Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: JUMP IN

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: JUMP IN:                                                               “Wings are like dreams. Before each flight, a bird takes a small jump, a leap ...

JUMP IN

                                                 

“Wings are like dreams. Before each flight, a bird takes

a small jump, a leap of faith, believing that its wings will

work. That jump can only be made with rock solid feet.”

                                        J.R. Rim

It is like stepping into a cold shower, just get in. When jumping off that

cliff, there is no looking back or stopping. Dive in. Just go and enjoy

the ride. Of course, before you step up to that cliff you have done the

work. You have prepared, mentally, emotionally, and physically. You

are ready. You are good enough. You are capable. You can do it. You

have checked the water. You have checked the depth. You know it

is time to go. You just got to put one foot out there, step up, and go.

You are not flying blind. You have checked it out. The water is deep.

The water is clear. Now it is up to you. Take that leap. Get out of your

comfort zone. Do not hesitate. Do not back down. Do not overthink it.

Just go. Jump. Magical things will happen. Along your journey you will

get help. From where you least expect it. You have laid the foundation.

You have friends. Allies. Support teams. Your teammates have your

back. But now it is on your shoulders. Just jump in, sink or swim, fail

or succeed entirely. You may sink, but you will always come back up

and say wow, what a ride, and do better next time. Brace yourself

and hold on. Pick your line and go for it. Take the risks but know the

consequences. Push your limits, your limits are further than you “think,”

but know your limits, you can’t always do everything.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: MAKE OURSELVES STRONG

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: MAKE OURSELVES STRONG:                                                                         “We can make ourselves miserable or we can make ourselves strong. Th...

MAKE OURSELVES STRONG

                                                         

“We can make ourselves miserable or we can make

ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

                Carlos Castaneda

Let us face it, we only have so much energy to go around, and there

are only so many hours in the day. Why waste precious resources

sulking or being miserable? Time will pass no matter what we do, so

use the time to make the most out of the situation and come out the

better for it, no matter how small the improvement. There is no sense

going backwards or failing to make progress. It is like deciding to veer

off the racecourse in a marathon and go down a different trail. All you

have done is expend energy, gotten into a worse mental frame of mind,

moved farther away from your finish line goal, taken you longer and

made you grumpy. Take what life gives us, what happens, and use it

as a springboard to get stronger. To get better. To be better. To learn.

To not repeat the same mistakes. It is our mind. We choose. It is our

point of view. We get to decide.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: GET IN THE ARENA WITH THE BULL OF LIFE

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: GET IN THE ARENA WITH THE BULL OF LIFE:                                                                                                                                             ...

GET IN THE ARENA WITH THE BULL OF LIFE

                                                             

                                                        

“It is better to be in the arena getting stomped by

the bull than it is to be sitting in the stands or out

in the parking lot from the outside looking in.”

                                        Steven Pressfield

Get in and get started. The best way to get things done is to start. Say

yes to what you want to do and no to what you do not want to do. But

when you do say yes, do your best! Get out of your comfort zone. Do

the work. Practice, prepare, be relentless in your pursuit. Do what is

right. Pause, plan, think and then get into the arena with the bull. You

cannot know what you are truly capable of unless you get in there

with the bull of life and tangle. There exists a higher power, another

force or forces that come through a mind, body and spirit that is well

prepared and well trained for the bull of life. Luck favors diligence.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: IF YOU FELL DOWN YESTERDAY STAND UP TODAY

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: IF YOU FELL DOWN YESTERDAY STAND UP TODAY:   “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”                                                   H.G. Wells We all fall. Some of us more th...

IF YOU FELL DOWN YESTERDAY STAND UP TODAY

 

“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”

                                        H.G. Wells

We all fall. Some of us more than others. It is after the fall where

we are most able to rise and stand tall. It is like a springboard effect

where sometimes it takes descending into our darkest hour to bounce

back up somewhere over the rainbow. Dare greatly. We learn what

we can and keep going. You cannot win if you do not get in the ring.

When you get in the ring sometimes you fall. You get knocked down.

You stumble. You fall on your own. Inevitably we will go down. Will

you get back up? Refuse to give yourself permission to be defeated.

You were not the best version of yourself yesterday, but can you be

today? Where can you improve? What can you learn? What can you

do better? Do not get knocked down twice for the same reason. No

matter what stand up today!

