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On the way to preschool, the doctor had left her stethoscope on the car seat, and her little girl picked it up and began playing with it. “Be still, my heart,” thought the doctor, “my daughter wants to follow in my footsteps!” Then the child spoke into the instrument, “Welcome to McDonald’s. May I take your order?”
Among the many lessons we can learn from children is the lesson about how to have fun. And for most children, fun is spelled F-A-N-T-A-S-Y. Their worlds of make believe are places of excitement and joy.
Writer Dr. Seuss said this about fantasy: “I like nonsense; it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living; it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.”
One man spoke for too many of us when he said, “The prospect of a long day at the beach makes me panic. There is no harder work I can think of than taking myself off to somewhere pleasant, where I am forced to stay for hours and ‘have fun.'” Are fun and fantasy part of your life, or is having fun just another fantasy?
What might happen if you decided to look at life through the wrong end of a telescope? What if you asked yourself “What if?” instead of “What now?” And how can you put more “fun” into your daily “functions”?
Wake up those brain cells! They’ll thank you years from now.
this story found here
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A small child walked daily to and from school. As the day progressed, the winds whipped up, along with thunder and lightning. The weather was becoming frightening and dangerous as the lightning got steadily worse.
Being concerned, the child’s mother got into her car and drove along the route to her child’s school. Soon she saw her small child walking along, but at each flash of lightning, the child would stop, look and smile.
One followed another, each time her child stopping, looking at the streak of light and smiling. Finally, the mother called and asked, “What are you doing?”
Her child answered, “God keeps taking pictures of me.”
(I love this story so I had to post it again. A perfect example of taking a tense situation and making it fun. )
If you never did you should,
These things are Fun and Fun is good.
Dr Seuss
(~_~)
Introducing, …Kung Chew, a creation from my mind, a drawing that turned into a full blown character as the kids helped me to create his adventures. In 2007 he was all over our living room in different comic strips and in 2010 he came alive in a blender / computer graphics movie we all took delight in using our voices for the characters. The movie,…”Kung Chew and the Zen Gum ball“
(click to enlarge)
Kung Chew and Master Bubble make a pilgrimage to obtain a Zen Gumball. On the trail they are attacked by the ABC gang (already been chewed) and get out of this by blowing a huge bubble and as it pops they disappear, with-out hurting anyone!
When they arrive in town, Kung Chew meets up with his girl friend, Chic as Master Bubble goes on to obtain the Zen Gumball. The Gumball machine is in POP’s candy store. Master Bubble places the quarter in, turns the knob and out comes a Gumball with words of wisdom stamped on it. (like a fortune cookie) Master Bubble saves the gumballs for emergencies and to spread the wise words for others to chew on mentally.
The opening has always been the same in the cartoon and the movie…However his adventures are still only begining.
(click to enlarge)
Deep in the forest of rubber trees and chic. (Chic is the tree for which Gum is made.
Kung Chew works hard, mastering his Art, wriggling through excercises.
He imagines himself dueling an army, defeating them single handedly, one by one, blow by blow.
When out of no-where a bee lands on his arm. Kung Chew became riddled with fear and ran as fast as he could …away!
Master Bubble was meditating nearby, watching with one eye open as Kung Chew and the Bee went flying by. He had a bewildered look on his face.
The Bee came and landed on Master Bubble’s leg…………..Kung Chew crept up with a big stick then swung to hit the Bee.
“Smack,” Master Bubble reached up and stopped Kung Chew from hitting the bee.
“You train to defend yourself against multiple attackers, yet you run like a rabbit from a one inch insect?”
“Perhaps the Bee was attracted to your sweetness and wanted to bite you rather than sting you.”
Kung Chew stood silent for a moment, with a bubble-dumb look upon his face, pondering Master Bubble’s words.
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I think the unique thing about this is that it grew from the family, ideas from my wife, the kids. The Movie has alot to it…I think it ended up being a little longer than 15 minutes, with music like… “I want candy!” and of course in the end they all play instruments and sing this song with dance and a great guitar scene.
