Humility, Gratitude and Service

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community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Gratitude, growing up, happy, humanity, humility, Hump Day Chronicles, integrity, joy, kindness, laughter, life, living in the moment, love, Purpose, Relationships, service

I had the privilege of interviewing someone yesterday. Someone whose childhood was marked by abandonment, abuse and neglect. Someone who coped by making bad choices as a result.

His story was heartbreaking and made me question…

No, it made me wrestle with the whys. Why do people treat other people so horribly? And not just other adults, but children. Children who need a better foundational start at life.

But to be honest, that’s not the part of his story that stuck with me.

What stood out was his gratefulness. For every time someone showed him kindness. Every time someone reached out to help him. Went out of their way to give him hope. Saw him, loved him for who he was, took action to make a difference in his life — and did it all without judging him.

His story reminded me of all the people in my life who were pivotal, who were catalysts in changing my life for the better. Most did not even know to what extent they impacted me, inspired me, motivated me to find purpose in my life by serving others.

His story reminded me how important it is to reach out and help others just because I’ve been helped. To pay it forward, to never forget where I came from, to stay humble and grateful.

It’s what brings out the best in humanity. Don’t you think?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

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The Trump Effect

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anxiety, being present, chaos, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, Donald Trump, Fear, future, growing up, human behaviour, human nature, humanity, illusion of control, impatient, integrity, life, Life's like that, living in the moment, panic, peace, politics, Truth

You lose your grip and then you slip into the masterpiece.

~ Leonard Cohen

I’d like to tell you that I’m even-tempered. That I keep a cool head when my patience or my sense of right and wrong are being tested. That the minute I feel my jaw clench in anger, I am able to say some kind of catch phrase like Breathe or Let It Go and I’m magically transported to the present where the stuff I’m losing my cool about hasn’t happened yet and may never ever happen at all. But I’d be lying.

Truth is, this is something I’m always trying to grow into and although I’m getting better at it, I may never master it. But that’s ok as long as I’m trying, right?

What seems funny to me is that when I’m in the midst of ‘losing it,’ I feel perfectly justified. Yet when I see someone else behave in a similar manner, My mouth forms the word WOW and I think to myself, ‘What a wacko.’

The Donald and how some of us react to him is a good example of this. “Oh those bad Canadians, they’re really screwing us over in the milk industry and softwood lumber industry by doing this and that and the bad Mexicans, something to do with chickens blah, blah, blah…and so I’m going to renegotiate to get us a better deal or just pull out of NAFTA all together.”

And then chaos ensues and people are running around to research if what he is saying is really true and if he can actually do what he says he going to do and the news is consumed with the silliest debates, things we all thought we were clear on like is the sky really blue and we wonder well is it and then we think, hey wait a minute… Ugh I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THIS AGAIN!

I’m seriously starting to wonder if he is a genius in the sense that he can so easily get us so wound up and I bet he’s having a nap, or reading the paper or doing laps in a pool, or worse working on something he doesn’t want the public to know about, while we are reacting to a non issue!

Well as it turns out, he can’t just pull out of NAFTA. The worst he can do is sign an executive order that indicates he would like to pull out in six months and then it would go through this huge process and many others would have to want to do the same – bottom line – it’s a process that goes way beyond Donald’s mere wishes…

Anyway, my point really has nothing to do with NAFTA or Donald Trump or politics or how we should navigate these issues. It merely serves as a globally recognizable example of something I struggle with daily – to not immediately react to a situation, to not get pulled into someone else’s chaos, to just breathe, stay in the present and respond in a caring and appropriate way.

` DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

What’s the thing you struggle with? Can you think of a good Trump illustration for it? 😉

Face to Face

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200 words, addiction, alone, community, connecting, depression, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, family, health, herd mentality, human nature, humanity, interaction, interdependent, isolation, living in the moment, love, Relationships, social, teamwork, technology

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.

– Albert Einstein

I’m sure that when we first got mail service, a mother who missed her adult son said, “Now he doesn’t have to visit, he just writes a letter,” and it broke her heart.

And I’ll bet when we first got telephones that some jilted lover missed seeing her man face-to-face when he called.

And TV sure did it’s part to break up the family conversation around the dinner table.

But we got used to these things. With the passing of time, we became accustomed to each new way of communicating and being, and only bemoaned technology when a new one popped up.

These days with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, texting, it’s almost like technology is enabling us to connect again.

But is it really?

When you don’t see facial expressions or reactions, are you really connecting?