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: CHALLENGES

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: CHALLENGES:   “Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.”                                          Kobe Bryant ...

CHALLENGES

 

“Everything negative - pressure, challenges

- is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

                                        Kobe Bryant

Life is but a series of challenges. Challenge yourself daily. Get out

of your comfort zone. Push to new heights. What may seem like a

challenge today may seem like old hat or a walk in the park tomorrow.

This certainly holds true for physical challenges because you can feel

it. You can eventually see it and measure it. Heavier weights. More

reps. More miles. Faster miles. Feeling better. But so too for the social

challenges. The intellectual challenges. They may be harder to see,

feel, or measure, but it is true. Seek out new challenges. Welcome

challenges when they come to you. Embrace the challenge. Do the

work. Do what needs to be done to work through any challenge that

you have the good fortune to come your way! Embrace the suck!

Overcome and triumph!

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: TINY MATTERS

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: TINY MATTERS:   “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”                                           ...

TINY MATTERS

 

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are

tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

                                        Ralph Waldo Emerson

“We have nothing to fear but fear itself”

                                        Franklin Delano Roosevelt

“We suffer more in our imagination than in reality.”

                                        Seneca

“No amount of worry is going to change what will happen.”

                                        Alan Watts

We beat ourselves up over what is in the past, looking through our

retro scope with feelings of guilt and regret. We stress, worry, and fear

what may or may not happen in the future. We must plan and prepare

for the future for sure, but what we have within us, what we have in the

present, in the now is really the only thing we are guaranteed and have

control over. If we focus on what we have at our fingertips, what is in

front of us now, not worrying about what can be stressful distractions,

fretting over stuff that may never come to fruition. There is no solution

or fix like doing the work. Stress is like a weight: when we pick it up

and do the work, we get stronger. So too does our internal fortitude.

Find the drive and follow that feeling.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

THE BIGGEST SMALL THINGS

 

“If you focus on the little things, the big

things will take care of themselves.”

                                        Joe Paterno

Dream big. Set goals. Why does it always have to be so extreme or

grandiose? Sometimes we need to cut out all this, win big or go home

mind set. Get the job done. Do your work. Pay attention to the details,

but it does not always need to be perfect, sometimes perfection is the

enemy of progress. Sometimes we just need to check off the boxes

and get the job done. The biggest goal of them all is getting the little

goals done. Getting the little jobs done. A masterpiece painting begins

with the first brushstroke. A 500-page novel begins with the first word.

Planning is good for sure, but sometimes maybe we just need to lace

up the shoes and get out the door. Create some stress, pressure, get

the work done, step by step, piece by piece, brick by brick. Create

your masterpiece one small step at a time.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: FREEDOM AND SUCCESS

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: FREEDOM AND SUCCESS:                                                               “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that...

FREEDOM AND SUCCESS

                                                 

“The difference between successful people and

really successful people is that really successful

people say no to almost everything.”

                                        Warren Buffet

Freedom to say no to things we do not want to do. Freedom to say

yes when we want. Therein lies the true definition of both freedom and

success. The ability to say no to things you do not want to do and the

ability to say yes when you want to say yes to the things you want to

do.  Avoids the anchor and fuels your inner fire.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY:   “I do not believe that God put us here to be ordinary.”                                                   Lou Holtz Ordinary. Such an ordi...

ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY

 

“I do not believe that God put us here to be ordinary.”

                                        Lou Holtz

Ordinary. Such an ordinary word. If you add extra to it, does it make

it that much better? Extraordinary. What exactly does it mean to be

extraordinary or ordinary? We do not always have to be “extraordinary.”

Sometimes ordinary is simply fine if it means doing the right thing,

or avoiding doing negative, counter-productive things. Comparisons

again are not always on a meaningful scale. Ordinary according to

whom? Do your best. Do what is right. Look at yourself in the mirror

and know you can be proud. It may be quite middle of the pack, but

did you help someone else? Did you contribute in any way to making

our world a better place? What may be an ordinary act of kindness

to you may make an enormous difference in somebody else’s life.

What may be an ordinary piece of work for you may be instrumental

or monumental in somebody else’s life. It is ok to just be ordinary. Just

do our best. Be the best version of ourselves in the moment. Ordinary

by whose standards? We are quite good enough. Be who we are and

there is no need to judge ourselves. There is no need to compare

ourselves to others. (They are probably fake anyway) Comparison

is the thief of joy. Never compare yourself to anyone on Instagram!

