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Tag Archives: Covid

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Sunday – The Soul Adventure Seminar

08 Sunday Jan 2023

Posted by Dave Gardner in Spiritual Sunday

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Covid, ECK, Eckankar, Freedom, God, Happiness, Love, Soul, Soul Adventure, Worldwide

All, ECKANKAR has a worldwide seminar that is available to everyone, whether you are an ECKist or not. When COVID hit, ECKANKAR began recording events for the public who could not attend. This year we finally had an in-person event (I did not attend), and in November they offer the public to watch key parts of the event online.

If you’d be interested in hearing Sri Harold’s talk, you can attend the event here:

https://www.eckankar.org/html/ECKSoulAdventure/index.php

Make sure you click on guest. The organization will need your address to send you the password to the event, and that’s it!

I hope all of you are having a terrific 2023. I am. It’s been a great year so far.

May the blessings be!

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Grateful I Am Vaccinated

18 Thursday Nov 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Thankful Thursdays

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Consequences, Covid, family, Freedom, Friends, Grateful, Gratitude, vaccine

The folks got their COVID booster shots yesterday and today they are both sore. I’ll be getting mine when I am eligible. Friends of ours had an encounter with COVID recently. The husband was hospitalized and the wife tested positive as well. Both of them are vaccinated. Thank God they were vaccinated, or they may have joined many who have succumbed to this nasty thing.

My view on COVID is this: Each of us is an individual and we have the right to choose what is best for us. If we choose to get vaccinated, so be it. If we choose not to, that’s ok too.

The thing for me is that each individual has the freedom to do what is best for them, but whatever decision they make, they have to live with the consequences. My brother is the only one in our family that chose not to vaccinate. My sister’s boyfriend has also chosen not to get the vaccine. The consequences of these choices is that both have to get tested before they visit us. This is for our protection.

The point I am making here is that you cannot make a decision without consequences–good or bad. If you do not want to get vaccinated, then deal with the limitations on where you can work, where you can travel, and the risks associated with that decision.

Today, I am thankful I got vaccinated. I did not buy into all the conspiracy theories out there about being “chipped” and all the rest. I also continue to live the way we all lived in 2020. I realized during this time that going out to dinner or to a movie were nice, but not necessary. We can order in. We can stream most movies now online, even the ones that are in theaters, which are coming out more quickly than before. When I’m feeling particularly lazy, I even get my groceries delivered.

I hope all of you have a great Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Goal Assessment

16 Monday Aug 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2021, Covid, Goals, Planning, reconsolidating, refocusing, reorganizing

Here we are again! It’s Monday!!

We are quickly approaching the last quarter of 2021. Can you believe it? Now is the time to begin looking at your goals for the year and figuring out where you are. Are there some goals that have slipped your mind? Are there goals that are on track? Take a look at your list of goals for the year (personal, work-related, etc.) and see where each one is. Then decide which ones you want to continue putting effort into, which ones you haven’t dedicated much time to, and those that are behind schedule.

Once you’ve done your quick evaluation, decide which ones you are going to keep, which ones you’ll put on hold, and which ones need more attention. Then get to it. There’s plenty of time left in the year, whether your goals are fitness related, work-related, relationship-related, whatever.

Goals are important guideposts for our lives. They help us decide what is important to us, and guide our day-to-day activities. Some of you may have only a few goals, while others have a laundry list. You are the only person who can decide what is important to you, so if you have some goals that just aren’t cutting it, cut them loose. Focus on those goals you really want to accomplish and let go of those goals that you either resist doing or just don’t have as much time as you thought you did when you created them at the end of 2020.

Setting goals is a very individual thing. Your goals may be totally different from mine. What you consider important, I may consider frivolous. You see? But goals are important. The number of goals, types of goals, and what you set as a goal are all yours. What I’ve discovered personally is that some goals are driven by the social consciousness. They are goals that are extrinsically motivating.

What I mean is we set a goal because of outside pressure, not because we really want to achieve them. These goals tend to be the first ones to fade as we engage in the work needed to accomplish them. It’s ok to let these go, if you feel resistance to them each time you begin to work toward them. Maybe it’s not the time. Maybe it isn’t as important as we thought they once were. Now, let me be clear. There are some goals that we may resist, but still need to focus on. Exercise is one example. Most people resist exercise because it is uncomfortable. Most people resist writing or reading or learning or whatever. Sometimes we need to discipline ourselves to accomplish the important goals. These should not be tossed away, but we should take the time to understand why we are resisting them and also why they are important to us.

