This final entry in the 2014 Graduation series are practical tips for adjusting to life on the other side of graduation and/or marriage. Having graduated twice and married once, I understand that just getting to your “big day” was a journey in itself. Now a new journey begins, and I hope these tips help you as you transition, be it from school to college, school to work, or “I” to “we.”

1.       Write thank you notes. There’s an ugly lie going around that thank you notes are out of fashion, and it’s exactly that – a lie. I believe it’s because many people mistakenly believe that graduation parties and wedding receptions are their way of thanking their guests for the gifts. Sorry folks, but they aren’t. Parties and receptions are your responsibility as a host for the event. Would you attend a 4th of July celebration with no food or entertainment? Just a bunch of people sitting in chairs? Of course not!

I’ve known many people that ignored wedding and baby shower invitations because they didn’t get a thank you note for a graduation or wedding gift, and they were grossly offended – and not all of them were old people, either. Folks, you’re about to learn that the 2 most precious resources in adult life are time and money, and when you send somebody a graduation or wedding invitation, you’re asking them to invest both in you. Be a decent human being. If you had the time to write an invitation, then make the time to write a thank you note to acknowledge that you received and appreciated the gift. Not a text, not a social media post, not an email – a handwritten note. Believe me, it will make a drastic difference in the responses you receive to your next invitations. 

2.       Mind your manners. Simply remembering to say “please” and “thank you” is another way to stand above the crowd and to look smarter, more saavy, and more sophisticated. It’s hard enough for young people to be taken seriously by those of us approaching middle age and beyond that are jaded by reality, but being courteous always gets the right kind of attention. Make the best first impression you can and act like a civilized human being. It’s another way you’ll stand out amongst the rest kicking and screaming to be heard in this crazy world.

3.       Always present your best self. I don’t mean to always dress up like you’re going to a formal event. I do mean you should never go to the gas station or Walmart in pajamas and curlers. As my grandmother used to say, you never know when you’ll run into somebody you know, or worse yet, when somebody will whip out a camera and start clicking (which is more of a threat now that we’re in the days of camera phones), so always look your best when you leave the house. Dress appropriately, keep clean and groomed, and ladies, consider wearing makeup. It doesn’t take that much time or effort, and you can do as much or as little as you like and it always helps.

4.       Read and follow the instructions, 100% of the time. I know I say it all the time, and I will keep saying it until people do it (which will likely be when hell freezes over, so I’ll say it forever). You look smarter. You seem capable and awesome and wonderful when you know what’s going on because you read and followed the instructions. You make fewer mistakes. Life is easier. It’s all good. 

5.       Take your stapler, put it in a dumpster, and never replace it. More places are digitizing files, and there’s no word in the English language to describe the devastating effect a small staple slipped on a paper can do when it runs through a scanner. Catastrophic is too small and mild to describe the damage. Staples are meant for things going into permanent filing that will no longer be used – ever. Considering how rare that is, it means that paper clips and binder clips are better investments than staples.

6.       If you go by your middle name or a nickname, always give your “real” birthname when conducting official business. And ladies, if you’ve had a name change within the past two years, give your maiden and married names. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had trouble remembering people, only for them to hem and haw about how I should know them, and then after 10 minutes say “oh, Bill is my middle name. My actual first name is Bocephus.” Or a woman says “you know, I got married/divorced and changed my name. Does that matter?” As I said, time is a precious resource to adults, and nobody’s got time for “the name game.” Know what version of your name you gave upon initial contact and use it every time.

7.       Put your brain on something for 5 full minutes before you pick up the telephone. People are too fast to jerk up the phone and start dialing, or pecking out an email or text when a question flies through their brain, and it’s gotten a million times worse with smartphones. I know, especially if you just graduated, that you’ve been told there’s no such thing as a stupid question. Well I’m sorry to break it to you, but in the real world there are lots of stupid questions. They’re the ones you ask when the answer is right in front of you. Stop. Take several deep breaths. Count to 20 slowly. Visualize a relaxing scene. Relax your mind. Shut out distractions and think for at least 5 minutes. Read the instructions. If you still have your question, find a way to articulate it accurately and THEN dial or type away.  This is the #1 way to avoid being the person that people say “what a dumb***!” about every time you walk away.