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS:   “Happiness cannot come from without, it must come from within.”                                      Helen Keller What makes someone else ...

HAPPINESS AND UNHAPPINESS

 

“Happiness cannot come from without, it must come from within.”

                                    Helen Keller

What makes someone else happy may not make us happy. What makes

us happy may not make someone else happy. For thousands of years

human beings have struggled to define “happiness.” No more so than

last 30 years in the United States. With so many so called “experts”

trying to tell us what “happiness” is and what we should do or be feeling.

No one can sell “happiness.” We should look at what happiness is not.

We have a better intuition for what we do not like, what causes discomfort,

or makes us miserable. But recognize the difference between real

discomfort versus the need to get out of our comfort zone. The “pursuit

of happiness” is different from the avoidance of “unhappiness”. We

may not know what happiness is or what makes us happy at any given

point in time, but we do know what makes us unhappy, what we can

do about it and the choices we make. If we start with being aware of

and recognizing what makes us unhappy then we can make the right

choices for ourselves and start building a foundation of “happiness.”

Avoiding the unpleasantries and what drags us down. Be mindful that

often in life it is the struggles or when we are pushing through something

uncomfortable that when we come out the other side, and we will, that

we feel a true sense of accomplishment, satisfaction, and “happiness”.

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness

consists of. You will never live if you are constantly searching

for the meaning of life. Everything worthwhile in life is won through

struggle, effort, or plain hard work. We think we and our lives should

just be perfect. It is not. It is messy. It is difficult, but only as messy

and difficult as we choose to see it in our minds and what we choose

to dwell on. Focus on what is important to you. Your family. Helping

others. Let the rest go. Focus on what you can control. Let the rest go.

Everything worthwhile is gained through some sort of very epic struggle.

It is what gives us satisfaction from a job well done. A life well lived.

What is happiness anyway? I have heard it been said that happiness

is the joy of pursuing your life’s purpose or having purpose. What

then is the purpose? There are many purposes: family, kids, spouse,

support, so everyone is content and “happy.” Happiness is grace, joy,

poise, standing tall, doing the right thing, helping others, doing what is

right. Taking care of your mind, body, and spirit. Being the best version

of yourself at the moment. Tackling what the universe is asking of you

in the moment. Then there is the opposite of happiness. You feel bad.

Pleasure or overindulgence leads to feeling bad. We feel good with

exercise. Sleep. Reading. Learning. Resting. Meditating. A good poop.

Still not sure what the purpose is big picture? Then look at what is

right in front of you. What is your purpose for the day? What is being

asked of you right now? Focus on that. Take care of the trivial things

right under your nose. Simple acts of kindness to other people improve

our own happiness. Perpetual kindness leads to perpetual happiness.

“A person becomes happy to the same extent to

which he or she gives happiness to other people.”

                                        Jeremy Bentham

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: SLEEP

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: SLEEP:   “Early to bed, early to rise makes a [wo] man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”                                                   Benjamin Fran...

SLEEP

 

“Early to bed, early to rise makes a [wo]

man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

                                        Benjamin Franklin

Sleep is so important not only for our body to re-charge, to recover,

to reboot our mood, to mend, to heal, to dream, to follow our body’s

clock, our circadian rhythm and our 24-hour journey around the sun.

Own the morning, get up (do not look at your phone), exercise, make

sure to watch the sunrise. Get outside. That morning sunrise is in tune

with your body’s natural rhythm. The morning light and exercise will

help your bodies release of cortisol, not only giving you energy for your

day but triggering your body’s clock to about 12-14 hours later release

melatonin, to make you sleepy to go to bed. Oh, and be sure to watch

that beautiful sunset. The true measure of a good life is a good night’s

sleep, with the person you love sleeping next to you, and a good poop

in the morning when you wake up. Your body, brain, microbiome (gut)

and spirit are in sync, in accord with nature, and if you’re sleeping and

pooping well, you must be doing everything else right during the day,

like, exercising, working hard, getting outside and eating well……

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: THINGS WE DO NOT NEED

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: THINGS WE DO NOT NEED: “A lot of people spend good hard earned money buying things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.”                             ...

