Stefan's Insights

Image by Paul Morgan via Flickr Monday, 4/27/9 Running with the group at work for a 5 mile along the Lakeshore. I am caught off guard on how humid it is and end up huffing and puffing and walking the last 1/2 mile back to the office. Lesson learned – i have to adjust my speed based on weather conditions, and drink more water when the temperature is higher.

Image by Marcos Vasconcelos Photography via Flickr Saturday morning – 7 am. Oh boy, it is early and I am on my way to meet others that have signed up to run the Marathon in Maui in support of the efforts of the Aids Foundation. I was surprised to find about 60 others to be there. The more I listened to them explaining how things work (slowly building up, run & walk at your pace), the more confident I became that my age and ‘ring of experience’ around my waistline will not hold me back to achieve this ambitious (26.2 miles) goal. We started with a 3 mile run at your own leisure pace to determine who else runs at your speed and to bring them together as a running group. I am getting excited about this. Fundraising is a bit new to me, but I am sure that I will learn. I even set up a ning social networking group ( http://mauimarathon2009.ning.com/ ) for the runners to be able to connect to each other online and share their experiences and lessons learned.

Thought about some statement that friends made about being online often isolates someone from the ‘real’ world. My experience is the opposite. I have never been as connected as I am now, where I talk to a lot of people in person, as well as online. For example, I re-connected with people from Germany, old friends and working colleagues, who otherwise would not run into me in person. Used appropriately and with caution, being connected can be a wonderful help in establishing, keeping and/or re-establishing human connection.

shared with me by one of my working colleagues: Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved. -William Jennings Bryan Free From Worry Stop worrying about being perfect. Just be sincere, honest and authentic. Stop worrying about what might or might not happen at some future time. Put your energy and attention into connecting with the richness of right now. Take a deep, refreshing breath and feel the freedom as you let go of every worry you've been holding. Experience the full power of your thoughts and actions when they are constantly pointed in a positive direction. Allow your thoughts to support and encourage you rather than hinder you. Free yourself to deal effectively and successfully with what is real and what is now. Get in the habit of choosing and following your best possibilities instead of worrying about the worst ones. Bring your highest intentions to life and leave...

Image via Wikipedia Driven by the need to be able to scan lots of documents to avoid a huge pile of paper on my desk, my organization allowed me to order the Neat Organizer portable scanner. What a find ! This neat (!) little scanner feels solid, works reliable and with the latest software version 4.0 makes scanning business cards , documents into PDF and receipts an absolute breeze.

Image via Wikipedia Woman and a Fork There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. 'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly. 'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply. 'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.' The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzl...