Brown County Fair Board
Oct 23 2000
Nice Intro.. I used to say, “Oh that’s very nice, but it’s not true.” I don’t any more. After I’ve spoken for a few minutes, the audience knows it’s not true. Sometimes I’d like to give a speech on speaking experiences.. Pilot Club.. forgot Illinois College.. Cerro Gordo.. famous authors Been introduced as Ray Bradbury twice. Drove to Metropolis (Please.. we’ve heard so much about you) one night after school… a long drive.. Bank President: “I’ll be damned if I can remember his name, but here he is. “
Good to be in Mt. Sterling.. all through high school, I dated Mt. Sterling girls.. my brother found the best one and married her.
I subscribe to the theory that we all are motivated by one thing alone: The desire to be happy. I believe that every move you make is motivated by your desire to be happy. What choices you made as you ate your supper tonight. Whether or not you came tonight. What you’re wearing right now. Whether or not you’ll take your next breath.
I’ll admit, sometimes we guess wrong. Two nights ago.. a “revolving dinner” designed so that a certain group would get to know each other. The longest night of the month. I thought I’d be happy. I was miserable. Salmon. People tell me it’s wonderful. I’ve tried salmon all my life… even at gourmet restaurants … even in the middle of a Salmon hatchery in Alaska. I still don’t like it. But I want to. I want to be happy. I wanted to buy a Chrysler PT Cruiser this year. I didn’t. I bought a Pontiac Grand Prix. I’m not happy about it. It’s not terribly important, but I’d rather have the PT Cruiser.
THE KEY TO MOST SUCCESS IS SIMPLE…IT’S JOY.
If you don’t buy that, the next few minutes of my speech is going to be really boring to you, so at least pretend you believe it. THE KEY TO MOST SUCCESS IS JOY.
Caterpillar strike..
Simple test: think a moment.. the two happiest people you know… Now: a magic trick: I’ll tell you about them. They were either a man or a woman. (How am I doing?) Their age was illusive because of their attitude. They spend a good many waking minutes thinking about the happiness of others. They seemed to like you. They are secure enough to laugh….they’re confident. Surprises delight rather than bother them. They seem to be at home and comfortable nearly everywhere. They tend to think that what they do is important.
Tonight, let me give you a new and fresh way to celebrate Thanksgiving. The book of Proverbs tells us how. Proverbs: “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Let me tell you how to have a continual feast.
Helen Dickens.
LET ME TAKE THESE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: (And some I won’t mention at all.)
1st: IF YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUAL FEAST OF JOY… ACCEPT CHANGE AND SURPRISES AS A PART OF YOUR JOB. Matt J: Baritone.
2nd: IF YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUAL FEAST OF JOY BE FREE TO BE YOURSELF. Quest Happiness Test.. two fingers… Loretta LaRoche in her JOY OF STRESS...says we all go around with this committee in our head..the infamous “they”...they who are always watching us... in our head. “What would they think?” Put that committee on a bus and take it for a ride tomorrow morning.. Tell them “I’m drivin’ and we’re goin’ for a ride.” ...My friend: Myron Strubbe...sings full-voice to the songs playing in Walmart.
...Jeff W: Always backed through the Drive up at McDonnalds.
…My dad.. banker.. Christmas tree on head.
NUMBER 3: You’ve got to be sold on the importance of what you’re doing to be successful at it. Some of us lose our joy because we’ve lost your sense of importance.
Nursing home: the real tragedy.. the depression, comes not so much from disease and infirmity and simply uselessness. Lost my mother two years ago.. My Dad’s companion for 54 years.. in his words, “I was just getting used to her.” Dad is 84. Healthy. Works every day. Mows every widow’s yard within a ten mile radius. My brother and I have found that the most important responsibility we have toward my Dad is not seeing to his health or physical well-being, but simply letting him know how important he is to us. We went 40 years without tell him. We must be convinced of our importance.
What you do is important for small town America..especially… for our kids.
You want the facts? The kids growing up in your small community are 3X less likely to divorce because they live where they do. They are half as likely to become involved in drugs. They will live 22% longer because of their lifestyle. And in a USA TODAY poll, twice as many of them labeled themselves as simply.. “Happy.” What you do makes a difference. You’ve been given the job of preserving the small town way of life.
