Feeling Inflexible? You’re In Good Company….But Don’t Linger.

Feeling Inflexible? You’re In Good Company….But Don’t Linger.

~Joel’s Blog

Where’s Your Inflexible Kink?

With phrases like “You’re being inflexible!” and “What’s got your knickers in a wad?”, not to mention “Why are you so kinked up?”…it’s pretty safe to assume that everyone has their pet-peeves.

For me? The truth is that few things get my knickers in a wad faster, and my patience totaly kinked up into inflexibel knots, than dealing with wires, cords and cables. OK, there I said it.

You’d think that after 100+ years the electrical industry, especially on the consumer side of things, could come up with cords that were not more flexible, but just flexible at all. We’ve put functional rovers on Mars, and we can’t come up with something more evolved and elegant than these stupid wires?

You know, “back in the day” cords were very flexible, in fact nearly supple. Now, if it’s time to redo a computer…Oi!

Kinks ‘R UsCords from Hell

Come to think of it, it isn’t just inflexible wires that get me kinked up. You know what I’m talking about here, don’t you? Go ahead, close your eyes. Now visualize someone in your life who was–or is–the poster child for inflexibility. Got it? And who is that someone? A boss? Parent? Sibling? Child? Colleague? Gently now…spouse? Then there are teachers, coaches, clergy, politicians and, well, you get the point. It’s a long list.

Isn’t it amazing how aggravating people can be when they lock and load on a position that they seem to hold more important than the people around them? Really? Position over people?

And Then There’s…

It’s worth noting that over time, most things get brittle and stiff. Including people. Including our positions. So, there’s a choice we have. An ongoing series of choices. How inflexible will we be? Will we stiffen up, becoming increasingly inflexible until we aggravate those around us like a nest of cords, wires and cables…which no one, absolutely no one, wants to interact with?

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reinhold Niebuhr

Upon some reflection, maybe I should work on my reaction to wires, cables and cords. Thanks to my family for listening to my heard-more-than-once complaint about the manufacturers of all manner of current-carrying lines. I’ll try to stay sanguine next time. Even when my tendonitis is screaming. Serenity would be quieter than a Hulk-like response.

Who do you know that would benefit from a more serene response to things they “cannot change”? Please share.

photo credit: e-magic via photopin cc

What’s It Worth To You?

What’s It Worth To You?

~Joel’s Blog

The Silver Lining in the Great Recession

How do you measure worth? Well, how many people can you think of that want something different than their “day job”? For that matter, how many folks can you think of that simply want (read: need) a day/night/any job?

It doesn’t matter, really, when you peg the year that this current economic downturn began. Some say 2007, some 2008.

But does it matter whether we say it’s been going on for 4 or 5 years, even 6? Not so much. Perhaps, if there is a silver lining hidden in the folds of the economic storm clouds still lingering over the world, it is that it has forced nearly everyone to reassess (or maybe assess for the first time) what it is that they want out of life, what matters most to them. Where their worth comes from. For many, that has come to mean doing work that has tangible value (worth) or is fulfilling and meaningful (worthy). Doing work that is purpose-driven, rather than paycheck-driven (even a big one), is what makes the work worth doing.

Your Worth: What’s It Worth To You?

How does this look in real life? Some people that were downsized have found new careers. Sometimes they circle back to a dream they held when they were younger but decided they couldn’t afford to follow back then. Often, they engage in a transition from their old “world” to their new one. For others, the transition was/is all at once. It is to be hoped that they’ve developed a plaSailingn to move towards their dream. This is a far more compelling way to initiate change in one’s life, typically major change, than operating from a move away from motivation. The former is positive, full of hope and powered by vision; the latter is negative, fueled by regret and powered by frustration.

However, when push comes to shove–even a massive, economically unpleasant shove–moving towards something is much harder than just seething about current conditions. It takes guts. It requires stepping into a dimly lit future. It means one sets sail into uncharted waters. But isn’t it worth it? Really, what’s the alternative?

How many people do you know that expense loads of energy on complaining about “if only…”? More than those folks that have cast off from the harbor and are sailing into new seas? Probably.

So what is it that prompts a person to cast off for new places, rather than rage on about their current one? Which one are you these days? Intrepid adventurer…or tepid, arm-chair complainer?

Engage here.  Starting right now, which one would you like to be?  Who else might need to reconsider their motivation?

photo credit: Kıvanç Niş via photopin cc

 

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