Harley King — Tomorrow

During a conversation with a colleague this week, she asked me in jest: "What is the meaning of life." I responded with the first thing that came into my mind: "The sun will rise tomorrow."  And we both laughed.



On the surface, this appears to be a mundane, boring observation about the obvious. We all know the sun will rise tomorrow so we never give it any further thought.  We sometimes become so caught up in the stresses, challenges and problems that vex our daily lives that we act like the world is coming to an end. What we often forget is that tomorrow is a new day filled with new opportunities. 



In my 67 years on this planet, the sun has never failed to rise.  Now, I may not have been able to see it  on some days because of the clouds, but I knew it was there. This may seem like a simple observation, but it is filled with wisdom. If we choose, each new day is an opportunity to begin again. Every time the sun rises, we are given a chance to try something different — to find another path.



Have you ever sat before a blank piece of paper and had no idea what to write?  Have you ever stood before a blank canvas and had no idea what to paint?  Do you remember your frustration and maybe even anger?  Have you ever spent a few hours writing or painting and felt that your work was worthless? Have you ever wanted to give up and quit?  Remember that today will simply pass into history and tomorrow will be a brand new day that offers the opportunity to start again.



So tomorrow, give thanks for the sunrise and shout, "Good morning, world!" from the roof tops.

Doug Larson

My wife and I are opposites.  She loves to talk and I prefer to listen.  She and her sister sometimes talk simultaneously and neither seems to be listening to the other.  When my wife was interviewing people for our book, It's Okay to Cry, she discovered that she often talked while others were talking.  When she transcribed the audiotapes, she could not hear the other person because she was talking over him.  She learned a valuable lesson about listening.  I have also discovered that talking can energize me.  After giving a speech, I want to keep talking but there is no one to listen since everyone has fled.  Talking helps me to think through my problems and come to a better understanding of what is on my mind.

While talking can sometimes help us understand ourselves, listening helps us understand others. And by understanding others, we will better understand ourselves. If we listen to the words of others, they will teach us about life — both what to do and what not to do. 

When we spend our time talking, we become self-absorbed, caught up in our perceptions of the world, and unaware of those around us.  Listening allows us to step outside ourselves and see the world through the eyes of others.  Listening helps us grow and develop as compassionate individuals.

We probably learn more from the failures of others than we do from our successes. As writers, storytellers and artists, we need to understand other people — why they behave in the way they do.  What motivates them?  What drives them? The better we understand people, the more realistic and truthful our art will be.  

So take the time to listen to others and understand what makes them tick.  Your creative work will be stronger, wiser, and more engaging because of it.  

Harley King

Many people in our society are afraid of growing old.  The slogan when I was a teenager was "Don't trust anyone over thirty."  Researchers project that almost 300 billion dollars will be spent world wide in 2015 on anti-aging products and surgical procedures to remain young.  Over a third of that will be spent by Americans.  



People often fear the loss of their youth.  The physical changes to our bodies and our minds can be very challenging.  One of my favorite quotes is: "Age is not for sissies."  The elderly face memory challenges and chronic pain.  Even creative leaders worry about losing their creative abilities as they age. 



Yet age can bring something that is rarely found in youth — wisdom and peace.  If we have paid attention to the lessons that life has bestowed, we will have earned a measure of wisdom and peace.  Yet, some fail to learn these lessons and are doomed to repeating the same mistakes.



Are you unhappy with your life?  Disappointed with the path your life has taken?  Do you have regrets and keep living in the past?  My brother-in-law was like that.  He was never happy with what life had tossed his way.  He was always looking for the next opportunity, the next pot of gold.  He died just short of his 51st birthday still seeking success.  He failed to see what he had in front of him — people who loved him.  



From time to time we all need to pause and reflect on what the challenges we have faced have to teach us.  What did I learn this week or this month that will make me a better person?  Why do I keep making the same mistakes?  How can I better serve the people I love?  What am I thankful for?



Part of the wisdom of age is learning to accept our lives and to appreciate the gifts we have been given.  We need to find peace with our desires and to accept what we can not change.



Here are five actions that you can take immediately to help you find peace in your life and to develop the the wisdom of age.

1. Create a gratitude journal.  Every day write down something that you are thankful for.  My six-year-old daughter and I do this verbally every night at bedtime.


2. Find ways to say thank you to the people who have made a difference in your life.  This could include family, friends, teachers, and colleagues.


3. Remember people's birthdays.  I once met a woman who every year sends birthday cards to the more than 1500 people she knows.  For most of us, our birthdays are a special day.


4. Volunteer to help someone in need.  The opportunities are endless.  Service to others in their time of need is a privilege.


5. Write down the stories of your life.  Our lives are best understood through the stories we tell ourselves and others.

May the wrinkles of time 

create wisdom and peace 

within your soul.

 

Harley King

Commentary

Life's journey is full of experiences from which we can and should learn wisdom. Sometimes these experiences will knock us to the ground and force us to reconsider our beliefs and values. Sometimes we will have to learn the lesson multiple times before we gain the wisdom to move on to better opportunities and new lessons.  Sometimes we fail to gain the wisdom and will repeat the same mistakes again and again.



Wisdom comes not from simply living in the moment, but from deep reflection and introspection.  Wisdom comes from questioning what we do and analyzing why we behave in the manner in which we do.  Life gives us many opportunities to grow in wisdom and understanding.  Each life lesson teaches us to become better individuals and to open our hearts to the wisdom that is given.



Sometimes the lessons that life throws our way will force us to lose our faith and push us toward giving up.  We become discouraged and depressed.  We enter a world of darkness and unhappiness.  We must keep to the path and not lose sight of the goal.  We must not let the pessimism of others defeat us.  We must keep going despite how we feel.  Keep in mind that on cloudy days the sun still shines.  We must learn to fly above the clouds and experience the joy of the sun's rays.



May you seek the wisdom that comes from experience and the faith that restores the heart.

Terry Pratchett

"Real education happens when you pick up a fact here, and another fact there, and put them together and get an insight."

— Terry Pratchett

English Novelist

1948 -

Commentary

One of my greatest pleasures is when I create a moment of insight by combining multiple facts into a new idea. I believe we are in charge of our own education. Books, classes, schools are just tools to help us gain information. The real education is in the application of the information to how we live our lives. Some people are book smart but have no idea what living is all about. Some people are street smart but may have lost their souls in the process of surviving. The education for creative leaders occurs during the process of creating. This is where we synthesize all the information we have accumulated in our brains and bodies. This is where our souls are reborn.

Biography

Pratchett is the only child of David and Eileen Pratchett.  He was born in Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, England.  He claims his most valuable education came in The Beaconsfield Public Library rather than school.  One of his early interests was astronomy.  He owned a telescope and wanted to be an astronomer, but was not good in math.  He also loved science fiction and attended science fiction conventions.  

Pratchett published his first short story at 13 in the school magazine.  The story was republished commercially when he was 15.  Pratchett left school at 17 to work as a journalist for the Bucks Free Press.  His first children's novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971 with his own illustrations.  His first science fiction novel, The Dark Side of the Sun, was published in 1976.  The first novel, The Colour of Magic, in his famous Discworld series was published in 1983.  In 1987 gave up his day job to write full time.

Pratchett married his wife Lyn in 1968 and currently lives in Broad Chalke, a village west of Salisbury, Wiltshire.  He has an observatory in his garden.  An asteroid has been named after him.  Pratchett is known for wearing large, black fedora hats.  He was knighted by the Queen in 2009.  In 2007, Pratchett was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease.  In 2008, he donated a million dollars to Alzheimer's research.

Video

Here is an interview of Terry Pratchett.