THINGS WE DO NOT NEED

“A lot of people spend good hard earned money buying

things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like.”

                                        Will Rogers

Less can be more. The more stuff you own the more headaches you

have. Ask yourself, is this essential? Why do I need or desire this? We

must live for ourselves, not other people. Who cares what other people

think of how we dress or what car we drive? If we dress a certain way

because we like it, it makes us feel good or feel good about ourselves,

then that is the reason to do it. Not to try to impress other people.

Who cares? Want what you want, not what somebody else wants or

because other people will be “impressed.” Look in your closet at the

last time you wore certain clothes. Same applies to everything in life.

Put the money in investments for future use rather than buying stuff

just to impress other people we may never see again anyway.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER:   “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.”                                                   Sheryl Crow If only I had...

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER

 

“It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.”

                                        Sheryl Crow

If only I had this, or if only I had that. Ambition can be a good thing.

Desire can be a good thing. Ambition and desire can lead us to where

we want to go, assuming we know where we want to go and that is

where we want to be. These things can also be a distraction or an

illusion. I will be happy if ..., I will be satisfied if... This conditional

happiness can be a trap. Not to be confused with legitimate goals.

The key is to love the process, love the journey, be happy in the

present and the path we are on. If we are always chasing rainbows

or walking towards horizons we will never get to or any closer to, we

will lose sight of the beauty we are standing in the middle of. The

grass is always greener where you water it. What we are surrounded

with. It is like wanting what you cannot have, that forbidden fruit, it

is because we can’t have it that we want it. We do not really need it.

We already got it. It is not about wanting what you cannot have, but

rather wanting what you already got and being thankful and grateful

for what we do have. Chasing the most can be rewarding if we love

the chase, but not if we are only doing the chasing because we want

the more, the greener grass.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: ENOUGH

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: ENOUGH:   “I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.”                                          Walt Whitman How much is enough? When is...

ENOUGH

 

“I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.”

                                        Walt Whitman

How much is enough? When is enough? Be happy with what you

have. Do not be envious of what someone else has or what you do

not have. We may just find ourselves spending our whole lives chasing

“money” much to the detriment of our health and family. Then we

find ourselves spending our “money” trying to get back our health and

our family. How do we define enough? Because our house is paid

for, car is paid off, bank account is full, kid’s college will be paid and

there may even be $1,000,000 in the bank. Now what? If we define

enough by money, we may never have enough. But just as we are

not defined by what other people think we are, if we define enough

by always striving to serve and help other people, to make our world

a better place, then there is never enough. There is always someone

who can benefit from our help. Do it for the right reasons- purposes.

Help because that is what we do. Elevate others. Make our world a

better place for you being here.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: WEALTH

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: WEALTH:                                                                              “It is a wise man who does not grieve for things which he has n...

WEALTH

                                                             

“It is a wise man who does not grieve for things

which he has not but rejoices for what he has.”

                                        Epictetus

When we hear the word wealth we immediately think of money. How

much money does a wealthy person have? How much money do we

need? Yes, money makes for a better life, there is just no doubt about

that. We need to pay for a house, car, and other things we truly need.

Money is important when we seek money or use money for our own

right reasons. But wealth, what is true “wealth”? Wealth is having

someone to hug. Wealth is someone who has your back. Wealth is

the ability to make choices, freedom of choice, how we choose to see

what is before us. (Our choices are always in our control, no one can

take that away from us). Wealth is the privilege or ability to say no.

True wealth consists of sleeping through the night with no worries.

Looking in the mirror and knowing you have done the right thing, a

clear conscience. Never being jealous or thinking you want something

else or what someone else has. Being grateful. Staying in shape and

having physical energy and stamina. Wealth is a happy microbiome

and a good poop. Laughing often with friends. Laughing often by

yourself. Dancing in the rain. Listening to the birds. Wealth is not desiring

what you do not have. Wealth is wanting what you do have. Being

wealthy or happy is wanting everything you have. Being miserable is

constantly chasing more. Wanting something else. Desiring what you

cannot have or do not really need. Desire less, need less, crave less.

The more stuff you have the more problems you have. Yes, ambition

is good. This is not to be confused with complacency or laziness. We

must be pursuing or chasing our dreams for the right reasons not to

just get status symbols, fuel our ego or have something someone else

has or just to get “more stuff” to impress other people we probably

really don’t care about and may never see again anyway.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: SIMPLICITY

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: SIMPLICITY: “In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”                                          Henry Wa...

