Sunday, December 14, 2014

Ten Questions To Measure a Wonderful Life




While I was clearing out data folders files, my life fell into place so to speak. I came across this short January 2012 article by Geoffrey James writing in Inc. Magazine. James argued that success and happiness are not measured by your bank account, length of yacht or number of awards on your CV. Happiness, he said, is measured by your day-to-day relationships and memory-making.

In order to gauge your success/happiness, James suggested you ask yourself ten questions each day. Your answers determine the advance or decline in your own DowJones Intentional Happiness Average. James's questions are:
  1. Have I made certain that those I love feel loved?
  2. Have I done something today that improved the world?
  3. Have I conditioned my body to be more strong, flexible and resilient?
  4. Have I reviewed and honed my plans for the future?
  5. Have I acted in private with the same integrity I exhibit in public?
  6. Have I avoided unkind words and deeds?
  7. Have I accomplished something worthwhile?
  8. Have I helped someone less fortunate?
  9. Have I collected some wonderful memories?
  10. Have I felt grateful for the incredible gift of being alive?
These sound like something the angel Clarence might ask George in "It's a Wonderful Life". James not Clarence writes, "These questions force you to focus on what's really important (pictures of dead presidents have never made anybody happy). Take heed of them and the rest of your life, -- especially your work -- will quickly fall into place."

I don't know why I haven't used this list of questions before or why the article was stored five folders down on my flash drive -- hey Clarence, ask Joseph about that. Perhaps, I was just waiting for the right moment or the right season or the right reason. Perhaps I was just waiting for right now. Today is a good day to make a change.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

The Day After 0-59

My Badger flag flies at half mast after Wisconsin's 2014 football dreams were mashed into the seams of the artificial turf at the Indianapolis Dome by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Pre-game prognosticators thought that the Big 10/14 Championship between Ohio State and Wisconsin would be a classically close match between two midwest football powers. The prognosticators were wrong. Dead wrong. After three tough wins against Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota, Wisconsin had nothing left against a suffocating defense and 6'5" third-string quarterback.

The only good outcome of the night was surprise selection of Ohio State over TCU into the four team college playoff. A close win over Wisconsin and the Urban Meyer would be kicking the sidelines of the Inconsequential Bowl. Now the league has a player in football's final four. Baylor had a better argument over TCU anyway.

Sure there will be one more Wisconsin game. The Badgers will be selected for a bowl game somewhere because Badgers travel well with a large alumni following, the band is awesome, and everyone wants to see one more 200-yard game from the phenomenal Melvin Gordon III. It will be a nice curtain call and final season polls may adjust. But the season is over.

To those who hang their heads longer than this weekend, I say, "Hey folks, this is college football, Saturday afternoon entertainment, an colorful expression of loyalty to your alma mater, not something really important, like, say, a Packer game." I and other Wisconsin alumni had a good season following the team. It was fun, but it was just entertainment and doesn't have much lasting importance win or lose.

I will take the Badger flag down tomorrow and replace it with something representing the holiday season, I suppose. It's that time of the year I am told. Good will toward men, even Buckeyes, and stuff like that.

Life does go on, even though the Badgers won't.