pleasing folks

Rhett Butler said--Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!

What does that mean anyway? Joesixpack says--It means when stupid folks are trying to prove they’re smarter than you, but have no idea how to spell the word Genius. Do folks ever frustrate you by thinking they know everything and try to impress you?  WorldClassLarry says--After a short time, many folks have a tendency to just habituate them!  Yes, they do; I agree.

Saturday question—Why do you do things?  Really, why do you do things?  Is it because you have tooo?  Or to impress someone?  Or ‘cause you want to please folks?  Or is it because of your ego? Ok, there are a lot of reasons why we do things.  Just think about it when you make your next decision? So why am I doing this anyway.  Think about this:  The World Health Organization says that, in 2012, an estimated 56 million people died around the world from all causes. Doing the math that means approximately 153,425 died every day, or 106 people every minute. That’s more than one person per second dying. If you are wearing a watch, or can look at a clock that counts off the seconds, spend a few moments watching the seconds tick away and considering the reality of what all human beings face. Really, are there many folks who really care that you are trying to impress them?  And the end result is…!  Bingo. Sooo why are you doing things anyway?  Really!

LuckieEddie says--My wife is a pleasing woman, folks (i.e. pleases everyone except me).  JealousHarry says—My wife, LoveYaAlot  is a people pleaser a.k.a. a real yes person and sometimes it gets her in trouble. I think it gives her a voracious rush. That could be JealousHarry but LoveYaAlot does have a good heart and that ain’t bad.  Maybe it bothers you more than your wife.  Could be. NiftyNil a.k.a. an AZ fence lizard says—YesWomanEunice might be a petite Chihuahua but a giant in popularity! She might be rather squishy and squashy and can’t say no to anyone but everyone loves her.  She will have a lot of flowers and folks at her funeral! Such is life.

Joesixpack says--In a day of social media when everyone is revealing everything to everyone. I suggest, be discreet (i.e. sooooo what do you know Joesixpack, folks seem to love social media). Heralding was a common practice years ago (e.g. if a baby was born and if the folks could afford heralders, they would hire them to go out and tell about the baby’s birth).  Hark the herald angels sing, glory to the new born King.  Maybe social media is a lot of heralding.  You think sooooo?  Why do folks like social media soooo well do you think.  Maybe for lot of reasons. 

A friend has said to me several times--erv, maybe they act that way 'cause they are not very confident. ItchieBitchie says--Having an inferiority complex (i.e. feeling not good enough) is a terrible feeling (i.e. can cause a maelstrom in a person's life).  Ya, comparing yourself to others doesn’t usually make a person feel soooo good.  It lets others affect how we act and think. And most folks want to be included and accepted.  I-WantToLookLikeBetty says--That is why ladys' fashions are such an easy sell. FollowTheLeaderBeth says--If RingLeaderJosie wears it, I have to have it.  Such is life.

Whumpf! LuckieEddie says--He seemed to have a lot of juice but was he just pretending? GeorgeTheCrook says—Don’t kid yourself, we care what others think of us.  We fret about stuff. After my Prostate Exam, the Doctor left the exam room. Then the nurse came in. As she shut the door, she whispered the three words that no man wants to hear:  "Who Was That?"

Peter (i.e. anybody can be a Peter) says--We all want to be seen – especially in those moments when we are climbing a tree. This is so simple and yet it has huge implications for how we lead and how we live. We are social animals who thrive in connection. We all want the people around us to be proud. “If you think what I’m doing is good,” we can say, “please tell me.” Do you tell them that you are proud? If that feels patronizing to you, be specific. “I just saw you do X,” you can tell them, “and I was really impressed. It makes me proud to work with you.” It’s a remarkably valuable, massive impact and takes virtually no time. That’s an enviable price/earnings ratio. There is no better use of our time – especially from the perspective of driving high performance – than to “see” the people around us and celebrate their successes and hard work.  SusieQ says—It is my opinion that it is of much more importance to recognize someone else than to recognize yourself! DuaneTheWorm probably will never understand that.  He's the champion of self-glorification! He can really "artificially please" (i.e. he's all foam and no beer).  DuaneTheWorm is as shifty and fakie as Christian McCaffrey was to the Iowa defense in the Rose Bowl!  Ouchy ouchy!

