Thursday, February 28, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4602

HappyUP!!! - checking it out...bowing out                      
Why it happened - I was curious
Why it makes me happy - NOPE! Couldn’t sit in with the “acoustic circle” tonight. I tried. I visited. I won’t get personal but, when the first tune they whipped out was Where Have All The Flowers Gone, I knew this wasn’t my jam! Peter, Paul, and Mary?...really? Hey...I explored!

HappyUP!!! - The Lamb
Why it happened - I was messing around with Garage Band
Why it makes me happy - this was the scratchiest of scratch tracks....but it was still kind of catchy. I’m going to work on this little discovery

HappyUP!!! - tidying up
Why it happened - I do that
Why it makes me happy - OK...so this was more of a maintenance thing....but...I dig it. I dig my equipment. It’s all working. I found some creative storage.  Yeah...I can do some more of this.

HappyUP!!! - writing idea
Why it happened - it came upon me
Why it makes me happy- OK...the discipline begins. I have been fed plenty of material. I have created plenty of material. The time is right!

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4601

HappyUP!!! - teeth                             
Why it happened - new toothpaste
Why it makes me happy - it is day one of a test. I went to a charcoal based toothpaste. All I can say is that my teeth feel like I just came out of the hygenist’s office! You know that feeling....NICE!!!

HappyUP!!! - a friend deposited into “the vault”
Why it happened - I am who I am
Why it makes me happy - it is nice to be that person that someone can share something with...that something that is unshareable....but must be shared in order to give the other person freedom, Yes, we have a reason for secrets...or think we do. It is often our secrets that do awful things to us. Bringing things into the light takes the darkness away

HappyUP!!! - 24 pound loss!
Why it happened - no sugar...and now some working out
Why it makes me happy - well, I would be happier if it was me!!! LOL. That is actually not true. I am so happy for this person. What a difference doing this is going to make this early in this one’s life. I am very proud to know this young man.

HappyUP!!! - the rain
Why it happened - it’s weather
Why it makes me happy- it’s been a wet month....and the rain doesn’t get old for me. If we have nice summers, I like summer. We have had three brutal summers in a row...record breakers. I don’t care for those summers at all.  Yet, I can enjoy even our worst winters here. I sure did today

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4600

HappyUP!!! - spreading a little sunshine                            
Why it happened - a friend was having a tough one
Why it makes me happy - “never miss an opportunity to make someone’s day” ...I don’t know if I heard that somewhere or it just came to me today. Well, I did the best that I could today

HappyUP!!! - more guests
Why it happened - invites and the internet
Why it makes me happy - we may have to cap our membership! WOW!!! I can’t believe that I just said that! Been doing this for a long time. We draw them in and they join. We must be pretty attractive

HappyUP!!! - tax day
Why it happened - it happens every year
Why it makes me happy - OK...so THAT didn’t go as I had planned!...AT ALL!!!...and not in an advantageous way. Yet...it’s a pretty nice problem to have....even though I thought I was done paying for entire bombs after I retired!


Monday, February 25, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4599

HappyUP!!! - great drive                            
Why it happened - needed to log some miles
Why it makes me happy - yeah, it was a little slidy out there in the rain...but...I have kinda done this before. No issue keeping it between the lines

HappyUP!!! - a volunteer
Why it happened - new members stepping up
Why it makes me happy - great to see someone taking advantage of opportunity early on

HappyUP!!! - helping out on a talk
Why it happened - I was asked
Why it makes me happy - hey...it is what I am trained for and made to do! Let me help you!

HappyUP!!! - putting the meeting together
Why it happened - some assistance was needed
Why it makes me happy- any time I can help someone, I am up for it! 

Sunday, February 24, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4598

HappyUP!!! - birdie on 9                            
Why it happened - great shots
Why it makes me happy -OK...there was a really BAD shot to start things off with. The punch cut 6 iron out of the trees was remarkable as it almost hit the flag. The 18 footer coming back left to right was about as perfect a putt as could be

HappyUP!!! - running into the M’s
Why it happened - they are part of the club
Why it makes me happy - always a treat to see this duo!