8.       Never mail a check or payment without attaching back up documentation. I can’t believe how many people will drop a check in the mail to a company or agency and not tell them what the payment is for. Computers are good, folks, but we all work with a lot of people and nobody’s memory is good enough to recall every single person they interact with over the course of a day, a week, or a month. Mailing a payment without some sort of payment slip, back up invoice, reference or account number, or something to clearly identify who you are and what you’re paying for is playing roulette with money. At best, they’ll mail it back with a what the heck note. At worst (and more likely), they’ll misapply it and you’ll have a heck of a mess to untangle. Skip this adventure. Always send back up documentation with money.

9.       Admit when your wrong and do what you can to correct things. We all make mistakes – it’s unavoidable. The true test of character is how you handle them. Do you panic and try to hide and cover it up, or do you humbly admit it, do your best to correct it, learn, and move on? It might hurt, but swallowing your pride and learning from mistakes is how you gain trust and respect. And that’s worth more than popularity.

10.   Don’t be afraid to be yourself. Cliques are everywhere and I’m afraid that you didn’t leave stereotypes behind when you graduated. But the thing is, you aren’t required to fall in line with them. Now if being popular and falling in with the in crowd is your thing, that’s well and fine and you should go for it – but if not, there’s nothing wrong with saying heck with it. You’re an adult, so be free to be yourself. Don’t let other people pressure you into things you don’t believe in or want in your life, or into being something you aren’t. Weird isn’t a bad world. Truth is, people are usually more fascinated and admire those that stand alone than the ones that fall right in the mold, whether they admit it or not. So don’t be afraid to be yourself, because it’s what you do best, and all you can really be anyway. In fact, I’d encourage you to spend some time alone on a regular basis to unplug from the pressure of others/society and stay “in touch” with your authentic self.

This is no different in marriage. Marriage is a union of two individuals that complement each other and agree to share their lives together. Yes, you create a new family, but you don’t stop being you – nor should you, because that’s the person your spouse fell in love with. In all you do to support the marriage and your home and family, be sure you have some time to know and take care of yourself and your spiritual needs as well.

In closing, I’d like to congratulate you on your achievements. Graduating and getting married are exciting times, and I encourage you to enjoy this season of celebration. Good luck making the transition to the next stage of life. Godspeed, and best of luck to you in the future.

I hope you enjoyed this series. We’ll get back to my regular fun and shenanagins next entry. Stay tuned – you never know what may pop up in this rabbit hole. See, grads, brides and grooms? Life beyond school and nuptials is still fun and full of adventure!

That’s all. Have a Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Bye!

Recently, I read the book Write. Publish. Repeat. I really liked this book, because it was filled with good, practical advice about how indie authors can build an audience and sustain themselves in the growing world of ebooks and self publishing. One big thing I picked up was the 80/20 rule they had, which I've seen other places. Basically, this is to find what yields the most results, and to spend 80% of your time doing it. Everything else, reduce to 20% so you aren't wasting too much time on things that aren't really helping. I've actually considered this over the past week, and it's already helped me to take a good, honest look at what works and what doesn't, and to rearrange my priorities accordingly. This may be good advice to apply to other areas of life as well!

There was one piece of advice there, though, that I simply can't take. I've seen it other places, and every time I run across it, it strikes me as absolute nonsense. It's the advice that writer's block is a myth, that there is no such thing as bad writing, and that you should power through it by writing every day until you  produce a viable product because, with enough work, anything can be good.

And that's total crap. I have a hard drive full of reasons for it, if you want to see the proof.

Frankly, the "write every day even if you don't feel like it" advice is advice that I have to ignore because I don't believe it. Writer's block is quite real, folks, and any writer that actually has a life can tell you otherwise. In fact, writer's that have a life and  livelihood besides their writing can tell you the truth about writer's block: not only is it real, but it exists in every other area of  life too, just by a different name. Outside of the writing world, people call it "burnout." It happens when you've been working too hard and too long at something, and you need to step away from it for a while to get a new perspective and new ideas on how to move forward. We all need to rest, from time to time, and replenish our well of energy and creativity. Forcing yourself to power through this burnout doesn't lead to good, quality work that can be made good with any amount of revising, rewriting, or proofreading. Well, maybe it can be made better by rewriting, but for me that usually means utilizing the all-powerful "Delete" key, opening a new document, and starting over. Which I have done. A lot.

I think when they say that writer's block is a myth, they're referring to a kind of paralysis caused by fear of starting a new project. This is a different thing, because it's not really writer's block, it's a defense mechanism. When used as such then yes, it's a myth. But true writer's block that comes about after working on or completing a large projects (or a lot of other projects) is quite real, because the human mind can only produce so much before it needs a break from the same old, same old. The trick is to know what form you're really talking about: the form caused by burnout, or the form caused by defense mechanisms.

