Life is a journey....that's a metaphor we've all heard. So, if it is, what it is we are learning along the way? Consider these five things: 1. "Whatever you are willing to put up with is exactly what you will have...."
This is a hard lesson to stomach sometimes, but it's an essential truth we would all do well to think about. What is it YOU are willing to put up with? I think about some of the things I'm willing to put up with, and I realize that sometimes I am too willing to put up with a job poorly done or not done in a timely fashion. It's called PROCRASTINATION and I know it often brings disappointment! Why? Because I don't really do the job I want to do. Actually, this is one area of my life I've been aggressively working toward eliminating, or at least, minimizing. I think it's been rewarding, too. I've finished several pressing assignments and quite a few projects that needed attention. What a relief! How satisfying
2. "You will never have it 'all together'!" Oh, what a relief it is!!! I used to think that '...when I...then I....' but you know what, that's so unrealistic and so very discouraging! In fact, it seems the older I get, the less together I am -- but the greater my sense of gratitude and appreciation for small and wonderful things. It's taken a load off my shoulders to realize I will NEVER really have it all together.
3. "If you don't start, it's certain you won't get there!" On the other hand, though we will never 'arrive', still, it's imperative we work toward our goals. I know writers who dream of writing a great novel, who talk about putting pen to paper, but then avoid the task. Is it fear? Sometimes I think it is...we don't want to risk failure and we don't want to risk 'exposure'!
4. "Success stops when you do." This notion has had great impact on me that last year or two. A well-published author told me not long ago that the BIG difference between those who truly succeed and those who fail is often reduced to this: if you stop, so does the possibility of a sale or success. At the end of the day, the most successful authors (or anyone) are those who continued on....plugged on....persevered....that's all!
5. "He or she who laughs....lasts!" This is a great adage. If we can't laugh at ourselves, we're destined to fail and we are most destined to be disappointed in life. How sad for those who always seem to have an 'agenda' -- a pressing mission where there is no room for a smile, a chuckle, or a laugh. And who better to laugh at than ourselves!???
My mother, who recently passed away, was one of those golden people who truly could laugh at herself and find the smile in almost every situation, even the most strenuous or difficult. Now that she is gone, believe me, I think of this attribute of hers and marvel. She taught us all much through her ability to laugh. She never took herself so seriously that she couldn't find something to chuckle over.