HappyUP!!! - keep grinding on the tune(s)
Why it happened - I do that
Why it makes me happy - the one cover song is really starting to come together. I think I found a little something for the new tune as well. The Drop D tuning is really opening some things up

HappyUP!!! - today’s lesson
Why it happened -I’m studying
Why it makes me happy- getting closer and closer to completing the course. It is fascinating to learn so much about things that effect people’s lives. Of course, in the process, I learn a little about myself. Sweeeet!

Saturday, February 23, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4597

HappyUP!!! - sweet email                      
Why it happened - reciprocity
Why it makes me happy - you drop off something as long the way on your trip here on the orb and it comes back to you nicer than when it left

HappyUP!!! - scrambling home
Why it happened - skills
Why it makes me happy -it was a rough day ...just couldn’t get loose. The up and down on 17 was INSANE! Running the 8 iron against the slope, avoiding the tree, and knocking in the 10 footer was pretty good stuff. Hooking the 3 wood around the tree on 18, pitching up the hill, and knocking down the tricky 4 footer cut the losses to a break even and was a nice way to tend things

HappyUP!!! - lined sweater
Why it happened -a serendipity
Why it makes me happy - picked this garment up on a whim...and, once again it was the perfect outerwear. The hand warmer came in “handy” too

Friday, February 22, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4596

HappyUP!!! - three birdies                     
Why it happened - good shooting
Why it makes me happy - I got the putter going a bit today. Didn’t hit many greens but took advantage when I did. 27 putts and could have been less.

HappyUP!!! - Great Golf Group
Why it happened - I was captain
Why it makes me happy - Nephew and the NICEST of guys in glorious weather. Today was living BIG!

HappyUP!!! -GREAT Morn Pages
Why it happened - I do them every day
Why it makes me happy - had some FANTASTIC ideas today. It’s not what they are designed for but I will take what comes

HappyUP!!! - book return idea
Why it happened - Morning Pages
Why it makes me happy- I knew I hung on to that book for a reason. The seed got planted yesterday in my subconscious, watered today, and I will harvest next week!

Thursday, February 21, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4595

HappyUP!!! - subbing in for ther captain                                  
Why it happened -he is on a much needed holiday
Why it makes me happy -I like to help out. No way I could do this job day to day. Also, I was able to give myself a little treat in the process. I made some great groups but I basically pre-loaded a HappyUP!!! for tomorrow! Yep....that is proactive HappyUP!!!ing !

HappyUP!!! - my mentor’s book
Why it happened - I bought it
Why it makes me happy - my mentor is helping me on a completely different topic but I thought, “If I am going to really let this person under my hood, I better crawl around under hers a bit.” Found a really great idea today. It lines up with EXACTLY where I am at.  The installation of the information will take a bit of work and, more importantly, commitment and discipline.  Yep...EXACTLY what I need at the moment to accomplish some pretty big stuff!

HappyUP!!! - Smog Guy
Why it happened -having a little challenge with Big Red
Why it makes me happy -OK...nope...I didn’t pass. But, I know what to do now. I just need to get it on the calendar. I am thinking Monday may be the day. Now, just need to make a plan out of it.

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4594

HappyUP!!! - a call from the past                                   
Why it happened - he found my number
Why it makes me happy - always nice to talk with KH. We shall be in contact again soon.

HappyUP!!! - food!
Why it happened - I’m getting creative
Why it makes me happy - quinoa pancakes...in a hurry? You kidding me? Nope. No eggs...no dairy (not that I am into that)....just a really tasty little breakfast item that was surprisingly easy. The real winner of the day were the seared scallops! On a taste to effort ratio, this may have been the best thing I have ever made! Super fast...super easy...and super delicious. This was borderline restaurant quality!