And alternately, not every piece of writing can be redeemed. Believe it or not, I actually wrote a sequel to Battleground Earth many years ago. Trust me, you don't ever want that piece to see the light of day. I tried twice to redeem that book, and it just sucks too bad to be done. I actually keep it to remind me of the reality of the fact that not everything can be saved.

I guess the point is that you have to find what works for you, because advice is just that: advice. Not everything works for everybody. Maybe "powering through" and forcing the writing works for some people, but it just doesn't for me. Seems I'm a kind that has to step back and experience life every now and then for the muse to keep working. That's what works for me, so that's what I'll do.

That's all today. Take care and have a great rest of the weekend.

Bye!

I'm glad there are some people out there that have never been bullied, challenged, or have been forced to suffer at the hands of people with ill intentions. I'm glad you've never had to go "head to head" with people that believe you need to be "fixed" because they believe you're too idealistic or that your morals are silly or stupid. I'm glad there are people that never  have to stand up to anything because they're never challenged and the world just falls at their feet. I'm glad they can confidently say "I don't get what your problem is" because they don't have any.

But you know what else? For all the security you project, I also pity you. I pity you because it's a false security. You never have to stand because you don't stand for anything. I pity you because you're blind to the realities that the world is bigger than you can possibly know, and that there are forces at work in this world and in the universe that you ignore because you can't put your hands on them. Because you don't see it with your eyes, you criticize. And you're on perilous ground.

Criticize my faith all you want. You will never turn me away. I believe in Christ and I believe in The Bible. I also believe in the one thing that makes most of you squirm and start screaming at me about why my faith can't be right: accountability. That's the one area where I'm called on the most. "If God is love, then He won't hurt us," people say to me boldly.

No, He won't. But others will. And if you do wrong, He won't save you from the consequences. He does love, He wants what's best. The Bible even says He wants no man to be lost. But we also have a choice, and it also says that believing in forgiveness isn't permission to sin. We know better and we're expected to act like it. If we don't, we will suffer at our own hand.

God won't hurt us, but we can hurt ourselves. And we do it  plenty. All the time. Every day. Every book I've written is about people who refused to be obedient to what they should do, and they suffered until they woke up, realized what was right, and did it. I'm not a religious writer, but I won't allow a character to win by doing wrong. That's a personal conviction. Any victory from doing wrong is temporary, and I want to show readers the path to lasting victory.

For all that smirk and say "Oh, then you say God delights in revenge but He's also love?" remember this: King David was a man after God's own heart, but he still paid for the sin of adultery. The son he fathered through that sin with Bathsheba died. God was grieved by this sin and forgave David, but He didn't erase the consequences of doing wrong. And it's why David didn't make that mistake again. He feels the same way when we go on with our bad selves and set ourselves up in similar ways. He's not a "smitey God" (as someone on Facebook proposed), but He won't absolve accountability. He will correct us in love and hope we will learn and not cling to stubbornness and continuing to make the same old mistakes, over and over. If there are no consequences, we never learn. If we never learn, we never grow, improve, or get better. We have no compassion for others because we are isolated in ourselves. Lack of accountability is a cycle of self destruction, which is why God won't allow that to happen. And so squirm all you want but we are accountable. You might think you are beholden to no-one, and you're wrong. You're dangerously wrong.

No, life isn't easy. It's hard and it hurts and it downright sucks sometimes. I'm not sure why some things are allowed to happen and I'll be honest enough to say that I have a "what good did THAT do?" list of my own. Sometimes I actually blog about things on this list. But I've learned this much in my 37 years on this planet: 

1. I don't have all the answers; and 

2. It's okay that I don't have all the answers. In fact, over the past couple of years, I've come to feel that I don't WANT all of the answers. That's more responsibility than I care for, and to me, faith is better than trying to process all of that. 

Believe or don't believe - it's your choice, and I'm not going to beat you over the head with a Bible or argue theology. In fact, I see the fact that you argue as a good thing. Because if you argue, then you're thinking about God and faith. And if you didn't care at all, then you wouldn't go to all of that trouble , because nobody's got time for that. 

Gotcha!

That's all today.

Bye!

