A Brand New Day to Make New Choices- Yippee!!
I think we all forget this truth from time to time. Each day is an opportunity to make new choices, if that is what we want. I have mentioned how I have dropped more than a few stories when 10% to 80% of the rough draft was written. The reasons were all over the map. Sometimes, I lose the connection with the characters. In other cases, the story turns in ways I never intended, sometimes becoming so complicated that I shake my head and walk away. In a few cases, I realize the story has no real direction or goal. Perhaps they would have been great novels, but I made new choices.
At times, I would get upset with myself, which is never a good idea. Trust me, the internal arguments get pretty heated. Ultimately, I realized that I just did not like the story anymore. To me, that is a great thing!
Somewhere in the past, I recall someone saying, “No problem is so large that it cannot be run away from.” Today, I do not know if that was on television, a movie, or if someone I knew said those words. In most cases, that statement is absolutely true!
To be clear, I do not recommend running from every problem. There may be cases where escaping the issue is better, as it is both quick and simple. An example might be attending a cocktail party or dinner and being next to a stranger who will only talk about subjects you avoid (like religion or politics). Excusing yourself and heading for the hills may be the best way to save your day and sanity.
My most recent escape occurred when I retired at the end of 2021. The company I had worked for several years was acquired by another based in Cleveland. The head of finance and technology knew a lot about computers, but nothing about accounting. He thought he was a superstar. He was wrong. He treated me badly, as though I sat around the office all day twiddling my thumbs. Note that his office was in Ohio. He had no idea what I did. So, I retired. I knew my financial situation was good, so why deal with more silliness? I ran away.
As I noted, running is usually not the best choice, but it is a choice. That is the key point of this post. Our lives are defined by our choices. We may believe others did bad things to us, but still, we often put ourselves in those situations. Making mistakes is normal. We have all made lots of them.
Life is about choices. Choose well. If you do not, make another choice. It is your life after all. You deserve to have a wonderful life. Believe that first, and your choices will only improve. All the best.
Another great post, Karl! Every choice we make takes our life in a different direction. Making good choices can make life a lot easier. I choose to make no further commitments in February so I can get to work on my current WIP.
Blessings,
Patty
Patty, I have never been able to focus on one thing at a time. My mind is constantly buzzing from here to there. When I can sit and think for a bit, I can decide to accomplish a lot. Still, my mind starts to wander…
Hi, Karl! Speaking of running away from things, I have a friend who is 80 years old today. When he has problems or issues that gnaw at him, he goes to bed. He says when he wakes up the next day, whatever the issue was appears smaller… a blip on his radar.
I am so glad you decided to retire and walk away from the nonsense you were dealing with. After having given so much of your life to an entity, when they show you that they no longer value your service, it’s time to go. And from what I can see, you’re enjoying life more because of it, so THANK THEM!
http://www.nonniewrites.wordpress.com
Nonnie, thanks for the comments. You’re right that my former boss did me a favor. It is just hard to cope with people who believe they are superstars. None of us are. In a way, I envy your friend. It is true that the meaningless concerns can be put in the proper place by setting them aside. Still, I sometimes hold onto such things for too long. We live and we learn. The BIG things should not be ignored, but each of us decides what we think is big or small.
I had a horrible principal come to work at my school. I had been there 20 years, and this misogynist jerk came in and made life miserable. Rather than try to outlast him, I transferred to another school, and it was the best thing I could have ever done. I love where I am teaching now. Great post, Karl!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
Yvette, life does throw us curve balls from time to time. I’m glad you were able to escape the mess. Congratulations on running away, just like me. Some problems are best solved that way.
Karl, as another somebody somewhere said, you gotta know when to hold ’em, you gotta know when to fold ’em! Fun post!
Maura, I remember that lyric. It was Kenny Rogers singing The Gambler. Great memory. I hear his voice in my head right now. Thanks for that.
Hi, Karl,
I don’t think you ran away. You finally realize that something better was inside of you and you refused to take the abuse. That’s called standing up for yourself and living your dream.
I’m glad you retired. Now on with you future.
Shalom aleichem
Pat, I chose the words “run away” just to make the point that we do not have to endlessly suffer our bad decisions. Running away is just another phrase for making a new choice. I am very glad I am out of the rat race now.
Such a fine post Charles. We all make choices, some good and some bad. But I believe that onece a decision is made we need to stick by it.
Joy, thank you for the kind words. Sometimes, our best option after a bad choice is to run away screaming.
I have choices I regret, mostly due to my shyness. I should have pushed myself to take chances. That’s why I decided later in life to explore outside of my comfort zone and write books. I’ve always done well in math and science, but writing has never been my forte. And since I’ve learned to write better, my communication skills have improved.
Susanne, I too have been overly shy much of my life. I improved a bit when I went to college and thereafter. Still, I was quite introverted (probably still today). It was not until 1984 when I met Aida, my Berlitz Spanish teacher. My world changed that day. I am still not an outgoing person. While I may not talk much, when I write, my mind is free to say whatever it wants. It has been a wonderful experience.
Karl, you are right. You have to make the best choice for you. Failure is only the result of never trying.