HappyUP!!! - reviewing coursework
Why it happened - I take courses
Why it makes me happy - this class has been a dream to revisit...almost literally. The instructor is fantastic. This course has REALLY impacted me...and I have only scratched the surface!

HappyUP!!! - keys in console
Why it happened - I have a system?...kinda?
Why it makes me happy- thought for a moment they may have been left in a shopping cart. I know...who puts keys in a shopping cart? Not this guy, apparently. I took that call at a time when I could have been knocked out of process. Was so relieved not to have to make a return trip to the store!

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4593

SMOKING HOT SuperHappyUP!!! Day - even though the weather is a bit chilly

HappyUP!!! - Shop Vac                                  
Why it happened -I owned one
Why it makes me happy - tackled a toilet project last summer. Could not get it right. There was a lot of bailing between different “solve” attempts.  Today, it took the third solve attempt...but all were easy because I just shop vac’d and dried between the tries! Mission accomplished with NO MESS!

HappyUP!!! - Amaj and Amin pentatonic mix
Why it happened - YouTube
Why it makes me happy -OMG!!! Are you kidding me? This trick was sitting right in front of me forever....I didn’t know it.  I could never figure out how you combined these two scales that are right next to each other. NOTHING knew to learn fingering....just the way and WHEN you put them together. It’s like I just got some new notes to play with!!!

HappyUP!!! - closer to certification and practicing
Why it happened - I keep grinding
Why it makes me happy - took the coursework....and got a pretty cool cheat sheet together to rehearse and practice off of.  Tomorrow, I will do a run through, start to get the basic process down, and, once that happens, I can add the bells and whistles.  This is going to become second nature faster than I thought!

HappyUP!!! - guest returned and an Icebreaker
Why it happened - it’s Toastmasters
Why it makes me happy- some interesting shifts taking place amongst the old guard....but the new guard is stepping up....and we have more new guard joining! Fantastic stuff!!!

Monday, February 18, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4592

HappyUP!!! - stir fry                                  
Why it happened - I got creative
Why it makes me happy - all from scratch...usual suspects...and mysterious guests.  Some flank steak, onions, peppers, spinach, broccoli, carrot, celery...toss in some hot sauce a smidge of cheese. Nice meal on a cold night

HappyUP!!! - 2 birdies
Why it happened - shots and putting
Why it makes me happy - we NEEDED those! With the wind blowing, it was pretty sweet to birdie 14, 15, and pull down a bullet on 16....5 dots in 3 holes.  Had a pretty nice trip through those holes the other day too!

HappyUP!!! - teaming with Nephew N
Why it happened - it’s how it fell today
Why it makes me happy - we haven’t been partners in a long time. Dug ourselves a little hole, almost climbed out, then got it SLAMMED shut on us. We put up the fight to the end

HappyUP!!! -errands run
Why it happened - on a schedule
Why it makes me happy- LOVE IT when I stay on track! Sneaking this one in this morning is going to let me be a bit more focused tomorrow!

Sunday, February 17, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4591

HappyUP!!! - excellent match scheduled                         
Why it happened - the captain made the call
Why it makes me happy - can’t wait to take on tomorrow! My nephew and I should be ready to answer the bell

HappyUP!!! - 14 and 15 and 16
Why it happened - some great shooting
Why it makes me happy - after last night’s rain, the course has gotten about all the water it could stand. With the course playing long, it can be a bit tough. Took advantage of the two short holes. Nice birdie on 14...hit it to about 4 feet on 15 (impossible little putt to make) and followed up with a sandie on 16....4 “dots” in 3 holes. Give me THAT every time I play!

HappyUP!!! - joiners at the turn
Why it happened - we only had 4
Why it makes me happy - we can’t usually play 6-somes but the course was vacant. Two younger gentlemen joined us for the back 9....good players and enjoyable to slap it around with.

HappyUP!!! - no lingering issue
Why it happened - a miracle
Why it makes me happy - I had a dream last night. In the dream, I needed to stretch my calf. I flexed my calf and woke up with the most EXCRUCIATING calf cramp that I have ever had! I thought, “that’s gonna leave a mark!” once the pain subsided. Yet, when morning came, no after effect.  Weird!