There are some phrases in widespread, common use that seem to be universal hot buttons to piss people off. Really, I don’t understand how it became commonplace for people to say things that erode the very respect that relationships are built on, and yet I hear people say it – and complain about having these things said to them – frequently. 

Certainly, we should always be honest and authentic in our dealings with people, but discernment is an absolute necessity in our dealings with ALL people. Just because it flies through your brain doesn’t mean it needs to fly out of your mouth, and in fact there are many times when it’s best to keep that thought in your head and fake it till you make it with your words (or silence, depending on the situation). For example, here are some phrases you should eliminate (or at least, drastically reduce) in your vocabulary that will garner more respect, motivate people to cooperate and work well with you, and make you appear more intelligent and savvy:

1.   “Whatever.” Nothing coveys the ignorant-inconsiderate-jerk trifecta like this one word phrase. You have the entire English language at your disposal and that’s all you’ve got? If it is, then it’s time to recognize the uncomfortable fact that sometimes, the best course of action is to gracefully back away and let silence be golden. And if you refuse to exercise the right to remain silent, then a simple “I hope that works out for you and wish you luck” is much more dignified than throwing out something that makes you look like a cross between an immature tween and a person that’s learning English as a second language -  and isn’t quite getting it.

2.    “Do what you’ve got to do.” I don’t hear this one as much as I used to, but it’s still out there, and it’s a sin for the same reasons as “whatever.” More accurately, that’s redneck for “I don’t like what you’re doing and would move Heaven and Earth to stop you, but that would reveal me as a selfish jerk to the rest of the world and I don’t want to do that, so go on and get this over with so you can get back to doing things that make me happy.” It isn’t your job to like or even understand everything that other people do, so let go and accept that people have a right to lead their lives, do things, and make decisions that work best for them regardless of what you say, think, or need. Instead, say “I understand this is important to you.” Even if you don’t and you hope it blows up in their face, just fake it and at least acknowledge their right to live as they see fit.  Because I guarantee you’ve done things that made them go “Hmmm” in the past . Plus,  if you want people to stay interested in your life, then you have to at least act like you give a crap about them and their life, even if you don’t care about them any more than you care about the extra 40 minutes in a Martian day. 

3.   “That’s not my problem.” I stand back when people say this because it’s an open invitation for the universe to hit you with its best shot, and that’s a challenge it ALWAYS accepts. Sure, you aren’t responsible for every single thing that happens in the world, and there are some things that aren’t your business, but have some dignity in declining to accept responsibility that you feel isn’t yours. “I’m sorry I can’t help you with that” is much more gracious and doesn’t invite fate, the universe, the world, or whatever you wish to call it to deliver an entirely new batch of problems into your life. Fake sympathy for the other persons’ plight even if you don’t really feel it because you WILL be at the receiving end of this one day, and the measure you get will be the measure you’ve given. It happens to us all.

4.  “You don’t really want that,” or “Stop wasting your time on that and do this instead.” Excuse me, when did God appoint you to His position, because that’s what it looks like you’re playing at with either variation of this. You have no way of knowing what’s in other peoples’ hearts or what plans are in store for them, and they aren’t required to get your approval for it, either. People have a right to make their own decisions. You never know what might happen and statements like this may very well make a fool of you one day. Don’t take a chance. 

5.  “I told you so.” Even if you preface it with the I-hate-to-say-it-but clause, it’s still ridiculous because they already know. Demonstrate some maturity and don’t gloat over somebody’s failings, even if they asked for it and everybody knew it was foolishness from the start. As I said in the last statement, people have a right to make their own decisions and that means having the grace to let them make their own mistakes. Pray they’ve learned from the experience, and don’t gloat lest you wander into folly someday. Because none of us are as smart as we think we are. 
 
6.    “ I did that too, and let me tell you how I did it better.” Nobody likes a know-it-all or a show off, and a constant need to one-up people blinks “I’m insecure!” brighter than a digital billboard. You don’t have to be in the spotlight every minute of every day. Back down and let others have their day in the sun every now and then. Because we all know that nobody’s done everything under the sun, and there will always be people out there that have done it bigger, better and more recently than you have. Let go of the competition to always be #1 and learn to be happy with the life the Lord gave you.

7.   “If I were you, I’d …” Turn off anybody that prefaces a statement with this immediately, because it’s a clear sign that they don’t know what they’re talking about. Wisdom gives options. Experience shares insight. Ignorance says that if they were you, they’d go out and kick the world in the you-know-where, and that’s most often foolishness that would make a bigger mess of things if anybody were dumb enough to take this advice. Plus, they wouldn’t have the guts to actually do it, because some people are good at telling people to do things they wouldn’t dare do themselves.

