Just One of My Lists

Since I do not know exactly who reads this blog, I need to provide a little personal information before I get to the point of this post (if there really is a point).

For those who know me you probably know that my older daughter, Sarah, was married on November 22nd. (Yes, I know I am too young for such things, but it happened…I was there.) It was quite a celebration of she and her husband Marvin’s beginning of life together…and just life in general. I keep reminding myself that the expense was worth it… for lots of reasons…not the least of which is that I truly believe that this life is one of abundance and not scarcity. My God is a BIG God… and a little extravagance in celebration of just being here is warranted every now and then! (I concede that this may be rationalization… and my family tells me to quit saying I’m broke! Which, by the way, is close to the truth. OK..from now on I’m trying the positive thinking thing!)

For those who know me very well, you also know that I live my life guided by lists…to do lists for my customers, to do lists for home projects, grocery lists, books and articles to read list, places to be lists… all kinds of lists.

Since the wedding I’ve added a new list to my list of lists. (I guess I kept this list mentally before the wedding, but the pre and post wedding planning and events brought me to begin writing things down.) My new list is a list entitled:

“Things I have absolutely no control or influence upon”.

So here it goes:

The weather
The stock market
What people think
What people think about me
The mortgage bailout
The auto manufacturer bailout
The actions of our President
Who is our President (Maybe my vote did count…?)
Wedding planning
Where my daughter and son-in-law will reside
Snoring (even though I don’t believe I do…but just in case…I can’t help it)
A certain person’s reaction to snoring (you figure out who…but her name begins with J)
My choloresterol (unless you believe that baloney about eating right…I think it is heredity)

OK..too much editorial comment… but you get the picture… and the list goes on and on…

The conclusion reached by all of this time consuming list making is that the only thing I can truly control or influence is the little bit of activity that goes on between my ears. And this leads to reaction or response. (Reaction=Bad, Respond=Good…as in “I had a reaction to the medicine.” vs. “I am responding to the medicine.”)

Once again proving that life is about 10% what happens to you and 90% how you respond to what happens. Your actions are guided by your thoughts and beliefs…every time. What are you thinking? What do you believe?

Maybe there is a business application in there some where...I think there is.