AIR ITALIA
You all have been doubly blessed in your occupation. To do your job, you must make other people happy. If you hear nothing else I say tonight, hear this: Stop looking at this as a burden. In public service we often look upon “making people happy” as the hardest part of our job. Please… please look upon it as your greatest blessing. Joe Lieberman’s book, In Praise of Public Life: a beautiful defense of good that’s done every day by public officials… buy it now in case the price of the book goes up after November 7th. “Every day of my life I make a choice. I can believe my critics or trust that God will show me how to help my fellow man.”
NUMBER 4: TO HAVE JOY, YOU MUST KEEP FIGHT THE TEMPTATION TO DO THE SAME THINGS OVER AND OVER IN THE SAME WAYS. Best way to do this, constantly reevaluate how you do things. Lady… ham… pan….
5TH: To have joy in your work, you need to keep your perspective. Lighten up. You are not the end of the world. Most of what you do can be corrected by someone else. Leave your anxieties at home. Most of us brought ours with us and we don’t need yours. LIGHTEN UP.... ....go barefoot more often ....turn off the TV some night and pull taffy. ...eat nothing but ice cream for a whole day. ...wear underwear backwards...will break into uncontrollable giggles for no reason every time you think about it. ....walk up to biggest grouch you know and say “I just want you to know that I feel great!” It’ll throw them off all day. ...break the dress code occasionally. Your own, not the schools. .....McDonnald’s “Have a nice Day” Why?
Sometimes we just need to lighten up. 3 things are important: When you’re born, when you die, and when you make a difference in someone else’s life.. in everything else, lighten up.
NUMBER SIX: You cannot have joy in your work while you play the blame game. I do morning calisthenics.. wake up feeling good then I start putting weights on myself.. I think about teachers who I disagree with, administrators who I disagree with….. irresponsible parents… I’m so heavy by the time I get to school, I can hardly get out of the car. Your job will never be fair. Get over it. If you don’t, you’ll suffer more than those you’re angry with. Whoever said, “Get it off your chest…”
Someone will always be paid more than you for doing less. Get over it. Someone will always seem to have an easier workload. Get over it. If you had their schedule you’d become less of an employee, not more. 90% of the work in the world is done by people who don’t have time to do it. I hope that’s you. Stop playing the blame game with your fellow workers. Most are doing the best they can.
NUMBER SEVEN: To have joy in your job, you must remind yourself that you are not the best at everything. Give credit even to those who irritate you. There are people who are better than you at some things. Big deal. We’re in this together and they are helping you by being great. Tell them so. Appreciate each other. The most valuable teacher in my building.. I’ve never been in his classroom, I’ve never asked kids about what kind of teacher he is although they’re always quick to tell me he’s great. He’s the most valuable person in the building because he’s an encourager. Ed Anderson. He encourages the teachers. He encourages the kids.
Quest.. self-confidence class. Last week I asked them: 1) Name someone who gave you money at least two years ago. Few could remember. THEN.. 2) name someone who gave you a compliment two years ago that you still remember.
Encouragement is the cheapest and the most valuable gift we can give one another.
Face it, sometimes you’re just wrong. Airport.. cookies.. Face it, sometimes we’re wrong.
EIGHT: To have joy , you have to realize You will never get the credit you deserve. Most people don’t. Doctors in show… lonely, no social life. People intimidated by them. Lincoln show with lawyers.. truly hurt by lack of respect.. If you think you have it tough as a teacher… trying listening to lawyer jokes. Recent email from Gus Gordon.
A simple test, if you received as much praise as you give, would that be enough? Conway Twitty.
NINE: It’s awfully hard to have joy without faith.
I have no idea how a person can have joy in their work without faith in God. Honestly: I would quit tomorrow. Make yourself this bargain: for every minute you spend worrying about your work, spend a minute praying for it. If you’re an atheist, find some sweat old Baptist lady and ask her to pray for you. What’s it gonna hurt? “Don’t worry, be happy?” Nope. Not as long as you’re human. Weird Al Saturday night.. man at intermission.. “How do you like it?” “How should I know? My daughter’s in Pittsfield on her first date.” But you can have happiness even in the midst of anxiety.
Proverbs: “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Speaking as one who has a stake in how well you do you job.. whose children’s future depends upon it, I urge you… I urge you.. eat hearty of this continual feast!
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