Author: Jim Klopovic

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Life Perspectives

What Does Skeet Shooting Have to Do with Living Well?

What Does Skeet Shooting Have to Do with Living Well

Prepare for a long and eventful life, and you will have it. This has been my experience. I knew that there would come a day when I would retire from working for a paycheck. And so, it came. One must consider how to make this transition and remain vital, vigorously-engaged and connected by planning early and continuously. Hobbies are an important part of this “second” act.

When I am asked, “How are you?” My response is, “Too young for Medicare, and too old for the women to care.” (OK – not true on both counts!) I am on Medicare, and I share a loving, romantic relationship. I thought about the situation described by this joke, which rarely escapes a laugh.

We may develop good habits, scientifically proven as the below are, with living well, well past working for a living, by practicing:

  • Gratefulness – Are we historically, emphatically and most remarkably born in the greatest country in history? Yes! Here, dreams do come true.
  • Exercising – This is for health, but it is exercising the human condition, the whole body, mind, and spirit, which are the elements of thriving. Learn to thrive to be 100; many of us will achieve this milestone.
  • Meditation – Just 10 minutes every morning can have a daily impact for a lifetime.
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Life Perspectives

There Are Two Sides to Everything

Jim Klopovic There are Two Sides to Everything

There are two sides to everything.

I happened to be clearing COVID questions before an eye examination yesterday. The “gatekeeper” was decrying the state of the pandemic. I merely said, “Well, we don’t have the black death, dengue fever, yellow fever, scurvy and a few others.” A fellow off to the side, in the sourest way, growled, “Yeah! tell that to all the people who have died.” Ah me, I wish I knew one thing as well as this guy knows everything, they say. I saved my breath and am sure Cicero would have done the same.

We can think of things one dimensionally – my or no way. In other words, we can focus on the downside of our nearly minute-to-minute struggles with obstacles, or we can see the other side. How about beginning your study of how it is to live the Good Life and perhaps reading Cicero on growing old? We can view our eventuality as a horrible prospect with a river of constant fear, or we can see that growing old is a real privilege and not so bad after all. We all do it; how we do it matters. Plan for growing old with vigor and vitality, and you will.

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Becoming a New Wave Leader Calming Techniques Techniques for Quieting the Mind

Everyone Has Ten Minutes a Day
– How to Start Clearing Your Racing Mind

Start Clearing Your Racing Mind

The science of how to live well continues in an avalanche. We know that Being Good, Doing Good, for the Common Good builds brain synapses to grow the process. We also know that doing simple, routine practices do the same.

The result is your personal movement to:

  • Improve health and wellbeing continuously
  • Improve vital and vigorous age-appropriate longevity
  • Having happiness discover you as it should
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– How to Start Clearing Your Racing Mind”
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Becoming a New Wave Leader Leadership Techniques

Life Mottos Guide You as You Become
More of What You Were Meant to Be

If you do not have a life motto, I suggest documenting one is a worthwhile thing to do. You will find as I have that it changes as you develop. My latest one is:

Work Hard — Fail Often — Do Well.

This says so much.

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More of What You Were Meant to Be”
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Leadership Techniques

Leadership Techniques: Farmin’ a Little Cotton

I have a friend who “farms a little cotton.” He has over 1,000 acres of his own cotton, beans, and tobacco, and gins for a couple of counties. All this in his multi-million-dollar cotton gin of his own design. A few years ago, in an average year, he ginned a little over 12 million pounds of the white stuff. Yeah, he farms a little. To say he is successful is an understatement. Yes, he has a first class set of brains; yet it is his humility that shines.

One of his leadership techniques is that when something goes wrong, he first pauses and asks, “What did I do wrong?” He really penetrates to the heart of what part he played in a problem. This goes to the heart of character, introspection. And he does it with utmost humility. Thus, he first analyzes and amends how he behaves, then implements those changes and does it over and over. This is a leader!

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Becoming a New Wave Leader

Minutes Count

Minutes Count

Let’s get right to it: So many of us avoid, or obsess about, or are in terror of the end of life. Answers to this reality are simple. Let’s begin with one of our most remarkable ancient philosophers, Marcus Aurelius – yes, the roman emperor who ruled 161-180 CE – one of the “good emperors,” and the same emperor in The Gladiator. Think of him visiting with Maximus in his tent just after crushing the last of the Germanic tribes as he reflected on his legacy and life lessons learned:

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Becoming a New Wave Leader The 48 Laws of Power

Amoral … Cunning … Ruthless

A blog is only as good as your comments.1

The Amazon book description page for The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green is a grabber: “Amoral, cunning, ruthless …,” a book for people who have an interest in “… total domination.” Who would not want to “Buy Now” just to see what is on the other side?

This brings a great question: What good is power (and total domination) if you aren’t good?

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Becoming a New Wave Leader

A Simple Formula to Simplify Life (S3) = Simple, Suitable, Sustainable

Simplify Your Life

When we develop simple rules to live by, much becomes possible because more become doable. You find it is actually easier to get through the day because you have a criterion to do what you must do, want to do or like to do. Yes, this even leaves time in the evening for a guilty pleasure even NetFlix.

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Becoming a New Wave Leader

Anyone Can Leave a Legacy – A Question

I am a lucky guy for many reasons. One of which is that “retirement” brings the most wonderful people into my orbit. I have the sincere honor to make the acquaintance of the man, Reuven Bar-On, who “invented” the Emotional Quotient some 30+ years ago. One of those things that, as Mr. Jobs said, “Put a little ding in the universe.” Reuven is now updating it for wider and wider application. What a great way to leave something lasting. Reuven and I had an email conversation considering a question we may want to ask: Will what I am doing stand the test of time by bettering myself and those around me?

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Becoming a New Wave Leader

Perspectives from the Greatest Generation

I have had the good fortune to visit with a few members of the Greatest Generation, parents of the Boomers. They’ve seen economic depression, the death and destruction of world war, pandemics that killed millions, and personal tragedies enough for two lifetimes. They were women, their men long gone. Each of them was a walking history book and an example of a remarkably buoyant view of life. They accepted their decline and were always ready to chat all evening long.

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