Control

There comes a time in ones life that you must face the fact that you aren’t in control. It comes sooner for some and later for others, but we all reach it. It being the realization that no matter how brilliant the plans we make are, they can fall apart in a flash.

Yet its not having our plans fall apart that hurts the worst, it’s the lack of control. We all start out in life thinking we are the masters of our destiny only to find out that it is controlled by things we have no power to change. That’s the point when we realize we must make the best of a bad situation and go to plan B. After all you can’t change the past, but that does not change the fact that those around you are going to put the blame on you.

There is a poem that I read years ago that says it best.

 

I'm not allowed to run the train
The whistle I can't blow
I'm not the one who designates
How far the train will go
I'm not allowed to blow the steam
Or even ring the bell
But let the damn thing jump the track
And see who catches hell.

 

What makes a person great is the ability to except responsibility and start over without dwelling on the past. Suck it up, put a smile on, and try again.

They Just Don't Get It.

A man who was about to lose his house to the bank suddenly received a generous loan from his folks. They wanted to keep him from going bankrupt so they gave him enough to pay off several bad debits and get ahead on his house payment.

Imagine how they felt when he took a trip to Las Vegas and bought a new big screen TV with surround sound instead. When they confronted him about it he told them not to worry, he hadn’t used any of their money for those things. Once he had paid up those bad debits he had extra money and that’s what he had spent.

His folks had helped him out so he could get back on his feet not buy a lot of fancy toys. It did not mater if it was the loan money or not, if they had not helped he would have been bankrupt. What’s worse, he was back a few weeks later asking for more to fix his car.

The heads of the Wall Street banks that were bailed out last fall because they were going to fail are like that man. The government is like his folks. It’s simple to understand. If they needed the money to keep in business then there should not be trips, toys, and bonuses. It should not and can not be business as usual, that’s what got them where they are in the first place.

Why help them out if they are not going to make changes. They need to tighten their corporate belt and watch their pennies, not buy jets and hold meetings in Vegas. There is no excuse for the CEOs to get a bonus or a huge salary when the only thing standing between the bank and failure is a government loan. They need to stop spending money on wasteful things and get down to the business of getting this countries economy back on it’s feet.

Smile

Smile, there’s better times ahead. Things are always darkest before the dawn. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Every cloud has a silver lining. The class is half full not half empty. It’s Monday, a new day and a new chance to turn things around. OK there, I’ve done my part to be bright and cheerful.  Let’s face it it’s hard to see the bright side when all you see around you is a chaos and confusion.

If you will grant me one more bit of wisdom, what does not kill us makes us stronger.  Since strength comes in numbers you need to share your burdens with those around you who care. That’s what family and friends are all about. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help. Maybe they don’t have the resources to do a lot, but at least they can listen and that can make a big difference.

Sharing your burdens can make them easier to deal with and help you see what you need to do. Often we are so blinded by our problems that we can’t see how to handle them. Just talking about them can make them seem less daunting and insurmountable.

Just remember, no man is an island. You’re only alone if you don’t reach out to those around you.