“The Pursuit of Happyness” is one of my favorite films. Will Smith is a REAL actor and Gabriele Muccino is a wonderful Director – they did “Seven Pounds” together too.

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I like this post…especially the uploaded handwriting to http://www.flikr.com. Nice thoughts.

A year of learning the wireless industry from within the trenches of telesales at Verizon Wireless proved wise. As a research opportunity for me, not having worked at a firm of over 100 people for 15 years, it’s been an enlightening experience. I can debrief elsewhere as it applies to my appetite for metrics, measurement, procedure etc. For now, from the perspective on humanity, it’s
incredible what people endure to provide a living and good benefits for their families. AND, it’s even more incredible how much time they spend away from their families in order to do so. Wireless telecom does have its appeal though, and a future that’s fun to predict.

I’ve made some good friends at Verizon, but based on my schedule and new family priorities, I’ve neglected many. And, I look forward to the coming summer of returning to connecting and communicating in the way I’ve always enjoyed. It’s a part of me that I miss. And I miss so many people. I miss stunt-kite flying too so don’t get
emotional.

My daughter, Hannah, has her 4^th birthday party tomorrow. Liz and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. My son will make you laugh harder than a silly string war at a clown convention. No complaints.

]]> http://www.jeffmarmins.com/effectiveness/character/self-discovery/disappearing-act/feed/ 0 http://www.jeffmarmins.com/effectiveness/self-discipline/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=self-discipline http://www.jeffmarmins.com/effectiveness/self-discipline/#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2007 06:11:48 +0000 Jeff Marmins http://www.jeffmarmins.com/uncategorized/self-discipline/ Long time good friend Joe Garcia sent me quite a character reminder today.  He forwarded a copy of headmaster Jack Pidgeon’s commencement address to our class at The Kiski
School.  I read it right away – I hadn’t heard it for more than twenty years.  The message resonated as vividly as the authoritative New England intonation and cadence I could hear delivering it.

Wonderfully written, it’s chock full of Mr. Pidgeon’s own warm memories that brought me momentarily back to boyhood.   In the speech he says, "The longer I live the more I believe that the essential factor which places some men above others is their superior capacity for self-discipline." Jack also reminds us to, "never, never, never, never, never quit." He goes on to remind us of how we are all capable:

"You don’t have to have been born with talent or brains or special abilities or a capacity for leadership.  You don’t even have to have been born tough.  The happiest fact of life is that the one ingredient we need the most is ours for the taking.  All you have to do to acquire it is this: beginning today, stop doing something you shouldn’t do and start doing each day something you know you should do."

Thanks Joe.  It was especially generous to send this out.  Reading "On Self-Discipline" was a heartwarming connection to the roots of my commitment to a life of character and principles. 

You can download "On Self-Discipline" by Jack Pidgeon here.

Life’s resisting forces can be done away with when we pay attention to ourselves.  When you quiet your mind and really pay attention – you can deal with everything from confused priorities to your decision to order the salad or the french-fries.

Listening to what is true in our hearts and minds provides us with Vision, Purpose, Harmony and Concentration.  Pay attention to good advice, especially when it comes from within.

Self-pity is nothing less than an impulse to destroy yourself. And this is its script:

“This is the way you were made. These are the facts of your situation. It’s bad. Worse than anybody else in the whole world. In fact, it’s so bad, it’s impossible to do anything about it. And therefore, you are free from any responsibility to clean it up. Nobody can blame you for anything.”

Self-pity is a thief, and a liar. A thief, because it steals away every opportunity you have to move on in life. A liar, because anyone who says he tried to clean up his mess but couldn’t succeed is telling an outright lie.
- the comic credit goes to the very funny Dan Wheeler.

Proposal Expert and awesome blogger Laura Ricci says, "Burnout is a biologic reality, not a psychological weakness." Read her post about burnout for the prevention and cure.

"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement."