South Of Someplace

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Caged Words

You can’t put words back into a cage

Once they’ve flown out in a rage

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Overcoming Short-Term Setbacks

Don’t let short-term setbacks discourage you. Accomplishing something important is never easy. It’s frustrating to work hard and not see progress. Just realize that progress is not always obvious; sometimes, it remains hidden, masked by the challenges of moving forward.

Keep doing the work. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Stay focused on what you want to achieve, and put in a solid effort every day working on tasks that will move you in the right direction. Do the right things in the right way, and keep doing them consistently.

As long as you are putting in the work, you are moving forward, even when it seems as though you’re stuck or struggling. Measure your progress by looking back over the past, not by the number of frustrations that you’ve had to contend with in recent weeks, but by the milestones that you have crossed in recent years.

Get On With The Day

Get out of bed

Brush your teeth

Go to the kitchen

Get something to eat

Exercise

In a way that you like

Take a nice walk

Or a ride on a bike

Lift some weights

Or stretch a bit

It’s time to get out

And get on with it

Get on with the day

Before time slips away

The hours march on

The seconds won’t wait

Do all the things

That you need to do

Work toward the goals

That are special to you

Something exciting

Something new

Something that’s fun

And important, too

Ignore the critics

Their comments don’t matter

Avoid debating

Their idle chatter

Follow your vision

And make it come true

Work with the gifts

That are special to you

Be the best version

Of being you

And that’s all that you’ll ever

Need to do

To Speak Without Listening

It is everyone’s right

To speak their own mind

To think for themselves

To express and opine

But to speak without listening

Is crude and unkind

Those who argue incessantly

Are not worth your time

Friday, December 21, 2018

Bums In Thongs

I feel modestly blessed to live in an era when young, alluring women volunteer to post photos of their shapely, thong-wrapped bottoms on Instagram and elsewhere on the Internet, blessed because they do it so routinely and enthusiastically, modestly because from my perspective, they showed up forty years too late.

New York Minute 124 - Ear Bud Down

A young woman stepped out of her apartment building into last evening’s steady rain. As she turned to walk up the sidewalk, one of her wireless “ear bud” headphones went flying and skidded several feet along the wet concrete. I know that those things are expensive. Hopefully, they’re water resistant!

Swamp Of Negativity

There is never a valid reason to humiliate someone or to make them feel worse about themselves or about a difficult situation. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by being vindictive or petty to anyone, regardless of what that person may have done to you.

If you harbor a desire to belittle another person or to take retribution against them for some perceived sleight, examine your own motives, because they are unhealthy. While you’re at it, examine the values that support those motives, because they are unproductive and dangerous.

A desire to see misfortune befall others betrays a weakness of character. You will need to address that weakness, or you will remain stuck in a dark, cold swamp of negativity and internal conflict for the rest of your days.

Life’s Lessons

I have lived long enough to know

And made enough mistakes to show

That

Shiny does not mean Valuable

Engaging does not mean Relatable

Attractive does not mean Compatible

Enthusiastic does not mean Reliable

Dazzling does not mean Brilliant

Informed does not mean Intelligent

Talkative does not mean Interesting

Approachable does not mean Interested

Sympathetic does not mean Caring

Affectionate does not mean Loving

Attractive does not mean Supportive

Passionate does not mean Committed

Skinny does not mean Healthy

Showy does not mean Wealthy

Earnest does not mean Trustworthy

Experienced does not mean Accomplished

And

Advising does not mean Wise

But

If you can find someone

Who is genuinely

Reliable, Relatable, Interesting, Compatible,

Caring, Loving, Committed,

Trustworthy, Supportive, and Wise,

Don’t worry if they’re not

Skinny, Wealthy, or Brilliant

Realize that you have

Discovered a Treasure

And do what it takes

To keep that Special Person

In your life

Forever

The Pain Of The Race

The winner does not feel the pain of the race, only the elation of victory and the satisfaction of rising to a challenge. Misery and frustration are the exclusive property of the losers.

Contempt And Cuddles

Marriage exists on a continuum between Cuddles and Contempt. The more time you spend on the Cuddles side, the better. Conversely, if you’re spending a lot of time on the Contempt side, unless you and your spouse love drama, you have some work to do.

The most important skill of all is the ability switch back to the Cuddles state, quickly and effectively, when you drift into an episode of Contempt. Every marriage encounters tension, but not every marriage is equipped to handle it. It doesn’t matter how cuddly you’ve been with your partner over the years; if you can’t work your way out of one of these inevitable contemptuous periods in a reasonable amount of time, your chances are not good.