THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #10

Today I'm thankful for my life. I've had good days and bad days, and I'm thankful for every one of them. This is probably my last post in this series. May peace, happiness, health, and gratitude be with you today and every day. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #9

Today I'm thankful for my health. When asked to describe myself, I always say, "I'm happy and healthy." It's the truth, but it's also a daily affirmation, and it's also true. Did you see what I did there? :) 


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #8

(image borrowed from Google images)

Today I'm thankful for freedom. The freedom to live where I choose. The freedom to work at a job I choose. The freedom to think and speak and worship as I choose. Some people are not happy with the current state of the United States, and I will admit it does have its problems, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #7

Today I'm thankful for kind people. Each time I witness or hear about an act of kindness it renews my belief that people are basically good, and kind, and honest. Let's all be kind and watch it spread around the world. Wouldn't that be amazing? Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #5

Today I am thankful for my bike. It's an ideal vehicle for transportation and exercise. It brings me a sense of freedom and it takes me back to my childhood, when things were much simpler. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, it's so much fun! :)  Thank you!



Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #4

Today I'm thankful for my job. It's not high pay or high status, but it suits me. I've had the same job for almost 3 years and I still love it. I am truly blessed. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #3

Today I'm thankful for my pets. I've always loved animals. I have two of the sweetest cats who add so much joy to my life. I'm thankful that I am physically and financially able to care for them and provide for them. My life would not be the same without Lacy and Mia. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #2

Today I'm thankful for my home. It's not big or fancy or expensive but it's warm, dry, and safe. I know I am blessed. Thank you.


Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.


Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR, POST #1

This is a new series called THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR. It's a series of thankfulness inspired by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. But honestly, we should be thankful all year long. As I've said before in this blog, gratitude is a funny thing. If you are thankful for what you have, more good things will come into your life. So here we go. Post Number One in the series, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

Today I'm thankful for this blog, and you, my dear readers, and the technology that brings us together. Thank you.

Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.


Check out Duane's Youtube channel.

THE ANT AND THE POPCORN

 
I'm a janitor by profession. Last night I was at work, vacuuming, when I saw a piece of popcorn moving on the carpet. I shut off the vacuum and got down on my hands and knees to investigate. I found a little, tiny ant carrying this piece of popcorn across the carpet. He was taking it to his nest to share with his family. I was touched. I didn't vacuum him up. I let him be and I let him keep his popcorn. I felt good about it all night long and still today. Small things matter. Small lives matter. When you are kind, you get to feel good about it for a long time. Be kind.

Enjoy your day.

Peace, out.

KEEP MAKING MISTAKES

Oh, you made a mistake? Good! What did you learn?

When I started this blog in 2010, I wanted to help people. I believed I had significant life experience that others could learn from. 

Have you ever read something and it seemed so simple but so profound? Maybe it was exactly what you needed to hear at that particular point in your life. Well, that's what I wanted to give to you, my dear readers. 

Have I accomplished my goal? Absolutely! I have shared many concepts with you in the past five years. And in sharing, I reminded myself what a fabulous journey my life has been. Not perfect, but fun, interesting, exciting, happy, sad, angry, and on and on. What a rush!

Bottom line: Most of my life lessons came from mistakes I made. A few came from mistakes other people made, but I was able to learn from them. 
Keep making mistakes and ALWAYS look for the lesson.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane's Youtube Channel.

SQUARE PEGS

(borrowed from Google images)

For years, I was a square peg and didn’t even know it. I worked at jobs that made me unhappy but I had no idea why. I’ve also been in relationships that left me feeling confused and out of place.

Maybe you feel the same way about some area of your life. Here are some examples that you may be able to relate to: 

SQUARE PEG EXAMPLE #1> I worked in an accounting office for 15 years. It was a good job, it paid well, and I got respect when I told people I was an accountant. I was good at my job because I like numbers and I’m very detail oriented. But I hated being stuck behind a desk. It just wasn’t me. When I finally got the courage to leave that job, I felt like I broke out of prison. I wished I had done it a lot sooner.

