Daily Mood Quotes - Movember 7, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

187 – November 7, 2011

Human nature is above all things lazy.

~Harriet Beecher Stowe

Today, I am on a tirade. Yes, a tirade, read, don't read you choose, there's a lot to say (you're being forewarned). There is nothing in this world that frustrates me more than lazy people and I think this morning errands and communications via e-mails where “the straw that broke the camel's back.”

From the clerk who wouldn't check for milk in the back room of the grocery store, to lazy teachers (yes, that issue is still on-going), to lazy drivers who obviously never learned where the turn signal is on the steering column of the car. UUUGGGHHHH, it's Monday. An interestingly enough, my pharmacist was kind enough to inform me that we spend 1/7^th of our life on Mondays; about 14.29% for those of you who don't want to do the math. To quote my teenager, “Well Duh!” It makes me want to stay in bed and try to sleep through Mondays, If only I could, especially if Mondays continue to be as disagreeable as this one. I guess a lot of folks think the same, judging by how they behave on Monday morning. I guess the price of a good Sunday is a rough starting Monday. I hope that's not the case.

My husband and I have arrived at a point where we agree; we don't get it. How can people, especially people who have jobs, be so lazy in doing their jobs and in their personal behavior? I'm pretty sure the nearly 14 million unemployed would love to have those jobs and probably even do them well, because they understand what life is like for the unemployed. I am amazed how much people with jobs take for granted. It's not like they're better educated or harder working, just lucky and I don't think they quite “get” that. Especially a few teachers I know of who bragged about their years as a teacher, when clearly the behavior towards students, and student's parents screams “I'm only here to collect a paycheck and do the bare minimum, because my union protects me.” Do you know how many people I have known used the protection of the union to save their jobs while they screw-off, or even flat out steal from their employers? It's amazing what people get away with by “hiding behind” their union contract to keep their jobs. Shameful....

On the other side of the coin, I will be interested to see how many companies (it happens every year, like clockwork), lay-off people over the next six weeks. The holidays are coming you know, and it seems to spur companies to let people go, so the top executives can get a bonus, for doing... well nothing good, that's for sure. What a sorry looking mess we have made of our once thriving economy.

In the movie The Big Lebowski, Maude Lebowski (played by Julianne Moore) asked The Dude (played by Jeff Bridges) “What do you do for recreation?” I suppose there was still disposable income for “common man” recreation in 1998. Today, we have to decide between electricity and food, then occupy Wall Street, because the ones that need the jobs, those that are willing to put in an honest days work, can't find the jobs, or are denied the jobs because of age, (yes, discrimination), education (yes, because they have one), or because they are a transplant (yes, they moved to your town and you want them out). And all the while, so many who still have a job, seem to receive paychecks for just kind of standing around and doing nothing. It's important to note that I'm not talking about all the people, (I'm sure there are still plenty of decent, hard working, honest folks out there), just the ones I dealt with today and maybe someone you dealt with or are dealing with today. Way to go, you make us proud to share our country with you... “NOT!”

It is a little frustrating to have so much to offer, thanks to a good education and experience and watch those who really shouldn't have a job, screw off, lie, cheat, steal, and so much more; then turn and have the attitude that nothing can happen to them, or their job, because they are related to someone somewhere or a favor is being honored (I call this “the political system”), or the union protects them. Like Tom Selleck (Peter) said in Three Men and a Baby, “what a crock!!!” No wonder we have problems.

How will you overcome laziness today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote

Thank you for reading.

Daily Mood Quote - August 23, 2011

 

Daily Mood Quote

Day 112 – August 23, 2011

“How you think about a problem is more important than the problem itself. So always think positively.”

~Norman Vincent Peale

Recently I have been struggling with managing my time and like all things in life, it is work in progress. Even at 47, still work in progress. When I was younger (in high school), I couldn't wait to be an adult. At that time, it seemed to me that adults had it all. They could come and go as they please, do what they want, when they wanted. They controlled their own lives, or at least that's the way it appeared to me. Well, I have been an adult for quite some time now and I can tell you without equivocation: grown up life is like being a duck on a pond, usually its “calm and serene on top, but paddling like crazy underneath.” Have you ever noticed how rare it is to have two days exactly the same? Just like the water in the pond, life can get choppy and sloppy. Sometimes, the water can appear placid, but strong currents lie just below. Poor little ducks...big surprise for us grown ups. That doesn't stop the paddling. The choice to sit? That makes you a "sitting duck" for problems, doesn't it? On and on it goes, hoping that the current is with you, or at least your with the current.

