Dear Colleague,
Please excuse the impersonal quality of this e-mail.
I am writing to ask your help for an article I am writing about Life Practices.
I am looking for examples of those simple things that we all do that are essential to expressing and maintaining our values as we face life's ups and downs - our Life Practices. I am especially interested in practices developed by those who have been in, lived through or dealt with the aftermath of war.
What I am seeking is a bit like folklore. Something with a story and an easy to remember slogan or catchphrase. I am asking you to contribute out of your own personal experience not as an official representative of an organization. I am especially interested in those practices, which help you deal with others - in your family, at work, in your immediate community, in the larger global community, etc.
This is the only e-mail you will receive from me unless you choose to participate in this project.
So far I have gathered over 150 practices from people all over the world: These are examples of contributions I have received so far that may help clarify what I am looking for:
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" 'Water what you want to grow' is my motto. Whenever I see something being done well I acknowledge it as soon as possible and in some tangible way. The least that I do is to complement the person doing the thing well. What I try to do more often is write a note to the person or give them a small gift."
"My life changed when I went from seeing mistakes as awful to seeing them as the first chapter of a textbook on a new subject. I even had this made into a sign that hangs on the wall in my office. 'Mistakes are just chapter one in a textbook on a new subject' Now I get bothered if I don't have some sort of royal screw-up every few days. It's like I am not trying."
"I learned from my grandfather to 'use the best materials you can afford.' This has provided a model for my life's work. Even in my late 70's I am still actively building things and more to the point of your book, I am still building my life out of "the best materials I can afford."
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These practices come from people from many places and with a wide variety of backgrounds. I am grateful for that. I want to show the broadest possible view of Life Practices from around the globe.
The article will feature some of the material I gather with some commentary.
I will be grateful if you would send me a practice that you use as a foundation in your life.
Please include some brief biographical information as well. Also, if you would like to share in what I am learning, please let me know as well.
And please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Thank you for your consideration.
Steve Lawler swl@lawler.org
About me:
Steve Lawler an ethics consultant and writer based in St Louis, Missouri USA. He regularly gives workshops on issues of ethics, values and culture. He has been quoted in a number of related pieces in publications including the Wall Street Journal, The Christian Science Monitor and Cape Talk Radio - Cape Town. Lawler has worked with companies in the US and Europe - including Monsanto, Pulitzer Publishing, and the Danforth Foundation. He has been a lecturer at Washington University and at Webster University. He has written for numerous publications.
Steve Lawler 47 Aberdeen Place, St. Louis, MO 63105 USA Voice: +1 (314) 753 7911 Fax: +1 (314) 727 9792 E-mail: swl@lawler.org Web Site: www.lawler.org