MUSINGS and other writing by Mark Kolke

. . . . . . there is no edge to openness

TODAY'S MUSINGS

FEEDBACK / COMMENTS

MARK SPEAKS

MARK'S SPEAKING TIPS

ARCHIVED COLUMNS

ARCHIVE WINTER 2020-21

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2020

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2020

ARCHIVE SPRING 2020

ARCHIVE WINTER 2019-20

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2019

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2019

ARCHIVE SPRING 2019

ARCHIVE WINTER 2018-19

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2018

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2018

ARCHIVE SPRING 2018

ARCHIVE WINTER 2017-18

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2017

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2017

ARCHIVE SPRING 2017

ARCHIVE WINTER 2016/17

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2016

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2016

ARCHIVE SPRING 2016

ARCHIVE WINTER 2015/16

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2015

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2015

ARCHIVE SPRING 2015

ARCHIVE WINTER 2014/15

ARCHIVE AUTUMN 2014

ARCHIVE SUMMER 2014

ARCHIVE SPRING 2014

ARCHIVE WINTER 2013/14

CONTACT

MY REAL ESTATE LIFE

WHY I WRITE MUSINGS

SHORT STORY PROJECT

POETRY PROJECT

SELECTED OTHER WORK

 

CARROTS
. . . sometimes attached to a stick
Sunday Feb. 9, 2014

 

What motivates?
 
Can we succeed – should we try pleasing ourselves, or serving others?
 
What is essential to your happiness, what carrots do you chase?
 
When we go to work Monday mornings or spread projects out on weekend floors – what is our motivation? 
 
To buy bigger houses, wear latest watch fashions, take coolest trips or enjoy incredible treats – just as advertised?
 
Does true happiness come in some other form of reward?
 
Pleasing ourselves seems ubiquitous. Check your thoughts after viewing advertising geared to your likes/wants/aches for – new car, sweater, house, couch, vacation, watch, gadget. Thought may be planted by Madison Avenue Madmen types, but once that wish seed is planted, becomes part of what we think about, dream about … any trinket you desire.
 
Significant V-day coming up – advertisers are marketing cards, chocolates, jewelry and cars, furs and things, anything that will put smiles in eyes and evoke words of love and joy to cement the deal, seal the kiss to ensure for that day, for another year, of bliss.
 
Wine?
 
Dine?
 
Selling motivation and merchandising. To sell them more widgets. 
 
If you make that happen, then monetized prize is your fine reward.
 
But consider a different path …
 
If your project is to save lives through your actions, make the world a better place through your ideas or provide necessities of life and education to a child by your influences – what reward do you need or deserve?
 
My V-season wish is that we all could see things that way. 
 
My belief is that not enough people act that way, think that way or are motivated that way. 
 
How do we change that?
 
 
 
 
Mark Kolke
199,192
column written/ published from Calgary
 
morning walk:  -24C (windchill -34C) / -12F, ice crystals on windshields, clear and very cold, streets were quiet but the trees were filled with birdsong like a chorus you’d expect at sunrise in the summer 

Reader feedback / comments always welcome:

ON FRIENDSHIP
Ah, Mark. Thank you for your constancy. I got your message not 20 minutes after I read your latest Musing, so although you don't often see me, I am there. Your thoughts about your friend Gary are very touching and real. You put so well into words what we all struggle with when there is one less person in the world who cares about us, who shares and understands a mutual history with us. That "phantom limb" feeling persists, as if an arm has been severed. You surely touch many more people than you realize, and you are a part of their history, too. A warm hug for you on a cold night, MO, Monterey, CA

 


Sign up to get MUSINGS by Email
» click HERE to be added to our list!
For Email Marketing you can trust

MUSINGS
daily stirrings

 
read my posts on MEDIUM
 
read my posts on TWITTER 
 

 
quick link - to this season's ARCHIVED COLUMNS
 

 
quick link - to this year's DAILY QUOTES
 

 
quick link - to my weekly FACILITYCalgary newsletters
 

 
quick link - to my Linked in page
 

 
quick link - to my MaxComm business website
 

 
quick link - to my office leasing website
 

 
quick link - to my residential real estate services website
 

quick link - discussion of office leasing 
 

sign up to get Musings free daily


Comments are always welcome - please contribute to the discussion.  Reply to: kolke@markkolke.com

You can also connect with me on LinkedIn. This site is updated daily, each column is retained in the archive when the next day's column is loaded ...  


Copyright - all rights reserved - Mark Kolke, © 2003-2021