love – Page 6 – The Corrigan Encore

Why we…

May 17, 2022 John Corrigan

Last week while going about my life I came across a post online from Simon Sinek. the post was a plug for his book, “Start with Why“. The book addresses two forms of leadership one through inspiration and the other through manipulation. Of course the book believes that inspiration is better. To Inspire followers you yourself must believe and communicate why you are doing something. The book was published in 2009 so I thought it was odd that the book was making its rounds now in 2022. Later last week I was working at a site and on the wall I saw a motivational banner up and the banner read “Its not the How that matters as much as it is the Why.”

I think maybe the universe is trying to send me a signal and I need to do some soul searching. Why am I doing or not doing what I have or am doing? What is the goal I have for work and life and why am I doing the things I am doing? That’s the questions I am going to focus on this week. Summer is starting and what better time to take stock and get inspired?

Life is tough and will get tougher. Life can feel like you are in a fight sometimes and in fights you get punched and kicked. When you are punched or kicked it is shocking and you have to reach deep down and find inner strength. Inner strength comes from knowing why you are fighting to begin with.

Once you know your Why You can survive almost any How
Unknown

When there is a clear understanding of why you are doing something things that have to happen along the way will not change but they will seem smaller. There is almost nothing more impressive or powerful than inspired work. Do some soul searching and get inspired today.

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Change then change again then change again then …

May 16, 2022 John Corrigan

Ok, Last week I mentioned that I was changing the day that I published my podcast. The change was going to be from Wednesdays to Fridays. Well if you are paying attention you will notice that the change did not happen. Friday came and went with no podcast. Why did this happen or happen? Obviously, I’m a liar, well that’s part of it. I became a liar on accident though.

Last week the change to Friday made sense all the way up until Friday then it didn’t. Sometimes that happens with plans.

If the plan doesn’t work change the plan but never the goal
Unknown

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My goal is and will be to create a weekly interview podcast about things that interest me when the podcast gets published seems to be in a fluid state right now. As I type Monday afternoons are looking good for various reason however I am going to see what happens before I lie again.

In life we make goals some are big ones like graduate, get promoted, write a novel, have kids, volunteer, see the world. The goals will only happen if we have a plan though.

A goal without a plan is just a wish
antoine de saint-exupéry

Google, PayPal, and Apple have all made history as very successful companies and their business plans have all been changed throughout their history. The goals did not change but the plan to accomplish them did. Life will always throw you curve balls. The thing about curveballs is that you will need to adjust your swing and stance a little to get a good hit. The goal never changes if a strike is thrown you want to hit the ball well however, the plan to hit a curveball looks much differently than the one used to hit the fast ball.

Plans, people and life changes what matters most is that we love each other and work to help others and ourselves achieve our goals.

What are we?

May 11, 2022 John Corrigan

As we get older we find ourselves dealing with people who seem to be getting younger. I have on more than one occasion worked with people that are the same age as my adult children. We navigate our social interactions at work differently when we work with the younger associates and at the end of the day we call our friends that our own age and commiserate about the surreal events.

One word that comes up in the commiseration is entitled. It is a buzz word and an easy excuse for why the younger generation, shows up late, does not complete projects, when they do complete projects they are not on time or of the correct quality and complain about the criticism given to them or the lack of job growth they are given. Originally I was able to get behind this buzz word and tried to give it some traction. However when I began to think, I mean really think about it, the power of the buzz word, like all the others, fell apart and lost steam.

Entitled means that we are deserving of privileges just because we are here and in certain cases this is correct. I truly believe that there are rights that living beings possess simply through being born. When beings have these rights taken away from them we are living in a society that is broken.

The more I live the more I think that people at all ages are truly products of the society they live in and if I want to see change. If I want to see progress I will have to work towards changing society so that at the very least all people get what they are entitled too.

What are we entitled to? At the very minimum we are all entitled to respect. Respect is and should be given even if we do not feel that someone has earned it. We should respect and care for everyone no matter how awful we believe they are. They idea that respect should be earned is toxic and is creating a society in which our coworkers cannot thrive and live their best lives.

At the end of the day we would do well to respect everyone.

Yes that is this week

May 2, 2022 John Corrigan

In the United States the week between May 2 and May 6 of 2022 is Teacher Appreciation week. There are all kinds of ways that we can thank teachers. We can send the teachers gifts, have parades for them, donate money to their campaigns online just a thank you can go a very long way.

