“Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are: It might have been” – Kurt Vonnegut
When leaving regrets behind the first thing to do is to drop the mask you’re wearing. If you feel you have to wear a mask to impress, ask yourself if these are the type of people you want to be hanging around with, or if you want to be the person you’re pretending to be. I’d rather get people to see the real me and let them decide for themselves if they like me or not. When it comes to human inter-action, I much prefer quality over quantity. I don’t want to get so overwhelmed by groupthink that I forget who I am or stand for.
The Best Compliment
The best compliment I can get is someone telling me it got them thinking whether it was a discussion I had, article I wrote or something I talked about on my weekly radio show. Not that they have to agree with me by any means, just to see things from another angle. Plus it gives a person a chance to learn how to stand their ground while on their life journey.
It almost goes without saying that negative attitudes are contagious and these people may need to be quarantined at some point. By this I don’t mean isolated from others in a physical sense, but in a social one. Hopefully being alone gives them a chance to rethink where their attitude is taking them.
Some people have a habit of beating themselves up after they think they’ve failed so much, and may not get another chance. What really happens is that it’s a learning experience, so a person can approach a similar situation in the future in a different manner. Don’t get discouraged if things work out differently than expected, something better is coming your way. Learn what is needed then carry on with your life. Life needs to be handled with care, not micro-managed to the smallest degree.
A line from the movie Shawshank Redemption goes “get busy living or get busy dying”. One has only so much time here on Planet Earth, so instead of doing meaningless busy work, set some goals for yourself on what you really want to do. Avoid the excuses for not doing so. How many have used the expression “if only” at the start of a sentence. This is a mindset that needs to be neutralized so opportunities can be taken advantage of. “Life is a daring experience or nothing.” – Helen Keller. A game plan is good to have for short or long term goals, but keep a loose grip on them, as circumstances change, some for the better.
“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss. A good quote to live by. Life goes by too quickly to worry about who will accept you or not. It may be safer in the harbor, but getting out into the open waters of life is when one really find out where they are at. If you’re not doing this, what is keeping your from doing so?
Ron Murdock has lived and worked in Western Canada all his life, and will continue to do so until his last day on Planet Earth. He has a good number of interests and hobbies which include dogs, freight trains, baseball and astronomy. Ron wants to know what the truth is, and nothing but the truth, and will do what research it takes to find it. The best compliment he can get is when a person says his writing, or what he says, gets them seeking.
