How to Have a BALL in Life
It's funny how things cycle.
Years ago, while my daughter was in elementary & junior high, I used to be a part of the "Mystery Guest" program. Business folk would go to the classroom and play a "What's My Line?" game while the kids tried to guess their profession.
As a part of that presentation, I would always go thorough my "BALL" lesson. "Having a ball" is a not-so-often-used phrase these days that means "having fun."
Well, I told the kids, BALL is an acronym. It holds the key to having a long and happy life.
The thing is, I had forgotten all about "BALL" until I completed the "How Then Should We Live?" series. Funny, but the "BALL" acronym is almost a perfect restating of the "Social Order" talks. Oh well. Here it is:
The Key to Having a BALL in Life:
Be Nice. The least we can do is be nice to each other. The prancing primadonna routine, where a very talented person has an attitude toward those around them, gets very old. And I have known too many business people who have relished their no-more-mister-nice-guy approach, always to their detriment. If you are not nice to people, they simply will not want you around.
Always Tell the Truth. Always. Even when it may be unpleasant. Look, if you catch your friend, doctor or spouse actually lying to you, your sense of trust is shattered. So don't do it to others. Period.
Learn Everything About Everything. "Career training" for the young is such an evil. I'm 42.... In the 20 years that have passed, there are countless inventions, to say nothing of entire industries, that have become commonplace, that didn't even exist (or barely so) when I graduated from college!
 | Nintendo |
| CDs |
| DVDs |
| MTV |
| Laser eye surgery |
| HMOs |
| Cellular phones |
| Whisker Lickin's Tartar Control cat treats |
| Personal computers |
| The Internet |
| The Space Shuttle |
I could go on & on, but you get the point. Estimates are that as much as 70% of today's elementary school students will eventually be employed in a field that is yet to be invented(!)
The only way to really prepare today's humans for the challenges ahead is to create strong, creative, flexible minds. Physical training is designed to do just that: make bodies strong, flexible, and touched with endurance. So too should minds.
When we start seeing education as "weight training for the brain" we will start to get on the track.
Philosophy...art....geology....computers....music....physics.....Learn EVERYTHING!!
And it's never too late to start.
Limit Television. This is such a key for today's people. I find it is one of the single biggest issues facing us. And there are soooo many great gifts.....soooooo many wonderful things to experience.......sooooooo many people to touch. Oh well, I've said it before.
There you go......Thought for today? Go have a BALL.