Now when I say great remember, I am not a computer graphic guru, it was my first attempt and I learned alot about doing such a project. It took a year to make, with dubbing out voices and getting the mouths to match sound. In one scene, when Master Bubble turns around fast, he comes all apart and goes back together in the flash of an eye, the physics was to much for him, I tell the kids, but the wife knows, the physics was to much for me. (giggle)
Blender was not that easy to learn. (It is a free game making software that allows creation of graphics and has a movie mode) I spun off after kung chew and tried to make a movie called, “Thirteen Dragons,” (about the thirteen Shaolin fighting monks.) But that is when it got frustrating and I gave up on being a computer graphic designer since it takes so long for one person. When I watch a CP movie like pixel or ‘Kung Fu Panda’ I notice they have about 50 plus people to create a movie and that wouldn’t make it easier but probably a lot faster than a 15 minute clip taking an year to make.
I have now decided to try and make a childrens book with this charactor. Every one who comes to the house gets to see the movie and say’s it is a grand idea, do something with it. So, I am still churning out paper after paper with this little guy and his adventures, entangled with wisdom quotes, humor and traditional martial arts ethics and a message in every tale. I have placed Kung Chew into the Zendictive story of “Carrying your Burdens” and “House of a thousand mirrors.” Now, that I am down this week, and can’t do much out of bed, I have picked up the pen again. When the body is down the mind still ticks. “You can’t keep a good man down!”…………so, what do you think???
As soon as I can figure out how, I will place clips of the movie on the blog, (remember, I’m still learning how to work with all this media stuff!) In fact I still can’t figure out how to burn it on a CD or DVD to get it off this computer!
(~_~)
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enjoy your day
(~_~)
A lord asked Takuan, a Zen teacher, to suggest how he might pass the time. He felt his days very long attending his office and sitting stiffly to receive the homage of others.
Takuan wrote eight Chinese characters and gave them to the man:
Not twice this day
Inch time foot gem.
This day will not come again.
Each minute is worth a priceless gem.
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time is free yet priceless
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He almost killed somebody, but one minute changed his life. The beautiful story comes from Sherman Rogers’ old book, FOREMEN: LEADERS OR DRIVERS? In his true-life story, Rogers illustrates the importance of effective relationships.
During his college years, Rogers spent a summer in an Idaho logging camp. When the superintendent had to leave for a few days, he put Rogers in charge.
“What if the men refuse to follow my orders?” Rogers asked. He thought of Tony, an immigrant worker who grumbled and growled all day, giving the other men a hard time.
“Fire them,” the superintendent said. Then, as if reading Rogers’ mind, he added, “I suppose you think you are going to fire Tony if you get the chance. I’d feel badly about that. I have been logging for 40 years. Tony is the most reliable worker I’ve ever had. I know he is a grouch and that he hates everybody and everything. But he comes in first and leaves last. There has not been an accident for eight years on the hill where he works.”
Rogers took over the next day. He went to Tony and spoke to him. “Tony, do you know I’m in charge here today?” Tony grunted. “I was going to fire you the first time we tangled, but I want you to know I’m not,” he told Tony, adding what the superintendent had said.
When he finished, Tony dropped the shovelful of sand he had held and tears streamed down his face. “Why he no tell me dat eight years ago?” That day Tony worked harder than ever before — and he smiled! He later said to Rogers, “I told my wife that you first foreman in deese country who ever say, ‘Good work, Tony,’ and it make her feel like Christmas.”
Rogers went back to school after that summer. Twelve years later he met Tony again. He was superintendent for railroad construction for one of the largest logging companies in the West. Rogers asked him how he came to California and happened to have such success. Tony replied, “If it not be for the one minute you talk to me back in Idaho, I keel somebody someday. That one minute, changed my whole life.”
Effective managers know the importance of taking a moment to point out what a worker is doing well. But what a difference a minute of affirmation can make in any relationship!
One minute. Have you got one minute to thank someone?
A minute to tell someone what you sincerely like or appreciate about him/her? A minute to elaborate on something he did well?
One minute. It can make a difference for a lifetime.
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If you think you are to small to be effective, you have never slept with a mosquito.
make the most out of every minute of your life
(~_~)
One of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan’s biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the authorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department.
For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste, the engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high- resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee amount to do so.
But when a workman was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.
Simplicity!
