The world has changed in many ways since the pandemic, some good and some bad.  We are a cleaner people that are much more concerned about germ passing behaviors.  Do you remember bellying up to the bar and there would be a bowl with some pretzels or nuts out.  Everybody would be diving into it and you had no idea if the guy next to your had a cold or anything.  Or, how about if the guy next to you goes to the bathroom?  You would never know if he washed his hands or not.

The way we communicate and interact changed.... think ZOOM.  As a society we trust a LOT less.  We don’t trust BIG med, Big Pharma,  BIG Government.... BIG anyone.  We have, understandably, allowed fear to affect the way we live our life.  It seems like it will be for ever that masks will be worn.

On “Mindset for Happiness” the topic is desire.  How determination and dedication are needed to push us to the happy life we want.

I have a cooking tip about getting a meal done with all the parts coming across the finish line at the same time.

And I heard, what I consider a funny thing,  a virtual romance… I’ll explain and we can both scratch our heads.

Christmas is a time for children, it’s a time we all become kids again.  Memories and hope for the future.  BUT, let’s not forget to live in the moment… and that’s living like a kid.  What we need to get into that frame of mood is a 9 year old… that’s the vibe we should be looking for.  And who would be better fitted to do that for us, than our Old Man’s Podcast contributor, 9 year old James.  He was a huge hit for Halloween, and he’ll be again for Christmas.

The topic is Christmas for this episode

And with Christmas on My Mind, we’re starting off with that.  Once a year I feel like a kid again, how about you???? 9 year old James, who help us enjoy Halloween is here to spread Christmas cheers to all the kids, young and old, who enjoy the Old Man’s Podcast.  On  “Mindset for Happiness” I’m continuing the discussion on Character, focusing in on RESPECT specifically.  I have a fun fact to share with you about Native Americans and on a funny thing, a little back story on the Rudolf the Red Nose reindeer show.  And, of course, we play some trivia ourselves, Christmas is the topic.

Nine years old is the perfect age to really enjoy Christmas… For that matter, looking back from where I am now, I think enjoying life really peaks around that age.  But this episode, we’re focusing on Christmas.

Like the 9 year old Ralphie in Christmas story, the lens a kid that age see’s the world through is special… and the magical time of Christmas viewed through that lens makes for an overwhelming spectacle.  What we, well old people, need in order to get a glimpse of that spectacle is to be led there by The Old Man’s Podcast contributor, 9 year old James.  He’ll help instill the spirit of Christmas into anyone!

“Mindset For Happiness”

To be happy…. With our lot in life… our personal circumstances….. We have to be happy with ourselves first and foremost.  On that premise, character matters….. It matters A LOT. Maybe it’s Karma, maybe it’s the almost magnetic attraction to people of high character….. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but focusing on our own character makes us happy.  Last episode I discussed honesty as a pillar to our character and this episode the subtopic is loyalty.  Today the topic is “Respect”.. A truly defining element of our character.  We don’t always agree with everyone.  BUT we need to respect what they are, what they stand for, what they believe in.  Don’t expect to get respect if you refuse or are even reluctant to give it.  Respect other peoples ideas, their property, even your opponents when in a competitive situation.  Respect, don’t fear though.  To be respectful of your opposition in any competition is a wise move.  To NOT respect you competition is to be arrogant, and arrogance is a fools errand, often the apex of mistakes and can’t easily be rectified.  I like what NFL legend Jim Brown had to say about Respect.  “One thing I learned in football is that you must have respect.  It is not so important that people like you, but it is an absolute must that you have their respect”.  Well said Jim Brown… and something we all have to pay attention to on our own accord.  It seems these days that we are a polarized society that has completely thrown out even the desire to be respectful.  Maybe we can win back civil society through one respectful act at a time.  It’ll take all of us to do that, and let’s start right here on The Old Man’s Podcast.  That sure seems like a Mindset for Happiness to me

When I see a friend or acquaintance these days, I most often get a question from them that goes something like this “so how’s retirement going?”  Believe it or not, it’s kind of a tough question to answer. In this episode, I try to answer that question with another recent retiree, Sandy.  I think together, we can make sense of this for all you curious people out there.

On  “Mindset for Happiness” I’m continuing the discussion on Character, focusing in on Loyalty specifically. And I have a funny list of Toilet Trivia you’re going to chuckle at.  Of course, we play some trivia ourselves

Some observations of a retired person;   1) I don't know what day it is and I don't care  2) As a young person, I always wondered why old people seemed so cheap.  Now I get why old, when you aren't working you seem to have less control over your INCOME so you feel like you need to control your EXPENSES.  As a result, I want to save every penny possible and seem to be always looking for a deal, happy hour, senior discounts that sort of stuff.  When I travel, people refer to me as "being on vacation"... I’m NOT on vacation, I’m retired.  Vacations are when you take off from work, I don’t work.  My wardrobe has completely changed.  Work clothes out, sweat pants in… In that sense, retirement feels a little like I gave up.

“Mindset For Happiness"

To be happy…. With our lot in life… our personal circumstances….. We have to be happy with ourselves first and foremost.

On that premise, character matters….. It matters A LOT. Maybe it’s Karma, maybe it’s the almost magnetic attraction to people of high character….. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but focusing on our own character makes us happy

Last episode I discussed honesty as a pillar to our character and this episode the subtopic is loyalty

Former US president Woodrow Wilson had a great quote on loyalty.  He pointed out that “loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice.

Love that quote, and it really brings to a sharp focus how our happiness is affected by our own sacrifices.

Exactly how’s thas??? Wouldn’t I be most happy with other people were making sacrifices for me?  Sure, maybe initially…. But that isn’t the foundation of true happiness…. Being the recipient of sacrifices is a hollow kind of happiness, it doesn’t last and it’s not genuine

When we are loyal to a cause, a person, and organization… others see that and want to emulate or be like us.  That’s really the first step in effective leadership.  Sacrificing for others, is a demonstration of loyalty, a quality that all effective leaders have

Loyalty is the first quality an employer, boss or coach looks for in an employee or player.  Heck it’s the premier quality we all look for in relationships.  And the number one reason a relationship fails, is most often a lack of loyalty

You can have a LOT of talent and even luck…. But without demonstrated loyalty, people aren’t going to want you around for very long

And that’s something that can make even the grumpiest of people happy.  Lot’s of friends, many solid relationships, and people that really genuinely care about you

And they will, when you have demonstrate how loyal you are to them

A mindset for happiness really requires us to make the kind of sacrifices for others that demonstrates our loyalty