New Year's Resolutions...Part Four

In case you missed my last couple of blog posts please read here, here and here. If you are indeed a sucker for punishment, let's move on to the next item.

Be Courageous
I’m sharing a photo that was taken when I was about five years old. I’m smiling a big one in the photo, but it’s important to note that truly, it’s one of those holy-fuck-am-I-glad-to-still-be-alive smiles. You see, my parents wanted a picture of me with that stuffed bear and I was all but willing to oblige. That is, until one of my brothers whispered in my ear that the bear was just faking being dead; it was alive, and it would chew my head off once I got close enough. Friends, I was terrified. I screamed. I yelled. I bawled my face off. But in the end, my parents would not let me leave until I hugged that damn bear. They knew it was an important lesson in  not listening to assholes facing my fears, and they insisted I overcome it.

Here's what I know about courage.
It's one of the hardest things to possess.
Because sometimes?
Sometimes things scare the crap out of you.
But that's when you need to go ahead and do it anyway.
Ask yourself if you're living your life like the person you want to be.
Ask that little kid from a long time ago if you've become someone to be proud of.
Someone who sticks up for others...sticks up for themselves.

Courageously speak your mind and follow through on your promises.
Courageously stick up for yourself – after you do it once, it becomes much easier.
Know yourself, know what’s important to you and set your boundaries accordingly.
You, and you alone, teach people how to treat you.
A wise friend once told me that every yes is a no.
Remember that.
If you say yes to one more commitment,
then in all likelihood you’ve just said no to spending more time with your family.
(I won’t even comment on the Catholic guilt that comes with saying no to someone.
That's a PhD thesis that I'm likely never going to write.
It would make me feel, oh I don't know...guilty.)

Time is finite.
You can't buy anymore of it.
But you can decide who, or what, gets yours.
Have the courage to be the architect of your own life.
No one else will build it for you.
By virtue that no one can do it for you, conversely, no one can take it away.

p.s. On the topic of courage, I thought you'd appreciate the following video clip. Upon learning that Cisco the sheep was a boy, Jack threw both arms in the air shouting: "Yes! Boys, boys!". Cisco did not take pleasure in Jack's joy over his boy-hood. Rather, he took the gesture as a personal affront and knocked Jack on his ass. He then proceeded to chase him. As per my Mother Earth persona, I can be heard chortling (and gasping with fear) in the background. Upon viewing the clip later, my sister declared me a big wiener for not rushing in to save Jack. I told her it's not like I thought the damn thing was going to chase him, and also, I knew the rope would run out. Eventually. Translation: I was scared shitless of that cloven beast. Minutes later, Jack informed me that he still liked Cisco. That there friends, is courage. The ability to reflect on a situation that didn't go so well for you, and still find the good...

p.p.s. I have no idea why this video is shaking around like an Etch-a-Sketch on acid. I have my strengths. Fixing this isn't one of them. I apologize for the induced motion sickness.



To be continued...