With record numbers of people struggling with depression, addiction and loneliness and countless others thinking suicide is their best option, isn’t it time we reexamine the value of connecting one-to-one and creating a sense of belonging through community?

Isn’t it time for us to get face-to-face?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Lucky To Be Alive

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200 words, alive, bigger purpose, community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, family, Fear, humanity, life, Life's like that, lifetime, living in the moment, love, miracle, mission, odds, Relationships, respect, responsibility

I love life because what more is there?

~Anthony Hopkins

Life is the most amazing miracle ever! You and I are pretty lucky just to be alive. The odds of our parents even meeting were 1 in 20,000. The odds that they would stay together long enough to have children were 1 in 2000.

And that’s just your parents, the odds are so much smaller when you consider all the other variables!

We could spend our entire lifetimes just marveling about how our heart pumps blood through our vessels, how our lungs take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, the way our body works to sustain and repair itself and keep us going without any conscious effort on our part.

If you think about it, it is really quite remarkable!

But life is so much more than that. Life is about learning how to love and respect ourselves, our loved ones, our neighbours, our beautiful planet, and all the abundant life that exists on its surface. Life provides us an opportunity to exercise compassion, practice sacrifice, overcome fear and grow in courage and humility.

I do not want to squander my time here. How about you?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

The Odds Infographic

Dear President Obama

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Barack Obama, building community, community, compassion, courage, democracy, doing the right thing, health care, hope, human rights, humanity, Hump Day Chronicles, integrity, kindness, laughter, leadership, life, Michelle Obama, passion, thank you, tolerance, USA, world issues

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, Thursday, March 10, 2016, for a state dinner. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Just a quick note to thank you and Michelle for being great examples of what leadership should look like.

I want to thank you both for all you did, and tried to do to make the United States and the world a more tolerant and safe and inclusive place. For ensuring that more folks had access to health care, for bringing hope to whole communities that had no hope before, for making tough choices, and patiently with humility, building solid relationships on the world stage.  And most of all, for doing it with the poise, dignity, passion, integrity, compassion and sense of humour that should be the norm for any person who occupies a position of power.

No single person is perfect, or always gets everything right, but I believe that you did the best you could within the choices you had, and I for one, felt that I could breathe a little easier, even from way over here in Canada.

I wish you and Michelle all the very best and I know that you will continue to make a significant mark in whatever challenge you take on next.

Well done and thanks again,

Diana Schwenk, Alberta, Canada

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Having Enough

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200 words, debt, desires, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, enough, Fear, greed, human behaviour, humanity, joy, life, living within my means, love, needs, sacrifice, survive, wanting

There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.

G.K. Chesterton

Have you ever thought about what drives us to have more? Why we need a more expensive, newer car, the latest gadget, a bigger house, more money? Does what we have not work? Does our survival depend on it? Or is it simply a matter of social status? Why is it so pressing that we keep up with the Joneses?

We humans are wired to survive. We need shelter. We need food. We need security from those who might harm us. And once we have those bases covered, we need to belong. We need to be needed and we need to know that we can count on others when we need them.

But when do our needs become frivolous? What marks the event when we’ve gone too far? When we must ‘have it’ just for the sake of ‘having it’? When we decide to live outside of our means and willingly fall into debt? When do we cross that line of pure greed that sacrifices our fellow (wo)man’s ability to survive?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Hindsight is 20/20

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compassion, courage, doing the right thing, economy, greed, History, human behaviour, humanity, integrity, mercy, minimum wage, oppression, poor, profit and loss, slavery, trickle-down effect

Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

 – Abe Lincoln

Looking back, most of us are relieved that slavery was abolished. How could anyone, with even an ounce of compassion, have thought it was a good idea?

But just imagine what slave owners thought and how they justified slavery during the civil war.

“What would it do to the economy if we have to pay people to work? I mean it’s not like we don’t house them or feed them or clothe them – wouldn’t they perish without us?”

Yet doing the right thing by abolishing slavery in America did not end life as we know it.

These days, there are those who work for so little pay they struggle to survive. Many are only one pay cheque away from losing everything.

“What would happen if we raised the minimum wage? I mean we need to make sure corporations make a profit so they can keep hiring. Eventually it trickles down, right?”

Will giving people living wages really collapse our economy and end life as we know it?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

I wonder what future generations will think.

