When Life Gets Crazy

Hi Jenny,

That is some great advice. I work best from metaphors. I just hope I remember it when I need it.

Hi Jenny,

That is some great advice. I work best from metaphors. I just hope I remember it when I need it.

My favorite is: Carpe Diem!

Seize the day in Latin

My favorite is: Carpe Diem!

Seize the day in Latin

I love C’est la vie! That’s life. Sometimes you just gotta let go and say that’s life. Sometimes you can’t control everything.

I love C’est la vie! That’s life. Sometimes you just gotta let go and say that’s life. Sometimes you can’t control everything.

Thanks Dave! I love metaphors too…they might sound cheesy at first blush but they really stick (for me at least!)

@Bill and @Melissa – Carpe Diem and C’est la Vie are great ones! The two actually go so well together. I love the idea of both making the most of every day (carpe diem) and going with the flow of whatever life throws your way (c’est la vie).

Thanks for the comments – such a great way to start a Saturday!

Thanks Dave! I love metaphors too…they might sound cheesy at first blush but they really stick (for me at least!)

@Bill and @Melissa – Carpe Diem and C’est la Vie are great ones! The two actually go so well together. I love the idea of both making the most of every day (carpe diem) and going with the flow of whatever life throws your way (c’est la vie).

Thanks for the comments – such a great way to start a Saturday!

I was told 3 simple words when I was 13yrs old at my first job at a bag-boy in a grocery store and for some reason it just stuck with me.

Man or Manure?.

Now I use it all the time. Whether I’m at the gym and struggling to get that last rep in or starring at some code that I can’t figure out. Who knows, maybe its a guy thing.

I was told 3 simple words when I was 13yrs old at my first job at a bag-boy in a grocery store and for some reason it just stuck with me.

Man or Manure?.

Now I use it all the time. Whether I’m at the gym and struggling to get that last rep in or starring at some code that I can’t figure out. Who knows, maybe its a guy thing.

I like “Hold your mistakes up for the world to see. If you are going to fail, do so spectacularly.” I try to leave a Jeremy shaped hole a la wylie coyote everywhere I go.

I like “Hold your mistakes up for the world to see. If you are going to fail, do so spectacularly.” I try to leave a Jeremy shaped hole a la wylie coyote everywhere I go.

No quote too cheesy? Haha.

How about – when the going gets tough, the tough get going…?

No quote too cheesy? Haha.

How about – when the going gets tough, the tough get going…?

I love it! Especially the idea of leaving behind a Jeremy-shaped hole everywhere you go – LOL! My personal motto (live big!) only works if you’re willing to fail big too. And get back up again. Thanks for the comment, Jeremy!

I love it! Especially the idea of leaving behind a Jeremy-shaped hole everywhere you go – LOL! My personal motto (live big!) only works if you’re willing to fail big too. And get back up again. Thanks for the comment, Jeremy!

For sure! Or when people tell you to play it safe “in this economy” the tough take risks and go big anyway. And get big time interviews on CNN like THIS one http://tinyurl.com/coecx7

For sure! Or when people tell you to play it safe “in this economy” the tough take risks and go big anyway. And get big time interviews on CNN like THIS one http://tinyurl.com/coecx7

Love the images…and in line with your advice, my husband and I have recently been taking Zen moments..so I’d add to @Jamie – when the going gets tough, take a Zen moment…

oh, and feel free to call me cheesy…grin

Love the images…and in line with your advice, my husband and I have recently been taking Zen moments..so I’d add to @Jamie – when the going gets tough, take a Zen moment…

oh, and feel free to call me cheesy…grin

Sort of along the same page, Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell….keep going”.

I love it because when life sucks, a lot of times there isn’t a whole lot we can do but keep on truckin. Maybe that’s another one…

Oh, and from Forrest Gump:
Man: “Hey man, you just stepped in a huge pile of dog shit!”
Forrest: “It happens”
Man: “What? Shit?”
Forrest: “Sometimes…”

Sort of along the same page, Winston Churchill said, “If you’re going through hell….keep going”.

I love it because when life sucks, a lot of times there isn’t a whole lot we can do but keep on truckin. Maybe that’s another one…

Oh, and from Forrest Gump:
Man: “Hey man, you just stepped in a huge pile of dog shit!”
Forrest: “It happens”
Man: “What? Shit?”
Forrest: “Sometimes…”

Hey Jenny et al,
Liking all the comments so far, here’s one I recently read somewhere:
The ship does not feel like a failure when the wind changes; the captain shifts the sails for a correction.

Hey Jenny et al,
Liking all the comments so far, here’s one I recently read somewhere:
The ship does not feel like a failure when the wind changes; the captain shifts the sails for a correction.

Thanks Chaalz! I have to say I’ve never heard that one before! Glad it works for you…wondering what the equivalent for a woman would be ;D

Thanks Chaalz! I have to say I’ve never heard that one before! Glad it works for you…wondering what the equivalent for a woman would be ;D

Nice! You’ll have to tell me more about what taking a Zen moment entails. I like the sound of it already. And I just checked out your blog – absolutely love it! For other readers, check out http://silvanaavinami.com/ for some great career advice. I love that it’s so focused on fulfillment and thinking HUGE.

Nice! You’ll have to tell me more about what taking a Zen moment entails. I like the sound of it already. And I just checked out your blog – absolutely love it! For other readers, check out http://silvanaavinami.com/ for some great career advice. I love that it’s so focused on fulfillment and thinking HUGE.

