Well, I am all for cutting taxes and us getting back more of what we earned to begin with. But, this latest tax rebate plan leaves me with a bit of a question in my mind about our culture these days.
It seems as if a lot of people want to have it both ways- they want rebates and lower taxes, but they aren't willing to make any sacrifices in order to get that. It just plain isn't feasible to expect lower taxes without being willing to make some cuts in the services that we receive from the government. Of course, that's what our leaders are trying now, just making up the difference by borrowing money. Again, doesn't seem like the wisest plan.
I for one would like to see our leaders speaking these hard words that aren't that popular anymore. In generations past, people seemed to get the idea that you can't get everything your way and need to make compromises and sacrifices. Somehow, it seems like most people today have lost sight of that. We want what we want when we want it and we don't want to make any sacrifices to get it. Or, we want our cake, but without having to give up anything to get it.
What would it look like if we would go back to the attitude of previous generations and embrace sacrifice to gain a greater good? If we didn't buy what we couldn't afford, passed on immediate pleasure, or had leaders who led out of a desire to better their world as opposed to for their own benefit?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Resolutions?
OK, so this is a little late, but I've got to give my two cents on the issue of new year's resolutions.
It seems as each year winds down and a new one begins, we realize all the things we hoped that we had done that we didn't and all the things we want to change about ourselves. For many of us, this is the rare time when we actually are a bit introspective and evaluate how we are doing and not just doing our day-to-day routine.
But, invariably, most of us make the ambitions to get in shape, spend more time with family, spend less money, etc., only to fall back into our old ways by mid-February.
My take one it is that many of us simply make a vague goal- to get in shape, to spend less money, etc. The problem with this is that we don't have any way to easily measure how we're doing and give up easily because it can feel like we're not making progress. I think the way to real change is to set achievable goals or objectives. This way, we do have some hope of achieving them and we also are able to measure how we are doing.
The best goals are those that are achievable, but ones that aren't super-easy either. We should have to work to achieve our goals; they shouldn't just come easily.
For example, one of my goals for the year is to cut back the amount of money that I spend. To that end, I have identified some specific areas that can be cut and ways to make those cuts. So, it will be easy for me to check in a few weeks and see how I'm doing. Either I've met one of these objectives or I haven't; there's no guesswork involved.
So, I have set my goals and come up with a plan to get there...
It seems as each year winds down and a new one begins, we realize all the things we hoped that we had done that we didn't and all the things we want to change about ourselves. For many of us, this is the rare time when we actually are a bit introspective and evaluate how we are doing and not just doing our day-to-day routine.
But, invariably, most of us make the ambitions to get in shape, spend more time with family, spend less money, etc., only to fall back into our old ways by mid-February.
My take one it is that many of us simply make a vague goal- to get in shape, to spend less money, etc. The problem with this is that we don't have any way to easily measure how we're doing and give up easily because it can feel like we're not making progress. I think the way to real change is to set achievable goals or objectives. This way, we do have some hope of achieving them and we also are able to measure how we are doing.
The best goals are those that are achievable, but ones that aren't super-easy either. We should have to work to achieve our goals; they shouldn't just come easily.
For example, one of my goals for the year is to cut back the amount of money that I spend. To that end, I have identified some specific areas that can be cut and ways to make those cuts. So, it will be easy for me to check in a few weeks and see how I'm doing. Either I've met one of these objectives or I haven't; there's no guesswork involved.
So, I have set my goals and come up with a plan to get there...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Another year gone by
Well, a few days ago, I celebrated making it another year without dying (Seinfeld terminology for a birthday). It seems like this year was a lot more eventful than most, with getting married, buying a house, selling a house and all that fun stuff. It certainly does make me thankful that I did make it another year because we certainly aren't guaranteed another day.
It's been kind of cool this year to move along to a different stage in life. Being single was a lot of fun and certainly had its benefits, but I am really enjoying this new stage in life. Last weekend, we got together with some other friends (all of whom have young kids) and tonight were talking to a couple with college-aged kids. For some reason, it seems cool to me to be able to spend time with people in all different life situations and get some insight into their world. I really think this is how we're supposed to work- being in relationships with people both similar to us and different than us.
