The photo shows a regular guy begging at the traffic intersection on most weekdays. When I saw his sign I had to smile. Mostly though, I would have liked to invite him into my car and then taken him to a lovely beach front restaurant where we could enjoy a leisurely meal and talk about life in general.
When was the last time you wanted to do something for the pure and simple bliss of it, but immediately dismissed the idea with a mental shrug and then chuckle to yourself as you huff and puff along in bumper-to-bumper traffic? We’re far too scared to indulge in a bit of a frolic in case we come across as eccentric, silly, stupid or “on something”. Most days we perform like cogs in a machine with our lives interlocking in the daily groove.
One of the advantages of being older is that one has had the good fortune to meet a lot of people who are experts in a vast and varied amount of information. I never cease to be amazed and gratified by acquaintances and friends who so willingly give of their time to share their hard-earned knowledge.
It also got me thinking about the resources available via the internet, good books and TV. From these we can learn about work, food, saving money, family issues and personal development in general. Probably the most valuable lessons I learned have been about human behaviour, cultivating healthy relationships and empathy. Everyone has weaknesses and insecurities and I also learned that it is okay to laugh at myself, be kind to oneself and most importantly to love yourself. These things don’t just happen, you have to work at it.
A friend and I were discussing the poor life choices people make and how young people are influenced by this. When told to go and clean his room it was interesting to note how a sixteen-year-old rolled his eyes and glared at the same time, which I’m sure must come only with lots of practice. I suppose it’s better than some of the verbal abuse I sometimes hear, but what lessons is sixteen learning from the silent acceptance of his behaviour?
Sometimes we wonder why someone rides us pretty hard. But it can be a good thing. When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that could mean they’ve given up on you. When you know you are not doing something to the best of your ability and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s not good news. You may not want to hear it, but your critics are often the ones telling you they care about you and want you to reach your full potential.
Many people just want to be molly-coddled. But without a healthy balance of discipline and hard work how will they ever know what they are capable of? Those who have climbed the ladder to personal success, understand and appreciate what teamwork, perseverance and the ability to deal with adversity is all about.
Contrary to popular belief complaining is not a problem solving strategy. Time spent whining won’t help achieve goals. In fact we are more likely to alienate the very people who could/would offer resources and support. And it definitely won’t make us happier. So have a pity party and then get to work …
3 basic steps to self improvement
Recognise your talents and abilities
Acknowledge your own weaknesses
Are you realistic about how your actions affect others in your home and outside environment?
- By developing the real ability to assess ourselves we can improve. If we won’t, how can we tell if we’re getting better or not?
And last but not least, let’s do lunch, I’m buying!
Creating a Stir 