Oh, Forrest. The reason people called me JENNNNNAY for years and years. In line with your first quote, I also like the saying “sometimes the only way out is through.” Both are a great reminder to keep on trucking – that stopping cold won’t actually get you anywhere. Thanks for the comment Andrea!

Oh, Forrest. The reason people called me JENNNNNAY for years and years. In line with your first quote, I also like the saying “sometimes the only way out is through.” Both are a great reminder to keep on trucking – that stopping cold won’t actually get you anywhere. Thanks for the comment Andrea!

James – love it! Another variation on that quote that I really like is “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” -John Maxwell

James – love it! Another variation on that quote that I really like is “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” -John Maxwell

Oh wow! Thanks so much for passing my blog along. So glad you like it. I’ve been following yours for a while and LOVE it! I LOVE that you stay true to yourself.

Anyhooo, here’s a post I wrote about taking a Zen moment http://silvanaavinami.com/?p=986 We’ve been picking cool spots to take ours, like a new reservoir that opened close to our flat in Sydney (The Paddington Reservoir), and the Botanical Gardens. And you know something, knowing that we can stop, and drop it all for a few moments is really empowering. Mainly because it has taught me that letting it all go – for a few moments – is not the end of the world, and it’s super re-energizing and improves mental clarity – and I could go on forever about other benefits of ‘just letting go’. It just takes off that unnecessary ‘edge’ that we tend to carry around. Stay in touch…

Oh wow! Thanks so much for passing my blog along. So glad you like it. I’ve been following yours for a while and LOVE it! I LOVE that you stay true to yourself.

Anyhooo, here’s a post I wrote about taking a Zen moment http://silvanaavinami.com/?p=986 We’ve been picking cool spots to take ours, like a new reservoir that opened close to our flat in Sydney (The Paddington Reservoir), and the Botanical Gardens. And you know something, knowing that we can stop, and drop it all for a few moments is really empowering. Mainly because it has taught me that letting it all go – for a few moments – is not the end of the world, and it’s super re-energizing and improves mental clarity – and I could go on forever about other benefits of ‘just letting go’. It just takes off that unnecessary ‘edge’ that we tend to carry around. Stay in touch…

Hi Jenny,

As a former oarsman I can relate to this idea – however – when there are seven other people in the boat and you’re in a race or a hard practice and you’re going nuts from the stress, pain, exhaustion, lifting your oar is an option that will create disaster for the whole team so maybe a caveat: lift oars ASAP – maybe after the race/practice session is over. This is where courage, endurance, digging deep – all that square, boring stuff comes in to play.

Love,
Dad

Hi Jenny,

As a former oarsman I can relate to this idea – however – when there are seven other people in the boat and you’re in a race or a hard practice and you’re going nuts from the stress, pain, exhaustion, lifting your oar is an option that will create disaster for the whole team so maybe a caveat: lift oars ASAP – maybe after the race/practice session is over. This is where courage, endurance, digging deep – all that square, boring stuff comes in to play.

Love,
Dad

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” T. Roosevelt

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” T. Roosevelt

Dad – such a good point. Relates to Jamie’s comment that when the going gets tough, the tough get going! Sometimes when life gets tough you have to put your head down and work even harder (ESPECIALLY when you are part of a team), knowing that you can come up for air when the time is right. Thanks for adding a new perspective to the “lift the oars” advice!

Dad – such a good point. Relates to Jamie’s comment that when the going gets tough, the tough get going! Sometimes when life gets tough you have to put your head down and work even harder (ESPECIALLY when you are part of a team), knowing that you can come up for air when the time is right. Thanks for adding a new perspective to the “lift the oars” advice!

Tim – this quote is AMAZING. Thank you so, so much for sharing. It’s the kind of quote I want to read and re-read – I may even post in my house somewhere to really let it sink in.

Another favorite of mine:
“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
— Dalai Lama XIV

Tim – this quote is AMAZING. Thank you so, so much for sharing. It’s the kind of quote I want to read and re-read – I may even post in my house somewhere to really let it sink in.

Another favorite of mine:
“Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it. I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can.”
— Dalai Lama XIV

Silvana – I love that post!! My favorite line is where you say, “Now take a deep breath in – the kind that makes your diaphragm hurt. And let it all out.” I forget how powerful deep breaths can be. I just sent that post to a few friends – thanks for passing it along. And thanks also for the kind words about my blog! I look forward to keeping in touch too .

Silvana – I love that post!! My favorite line is where you say, “Now take a deep breath in – the kind that makes your diaphragm hurt. And let it all out.” I forget how powerful deep breaths can be. I just sent that post to a few friends – thanks for passing it along. And thanks also for the kind words about my blog! I look forward to keeping in touch too .

BTW thanks for sharing Jamie’s interview on CNN. Just a few minutes ago I was having a chat with a friend who’s doctor and he was trying to tell me that, while he believes optimism is good and all, that after a while life’s reality is bound to put you in your place (ie take the air out of your airy fairy existence). I sent him the link to the video as proof that our success (I prefer thriving) is not determined by how hard or curved the balls are that life throws us, it’s about what angle we chose to bat and how hard we’re willing to hold on to the bat…thanks for sharing!

BTW thanks for sharing Jamie’s interview on CNN. Just a few minutes ago I was having a chat with a friend who’s doctor and he was trying to tell me that, while he believes optimism is good and all, that after a while life’s reality is bound to put you in your place (ie take the air out of your airy fairy existence). I sent him the link to the video as proof that our success (I prefer thriving) is not determined by how hard or curved the balls are that life throws us, it’s about what angle we chose to bat and how hard we’re willing to hold on to the bat…thanks for sharing!