SQUARE PEG EXAMPLE #2> I worked at a government lab for 7 years. It paid well, the benefits were beyond generous, and again, I got immediate respect when I told people where I worked. There were a lot of good points to this job and I was very good at it. But I hated it. It just wasn’t me, but it paid so well I would have stayed there forever. They eventually closed the lab and everybody had to go find work elsewhere. A lot of my co-workers were (and still are) upset at losing such a great job, but for me it was a huge blessing.

ROUND PEG EXAMPLE> I currently work as a janitor. I love this job. I look forward to going to work. This job fits my personality. I have freedom and I have zero stress. I'm a neat and clean person so cleaning is just something I do, I don't even have to think about it. I don't see that "look of respect or admiration" when I tell people what I do for a living, but who cares? LOL That's not important to me any more.

I used work related examples but this could apply to any area of your life- Work, relationships, the city you live in, etc. If something in your life just doesn’t feel right, maybe you are trying to force something that just doesn't fit you. It may be time to make a change. 

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane’s Youtube channel.

DUANE'S DRIVING RULES

(image borrowed from google images)

I like structure and I like to keep it simple. I believe that even very complicated tasks, such as driving can be broken down into a few very simple rules. Here are the rules I apply every time I get behind the wheel of a car.

RULE #1
Never hit a pedestrian.

RULE #2
Never hit anything else.

RULE #3
Always obey the law.

RULE #4
Be aware that anybody could do any (stupid) thing at any time--be ready!

RULE #5
Get from point A to point B as efficiently as possible.


These rules have served me well for decades. I'd be happy to hear your feedback.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.


Check out Duane's Youtube Channel

21 LIFE LESSONS

(borrowed image from Sobernation.com)

I make these lists from time to time, both to share with others and also to remind myself of some valuable lessons I've learned on my journey. Feel free to save, copy, paste, share, whatever. Take what you like and toss what doesn't suit you. Enjoy.

-Be kind to children, animals, and everybody else.
-Drink lots of water.
-Eat fruits and veggies every day.
-Don’t take financial advice from people with no money.
-Stop buying things you don’t need.
-Save 10% of your take-home pay and never spend it.
-Find a job you love and do it as well as you can.
-Relationship advice: Find someone who is good to you and spend every day making each other happy.
-Cash makes an excellent gift.
-Read at least 3 books per year.
-Don’t judge people because you don’t know what they are going through.
-Help others when you can, the world needs more of that.
-Money is important but it’s not the most important thing.
-You don’t need a $50,000 truck or a huge house.
-Don’t take life so seriously.
-Laugh, play, and be thankful every day.
-Don’t take things that don’t belong to you.
-Don’t stay at a job you hate.
-Never leave home without a knife and a small flashlight.
-Be generous with your time, or your money, or both.
-If you think you have problems, volunteer at a homeless shelter. It will be an eye-opener.

I'm thankful to all my readers for your time and attention. You are my inspiration.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane's Youtube Channel.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE?

(borrowed from Bing Images)

I recently watched a movie that took place in the 1980’s. It was fascinating to watch because there were no cell phones, no tablets, no computers! People weren't distracted, staring at a screen.

I found myself thinking, these are people without any electronic distractions in their lives. This is how life used to be. I barely remember when nobody had a cell phone. When people were around other people, they actually talked to each other!  And when somebody was all alone, sitting at a bus stop, or whatever, they were thinking! What a novel idea! 

I know some of you are thinking, big deal! But to me, it was an Ah-Ha moment! Its not my place to say if life is better or worse now, but it's definitely something to think about.

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

ARE YOU HAPPY IN YOUR JOB?

