Creating Meaning

Creating Meaning
How to find the good in life

The following statements are inspirational thoughts with everyday application. A wise teacher and instructor will use experiences and metaphors to bring across a message that is truly personal in nature.

Relationships
Section One

1.It’s the thin wire fence that stops the tumbleweed.
2.The blowing snow makes barren the brittle sage.
3.It’s the flat top that makes the plateau.
4.Every hill presents another horizon.
5.Roadside garbage – A metaphor for life.
6.It takes many cows to be heard.
7.What about the guy who throws the beer can out the window?
8.The ducks in the middle of the frozen pond think they are safe.
9.Cows in the cornfield are not necessarily a bad thing.
10.Rest stops are not restful.

Now, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve learned. What can be done to improve current relationships in your life? How can these epiphanies be used to foster healthy relationships in the future? Think about number five, what garbage is in your life right now?

Now that you are gaining in understanding, lets move on.

Personal Meaning
Section Two

1.There’s lots of crap in the chicken coop.
2.There’s always someone in the middle of nowhere.
3.Out of crap comes beauty.
4.At one time, the run down barn was raised.
5.The ground appears to move faster; the closer it is to the car.
6.At one time, the community raised the run down barn.
7.Every once in a while, someone pulls out in front of you.
8.There is always someone going straight down the road with his or her left turn signal on.
9.Even ugly things require effort.
10.The woodpile is home to the spider and insect alike.

The first section was about relationships with others. This section is about the relationship with ourselves. What personal insight can I apply to “Me” right now? If I fully understand statement six, how does that affect my understanding of statement one? If I can reconcile these two statements, how do I apply it in everyday actions?

Work Environment
Section Three

1.Even discarded shingles provide shelter.
2.Grass can be green in winter.
3.The creek wonders, but reaches its destination.
4.Grass no longer living still provides life.
5.It takes a strong tower to support the power line.
6.The first exit doesn’t always have the best restaurants.
7.The boulder goes un-noticed until the tiller tine.
8.Sometimes a big yellow water tower is just a yellow water tower.
9.Everything looks different on the way back.
10.Where lanes merge, chaos ensues.

We have now moved on from relationships with others and ourselves to the work environment. Can you see how these concepts build one upon the other? How can these latest insights be applied to your work ethic? Since you understand relationships more fully, how do these latest insights affect you at work? Are these concepts your boss should understand? If you are the boss, how can you share this with those you manage? Are these concepts appropriate for performance reviews? How do these insights relate to the popular saying, “Working hard or hardly working”?

Bring Meaning to Play
Section Four

1.Planes seem small on the horizon.
2.They still make fireplaces out of fake rock.
3.A runway is never too long.
4.The wreath at the side of the road is there for all to see.
5.Too many golden arches confuse me.
6.Gazebos in the desert are nice.
7.Staying in the lines can still get you lost.
8.You can’t avoid skid marks in the road.
9.Cows don’t notice the traffic.
10.Don’t follow skid marks in the road.

It’s always important to have fun in life. When you look at your play habits, how can these lessons apply? Do you find yourself playing with friends or by yourself? How do these insights relate to the popular saying, “I like to work hard and play hard”? How can number two and number four affect my purchase of workout clothes? If NASCAR is your favorite sport, does number ten really apply?

Family
The Beginning and the End
Section Five

1.Cud is only cud when it is chewed.
2.Signs are only useful when you see them.
3.Weather changes quickly when you’re in it.
4.Rest stops are only far away when you need them.
5.It may be a house on the hill, but it’s surrounded by dirt.
6.Sheep – Meadow maggots or mutton – You decide.
7.Wow, they got a lot of black cows!
8.Manure covered in visqueen is still manure.
9.One mans woodpile is not another mans woodpile.
10.The last tree with leaves stands out.

Family truly is the beginning and the end. It’s the “circle of life” that sometimes gets us dizzy. Remember when, as a child, you would spin in circles until you fell down? Life isn’t that different now, is it? How do these concepts relate to the statement, “I brought you into this life, I can sure as hell take you out”? How important is it to share these insights with you children? With your parents? With your siblings?

For those gifted at Creating Meaning
Section Six

This section is for those truly gifted at creating meaning. Do not attempt to internalize these next statements before you fully understand, and have internalized, the previous fifty concepts. This mental exercise will enlighten and illuminate your mind like you have never comprehended before. You will experience a re-birth and become a new you. Creating Meaning is now a part of you. It is time to leave the nest. You must now go into the world, creating meaning, without the help of follow-up questions. Share what you have learned. Hold “Creating Meaning” block parties. Set up “Creating Meaning” chat rooms and discussion groups. Once you understand how “Creating Meaning” can change your life, you realize your life can change the world!

1.The stink of a dairy is sweet to the cow.
2.Old equipment can still serve a purpose.
3.Tracks that lead nowhere, lead somewhere.
4.Nowhere is always somewhere, however, somewhere is never nowhere.
5.Are we still in Idaho?!