SIMPLICITY

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things,

the supreme excellence is simplicity.”

                                        Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Simplicity is the result of long challenging, demanding, hard work. The

simple life. Simple needs. Be happy with what you have and whatever

hand life deals you, and you always have a hand in what life deals

you. Whether it is how you view it: “this is good this happened to me

because I am the better for it.” How you live your day-to-day life of

values and virtues. Shape how others around you behave. Whatever

the nature of the universe puts on your plate or how well equipped

you are to deal with or accept whatever happens, make the most of

it. Simple. Simple. Simple in desires, wants and words. Happy is the

one who desires little, for it is easier to meet those needs. The chaos

and rush of life will lead to overwhelmingness. Be happy with what you

got and figure out how to make the most of what you got and at the

end of the day you always have you. Keep it simple stupid. Confusion,

complexity, ambiguity, exaggeration are all your enemies. More is less.

Less is more. Make the best use of what you have.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: DEALING WITH LOSS AND TRAGEDY

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: DEALING WITH LOSS AND TRAGEDY:   “Never. We never lose our loved ones. They accompany us; they don’t disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms.”          ...

DEALING WITH LOSS AND TRAGEDY

 

“Never. We never lose our loved ones. They

accompany us; they don’t disappear from our

lives. We are merely in different rooms.”

                                        Paulo Coelho

We have all experienced heart wrenching loss. Loss of a spouse,

mom, dad, son, daughter, brother, sister, best friend. Sometimes, it

is an unexpected and unnecessary loss, in the cruelest of ways. How

can we cope? How can we deal with it? We must, so we do, we must

continue. But where do we find the strength? As an attorney, I have

met many people who have lost a loved one and are grieving. Oftentimes,

senseless, unnecessary loss, which was preventable if other

people had followed the safety rules. I have also met a lot of people

with tremendous heart, strength, and inspiration. I marvel at how they

can carry such pain in their hearts and carry on with great strength

and fortitude. How do they do it? I think we each deal with our losses

in our own way, in our own time, by ourselves, and with the help of

others. But I think a big part of that is simply asking ourselves: What

would the person we have lost want us to do? What would they do?

How would they do it? We can, and we must draw strength from these

questions. Would they want us to shut ourselves in, shut down, or

just be sad? For a little while, but then they would want us to get back

up, dust ourselves off, and live the fullest, most productive, happiest

lives of which we are capable. Would they want us to get out there,

smile, make the world a better place and honor their memories? Those

wonderful memories. Yes, and they are there to help us. Get out of

our sadness and soar. I heard a song by Bette Midler once, and there

is a line in it that goes something like, “did you ever know that you’re

my hero? The wind beneath my wings.” We will always have the wind

beneath our wings, it is just a matter of what we do with it.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH:   “Never bend your head, hold your head up high. Look the world straight in the eye.”                                          Helen Keller ...

HOLD YOUR HEAD UP HIGH

 

“Never bend your head, hold your head up

high. Look the world straight in the eye.”

                                        Helen Keller

What good does it do to slink around with your tail between your legs

looking at the floor? Squirming in your seat looking away. Engage.

Look the other person straight in the eye. Make eye contact. Connect.

Keep eye contact. What do you think the other person is thinking when

they are talking to you, and you are looking down at the floor or off in

the distance? You are scared. Weak. Untrustworthy. Spineless. Stand

tall. Be resolute. You are not meaning to intimidate, that is not it, but

engage, listen, connect. Listening with your eyes. When we talk to our

kids and they do something wrong, they look at the floor, or avert eye

contact. Hold your head up high and look the world straight in the eye.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HOPE

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HOPE:                                                                    “Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the t...

HOPE

                                                         

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and

sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.”

                                        Emily Dickinson

“The definition of hope is you still believe even when it is hard.”

