Bus Women
Oct 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. “
Johnny Carson always said, “If you buy the premise, you’ll buy the joke.” I have but one premise tonight: and it’s no joke…
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. 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.
Proverbs: “The cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Do you know of anyone who seems to have a continual feast?
Helen Dickens.
LET ME TAKE THESE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER: (And some I won’t mention at all.)
IF YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUAL FEAST OF JOY…Don’t let SURPRISES BOTHER YOU Matt J: Baritone.
IF YOU WOULD HAVE A CONTINUAL FEAST OF JOY BE FREE TO BE YOURSELF. Jim Kern: Mrs. Brown
Quest Happiness Test.. two fingers…
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 81. 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.
One way to assure this in your job:
Make a conscious effort to be creative in your work
Best teaching decision I ever made… 20 years ago started burning my lesson plans from the previous years.. all tests.. I decided that the moment I started doing things because I’ve always done it that way, I’d quit teaching. Grammar to 7th-graders.
Inasmuch as you can, look for ways to be creative in your work. Just begin with this simple premise… the people in your life are most important, everything else ranks #2. Now.. how can you make others happy?
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. New bride at Triopia.. we are living her marriage with her. All she does in recounting last night is to make today miserable. Corrie Ten Boom: Worry does not empty tomorrow of it’s sorrow. It empties today of its joy.
I could look in some of your purses and bags and read your anxieties. 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. ...do some serious coloring ....get the preacher to serve pizza at the next communion. ...start living to succeed instead of living in fear of failing... ...break the dress code occasionally.
.....McDonnald’s “Have a nice Day” Why?
(Roger Ebert?)
Chuck Swindoll.. a minister and author… says as a minister he has a real danger of mistaking himself for an undertaker. Preached on praying for what you need the most. Lady: 31 year old divorcee. Hung pants on bedpost. Father in heaven, hear my prayer, and grant one if you can. I’ve hung a pair of trousers there, please fill them with a man. “Dear Chuck.. I am wondering if I should be worried about something. It has to do with our son. For the last two weeks I have noticed he has gone to bed with a woman’s bikini over the foot of his bed. Should I be concerned about this?
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…” Charlie Rose interviewed a man …Johnstone….who at age 93 is still the most in demand architect in the United States. Secret of his success: “If life were 100 times longer I’d still have no excuse for being bored a single minute of it. The hottest places in hell are reserved for the whiners and complainers.”
Someone will always be paid more than you for doing less. Get over it. Someone will always seem to have an easier schedule. 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. Many are incapable of doing a good job. AUNT EFFIE DOLLS: Sex ed.. toilet seat. Some people really don’t know any better.
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.
I teach a class called 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. If I were one of those highly paid motivational speakers I’d now ask you to all stand up, turn to someone near you and say, “I am sometimes wrong.” But I always hate it when a speaker does that. Instead.. just look at them.. you can tell it’s true by the look on their face.
Recently had an administrator who was a complete incompetent but we didn’t care. He complimented people. Our little Methodist church has had a string of incompetent ministers. We don’t care. It’s our church. We ignore the incompetents and go on doing Christ’s work. We make our church, not the minister. We now have a great minister and frankly don’t know what to do with him.
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. BOB SLAVENS A simple test, if you received as much praise as you give, would that be enough? Conway Twitty.
Becky Easley
8 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.” I urge you.. eat hearty!
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