8.     “You should make them do it.” Guess what? Scientists have found the center of the universe and it’s not you. That’s the fastest way to run a person out of your life. You don’t make anybody do anything they don’t want to do, and if you try to then trust me – you’re ego can’t handle what they really think about you. If you have to control someone every minute to “keep them in line,” then you’re trying to force them into a place or relationship where they don’t belong. Don’t beg people to be your friend or try to force them to your will. Pray for what Joyce Meyer refers to as “divine connections.” Those are friends and acquaintances that you get along with so well that you don’t want to change them because you appreciate how their uniqueness enriches your life. 

9.     “I would NEVER do that/accept that/put up with that.” Never say never or the Lord will make you do it to show you who the boss really is. One never in your life that’s absolute: you never know what life has in store for you. Someday you could well be dining on crow while dealing with something that you thought you were too smart/special/good for. Life has a way of humbling us, and the “I would never” statements are a GPS on how to get that done. 

10.   Anything other than “I’m sorry for your loss” and “I’m praying for you and your family” at a visitation or funeral. Anything else sounds stupid and believe me, there’s nothing clever or inspirational you can say that will get through people in the depths of grief. The dumbest things I’ve ever heard have all been said at visitations and/or funerals because people try to justify death and offer comfort in religious platitudes. Folks, I’m Christian too, but this isn’t seminary or time to play preacher. I remember what C.S. Lewis wrote about death not being natural because human beings weren’t created to die and it’s the most painful consequence that we pay for sin. He’s absolutely right. There’s nothing right about death and there’s no way to wrap it up in pretty phrases or platitudes that makes it suck less. So give it up. Don’t engage in conversations with the bereaved if they try to start one, either. This isn’t the time or place to engage in theological discussions, discuss anything beyond condolences for the loss (no gossip or “what’s up with me” statements), and it certainly isn’t appropriate to leverage your personality or make a big impression. It’s a subdued occasion so dial it down, make an appearance, and for goodness sake, shut up.

Maybe you relate to some of this and are nodding, saying thank you for revealing it! Or maybe you see it as a calling out. I certainly don’t mean it that way, and I admit that I’m guilty of uttering some of these phrases. In fact, I  had to work at cutting the “whatever” and “I told you so” out of my vocabulary, and I get along with people so much better now that it’s gone. My point is not to say “shame on you.” It’s  to shed light on small things that chip away at trust and give guidance that I’ve learned in building bridges to cooperative relationships that last. It takes time and effort, but if modifying my vocabulary slightly will help with that, then it’s an effort worth making. I believe if you’ve read this far then you believe it’s a worthy effort, too.

That’s all today. Take care. I hope you have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend. 
 
Bye!

What a week it’s been! I’ve talked to a lot of people, and it seems that a lot of them are struggling with issues of a lack of cooperation, direction, and kindness. Nerves are frayed and peoples’ patience is coming to the very last nerve. 

I know, I share some of these frustrations. It’s certainly been a tough week. One thing you must realize; however, is that sometimes, the best way to deal with wrong is to do what’s right. And so, since it’s been a tough one for so many of us this
week, I’d like to use this entry to share some of the best advice I’ve received. It’s from a number of sources – family, friends, doctors, professors, and even online postings that I like to call “Twitterisms.” So read on for hope on how to weather the storm and come out better on the other end. But let me warn you ahead of time: Some people aren’t going to appreciate that you’ve been told this. Let’s just say that this advice doesn’t sit well with those that have, shall we say, less than pure motives. That being said, this advice will lead to better endings, but it might not make you the most popular person around – so the decision between what’s right and what’s popular comes into play. 

And so, without further ado, here we go:

 1.  When I got married and moved out of my parents home (I married shortly after graduating college), Mom asked Dad to give me some advice for going “out there in the world.” His advice: Don’t do stupid things, and don’t listen to people that are doing stupid things. Mom thought that was woefully inadequate to send me out into the world with, but I’ve found that covers a lot of ground over the past 15 years. I daresay, that’s better advice than Winston Churchill’s commencement speech about never giving up. Just use your noodle, folks. It’s that simple. And as an ancillary to this advice, I’d add: If somebody prefaces a statement with “If I were you,” turn them off immediately. That’s the #1 indicator that they don’t know what they’re talking about and are about to suggest that you do something that they’d never do themselves. People with experience share what they learned with you. Troublemakers tell you to do what they wish they were bold enough to do but know darn well is extreme and would cause more trouble. And wise people listen.

