Memorial Day history and links.

See also: Memorial Day

Rays Of Inspiration

On Being Self Motivated
When Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, it is reported that he tried a thousand times before he found a way to burn a steel wire white hot that did not burn up. A thousand failures is not motivating and does not make one feel good. So what kept him bouncing back from repeated failure? A desire to explore and discover the world he lived in, a desire to learn, and a desire to do the impossible. He loved the challenge and accepted the disappointments. His belief that something could burn white hot and not burn up was the laughing stock of the scientific world. This is a depressing feeling, not a feel-good feeling. The fact is, success is the result of bouncing back during times of discouragement without dependency on others. Thomas Edison used the stumbling blocks as stepping stones to achievement. Each failure was a challenge to try harder.

So, how do you keep the discouragements from making you depressed? The key can be found in a strong desire to succeed, belief, faith and acceptance of this great challenge called life. Add a bit of initiative, presistence and determination and you will be well on your way to making a difference in your life and in the life of others.

I believe that our pursuits should always be rooted in personal excellence and not necessarily in acquiring material wealth. Seek first to understand yourself, your talents and what you have to offer the world than follow your dreams while staying on a track of constant self-development and enrichment.

I've come to the realization that words and speeches on motivation are just hype if you don't understand the dynamics at play. The fact is, emotional hype sells, but a steady diet of feeling-good does not produce winners, it produces wealth for the promoters. A steady flow of emotional hype is a cover-up that leads us into a false sense of progress. There is no creativity in emotional hype other than ideas sound good. People don't remember ideas, they remember feeling good. Many people spend money and time getting an emotional high rather than trying ideas and taking risks. They lose sight of their primary goal.

What I mean to suggest here is that motivation is a complex subject and it is easy to go in the wrong direction. Here are some dead-end paths to consider:

Everyone has a goal of earning more money, but few are willing to develop a plan, provide a service, or take risk to make it happen.
Earning more money is not a specific goal, money is a reward for achieving a goal that provides a service to others.

Beware of greed, it does not promote self-development. This is not the way winners are made. Winners continually analyze what they are doing right and wrong and learn how to correct the wrong. They acquire knowledge by taking risks and trying different ways to achieve the desired results. They learn to bounce back from discouragement and failure with or without outside help.

I urge you to develop a clear understanding of the dynamics of motivation and self-development - and of course, an occasional read of my Rays of Inspiration can be extremely inspiring. Coupling this with a learning process that's related to your goal, you too can be a winner.

Case Closed
More than 38 years ago, a church bombing marked one of the lowest moments of the civil rights movement. Four girls were killed in an act about which Martin Luther King said: "This tragic event may cause the white South to come to terms with its conscience." Finally, after nearly four decades, all of those responsible are either in jail or dead.

Severin Roesen, Still life with fruit, 1850, sold for $130,500 (est. $50,000-$70,000), at Sotheby's American Paintings, Drawings & Sculpture sale, May 22, 2002. via Artnet.com

"Cats are domesticated animals that have learned what levers to push, what sounds to make to manage our emotions," Nicastro says. "And when we respond, we too are domesticated animals." [more]

Bulletin:
Married men have less testosterone
Scientists have discovered that married men who spend time with their wives and kids have lower testosterone levels than bachelors. The discovery suggests that having less of the hormone could play a part in encouraging men to devote their energies to the family rather than looking for another partner.

Harvard University votes to change a grading system that led to 90% of students graduating with honors. The other 10% are screwed, I'd say.

Credit to David Horsey

Indian Country: Indigenous peoples establish permanent presence at the UN

Many events are called historical but when the United Nations, after eight decades of exclusion and a quarter century of intense lobbying by indigenous peoples, inaugurates a Permanent Forum for the Indigenous or Native peoples of the world, perhaps we can say that history’s door has opened just a bit.

It happened May 13 in New York City, at the United Nations headquarters. Nearly 1000 indigenous representatives from hundreds of Native nations throughout the world gathered to witness the opening of a recognition that will be permanent. And this is the operative principle: permanence. It says that indigenous peoples will not be disappearing; they will not be vanishing; they are here to stay.