Inspirational sayings to keep you growing, changing and aware
I’m frequently asked why I write when I don’t have to. I write to make my life better, by practicing change management, anger education and communication skills that work to make my life come alive. Talk is cheap. I prefer action to sass, and I figure it never hurts to “plus up” my mood and attitude with coffee-cup quotable quotes.
No doubt there are speed bumps on the road of life. No day I know of goes by smoothly on the two-way communication highway. But worry about speed bumps, pot holes and jolts? Nah. Cars have shock absorbers and brakes for a reason: so we don’t spill the coffee, sweetie.
No sense you and I crying over spilt coffee, now is there?
Some clever coffee-cup mottos to lift up your spirits when you are beset by a plethora of unpleasantries:
T. G. I. T. A nifty twist on “Thank God It’s Friday,” which is usually uttered aloud, especially when one’s week sucks pears. Since I work to enjoy my work, I prefer: T. G. I. T.: “Thank God It’s TODAY!” After all, aren’t your feet on the right side of the sod today?
Mind Your Mine. One of speaker extraordinaire Earl Nightingale’s classic motivational stories had to do with mining for diamonds in your own backyard instead of running all around the world digging for what you already have at home. Find out why at www.nightingale.com
“What, Me Worry?” The catch phrase of pop culture Mad magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman was: “What — me worry?” I dare you to be at-ease with “Why worry?” thinking, too, because nothing bad’s going to happen anyway! More serious doses of Al’s worry-free poses are at www.collectmad.com.
Ain’t It Awesome. Eric Berne in “Games People Play” said the game “Ain’t It Awful” is played all over the place to avoid being genuine. Why not play “Ain’t It (YOU) Awesome?” instead! Find out more at www.ericberne.com.
Purrfect. If you get it right on the first try, then you’ve probably got it all wrong or you aren’t doing anything much worth doing at all. Feeling safe but sorry doesn’t fit you.
Procrastinate NOW! The fear of commitment chops you off at the knees and mesmerizes you to put off doing today what you won’t ever do. So try reverse psychology instead to take small steps in the direction of your goal. Figure it’s still not going to get done tomorrow either, so just give it a shot now and see how things go. You’ll surprise yourself!
It’s NOT My Fault! I didn’t do it…I didn’t mean to…It’s never happened before…I’m SO sorry about this…It’s not my fault so don’t slam me. Hey, it’s NOT my fault or your fault. I prefer to live by this motto: “If I’m not the problem THEN there’s no solution!”
Why NOT Be Late? A lot of folks are on-time but off-course, clunking around in a closed mind-one that cuts communication lines and makes certain no one does anything useful.
I’m NOT complaining BUT… Yes, you and I both know that I am complaining, and big buckets full of complaining at that, but don’t take it personally. Just listen sympathetically to me belly-ache about being a victim to something I have no intention of changing.
I Was Just Joking. Nice way to ditch taking responsibility for something hurtful you’ve just let fly. No joke, Sherlock…I didn’t find what you just said to be very funny. Frankly, “You’re an idiot.” Whoops…”I was just joking!”
JUST Wait Until You Have Teens. The veiled threat “Just you wait UNTIL…” includes all sorts of doomsday predictions by people who just know they’re in the know. “Just wait until your wife is pregnant.” “Just wait until your husband retires.” “Just wait until you have your own business.” “Just you wait until your kids become teens!” are some of the self-esteem harpoons that are shot at your heart by self-declared experts who declare war on happiness now.
Want What You Have. Author John Gray’s best book in my opinion is not the Mars/Venus series but “How to Get What You Want and Want What You Have.” Nice play on words to free up your mind to accept success and feel contented. Find out more at www.marsvenus.com.
What’s The Point? It’s a rock-solid comeback to “reactionary anger” that promotes insanity, because it infers: “You can’t be mad at me but I can be mad at you because…” “What’s the point?” also works pretty well with guilt bombers. Reactionary anger is antithetical to a positive mental attitude.
Nothin’ Left To Lose. Janis Joplin unloaded on Bobby McGee: “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.” No worries, mate: When you have nothing left to lose (including fear), then you have everything to gain from a brave new world.
I DO Have Time. You’ve got all the time in the world to do what you want to do. “I don’t have time” is the lame excuse of the lazy-minded. Laconically, time excusers still won’t have enough time if there’s 48 hours in a day to misspend.
Eat Your Feelings. Why let your feelings eat at you? What eat to avoid feeling what you already do feel? More on Buddhist nun Pema Chodron’s work at www.soundstrue.com.
Please STOP! The old standby when somebody (including yourself) is talking down to you about why you can’t change past, painful habits in the present day. In a parenting mode it sounds like this: “Please stop…or you are going to get (yourself) in trouble!”
Talk Up. Why not talk yourself and others up, not down, and smile instead of frown? Bottom line: First change yourself and never try to change others in order to sidestep being a world-class sucker. How to say cool things to yourself when you’re running too hot is at www.stresscenter.com.
Keep On Changing. A play on the Grateful Dead song Truckin’, which symbolized moving on down the road of change in spite of all the road ragers, construction traffic, potholes, speed bumps or your own reactionary attitude.
So Many Books…So Little Time. Said about books, golf courses, women, vacation spots, fishing holes etc., this motto encourages you to search for but not find happiness.
Think Small. Thinking big is so limiting. What little thing for a lifetime can you be known for? Little achievements net huge rewards.
Pass On The Guilt. No, I don’t mean “Please…won’t you pass me a big plate of guilt?” I mean I will pass on picking up guilt that does not belong to me.
Go Advise Yourself. Keep your pearls of wisdom to yourself so you won’t act like a pig or treat others like swine. If you treat others as negatively as they treat you, then you become the object of your own scorn.
The Past is Past: The good ole’ days can’t replace a life that you love today.
Tell It Like It Is: If honesty is the best policy, why don’t we choose to be honest and truthful as a way to live authentically instead of hide behind walls that close down communication?
These “little” quotable quotes net huge rewards. What messages or mantras adorn your coffee or tea mug this week? Are you feeding your mind enlivening inspirational sayings every day to keep you growing and changing during your challenging week?
Talking about theories of change and communication are one thing-talking sense to yourself during the day is quite another. Four minutes a day is all it takes to absorb new insights that improve your mood. You don’t have enough time? You don’t have time NOT to.
T. G. I. T.: “Thank God It’s TODAY!” Choose to change your mood for a change of pace today.
Dr. Dennis O’Grady is a communications psychologist from Dayton, Ohio, and the author of Taking the Fear Out of Changing and TALK TO ME: Communication moves to get along with anyone.