2.  My granddaddy passed away over 20 years ago, but he used to regularly give me advice that is the only thing I’ve found come to pass with a 100% accuracy rate. What goes around always comes around, so be very careful to do what’s right and treat people in a way you can live with later. The problem is that some people aren’t attentive to reality, and they fail to realize the “why do bad things happen to good people” whining they experience is directly tied to an earlier indiscression. Folks, I’ve said it many times over but it’s worth repeating: This is absolutely true. If you aren’t  a person of faith, then consider this: The universe only has so much energy, and you can only get back what you send out. If you do bad things (reap the wind), then only bad things can come back to you (sow the whirlwind). I recently read where somebody in the ministry wrote that your duty is to do right even if everybody around you is doing wrong because in time all things are accounted for.  So forget about revenge. The natural balance of life will work it out in time as long as you’re attentive to your own words, deeds and actions. 

3.   Many of you know I went through some major life transitions three years ago, and during that time someone gave me this invaluable advice: When people stop listening, stop talking and start doing what you can to improve the situation. A failure to listen is a failure to cooperate, and you have a right to make your life the best it can be. And God help, if they give you the “that’s not my problem” or “do what you’ve gotta do” lines, then they just annihilated their gripe rights. Strike out on your own and
get to work making the changes that are necessary for you to thrive. And as an ancillary to this: everybody doesn’t need to know everything going on in your life. Use discernment, especially on a life improvement journey. Because sadly, not all people have your best interest at heart, and they’ll fight very hard to keep you in the handy box you’re in because it serves their interests. 

4.       The same person that gave me that advice gave me another piece of advice that a lot of people wish I didn’t know, because it got them in trouble. That advice: Don’t listen to what people say. Watch what they do, because they lie with their mouth and live truth through actions. For all the “I’m so busy!” and “I meant to …” excuses, the truth is that people make time for the things that are really important to them. Open your eyes and I guarantee that you’ll be implementing some of the changes in #3 in many areas of your life. I did and let me tell you: It pissed a lot of people off, but the “housekeeping” from that period helped me to set my life right in order of my priorities, not on junk based on lies people were trying to sell me that were 100% to their benefit and 0% to mine.

5.   A doctor once told me that a great way to beat anxiety is to mind your own business. Stop getting involved in everybody’s
affairs and trying to solve their problems and run their life. God gave you a life and attending to that is your purpose. Let other people attend to their purpose. Now I’m not saying you shouldn’t help people – if you can, then you certainly should. But if it doesn’t directly involve you or have any impact on you, your home, or your life, then back off. 

6. I recently read something that said “a rut is a grave without end.” I know that life goes through slow seasons and there are times when it seems you can’t get anything going, but you can’t stop pursuing change that improves your life. This quote really hit me because I went through a season of life when I did fear change, and when I was forced out of it I was surprised by
how weak I had become spiritually. It really was a slow death happening to me, and it shocked me so much that I’ve made it a point to do two things on a daily basis: Open my eyes to my reality, and boldly take advantage of every opportunity, no matter how small. Because small things lead up to big things, but it is a progression. Don’t make the mistake I did and get yourself in a place where other peoples’ decisions force you to make a change and they’re steering your ship into waters you don’t want to be in. Make sure you’re steering the ship with a destination in mind, and make appropriate course corrections along the way.


 7. And in closing, a Twitterism that I read recently:  Life is heavy because of all you hang on to. Life becomes lighter with the more you let go. You simply can’t hang on to every bad thing and indiscression that happens or you’ll be a bitter, miserable person. Sometimes you have to realize that some people simply don’t know how to be decent human beings. “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself (Proverbs 26:4). Don’t let people drag you down. Limit your contact with them, let it go as ignorance, and go on your way. 

I know these tips aren’t a cure for all situations or ills, but with patience they can work to lead you to better days. So take heart in this knowledge and hang in there, knowing that this too shall pass – and it will pass much faster and easier if you walk in wisdom.


That’s all today. And now, enjoy this video. It's catchy! It's creepy! It sticks to your head and inspired Incursion.

Bye!

Happy Friday to you tomorrow and have a safe and Happy Memorial Day weekend!