Yesterday, I changed the time of the blog believing that would help my schedule work better. Well, I remove one issue and end up with two more...enough said. Sadly to say, this is not going to work. So back to the drawing board beginning with the next blog, August 24, the Daily Mood Quotes blog will be back on the original schedule. Please accept my apology for the change and thank you for continuing to read the Daily Mood Quotes blog.

In the movie 17 Again, Mike O'Donnell (played by Matthew Perry and Zac Efron) believed he had all these problems because he didn't go to college, instead he married his girlfriend, had a baby and believed his life, a life unfulfilled. The janitor (played by Brian Doyle-Murray) approached him while looking at the case that displayed his high school fame and said, “High school star, never quite lived up to your potential. Sooner or later you all come back to your old school, stand there and look at the picture of the glory days wondering "What might have been?" Seems to me you guys are living in the past.” Mike replied, “Well, of course I wanna live in the past. It was better there...” Well, I once thought that same thing too, but you know what, it wasn't better, it was only easier. Our problems were viewed through a lens of inexperience and perhaps a bit less responsibility. I didn’t know that some problems don't have answers and some problems grow like weeds until you dig in and get to the root. There is a popular adage in business circles that “problems are opportunities.” "What a crock!!!!" (thank you Tom Selleck from 3 Men and a Baby). Sayings like this are why I'm no fan of pop psychology, as they cause untrained, or overly suggestible people (I'll dance around a few choice words here) to create unnecessary problems; so they can get to some, as yet unfathomed opportunity. That's backwards thinking to be certain. Well, to that phrase I respectfully submit: No not quite, they are problems. They can however yield opportunity, when approached with the right frame of mind. So, I juggle the schedule and start anew, wiser for the experience (hopefully), and the blog will get back on track. Thank you for all your input!

How will you view problems today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote

Thank you for reading

Daily Mood Quote - May 20, 2011

Daily Mood Quote

Day 16 – May 20, 2011

Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks.

~Isaac Watts

This quote comes because of a story my husband shared with me this morning. A local radio station ask the question, “Should woman allow men to change their baby girl's diapers?”

Well, I have several schools of though on this: First, what in the hell has gone wrong with our society? I don't pretend to have the answers, but I wonder if there isn't something in the water here? Overwhelmingly, (10 to 1 ratio), woman said, “No I would not let my husband change our daughter's diapers.” WHAT??? I have grown children now, so diaper changing isn't a part of our life anymore (until the grandchildren arrive, then pappy’s changing diapers). However, I was tripping the light fantastic when my husband took the lead on the care of our children when they were young, including diaper changing. It meant I got a break.

So, the question is, “Why do these woman think like this?” Is it they don't trust their husband to do a good job? This is reasonable, because sometimes guys can be ham handed (clunky). When my husband listened to this story and upon hearing the women's comments, his first thought was, “Do they (woman) think that all men are recalcitrant pervs?” I understand the media has really beat that drum for the last couple of years and public awareness is riding very high. But really, dad's now can't change their own children's diapers? Again, What??

In the movie, Three Men and Baby with Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson, the baby was a little girl and the men were all working professionals, single and no children ,or experience (or so they thought). Mary arrived on the doorstep and life became chaotic. While they were squeamish about changing a diaper, I don't remember anybody getting up and leaving the movie theater because men were changing a diaper, it was actually funny! But, I do remember Tom Selleck saying “I'll pay you $1,000 to change the diaper.” Has society really changed that much in 24 years? I don't think so. I do believe we can be so overwhelmed by the negative, that we forget the positive and we begin to doubt even ourselves and good judgement. Trust has to start with ourselves. When self doubt creeps in, it tends to overflow common sense and drown out the voice of reason. Then emotions and fears take over.

Married life is all about teamwork. That includes changing diapers, cooking and cleaning. We are all equal and accountable for our actions. Men no less than women and women no less than men. If a man excluded a woman from a vital child rearing activity, she would scream sexism and probably a few other choice words. Seems like that might be happening in reverse these days. At least out here in the middle of the country. It boils down to trust yourself and marry someone you can trust. Well duh!

What does teamwork look like to you today?

Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote