Audio Tidbits

"Be not simply good; be good for something." -- Henry David Thoreau

This is great advice; but try not to be too much of a good for something. There is a Greek Proverb that says, "The excess of virtue is a vice." Overdoing what you do is likely an example of such a vice. You just don't know when to quit. Sure, it makes you feel a bit superior; but as Ts'ai Ken T'an advised, "Water which is too pure has no fish;" and that isn't a good thing. Even Abraham Lincoln said, "It has ever been my experience that folks who have no vices, have very few virtues." As you see, overdoing it definitely has the potential for getting really unacceptable. Fortunately, George Orwell understood the root of the matter, "On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time;" so it's OK to have one of those to do lists so long as you don't overdo it. Here's how to manage the whole thing.

Is work piling up and there's just too much to do? Are you getting frustrated with things backing up on you? Does your to-do list keep getting longer with no end in sight? Would you stop and relax if you weren't so up-tight?

Does the daily rat race leave your head spinning? Is it depressing to see that the damn rats are winning? Are you holding up the world but feeling it slip? Is the balance in your life beginning to tip?

Did your future just flash before your eyes? Was it what you expected or a total surprise? Either way you don't need to see it twice. Put on the brakes and consider this advice.

Grab that to-do list and a ballpoint with ink. Shortening the list isn't as hard as you think. Put a checkmark beside jobs actually belonging to you. All other jobs can wait ‘til you're through.

Look at your checkmarks and handle it this way. Put a + beside tasks you can finish today. Rank the + items from more urgent to less. If it's hard to decide, quick take a guess.

Take your + list and cut it in half. Cut it in the middle and don't stop to laugh. What you have left is urgent so approach it this way. Just buckle down and do today's work today.

Now you know so there you go.

You have a job only you can do. The job you have is being you. At the end of each day you must take a test. Did you give being you your very best?

e. e. Cummings had some words that will take you pretty far. "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." The challenge is never giving your courage a rest. That's how you give being you your best.

Raymond Hull also had something important to say. "He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away." What that means you've already guessed. You have to be just you to give being you your best.

You can't be who other people want you to be. You can't be a spider or a bird in a tree. The spider has its web and the bird has its nest; but you have something special when you give being you your best.

Judy Garland didn't find her advice on a shelf. "Always be a first-rate version of yourself…;" and Johann von Goethe's message wasn't a surprise, "If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise."

Confucius was a philosopher who knew how to depart, "Wherever you go, go with all your heart."

Go north or south or go east or west. Wherever you go, give being you your best.

Now you know so there you go.

You have a job only you can do. The job you have is being you. At the end of each day you must take a test. Did you give being you your very best?

e. e. Cummings had some words that will take you pretty far. "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." The challenge is never giving your courage a rest. That's how you give being you your best.

Raymond Hull also had something important to say. "He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away." What that means you've already guessed. You have to be just you to give being you your best.

You can't be who other people want you to be. You can't be a spider or a bird in a tree. The spider has its web and the bird has its nest; but you have something special when you give being you your best.

Judy Garland didn't find her advice on a shelf. "Always be a first-rate version of yourself…;" and Johann von Goethe's message wasn't a surprise, "If God had wanted me otherwise, He would have created me otherwise."

Confucius was a philosopher who knew how to depart, "Wherever you go, go with all your heart."

Go north or south or go east or west. Wherever you go, give being you your best.

Now you know so there you go.

"Are things out of control?" This is a most interesting question. You likely ask yourself this question sometimes and experience pronounced anxiety as you consider the answer. The problem is, of course, if things are out of control, there is no predicting the outcome. The possibility of a huge crash is out there and the prospect is somewhere between alarming and terrifying. Even if things are out of control, odds are that the outcome will be acceptable; but…. Perhaps Mario Andretti had a thought worth remembering, "If everything's under control, you're going too slow."

You have both experienced this existential anxiety and have thought about the intense level of uneasiness associated with it. It's indeed uncomfortable and evokes feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and a sense of helplessness. At times, these feelings can be overwhelming and nearly paralyzing.

If you run this issue by Sparky (a local guru on the topic) you may be quite taken aback to learn that the question itself is a product of retrograde thinking. Sparky will point out that the question is based on an invalid assumption. It assumes that things should be in control and that control is a desirable state. Not being one to stop with a brief comment and a few fries, That Sparky will probably go on to point out that most everyone has been in environments where control was the central priority and the major goal of those in charge.

Did you like that? Was that anymore comfortable? Is controlling the right thing to do? Do you want things to be controlled by you or anyone else? At that point, you may want to tell Sparky to take those fries and….

Once you've had a chance to settle down some, asked Sparky a different question. "If having things in control is not what we want, then what do we want?" As you might expect, Sparky says, "Now, there is a great question," as he gets up and goes out to find some more fries. Giving a great impression of Columbo, he pauses and adds, "I doubt if it is having things in control, though."

Perhaps the right question is actually, "Are you getting better and better at getting better and better, one issue at a time?" That question is easy. You certainly are, even though you lose the perspective once in a while as you see that you are not yet nearly as good as you need to be, as you are going to be. Still, you are a lot better at it than you were last month and much better than you were last year. When the anxiety comes, and it will, just think about how good you are going to be at it this time next year; and keep in mind what Lao Tzu said, "He who controls others may be powerful but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." Now there is an awesome thought! It also goes very well with fries.

Now you know so there you go.

"Are things out of control?" This is a most interesting question. You likely ask yourself this question sometimes and experience pronounced anxiety as you consider the answer. The problem is, of course, if things are out of control, there is no predicting the outcome. The possibility of a huge crash is out there and the prospect is somewhere between alarming and terrifying. Even if things are out of control, odds are that the outcome will be acceptable; but…. Perhaps Mario Andretti had a thought worth remembering, "If everything's under control, you're going too slow."

You have both experienced this existential anxiety and have thought about the intense level of uneasiness associated with it. It's indeed uncomfortable and evokes feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and a sense of helplessness. At times, these feelings can be overwhelming and nearly paralyzing.

If you run this issue by Sparky (a local guru on the topic) you may be quite taken aback to learn that the question itself is a product of retrograde thinking. Sparky will point out that the question is based on an invalid assumption. It assumes that things should be in control and that control is a desirable state. Not being one to stop with a brief comment and a few fries, That Sparky will probably go on to point out that most everyone has been in environments where control was the central priority and the major goal of those in charge.

Did you like that? Was that anymore comfortable? Is controlling the right thing to do? Do you want things to be controlled by you or anyone else? At that point, you may want to tell Sparky to take those fries and….

Once you've had a chance to settle down some, asked Sparky a different question. "If having things in control is not what we want, then what do we want?" As you might expect, Sparky says, "Now, there is a great question," as he gets up and goes out to find some more fries. Giving a great impression of Columbo, he pauses and adds, "I doubt if it is having things in control, though."

Perhaps the right question is actually, "Are you getting better and better at getting better and better, one issue at a time?" That question is easy. You certainly are, even though you lose the perspective once in a while as you see that you are not yet nearly as good as you need to be, as you are going to be. Still, you are a lot better at it than you were last month and much better than you were last year. When the anxiety comes, and it will, just think about how good you are going to be at it this time next year; and keep in mind what Lao Tzu said, "He who controls others may be powerful but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." Now there is an awesome thought! It also goes very well with fries.

Now you know so there you go.

"Are things out of control?" This is a most interesting question. You likely ask yourself this question sometimes and experience pronounced anxiety as you consider the answer. The problem is, of course, if things are out of control, there is no predicting the outcome. The possibility of a huge crash is out there and the prospect is somewhere between alarming and terrifying. Even if things are out of control, odds are that the outcome will be acceptable; but…. Perhaps Mario Andretti had a thought worth remembering, "If everything's under control, you're going too slow."

You have both experienced this existential anxiety and have thought about the intense level of uneasiness associated with it. It's indeed uncomfortable and evokes feelings of self-doubt, frustration, and a sense of helplessness. At times, these feelings can be overwhelming and nearly paralyzing.

If you run this issue by Sparky (a local guru on the topic) you may be quite taken aback to learn that the question itself is a product of retrograde thinking. Sparky will point out that the question is based on an invalid assumption. It assumes that things should be in control and that control is a desirable state. Not being one to stop with a brief comment and a few fries, That Sparky will probably go on to point out that most everyone has been in environments where control was the central priority and the major goal of those in charge.

Did you like that? Was that anymore comfortable? Is controlling the right thing to do? Do you want things to be controlled by you or anyone else? At that point, you may want to tell Sparky to take those fries and….

Once you've had a chance to settle down some, asked Sparky a different question. "If having things in control is not what we want, then what do we want?" As you might expect, Sparky says, "Now, there is a great question," as he gets up and goes out to find some more fries. Giving a great impression of Columbo, he pauses and adds, "I doubt if it is having things in control, though."

