Learn Something New

For this week's Ten Minute Fix, learn something!

First, try to remember that thing you were wondering about earlier today or earlier this week. Then take ten minutes to learn about it. The internet is so amazing! Believe it or not, I'm old enough to remember the world before the internet. There were these things called encyclopedias where you could learn a little bit about a couple of things. There were these things called libraries where you could find out a few more things, but only if you were brave enough to face the dreaded card catalog. There were these things called tabloids that you had to read in line at the supermarket to get your celebrity gossip. Now with the internet you can find out pretty much anything in a matter of minutes!

If you don't have anything you're dying to know, you can check out the featured articles on Wikipedia. You could also take a look at some sample questions to open up your inquisitive side.

What's the oldest nation? 

Should you use "a" or "an" in the following? "I must be leaving. I'm terribly late for a(n) NRA meeting." (I have my opinion, but I'll keep it to myself. I try to steer clear of controversial topics.)

Do they still wear powdered wigs in British Parliament? If so, ....why? 

What percentage of people can touch their nose with their tongue? 

Which is the healthier meat? chicken, beef, ostrich, or bison 

If you stacked all the free CD's that AOL gave out in the 90's, would they reach the moon?

If you're anything like me, these questions inspired you to see how much it would cost to buy a powdered wig and some powder to go along with it. Turns out this question takes longer than ten minutes to figure out.

Disappointment

"At 5 o'clock tomorrow look East. Don't forget your swimsuit and a jar of quarters.You're not gonna want to miss this."  THAT'S the kind of fortune I want to see. 

How To Be Alone

This is a wonderful poem about the beauty of being alone...when done right.

Destination: Giving Meaning to the Daily Grind

I go to work, pay the bills, clean the house, take care of the kids, serve in my church, and go to sleep exhausted, just to get up and do it again the next day. What's it all for? I feel as if my future retirement is the only potential source of relief. I want to enjoy life, but there are so many demands, how am I supposed to do it?

Life is a journey, but sometimes we see it more as a journey away from something rather than towards something. We go to work to avoid being poor. We clean the house to avoid the in-laws calling us slobs. We take care of the kids to avoid having the kind of kids that listen to that new fangled Rocky Rolly music, or whatever they call it. Oh, and we go to church to avoid eternal damnation. When you think about it, that's no way to live. Of course it wears you out! It's a constant fleeing from an unrelenting pursuer.

There's a better way. Have a goal in mind, but make it more than a goal. Make it a destination; where you ultimately want to end up. This destination will give meaning to the list of never ending daily tasks. Start seeing work as an opportunity to build a better life for your family. Clean the house because you want a comfortable and inviting home. Spend time with your kids because you want to be a great parent who your kids will respect and trust even after they grow up and go out on their own.

As you move towards a destination, every day means you are one step closer. If instead you're running away from problems that simply reappear the next day, it feels like treading water and never making progress.

Define your destination and decide if your daily actions are moving you towards that destination. If not, make the appropriate changes.

Dreamages

Ponder these questions for a moment.

What would your perfect life look like?
What would you do?
What would you have?
Who would you be?

None of these things have to be even remotely within reach, so don't let a little thing like reality stand in the way of your imagination.

Visualize what it would be like to live this life and then search for some pictures of the things or activities you're imagining. You can cut them out of magazines, find them online, or draw a picture if you're so inclined. We'll call these images your DREAMages. They're kind of like goals in that you would love to achieve them some day, but they may seem unrealistic. Here's a look at one of my dreamages.

Okay. Okay. Quit your snickering! I don't want to go on a date with him. I just want to have muscles like he has. I'm kind of a twerp, so I'd love to bulk up and go around places flexing and thereby impressing everyone I meet. I'm an ectomorph, so Jared Padalecki's physique may be well out of reach, but that's why it's a dreamage and not a goal. It's purpose is to motivate me to lift weights, and eat right. You see, a picture of what I THINK I can look like isn't very motivating.

Set the Table

I know when I set the table I get out a plate, a fork, and if I remember, a glass for everyone who will be eating. Occasionally; however, I like to get fancy. That's when I bust out my 17th edition of Emily Post's Etiquette by Peggy Post. The 18th edition is available for pre-order and comes out in October if you're interested. You can also go to www.emilypost.com. So in ten minutes (probably less) you can learn to set the table properly and even teach your kids. Here is the information from the Emily Post Institute for a basic table setting. (Click Here to see a formal setting)

For a basic table setting, here are two great tips to help you -- or your kids -- remember the order of plates and utensils:

1. Picture the word "FORKS." The order, left to right, is: F for Fork, O for the Plate (the shape!), K for Knives and S for Spoons. (Okay -- you have to forget the R, but you get the idea!)


2. Holding your hands in front of you, touch the tips of your thumbs to the tips of your forefingers to make a lowercase 'b' with your left hand and a lowercase 'd' with your right hand. This reminds you that "bread and butter" go to the left of the place setting and "drinks" go on the right. Emily Post could have used that trick -- she was often confused about which bread and butter belonged to her -- and sometimes she used her neighbor's! In which case, when it was called to her attention, she would say to the dismayed lady or gentleman, "Oh, I am always mixing them up. Here, please take mine!"

Some other things to know:

• Knife blades always face the plate


• The napkin goes to the left of the fork, or on the plate


• The bread and butter knife are optional

Career Advice

In addition to having access to delicious chocolate, the name "chocolatier" is just so much fun to say.