Saturday, February 16, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4590

HappyUP!!! -birdie on 10                          
Why it happened - a nice wedge and putt
Why it makes me happy - I wouldn’t call it a tough day. Lots of good things were going on. Things didn’t exactly go well....except here!

HappyUP!!! - getting hosed on 18
Why it happened - I really don’t know
Why it makes me happy - first, one opponent chips in from long range. Second, another opponent chips in with a little flop shot that was almost impossible. Third, the final opponent knocks in a 25 foot putt. Yep, that is ALL THREE opponents making birdie on the final hole. OUCH!!! Yet, there was a comedic element that could not be ignored. Sometimes ya just gotta laugh!

HappyUP!!! - brekko
Why it happened - I was hungry
Why it makes me happy - THAT omelette really hit the spot today! And the potatoes O’Brien were the bomb!

HappyUP!!! - playing
Why it happened - weather was OK
Why it makes me happy- it’s been over a week. Yeah, it was a nice little storm window we had come in. Yeah, it was moist. I hadn’t plan on playing but...I just had to take in the environment. It turned out to be a great day

Friday, February 15, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4589

HappyUP!!! - working the system                           
Why it happened - I do that
Why it makes me happy - installed a little tweak today that is going to clear some paperwork off my desk and ZAP a toleration I have had. 

HappyUP!!! - phone calls
Why it happened - I made them
Why it makes me happy - yeah....not texts. Just a sense that I had. My senses are usually on point. They won again

HappyUP!!! - my mentor
Why it happened - I have a new project
Why it makes me happy -we had a great Zoom call (LOVE Zoom!). I drew a good card when I was assigned this person. This is going to be JUST the resource that I need.

HappyUP!!! - the most awesome hailstorm
Why it happened - it’s weather
Why it makes me happy - first, I didn’t have to be out in it. Second, I got to watch it and take it in. Third, this had to have ranked with some of the heaviest hail I have ever seen here. The streets were covered in no time...and thick.  You know that thing where you count between seeing the lightning and hearing the thunder to determine how far away the strike was? You would have had to be counting in milliseconds!

Thursday, February 14, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4588

HappyUP!!! - my tailor                           
Why it happened - I had work for her
Why it makes me happy - I just LOVE this little gal. She works hard. She works long. She does great work and, most importantly, she always has a smile on her face

HappyUP!!! - book transcription
Why it happened - I do that
Why it makes me happy - first, it has gotten easier with dictation function. This is the first transcription I have done entirely in this fashion. There are some drawbacks but, even though I type quickly, it’s still faster. Second, I got to drink in the essence of this book...the things I saw as being the very best of the best. The great stuff starts becoming ingrained

HappyUP!!! - brand consulting
Why it happened - I was asked
Why it makes me happy - my background is suited for this work. It is awesome to play a role in the startup of this venture. This is going to be great.

HappyUP!!! - praise
Why it happened - a new program
Why it makes me happy- I’m not going to reveal all of the details here. It is something I have been playing with. Today, it went live.  This is going to be a WINNER!


Wednesday, February 13, 2019

HappyUP!! Day 4587

HappyUP!!! - mentor appointment set
Why it happened - I put in the request
Why it makes me happy - this is going to be JUST the help I need for this project. I can’t wait to get started!!!

HappyUP!!! - “I’m So Lonesome, I Could Cry”                           
Why it happened - my e-mail box
Why it makes me happy - this is a MUCH better version than Hank Williams’. A real blues/sad vibe to it. It’s got a fairly easy picking pattern. It’s just a matter of working out the timing. Love working on new stuff. Plus, it is in open D tuning. It’s good to experiment

HappyUP!!! - rain
Why it happened -weather
Why it makes me happy - this was a GREAT one last night and today. We won’t have any drought concerns for at least another year or two. 