Perspective

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200 words, building community, community, Community engagement, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, division, human behaviour, humanity, integrity, judging, justice, love, perception, perspective, understanding

When man calls an animal “vicious”, he usually means that it will attempt to defend itself when he tries to kill it.

Unattributed

As we encroach more on and more on wild animals and their habitats, we inevitably find ourselves in situations were animals have mauled people. Often the offending “vicious” animal is relocated or destroyed.

It got me thinking how that also happens in our interactions with each other when we perceive a threat to our way of being.

When we see ourselves as superior because of race, religion, no religion, social status, political affiliation, income tax bracket, level of education, gender, or any other form of discrimination.

When we justify our attacks on those who are not like us because we perceive them as a threat to our culture and way of life.

When we oppress the weak, the poor and the sick in our efforts to gain even more wealth for ourselves.

Yet, we are surprised at their indignation and “viciousness” when they retaliate; when they fight back to defend themselves and their children.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Think about it. If attacked, wouldn’t you fight back? Wouldn’t you protect your family and way of life?

If You Want To Be A Leader

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200 words, caring, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dignity, Do the right thing, generosity, greater good, greed, humanity, integrity, joy, justice, kindness, leadership, love, mercy, Purpose, Truth, vision, world issues

Climb the mountain so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. ~ David McCullough

When you have the means to make it in this world, when the pieces fall together in such a way for you to get ahead, to gain influence and power, then it’s more vital than ever for you to do what is appropriate for the greater good.

And in such a position, it is also important to be a person of integrity, someone who has their personal affairs in order, someone who is a role model for justice and compassion.

Listen to what President Obama had to say when asked what questions he’d asked of presidential candidates.

~

To Whom Much is Given, Much is expected

A good leader, whether the leader of a nation, or the CEO of a company, or the team lead of a crew needs to climb the mountain, not to be seen, but so (s)he can see the people, understand their circumstances and lead effectively with their best interests in mind.

What can you do today for your family, your company, your neighbourhood, your city, your cause to make it better for everyone.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Are You Feeling A Bit More Cramped Lately?

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civilization, dependent, depleteing resources, Diana Schwenk, humanity, Hump Day Chronicles, interdependent, living in the moment, population growth, small world, technology, world issues

MAYBE IT’S BECAUSE YOU ARE!

I watched a documentary last night that addressed the history of human population growth. For most of human history the earth’s population was pretty much static. People were hunters/gatherers and lived in small family groups.

Eleven or Twelve thousand years ago when people started farming, it allowed them to stay in one place. Larger groups of people began to form and were able to share ideas and become more innovative.

Human population stayed around 10 million until, and only exploded around, 250 years ago. The documentary went on to say that very specific moments in time were the beginnings of what society is today and allowed us to live in larger and larger towns and cities.

Things such as the perfection of the steam engine that birthed the industrial age, and the invention of metal letters from wooden ones that spurred huge numbers of people to learn to read and write, the first electrical grid that powered fifty-odd houses, the invention of shipping containers that led to cheaper world-wide trade allowing more people to enjoy foods from different lands and so on.

Did you know that the first telegraph from the Queen of England to the President of the United States was 99 words and took 17 1/2 hours to send?

And now with texts, emails and tweeting, the narrator said one would have to start reading them when Christ was born and we’d still be talking.

I was amazed to learn that NYC is the world’s biggest and most culturally diverse city. Did you know that over 800 languages are spoken there?

Did you know that 80% of electricity is still powered by coal? That Canada uses 2% of the world’s electricity? The USA uses 19%? Europe use 14.5%?

Did you know that 93 million barrels of oil are produced each day?

Did you know that over 350,000 babies are born, and 150,000 souls leave every day?

Did you know that 2006 was the first time in human history that more people lived in cities than on the land?

Did you know that at any given time 500 million people are on an airplane going somewhere?

The world is more interdependent and dependent upon technology than it has ever been. A sudden power loss can literally shut everything down.

It now takes roughly one acre of land to feed one American. By 2050 with a projected world population of 9 billion people, four will need to live off that acre.

With growing populations, increased mining of finite resources causing more pollution and affecting our water and air, shrinking amounts of land for agriculture, what new innovations will need to happen for the human race to survive?

I found the whole thing very amazing and very terrifying.

If you’re feeling a little more cramped lately, maybe it’s because you are.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

* I’ve written this today from what I can remember. It’s entirely possible that I have a few of the facts a bit wrong, but I don’t think it takes away from fact that the human population used to take thousands of years to grow by the same percentages that only take decades now.