The world is full of cliches. Words put together to form sayings that become mainstream. There are words full of wisdom (encourage, believe). Words full of ignorance (hate, discrimination). Smart words (paramount, ramification). Dumb words (irregardless - not really a word, inflammable - should really be flammable). Abbreviated words (LOL, LMFAO). Made up words (strategery, twerking). But, REGARDLESS of how smart, stupid, brilliant or asinine words can be, there have been individuals before us that have put them together to give us some sage advice.
As I make my way through BFE Kansas on business travel, I find I have plenty of time to reflect on what words have impacted me both positively and negatively. Let's face it, words can hurt. But, words can also lift one up. These words, good or bad, affect (not EFFECT people) everyone. People have the right to say what they want, but how one chooses to interpret these words is up to them.
My favorite words/adages:
1. Don't sweat the small stuff. Seriously, they don't make antiperspirant/deodorant strong enough to combat all of the small crap that invades our life on a daily basis. So, don't sweat them. Prioritize and leave your high school tendencies behind. There are people starving in Africa (another saying...there are people starving on our streets too), so I bet they don't care if Sally Sue stole your Diet Coke out of the office refrigerator. Really, it's your fault for trusting it to be in there anyway.
2. You only live once. Or as teen heartthrob JB would abbreviate - YOLO. Take risks. But, don't subscribe to risky behavior. Do what makes you happy and positively impact others. You don't want to be remembered as the whiny bitch that had nothing else to complain about than the missing Diet Coke can.
3. Do unto others...This one is simple. Just treat people how you would like to be treated. If you are a boss, would YOU want someone telling you that you are worthless and a waste of time? If you neglect your child, think back to when you were a kid. How would YOU feel? The idea behind this old adage is actually very self-centric. How would YOU like to be treated? Then project that onto others.
4. This too shall pass. Refer back to the first saying. No matter how trivial or monstrous a situation, it too shall pass...like gas. Just plug through it, hold your head up high and move on.
5. Easier said than done. Refer to all of the above. Sometimes words are just words. Sometimes people just say them to say them. It's easy for me to say to the Diet Coke chick to just get over it, buy another soda. But, this can could have put her into a tailspin for a reason. Maybe it had sentimental value. Maybe she was really attached to it. To that, I say, I have the number of a good therapist.
6. Life is like a box of chocolates. Made popular by Forest Gump. But, it's true. You never know what you're going to get. I never dreamed my life would be what it is. But, life gave me my husband, my son (who also didn't choose where he ended up) and my two four-legged girls. While life has hit some turbulence along the way, I am thankful that it landed where it did.
7. Mean people suck. That's it. They do.
8. Think outside the box. I hate the saying. I hate referring to it. But, nobody puts Monica in a box. Apparently all the decision makers are 'inside' the box. I prefer to live my life outside of it.
9. Work to live, don't live to work. Supported by yet another philosophy, you'll never see "wish I would have spent more time at work" on a tombstone.
10. I'm going to hell. Everyone says that after they have said something insulting, gossipy, or rude to 'get them off the hook'. As I travel through the 7th circle of hell that is SW Kansas, I realize that if I was to say something insulting, gossipy or rude here, I could get away with it.
So, I'm going to hell (or the trailer park outside of it). But, you only live once. This too shall pass. I'll just think outside the box and do unto others while here. But, that's easier said than done. I'm not going to sweat the small stuff while here working to live. After all, my stint here is like a box of chocolates...I never know what...fuck it. I'm allergic to chocolate.
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