HappyUP!!! - seeing Pills
Why it happened - his power was out
Why it makes me happy - while it was bad his power was out, it was a highlight of my early morning grocery experience!

HappyUP!!! Day 4586

HappyUP!!! - winning the speech contest                         
Why it happened - I made the time limit
Why it makes me happy -nobody else wanted to step up in the club this year....which is cool. I still put together a solid presentation...that will only get better. Got some good evaluation suggestions. This speech needs to be heard

HappyUP!!! - BrainSTORMERS
Why it happened - I am an organizer and a host
Why it makes me happy - great people....perfect people for this kind of group. I worked something out that will be of immense help. 

HappyUP!!! - new dishes
Why it happened - gotta feed those SuperBrains
Why it makes me happy - I wouldn’t call the additions “over the top” but they were nice, solid side dishes

HappyUP!!! - flowers for the girls
Why it happened - a flash of thoughtfulness?
Why it makes me happy - they both got some big smiles on...and will in coming days. Whenever you hear, “this just made my day,” you know you did a solid thing.

Monday, February 11, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4585

HappyUP!!! - the gig                        
Why it happened - it was the culmination of the project
Why it makes me happy -OK...so it wasn’t a sold out crowd...but we got a lot of applause!

HappyUP!!! - The E’s coming to gig
Why it happened - they asked
Why it makes me happy - I have some nice friends...and good family too as they were there as well

HappyUP!!! - my jacket
Why it happened - Bought it long ago
Why it makes me happy - this has to be my favorite jacket. Nope, I didn’t buy it to play in...but I dug wearing it. Made me feel the part

Sunday, February 10, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4584


HappyUP!!! - guitar time                             
Why it happened - I need practice
Why it makes me happy - the patterns are starting to lock in. Hey...I never claimed to be Clapton! I should be OK for the gig tomorrow night....WHEW!!! When you have never played lead, getting to this point is a relief!

HappyUP!!! - new low weight
Why it happened - just staying off the rat poison
Why it makes me happy -it’s amazing how much CRAP I eat (as long as it doesn’t have sugar in it) and I keep losing weight. Sugar is worst than rat poison. At least the people that make rat poison have the decency to kill the rat as opposed to keeping the consumer alive but diseased!

HappyUP!!! - another run
Why it happened - forced myself
Why it makes me happy - just trying to get back in the pattern. Yep, I was a little sore...but the good kind. Good to break up some fascia

Saturday, February 09, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4583


HappyUP!!! - open mike stream                         
Why it happened - I checked the web page
Why it makes me happy - pretty cool stuff to have live music going in the background. Some good...some suffering....and an idiot group. Best of all, I got to check out the venue we’ll be playing

HappyUP!!! - rain
Why it happened -weather
Why it makes me happy - it let me get some things done today. Love that golf, but a guy’s got important work to do

HappyUP!!! - light run
Why it happened - a vision....and a scale
Why it makes me happy - the journey starts with a single step

HappyUP!!! - the scale
Why it happened - I own one
Why it makes me happy- it hit the spot today where I told myself I would begin the next step in the journey.

Friday, February 08, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4582

HappyUP!!! - pretty tasty ball striking                         
Why it happened - hands low, stay connected
Why it makes me happy -I think I got 10 greens today...easily could have been 12. That’s pretty good from the back tees in February.  I’m back on track

HappyUP!!! - running
Why it happened - I wanted to break the muscles loose
Why it makes me happy - the Morning Pages gave me an idea for this year. I’m not sure I will go with it but I will explore the idea. Today was day 1

HappyUP!!! - guitar exercise
Why it happened - I got an email
Why it makes me happy - yep! The dude “hit my hand.” My deficiency is EXACTLY what his algorhytm said. It is going to take me awhile to get this down. My experience says just be patient.... and, yeah, I might want to think about enjoying the pain along the way. I actually will!

HappyUP!!! - email to a buddy
Why it happened - it was overdue
Why it makes me happy - it made me take some serious stock....and I am sure there was some light spread that will be enjoyed. THAT is the most important thing. 

