What happens is important, but let’s talk about how you deal with what happens to you. It’s an old saying. It can go back to religions, schools of thought, but ultimately what is being said is you’re not in control. The world’s going to do what it’s going to do. Oh, you think you can be in some control and maybe you can. Maybe you can choose the color of your next car. Maybe you can choose whether your steak is well done or medium-rare.
You Just Don’t Have Control
The point is that there’s a lot of stuff in life that you just don’t have control over. Let’s take a moment and point to the Coronavirus, the topic of the day, the week, the month and who knows how long. There is a myriad of reactions to this.
Now a lot of the people that I follow on social media, have taken a deep dive into their discipline. Some of you are doing some fantastic things. Losing weight, spending time in meditation, all sorts of different things. It’s exciting to see that.
Becoming Resigned
Then there’s also becoming resigned to this, which is disturbing to me. It’s not very comfortable. I don’t like it because what I see is people who have decided that this is a chance to let themselves go. I had to go to the store and the hodgepodge of disarray I saw was extraordinary. One gentleman stunk so bad I couldn’t follow him down the aisle. Basic hygiene had gone by the wayside with him.
The Bohemian that was standing in front of me in line, clearly his clothes hadn’t been washed in some time. Buying a bottle of whiskey and some food. You know that kind of thing. It was amazing how many people were, for lack of a better phrase, letting themselves go. It’s as if a moment of societal disarray was a moment to let their qualities fly to flinders.
If that’s the way you’re going to treat yourself I can’t imagine you of many benefits to anybody else. As I rage against these people that see this virus as an opportunity to slip into disarray, do what they want to do on their terms. Well fine go right ahead.
Clean Clothes And A Purposeful Walk
But as I was walking out of the store a small gentle lady was coming my way up the parking lot, she had her purse on her elbow. She had a list in her hand, her hair was done the clothes were clean and pressed and she walked with purpose.
As she walked past me, I thought to myself, “There’s a person who’s seen some life there’s a person that’s experienced some things.” She has decided that she can’t control what happens to her but she can control how she reacts to it.
A Rant?
A little bit of a rage a little bit of a rant? Quite possibly. But if you’ve chosen to go down that path and I doubt many of my listeners have gone that way. Make the change now, get in the shower, press your clothes, clean them, shave, cut your hair, use your comb. Put on a little Cologne if you like to be positive and set yourself up for success.
Because this thing is going to end and you need to be ready to seize the day when it does.
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