Organize, prioritize, satisfy your life

Make your to do list, prioritize, set your goals, do time management, organize, get up earlier, don’t waste time, don’t waste your talents, do more, do it faster, use your gifts, don’t waste your life, reach your potential. What all these expressions that I just said boils down to is one thing: Be productive. But what I’m telling you tonight instead is stop focusing on being productive, Just throw all this productivity crap out the window, and replace with something a lot more satisfying, which I will tell you about shortly.

Being productive is seen in our culture as a incredible virtue and perhaps in some of your families as well, certainly in mine as I come from a family whose every member accomplishes great things such as profitable businesses, to writing books, to being an artist, to helicopter skiing in powder, AND being gorgeous all at the same time. Sounds good does’t it,

But the problem with it is when we are not as productive as we want to be, we can get very disappointment in ourselves or start to feel inadequate.
I’vie experienced this lately a lot myself, and have been feeling a bit anxious about all the things I have not yet accomplished. The reason I wanted to talk about this tonight is perhaps some of you feel this way too. And so I have come across some ideas that I want to share with you which could help. What we need is a whole new way of looking at getting things done. So what is it?

There are three important steps.
The first is to Focus on Fulfillment. The first shift is to switch from asking how many things can I get done to what actions can I take that will make me fulfilled. Just this slight alteration is totally revolutionary. For example some things that make me feel fulfilled is having a cup of tea first thing in the morning in my favorite china cup and journaling, or spending time with my husband somewhere in nature, Now it doesn’t’ seem like I’m getting much done, I’m not checking off all my to do list, but I’m creating a lot of positivity feelings inside myself which brings me to the next very important step which is:

#2. Create value: Creating value is much more meaningful way to view how effective you spend your time, than just being productive and crossing off lists. If you are always focused on productivity, get it done, quick faster, move on to the next easy to lose focus of the value in what your doing. When you think of Value think about asking three questions is it creating value for you personally, is it creating value for your family or partner, or is it creating value to the community or world.

For example, I could of chosen not to do this speech today which would of freed up a lot of time to work on many of the other things on my to do list like my web business, but I choose to do this because I felt that exploring this topic had value for me, it resonated with me and appeals to what I’m going through and hopefully it has value for my community, you the toastmasters and the guests here as well, as perhaps it resonates with some of you and so. And so when you are deciding what to work on choose it based on how much value it has, not on whether it has to be done or not.

3. The third important step in all of is called following your natural rhythms. That might sound a little airy fairy. But it is an intuitive way of living. It requires some flexibility. It means paying attention to how you feel. Nature functions within the laws of expansion an d contraction, growth and death, and we forget that we are part of nature and there are times to create and times to withdraw.

And the beauty of this system is when you are fulfilled and you do things that have value, and follow your natural rhythm then guess what? surprise you are very productive and accomplish many things!

These steps may seem impossible and unrealistic if you work in a company and someone else dictates your time, but perhaps you can bring just a smidgeon of these ideas even into your day. Remember the 3 important steps when approaching that long to do list #1, focus on fulfillment, Second, Create value, and lastly pay attention to your natural rhyums.

Throw the idea of being more productive out the window, cancel that time management class you were thinking of taking, and replace it with doing action that creates fulfillment and value. Bringing these practices into your life will bring more joy and contentment and This is truly what is most important. Thank you.

Leslie Kuster (my daughter)

My famous ex-husband

Norman turned out to be my best friend. He is a particularly good ex-husband and I am a particularly good ex-wife. We are family and he is still the head of our family even though we are divorced and apart for almost 30 years. He is as well a great Dad.

Now he has become a famous person. How? He sought out the people of Albania; Muslims who saved the Jews during the war.

Nobody knew of these people untll Norman arrived and began interviewing and photographic. Until then and all of these years it was a well kept secret. Actually the Albanians did not so much as consider that they were keeping secrets. It was something they never thought enough to mention. They were doing what they wanted to do and that was to save the Jews of their country.

The holocast museum in Israel honored Normans work with a huge exhibition; next came the UN and now this unforgettable photographic journey is going world wide.