Just think if we all did have friends at different stages in their life journeys. There would be so much potential there for us helping each other by sharing experiences and wisdom. Yet, I see in my own life the tendency to spend time with others during my "leftover" time- that is, when I am not working and feel like I can afford to take that time. It's been a long time since I've sought out someone younger than I am to try to help provide them some encouragement or words of wisdom. But, I can remember many people who have been that older, wiser voice to me both personally and professionally and know what a help that has been.
But, in this culture we live in, building friendships is unfortunately not something we do that great at. We are usually caught up in working, buying stuff and maintaining that stuff so we don't have that much time left for anything else. So I guess it just boils down to our priorities and living those out.
It's been kind of cool this year to move along to a different stage in life. Being single was a lot of fun and certainly had its benefits, but I am really enjoying this new stage in life. Last weekend, we got together with some other friends (all of whom have young kids) and tonight were talking to a couple with college-aged kids. For some reason, it seems cool to me to be able to spend time with people in all different life situations and get some insight into their world. I really think this is how we're supposed to work- being in relationships with people both similar to us and different than us.
Just think if we all did have friends at different stages in their life journeys. There would be so much potential there for us helping each other by sharing experiences and wisdom. Yet, I see in my own life the tendency to spend time with others during my "leftover" time- that is, when I am not working and feel like I can afford to take that time. It's been a long time since I've sought out someone younger than I am to try to help provide them some encouragement or words of wisdom. But, I can remember many people who have been that older, wiser voice to me both personally and professionally and know what a help that has been.
But, in this culture we live in, building friendships is unfortunately not something we do that great at. We are usually caught up in working, buying stuff and maintaining that stuff so we don't have that much time left for anything else. So I guess it just boils down to our priorities and living those out.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
How about loyalty in business?
My last lecture of the semester always deals with careers in the IT industry and I always talk more generally about what careers in the business world are like. It seems as if one thing that's been happening lately is a decline in loyalty from both employers and employees. The extreme example seems to be the world of college coaching- a coach who hasn't had a losing record in over 10 years gets fired and a coach who has been at a school for one year is upset that they don't give him a new deal (both actually happened this season).
While those examples might be a bit extreme, that seems to reflect the overall trend in business. People used to remember past loyalty and service, but nowadays it seems the main question is, "What can you do for me now?" It seems as if a lot of companies are concerned with the bottom line and not a whole lot else. The days of staying with one company for your career appears to be an old notion.
I have run into this myself in some of my work- companies that I have been loyal to and provided excellent service to going elsewhere for no apparent reason. I certainly hope that in my dealings, I am demonstrating loyalty and showing appreciation to those who have gone out of their way for me in the past.
While those examples might be a bit extreme, that seems to reflect the overall trend in business. People used to remember past loyalty and service, but nowadays it seems the main question is, "What can you do for me now?" It seems as if a lot of companies are concerned with the bottom line and not a whole lot else. The days of staying with one company for your career appears to be an old notion.
I have run into this myself in some of my work- companies that I have been loyal to and provided excellent service to going elsewhere for no apparent reason. I certainly hope that in my dealings, I am demonstrating loyalty and showing appreciation to those who have gone out of their way for me in the past.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I think we're working too hard
Ask anyone today (especially those in the business world) how they're doing and chances are you'll hear something like "good... I've been really busy lately." It seems as if we are working harder than ever. Being in the IT field, I am a fan of technology and think it has done a lot to improve our lives and the way we work. But, I think the side effect of Blackberries, cell phones, email, etc. is that we really aren't "off" anymore.
Case in point- last weekend, I had a client who lost e-mail functionality for a few hours on a Saturday evening. What does it say about today's business world when we recognize and freak out over losing e-mail connectivity on a Saturday night? I know I am guilty too, as I can't remember the last day that I didn't check e-mail several times. But, it makes me wonder what else we could be doing on our off times if we didn't feel so tied down to our work and that we had to always stay in touch with that part of our lives.
It is difficult for me to really put work down at the end of the day and not want to work in the evenings and weekends- part because I am busy, but part because I really do enjoy what I do. But I know that God has blessed me with a lot more than my work and has given me much more to life. So, I'm working at taking a break. After all, I really think the world will be OK if I quit at the end of the day. I'm not really that important, am I?
Case in point- last weekend, I had a client who lost e-mail functionality for a few hours on a Saturday evening. What does it say about today's business world when we recognize and freak out over losing e-mail connectivity on a Saturday night? I know I am guilty too, as I can't remember the last day that I didn't check e-mail several times. But, it makes me wonder what else we could be doing on our off times if we didn't feel so tied down to our work and that we had to always stay in touch with that part of our lives.
