Ted Schneider "Improv Leadership" The Life wrlr 98.3 FM

 Costa Rica 5/4/24 - I traveled to Costa Rica this week and it is quite different from the US. Some of the main differences, there is no military and instead they use some of the money for free college and free healthcare for all. A single person can live on between $1600 and $2000 a month. Nearly all of their energy is produced by renewable energy sources and more than 25% of the country is protected in National Parks. I realize Costa Rica is about the size of West Virginia and what they make work for 5.2 million people probably would be a challenge to apply to the 332 million people in the US but what if even some of this was possible? How different would life be? 

Unicorns and pearls 4/27/24 – The definition of a unicorn is, “something that is highly desirable but difficult to find or obtain” or a “mythical animal.” I have referred to my girlfriend as a unicorn because of her rare qualities and how long it has taken to find her. But the more I thought about the term I wasn’t sure it was fitting because a unicorn is not real. What else is rare and sought after? The answer, a pearl. Only one in about 10,000 wild oysters will yield a pearl and of those only a small percentage achieve the size, shape, and color desirable to the jewelry industry. What does this mean? It sometimes can take a long time to find someone special, someone who stands out and is rare almost mythical and like a pearl is stunning the way they are (since pearls require no cutting or polishing – they are beautiful the way they are formed).  

Having a moment 4/20/24 - In contemporary, informal US English, if two people are “having a moment” they are sharing an intimate experience. On the other hand, a missed opportunity for a significant or emotional connection is considered, “we almost had a moment.” My top 10 ways to “have a moment” with someone more often than not: 1-Be present and fully engaged (eliminate distractions) 2-Develop a level of EQ (emotional intelligence), 3-Lead with your heart (explore what it feels like to be ruled by your heart once in a while), 4-Become a conversationalist (and actively participate), 5-Make it about them (focus on the other person’s needs), 6-Be vulnerable (put yourself out there), 7-Maintain a positive outlook (thus emitting positive vibes), 8-Be honest with your feelings (being genuine is an attractive quality), 9- Be open to new experiences (have some ‘firsts’ now and then) and 10- Maintain a level of personal hygiene (ensuring positive moments versus unpleasant, smelly moments).

Pencils 4/13/24 - On occasion I use a pencil to jot down notes, make a grocery list etc. and I was thinking how there are similarities between pencils and humans. Pencils gradually wear down and get dull and you must occasionally sharpen them. Humans get tired, worn down and taking breaks/naps, vacations, in general, usually make us sharper and more focused. Pencils come with erasers but if you look close you can sometimes see faint images of what you tried to erase. Humans make mistakes and even though we try to forget them, move on etc., there are faint reminders of our past that linger. Pencils are versatile, uncomplicated, and easy to use. Humans should be the same way – flexible, simple, and easy going. Pencils are a mixture of graphite and clay binder which might easily be erased but is resistant to moisture, ultraviolet radiation, and natural aging which to me sounds like something I want to aspire to - especially the part of being resistant to ultraviolet radiation and aging. Lastly, pencils, with regular use, get smaller and smaller and at some point, no longer function as designed. As humans age, we get smaller and smaller until we are no longer around. Lesson learned, don’t totally erase your mistakes so you can learn from them, stay as sharp as possible and realize that even though you may be shrinking make every attempt to stay as useful as possible to the very end.  

Words 4/6/24 - There are somewhere between 170,000 and one million words in the English language. Regardless of the exact number, it is a relatively static number (a few new words are added each year while others fall out of popular culture). What hit me the other day is with a finite number of words there are about four million new book titles published each year. Look at the number of movies made and the dialogue each contains. Think of all the poems ever written along with advertising campaigns and a variety of other publications such as magazines, newspapers and even sales brochures. How do a limited number of words support all these forms of communications? It really is just arranging these words in a certain order (with apparently endless combinations and possibilities). Lesson learned, if a limited set of words can be used in what appears to be an endless string of sentences to form stories, articles, books, and scripts etc., you should be able to mimic this as well. A limited number of anything simply means you need to explore your creative side to determine how to put them together that is unique and meaningful. With a limited number of anything you need to use them carefully to get your message across. Lastly, don’t let a limited set of resources stop you from reaching a goal, finding success or properly communicating your thoughts and ideas. 

Some people…. 3/30/24

1. Some yearn to be seen while others don’t want people to see who they really are.

2. Some sleepwalk at night while others sleepwalk through life.

3. Some seize up while others seize the day.

4. Some wish for more than they pray for.

5. Some either forgot or don’t know why they were born.

6. Some live so much in the past that they miss experiencing the present.

7. Some define others by something singular, not realizing most are not one dimensional.

8. Some say they are listening but if you gave them a pop quiz they would fail miserably.

9. Some let others define who they are.

10. Some don’t realize that although the once blank page of their life is quickly filling up as they age, they can simply turn the page over to continue writing.

Do you believe in magic? 3/23/24 - You can tell spring is here with flowers popping up and the grass turning green – it’s like magic how this cycle of life begins. There is also more magic going on all around us. Think about the earth’s spin axis. When the earth's axis points towards the sun, it is summer for that hemisphere. When the earth's axis points away, winter can be expected – how is this not some sort of magic? The average adult human heart beats about 100,000 times a day – is this not magic? Think about the act of waking up. The optic nerve in your eyes senses the morning light. Then the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus is located in the hypothalamus) triggers the release of cortisol and other hormones to help you wake up. When darkness comes, the SCN sends messages to the pineal gland. This gland triggers the release of melatonin – how is this not magic? Lastly, think of what the sun can do 92.51 million miles away – it only makes life possible from providing heat to helping plants grow – if this isn’t magic I don’t know what is. Finally what I find to be truly magic is when two people meet and there is a connection, chemistry, communication and finally a commitment. When this all comes together it can be spellbinding, captivating and enchanting and in my opinion this might not be magic but it is certainly magical.