John Mc

This is a collection of my thoughts. Some of the thoughts that I once had, I no longer do. Some thoughts I have now I have never had. Yet none shal be discounted. This blog is soley for the enjoyment of the author and the readers. On occasion the views expressed are overly exagerated in order to prove a point. Also there may be a dirty word or thought in some of the posts. Grow up and take this for what it's worth - a blog that barely anyone will ever see.

2/06/2006

100th Post!!!

This marks my 100th Post, so I thought that I would make it a special one for you. Enjoy, friends! (Note, this is similar to one put up over the weekend, but edited down for the blog. For the full version, contact me.)

If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong. That was a sentence that I gave to a dear friend not too long ago and was my motto for quite a while. I forgot my own motto recently. I’ll tell you about that in just a moment.
Let’s pause a moment to look at that statement. It encourages us to have fun with life. Let’s be honest, we’ve all heard the expression “Life is too short.” And it is. It is too short to NOT be enjoyed. There are many great experiences and people that will be in our life’s path and if we do not take advantage of them - why live? The statement also puts the blame of not having fun on us. YOU’RE doing something wrong.
It also implies that there is something that is impeding your joy. Find it. Fix it. Move on. Easier said than done, right? The journey in the repair of these hindrances in our life is as long as our journey is. I have found that a great deal of negativity in our lives come from negative people around us. They may be family members, co-workers or even friends. The phrase “Misery loves company” rings true with these people. If they are feeling down, they expect you to as well. They will inform you of all the negative aspects of life and have blinders on to the positives. These people are not productive. Encourage them to change. If they refuse, do what you can to not let them keep you down.
So, what is the definition of “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong?” Essentially, have fun. If you’re not, change it. It is a simple statement with complex implications. Imagine if everyone believed this. We would live in such a great society. It would be one filled with people doing what they could to get the best out of life and encourage others in their journeys. People would constantly seek out the elements of life that make them happy. Everything from resolving a lost friendship to a good batch of brownies. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. (Plus brownies work well as a great air freshener. Much better than the store-bought ones. And you can’t eat Glade.) If we did something simple like that more often, the bigger tasks wouldn’t be as difficult with the practice that we’ve had.
Take a moment to look at your life. What is before you on your path? What do you hope to accomplish - big and small. Perhaps the next step is to be caught up on your bills, but you can also see in the future finishing college or getting a better job. Do your toes point in those directions as you walk your path? Or are you merely walking in one place bitching about your current status in life?
It is a shame that in today’s society that the enjoyment of life and the pride we have in ourselves, we are not able to share with the world. I’m not saying be overly boastful to the point of annoyance or self-centered. I’m saying, should you do something that you are proud of, enjoy it. Share it with those that wish to encourage your joy as you would encourage their joy should something great be accomplished by them.
All this from one little saying, you’re probably asking. Yes. And no words written by me could fully explain the complexities that all who read it, and then incorporate it, have noticed. It involves self responsibility and to a greater deal joy. Joy in life does not have to be great. The simple answers are usually the best.
If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong. Notice what portion of that statement is first. I could have said “You’re doing something wrong if you’re not having fun.” But, I didn’t. Why? Because even the statement accents the positive. The first thing that you experience when you hear or read that is “having fun.” Not “doing something wrong.” Put positives before negatives. You’ll find that by re-prioritizing what you say and think, you will soon feel more positive, and then become more positive. No one likes being around someone who puts the negative aspects of life first. Think about that person in your life that is ALWAYS negative. They are not someone who you look forward to being around as much as your happy-go-lucky friends, are they? These are the same people that will tell you that they failed calc because the teacher was unfair or “had it out for them” or something like that. They find excuses in life instead of reasons. If they sought the reasons, they could take it again and pass. However, they will continue to live in a self-devouring cycle of outward blame instead of inward solutions.
Don’t be that guy. (also, don’t be the guy who wears the band’s T-shirt to the band’s show. That’s just lame.) Never stop moving. Never remain constant. Don’t allow obstacles and setbacks to get you down. Should they do this, find out why, and fix it. Again, another statement that is easier said than done. However, even if it IS easier said than done doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
We are capable of great things. Imagine what you’re capable of. A very intelligent priest once told me “God don’t make junk.” I was first upset when I heard this because of the poor grammar. But, I got over it and realized what he was saying. We are all here for a purpose. We all have AT LEAST one talent that God has asked us to share with the world. You have loves and desires within your life. You know, deep down, what makes you happy. Something that you are good at. Something that you enjoy doing. It may be something like washing dishes or it could be nuclear physics. While the pay scale may be different, there is a need in today’s society for each talent. And if you are happy with what you do, that is the key to life.