                                        Barack Obama

Hope is a funny sort of thing. Hope is both a “positive” and a “negative”

to the extent that maybe one’s point of view. Positive because the very

word “hope” is uplifting when we hear it, conjuring up the image of

better days ahead. At the same time “hope” is a negative because it

would suggest we are currently at present in a terrible, awful, or low

spot and we may very well be. We “hope” to get out of it, but at the

same time our current struggles, lows, and battles are what make us

better; we improve from getting through them, so hope, like destiny

or fate, is really us struggling through our current predicament and

coming out the other side, then eventually doing something similar all

over again. Bottom line is hope is what we make it. Mark Manson has

a great book, Hope is F*****, if you can get past the title, it’s a very

well researched and thought-out practical read. Abe Lincoln said the

best way to predict the future is to create it, one could also say the

best way to have hope is to create it. Hope, faith, love, joy, grace are

the things that help us get through some of our darkest hours of need.

Our low points. That point of the race where the excitement of the start

is over, and we are not quite at the point where we can sense or see

the finish line. Hope. How though can we use hope and faith when

we are on a high point, or a peak? Believe in better. Hope for even

greater heights and peaks. Soaring to new heights because there are

no limits. Things are never as bad as they seem, nor are they ever as

good as they seem. Hope, faith, the power of now, being satisfied with

what you have, and not longing for something else. Believe in better.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HABITS

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: HABITS:   “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.”                                           Aristotle Habits. The...

HABITS

 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence

then is not an act but a habit.”

                                        Aristotle

Habits. There are both “good” and “bad” habits. “Good” habits are

things that make us feel better about ourselves (mood follows action).

Good habits are what we want to build on. Habits and routines take

our emotions out of the decision-making process. We just do it. Like

getting up and going for a run early in the morning. Habits that are

“bad” for us, like drinking, not eating well, are difficult to break or

get out of that routine. Perhaps because these “bad” habits trigger

an emotional response, or the unconscious brain which we just

cannot fight. Impossible. I want. I need. All the alibis or stories we tell

ourselves. Rationalization. Confirmation bias. Hit the pause button,

take the emotion, pleasure aspect out of the equation. Recognize the

cue and change the response. Change the emotion. Feeling, desire,

short term thinking. Refocus. Try a different response. Better yet, try

to create an environment that fosters good habits and eliminate the

environment that tempts us to indulge in unhealthy habits. Think long

term, not quick fix emotional response. Pause. Divert. Go long term.

Get out of the short-term moment. Good habits will build themselves,

bit by bit, brick by brick, and become second nature, like when we

learn to drive a car, stick shift it just happens. So too will unhealthy

habits, so be careful.

“Discipline is choosing between what you

want now, and what you want most.”

                                        Abraham Lincoln

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS A BAD THING

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS A BAD THING:   “If one oversteps the bounds of moderation, the greatest pleasures cease to please.”                                          Epictetus Mo...

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING IS A BAD THING

 

“If one oversteps the bounds of moderation,

the greatest pleasures cease to please.”

                                        Epictetus

Moderation, temperance, why are these things so hard? We know

if we drink too much, we pay the price with a hangover. Too much

pleasure leads to pain and guilt. A few hours of “fun” leads to hours

of suffering and guilty feelings. Same when we eat too much or the

wrong foods or do something that we know is wrong or contrary to our

values. Just like sometimes the best way to make money is not to lose

it, the best way to stay healthy, happy, and feel good about ourselves

is not to go overboard on our indulgences and desires. Just like pain

is temporary, pleasure is temporary too. Some are OK, but it’s easy to

push a little too far and get out of control. The key may be not to start,

to begin with and take a different path. We should always be mindful

of temperance and moderation. Too much of a “good” thing turns out

to be a “bad” thing. Celebrate, have fun, be merry, but be aware and

mindful of enough is enough. We have choices we can control, but it

gets tougher to stop the further down the path we are.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: MODERATION

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: MODERATION:                                                                       “Everything in moderation - that’s what I live by.”                   ...

MODERATION

                                                        

“Everything in moderation - that’s what I live by.”

                                    David Gilmour

Pleasures become punishments when taken too far. Moderation can

be tough, so we must work at it constantly. Temperance, discipline,

moderation, pace, willpower, restraint. There may be many labels for

it, but it comes down to self-control. Mood follows action. Too much

pleasure, i.e., alcohol means a hangover, poor sleep, setbacks, standstill.

A couple of hours of “pleasure” or “mood enhancement” equals

24 hours of misery and suffering. That tradeoff is not worth it. Take it

easy. Take it slow. Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the mood. Try just taking

in the present emotion without the need to put alcohol on top of it.