Thursday, February 07, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4581

HappyUP!!! - Guitar Jam                             
Why it happened - I made the call
Why it makes me happy - had a great time getting to know my fellow axe-man. Laid down some good stuff....did a little singing....ya gotta be happy when your playing the blues, man

HappyUP!!! - massage
Why it happened - my friend had an opening
Why it makes me happy - hey, 2 months into 2019 and I have already laid down for a couple of rubs. This is a GREAT habit

HappyUP!!! - Whole Foods
Why it happened - I was passing by
Why it makes me happy - when you are a Prime member, the stuff I buy there is NOT Whole-Paycheck. Picked up some good specialty items

HappyUP!!! - breaking bread
Why it happened - my buddy was hungry
Why it makes me happy- he loved the dish! It was a leftover but it is my signature go to. Everyone loves it!

Wednesday, February 06, 2019

HappyUP! Day 4580

HappyUP!!! - Trav                            
Why it happened -we do this
Why it makes me happy -some great dialogue....and I got some GREAT pictures sent to me!

HappyUP!!! - hole outs
Why it happened -skills
Why it makes me happy -birdies DELIGHT me! I LOVE them when the opponent didn’t see it coming. It shocks them AND it’s like receiving an unexpected gift. Love rolling in the blades wedge. I didn’t use to have that. Now it is a “go to.” I made the UNFAMILIAR FAMILIAR. Huge thing to do and that makes me feel good. The one hop jarring of the flop shot involved a little luck. I had hit it a touch firm. It was right on line though and good things can happen!

HappyUP!!! -Win The Morning post
Why it happened -I had more to say
Why it makes me happy -I’m turning this presentation into something else. I didn’t have time to present all of my ideas yesterday. By capturing them today, I have them forever. I also made them available on an “as needed” basis for those interested. I didn’t force feed it. This gave me more ideas.

Win Your Morning (addendum to presentation)


(This is for the people that were in attendance of my presentation on 2/5/2019.  The presentation was a condensed snippet of a longer program that I am developing. The time constraints under which I spoke did not allow me to delve into some other points that I have had people inquire about)

Win Your Morning (but if you can’t WIN it....don’t lose it by default, for goodness sakes)

Lose” part of your evening - sacrifice is a better word. As the day winds down, there really isn’t a lot of productivity or “advancing of the cause” going on. Who knows? Maybe you are an owl that gets a lot done at night. We don’t have a lot of owls showing up for a 7 a.m. meeting voluntarily. Owls go to dinner or lunch meetings.  Besides, the day is almost over. You will be in bed soon.

You “lose” part of your evening - to set the table for Winning Your Morning. Here are a few examples of sacrificing your evening so you are set up for success

         -Get Gas on the way home - nothing great will happen at a gas station. You need gas. You
          just want to get home after a busy day. Get the gas THEN! In the morning, it may be really
          cold. It may be really windy (who wants to start their day with their hair messed up). You
          may get gas on your hands and you KNOW how hard it is to get that smell off. The
          pumps could be down. There is that momentary stress of the car telling you are low on
          gas.  Need I go further. There is only downside risk at the gas station. Don’t let it effect
          your entire day.

          -Locate your keys - and have them where you need them. I marvel at people that always put
          their keys in one place. I’m not that guy. Until I become that guy, my keys need to be on
          the counter. The LAST thing you want as you head out the door is to be doing the desper-
          ation “where the h—l are my keys?!?!” stress exercise.

          -Load the coffee pot - no surprises or messes in the morning. If these are going to happen,
          put them at the END of your day. You won’t lose any sleep due to a surprise here. In the
          morning, you just hit the button

          -Get your clothes ready - in the morning, you may think of a perfect outfit. You grab it
          from the closet only to find a wrinkle. You either need to iron or change plans. Not a
          big deal but it interrupts flow. You want the morning to be a momentum builder.