(self-portrait)

I've had 10 jobs in the past 30 years-
Accountant
Pizza Cook
Dollar Store Manager
Convenience Store Clerk
Pet Store Lead Cashier
Laboratory Technician
Maintenance Man
Google Search Engine Evaluator
Scrap Metal Recycler
Janitor

In a previous blog post, I stated that "all jobs suck". I still believe that. All jobs have areas that don't make everybody happy. That's why they have to pay you to be there. 

With that being said, I want to talk about my current job vs. previous jobs. I am currently a janitor. I work for a small company. I work part time evenings. The money is not great but it's enough. And let me tell you something, I love this job! This job sucks far less than any job I've ever had. 

I have more freedom than I've ever had at any job. I can go to work when I choose (as long as it's after 5pm). I have keys that let me into the buildings I clean. My boss trusts and respects me. No micro-managing, no nit-picking. I call him if there is a problem (like a flood) or if I need cleaning supplies. That's it!

The point of this post is to let you know there are many, many job options available to you. If you're not happy at your current job, you are not stuck there. Find a different one. There is no harm in trying something new. You might be surprised at the results. 

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane's Youtube channel

THE HAPPY DOG

(borrowed from Google images)

Time for another story-

This is a story about two dogs, but it's much more than that. Check it out.

There are two dogs. At separate times, each walks into the same room. 

One comes out wagging his tail while the other comes out growling.

A woman watching this goes into the room to see what could possibly make one dog so happy and the other so mad.

To her surprise, she finds a room filled with mirrors.

The happy dog found a thousand happy dogs looking back at him while the angry dog saw only angry dogs growling back at him.

Moral of the story: What you see in the world around you is a reflection of who you are.


Thanks for reading.  Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.



Check out Duane's Youtube Channel.

A TALE OF TWO WOLVES

borrowed pic from Google images

Story time-

ONE EVENING, AN ELDERLY CHEROKEE BRAVE TOLD HIS GRANDSON ABOUT A BATTLE THAT GOES ON INSIDE PEOPLE.

HE SAID "MY SON, THERE IS A BATTLE INSIDE ALL OF US. IT IS A BATTLE BETWEEN TWO WOLVES.

ONE IS EVIL. IT IS ANGER, ENVY, JEALOUSY, GREED, ARROGANCE, GUILT, RESENTMENT, LIES, AND EGO.

THE OTHER IS GOOD. IT IS PEACE, LOVE, HAPPINESS, HOPE, KINDNESS, GENEROSITY, TRUTH, AND COMPASSION."

THE GRANDSON THOUGH ABOUT THIS FOR AWHILE THEN ASKED HIS GRANDFATHER, "WHICH WOLF WINS?"

THE OLD CHEROKEE REPLIED, "THE ONE YOU FEED."

End of story.

Now go take on the day.

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube Channel

GOOGLE FIRED ME

I did the Google Rating gig I talked about in my last post for 9 months. Each month my work was evaluated for accuracy. Some of my reviews were good, some were bad. In the end, they let me go. I don’t blame them, I’m sure there are people who are much better at that sort of thing than I am. 

I feel kinda sad and I feel like their guidelines are a little too strict, but it’s their business and they have the right to run it their way. I am grateful for the experience.

No worries, I will find something more suited to my skills and personality. I’m already looking forward to my next adventure.

Have a blessed day!

Peace, out.



Check out Duane’s Youtube Channel

ACT LIKE YOU'RE BLESSED

(this is my 12 year old cat, Joey)

Act like you’re blessed, talk like you’re blessed, and think like you’re blessed. Put actions behind your faith, and one day you’ll see it become a reality.

-Joel Osteen Ministries 

I found this quote on Facebook this morning. This is the best life advice I've read lately. It could be a powerful, life-changing mantra for anybody who wants to see positive change around them. Try this: Write this quote on a piece of paper, carry it with you, read it every day. Watch what happens.
   

Now go take on the day!

Peace, out.

Check out Duane's Youtube Channel