Confession from erv--It is important to keep a proper perspective on life (i.e. that's no hokum folks). I admit that I suffer from an “accomplishment-complex” sometimes. I think I need to jettison that thinking. I ask myself, “Does what I do matter?” In the big-picture view of thousands of years of human existence, billions of lives lived, and in an amazingly huge God working out his eternal plan, does what I do matter? Sometimes my feelings and my mind don’t always match when I answer this. Ouchy ouchy!  That is when I need to check under the hood!  Self praise is like the lights on a dashboard. They tell us something is going on under the hood. We must find out the source of the problem. Whenever we have a big ego and those expectations do not materialize, our tendency is to get angry. The source of the anger is often the fear that the unmet expectation will negatively impact us. We want to be important and impressive and have folks like us.  Some folks more than others.  Such is life.

I went for a run up in ‘em ‘er mountains on New Years day. A blue bird day in the Valley of the Sun (i.e. gorgeous).  There were many folks on the trail as it was a holiday.  I met a group of folks that looked like a family, and the dad of about 50 says to me as I was running up the trail—quit impressing me!  I don’t impress anyone at the speed I run (i.e. not even close to Secretariat's speed).  I run next to zero mph and zero is next to nutten! Besides, I don’t run to impress anyone.  My running makes me feel oh soooo good both physically and mentally.  I have been blessed to be able to do this (i.e. I humbly understand this).  ANYWAY  I run 1.5 miles up and 1.5 miles down.  Perfect amount of time and distance as it allows me to be gone about 1.5 hours—perfect.  Soooo I met this couple—he was an older guy and the gal with him was maybe about 65 (i.e. I thought she was his daughter)—Happy New Year—same to you—he then says to me—Don’t break a leg sonny!  He made me smile.  Sooooo on the way down I meet them again and stopped and talked with them.  He was 87 and he introduced me to his girl friend Meg!!!  It appears that there were some folks hiking maybe as a New Year’s resolution of getting in shape and losing 20-50-75 pounds (i.e. I don't want to BreakTheirWorld but it will take more than a hour hike).  I was maybe a fourth of a mile from the trail head when I met this couple who were maybe 50 and were just starting their hike.  I said Happy New Year and they said—We didn’t realize how out of shape we are!!!  Such is life.

I read in the paper soooo it must be right—A picture is worth a thousand words.  I have a friend who is a photographer.  He says he can make anyone look good!  Soooo Christmas time is a time for a lot of family pictures (i.e. I sorta kinda enjoy them).  Everyone looks oh soooo good and happy and everything is hunkie dorrie (i.e. probably not in all cases).  ItchieBitchie says—Everyone wants to put their best picture forward (i.e. want to impress folks).  You don’t want to show a picture where your family is arguing or disagreeing or unhappy, of course not.  A friend told me that one of their children is jealous as they think they show more attention to one kid than another (i.e. perceived but not real).  Maybe their family picture won’t show that. Soooo maybe pictures aren’t always accurate!  You think sooooo.

A story of a story teller I heard at the AZ Storytelling Project keeps coming back to me.  He told how he was raised in the Judaism religion.  He really liked Hanukkah; the lighting of the candles, eating all the good food, and hearing about all of the Lord’s miracles.  Then he went to college and had a good friend get involved in a car accident and was permanently, severely affected.  Where was the Lord’s miracles?  It really bothered him and he sorta kinda gave up on his faith in the Lord.  He studied world religions to discredit Judaism.  He then was a personal trainer in New York City.  He heard soooo many stories of folks who have had such terrible events.  Where are all the miracles of the Lord?  After that he went to seminary and now is a 40 some year-old Rabi.  He concluded his story by saying that he still doesn’t understand the Lord and still wonders where all the Lord’s miracles are but he realizes that he probably will never understand this and it will be an ongoing process the rest of his life. He surely seemed serious folks.

Rumack: Can you fly this plane, and land it?
Ted Striker: Surely you can't be serious.
Rumack: I am serious...and don't call me Shirley.

New life; second life. Had lunch this week with some college friends from good old Northwestern College.  Two gals a.k.a. MiracleBabes had miracles pertaining to being alive.  If the circumstances would have been just a little different, they would not of been having lunch with us at Fat Willies. Sooooo, there are a couple of God's miracles. Wow! SusieQ asks--erv, are you serious? I surely am. His understanding I cannot fathom; God is God and that's just the way it is. God impresses me even though I don't totally understand Him! Oh ya! Holy smokin pigs!

Have a FUN day my friends unless you have other plans. (-:

erv

MyFreindJean says--There is nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate,

P.S. Under social pressure, AlwaysWantingToBePopularJanice folds like a taco.  She's definitely a people pleaser.