Author: Dr. Mac

Recently I took a trip with Nancy to a very special place. This is a place that I can safely say holds memories that are some of my fondest over the course of a lifetime… and I know I’m not alone in that assessment.

Chico California for many that have lived there, gone to school there, fashioned a career there, is the kind of town that grows for many into a spiritual mecca. If there was ever a town that could breath life into our souls it would be Chico.

The kind of breath one can only dream of when thinking of someone or something that brings an internal smile that expands into laughter from the heart as you arrive within the city limits. This town actually has no limits as it possesses the hearts, minds, and souls from all those that have graduated from Chico State University.

Many that have moved on to other places in search of the happiness they once took for granted spend the rest of their lives trying to figure out how to come back and raise their families in Chico. It’s really hard to put your finger on why this place is so special. It really can’t succinctly be defined but rather lives in a universe unto itself.

For me, Sigma Nu fraternity brought me to understand what it was like to be apart of something great. Sigma Nu imparted the wisdom of love, truth, and honor. I never knew what a brotherhood was until those brothers that mentored me, believed in me, helped me understand the power of a fraternal organization that has resulted in the cultivation of friendships that have lasted a life time.

I can’t tell you how valuable that ability to connect with others and accomplish goals promoting the group over one individual can be in an overview of business mirroring life. Beyond the fraternity, Chico State University is also a connection between like minds that share a synergy that always results in conversations revolving around the best times of our lives.

Chico State University has become for many a springboard for accomplishments that go well beyond the expectations of others and result in talent driven execution of tasks thought to be out of the realm of possibility.

Finally I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Bidwell Park (one of the most beautiful places on earth). Besides the brotherhood and the education, Bidwell Park stands by itself as a natural ecosystem for hundreds of different species of trees, plants, and fauna.

Big Chico Creek originates near Colby Mountain and meanders through the town of Chico carrying with it the lifeblood of many that have followed its trajectory towards the path far less traveled.

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Nothing is as precious as the relationships you develop that last over the course of a lifetime. I realize it’s pre-mature to state that since my life time is still continuing, evolving, and moving at the speed of time… however, any relationship that lasts more than 40 years should be in that elite category.

I’d have to say that if you have friends from your childhood and or college and your over 50 then you qualify for the blessed category of “life long” friends. The beautiful part of “life long” friends is that they know things about you, and you know things about them that are precious. Those jewels can be taken out of the memory box and discussed as if it were yesterday. And, for that brief moment, you can travel back in time which usually results in laughter or a comment like, “I can’t believe we did that!”

Every positive, long lasting relationship, brings us closer to a fine wine that ages gracefully as we pop the cork on a beloved memory. It starts with a wonderful sensory experience that creates a connection transcending space and time propelling us into a galaxy only reserved for what the best of humanity can provide, love.

I’ve got a couple friends I’ve known since boy scouts. We have stories that start in the third grade and continue through college, marriages, children, jobs, and continue to the present. Every birthday we call each other to wish the other one “Happy Birthday”. It seems like such a simple gesture but that call or card reflects a commitment that has lasted almost our entire lives.

When we count our blessings we should count those wonderful people in our lives that have lasted past thick and thin and have endured the changes that test even the most stedfast relationship. Another reason that these friendships are so special is because almost everything else is about beginnings and endings. Our schooling, our jobs, our hobbies and or interests over time… but friendships over the course of a lifetime evolve into that rare beautiful bottle of wine that only gets better over time.

If you can count even one friend like that you are blessed. I encourage anyone reading this to reach out to those that have made a difference in your life creating the bond that is even stronger as those memories become the glue that binds us together for a lifetime.

This blog is sponsored by PAZAZ™ “The Magic of Cooking”. kitchen tools for the discerning chef.

Please go to www.pazazshop.com to purchase these amazing kitchen tools.

And so the ritual begins. Isn’t this the time of year that we are motivated to lose weight, vacation more, and see all those from last year we promised to visit the year before?

I love rituals because they become the constant we are familiar with and brings a sense of peace without the stress of the unknowing or the mystery of stepping outside our comfort zone. Each holiday has a family tradition and the tradition makes it easier to concentrate on whats really important, our catching up with those we see very seldom or the connection with those we embrace as family.

But what if this new year we stepped out of that comfort zone and reached for things we thought outside the framework of possibility? We spend less on things we don’t need to save for those things that stretch “the zone” and create another layer of our story that we can look back and say…”Yes, I did that”!

Lets start with the easy reach, because you can’t just dive in to the deep end of the pool. Little towns within a three hour drive that you’ve been meaning to visit but have provided an excuse (a thinly veiled lie wrapped in reason) that seemed logical at the time.

As each adventure becomes another page in your story you find accomplishment that is satisfying and rewarding. This accomplishment can’t be measured in dollars and cents but in the self-gratification of personal growth.

Next you venture on a plane or by car to a city you’ve heard wonderful things about that peaked your interest because of your own love for sport, music, theatre, restaurants, etc. This journey becomes an event centered around a spectacle bringing that inner smile that only comes with accomplishment and personal gratification.

As your friends wonder, “What’s going on with _____?” you become a beacon for a story that is shared because of the experiences that translate to the people you’ve met, the things you’ve seen, and the moment you’ve expanded your horizons. The TV becomes a secondary device rarely visited anymore because of your new found sense of adventure. Your stories take on the magic of discovery and the passion for life that’s magnetic and compelling.

Next you decide to venture outside the country to the place of your family origin or a place known for a particular type of culture, wine, food, music, or natural beauty… or all of these combined into one historic life changing event.

As we look back on life I don’t think any of us would say, “I wish I worked more!” No, we would always wonder about the experiences that we missed because of a reason we can’t define that seemed so clear from a position of fear of the unknowing.

Carpediem! Seize the moment and that will become the vision for your future. Happy New Year PAZAZ™ style and may all your visions expand your horizons bringing the kind of joy that lasts a lifetime.

This Blog is sponsored by PAZAZ™”The Magic of Cooking” kitchen tools for the discerning chef. Visit www.pazazshop.com to see the video’s, personal story, and purchase the Heavy Duty Aluminum Baking Sheet Pan, Non-Stick Silicone Baking Mat, and the Steel Mesh Cooling Rack.