Thinking Out Loud, VolumeCCCXC

I have some good news and some bad news.  Here's the good news:  Your situation is going to change.  Here's the bad news:  Your situation is going to change.  This is mainly a reminder to myself.  You see, I have a tendency sometimes to really get a good case of the mulligrubs when my life seems to be in disarray, and then when the good news does take effect and I find myself in a situation where things appear to be going smoothly, I start feeling like I've finally gotten the world by the tail and everything will be good from now on.    Have you ever been in a situation where your finances are upside down, and your outgo exceeds your income?  I know that feeling well, so I know it can be quite depressing.  The times when I was dealing with that circumstance, I would lie awake at night and wonder if there would ever be an end to my dilemma.  Well, I'm happy to report that, just like I was saying in the beginning, my situation changed, things eased up, the sun started shining, and I was soon enjoying the good feeling of being able to put some money aside for rainy days, but here's the trouble:  Although I may have been putting some funds aside for rainy days, to be honest, I really didn't think the rainy days would ever return.  I kept forgetting that rule that says "Your situation is going to change," so when it happened, it would catch me off guard again.    I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, and one of the biggest is forgetting that my situation is going to change, regardless of what is going on in my life.  It's always a mistake to forget that.  When I'm on bottom, I need to remember that my situation is going to change.  When I'm on top, I need to keep in mind that I will not always be there.  Maybe it's just another one of those bits of wisdom that comes with maturity, but the message is starting to sink into my brain that things won't always be as they are now, and I have to tell you, knowing that makes navigating this life a little easier.  I'm no longer as devastated when the bottom falls out, and I'm not as apt to get cocky when I've got the world at my fingertips.  I guess you could say I keep a better attitude about my state of life, regardless of what it is, and I've found it's easier to pick myself up out of the doldrums when I have the right attitude. By the same token, when I keep a good attitude, I'm easier to live with when things are going my way, and I don't have as much of a tendency to make foolish decisions.    Your situation is going to change.  That statement may be good news or bad news, but whatever it is, it's a fact of life.  I'm glad that I'm finally starting to get a grasp on that indisputable fact.  I hope that doesn't change.   Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCLXXXIX

I listened with interest as a friend explained to me what her mom does for a living. She is employed by a prominent American university, and she works eight hours a day, five days a week, attempting to improve our nation's streets and highways. Most of her time is spent experimenting with different formulas that would upgrade the quality of asphalt and other pavement compounds. Her goal is to make it quieter, less slippery when wet, less likely to develop ruts that would hold water on rainy days, easier on tires, and helpful in improving fuel economy. So....what does she do when she achieves success attaining some or all of those goals? She goes back to work the next day and continues working on her projects as if she was just beginning. Until the day arrives when there are no more accidents, and highway deaths are just a memory, she still has a mission to accomplish.  If absolute perfection has not yet been achieved, there will still be a work for her to do. In one respect, I can see how that could be discouraging as she considers the fact that she will likely never be able to sit back and say, "I have finally arrived.  There's nothing more that needs to be done."  On the other hand, she should find tremendous satisfaction as she looks back and observes just how far she has come and how much progress has been made. Not only that, she can also find pleasure in the knowledge that her life still has purpose and she still has a goal to pursue. As I contemplate her situation, my mind takes me to the similarities with her life and mine. Every day that I live, I'm striving to perfect all the different areas of my life....a goal that I will never attain, because complete perfection can never be achieved.  That brings me to the questions, "Why try so hard to achieve a goal that is out of reach? Shouldn't I have the option of one day just sitting back and saying, 'This is as far as I'm going'?" Well,that may work for some people, but not for me. The way I see it, I still have too far to go on this journey with no end. I still have too many flaws and make too many mistakes. Again I ask, "Why even try for perfection when everyone knows I'll never get there?"  Here's why:  Since the day I began this task, I have made tremendous progress. By this world's standards, I never was a bad person, and chances are, you weren't either, but as I look back on my past, I'm amazed at just how much I've improved over the years. Although this trip has had its share of ups and downs, hills and valleys, victories and defeats, over the long haul, I have become a much "higher quality" individual, and that's what keeps me going. I'm a better man today than I was yesterday. Tomorrow I will be a better man than I am today. As I continuously grow older, I'm constantly being made new. As long as our highways have room for improvement, my friend's mother still has a reason to go to work every day. As long as I am so apt to mess up and make mistakes, I still have a job to do. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, however. When the day comes that I take my first step onto the streets of gold, into His presence, I will become like He is...and He's perfect. Preston

Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCLXXXVII

Unless I live to be at least 124 years old, the majority of my life is behind me. I can honestly say that I have few regrets, but there is one that I want to tell you about so I might can help you avoid the same one. I will mention, however, that I see people around me every day who seem to be making the same mistakes I made, but to an even greater extent. All of my life so far I've tried to keep a smile on my face and a positive outlook on life, and while some of it was strictly an acting job on my part, most of it has been for real. I realize that no one can be "up" all the time, but the mistakes I've made primarily have to do with other people and uncontrollable circumstances. Let me give a couple examples of what I mean.  I had a dinner appointment with a business colleague and some prospective new clients in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which is more than six hours from home. I left home in plenty of time to arrive at my destination with more than an hour and a half to spare. On the way up, as I was driving on I-40 between Little Rock and Conway, I noticed that the traffic ahead of me was at a standstill. That interstate had literally become a parking lot. People were getting out of their cars and standing around right there on the highway. The longer we waited, the madder and more agitated I became, because there was  absolutely nothing I could do about it.  It was bugging me because I'm the type person who does not like to show up late, but all my fretting did no good whatsoever. When the traffic finally started creeping ahead again and I passed the wreck that had caused the delay, I had a reality check when it dawned on me just how selfish I had been. The people involved, who had been taken either to the hospital or the morgue, had had their day interrupted much worse than mine had been. Besides that, I made it to my appointment on time anyway. Second example:  I used to work for a man who had a reputation for being so hard on his employees it would make their lives miserable. My own health began to suffer due to the many sleepless nights I spent just worrying about what kind of mood he would be in the next day, and when I would get up in the mornings, my nerves would be so shot I couldn't even drink my coffee. I would usually end up pouring it down the drain. It's a fact that if you work with other people, there will be some who will constantly be trying to steal your joy, and there are so many of them out there, you'll find at least one on every job if there are several people working.  I realize that overlooking that and not letting it bother you is easier said than done, but if you let them get to you, they're the winners and you're the loser. It's also a fact of life that bad things are gonna happen and there's nothing you can do to prevent them.  Worrying and stressing over uncontrollable situations will not make them better...it will only make you less happy.   Maybe it just comes with maturity, but I'm happy to report that I've come a long way in maintaining my joy when the inevitable situations occur that I can't control. No...I haven't made it all the way, but I'm amazed at how much progress I've made. If there's something I can do about an unpleasant situation, you can bet I'll be trying to fix it, but if it's out of my hands, I'm gonna put a smile on my face and enjoy this limited time I have left of my one and only shot at life. Preston