Look in the mirror, and slap yourself!

"When you think you're looking through a window, and you're really looking in a mirror.” A pretty good definition of the psychological term "projection". It has also been said, that the things we dislike the most in others are the things we subconsciously dislike the most in ourselves.

If you still don’t get it, try this on, “When you point a finger at someone else, you have three more pointing back at you!”

It’s a pretty good personal "checks and balances" system---sometimes keeps me from shooting myself in the foot, sometimes not. It's like any other skill, it takes practice, practice, practice.

Go ahead, try it! The next time you find yourself really miffed at somebody, ask yourself, “Do I do that?” It’s called taking a daily personal inventory. After you get over the sting of slapping yourself in the face, the honesty feels pretty good.

A good personal application for me? One word: “TRAFFIC"

More "Green" (with envy) blowing over Palin

There is a particular nastiness that some folks just can't contain when good people speak. I read one such article at:

http://www.ecorazzi.com/2009/07/03/sarah-palin-resigns-as-governor-wolves-everywhere-celebrate/

My response (though I doubt they will post it):

"If you could pull your head out of that nasty place where you obviously keep it most of the time, and wipe that brown stuff out of your eyes, take a look in a mirror, though your reflection probably won’t be there, you might be shocked to realize you are speaking for the vampires, not the wolves.

You’re just another blood-sucker hiding behind a politically popular cause to make yourself look legitimate so you can smear productive and moral people who are making a positive difference in the world.

The only green you represent is the envy sticking out of every pore in your body.

Shame on you. Have a cup of coffee, smell a rose or two, and see if you can do a little better.

PopsLarry"

Pluggers---Part II

It can blow your mind if you really get into it! I'm talking about the many people in life who “keep on plugging” in the face of pain, health problems and life difficulties. I don't think I've ever made a concentrated effort to notice this.

So here goes---I hope you will you decide with me to make the effort to notice, to appreciate it more---and to say so when it is appropriate.

I can start at home, by being thankful for my wife! She has a regular battle with a form of painful arthritis, for which she takes some pretty heavy medications which require regular labs to monitor blood levels and assure no other damage is being caused to her body as a result.

In addition to this, and possibly connected to it, she has migraine headaches which require self-administered shots---very expensive self-administered shots I might add.

Yet, in the face of this, she worked full time at a factory for years while putting herself through nursing school.

Now her feet hit the floor at 5 am to work 12 hour days as an RN at a psychiatric hospital, often a very thankless job. As a psychiatric RN she has gotten punched and kicked in the head no less than 4 times in the past 2 years by psychotic patients.

But her smile always comes back and she keeps doing her job---“Of course,“ she says, “I’m going to have to get better at ducking.”

So here goes my official effort, I’m kicking off a campaign to start being systematically more aware, more thankful. I want to purposefully notice the difficulties of others I see in the workplace, .

What say you? Will you join with me? Do you know someone who overcomes a serious life difficulty, yet they step out and keep on plugging when others may have taken an easier route?

Plugger Spirit---Gotta Love It!

Helen tells me she is a Christian believer, with advanced Rheumatoid Arthritis. She was working full-time as a consulting Systems Analyst. She claims that her faith gives her the strength to keep going. I asked her how she dealt with the hand pain as she uses her computer. Her hands were gnarled and fingers twisted from the disease. She just smiled and said "I've gone to the one finger ‘hunt and peck’ system!" Love that Spirit!

“I sometimes can’t put in a full week, but that’s okay, I figure that every day I’m working, is a day I’m not sitting at home or in the hospital somewhere. I expect I’ll work as long as someone will let me!”

Full-time, part-time, whatever---do you know someone who is "braving it out" in the workplace, someone who "keeps on plugging" in spite of a severe handicap. This certainly isn't to disparage any who have given it their all and simply cannot function in the marketplace. But there are many who refuse to give up. They access programs designed to train and enable handicapped workers to become or remain productive.

I'm really enjoying these "never say die" everyday heroes. I have made it one of my missions in life, to purposefully notice and appreciate people who have the moxie, the courage and determination to give it their all to keep on plugging, even when others with the same difficulties would have long since thrown in the towel.

Look around you and see what you may have been missing. I'd love to hear your story.

Well, my coffee’s getting cold,

Pops Larry