          -Your “to do” list - or whatever it is you need to call the things you will do the next day.
          It’s great to have an operating system like this. Don’t waste valuable morning time creating
          it! You get great ideas in the morning? I do.  I merely AMEND/ADD to what is already there.

          -Load your purse/briefcase - find the things that you need....get the things you don’t out of the
          way. This is a fairly mindless activity that saves time in the morning and prevents distraction

The above are just a few examples. You can come up with more.

Life is also about - the quality of questions that we ask ourselves. Here is a good one: What am I doing tonight currently that is enhancing my life? If you need to, get out a pad of paper and track what you actually do. Is watching that CSI rerun worth the hour of sleep I could devote to my morning? Is it worth watching rather than doing a few things that set me up to win tomorrow? Do a hard self check here.  Changes are easy to make when you have a motivating reason to do them. What could be more motivating than setting the table to have a great morning which leads to more great days....which then becomes ONE GREAT LIFE.

I heard/saw several comments - about how much I do in the morning. This leads me to believe that people may feel that they can’t do this.  I showed a slide for every item.  If I took Morning Pages and Exercise/Meditation off the table (which are very personal and specific to me..not you),  do you know the other items add up to less than 10 minutes...way less.   Flip on the coffee pot (1 second), make the bed (2 minutes), take blood pressure (1 minute tops), weigh (10 seconds), take my supplements (30 seconds), pound some water (30 seconds to a minute), feed and scoop up for the cats (2 minutes).

And, yes - those are all on a checklist. I FORGET an item every day. I don’t know about you but I kind of like it that a pilot goes through a written checklist before my flight takes off. Keep in mind, this is his JOB. He should know it by heart, right? NOPE! It’s too important. He/she is human. You are human. Your morning routine is just as important. It is your preparation for takeoff into that battlefield I refer to as “Life.”

Battlefield? - I heard that this outlook might be a little negative. Not at all. M.Scott Peck wrote in the classic, “The Road Less Travelled,”......LIFE IS DIFFICULT.  Those are the opening three words to the book. This is a positive statement. What if he began with, “Life is easy.” Think about that for a second. Besides KNOWING that isn’t true, you only have down to go from easy. If you KNOW that life is difficult, you then build strategies to make it EASIER. The Morning Routine is that strategy. Your INTENTIONAL strategy!

This is MY WAY - to Win the Morning when it comes to the things I do. What is YOUR way? What are the things you could do?  Crank up some great energetic music? Reading great stuff? Listening to something uplifting (rather than the news)......Listen to some soothing classical music (might be a better energy for you)?  Dance around and get YOUR groove, your mojo popping?
Start to build one. It’s a FUN thing to do.  Review it. Take some things off. Add some things. Play with it.

Have an absolute blast!!!- as you build your morning routine. Mitigate ANYTHING that could go wrong in your morning by losing a little evening.  Your days involve the world and it’s agenda. You do a lot of reaction to that.  You have more control of what happens before you walk out that door than you can even imagine.  Make the most of it.

WIN YOUR MORNING!


Tuesday, February 05, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4579

HappyUP!!! - new member performance                             
Why it happened - education and their initiative
Why it makes me happy - new members can bring SO MUCH to the club with their energy if they have a good understanding of how to channel it. BM..SB...and AH all did that today. The effort to install that technology took so little effort.

HappyUP!!! - 4 guests
Why it happened - various reasons
Why it makes me happy - we are probably going to add all of them..and all of their energy...to our club. I’m over the moon excited!

HappyUP!!! - Win The Morning
Why it happened - I prepared
Why it makes me happy - I delivered. I delivered well. Did it have an opportunity to be better? You bet..and know exactly how and I know exactly why. The audience didn’t notice but I did because I recorded it on video. I’m so glad I did that.

HappyUP!!! -an old friend appeared
Why it happened -he was one of the guests
Why it makes me happy-I LOVE this guy!!! I had lost touch with him over the years. What a wonderful surprise



Monday, February 04, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4578

HappyUP!!! - tomatillo chicken                            
Why it happened - a buddy in need
Why it makes me happy - love this dish. ‘Why not just make a double batch and spread the love?” I asked myself. You know the answer. Two of us get great food

HappyUP!!! - Molly’s Game
Why it happened - I was invited
Why it makes me happy -my buddy loved the movie, I got to see it for free, and great fellowship ensued. That is the best

HappyUP!!! - brainstorming on behalf of a client
Why it happened - my mind goes places and I follow
Why it makes me happy -this client doesn’t even know he is going to be a client...yet. This was a FABULOUS excercise for me to go through


Sunday, February 03, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4577

HappyUP!!! - SuperBORE                          
Why it happened - it’s a tradition
Why it makes me happy -OK....so I actually ended up watching ONE football game this year. I guess it was a good one. I don’t know. I guess if you like punting! It just edified my position that the Church of the NFL is no place for me to be worshipping. It wasn’t a great spend of time. Lesson learned and that is ALWAYS a HappyUP!!!

HappyUP!!! - tracking commercials
Why it happened - boring game
Why it makes me happy - I had this pre-planned anyway. People say they watch the SB for the commercials...and for the entertainment value. I don’t think there was much of that yesterday. At X million a slot, I think you would want to get a message across. I decided to categorize each commercial as it came up. This provided me a bit of insight in to the economy, who was advertising, which sectors, and the possible “why’s” of it.  I may write a piece here for that. 

HappyUP!!! - finding the right stuff for someone
Why it happened - I have a bag of tricks
Why it makes me happy - I “give permission AND ENCOURAGEMENT as you sojourn this orb.” See....look above...it’s right there in the title. When I do that for someone, it is the deepest HappyUP!!! that I can experience. 

HappyUP!!! - leftover stew
Why it happened -a guy has to eat
Why it makes me happy- what a WONDERFUL meal to have for  a rainy football day.  Vegetarian stew that has a wallop!!! Just perfect!!!

JollyJottings

Saturday, February 02, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4576

HappyUP!!! - miles on the tires                             
Why it happened - I need to smog
Why it makes me happy - the computer system needs a reset. Fabulous little rainy drive today. Saw some cool scenery

HappyUP!!! - windshield time with my pal
Why it happened - I made the invitation
Why it makes me happy - you know, there can be something therapeutic or mesmerizing about the road. I get it when people say they take a drive just to “clear their head.”  TOTALLY get that! I remember the days of my youth when we would sometimes just “take a Sunday drive.”  Glad to provide a bit of a service for my companion today.  Great stuff!!!

HappyUP!!! - lunch
Why it happened - see the drive above
Why it makes me happy - while not required, it is nice to have a destination/break in the drive time. Plus, a guy has to eat. I had some fun with the waitstaff....and...at the end of the meal, I think the waitstaff was probably pretty happy we walked in despite it being RIGHT at the end of their shift. LOVE making it worth their while!

Friday, February 01, 2019

HappyUP!!! Day 4575

HappyUP!!! -     Ball striking                              
Why it happened - Hands lower
Why it makes me happy - WOW!!! Homeo stasis personified.  This is a fundamental that I had worked on in November. It carried me to my lowest index/handicap in years. Yet, I had gradually slipped into my old, bad habit.  Just a bit of work on the range today and the ball striking and chipping were RADICALLY better!

HappyUP!!! - The Muscle
Why it happened - he felt up to it
Why it makes me happy - dude was just cut open in surgery a week ago! I was SOOO happy to see his car in the lot when I pulled into the course. Then, he was in my golf group! He played pretty well too! My heart was full

HappyUP!!! - therapy practice session
Why it happened - I’m in training
Why it makes me happy - WOW! I will start to do this at a much higher level than I had thought. My background has prepared me well

HappyUP!!! - G-Mac partner
Why it happened - a switch in the lineup
Why it makes me happy- not only did I get to play with this guy, he was my partner too! What a great way to spend 5 hours!!!