One of life’s certainties is that we’re going to make mistakes. Some will be big and some will be HUGE! (Or at least we’ll be certain that they were.) Most are just mistakes we make that we’ll learn from or not, appreciate or not and understand or not. We kid ourselves  into believing that all of these mistakes are somehow the spawn of ego and evil. No! One of the biggest things we forget is that we can make mistakes of the good as well!  Sometimes we might not go far enough toward being benevolent and sometimes we might go too far. One thing’s for sure, it’s about time we start seeing and understanding the good parts about us and then make them more effective and more loving.  Just imagine what kind of people we’d be and what kind of world we’d live in if we made most of our mistakes by  being too Kind, Loving, Empathetic, Honorable, Honest, Loyal, Charitable, Respectful, Responsible, Humble, Compassionate, Decent, Fair, Forgiving, Authentic, Courageous, Generous, Polite,  Optimistic, Reliable, Conscientious, Encouraging, Forgiving, Considerate and just downright Nice. Sure would be a lot different, huh? So until we meet again over the next One Minute Blog, and Common Man’s Wisdom Podcast, let’s do this…   Let’s sit down and write out on a piece of paper what we think our best qualities are. I mean all of them and don’t stop till the page looks pretty full!  Then, let’s do our best to make our best traits even better! Do your best to show others what a good trait looks like no matter what the situation is.    Talk to your other half or your kids and your friends about it. Get them to do the same and then talk to each other about the good stuff that’s now going on in your life.  You can even keep score at the end of each  day by underlining the traits that you exercised that day. Then at the end of a week or so, you might be surprised how many good traits you’re showing the rest of the world… and maybe how many you aren’t.  So the next time you make a mistake, look at it and see what kind of mistake it was. Did it come from you being good or bad? Either way, maybe it’ll be easier to learn from it and then give yourself a break. After you do THAT, you can go back to that paper you filled full of your good traits and underline benevolent!  Peace       ……Gregg

Gregg Masters3 hr ago 1 Sometimes we look at things or hear things over and over and they tend to lose meaning. Sometimes they never achieve their purpose because we hear them or see them and think to ourselves, “Oh,that’s nice” and leave it at that. Yeah, let’s not do that! In this One Minute Blog I want to explain the meaning behind something that I now recite every night. It means a great deal to me and since it was originally told to me, has changed my outlook and my life. The quick backstory is I first heard this Lakota Prayer at the end of a few long and dangerous weeks. We were on our way home and as tired as I was I was hurting too much to sleep. I wasn’t alone, most of us were hurt, injured or nicked up some how. At some point on the flight, the most wise person I think I’ve ever met came and sat down next to me. She was feeling the same as I was. As we talked, she told me about the Lakota Prayer.  I asked her if she remembered it and she said she still recited it each night and asked if I’d like to hear it. Since saying yes on that flight, it not only changed my outlook on life, but has changed my life. Here it is. Pay careful attention as you read to not only what the words are asking but how your life might change if these various things would happen. For me it came down to a bottom line of will I be a better person? In my case the answer was yes. My hope is not only to expose you to this incredible piece of ancient wisdom, I’m also hoping to remind you about the myriad of other things that might be happening in your life that could add unimagined impact to your life. If you’re so inclined, recite this for a week or so and note any changes. Share this with your spouse, partner, kids or your friends. Thank you for allowing me to share this. I’ll consider it a success if this has even given you something to consider. Peace      ……Gregg

5 years ago I wrote a blog that dealt with that most hated term known as the “New Year’s Resolution.” (Note: Never ever write a blog about New Year’s Resolutions!) So this year I took a different approach. I also took a little and gave a little from each year from then until now and hopefully mixed in some of the wisdom that has rubbed off over the years. Call them suggestions, recommendations even urgent pleas, but what ever you do, don’t mention the “R”word! So to kick things off, let’s start here. Don’t make Resolutions instead, make promises or plans. If you want to make it even more real, write out a contract on paper and sign it! This makes your proposed changes a bit more real and easier for you to remember during those “weak” moments during the year. Don’t be so concerned about getting rid of things you’re upset about or frustrated inyour life(losing weight, being better at something, etc.)  Instead, focus on what you can add in 2022 that will make your life better. For instance, if you want to lose weight (don’t we all?) instead of promising to join a gym and get up at 4:30 am every day to exercise, (which in 3 weeks you’ll end up “snooze alarming away”) focus instead on adding some healthy things. Commit to eating more fruit or make a healthy fruit shake instead of a sugary soda. Find positive things you can add to your life and soon those negative things you were worried about will drop away one by one. Go Slow!!! Man, this is one’s important! Want to see some changes in your life? Baby Steps! Make a list and then edit it down. Let’s say you come up with 12 things you’d like to see happen in your life. Actually, schedule them each month. January – eat more fruits, nuts and berries than candy. February – turn the electronic devices off during dinner. You get the idea. The important thing is not to plan on sweeping changes. Plan on small changes that are simple to make. Trust me, you won’t lose 40 pounds overnight but through baby steps, you’re much more likely to make positive changes that will last! We all have “To-Do Lists.” I recommend writing a “To-Done List!” What is that? It’s a list where we sit down at some point during the week and write down our successes, big and small! What are the things we’ve done that went well, helped someone else, made us feel good, gave us some relaxation or peace? We are programmed to forget these moments. WELL DON’T!!! Write them down and celebrate them. Then, at the end of each month, take a look at those 4 pieces of paper with your successes and congratulate yourself for the things you’ve accomplished that month! Make yourself realize the truth about what and why you want to change or accomplish this coming year.  Are they things you really want to accomplish or are they things you think you should accomplish? Are they things others say you need to accomplish?  Why? Are […]