The Haven

Next Sunday, June 19th, is known in the U.S. and a lot of other places around the world as Father's Day.  Every year on the 3rd Sunday of June we honor our fathers or father figures. So what do you give the man who has everything or wants nothing (and doesn't need a tie)?  That all depends on the man in question.  In my experience, most men don't really like the spectacle of receiving gifts in front of other people.  It seems to makes them feel awkward.  So instead of wrapping up a pretty gift, consider doing something for or with the man of honor. Host a backyard barbecue for the family and you've got a nice Father's Day for both Dad and Hubby.  Give Hubby the weekend off from that honey-do list and let him spend his time on the computer, or in front of ESPN, or whatever it is he likes to do.  Take your Dad out to breakfast, just the two of you. If you don't live nearby, send him a book you read or CD you listened to that you think he would enjo...

Finding inspiration can sometimes be a daunting task.  So what to do when you simply have no new ideas?  First, you have to realize and accept that these things cannot be forced.  In fact, the harder you try, the less you'll get.  Sounds counter-intuitive right?  But it's not.  The truth is, a lack of inspiration mainly stems from an overload of information.  Your mind needs time to process, and most of us are going/doing/thinking way too fast for that to happen.  You have to slow down and stop, just for a bit, and essentially "re-boot" your mind.  Haven't you noticed that some of your best ideas pop into your head while doing something routine or absolutely nothing? Consider these examples: Newton was loafing under an apple tree when he saw an apple fall and got the idea of gravity.  Galileo was sitting and watching a great swinging lamp which triggered the idea of a swinging pendulum as a means to measure time.  And Watt was ju...