Postcards from the Funny Farm

Album Photo by: kevindooley

Isn’t this a great retro LP cover?  No, my post today is not about dinner parties but it is about the genius of planning.  It can make you rich, famous, well-liked, and any other goal you might have.  It’s been said that if you do the right things long enough then the right things will inevitably happen to you.  I agree with that saying and that’s why I subscribe to the idea of startegic planning.  My greatest drive in life is to plan and do great things.  I don’t always accomplish them, but I will always try until my last breath.  Are you speaking my language?

I once heard a motivational speaker on the radio say that, in order to be successful we need to “stand in the spout where the blessings come out.”  It sounds corny huh?  After years since hearing that, I have come to understand it better than I ever imagined.  It means what I said: doing the right things. You may be rich, you may be poor, you may be nothing in this world at all.  A little allusion to my 80’s rock heroes the Alarm there ;)  The “Absolute Reality” we all live under is the truth that if we do the right things, the right things will happen to us.  Life will never be perfect, but we can aim at perfection.  Would Bill gates have made billions on his vision without doing what he thought was right?  Answer: no.

We will never be as huge as we wish we could be without standing in the spout where the blessings come out.  I make $200-400 a month off blogging and freelance writing.  I want to make $2000.  What is stopping me?  The only limitation is in my mind.  Watch me go!  I hope you’ll set big goals and come along with me.

FYI: You can read more of the “right” things I have done in my writing career at my online resume.  I am actively accepting freelance writing work.

You may know the title is a John Lennon tune. I think getting through the night is sometimes easier said than done when you are down.  For babies, sometimes all you need to do is change the crib bedding, for grownups, it’s not always so easy.  There is a reason companies offer a plethora of choices for crib bedding that range as far across the comfort spectrum as blue jeans for grownups.  They want the babies to sleep, so they hook them up with comfortable stuff.

Everybody gets the blues sometimes. For some of us, it hits harder than others. I have an online friend who writes fluid prose with imagery about her travels through depression. When I read them it reminds me of those scenes in “What Dreams May Come” when the woman is in the broken up house and she can’t get out. Another online friend I know is going through some really tough times and has posted on her blog that it is so difficult to be inspired, she’s having trouble blogging. There is a lot of depression in the world, don’t be in denial if you get it too.

In this post, I offer you something that works for me. When I get scared, sad, or depressed my family and work potentially suffers. I want to crawl into a ball, put my favorite CD on and just shut everyone out until things get better. Unfortunately as an adult husband, professional, and father of 3, this isn’t always an option. Because of who I am and aim to be, I have to get through. Maybe you experience feelings such as these and would like a suggestion for help. When I have these feelings, one thing I try is to imagine I only have a limited amount of time to live.

For example, in the past I once received a note from a boss telling me she/he needed to meet with me immediately. This was on a Friday and I had no idea why the meeting was called. That was a 48 hour wait so as part of my therapy and keeping my spirits up, I imagined Monday was my last day on Earth. The result was, I hugged my kids all weekend and didn’t worry at all about the silly meeting. When the meeting did happen, it was about a silly rumor and my boss just wanted to let me know the real story … can you imagine the waste if I would have worried about it all weekend?

This may or may not work for you, but I have found it helpful. Do you have any tricks to get you through the night?

“How fragile we are.”
Sting

A single word can add value to your life. In college I read that in a book and tried it out. I bought a pack of 3×5″ cards on sale and searched my mind and dictionary for words to concentrate on. This had a profound impact on the anxiety and depression I suffered in that time. There were many I went though. I would write the word on a card and tape it to my bathroom mirror. I remember one word I had, for example, was the word “transcend.” I would repeat this word many times in my mind while brushing my teeth and routine grooming. The word took on new and deeper significance during this time and throughout my day. It was the most positive word I could think of and it was a word I wanted more of in my life. Sometimes I would be in class of just round about town and I would hear a word which I would in turn use in this manner. In a way, it is like a mini mantra or … mantra “concentrate.”

Part of fighting depression and anxiety is coming to the fight prepared and armed. A word chosen wisely and meditated on is a powerful tool weapon anyone can bring to the fight we call humanity.