THE CARAVAN Volume 6, Issue 11, November 2007


LOOK TO THE LIGHT, NOT THE SHADOWS

I asked my friend Judy what I should write about this month and she said I should write about respect and courtesy as she seems to have had met many rude people in the last few days. As I was thinking about that I thought of a verse that I wrote in “Best in Life”.

“Human complexities aren’t black and white; they are every shade of grey. Don’t let the dark side creep into the brightness of the day.”

Judy is probably right about people needing to be more polite, more respectful and more considerate of others. The twist is that in The Model we talk about the fact that the only person in control of me is me. Therefore it is not up to me to lecture others on their behaviour, but for me to look at my behaviour and how I can be a mentor for others based on how I behave, not how I want others to behave.

I made a clear decision some time ago that nothing is wrong in my day and during the entire day I focus on the bright side and I do not worry about the shadows. Yes, there are people who cut me off while I’m in my car. There are people who don’t hold the door open for me when I am right behind them. And yes, there are people who are down right rude when approached. What I don’t know is what is going on in the complexities of their respective journeys. All I know is what they did to me, which is not in my control. The only thing that is in my control is what I do about my journey and how I treat people along the way.

As humans we tend to focus on the dark side and forget about how wonderful the bright side is. Judy was hit with a barrage of dark sides and forgot about the bright sides that happened to her during that same time period. We need to turn our focus around and as was said in a famous movie, “Not go to the dark side.”

Each day we travel the ups and the downs, the right turns and the left turns, the stops and starts of this wonderful journey we are on, we need to focus more on the wonders that make this journey so special.

I celebrate the parking spots I get, not the ones I don’t get. I celebrate the sunny days, not focus on the cloudy ones. I celebrate the good movies, not the bad ones. I celebrate my friends and I don’t focus on the others. I celebrate the kindness others show me and not focus on those who don’t. I celebrate each day as a new opportunity to grow, learn and share and to be able to make someone else’s day a little better for having met me.

What are you celebrating? Is it the dark side or is it the bright side? The decision is up to you not up to them.

Do something different. At the end of each day for one month, list all of the good things that happened to you and list all of the bad things as well. The interesting thing is that by the end of the month your good list will outshine your bad list. You will begin to see that many of the bad things are really not that bad and many of the good things that you used to overlook will be worth celebrating.

In my world there is really nothing wrong and there is a lot right.

Peace…


Ted



SIDEBAR
By Pierre R. Ouellette Hon.B.A., LL.B.

A Last Sidebar

It is with a mixture of regret and anticipation that I write to announce that this is my last Sidebar. I have departed from The Mouradian Group and wanted to offer a form of farewell.

When Ted and I started this little business adventure we were not quite sure where it would take us. Ted’s wonderful success in bringing forward his Cooperative Action Model to the general public actually has had a funny effect on me. The greater the understandable focus on the Model, the less involvement I seemed to have and want to do have with the process. This is just the way things work out at times and as a result that was the reason we decided it was time to move in different directions.

I want to spend more time helping people establish their new businesses or to assist in taking their businesses to a new level. I want to spend more time developing novel fundraising projects for not-for-profits and charities from across the country. I want to spend more time on some of my own special projects.

I will be maintaining my office here with Ted for the time being (43 Church Street, St. Catharines) and, indeed, will never be far. I will always support Ted in his mission and will be maintaining the files I have on hand and guide them to closing. It is a parting of the ways between friends as far as business is concerned and certainly not as far as friendship is concerned. Ted remains a person I will always respect and be honoured to call friend.

I can be reached by email at pierreoca@sympatico.ca or by phone at 1.905.321.4137. Thanks for all your emails and while I have the opportunity please accept my best wishes for the festive season that is right around the proverbial corner!



MOM’S TWO CENTS
By Jordin Williamson

ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF YOUR KIDS

I was thinking about what Ted said about celebrating the good things instead of focusing on the bad and I realized that it applies to my children as well. I love my kids and they are the light of my life but how many times do we tell others that. Or for that matter how many times do we tell them that.

When I am on the phone talking to a friend and they ask how things are going, do I say everything great that the kids did that day like saying please and thank you and cleaning up their dishes or do I tell them about the toys all over the house. I may mention the fact that one has just hit the terrible two’s and the other just told me she hates me and slammed her bedroom door? The kids hear that negativity and respond to it. Why do we focus on the dark side of things?

We should focus on the bright side of parenting. Why did we have children to begin with? I’m sure it wasn’t to tell our friends how much trouble they are and how tired they make us. I know I had children to add excitement to my life. To have these little people that look up to me and want to be like me. I want to teach them about all the good things in life and that includes the good things about them.

So, I’m going to make a conscious effort to tell them how great they are! I’m going to tell them not just that I love them but how proud they make me. I’m going to thank them for the little things they do not just point out the bad things. Remembering that I want them to be just like me and my husband. I want them to grow up to be confident and caring people that make those around them better for having met them.



Quote of the Month
Submitted by Brodi Mouradian

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
- Yoda (Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace)


To find out how we can help you or your organization please browse our website listed below.