Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Life Sucks, If You Prefer

So, it seems like the economy is drooping a bit for a moment. Personally, I don't mind. I roll with the punches.



Let me put that in perspective. Some days I wake up a little early. And I have to be quiet for awhile so that others can continue sleeping. (Well, true, I don't actually *have* to be quiet, but it's what my personality demands.) I don't get to have quite as much fun while I wait. I usually read from one of my books during that time. (Keyboard clacking is too much noise to me.)



Well, to make this more generic in application (something I like to think about often), let me just say this: sometimes I have to wait doing things that are lower on my priority of life activities -- I have to wait until conditions are better.



As to the economy drooping a bit for a moment, I've been out of work before. I expect to be so again. During those times, I had to wait and do lower priority things. Making ends meet involved significant changes in life-style -- naturally.



However, the way I see it, your opinion of your life colors your life. If you think that your life sucks, you'll spend a lot of time thinking about the ways it sucks. You may not be loads of fun to be with. Your next interview may not go quite so well. Your next comment to family or friends may piss them off.



Now, the Tough-Love (tm) crowd may tell you to get over yourself. I'm not a fan of that approach. Nor am I a rosy-eyed optimist. There are going to be times in your life when shxt happens. But I *will* tell you that your outlook on life can make or break your day, week, month, and year.



The last time I was laid off, I am certain that I was the only person to get the axe that showed more concern about the feelings of the messengers (who included my immediate manager, charged with the decision) than vice versa -- and they were concerned. The company went in a different direction (trying to down-size to help their shareholders) and a bunch of people got the axe. Managers get paid (on rare, painful occasions) to make those decisions.



I wasn't angry, because my personal plan is to survive lean times. I have a few friends. I have a family. They like me for who I am, not for how much money I can spread around. (And I try to work at keeping it that way.) Besides, I still have most of my original body parts. And keeping clean, getting enough to eat and drink, and staying out of the weather is easy to do in America. (Meaning, I don't have to walk out into the desert to find a piece of God-forsaken land, throw together a lean-to, sharpen a spear, and look for dinner.)



My small comment, here, may have started with the economy, but what I'm trying to say is that if you're feeling your life sucks then you should change your outlook. It only sucks if you prefer it that way. Human life has only three modes -- good (you've got a brain), great (things break your way), and that rare mode when, in spite of everything, someone's shooting at you. If you're sad, then (and pay attention here) find a corner and read a book till you get over that emotion -- because it's just an emotion, not one of life's modes. And if your current situation has thorns (that you're sad about), get your head together so you can plan how to either remove the thorns, or move to the next branch.



Oh, and if you haven't yet planned for that rare third mode of life, get a gun, get trained, and keep it on whatever passes for your nightstand. The bad guys like "night and fog".

4 comments:

  1. Definitely having a defense mechanism handy would be important. It is important to know that attack can't always be counter attacked with the same if not more force. Sometimes you just have to let things happen, and all you can do is observe. Unless you chose to argue and go completely psycho, then have a field day. Pick up words rather than weapons though, its easier, but it exercises the brains plasticity.

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  2. William, I think the important thing to understand is that if the person attacking you has a weapon, and all you have is words, you may "exercise the brains' plasticity" in an entirely unintended way.

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