This may “feel good” at first, relax us, make us “happy,” then once that

threshold feeling is past it’s all downhill quickly from there. Starting

with being selfish. Not listening to others. Talking over others. Not

remembering what happened, what was said, what you did. A terrible

night’s sleep. Dry mouth. Headaches. Tired. A poor workout. Too

much reward equals a penalty. Is it worth it? Temperance is a virtue.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: PATIENCE

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: PATIENCE:                                                          “The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by...

PATIENCE

                                             

“The key to everything is patience. You get the

chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it.”

                    Arnold H. Glasow

Patience is a virtue. It has been said good things come to those who

wait. Patience is a wonderful trait, but also must be balanced with

the need to push on or push through when the situation requires it.

Patience does not mean just sitting back and hoping for something

“good” to happen to you or fall in your lap. First comes the work, the

planning, preparation, practice. Getting started. Setting the wheels

in motion, then being patient that the fruits of our labor will blossom.

Not unlike a farmer who spends significant effort preparing soil for

crops. Planting crops, then waiting for the bounty to grow. This of

course requires patience for the crop to grow, but so too must the

farmer tend to his fields, particularly if there is adverse weather or

unexpected developments. Passivity and patience are not the same

thing. Sometimes the pot needs to be stirred or mixed up, or others

need to some “encouragement” to act. But patience is an important

skill and mindset for sure. So, too, is the ability to know when to be

patient and when it is time to push.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: Words

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: Words:   “Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime.”       ...

Words

 

“Be mindful when it comes to your words. A

string of some that don’t mean much to you, may

stick with someone else for a lifetime.”

                    Rachel Wolchin

Words have power. Words can be beautiful and uplifting. Words can

hurt. Words can sting. Words can leave a permanent stain on a relationship.

Sometimes the damage done by our words is obvious and

we immediately regret what we said as soon as the words come out of

our mouth, or we hit the send button on the text or email. Sometimes it

is not so clear, but the damage is not any less and probably is greater

for our not being able to recognize the damage our words have done to others. Choose your words

 wisely. Think before you speak. Some things are better left unsaid. Never gossip. Recognize when

 there is no need to stir the pot with your words

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

WORKED UP

 

“Dear self, Don’t get worked up over things you can’t change,

or people you can’t change. It’s not worth the anger build

up or the headache. Control only what you can. Let go.”  Unknown

What good is getting ourselves all worked up or angry over something

or what someone said to us? A little righteous indignation over an

injustice can be a good thing and anger can be a useful tool at the

right time and place and when used in the right way to help keep us

focused and on track when we need the fuel. But when we feel the

anger boiling up within us or we feel ourselves getting worked up that

is not the time to burst out or boil over. Save that feeling and energy

for when we need it. Practice restraint. Exercise patience. Say hello

there anger, I recognize you and I welcome you but now is not the

time there will be a time later but not now. Let us move on together or

try a different path for now. Then coolly calmly collectively calculate

your path and plan and prepare for the future. We may just find the

anger goes away or we overreacted for no good reason, or we were

mistaken. It also helps not to take everything personally because it’s

not always about us.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: VOICES

Jaime Jackson Safety Blog: VOICES:   “The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you, the better you will hear what is sounding outside.”                             ...

VOICES

 

“The more faithfully you listen to the voices within you,

the better you will hear what is sounding outside.”

                                                    Dag Hammarskjold

We often hear voices. Those voices in our head. Sometimes they can

be weird or bizarre “thoughts.” Other times they can be invigorating,

joyous, inspiring thoughts or “voices.” Sometimes it is helpful to picture

these voices or thoughts as coming from a little angel or devil on your

shoulder depending on whether the thought is one, we know is “right”

or positive (angel) or when we know is “wrong” or negative (devil). In

this way it helps make it easier to do the right thing and avoid doing

the wrong thing. Rarely do the angel and devil show up at the same

time. It is usually one or the other. This can make it a little more

difficult to make the right choice because there is no internal debate

going on. It is all one sided. All we hear is that voice inside our head

trying to convince us it is OK, just this once, or trying to deceive us or

challenge our core beliefs and values. It is OK to hear this voice, let

it speak, then ignore it and do the right thing. If we did not have our

demons, we would not have our angels. Steer clear of what we really

know to be wrong.

You can get the International bestseller The Shi*t I Wished I learned in College here:

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5FMWDGW