"Not at all. Perhaps an illustration will help illuminate your thinking. You don't remember but what happened first time you tried to walk?"

"I probably fell flat on my kazoo. So what's your point?"

"Would you say you walked poorly?"

"All babies walk poorly in beginning." I began to suspect where Other-Self was going with this but I refused to let on.

"Exactly! But according to your logic you should never have taken that first step because all you could do was walk poorly. Which would have left you flat on your kazoo for rest of your life."

"Nonsense! You're trying to turn a two-step into a waltz. Taking baby steps and spending three days on a no-where article is not same. Not even close."

"Are you certain?"

"You're triple ‛A' right I'm certain. It's absolute foolishness to spend a ton of time and a bucket of sweat on a project that hasn't got a Hail Mary chance of succeeding."

"So, to your way of thinking entire effort would be a waste."

"Wonderful! You're finally coming over to my side of road."

"Before I make such a long journey, let me ask you one last question. If you write article now, is it possible that an article you write next week will be better for today's effort? And, if so, what about next article? And article after that? And then maybe one day you'll actually end up writing something magnificent."

"Okay...okay," I reluctantly muttered. "I see your point. I think what you are saying is that anything worth doing, no matter what it is, is worth doing poorly...at least in beginning. Is that right?"

"Exactly! Now, about that article."

___________________________ ______________

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"I'd slam door in his face."

"Very good. Now ask yourself this. Did you have any control over whether that bum knocked on your door or not? Don't bother to answer. Of course you didn't. The only real choice you had was whether to invite him in or slam door."

"I see your point and maybe that might work...sometimes. But I'm still so angry about getting conned out of my money that I can't help thinking about it."

"Well isn't that interesting. You've just admitted that you're a spineless wimp controlled by a free-wheeling brain. That's too bad. I really thought we had something going between us."

"That's not fair. Can I help it if my anger is so strong that thoughts keep returning?"

"No. But what would you do if bum kept returning?"

"I suppose I'd keep slamming door."

"Well, finally a smart answer. Now, let me ask this. If you keep slamming door in that bum's face, what do you think he will eventually do?"

"Go away, I suppose."

"Are you beginning to get picture?"

"Yeah...except you make this thought avoidance business sound like a cake walk."

"It is, actually. The only thing hard is persistence. Right now shut and lock door of your mind to all your yesterdays. Visualize door actually closing but leave a small window for peeking back at warm memories and successful experiences.

"Next, close door on all your tomorrows. But again, leave a small window for productive planning and goal setting.

"Your life is now enclosed in a single room. But it's best room possible because it's only real place you can live. It's called ‛Today'."

"Okay, sounds neat and all that. But I've been across hall enough to know that two minutes after locking away my past and future angry thoughts will come roaring back."

"Of course they will. That's to be expected. But who says you have to live with them? Just stand on other-side of your ‛Today' door and shout, "Go away!" Five minutes later you may have to do same thing again...and again. But with persistence, thoughts will disappear forever.

"Well...I'll give it a try. But it won't be easy. It's so hard to keep from thinking about my money and that lying piece of crude. I can see him now stretched out beside a pool in some warm climate just..."

"Excuse me, but perhaps you didn't notice. Your ‛Today' just snuck out an open door." ___________________________ ______________

Read more ‛i-mail articles' at http://www.dougcgrant.com You can also be among first to receive new ‛i-mail articles' by subscribing free to Doug C. Grant's bi-monthly e-zine, THE EMPOWERED MATURITY PAGE. It's for anyone wanting to boost their life up a notch or two. Subscribe at: mailto:empoweredpage@smartautoresponder.com