Midlife Wisdom For Men Issue #065, August 31, 2006

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· A Strategy For When You Have Too Much To Do

· Goes Down Easy

· Book Review: Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?

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Written by Noel McNaughton Midlife-Men.com (c) copyright 2006 midlife-men.com

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If you like this e-zine, please do a friend and me a big favour and forward it to him. If a friend DID forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting Midlife Wisdom for Men.

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Welcome to this issue of Midlife Wisdom for Men.

You've probably noticed that as we get older, things become more complicated: we get busier, diseases start to show up, and we hit more emotionally-complicated situations. Perhaps the articles this week will help a little :-)

There are about 850 words in the articles in this newsletter, which should take you about three minutes to read.

All the best,

Noel

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A Strategy For When You Have Too Much To Do

I don't know anybody who doesn't have too much to do. And it seems at midlife we are busier than ever, with work, kids, and perhaps the needs of aging parents. I talk to many men who feel as though they can never relax because the work is never done.

I learned long ago that the work will NEVER all be done, so when I stop for the day, I can usually leave what's unfinished for tomorrow without worrying about it too much.

Here is a little story I found in Who Ordered This Truckload Of Dung? Inspiring stories for welcoming life's difficulties by Ajahn Brahm:

What's Done Is Finished

The monsoon in Thailand is from July to October.

During this period, the monks stop traveling, put aside all work projects, and devote themselves to study and meditation. The period is called Vassa the Rains Retreat. In the south of Thailand some years ago, a famous abbot was building a new hall in his forest monastery. When the Rains Retreat came, he stopped all work and sent the builders home. This was the time for quiet in his monastery.

A few days later a visitor came, saw the half-constructed building and asked the abbot when his hall would be finished. Without hesitation, the old monk said, "The hall is finished."

"What do you mean, `The hall is finished'?" the visitor replied, taken aback. "It hasn't got a roof. There are no doors or windows. There are pieces of wood and cement bags all over the place. Are you going to leave it like that? Are you mad? What do you mean, `The hall is finished'?"

The old abbot smiled and gently replied, "What's done is finished," and then he went away, to meditate.

That is the only way to have a retreat or to take a break. Otherwise our work is never finished.

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Youth would be an ideal state if it came a little later in life

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Goes Down Easy

By the time we reach middle age, chances are pretty good we will have known someone who has cancer, or perhaps we will have a bout with it ourselves. This little story is from the latest issue of 50 Plus, the magazine of CARP (www.50plus.com), which I highly recommend, if you are a Canadian:

On the cancer prevention front, diet is a common topic. But when it comes to the challenges of eating during cancer treatments, resources have been scarce- up until now. Goes Down Easy, produced by the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, is a practical cookbook containing more than 100 appealing and easy-to-make recipes.

It was designed to help people living with cancer and their families manage loss of appetite, nausea and taste change that can occur during cancer treatment. Each chapter is organized by symptom, making appropriate recipes easy to find.

To order the book, visit the online store at www.pmhf.ca, call toll-free 1-866-937-7643 or visit a Chapters-Indigo bookstore.

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A man to his colleagues at lunch break: "Our TV set broke down last night, so I was talking with my wife instead. Interesting woman."

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Book Review: Who Ordered This Truckload Of Dung? Inspiring stories for welcoming life's difficulties by Ajahn Brahm:

I like books with short, wise anecdotes and stories in them. That's what this book is. It has thought-provoking ideas for almost any life situation.

I think the section on 'Anger and Forgiveness' might be most useful for us midlife guys, as anger and irritation seem to come with the territory.

Here is an excerpt from Amazon.com that sums it up pretty well:

The 108 stories in Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung? offer thoughtful commentary on everything from love and commitment to fear and pain. Drawing from his own life experience, as well as traditional Buddhist folk tales, author Ajahn Brahm uses over 30 years of spiritual growth as a monk to spin delightful tales that can be enjoyed in silence or read aloud to friends and family. Featuring titles such as "The Two-Finger Smile" and "The Worm and His Lovely Pile of Dung," these wry and witty stories provide playful, pithy takes on the basic building blocks of everyday like. Suitable for children, adults, and anyone in between, this eloquent volume wraps insight and inspiration inside of a good old yarn.

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An Icelander was granted one single wish from God: He asked "I want a road across the Atlantic so we Icelanders can drive back and forth to Europe." God told him: "That is too much too ask. Find something easier". So the man asked: "Please explain female intuition to me" God replied: "About that highway: Should it be two or four lanes?"

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I do this newsletter and host the www.midlife-men.com website as a service to other men, and am happy to do so. Just the same, it costs some money, and if you would like to make a small contribution to help with those costs, I would really appreciate it. If you would like, you can make a donation at: http://www.midlife-men.com/donation.html

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Wouldn't it be great to work less and play more golf? I do not of a better way to earn a part-time income, than a simple information Web site. I encourage you to check out http://passion.explore-sbi.com. You'll be amazed at how you can turn YOUR hobby into online income.

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The Mankind Project

The ManKind Project® offers trainings which support men in developing lives of integrity, accountability, and connection to feeling. Our trainings challenge men to develop their abilities as leaders, fathers, and elders as ways of offering their deepest gifts in service to the world.

The ManKind Project's New Warrior Training Adventure® is an intense, transformative men's initiation which invites men to forge a deep conscious connection between head and heart. The NWTA offers men a powerful, challenging opportunity to look at all aspects of their lives in a richly supportive environment.

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Got your copy of Picking Up The Burning Feather yet? It will help you on your spiritual journey.

Just go to Picking Up The Burning Feather: A Spiritual Guide For Midlife Men.

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Just For You: A Free Do-It-Yourself Retirement Planning Report

If you are a new subscriber to this newsletter, you will recall I promised you a link to a secret page on the Midlife Men's site where you can download a free 27-page report on 'DIY Retirement planning' by George Slater.

Welcome to the newsletter, and for your free report, go to: DIY Retirement E-Report , and follow the instructions.

Enjoy!

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Classifieds

A Destroyer of Compasses by Wade Bell, published by Guernica Editions, (Toronto, Buffalo and Lancaster UK) $15.00 Cdn

One Man's Mid-Life Crisis Led to Spain. Planning to spend six weeks, he stayed five years.

A book of stories the Toronto Globe & Mail called "an assured and sensual portrait of a culture" with "precise and ironic examples of human idiosyncracy." The review went on to call stories "gems."

Available from Amazon, E-Bay and local bookstores.
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I Need Your Questions and Feedback!

Got comments? Questions? I'd love to hear from you.

Just email your suggestions and/or questions to noel@midlife-men.com . I look forward to hearing from you. And thanks.

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Well friend, that's it for now. Again, if you enjoyed this and/or found it useful, and know of anyone else who might like it, please pass it forward. And if you have questions or recommendations, I would love to hear from you.