A Little Philosophy...

8:30 PM Elizabeth Seckman 16 Comments

My husband posted last week that the blog needed to have less words (former freaking all star, can you tell?). I aim to please, so here’s what I think in a few less words.
1.       Always choose laughter.  If torn between  a tear jerker or a side splitter, call the doctor and tell him to schedule you for stitches (get it…side splitting?).  Life brings enough tears, why seek them out?

2.       Always be yourself…it’s good practice for when you get old and simply remembering where you are is difficult enough.

3.       Never make choices based on money. Nothing I can buy is eternal. In the long run…it’s all just yard sale fodder.

4.       Never mind read. Unless someone TELLS you what they think, you’re probably wrong.

5.       Err on the side of the positive. (For example, my husband for our first (married) Christmas got me tires. Why? Because he wants me to always arrive home safely, not because he was a tight wad who parlayed a needed expenditure into a Christmas gift.)

6.       Put people first. People trump objects every time, in every situation, no exclusions.

7.       Stop beating up on your body, yourself, or your life.  We worry so much about our body beautiful that we forget to appreciate that our body is still doable (by that I mean in terms of locomotion...pervert)

8.       Do what you love, even if you aren’t  the best of the best.  Some things should be measured in pleasure factors, not success quotas.

9.        Don’t waste time on a hater. I tell my kids all the time, the easiest way to feel tall is to knock someone else over. And some people are so tiny, that’s all they have.

10.   Always remember, God built the universe with words…they have power, use them wisely.

16 comments:

Lent Spin

11:47 AM Elizabeth Seckman 7 Comments

Okay, we're almost a week into the Lent season~ oh,Lent is the 40 days of fasting and self denial before Easter Sunday (that's my Sunday school answer for my Sunday school phobic friends).

So, for years I tried and failed to give up chocolate. I also attempted a  calorie restriction model of fasting (nice way of saying dieting for God). Also a failure.

Then it occurred to me...I'm just trying to shed pounds (save money on Weight Watchers!) and call it devotion.

I decided I needed to shed something more meaningful.

So, I thought, what bad habits do I have?

A-ha! I am a mealy mouthed white liar!
I decided to go 40 days without my little white lies.
I succeeded, though how I managed NOT to get fired is beyond me.
The most memorable moment? Chronically arriving late for morning meetings, my boss asked, "Traffic bad?"
"Nope." I answered taking my seat. "Just REALLY do NOT want to be here.”

And it didn't work so well in my social life either..."wanna see a movie?"
"Nah...too lazy to shower. The benefit/ output ratio is really not worth it."

I need not tell all, just know the bottom line...honesty is liberating, but brutal honesty is best saved for people with thicker skin and less concern for feelings. And maybe, just maybe I won't end up in hell for just saying, "I've got too much to do" as an answer. Or "Sorry for running slow this morning" as an excuse.
It's not a lie, but it's generic enough to not be hurtful or rude.

Now, fast forward to my post 40 self (I'd say 30, but I do refrain from bold faced lies). She (that 40 year old chick) is a little smarter, a little more intuitive than her 20 something counterpart. And she has determined, the restriction approach does nothing to help the self. For me?
Self denial=obsession. 

Now for Lent, I look to add something. Maybe set aside fifteen extra minutes a day of devotion time; pick a charity of the week for the four weeks and donate money or time; scour the house and eliminate all those things I like, but no longer use, and drop them off at the Salvation Army; even a ten minute walk is an add.
'Adding to' my life works better for me than 'restricting from' anything. And the goal of Lent for me, isn't to prove anything to God...He knows what He's getting...but the goal of the season is to gain the most positive dimensions to my evolving self.

What's your spin on Lent?

7 comments:

From Boas to Reality

12:25 AM Elizabeth Seckman 4 Comments

Even as a little girl, I wanted to be a writer.
Okay, so my idea of a writer was mostly  influenced by Felicia Gallant of  “Another World” (Oh the days of hurrying home from school to watch the soaps!)… sooo basically, I just wanted to spend my life wrapped in boas (the feathery kind) and click around in high heels (on the marble floors of my mansion!).
What I am finding is that writing is, ugh, work. There is no little fairy sprinkling golden words and ideas on my little blond head. (I think Steven King may be holding her hostage, I just can’t prove it.)
So, here I am. At the beginning.  The people in the ‘know’ tell me I need  to blog. And I need to publish some shorts (oh no, not my britches!). And I need to enter contests.  And I need to attend conferences. And I need to network. And I need to join writer’s groups. And I need to write. And I need to edit. And I need to query. And I need to research.  And for crying out loud, MAY I PLEASE HAVE A LITTLE TIME TO READ?
And I’m thinking I better pray.  Pray for a change of heart or the endurance to compete. It’s a tough world out there. So many good writers, so few good readers.
So, it’s important to bring the A game. Don’t get sloppy, don’t get cocky. My college English professor, Dr. Hart (Heartless was the pet name I fondly used in my thoughts). He gave me the first B I ever got in an English class. I was stunned. It almost brought me to tears. He stopped me as I was leaving the class.
He asked in his uber thick German accent, “Miss Hartman. Did my B surprise you?”
“Uh, hell yes.” (I really just nodded…understand, what I say and what I think are rarely congruent)
“You have talent Miss Hartman. But you are lazy. I’m sure you’ve earned  A’ s your whole life with writing that is ‘good enough’, but in this class, you better be prepared to stun me to get your A. Now have a good day.”
“Pecker head.” (okay, so I choked out a simple ‘thank you’…what else do you say to a scary German guy who holds the power to end your scholarship with a B?)
So, now when I write. Dr. Heartless, uh I mean Hart, is my muse (Darn you King, release the fairy!). He sits on my shoulder and barks, “lazy” until I struggle word by individual word until I hear him say, “eh, that’s better”.
And hopefully today’s result is a post that appears effortless ~  a chatty little informative dialogue between friends. And the best part is? You have no idea how many drafts it took to get here (3).  And in the sage, sitcom wisdom of  Dr. Bob Keslo  (“Scrubs”) … “ Anything in this world that's worth having doesn't come easy.”

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