Teachers are a huge part of what shapes children into adults. Odds are high that children will spend more time with their teachers than their parents and yet teachers are not treated as well as their counter parts. Teachers are paid less and expected to do more than others with the same education and experience levels. On average teachers are paid 11% less than their counter parts, when benefits are factored in the average went down by 8% however with new legislation teachers benefits have seen substantial cuts and this 8% number is most likely not correct.

We can and should show our appreciation for our teachers this week and more importantly on election day. Vote for a person that will pay teachers fairly and values teachers and our children.

Teaching is the one profession that creates all the other professions.
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Baseball wasn’t fun till

April 14, 2022 John Corrigan

Baseball wasn’t fun till Jackie Robinson played. Jackie Robinson was the first Black American to play baseball in the MLB in the United States. Jackie Robinson was an all star and did make the game of baseball more fun to watch and play. Jackie Robinsons struggle with racist people was real and harrowing. He and his family endured what no one should and there story was not particular for their family. Many Black Americans endured this racism in America at the time and still do today.

Diversity is important, necessary and lacking in almost all parts of society. Racial and cultural diversity make everything better. To think that anyone would argue against diversity seems like lunacy however I watched the leadership in the United States argue against diversity on the United States Supreme court.

Roger Wicker, Josh Hawley, Lindsey Graham are just a few leaders who demonstrated racism by fighting against and lying about the Supreme court justice Kentanji Brown Jackson. Racisim is an ugly stain in the The United States of America and it stands in the way of diversity.

Without diversity a home, neighborhood, nation, world, and eco system will collapse. When you stand among the racists and commit hateful acts you destroy not only the ones you are commiting hateful acts toward but you also destroy yourself.

Love always wins.

Really?

April 12, 2022 John Corrigan

So the other day, because I obviously hate myself, I was “doom scrolling” through my Facebook feed and ran across a post that really made me upset and I didn’t know why. The post was a phrase with a yellow background. The phrase was; “Common sense is not a gift. It’s a punishment… because you have to deal with everyone who doesn’t have it.”

This phrase just sat so bad with me for days reading it still makes me cringe. I just am not a fan of it. I am not a fan for a few reasons.

It is simply not true: Common sense is not at all a punishment. Common sense can and is used to help us and others survive and often thrive. Even if we find ourselves in situations where others are not exercising common sense.
It is a negative judgment: I grew up and was almost always one of the smallest. I did not hit my growth spurt until I was in my early twenties. I grew up with a lot of judgement, I was literally sized up everywhere I went and I think that triggers me when I hear or see people pass negative judgement
Finally common sense as with intelligence is subjective and almost impossible to quantify. There really is no such thing as a genius or smart person.

I know that I know nothing
Socrates

Before we pass judgement on society maybe we should, help others who are having a rough time. Also maybe I need to quit doom scrolling.

It is nice

April 6, 2022 John Corrigan

Yesterday I got a card in the mail from my sister Ashley wishing me and the family a happy Easter this small gesture made me and the wife happy. It is amazing how far a small gesture can go sometimes!

Today is episode 4 day of the podcast.

https://anchor.fm/john3corrigan/embed/episodes/Use-your-Imagination-or-Episode-4-e1gfn6f

In episode of 4 I interview a school psychologist and the conversation takes some turns, if you have time give it a listen. We talk about the task of teaching our children and I ask how can we help as parents and she mentions simply letting teachers know that they are appreciated goes a long way.

I love this idea because it is something I can do. I will be front and center at my next local school board meeting and letting everyone know how much I appreciate the teachers.

I can also do this for you, if you comment on this post with your name county and state I will make sure that the public school teachers know that they are appreciated and I of course encourage you to do this independently.

Sometimes it Helps

April 5, 2022 John Corrigan

It is Tuesday and I am already off of my routines. There was construction going on at my regular route to the gym and work, my niece had her first softball game that I had to attend, the wife and I are in the middle of making a semi major purchase. I have more excuses about why I was off my routine on Monday and started to feel myself get off my routine for Today (Tuesday) but really excuses are….

Excuses are tools of the incompetent used to build bridges to nowhere and monuments of nothingness
Barack Obama

I cannot think of a better way to define excuses! However I can think of one time when excuses could be used to do more than nothing and cue the next quote….

The real man is one who always finds excuses for others, but never excuses himself.
Henry Ward Beecher

Instead of doing harm and tearing apart others when they fail to accomplish something lets work together to see what was part of the reason they didn’t get done what they wanted or needed to to.

When dealing with others listen to their excuses kindly and compassionately and help them, let’s not criticize. I have done my share of criticism, even criticism of those that I love and if I am honest criticism has never come from a place of love. I am not saying I did not love those that I was critical off I am saying that when I was being critical I was not demonstrating love for them.

Lets work hard to be the best we can be and help others become the best they can as well and you will find no help in making excuses for yourself or tearing apart other peoples excuses.

When everyday is that day

April 1, 2022 John Corrigan

Happy Friday everyone or whatever day it is that you are reading this post. I am typing these words on a Friday and I feel like the song by the O’Jays titled “Living for the Weekend”. I plan on having a really good time downtown after work today I really do.

Let me just sit down
And relax a minute
Let me tell you about it

Aha, it’s Friday
Oh ho, thank God, it’s Friday
And I just got paid

Going across town
Gonna pick up my lady
Have a little bit of fun
Just ain’t no telling
Where I might end up

You might see me on the east side
Ha, the west side
I’m even going cross the bridge
‘Cause I, ’cause I, ’cause I hear
They really get down over there

Owe it to myself
(Well, well, I)
Gonna party
(Well, well, I)
Gonna party

I owe it to myself
(Well, well, I)
Oh, party, party

I’m just living, yeah
(Living for the weekend)
Woo hoo, said I’ma
(Living for the weekend)

I said right now, I’m
(Living for the weekend)
I said this evening
(Living for the weekend)

For the next two days
(Living for the weekend)
Gonna have a real good time
(Living for the weekend)

Gonna have a real, real
Real good time
(Living for the weekend)
Gonna party hard, hard

Come on, y’all
Let’s go downtown
Come on, y’all
Let’s groove, hey, hey

Monday to Thursday
I’m dead on my feet
Most of the time too tired to eat
When I try to read the paper
I fall fast asleep

But as soon as Friday rolls around
I lay all my weekly burdens down
I put on my glad rags
And paint the town

Friday night alive
(Living for the weekend)
Said, I’m living for the weekend
(Living for the weekend)
Don’t stop when I party down

Party hard, party down
Party hard, party down

Soon as on Monday
Rolls around again
I got to put all that
Partying to an end

Got to solve that same old grind
With those five day week
Sometimes, I get frustrated
Through the day, take off early
And a cut in pay

At the time, I don’t really care
Because I done took
All that I can bear

That’s when I party down
Party hard, party down

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Those are some amazing lyrics and I really do enjoy the weekends. I am beholden to no one (sort of) on the weekends and can spend my time with family and friends.

I worked at a factory a few times and experienced rigid scheduling, that was when I truly found joy in a weekend or days off. Later in life I took jobs that were less rigid in schedule and I still love weekends but I am finding some joy in my actual work.

I think that there is nothing wrong with loving weekends but if we are “living for the weekends” what is happening on the week days?

I have tried and continue to try to enjoy everyday and every minute week or weekend be dammed if I am breathing I am going to try to enjoy myself. I will always love that song and my weekends but I am going to also make it a point to love; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as well and so should you.

Why was it done that way?

March 10, 2022March 10, 2022 John Corrigan

There is a video making the rounds on the internet (what video doesn’t?), the video is from the NBA all star game and it is an introduction for two of the celebrities’ in attendance at courtside (I want seats like that). In the video Machine Gun Kelly is introduced and then the announcer says “and his wife Megan Fox”. First of they are not married and second why does she need a qualifier and he does not? I wanted to embed this video but I thing because it is a Tik Tok video you will have to follow the link (posted below this paragraph).

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdUkFRTD/

Marriage is a wonderful institution and should be a partnership but far to often it is not. Society has evolved and grown and unfortunately it seems that marriage is still catching up. The first recorded marriage was 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia and seems like it was a way of preserving the power for a ruling family. The marriage would result in children and the power of the empire would stay within the family. Here is a pretty good article outlining the history of marriage. Marriage has evolved and changed over time, however when I and my wife were married the minister asked her to love and obey me her husband. Just typing that line right there leaves a bad taste in my mouth. This vow has left a bad taste in others mouths as well and many churches are avoiding the vow altogether. Me and Shanna try everyday to be equal partners and I don’t think either of us intends on commanding or obeying the other.

Women and men truly are equal and neither women or men need qualifiers. Words are important and it is going to be really hard to change society if we continue to use unevolved and wrong words.