Another aspect to consider is your current situation. If you live in a country or region that has experienced lockdowns because of COVID surges, this may also play a part into your decision making. You cannot control what your government wants to do. So, if one of your goals was to get out and about, but this is restricted, you may want to let that one go, until you are sure that your government will not impose lockdowns again.

Well, that’s enough for now. Take stock of your goal list and make any adjustments you need to make. Now is the time to get re-focused on what we want to do for the rest of the year. I wish you well in your endeavors.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – A New Family Member

15 Thursday Apr 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Thankful Thursdays

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Bella, Covid, family, Grateful, Gratitude, new dog, Shot, Thankful

Today, I’m grateful for our new doggie, Bella. Here’s a picture of her, as promised.

Her name is Bella. We lost our last dog, Goldie, in 2019, and it was time to get another one. A family friend gave her to us. She is a little timid still, but she’s a great addition to the family.

So today, I’m grateful to have a new dog. It’s great to have these little companions. They add so much to the family.

I hope you have a great day!

Oh! We got our 2nd COVID shot, and it’s not as bad as people told us it would be. We were all achy yesterday, but most of the effects have subsided. I’m glad I got the shot. I feel much more comfortable about getting back to the gym next week, now that I have had it. If my folks and I do get COVID, the shot will minimize our chances of getting the nastier effects from COVID.

Have a great Thursday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Funny Friday – A Note to My Readers

26 Friday Mar 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Funny Friday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Covid, Grateful, Happy, Relaxed, Thank you, Thankful, Virtual Learning, Weekend

Today is normally a day where I post something funny. Instead, I wanted to take a few moments to thank all of you – new and old – for following my blog. Everyone is so busy these days adjusting to life because of COVID, learning how to use ZOOM and all the rest that comes with working or living out of our homes without a lot of outside contact. When you think things are going back to normal, this nasty little bug does something else, and we find ourselves locked right down again.

My home state is seeing surges everywhere. This virus seems to be telling us, “You thought you were safe. Wait until you get a load of this!”

As I mentioned earlier, my parents and I got phase one of the COVID-19 shot. No side effects on the first shot. We get our final shot in mid-April. I’ll keep you posted. I want to go back to the gym again, but cannot put my folks at risk until we are all vaccinated. I qualified for an early shot because I am a caretaker. If you have elderly folks or folks in your family that have underlying conditions, I cannot recommend you do all you can to keep them safe. My Mom is asthmatic and my Dad has emphysema. They are in their late 70s and early 80s. Both are in the group of folks that this virus impacts the most. Once we have been vaccinated, we can still get COVID, but the vaccine minimizes the risk of getting the nastier side of COVID. Once we are all set, I’ll head back to the gym.

Advocates for students to return to school are spouting that the young spring back quickly from COVID. That may be true, but who are these kids carrying it back to? The elderly, people with underlying conditions, and everyone else in the family or who they come in contact with. I think virtual schooling, despite its current challenges, is something all of us need to consider.

I hope all of you stay safe, happy, and pursuing your dreams.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Until next time…

Davce

Daily Ramblings – Spiritual Saturday/Sunday –

31 Sunday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Spiritual Saturday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Adapt, change, Covid, Flexibility, habits, Improvise, Overcome, Resistance, viewpoint

I write articles for a newsletter for my religious group that is published every month and was prompted to write about change for the upcoming edition. Today’s post is about change. I hope you enjoy it.

We are still dealing with COVID; we are dealing with a new government, and we are dealing with all the changes these two events will have on our lives. Why do we fight change when it comes?

Change is difficult because we are all “wired” against it. Our brains are very sophisticated and seek efficiency at every turn. When a big change occurs, our brains fight it. Why? Because our brains exhaust a lot of energy when change comes. So the brain minimizes or even resists change because of the energy it requires to literally rewire ourselves to adapt a change.

My sister and wife both made job changes recently. It is interesting to watch both of them go through the changes of learning a new job, the training they are going through, and how each reacts to the changes brought on by these job changes. Think about the changes COVID has brought into your life. Are they easy for you or difficult? For most, the changes are hard.

Changes related to going out to dinner, changes related to staying home, changes related to wearing a mask, and changes related to the normal, mundane things we are all accustomed to. When change comes, we tend to think about what has been taken away, rather than what has been given.

