Mental as Anything

Right then. So, Memorial Day weekend is coming up. It's also a friend's birthday. So, of course, there are many plans in the works. With plans comes conflict because nothing ever goes to plan and with conflict comes drama, because conflict is so dramatic... just watch The Shield, 24, House MD, etc. and you know that.

But even though I know that this is going to happen, I push forward into the breach, regardless. This is a repetitive pattern in progress, too, by the way. Clinically, it's called insanity. Mental instability identified and verified. Oh well, give me a straitjacket and a padded room. It's a good thing I like white.

I guess we press on because we think, maybe this time, everything will be alright. Maybe this time everyone will see each others' points of view and accept each other at FACE value, not the value they expect nor the value they have learned to expect based on experience. Of course, the odds of this happening are about as astronomically high as getting a Royal Fizzbinn on Tuesday (* little shout out muh Trekkie homies out there *).

Regardless, I plan to have a good time this weekend. Futile as this pursuit may be, I am constitutionally entitled to it and will therefore engage in it wholeheartedly. At least my patriotism is not in jeopardy, right?

In all seriousness, please people... think before you speak, before you act, before you judge. Nobody lives in your head but you. And you only live in your own head. Don't jump to conclusions about what people mean, why they act a certain way, say a certain thing, look a certain way, etc. Don't start writing stories in your head that just make you miserable. Try to write a story that makes you happy. Since you will NEVER EVER really *KNOW* what's going on in someone's head, you'll never fully understand their actions, their words or their reasons. So allow yourself to see things in a light that makes you happy, satisfied and complete.

There are some things that are hard to overlook and hard to "write a good story about," this is true. In those times, all you can do is to look to yourself, ask yourself if you would do the same thing in the same situation. Ask yourself if you can continue to interact in the relationship the same way. Regardless, remember that every action has a reaction. You may think you're reacting to someone else's action... but someone else will then react to what you do. The only way to stop that cycle... is to stop the cycle... don't react. Accept and move on, write your own story to the events and make a better life for yourself. If you can do that, when people see that change in you, they too will change in their own time.

Of course, to some, all of that is a load of sheep dip. And that's fine... I didn't title this entry "Mental as Anything" for nothing. It's a smidgeon of the values that work for me and my life. They say life is what you make it... and so I choose to make it something that works for me and those close to me (as much as I'm able). If it makes sense to you, try it out... it's not all that hard and you'll be surprised how much better it feels than hanging on to story that makes you miserable.