves.

Welcome the weeds

I saw an article today titled "Common Weed Could Provide Clues on Aging and Cancer" Basically scientists have studied this weed and found an interesting behavior pattern when one microscopic bit is altered. What caught my attention here was that this study was done on a weed. By definition a weed is something we don't want around, something we would eradicate from our lives if possible. Yet, it is a weed that is teaching us and giving us insight.

And so it is in our lives. The unhappy moments, the unpleasant experiences, all the difficult things are the weeds of our lives. We would happily eradicate them from our lives if we could. And yet, these moments teach us and give us insight, much like the weed that scientists are studying.

Perhaps it's time to welcome the weeds in our lives and be grateful for all they bring us.

Being a pumpkin

I received this in one of those emails that's been forwarded 1000 times and it gave me warm fuzzies. Since it's fall here and I like warm stuff I thought I'd share the warm fuzzies with all of you. Enjoy and feel the warm fuzzies of your source of joy and inspiration in life, whatever that may be.

Being like a pumpkin ~ God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all of the yucky stuff -- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a bright new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.

Hidden Costs

I've seen several bits of writing lately that talk about the hidden cost of something. Whether it's the food you eat, the car you drive, or what you think, there are always effects that you may not have realized.

When you buy "cheap" food from the big box store instead of your local farmers' market there is an impact on the environment and the local economy.

When you eat food that has been sprayed with pesticides there is an impact on your health.

When you think negative thoughts about yourself there is an impact on your self-esteem and your future actions.

When you choose to do nothing out of fear there is an impact on your future.

Thinking beyond the obvious and thinking beyond the moment might mean making different choices and it might just mean a better outcome.

Twenty plastic bags of fear

As I was reading my book last night I could hear my husband talking to himself. He was packing for his upcoming backpacking trip and looking for things to jettison from his pack. He caught my attention when he came across a bunch of plastic bags and said, "Twenty plastic bags. What was I afraid of?"

Not, "What was I thinking?" or "What would I need those for?" but "What was I afraid of?" That comment really struck me and I realized that we all carry around "plastic bags". We all do things, think things or literally carry things around with us that aren't essential, not because we believe we need them, but because we are afraid to be without them.

I think it's time to take a serious look at myself and see what I can jettison.