Obsolete..................

Word of the Day...... Obsolete......adj.,....of a kind or style no longer no longer current. We live in an obsolete world. What you have today is out of date, old fashioned, or not state of the art tomorrow. Products such as computers, cell phones, cameras and televisions are in a constant state of change. The media leads us to believe that we aren't productive or competitive if we don't have the newest, fastest and most sophisticated tools. To believe this is to believe that we are somehow inadequate and should be ashamed if we don't carry that cell that tells use where to go and how to get there. Or if we don't have that television that allows us to count the individual blades of grass on a football field, we are missing out. The saddest part is I think we're teaching our kids these rules. They don't feel good enough if what they have isn't the newest, the best brand or the most up to the minute product. Here's the thing........self worth isn't measured by our toys and tools. Pride in one's self isn't gauged by what I have that you don't. Old fashioned values are never, nor will they ever be obsolete. Kindness, compassion, courtesy, friendships....these things never go out of style. They don't have to be plugged in and updated. How you respond to the people around you in your workplace, in your hometown, in your travels and among your family and friends is an age old response that should involve honor and value. Respect never goes out of style. Being humble and grounded isn't a new changing concept. Putting yourself last instead of first is not outdated. You will NEVER KEEP UP WITH OR BE THE JONES'S. Someone is always going to have bigger, better, more sophisticated. Don't live your life and judge your worth by this standard. Please live and teach your kids to honor the things that never become old fashioned. At the end of the day, when you go to bed on those less than 3,000 count sheets, and you review your accomplishments, I hope you smile that you touched someone in a positive way...that you held a door open, said a hello, hugged someone in need, shared a laugh with a friend. Rest easy on these things. Admiration comes in many forms. Don't worry how others look at the world for the world is a fleeting obsolete entity. Your reputation lives on long after you do; it will never be obsolete; it is a legacy you leave. Don't make it be about toys and tools. Make it be about those things that live on after you're gone. After all, you are your actions, not your possessions.