It is difficult for me to really put work down at the end of the day and not want to work in the evenings and weekends- part because I am busy, but part because I really do enjoy what I do. But I know that God has blessed me with a lot more than my work and has given me much more to life. So, I'm working at taking a break. After all, I really think the world will be OK if I quit at the end of the day. I'm not really that important, am I?
Sunday, November 04, 2007
New title & everything
Well, since it's been so long since I've been doing this blogging thing, I thought the most appropriate thing would be to start all over. So, I've redone the name & layout of my blog as a kind of fresh start.
I hope you like the look and I look forward to getting back into this- it was a great way to express thoughts, feelings, etc. but got lost somewhere in the busyness of life.
-JRO
I hope you like the look and I look forward to getting back into this- it was a great way to express thoughts, feelings, etc. but got lost somewhere in the busyness of life.
-JRO
Monday, October 23, 2006
Priorities & relationships
Hello blog world,
Any of you who have checked my blog recently have probably noticed that I haven't been updated nearly as much as I was over the summer- amazing what being back at work will do, huh? But, I have missed getting to share what's going on in my life and what is tossing around in this head of mine. I thought it would be quite appropriate to talk about something that's been on my mind lately and relates to why I haven't been blogging as much lately.
I've been thinking some lately about priorities and how they influence the way that we live. We are all busy today; I don't think there's any denying that. And we all have the same amount of time in each day to use as we choose. I used to think during college that life would get easier and I'd be less busy after school- definately not true. In my own life, I've noticed all of the things that I'd like to do that I haven't- having a more organized office, redoing a web site, calling/keeping up with more old friends, etc. So, I decided to try to prioritize what's important to me and try to spend my time based on that. That's certainly not an easy task and one that I am still trying to figure out.
One area in specific that needs some work is that of relationships. I heard a speaker a couple weeks ago remind us of the importance of the realationships with those around us. I believe that God puts people in our paths for a reason and we have some responsibility in that- am I appreciating/encouraging/sharpening those He's put around me, or am I neglecting them so that I can achieve something more at work or pursue some hobby? For those who know me, it probably doesn't come as a huge shock that I generally lean towards the workaholic/overachiever extreme. It's really easy for me to get busy at work and forget to call/IM some of my friends and see what's going on in their lives.
I think we're all like this too- we allow busyness and distractions to get in the way of relationships, even with those who are closest to us. But, years later, what's going to matter- how much I accomplished in a day or week or being there for a friend who needs me? Certainly something to think about.
I'm back, baby! (in the blogging business that is)
-JRO
Any of you who have checked my blog recently have probably noticed that I haven't been updated nearly as much as I was over the summer- amazing what being back at work will do, huh? But, I have missed getting to share what's going on in my life and what is tossing around in this head of mine. I thought it would be quite appropriate to talk about something that's been on my mind lately and relates to why I haven't been blogging as much lately.
I've been thinking some lately about priorities and how they influence the way that we live. We are all busy today; I don't think there's any denying that. And we all have the same amount of time in each day to use as we choose. I used to think during college that life would get easier and I'd be less busy after school- definately not true. In my own life, I've noticed all of the things that I'd like to do that I haven't- having a more organized office, redoing a web site, calling/keeping up with more old friends, etc. So, I decided to try to prioritize what's important to me and try to spend my time based on that. That's certainly not an easy task and one that I am still trying to figure out.
One area in specific that needs some work is that of relationships. I heard a speaker a couple weeks ago remind us of the importance of the realationships with those around us. I believe that God puts people in our paths for a reason and we have some responsibility in that- am I appreciating/encouraging/sharpening those He's put around me, or am I neglecting them so that I can achieve something more at work or pursue some hobby? For those who know me, it probably doesn't come as a huge shock that I generally lean towards the workaholic/overachiever extreme. It's really easy for me to get busy at work and forget to call/IM some of my friends and see what's going on in their lives.
I think we're all like this too- we allow busyness and distractions to get in the way of relationships, even with those who are closest to us. But, years later, what's going to matter- how much I accomplished in a day or week or being there for a friend who needs me? Certainly something to think about.
I'm back, baby! (in the blogging business that is)
-JRO
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