I’m
not sure of the emotional dynamic that is driving me this morning, but I
couldn’t sleep for thinking about this.
I’ve left jobs before, but always with the single-minded obsession that
I’d have another one. This time it’s
like walking a plank; I’m stepping off the end and I’ve no idea what’s beyond. With
varying degrees of success, I’ve worked for others since I was about 13. Some of it has been unpleasant, but some of
it has been amazingly gratifying. In
neither case was I prepared for what happened, and comforting as it may be to
think myself blameless for the former and wholly responsible for the latter,
the reality is probably somewhat less comforting. However, I have a few ideas that seem
important for me to share with y’all because you’re my friends, and I feel
somewhat fatherly toward many of you.
In
all things, never do less than your flat, level best. Whether it’s working or playing, loving or
fighting, hold nothing back. At the end
of the day, if you can look in the mirror and say, “You did your best,” you should
await the results in peace.
Love
money for what it is and what it can do, but never make a god of it, or love it
for its own sake. Money won’t buy
happiness, but neither will poverty.
I’ve been broke and miserable and fairly well off and miserable, and
being broke makes it worse. Money will
not make a man good or evil; it will only unmask the good or evil he already
has in his heart. Work hard and honestly
for your money, but never for a second forget that if you spend part of your
allotted span earning a dollar, whatever you trade that dollar for becomes the
symbol of that minute of your life. The
money for which you trade the minutes of your life may be used to build temples
or whorehouses. It’s your choice, and
rightfully so, but give a moment’s thought to what legacy you are leaving to
your children.
Companies,
especially big ones, like to pretend that money isn’t a motivator. Such insanity is part of the unique form of
brain damage that comes from excessive exposure to professors. Working for wages does not make you a
prostitute. Only selling your principles
for favor can do that. Working for wages
makes you a producer, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Let
your employer stay a few dollars ahead of you.
Do this by making sure you do just a little more than you are paid
for. When the time comes, and it usually
does, for you to tell him to kiss your grits, you want to make damn sure you
don’t owe him a nickel. Years ago, I
read a proverb titled, “Alaskan Philosophy,” and I’ve found that the further
from it I drift, the more stupid and screwed up my life gets. It is simply this: “Live each day so you can look every man
square in the eye and tell him to go to hell.”
Telling people to go to hell is NOT the objective! The objective is to make certain you have dealt
with all men fairly, and have taken advantage of none. At the top of the list of those with whom you
must be on the level is the one who looks back at you from the mirror. That sucker will kick your butt if you don’t,
and if you don’t have that kind of relationship with him or her, you have
greater problems than you know.
Shakespeare
said, “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day,
thou canst not then be false to any man.”
Believe it.
If
you run into someone smarter than you, don’t get mad at him. It ain’t his
fault. ~Cowboy proverb.
Never
get so damned smart you can’t learn something from every person you meet. ~My dad
Read. Read at least a few minutes every day. Start with something that interests you, but
as you grow, branch out. Read things that challenge and stretch you. Five years from now, you will be the same
person you are today with the exception of the books you read and the people
with whom you associate. Goethe said, “A
man’s mind, once stretched to fit a new idea, will never return to its former
size and shape.” (He also said “Where
they burn books, they will burn men.”
True dat.)
You
can’t interfere with folks’ right to be stupid. ~My mom
Being
open minded does not mean accepting any damnfool drivel that happens to blow
through your ears. It means listening to
the ideas of others and evaluating them honestly and fairly. Have your own values and standards, know what
they are, and live by them. If you find
something better, change, but never, ever let anyone bluff or bully you into
changing your mind without a good reason.
And in your own dealings with others, remember that all you can do is
offer your opinion; it’s up to them to pick it up or leave it lay. This is at the heart of The Gospel. We all have the right and obligation to
exercise our agency, and that agency starts with what we think and
believe. God offers us His testimony and
His wisdom, but He doesn’t jam it down our throats, and when people who claim
to be His servants start jamming things, don’t hesitate to put a stop to
it. Don’t judge the Gospel by some of
the idiots who profess to teach it, but remember you can go wrong by being too
skeptical as readily as by being too trusting.
Most
folks’ idea of religion has about the same relationship to the Gospel as education
does to intelligence, i.e., none to speak of.
~Me (because I’ve used it a lot and don’t remember where I got it.)
Never
let school interfere with your education, your job with being productive, nor a
relationship with loving. ~Me
You
can spend all your love making time, or you can spend all your time making
love. ~The Eagles
The
only person who never made a mistake never did anything. Always – always
do your best to do what’s right, but understand you aren’t perfect, and you’re
going to screw up. You will hurt
yourself and those you love. You will blow opportunities. Don’t let it make you afraid to play the
game. Do your best, learn from your
mistakes, and keep slugging. God will
forgive you if you ask Him sincerely, but it’s not that easy for people. Forgiving yourself may be one of the toughest
things you’ll ever do, but few things will contribute more to your personal
growth or the satisfaction you take from living. You are an amazing, stunning being,
“wonderfully and fearfully made.” Wallow
in it, and be thankful.
Finally,
don’t be stupid. May Our Father in
Heaven bless you all and keep you safe.
Your
pard,
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