The image of attempting to climb two trees with one foot braces against each trunk is painfully awkward.  It obviously would be much more efficient to climb one tree at a time.  Yet I often find myself doing something similar to my mind by reading, watching TV and listening to a family member all at the same time.  My brain is able to take in all of the different inputs into short term memory, but only a few of them get thoroughly processed and retained long term.  Much of my brain...

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As an old retiree, I have lots of freedom in choosing how to use my time and time to think about my legacy.
            

      Nothing that we do, create or acquire will last unless we raise another generation that is prepared to maintain what we have created and to build on our accomplishments.  If we don’t prepare the children in our community to carry on after we have gone, nothing else will matter.

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My reality still isn't all I want it to be.  So I'll keep dreaming of better futures.

It is easy to get so involved with the details of daily life that we neglect to think about our ideal life.  A good dream is like a compass; it keeps us pointed in the desired direction.

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Before starting out on a voyage, the Captain is clear about his destination and has a navigation map to guide him.  Before we undertake any task, we should make sure we understand our goal and create a plan to get us there.

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As I get ready to go out shopping:

There many cool things in the world; whenever I see one of them I want it.  Every year, there is a better computer and a neater car that I would like to buy.  If I had yielded to these temptations I could not have paid off my mortgage, paid for my children’s college and taken an early retirement to enjoy the beaches and four seasons of Cape Cod.  When I think about what is really important to me, I am happy to drive my old car until it is too worn out to ...

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How did Sir Edmund Hillary get to the top of Mount Everest?  
                                                                                                             One step at a time.

If you have a big job in front of you, you will never get it done unless you take the first step.  Waiting around won’t make the journey get any shorter, it will just leave you less time to complete it.

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Looking straight down from a high place somehow gets my mind to think about falling, and that thought makes it harder to keep my balance.  The young girl in the picture had no such fear – she was far to focused on reaching the top to let go of the rope before she got there.  The only obstacles that we want to pay attention to are the ones that are directly between us and our goals.

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