Schulz Philosophy

I received the following in an email, and of course, I never “forward to 10 people” so here it is for all 48,000 of you who read this blog.

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the ‘Peanuts’ comic strip.

You  don’t have to actually answer the  questions.

Just read it straight through, and you’ll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the  world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy  winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America  pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or  Pulitzer  Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners  for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series  winners.

How  did you  do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers.

They are the best in their fields, but the applause dies…Awards tarnish…Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz.

See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.

They simply are the ones who care the most.

Life. Cruiseliner or sailboat?

While pondering the many roads one might be able to travel in life…..

The decisions that you make can lead you in many different directions.

How do you determine where you are headed?

What tools do you have at your disposal to measure how far you still have to go, or how far that you have already gone?

Destination or the journey?

In your life, do you try to obtain your goals like a Cruiseliner heading to its destination, making small course corrections in order to get where you think that you wish to be?

Or, do you live your life like a sailboat, at the mercy of the wind, letting each little outside influence determine your destination?

Are you enjoying each day as it arrives, or are you living for the tomorrow as you envision it to be? Do you take the time to notice the present, or are you so focused on the outcome and not noticing what is happening right now?

The time is right now

I would think that if one cannot enjoy life, as it is right now, then no matter what else may come along in the future, the ability to enjoy it will not be there either.

A new house, a promotion, or winning the lottery – those fleeting moments, while they may change your course of life, they don't change who you are or how you process what is most important to you on any given day.

Around and around we go

If we are all lucky, we will get to travel around the sun about 100 times. In the end, nothing we've gathered along the way will matter – the only thing which will matter is who we've touched along the way. 

Once we are gone, there will still be others finishing up their journey, and how you've touched them just might determine how the rest of their trips around the sun turn out.