Katie's post said it all...we are all quirky, strange, eccentric in our own rights. The beauty of humankind is that we are all different. Different in the way we speak, act, interact, laugh, cry. There are things we cannot, and should not, try to change about ourselves. Characteristics that run so deep they could be written on our DNA, right alongside the code for blue eyes, brown hair and that strange birthmark that several generations in your family have all had...in the same place! But, there are plenty of things that we can change and can work on--tolerance, patience, kindness, forgiveness. I'm fairly certain even Mother Teresa herself worked daily on these attributes. While they may come easier for some than others, we all need a reminder now and again that building good character requires action and attention.
With that being said, there are things that people can change and they just choose not to. This is where I get annoyed. This is where I get pissed off. And this is where my tolerance, patience, kindness and forgiveness ends (though I am working on it).
- Stop complaining. Do something. Action changes things. Complaining has never changed anything. Except relationships and not for the better.
- Get up and move. Sure, your actual DNA may dictate that you are predisposed to be a bit heavier than others, but laziness and poor planning breeds fat. Don't complain that you are fat if you are sitting on your rear, eating crap, stressing about being overweight. Move. Now!
- Your circumstances absolutely do not dictate who you are. Don't let them.
- Your work does not define you. Your kids do not define you. Your spouse, friends and enemies do not define you. You write the definition and let everyone know what it is. If they don’t like it, tell 'em to go Funk and Wagnalls themselves.
- Truth is, life is hard, and, if we are lucky, long. Don't let the bad outweigh the good. Everything passes--good and bad. Enjoy the good, laugh through the bad. Feeling sorry, whining, being complacent will only deepen the darkness and help you to forget that there is always light moving toward you.
- You can't keep up with the Jones. Stop trying. You don't know their circumstance. You don't know the rich dead aunt that left them everything and that's why they can go on elaborate vacations or put in a pool. Or that that same aunt raised your neighbor when everyone else neglected her and she would give up everything to have her aunt back.
- Everyone has shit. I didn't say everyone shits (though this is true--sorry boys to dispel that myth). We all have our own loads of crap that we have to deal with. Don't think just because someone has a sunny disposition or is never down, they don't have their troubles. They choose to look past the trials and focus on the triumphs. You should too!
- Stop being so sarcastic. It is annoying. It is rude. I'm all for funny, but sarcasm borders on mean and I don’t like mean. There isn't a place for it...anywhere. We are so worried about bullying with kids these days, we forget that as adults we sometimes act just as terrible as, if not worse than, the kids. Can't imagine where they are getting it from!
- Don't put yourself down just so others will lift you up. You are great. Say it. Shout it. False modesty is, well, just that, false. Don't look outside for approval, look in. That's all the validation you should need.
- Stop passing judgment. You don't know the situation, you don't know what is really going on. You are only entitled to an opinion if it directly involves you. If it doesn't, and it most likely doesn't, no one wants to know what you think, shut up and move on.
I know this sounds harsh, but sometimes the truth hurts, but it needs to be said and digested by all of us. Just because I say it, doesn't mean I live it. I try to live it. I try to do my best. I try to remember that most of the time, what annoys me about others only annoys me because it is a mirror into myself and my own shortcomings.
Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it, life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it. ~ Mother Teresa
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