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(Moral of the story: Always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problem. So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems. “If you look at what you do not have in life, you don’t have anything; if you look at what you have in life, you have everything”)
A turn of the screw
There was an industrialist whose production line inexplicably breaks down, costing him millions per day. He finally tracks down an expert who takes out a screwdriver, turns one screw, and then – as the factory cranks back to life – presents a bill for £10,000.
Affronted, the factory owner demands an itemized version. The expert is happy to oblige: “For turning a screw: £1. For knowing which screw to turn: £9,999.”
Author: Oliver Burkeman in “The Guardian Weekend”, 13 August 2011
food for thought
Life is 90 percent maintenance so get busy…
In our ever growing technical age things seem to get more complex but when it comes down to it, it is our convenience that grows accustom to mechanical equipment…when in fact all we ‘need’ is air, water and companionship, but let the power go out or our computer go down and our addiction becomes apparent and our wants throw a fit. Just remember that wants and needs are two different things.
Speaking of soap (he he he ) how many of you sing in the shower?
slippery situations are hard to grasp.
Hoping you slip through your day wonderfully!
Chuan and Jing joined a wholesale company together just after graduation. Both worked very hard.
After several years, the boss promoted Jing to sales executive but Chuan remained a sales rep. One day Chuan could not take it anymore, tender resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not value hard working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that Chuan worked very hard for the years, but in order to help Chuan realize the difference between him and Jing, the boss asked Chuan to do the following. Go and find out anyone selling water melon in the market? Chuan returned and said yes. The boss asked how much per kg? Chuan went back to the market to ask and returned to inform boss the $12 per kg.
Boss told Chuan, I will ask Jing the same question? Jing went, returned and said, boss, only one person selling water melon. $12 per kg, $100 for 10 kg, he has inventory of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, every melon weighs about 15 kg, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.
Chuan was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Jing. He decided not to resign but to learn from Jing.
My dear friends, a more successful person is more observant, think more and understand in depth. For the same matter, a more successful person sees several years ahead, while you see only tomorrow. The difference between a year and a day is 365 times, how could you win?
Think! how far have you seen ahead in your life? How thoughtful in depth are you?
this story found here…inspirational stories/life
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There was a man working very hard, in the hot sun, digging a ditch. When a Friend happened to walk by and see the man digging in the ditch under the hot sun.
The man walked up to him and asked, “Why is it that you work out here under a blistering sun, using a shovel and sweating over dirt while your boss sits over there in an office, in the air conditioning and probably has his feet propped up on his desk?”
“I don’t know,” answered the man that had been digging in e ditch all morning. “I’ll go and ask him.” He huffed. He crawled out from the hole he was in and marched over to the bosses office and went in.
The boss, sure enough was sitting in the comfort of an air conditioned office and his feet were propped up on his desk. “Boss, I have a question. Why is it I am out in the hot sun, digging a ditch while you sit in the air conditioned office?” The man bellowed.
“Simple,” the boss answered. “Intelligence.”
“Intelligence?” The man mumbled. “I don’t understand!”
“See that hammer?” The boss pointed to a hammer sitting on a shelf. “Pick it up and bring it over here.” The man did as his boss asked. “Now,” the boss started, “Hit my hand.” The boss set his hand on the desk.
The man, now holding the hammer looked confused. He thought a moment then raised the hammer and swung it toward his bosses hand that rest on the desk. The hammer came down and the boss pulled his hand back just before the hammer hit the desk. The boss sit back in his chair and said, “That is intelligence.”
The worker laid the hammer down and left the office. He went back into the hot sun and walked over to the hole he had been digging. The Friend walked up and quickly asked, “Well, what did he say?”
“The boss said that the difference between me and him is intelligence.” The worker stated.
“What? That’s all?” The Friend huffed. “Intelligence?”
“Well,” started the worker. “See that shovel?” The worker pointed at the shovel. “Pick it up.” The Friend picked up the shovel. “Now, hit my hand.” The worker put his hand over his face.
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have an intellectual day
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made this for my lil ‘sunshine’ last night
Who is this fat guy? A Buddhist Monk that travels around with a cloth bag over his shoulder and gives out candy to children. Is it Santa Claus? In Japan he is known as Hotei.
He is an enlightened person that has gained a large belly, like the fat-bellied buddhas you may have seen in Chinese restaurants.
Hotei (this is the Japanese form of the name) has been one of the favorite figures of East Asian popular religion for almost 1000 years; he is known everywhere and to everyone. Entering Chinese Buddhist temples today,
Hotei’s biographies report that he lived in the first half of the tenth century. He had no home; he lived as a wandering monk. Most sources describe him with a round head and an obese, uncovered belly. The name “Hotei” literally means “hemp-bag”, but was also slang for a glutton.
Some sources state that he carried a hemp bag over his shoulder. When he received food by begging, he would immediately taste it and put the leftovers in the bag. The bag also apparently contained various rubbish, bricks and stones. Crowds of children would often crowd around him, drawn especially by curiosity about his bag. Sometimes he would spread out the miscellaneous contents of the bag on the ground, pick up one object at a time, saying “Look here, look here. What is this? What is this?”
A particularly famous story about him: He met a stranger on the road who asked him, “Why did Bodhidharma come from the West?” (Since Bodhidharma came to bring the Zen lineage from India to China, the question is code for; “What is zen,” or “What is truth.”
Hotei said nothing; he put down his bag and crossed his arms. The stranger said, “Is there nothing else to it?” At that Hotei picked up his bag and walked off. (See if you can understand this presentation. Clue: Think wisdom and compassion; think letting go/taking on the burden.)
Hotei may be a composite figure, based not so much on one historical person as much as a type of person, an eccentric or “mad monk,” who wandered without practicing any obvious discipline or meditation.
The function of Hotei in East Asain popular religion can be compared in several ways to the function of Santa Claus in American Christianity. Both figures mediate (create a living connection) between popular values in the society on the one hand and ideals of the greater tradition elite on the other.
Santa Claus arrives, like Jesus, on Christmas day; like God, he knows who has been naughty and nice, so you better watch out for Goodness sake. He embodies a spirit of selfless giving, or charity to all, the core spirit of Christian values. his robust appearance and loud and contagious laughter are trademark for a jolly spirit with Santa Claus as well as Hotei.
Likewise, Hotei has obvious connections to Zen. His habit of pointing out objects and asking what they are is a Zen technique; his robes are Buddhist; and there are specific Zen stories about him, he enters the marketplace with helping hands, mixing with fishmongers and barmaids and dirty street kids. To the Chinese, his fat belly clearly suggests material abundance and prosperity, while his laughing smile is much more inviting than the stern rebukes of a Zen master.
Santa Claus and Hotei: They both carry big bags over their shoulder, and in both cases children are eager and curious about the contents of the bag. So I derive that Santa Claus was/is a zen master. Perhaps he drifted to the north pole with elves, grew a beard in order to deal with the cold and set up shop. Over the years he has acquired reindeer and a broader audience and instead of giving out candy, he now gives out toys. Hey, it could be!
have a happy and jolly holiday
Merry Christmas
Hermit in a shell
against ocean swells
bluer than the sea
Sandy trails bled
over mountainous dunes
beaten by a woman with a broom!
Secluded rejuvenation
strengthened his legs
with weighted shoulders
carried his burden bed
Then picked up by a bird
carried across the burning beaches
to a merridian of kinship words
Dropped on his head
stars circled above
a crack in the hull
from a helpful gull
The Hermit was crabby
found a new shell
there he dwells
but not quite yet happy
A big gust of wind
rolled him over again
his legs stuck up in the air
The rains poured down
and he nearly drowned
he thought it would end right there
The tide came in
and swept him away
he still lives to this day.
A time or two he may have fell
but he strives and doing well
the Hermit in his shell
Art~ 2004
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Oppertunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in over-alls and it looks like work.
Thomas Edison
Funny Friday
(a little wisdom/humor in a tale of a little wiener dog)
A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet dachshund along for company rather than leave it at a kennel for the duration of his vacation. One day, the dachshund started chasing butterflies and before long, the dog discovered that it was lost.
So, wondering about, it noticed a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having it for lunch. The little dog thought, “Okay, I’m in deep trouble.” Then it noticed some bones on the ground close by and immediately he settled down and chewed on the bones with his back to the approaching leopard.
Just as the leopard was about to leap, the dachshund exclaimed loudly, “Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more leopards around here?”
Hearing this, the leopard held his attack in mid-stride. A look of terror came over him and he slinked away into the trees. “Woo,” said the leopard, “That dog nearly had me.”
Meanwhile, a monkey, who had been watching the whole scene from a near-by tree, figured he could put his knowledge to good use and trade this information for protection from the leopard. The monkey decided to tell the leopard the truth about what the little dog had done.
The dachshund saw the monkey run over and talk to the leopard and figured that the monkey was telling the leopard about the little dog’s ploy and knew something was up. The monkey did indeed tell the leopard about the tricky little dogs method in exchange for the leopard to never eat the monkey. The leopard and the monkey struck a deal.
“I have been made a fool of?” The leopard huffed, “here monkey, hop on my back and see what is going to happen to that conniving little dog.”
Now, the dachshund saw the monkey hop on the leopards back and the leopard was now running toward him. “What am I going to do now?” Thought the little dog.
Instead of running the little dog sat down with his back to the approaching leopard with the monkey on its back. The dachshund waited and when the leopard was close enough to hear, the dachshund said, “Where is that darn monkey. I sent him off an hour ago, to bring me another leopard.”
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moral: A little ingenuity goes a long ways. One of my favorite sayings is, “Whip them with your mind, not your fist.” I would say the little dachshund did just that.
have an ingenuity day
Murdered Mistletoe
tip-toe tossed rocks
didn’t do alot
to bring it down
a holiday ornament
kisses, nestled in nature
in the penthouse of a tree top
it was found
twigs, dirt-clods and a screwdriver
thrown up at it
came back solo,
to the ground
objective solved
murdered mistletoe
with a shot-gun round
Art~
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(this is a true story, we were trying to get the Mistletoe out of a tree and using the shot-gun turned out to be the fastest and best method.)
have a merry kissmas
The Twelve Days of a Zen Christmas
On the first day of Christmas I will give to thee,
a bow humbly (~_~)
On the second day of Christmas I will give to thee, two doves of peace
…and a bow humbly (~_~)
On the third day of Christmas I will give to thee, three turtles of patience,
…two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the fourth day of Christmas I will give to thee, four candles of enlightenment,
… three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the fifth day of Christmas I will give to thee, five keys of tranquility,
The key to tranquility is acceptance
the key to acceptance is awareness
the key to awareness is balance
the key to balance is harmony
the key to harmony is tranquility
….four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the sixth day of Christmas I will give to thee, Six Haiku’s of nature,
As the wind does blow falling to the ground
Across the trees, I see the I watch a leaf settle down
Buds blooming in May in a bed of brown
The wind is blowing the beaches waves hit
It is blowing very hard sounding of flooding water
I don’t like the wind. soothes aches all over
The flowers a broken tree cut
Reached the sky brings no shade to the weary
As on the grass I lie then what good is it
…five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the seventh day of Christmas I will give to thee, seven bells of awakening
…Six Haiku’s of nature, five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the eighth day of Christmas I will give to thee, eight books of wisdom,
….seven bells of awakening, Six Haiku’s of nature, five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the Ninth day of Christmas I will give to thee, nine razors for head shaving,
(chuckles)
…eight Books of wisdom, seven bells of awakening, Six Haiku’s of nature, five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the tenth day of Christmas I will give to thee, ten zen stones and a rock garden,
…nine razors for head shaving, eight Books of wisdom, seven bells of awakening, Six Haiku’s of nature, five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the eleventh day of Christmas I will give to thee, eleven smiles of happiness,
…ten zen stones and a rock garden, nine razors for head shaving, eight Books of wisdom, seven bells of awakening, Six Haiku’s of nature, five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
On the twelfth day of Christmas I will give to thee, twelve zen stories
enemies of the mind 4 blind men an an elephant
nails in the fence Butter and Stones self worth forgiveness
winds of forgiveness bucket of water happiness
armadillo’s song praying to say the right thing
…eleven smiles of happiness, ten zen stones and a rock garden, nine razors for head shaving, eight Books of wisdom, seven bells of awakening, Six Haiku’s of nature, five keys of tranquility, four candles of enlightenment, three turtles of patience, two doves of peace and a bow humbly. (~_~)
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…and a dog that loves to meditate!
Have a heart felt holiday season
there are 12 days till christmas…
(~_~)
zendictive 