All your live you are told the things you cannot do.
All your life they will say you’re not good enough or strong enough or talented enough,
they’ll say you’re the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type
to play this or be this or achieve this.
They will tell you
NO,
a thousand times no until all the nos become meaningless.
All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly.
They will tel you .
And you will tell them YES.
Your life is a series of what everyone says about you,
and what you say about yourself
So say
YES.
[sub]I got this from a Nike ad several years ago, and put it in my purse and on my desk wall. I swear this got me at least one job, and helped me get out of a bad relationship. YMMV[/sub]
From my dad, when I was debating staying at a job that tormented me or moving on to something else:
You can replace money, friends, and things. You can never replace time. Don’t waste it. You spend too much time in one day at work to be unhappy in it.
This from a man who got his packaging engineering degree, a good job at GM, and then realized he hated it and quit to become the poor (but happy) contractor he is today.
It is better to die on one’s feet than to live on one’s knees.
To call a man a thief gives him the right to be one.
Winter teaches a naked woman how to knit.
Never eat oysters when you’re lonely.
This could actually be taken in a few different ways (and I’m not thinking of anything dirty! :P) … I’d argue I do try to live on my knees. But anyway…
It’s better to regret what you have done than regret what you have not done.
My mother had a mantra, oft repeated to us while growing up, that I didn’t fully appreciate until I had a wife and some kids of my own. I find myself repeating the same thing to them quite frequently, because so many little problems would be avoided:
Winter teaches a naked woman how to freeze. A knitting class teaches her how to knit. Provided she is given the wool and the needles. Which is why I’m a social democrat.
You can always use your Dad or Mom as an excuse to not do something you do not want to. Suspect you may not but it is available for you always.
You do not have to continue your communication with [scary boyfriend’s name removed] or anyone else if it gets too heavy or if it does not get too heavy.
You do not have to change your mind just because someone has finally seen the light, turned on the light or got blinded by the light.
You are your own person and in charge of you, no one else.
You are a woman and smart as dirt and its OK to prove that to whomever you please.
Its also OK to be humble and defer when you feel like it.
Don’t mean to gang up on anyone but you are in charge and right now your stated objective of reflecting on whatever is going on in your life is a fine idea. You owe nothing to no one but [you]. That doesn’t mean you should be a jerk about it but you also don’t have to put up with any guff from anyone…