stop waiting, start doing
Assorted odds and ends without a home.
“You can do anything you want to do, forget what they say, as long as you believe in you, keep chasing your dreams…” – Too Short
Maybe you can’t do anything you want to do. As maybe you don’t have the natural talent for it. But in some arena – one closer to your talents, you probably can.
“There is no try. There is do and do not.” – Yoda
Things will change, things will improve, enjoy the moment before you move.
“If you don’t know the history of the author then you don’t know what you have read.”
– KRS ONE
“Everybody’s bad, everybody’s tough, but how many people are intelligent enough to open up their eyes and see through the lies. Discipline themselves, yourself to stay alive…”
– KRS ONE
Your parents gave you the ingredients and some of the pots and pans, but you’re the chef.
“Build strengths, not weaknesses” -Martin Seligman, PH.D
In other words, focus on making your strengths and talents stronger not on fixing your weaknesses.
Sorry about the low quality image.
Over the last few months I have been reading Martin Seligman’s work. He has a pretty impressive resume to say the least. He’s a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, a best selling author and he has helped create a course in positive psychology for the US Army.
All of his work is steeped in scientific study. I definitely recommend checking out some of his books. I have read all of these, all are good, but if you are going to read one I’d read the first one.
What’s the difference between optimists and pessimists?
Well according to Mr. Seligman:
Pessimists think problems are permanent, and pervasive. Pessimists think wins are just temporary, happened by luck or chance and setbacks are permanent.
Optimists think problems are temporary and specific. Optimists think wins are permanent and setbacks temporary.
So which are you? If you say “realist’ then you are probably more of a pessimist. Pessimists tend to be able to judge things more realistically than optimists. However, optimists live longer, have better health, better relationships, are happier and more successful.
A few tips I learned:
Here’s a good resource.
Criticism and judgement. Where does it stem from? Many critics and trolls can be found on the web. If you go to Amazon you can write a review about a product someone has perhaps written or created. You can head on over to Youtube and also leave a comment about what someone has created. But before you do, ask yourself, “What have I created?”.
“In many ways the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little. Yet enjoy a position over those who offer up there work and their sales to our judgement. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write or read. But the better of truth that we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so…”
Anton Ego, from the movie Ratatouille