Ray's Daily

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

Charles Darwin

 

 

 

The news here in the US continues to be filled with announcements of record job loss. It hit home for me again this morning when I attended a meeting of business and professional people who are out of a job, most for the first time in their lives. In my experience it is a critical time for these good folks, they can either feel sorry for themselves, give up and slip into personnel depression or they can reassess who they are and what they need and jettison the desire for what they don’t need. As always it is those who carry the lightest load who go the farthest.

The test I have always applied when I was faced with similar situations was answering the question “Will my world end if I don’t have this or do that?” The answer beyond the basic necessities is usually no. What is surprising to me is that when I eliminated those things that I previously thought were important I often found that I was happier.

These are tough times for lots of people and it is doubtful that too many will get jobs that provide more income than they made in the past, many will even have to take relatively low paying interim jobs. The quality of their lives on the short and maybe medium term will depend on their attitude, flexibility and resiliency. I honestly believe that our lives are 75% mental outlook and 25% environment. So come with me and see what might be if we decide we can do with what we have.

Here is something I have saved that I think can help when things start to look black:

1. Stay fully engaged with people and your life.

2. Don’t stuff down your anger – write it out, punch a pillow, let it go.

3. When you think you are too busy, don’t give up your exercise totally. Fit in shorter sessions instead.

4. You have everything you need, the rest is just a bonus.

5. Buy refills for your soap, shaver, face wipes instead of buying a new one with the extra packaging, chose simplicity.

6. Understand that you are really stronger than you think.

7. Make sure you maintain a safety stock of friends, activities, and the necessities for it is nice to know that everything is there for you if you really need it.

8. Smile!!!! For the world really doesn’t end when we are down so why should we.

~~~

“Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it.”

Bill Cosby

~~~

Jill was really peeved! She was arguing with the druggist because her favorite cure-all could not be bought without a prescription.

"Look, lady. You can’t have this without a prescription because it’s a habit-forming drug."

"IT IS NOT!" yelled Jill. "I ought to know…I’ve been taking it regularly for seventeen years!"

~~~

People will believe you are confident in your successes if you keep the look of astonishment off your face.

~~~

"Dad, you gave me some terrible financial advice!"

"I did? What did I tell you?"

"You told me to put my money in that big bank and now, that big bank is in trouble."

"What are you talking about? That’s one of the oldest, largest and most stable banks in the state. There must be some mistake."

"I don’t think so. They just returned one of my checks with a note saying, ‘Insufficient Funds.’"

~~~

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.

Confucius

~~~

England‘s West Country is known for its charming cottage-like shops. While visiting the area, my friend peered in through one window to see shelf upon shelf of interesting looking books. So, she went inside.

A woman appeared through a beaded curtain and asked, "Can I help you?"

"No, just browsing," said my friend.

"Fine," came the reply. "But, just so you know, around here, most people knock before entering someone’s home."

~~~

Enjoy the little things, for one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things.

Robert Brault

~~~

The psychiatrist was not expecting the distraught stranger who staggered into his office and slumped into a chair. "You’ve got to help me. I’m losing my memory, Doctor," he sobbed. "I once had a successful business, a wife, home and family; I was a respected member of the community. But all that’s gone now. Since my memory began failing, I’ve lost the business – I couldn’t remember my clients’ names. My wife and children have left me, too; and why shouldn’t they – some nights I wouldn’t get home until four or five in the morning. I’d forget where I lived…And it’s getting worse. Doctor – it’s getting worse!"

"This is not an unusual form of neurosis," the psychiatrist said soothingly. "Now tell me, just how long ago did you first become aware of this condition?"

"Condition?" The man sat up in his chair. "What condition?"

~~~

Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast, you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.

Eddie Cantor

~~~

A minister was opening his mail one morning. Drawing a single sheet of paper from an envelope he found written on it only one word: "FOOL".

The next Sunday he announced, "I have known many people who have written letters and forgot to sign their name.

"But this week I received a letter from someone who signed his name and had forgotten to write a letter."

~~~

There are many ways to measure success; not the least of which is the way your child describes you when talking to a friend.

Unknown

~~~

While working as a pediatric nurse, I had the difficult assignment of giving immunization shots to children. One day, I entered the examining room to give four-year-old, Lizzie, her shot. "No! No! No!" she screamed.

"Lizzie," her mother scolded. "That’s not polite behavior."

At that, the girl yelled even louder, "No, thank you! No, thank you! No, thank you!"

~~~

“I am Me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me. Everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone chose it — I own everything about me: my body, my feelings, my mouth, my voice, all my actions, whether they be to others or myself. I own my fantasies, my dreams, my hopes, my fears. I own my triumphs and successes, all my failures and mistakes. Because I own all of me, I can become intimately acquainted with me. By so doing, I can love me and be friendly with all my parts. I know there are aspects about myself that puzzle me, and other aspects that I do not know — but as long as I am friendly and loving to myself, I can courageously and hopefully look for solutions to the puzzles and ways to find out more about me. However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, and whatever I think and feel at a given moment in time is authentically me. If later some parts of how I looked, sounded, thought, and felt turn out to be unfitting, I can discard that which is unfitting, keep the rest, and invent something new for that which I discarded. I can see, hear, feel, think, say, and do. I have the tools to survive, to be close to others, to be productive, and to make sense and order out of the world of people and things outside of me. I own me, and therefore, I can engineer me. I am me, and I am Okay.”

Virginia Satir

~~~

Stay well, do good work, and have fun.

 

Ray Mitchell

 Indianapolis, Indiana

 Management is not responsible for duplicates from previous dailies.

The editor is somewhat senile.

 

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