Think about how much reading you’ve gotten done in light of these changes to our lives. Think about the new hobbies or activities you are now doing because of the virus. Think about how much more you interact with your family over the phone or via ZOOM, Skype, or Google Chat.

A wise man once said to me, “Things are not done to us; they are done for us.” Simple, right? Imagine if we looked at life this way. Everything in our life is done for us, not to us. A play on words, perhaps, but still a powerful message and a terrific way to look at life.

I am a person who always looks for the positive things in life. Despite the lockdowns, and all the other changes the virus has brought into our lives, there are many good things that resulted from the changes wrought by this nasty little bug. I read more than I have at any other time in my life. I have learned more in the last year than I did in previous years. I have had to alter my exercise regimen, but the new exercise plan I follow is just as good or better than when I went to the gym all the time. During the winter months I work out at home because our roads aren’t so great during the winter and I don’t like to take unnecessary risks when the snow comes. Not a huge change when you think about it.

COVID has touched my family. My wife, my brother, and my nephew and his girlfriend all got it. Luckily, no one was hospitalized. My parents have been COVID free, mainly because we are all hermits and I only go out to get groceries or run errands. Since retirement, I stay at home most of the time anyway. All of my work is done right on this laptop. I read, write, learn, and entertain myself on this laptop or my Xbox console.

This year will be a great learning year, because there are so many things I need to learn for the new position I hold in ECKANKAR. My role as the State of Michigan’s lead missionary, require knowledge in data science, digital marketing, MS Excel charts, graphic design, and yes, even some programming. Does the role require that I learn these things? Not really. But I’ve always been the person who likes to take a position to a new level. By learning these things, I’ll be better prepared to understand the data we are receiving from our website, Facebook page, and our numerous Meetups that we use to put out the ECKANKAR message in Michigan.

Change is only hard when we fight it. Change is only painful when we only look at what we have lost. Change can be good, if you look at the change in a positive light. Look at what you have gained over the last year. Look at the changes you took to protect yourself and comply with your government guidance. What changes did you make? Were they beneficial? Mine were.

There’s a story I read a long time ago about trees. There was a passage about willow trees and how they “bend” with the wind, instead of trying to fight it. The wind in this case is a metaphor for the changes that come into our lives. Those that are most flexible survive; those that are not tend to “snap”. Be the willow during these changing times. Your flexibility will allow you to survive the changes in these tumultuous times. The weight of these changes will not break you, because you will be flexible enough to let the weight of these changes fall from your limbs.

Life goes on. Regardless of the changes brought on by external events like COVID, governmental elections, or anything else, we also change over time. Change is inevitable. Change will happen. Accept the changes that come and do your best. Be grateful for all the things that change brings into your life. You’ll find a new gratitude for these changes and life will be much easier. Change is only hard when we resist it.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thinking/Thankful Thursdays – Dr. Maurice Hilleman

28 Thursday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Thankful Thursdays, Thinking Thursdays

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Childhood Diseases, Covid, Curiosity Stream, Disease, Hero, Hilleman, Medicine, Vaccines, Vaccinology

Have you ever heard of Dr. Maurice Hilleman? I didn’t until my brother recommended the film Hilleman: A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children. It’s a good film and explains a great deal about the many challenges surrounding the creation of vaccines. Since all the talk in the news, social media, and everything else is about President Biden, President Trump, or Corona virus, I figured this would be a good way to get off of politics and really see what creating a vaccine is all about.

Here are a few links if you’d like to learn more about Dr. Maurice Hilleman. If you want to watch the film, I believe it is only being offered on Curiosity Stream, but you may be able to find it elsewhere. If you want to watch it on Curiosity Stream, the annual membership is 20 USD. I don’t know if Curiosity Stream is offered in other countries. You’ll have to check.

Links:

https://app.curiositystream.com/video/3928 (Curiosity Stream, Hilleman Movie)

https://app.curiositystream.com/ (Curiosity Stream’s home page if you’d like to get a year’s subscription)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC557162/ (Article about Dr. Hilleman on the National Institute of Health’s website)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Hilleman (Wikipedia Page)

It’s amazing how many people do not know who this guy is. He is the 20th Century’s most influential vaccinologist, creating over 40 vaccines that are responsible for saving 8 million lives a year, particularly the lives of children. He created vaccines for the Mumps, Measles, Hepatitis A and B, chickenpox, meningitis, pneumonia, and influenza.

I enjoy watching documentaries, particularly those about science and history. If you like these too, Curiosity Stream is a real bargain. I am not an affiliate and get nothing if you join up. My whole family watches this channel, and we find it a real treat.