To learn more visit www.syracuseuniversitypress.syr.edu/.../besa-muslims-saved-jews.html

carol sue gershman

Don't forget to smell the flowers

We met at a lovely sushi restaurant. When he walked in, I knew he was not for me but never=the =less, I always enjoy meeting new people. He was much older than he looked which was a plus. From several wives, women, he accumulated 8 children, 2 adopted.
He must have told me 2 times at least what he did but I still could not figure it out; somehow his sentences rambled making no sense to me. No matter what I said, he turned it into a lecture with questions period. With crossed hands, probably feet too, holding on to the table he went on to many topics asking many questions. I knew he was struggling. To impress me? to show himself how bright he was? As the evening went on (food delicious) I was becoming more and more exhausted and bored. Finally, I told him in the nicest way possible, because he was nice, that he was quite intense. He said, "I have been told that before," I assume he thought it was a compliment and so he continued on. When the dessert menu came and he asked what I wanted, I knew I could not stay any longer, I had to get out. But then too ease his pain, I asked him, "What is your favorite flower" "Alpine, he responded. I asked when he first saw it and what it was about the flower that made him love it. Slowly, he uncrossed himself, leaned back opening his arms wide and smiling. "You are good, he said." You see I took him out of his pain and performance and brought him down to love. I stood up and said, "You need a hug, keep it simple my friend," and left the restaurant. Here is the poem he sent the next day.
Alpine flower, clear and bright
Perfection not purpose, is your plight
Delicate and graceful, upright on barren soil
Each pedal a dream, and a sensual foil
Robust and resilient, many seasons you have seen
Not cynical nor jaded, by winter, nor by drought
You guard your self, lest someone doubt
The true beauty that sits and resides in thee
Even a blind man cannot diminish the beauty that be
To be seen is not the reason thou be, more now
Hands need not prove your gentle touch
It is real, to those and all with much
A headless man could never taste, nor smell,
All that makes your spirit alive and well
The same you are, no more, nor less
It is not about any of the rest,
You hold the key to your inner beauty that be

Growing up at age 74

I do believe at 74 I have grown up a bit (don't laugh, its true) Usually when I go to Ca. I want to of course see everyone but then go out and have fun, dinners, parties, etc. But this trip I only wanted to be with my son, daughter-in-law and 2 grand kids. I felt blessed and happy spending most time at home.

First I will begin to tell you that they were not home when I arrived. Well I knew that they were in Aspen and missed their flight and would not be in till the next day.

For me it was great. I don't know bout you but I kind of feel bombarded getting off a long flight meeting, and kissing and hugging. This time I took a taxi, found the key to their gorgeous house, showered and relaxed. Next morning I bought groceries and prepared dinner for their homecoming. When they walked through the door it was brilliant to meet, greet, hug and kiss.

I visited their schools, sat in as a teachers helper, my son Roger invited me for a delightful lunch and visit to his sumptuous office. Daria and I went to the gym, had lunch and shopped and the last day we got into our pj's at 4:30 and just hung out with the kids till my son got home.

Highlight: I have begun a children's book and the kids class loved it. What greater test is that?

Do I have to tell you how much I adore the kids? Well I will; I am in love.
Carol Sue Gershman

Wow, could they eat

Today I went to a small breakfast cafe in Ca.
A decent looking couple sat next to me awaiting their food. She ordered a 3 stack of pancakes with a side of eggs and he ordered eggs Benedict with fried potatoes. The food really looked good and was prepared well.
While I was waiting for my vegetable white egg omelet, I had nothing else to do but watch them.
She coated them with lots of butter and then poured the syrup over, not so unusual but watching her devour those pancakes dipping into her egg was something else. They both ate in total silence; they had been chatty before.
Half way through they exchanged plates. He now had the pancakes and she had the Egg Benedict. She delved into her new order without even taking a small breather, and lapped it up with the french fries her friend had left.
Then they exchanged again.
He had left some pancakes and with the remainder came more butter and more syrup. Yum Yum.
Now of course this was all accompanied by a double size cappuccino.
Truly I have not seen people eat that much since 35 years ago at a Livingston Diner in N. J. when 3 very overweight people came in and ordered much the same and at the time dazzled me.
P. S. My omelet was delicious; I was full and wondered how they really felt from such a breakfast.
Have you ever eaten that way?
Carol Sue Gershman