DE-FENCE AGAINST I-CAN'T- ITIS

Written by Terry L. Sumerlin


It was a cool winter morning, and getting cooler. That morning, before I left forrepparttar barbershop, I told Sherry that mayberepparttar 129380 yard work we had planned forrepparttar 129381 next few afternoons should be postponed. The clock radio had said it was supposed to be very cold for a few days. It would be very uncomfortable out and might make both of us sick.

When I arrived atrepparttar 129382 shop,repparttar 129383 preceding thoughts and what follows became part of a conversation with a customer. I pointed out that our home is bound on one side by a concrete drainage easement and that our yard work involved replacing a small wooden fence inrepparttar 129384 front yard along that easement. The replacement would be a split rail type.

I also mentioned that, though I don’t have a clue about such handy work, Sherry does. She’s happiest when she has a building project. She was her daddy’s girl and he taught her well in such matters. In fact, he even taught her how to do minor auto repairs.

In our early years of marriage Sherry worked on our cars. Those days, if it took fifty cents to go aroundrepparttar 129385 world we couldn’t have gotten out of sight. So, she saved us money we really didn’t have. I should have been pleased. Generally, I wasn’t.

I thought that it was not ladylike for her to do such things. And, since I couldn’t do them, my ego was bruised. As we sometimes do when our masculinity seems in question, I didrepparttar 129386 manly thing and pouted.

Resolutions Worth Keeping

Written by Shawn Driscoll


8 RESOLUTIONS WORTH KEEPING (c) 2004 Shawn Driscoll, Succeed Coaching

Well, it’s that time again…time to wrap up another year and chart our course forrepparttar next. We are, of course, naturally drawn to create resolutions as we enter into a new calendar year. There’s something exciting and encouraging about a fresh start. But, resolutions have also become an albatross around our necks…those great intentions trampled, year after year, underrepparttar 129379 comings and goings of daily life.

What if this year you resolved to do things that were so worth doing, you wouldn’t struggle inrepparttar 129380 least? Sure, working out 2 hours a day atrepparttar 129381 gym and eating only tuna and lettuce might get you a smaller waistline, but how much fun will it be? How much happier will it make you? And how much effort will it take to get there? My personal resolution is to freely live inrepparttar 129382 present…to have fun, laugh, smile and find joy inrepparttar 129383 life I have worked to hard (through decades of other resolutions!) to create. So here’s my list of resolutions worth making. What are yours?

Resolve to: 1. STOP Setting Yourself Up for Failure Somehow, resolutions have becomerepparttar 129384 perfect opportunity to set ourselves up for failure. We choose goals that we don’t really want, or aren’t really willing to dorepparttar 129385 work required, and then berate ourselves when we fail to accomplish them. Really, why bother? Simply refuse to set any resolution, goal, or intention that you’re not convinced you will accomplish.

2. Become more willing How willing are you to receiverepparttar 129386 good that comes into your life? Do you willingly accept compliments by taking them in and saying a gracious thank you? Do you willingly accept offers of help without saying “thanks, but no thanks”? And how about opportunities? Are you open to new opportunities and insights or do you resist them when they appear because it’s just too much effort? Become more willing to acceptrepparttar 129387 good that comes into your life and see how much easier life can get.

3. STOP tolerating Really, it is a choice. You can absolutely decide to be a toleration-free zone. What are you putting up with in your life? What are you willing to do about it? Write up a list and set it aside. My guess is that byrepparttar 129388 end of February you’ll have naturally tackled 50% ofrepparttar 129389 list without even realizing it--simply because you’ve decided to stop tolerating things. And, you’ll feel super energized!

4. Start each day with a FUN agenda Ask yourself each morning…what’s going to be fun about today? Ifrepparttar 129390 answer is nothing, make a plan. Really, what are we waiting for anyway?

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