Reality Check

Be an ass.

Toss out the fairy tales and Sunday

school nonsense that was shoveled

into you early;

asses go everywhere

and accomplish everything.

Pollyannas and submissives just

get pats on the heads and

consolation prizes.

Being sweet and cuddly

and demure helps out

other people, not you.

Being an aggressive ass

wins the race; this world

rewards dominance

and raw power.

****

Breakout

Be present in

your own mind

and body,

heeding your own

drive and voice...

not hypnotized

and following

someone else's

dream.

Break apart.

***

20. Bust Loose from the Pack

Setting yourself free from societal restraints and concerns

about what others think--whether they be friends, family,

enemies, co-workers, competitors, etc--is a long and arduous

task for most of us.

We are convinced since birth to question our ideas,

to doubt our abilities, to cave to the needs and wants of others.

There is no training class for individuality and independence,

yet most every success owes to separating from the

everyday method or style to find one's own path.

Breaking free of the pack,

letting your freak flag fly,

showing your true colors,

standing alone on a ledge,

coloring outside the box.

These useful euphemisms aren't just handy in living a

fuller life, they apply also to building a better mouse trap.

The restraints put in place in school rooms, churches,

and homes across the world are of no use

to anyone but the one's implementing them.

Control and suppression are the means

of forging a 'better' society in the eyes

of the Powers that be.

Fear of change and

fear of difference

and fear of others' success

are the cornerstones

for our society.

Realization that you are unique,

embracing it, and finding the strength

to embark and continue on a path

of least awareness

are hallmarks of innovative, imaginative,

and--ultimately--successful people.

***

19. Keep Reminders Handy

Every team, project, or goal usually involves at

least one acronym-using banner or theme!

They're shortened, easy-to-remember slogans

that help keep us on track.

Here are some simple and valuable ideas

for some you might want to incorporate

in your self-help strategies!

COVER YOUR ASS

DO IT YOURSELF

(if you want it done right)

KEEP IT SIMPLE: SURVIVE!

No, definitely not 'Save Our Souls';

just the opposite!

STOP OWING SOMEONE!

Both financially with credit and loans,

and as much as possible in getting a hand up

from others. Unless you're in a position

to give back, being the constant recipient of a hand-out

is bad news.

This one's great because it has two

gems in one;

PAY YOURSELF FIRST

 is always a good axiom,

and so is

PUT YOURSELF FIRST!

Sometimes you just have to tell a hater how

it is, and I do it by telling them to

KISS MY ASS!

Here's another with double mileage on it;

KNOW YOUR WORTH

and

KEEP YOUR WORD.

Adopt any of these that apply

or invent your own today!

In a crisis, short and sweet are

easier to recall than a long-winded

mission statement or anything too involved.

The bottom line is to keep the

goal in mind; how you do it is

inconsequential!
(These go great on post-its and in

the car to keep you grounded

inbetween appointemnts

and on the phone!)

***

18. FIGHT!

STAND YOUR GROUND!

DON'T TAKE 'NO' FOR AN ANSWER!

SHOW 'EM WHO'S BOSS!

KEEP ON TRUCKING!

NO WORRIES FOR ANYONE ELSE BUT YOURSELF!

MAKE SOME NOISE!

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

GET BACK UP....AND BRUSH YOURSELF OFF!

TAKE A LICKING AND KEEP ON TICKING!

This is your life and your dream.
If you don't fight for it fervently and tirelessly, who will?

******************************************

17. Taking Chances

We live in a world of tit-for-tat; nothing comes easy, nothing

is free, nothing comes without a price in direct balance to what

is gained.

Sometimes you know up front what a sacrifice will entail, other

times you take a chance and find out later. Getting what you

need is more important than worrying over a debt.

This world runs on compromise, sacrifice, and bartering.

No one gets everything they want, and they definitely have

to part with something else to get it (whether it be peace of

mind, politeness, family, love, security, treasures, innocence,

a false sense of security, etc.)

All relationships exist in a state of imbalance...

all treasures are acquired by being in relationship

to the world or others in the world. There must be

a partnership or a dependence on others who possess the

talents or insights that you do not. In order to achieve such

a mutually beneficial status, we may have to give away things

we don't wish to. Life is constant receiving and sending, 

gain and loss. 

You get what you get --what you want--only by virtue of

willingness to do without other desired treasures....

by virtue of who you're willing to get in bed with...

by virtue of how much chaos and change you are capable of

enduring.

Indebtedness, concealment, conciliation, are all part of the

ride and the price we pay (at one point or another) to the

piper. So whenever possible, breaking free and letting loose

the shackles is vital. Vital to reclaiming our lives, placing our

mark, and stretching our creative legs. And there's no sure-fire

guarantee with taking chances or going off the beaten path.

No more idealizing, no more imposed hegemony, no more naivete.

To know the true workings of this world is to open one's self

to the ravenously scurrilous and unpredictable nature of things;

there's no going back. To want something to be different from

what has always been... to seek to make your vision(s) manifest...

that is the ultimate chance.

Nothing is promised, all promises are lies, and handshakes

simply mean you know you've made a deal with the devil.

Step out into the nothingness and see what transpires.

***************************************

16. Adaptability

"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense
of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best
to their environment."

    - Charles Darwin

No matter all the planning or preparation in the world,
life will continuously evolve in ways unexpected and
undesired. It is our ability to adapt to such changes
and circumstances that will allow us to continue to
move forward.

Like any other area of life, if you are not ready with
an ability to release and redirect with the flow of things,
you will be run over or left behind.

Things change...it is the nature of the world we live
in. We might not like it, we might not be prepared,
and we might prefer other outcomes. But when push
comes to shove, we have to know when to hold 'em
and when to fold 'em.

There are fights you can win, and there are fights that
simply distract you from the greater and larger picture.
Growing, adapting, changing, and transforming the self
and our plans is an ever-needed quality.

If you don't possess it, you might want to look into
developing it!

Being fluid allows for relinquishing the rigidity that
keeps us stale and stuck. It puts us in the flow of life.
We end up where we need to be, as opposed to where
we thought we 'should' be. How could we possibly
know enough to predict what will happen in all the world?

Keep your options open; goals and plans are wonderful,
but there are always alternatives. You can maintain
principles while making adjustments to your strategy.

At the end of the day, it's not strength, expertise, nor
talent that wins it. It's insight, deciphering future trends,
changing what needs changing. Releasing expectations
instead of staying fixated and focused and attached to
your own vision at the expense of anything else.
Rolling with the punches.


Evolving isn't easy, but it's the only way to survive
and see what comes next.

**************************************