Happy Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – Vaccines, New Strains, and Two Masks, Oh My!

26 Tuesday Jan 2021

Posted by Dave Gardner in Ted Talk

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

close downs, coordination, Covid, masks, Pandemic, quarantine, Small pox, Solutions, vaccination, World Health Organization

2021 is off to a great start (wink, wink). The vaccines are out, new mutations of the virus are appearing, and in the U.S. at least, and they are now recommending wearing two masks, not one. Boy, can it get any more weird? Anyway, here’s a short video discussing the various ways to end a pandemic. I hope you find it as informative as I did. Have a great Tuesday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Final Stretch of 2020

14 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

2021, Covid, family, Friends, Goals, Holidays, Planning, Recharging, Relax

As we approach the end of the year, I take some time to myself and review the current year and begin thinking about all the things I want to accomplish in 2021. Some of my friends think things will return to normal next year. I’m a little more pessimistic. I think many companies, organizations, and people have realized that with nasty bugs like COVID hanging around out there, we will not be able to conduct our lives the same way again. Change is inevitable. We all have to adapt, whether we like it or not. So as you make your 2021 plans, set your goals, and get your calendars set up, keep in mind that you may face many more interruptions and lockdowns, should this virus take another weird turn.

This will be the last week of posts for the year, as I move into holiday mode and take some time off from blogging to get myself aligned with my new set of goals in 2021. So, this Thursday will be my last post of 2020.

This week, if you haven’t already, take a look at what you’ve done this year. What goals did you hit? What goals did you miss? Did you miss your goals because you set the bar too high, weren’t motivated enough to push through to the finish line, or did COVID get in the way? If you’re not motivated enough to hit a goal, rethink why you set the goal in the first place. Did you really want to achieve it, or did you set the goal because you thought it was what you should do?

When I set goals, I think about what it will take to accomplish them. Do I really have the time? Do I really enjoy doing what that goal requires. If either answer is no, don’t set the goal. Do something else. Use contingency planning when setting your goals for the year. What happens if we get locked down again? What happens if I get sick? What happens if the resources I need to accomplish this goal become unavailable?

I’m assuming we will see a few more lockdowns in the upcoming months, depending on how quickly the vaccine is distributed to the public. With that in mind, my goals are going to concentrate on the things I am in 100% control of, regardless of lockdowns or no lockdowns.

Folks, it’s that time of year to enjoy family, friends, and relax a bit. If you’re like me, you’ve been working your tail off this year, pursuing your dreams and desires. For me, it’s a well-deserved break.

With that, I bid you adieu.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Lockdowns, again??

07 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by Dave Gardner in Motivation Monday

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2021, Adapt, adjust, Covid, Goals, Improvise, Innovate, lockdowns, Overcome, Persist

If you’re in the U.S., you know we’re experiencing lockdowns again across the country. Michigan is on a 3-week lockdown as we speak. I hope all of you are safe and sound. Like anything in life, however, we have to adapt, improvise, and overcome. This is the month I begin setting my new goals in 2021. No one could have predicted the lockdowns we experienced in 2020, but now that we’ve dealt with them, assume they will be on and off again as the virus keeps reappearing, and the vaccine begins to get to the populations over time.

Lockdowns are great times for reading, writing, learning, exercising in the home, and yes, even socializing. ZOOM, Google Chat, Facebook Messenger’s video chat, are all technologies you can use and they are absolutely free. You even have Facetime on the Apple phone and an equivalent on Android devices. Everything can be accomplished if you put your mind to it, and work through any difficulties.

To compensate for not having a gym, I bought some great exercise bands with handles and door mounts that work really well. The weights range from 3lbs to 400lbs, so there’s no chance that I’ll excel beyond them. I also adjusted my schedule of going to the library and coffee shop each week to work in a different environment to just staying home. The key is to plan accordingly. We were all surprised by the lockdowns, and each of us dealt with this virus in our own way. Now that we know the lay of the land, going forward, we can adjust our goals to align with our new reality.

Like I did last year, I’ll publicly post my goals for 2021 in this forum, as a way of keeping myself accountable. I welcome all of you to do the same as a comment on that post when I get it up. It really does make a big difference when you write down your goals. It brings a whole new level of accountability and responsibility of achieving what you set out to do. If you’ve never had any success with this type of stuff, take it slow. Set three goals that you believe you can achieve with a little above-average effort, and you’ll be on your way.

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

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