slight edge

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;

I'll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I shan't be gone long. -- You come too.

I'm going out to fetch the little calf
That's standing by the mother. It's so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I shan't be gone long. -- You come too. 

“The Pasture” was one of Frost’s first poems, published in 1915 in the introduction of his first American collection. Afterward when Frost gave public readings, he often opened with “The Pasture,” inviting his audience to come along on his journey. I’m inviting you to come along on this journey! 

I asked OneSmartGuy what he thought of self-help books.  He said--Every study shows that almost all the people that read self-help books don't follow any of the advice or do not actually implement any of the strategies. In other words, such books are a waste of time and don't crest change. That comes elsewhere. 

MY OPINION is that to have a successful life, folks need to have an equally balanced life. I like to use the equilateral triangle to show this.  I think we need to be balanced physically (i.e. have exercise regularly), mentally (i.e. read and listen to good stuff—be around good folks) and spiritually (i.e. you have to mediate with God).  It appears to me that many successful folks (i.e. what I think success is) do this.  Look around.  It works for the long haul folks. It’s just a suggestion—I’m not preaching but I could be!!!! Besides if you guys won’t listen to any of the advice of the self-help books, you surely won’t listen to anything I tell ya (i.e. you didn’t even pay for this)!  Sooooo my expectations are very low of you guys.  But you might want to get some chips and sit on the couch and read the rest of “It’s Saturday” anyway. But don’t get your electronic devices greasy from the chips!!! There I go again, preaching!!!!! 

IthcieBitchie says—We all know all that stuff in those self-help books. We have heard that stuff a thousand times from other books and from other folks (e.g. to lose weight or control weight we need to control our calorie intake and exercise regularly) …we don’t do it.  We know all the information about all that stuff but we don’t do it (i.e. we just don’t do it).  We would rather die or live a miserable life than do it.  I understand ItchieBitchie.  I understand.  My Daddy, Chester would say to me—erv, there is no discipline better than self-discipline.  It’s really bad when money can’t even force a person to change.  Money seems to drive almost everything and everything. Such is life.

Hank (i.e. anybody can be a Hank) says--That probably the two biggest reasons folks change are life threatening experiences or having a relationship with God.  Those probably are a couple of good reasons.  But many folks have life threatening experiences and not everyone changes but it appears that all who have a relationship with God do (i.e. at least somewhat). My friends who go to AA say that folks aren’t successful in changing their habit if they don’t accept that there is a higher power. I asked several acquaintances why they changed their life habits. One said—I came to my senses. Another said—I finally matured. Another said—I just woke up one day and saw it.  Another one said—I have no idea. Micheal Phelps said--It was meant to be (i.e. google what changed his life folks if you don't know--unbelievable). SensationalPete says--I don't know about that, I think it's all in the cupping. They all sound good to me but why did they do that.  That is still the question I have.  Others didn’t, why did they?

AverageJoe says--I can tell you the answer right now: It will only happen if you choose to change, because it isn’t going to happen accidentally.

I read, skimmed, paged through the book The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson.  It’s a self-help book.  You ask why would I read another self-help book?  Well it was recommended by Mountain Wings devotion that I get daily with this wording--People often ask, "What books should I read?" That is the question The100Books.com will answer. I will tell you now the first book that you should read. It is the Slight Edge. Most have never heard of the Slight Edge so why do I say the Slight Edge? Why not the Bible as the first book? Because with so many of us, it is not necessarily what book that is the issue, it is the fact that we do not have a regular reading habit at all. That is the issue. The Slight Edge is the first book that you should read or listen to because it helps you with developing a regular habit in many areas of life and that slight edge makes all the difference. It really does.

“Rome ne s’est pas faite en un jour. (Rome wasn’t built in a day.)” Here is part of the book The Slight Edge—I could tell you that if you would agree to read ten pages of one of these good books every single day, over time, you could not help but accumulate all the knowledge you’d ever need to be as successful as you could ever want to be…If you kept this up for a year, you would have read 3,650 pages—the equivalent of one of two dozen books of life-transforming material. Would your life have changed? Absolutely. No question.  That sounds good but very few do it (i.e. less than 5%).  I guess we just have to do it (i.e. anyway that is what Nike says). Sooooo that is the rest of the story.  It’s not like military training where they make you do it.  Most would rather watch some useless program on TV (i.e. probably the other 95%).

Saturday question--I still don't understand why some have an appetite to be better and other don't. What is it? 

In the book Slight Edge, the author says that folks will pretty much be like their 5 best friends.  I can buy into that (i.e. birds of a feather sorta kinda flock together).  Do you think you would want Donnie or Hillary to be one of your best 5 friends?  I would not. From what I read and hear, many other folks would not either. It appears that many do not think of them as nice folks…I can't believe what I'm seeing right in front of my eyes! Two cartoon characters vying for the Presidency. They both make me LOL! Sooo I need some help here folks. Which one is worst? I really think that any of my golf buddies or pickleball buddies would be better candidates than those two. I trust my buddies! Those two make me nervous! UnconventionalDonnie’s slogan is—I can fix everything but has no plan.  SameO sameO Hillary says—I will give everyone everything you want (i.e. we have heard that a time or two but that campaign slogan has worked in the past). They both seem to be a bit slimy—my opinion and you really don’t care about my opinion.  I really understand that.  I’m just a little old farm boy a mile and a fourth south of Roseland, MN (i.e. everyone is a kid from somewhere).  Why would you really care about my opinion when you can go to the coffee shop and hear some real important opinions! 

I read in the paper sooooo it must be right--The major political parties have had their moments in the sun...but voters view Donnie and Clinton less favorably than any other major-party presidential candidates since pollsters first started asking the question in the late 1960s.  Ouchy ouchy! How can this be? What in the world is going on.  It's a joke folks and the joke is being played on us.  Crazy.  LuckieEddie says--You can flip a coin (i.e. heads I win and tells you lose) and it probably won't make much difference; it could be a disaster folks. And we might be the victims.  Crazy.

Sooo, the OneSmartGuy said—That comes elsewhere.  What do you think he meant? I have no idea! Help me here. He said it like I should know.  I guess I’m not as smart as he thinks I am.  His expectations of me are higher than they should be.  Such is life.

MY OPINION—Believing in Jesus is more than a slight edge; it’s a huge massive edge.  And why would you listen to me anyway? Now that is a good question.  Like I said earlier, my expectations are not high for any of you to change because of me (i.e. I question if some of you are very teachable--you are just old dogs).  Those self-help authors make a lot of money off you guys buying their books and you don’t change.  I do it free.  ManOman!  And here is something else to think about—Why would you suckers even think about anything I say when you have Tweeter, Facebook, Siri, and Goggle and you can also read the StarTribune and watch NBC Knightly News. Really folks, think through that. 

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFriendJean says--Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself.

P.S. "I took the one less traveled by And that has made all the difference." ~ Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken