No, this isn’t a joke. As a parent of three adult children and a grandparent of nine cherished grandchildren, I’d like to publicly offer a deep-felt note of appreciation to one of our country’s most beloved cartoon characters. And for good reason.

Prior to condemning me as having finally lost “it”… consider this true news report. A young five-year-old boy, Andrew Gentile, stepped into a New Jersey lake that his mom thought was shallow. Actually, it was over six-feet deep, and Andrew couldn’t swim. His neighbor, boy hero Reese Ronceray, 8, jumped into the water, swam out to Andrew, latched onto him, situated him in the crook of his arm and quickly swam them both to safety.

Reese said he had simply imitated something he had seen on the popular cartoon show, SpongeBob Squarepants. He remembered the lifesaving strokes he had seen on the episode “SpongeGuard on Duty.”

I often read and hear comments about the evils of television and the horrendous impact it has on today’s younger generation. I’m afraid I have to agree. However, there’s always an exception to the rule, and this certainly appears to qualify as one of those wonderful exceptions. I’m sure you’d agree if either of these young men were beloved members of your Circle of Life.

If you’ve never heard of SpongeBob Squarepants, you might be interested in revisiting a blog article I wrote last year about this loveable character, explaining how his vast empire was created and how it was impacting children worldwide.

SpongeBob is currently Nickelodeon’s highest-rated show, the most distributed property of MTV Networks, and among Nicktoons Network’s most-watched shows. SpongeBob is now broadcast around the world and millions of fans know him as a sea sponge, but in shape and color his body more closely resembles a kitchen sponge and, of course, he lives in a pineapple under the sea!

Laugh if you will, ignore if you must, but realize that this cherished cartoon character changed the lives of these two young men and those who love them.

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

These are trying times for everyone. We all have our ups and downs and neither appear to be consistent. To succeed today, we must all resign ourselves to hang in there for the long haul. Easily said … a little more difficult to accomplish. Maybe this classic parable written by my all-time favorite author, Anonymous, will better explain the big picture.

By the way, this is a great story to share with your children or grandchildren the next time things aren’t going just the way they’d like them to.

SEASONS

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn to not judge things too quickly … so he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and returned, he called them together to describe what they had seen. The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said it was covered with green buds and full of promise. The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful he had ever seen. The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The father then explained to his sons that they were all correct, because they had each seen only one season in the tree’s life. He told them they could not judge a tree, or a person, by only one season. That the essence of who they are, and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life, can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons have passed.

If you give up when it’s winter, you’ll miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, and the fulfillment of your fall. Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest. Don’t judge life by one difficult season.

Persevere through difficult times, and better times are sure to come.

Aspire to inspire … before you expire!

Happiness keeps you sweet,
Trials keep you strong,
Sorrows keep you human,
Failures keep you humble, and
Success keep you growing!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for lighthouses. I have a large, personal collection of lighthouse replicas in my nautically-themed home. I’ve had the opportunity to visit a great number of lighthouses all over the U.S. and Canada, and my home state of Michigan is the proud home of 247 beautiful structures.

I have several coffee table books providing beautiful photos and interesting data about these unique creations which offer an isolated and mysterious lure to so many. I have a number of large paintings and photographs of lighthouses standing proud as they protect. I’ve even had the unusual pleasure of spending a weekend in a lighthouse.

It’s been my experience that a lighthouse can provide a soothing calm which allows us to focus on some of the oft-forgotten, time-tested truths which surround us in today’s chaotic world. These truths differ from person to person but certainly assist us as we attempt to navigate our lives.

If we observe them, we tend to enjoy secure passage. Ignore them and we face the danger of crashing against the ragged rocks of reality.

The wise captain shifts the direction of his craft according to the signal of the lighthouse. A wise person does the same.

Here are just a few of the numerous lights I look for and the signals I heed. Obviously, you may not agree but I certainly urge you to seek out and acknowledge your own.

• Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.
• When no one is watching, live as if someone is.
• Don’t spend tomorrow’s money today.
• Pray twice as much as you fret.
• Listen twice as much as you speak.
• Never outgrow your love of sunsets, moonlit evenings, lakes, rivers, and oceans.
• Seek out your Acres of Diamonds where you might least expect to find them … in your own backyard!
• Treat people like angels; you will meet some and help make some.
• ‘Tis wiser to err on the side of generosity than on the side of scrutiny.
• The book of life is lived in chapters, so know your page number.
• Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.
• Mentor at every opportunity.

To sum it all up:

Approach life like a voyage on a schooner. Enjoy the view. Explore the vessel. Make friends with the Captain. Fish a little. And only get off the boat when you are safely home!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.

Over the 4th of July holiday, I did something totally unexpected … something I haven’t done in decades. I attended a 4th of July parade. I took one of my grandsons in hopes of exposing him to an exciting age-old tradition that’s been part of our American culture forever. I thought it would be a real education. And it was. For me.

This parade was supposed to be a major event as it was held downtown in our Capital City, just a few miles from a major Big Ten University, in a long-time home of General Motors. One might assume that the combination of those three elements would result in a well-produced, highly attended spectacle! One should never assume—for all the obvious reasons.

Lesson #1 …

Parades have gone the way of the circus, magicians, and clowns. No more mystery, no more allure, no more excitement! There are far too many other things to distract us today and far too much technology to compete with a costumed character on a unicycle or a high school marching band. Parades have become a political stage for hopeful candidates to ride in fancy cars while handing out fliers. The once colorful, disciplined, enthusiastic marching band has been relegated to 15 senior citizens riding on the back of a flatbed truck trying to stay on key. No animated floats, no costumed characters mingling with the children in the crowd, and no striking military units proudly marching behind the flag of our country as they are cheered and respected by the crowd.

Lesson #2 …

Some things change … some never will. As a group of eight obviously senior war veterans marched by hoisting a single, very large American Flag, a scratchy recording of the National Anthem blasted over the loudspeakers lining the parade route. My grandson had been sitting on the curb taking in the lack of action at that point. When the music started, he immediately stood up, removed his baseball hat, and put his hand on his heart. He stood proud and sang along with the words of the recording. He knew them. He knew them!

The profound enormity of that moment brought a tear to my eye, produced a lump in my throat, and caused my heart to swell with pride. This very special moment easily made the entire day worthwhile. At the end of the recording, my grandson replaced his baseball cap, put his hand in mind, and stood there watching a group of approaching karate students jumping all over the street.

Three or four minutes passed, and he turned to me and asked, “Grandpa, why did so many of the kids on both sides of the street not stand up for the National Anthem?” Very few removed their hats, and you had to strain to find anyone with their hand on their hearts. I was so proud of his question and even more proud of his observation. At that point, I asked him if he was ready to leave and he said, “Sure.” It was obvious that he had once again tolerated another of ”Grandpa’s feeble attempts to return to the thrilling days of yesteryear.” He’s used to them by now and never complains.

As we walked back to the car, I explained that so many other kids had not been taught the importance of our flag, our military, and the National Anthem. His parents loved him enough to share that respect from an early age. I told him how proud I was of how he responded and how I hoped he would always do so and teach his children to do the same. He responded simply, “I will!” I know he meant it. I know he will.

We survived the parade fiasco and spent the rest of the day at a giant pet store, bought some delicious peanuts and licorice at the Peanut Castle and walked the boardwalk along the river front discussing the many mysteries of life. Oh, to be 10 years again!

I made a mental note to hug his Mom and Dad when I took him home!

Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of motivational speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management.  For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2MAX or fill out our contact form.