I told you that I would fill you in on when I lost sight of my own motto. A lot of stuff came down at once at work. The greatest negative aspects of my job all came at me at the same time and overloaded my circuits. I can let a few things a day roll off my back, but soon my back breaks like the preverbal camel.
I have an element to my radio show called “The Top Ten at Five.” Here I collect ten requests and order them in best to worst and play them from the worst (10) to the best (1). Pretty standard crap, huh? Well, in order for this to work, I need people to call in. On the day where I let a great deal of stuff at work get to me, I wasn’t getting the phone calls I needed to make things work. I’d get one or two each time I asked. It was adding to my aggravation. Essentially, I had a bad show. Each radio DJ will tell you that every once in a while they have a bad show. Tuesday was mine. Might have been one of the worst in my career. I went home that night and vented to my friend through about 8 voice mails about how ticked I was.
I woke up the next morning just as angry with the world. And if you know me, it takes A LOT for me to get angry. The 8 voice mail vent session did little to satisfy the fire within my belly. So, when I got to work I wrote for my blog. I collected pictures and then published a great deal of stuff. Then I sat back and was pretty proud of myself. I liked the way it looked. I was proud of the sentence structure and the build to each post.
I went on the air shortly after I finished and had a great show. I asked for requests ONCE and got all the requests that I needed and then some. I had to shut the phones down so I could concentrate on the ones that I had received. I then talked to the same friend that I vented to two days prior and told her the difference in the days. She told me that I had come on the air with a certain degree of intensity and energy that was very apparent and transferred well through the radio. Now, if you were to receive the “Oprah-like” transcripts of both shows, you would see that I said pretty much the same thing on both shows. However it was my attitude that made the difference.
I had forgotten my own motto. “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.” I was doing something wrong. I was letting the negativity of what went on outside the on-air studio effect what happened within it. I was bringing my entire audience down because I was not having fun. All of a sudden talking on the radio became a job and not an enjoyable part of my day. I see that now. I blame no one but me for my attitude. When you think about it, your attitude is YOUR attitude. YOU are responsible for how you feel. Feelings are not tangible and are instead a reaction to life. YOU can choose how you wish to react to things.
Now, by no means am I saying never be sad. That would cause us to regress our negative emotions and cause them to eventually build up and cause more damage than harm when they showed themselves. Instead, experience the sadness of loss and the anger of disappointment, but then let it go. Move through it, then past it. This is true with ALL emotions - good and bad. Don’t live on past emotions, create new ones for today. Encourage a positive outlook on your current surroundings and better that around you that is not positive. Soon, nearly all aspects of what you encounter each day does nothing but build you up further.
Again, I do understand that majority of this is easier said than done. However, it was once said that through God all things are possible. God gave us what we have and using the tools that He has given us and the blessing He has given us on our life we are able to create and experience all the goodness that He has put upon our path.
I told you that I shared my motto with one of my friends. I had done this about six months ago. I didn’t, however realize that he had wrote it down. It is still on his desk today. He has shared it with his co-workers and others. It is beginning to spread. While it is not the easiest thing to incorporate into our daily lives and maintain, it is a great way to look at things and it offers the potential for the steps in our journey through life. We have all heard “With each great journey, it begins with but one step.” The greatest journey that we have been set upon is life. This is a path that has been laid out before us by God. Some patches are more difficult than others, however we were given the tools within our lives to constantly continue. Sometimes these tools are found deep within us. Other times it is the friends and family that we hold dear that will hold the key to our struggles. But, whatever we encounter, we shall overcome with perseverance and a promise of the awesome feeling of great accomplishment once we do. Continue on your journey friend. And know that I’m with you. But, God is with you more than I. (I’ve got to rest sometimes, He doesn’t.)
We have already begun the journey of life. Our previous footsteps are evident of this. We have advanced through a great deal. However, it is not over until we draw our last breath. Until then, why not enjoy it? It is short. But, it is also sweet. As sweet as the gooey brownies that I, for some reason, am now craving.
If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.

1 Comments:

  • At 8:27 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I disagree with your motto.

    I'm not saying it's wrong to want to have fun and be happy, I just think it's a little extreme to think it's possible to strive for it all the time.

    There's a whole gamut of human emotions, each one equally valid in terms of human experience, and yet fun/happiness is the only one we feel entitled to, or at least the only emotion we give any credibility to.

    Happiness will happen. Fun will happen. Just as sadness and hard times will happen. I think it's a little naieve to think that if life is getting you down that there's something you could have done to prevent it. Or, if you're feeling badly about something, that there's something wrong with you that you can't feel happy about it instead.

    That is all.

     

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