Perhaps the right question is actually, "Are you getting better and better at getting better and better, one issue at a time?" That question is easy. You certainly are, even though you lose the perspective once in a while as you see that you are not yet nearly as good as you need to be, as you are going to be. Still, you are a lot better at it than you were last month and much better than you were last year. When the anxiety comes, and it will, just think about how good you are going to be at it this time next year; and keep in mind what Lao Tzu said, "He who controls others may be powerful but he who has mastered himself is mightier still." Now there is an awesome thought! It also goes very well with fries.

Now you know so there you go.

"Stubbornness does have its helpful features. You always know what you are going to be thinking tomorrow." -- Glen Beaman

Stubbornness certainly has its up side. It's like the famous Anon. said, "Most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions." While you are considering how relaxed you will be though, ponder Doug Floyd's point, "You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note." The truth of the matter is that it can quickly get down right boring.

There is another snag that can seriously temp you to stick to the same ol', same ol'. J. K. Galbraith described it this way, "The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking." Sure, thinking can be painful; but more to the point, it's frequently hard work. As Henry Ford said, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. " If you were born tired and haven't rested up yet, thinking probably just isn't for you; but…. – and there's always a "but." This particular "but" was slipped in by Bertrand Russell who said, "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."

If you are like many other folks, you may believe that you are doing fine and don't need to bother hanging a question mark on anything. You may strongly feel that you are in good company and on the right road; but the famous Anon. had a bit of homespun wisdom worth a moment's thought, "Don't think you're on the right road just because it's a well-beaten path;" and while you are on a roll with the famous Anon., don't forget that, "Before you can break out of prison, you must first realize you're locked up."

Are you ready to make a break for it? If so, Dr. Seuss suggested the perfect strategy for you, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

If the notion of having your own thoughts and ideas causes you discomfort and anxiety, Tolkien had a helpful insight, "Not all those who wander are lost." At the same time, John Locke had a further insight to help you make it through the transition to thinking for yourself, "New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." People's disagreeing does not mean you are wrong. It's like the famous Anon. said, "One who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints;" and footprints of your own you will and should leave. As you leave your footprints along the road to thinking for yourself, Satchel Paige had what may be the only advice you need, "Ain't no man can avoid being average, but there ain't no man got to be common."

Now you know so there you go.

"Stubbornness does have its helpful features. You always know what you are going to be thinking tomorrow." -- Glen Beaman

Stubbornness certainly has its up side. It's like the famous Anon. said, "Most people are more comfortable with old problems than with new solutions." While you are considering how relaxed you will be though, ponder Doug Floyd's point, "You don't get harmony when everybody sings the same note." The truth of the matter is that it can quickly get down right boring.

There is another snag that can seriously temp you to stick to the same ol', same ol'. J. K. Galbraith described it this way, "The conventional view serves to protect us from the painful job of thinking." Sure, thinking can be painful; but more to the point, it's frequently hard work. As Henry Ford said, "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason why so few engage in it. " If you were born tired and haven't rested up yet, thinking probably just isn't for you; but…. – and there's always a "but." This particular "but" was slipped in by Bertrand Russell who said, "In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted."

If you are like many other folks, you may believe that you are doing fine and don't need to bother hanging a question mark on anything. You may strongly feel that you are in good company and on the right road; but the famous Anon. had a bit of homespun wisdom worth a moment's thought, "Don't think you're on the right road just because it's a well-beaten path;" and while you are on a roll with the famous Anon., don't forget that, "Before you can break out of prison, you must first realize you're locked up."

Are you ready to make a break for it? If so, Dr. Seuss suggested the perfect strategy for you, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

If the notion of having your own thoughts and ideas causes you discomfort and anxiety, Tolkien had a helpful insight, "Not all those who wander are lost." At the same time, John Locke had a further insight to help you make it through the transition to thinking for yourself, "New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed, without any other reason but because they are not already common." People's disagreeing does not mean you are wrong. It's like the famous Anon. said, "One who walks in another's tracks leaves no footprints;" and footprints of your own you will and should leave. As you leave your footprints along the road to thinking for yourself, Satchel Paige had what may be the only advice you need, "Ain't no man can avoid being average, but there ain't no man got to be common."

Now you know so there you go.

Do you want to know everything there is to know about success in about five minutes? If so, please press play and learn. If not, well, you're on your own.

Do you want to know everything there is to know about success in about five minutes? If so, please press play and learn. If not, well, you're on your own.