Word-Of-the-Week #829: Completion
June 25, 2020 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #829: Completion
Completion – the act of finishing or ending.
Have you used this quarantine time to complete any projects? Did you ever feel “stuck” while needing to make a decision in the process?
Long time subscribers chimed in about last week’s WOW on being “in the mood.”
Amy wrote: “As always, your writing is inspirational, poignant and thought provoking. I have found during this quarantine, the time, to consider the question of finding motivation, to be “in the mood” to accomplish a project.
For me I realized it boiled down to two things. The first, I would look at the whole project and feel overwhelmed and not start. The second was being paralyzed by decisions along the way. So, tackling the first I told myself, I didn’t need to complete it in one day and to just commit to start.
Once I got started when I got stuck with a decision I would stop and put it aside. I found by giving myself time to mull it over for a couple of days that I would come to a satisfying conclusion. Then I would take up the project again. In between, I would find smaller “things to get done.” It has been a domino effect. With the completion of each task I find more confidence to keep going.”
And this from Joe: “Your WOW! reminded me of a Seinfeld episode where Jerry and George are chatting at the coffee shop about Jerry’s date the night before. Jerry tells George he was not in the mood to relate the details. George’s indignant response is: “I don’t have a job, I don’t have money, I don’t have a woman, and you tell me you’re not in the mood, Well, you GET in the mood.”
Even when I am not in the mood I start to slowly begin whatever project I have to do that day. What I try to do is just a little bit at a time to simply get started. If that is all I can do, well then, I will try to get back to it tomorrow.
I have found that by simply working on other tasks I start the “busy” process. It could be anything, like taking out the garbage or recycling or even doing the dishes. Just starting some kind of activity to get me out of a funk or lazy mood. And after I have started these mundane chores I am ready to sit down and begin the project.”
My personal experience when attempting a BIG project has been to question my ability to do it and thinking “Maybe I should just pay someone to do it.” The reason for that? Fear that I might make a mistake. Has that ever been a reason you did not tackle a project? When I take on any project, I need to give it 100% of my attention and stop doubting my ability to do it right. And for me completion feels really, really good!
This week’s focus is on completion. How do you feel about projects in general? Are you more apt to complete them ahead of schedule? Do you tend to put them off until the last minute? Have you ever doubted your ability even though you knew deep down you could do it?
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Word-Of-the-Week #828: Mood
June 18, 2020 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #828: Mood
Mood – frame of mind.
Have you ever had to do something but just weren’t “in the mood?” If so, what did it take for you to get “in the mood” and accomplish it?
Well I must confess when it was time for me to work on this week’s WOW my first thought was “I’m just not in the mood.” So, I thought about why that was. Anything that requires me to be creative means I have to be “in the mood.” I have been making jewelry the past couple of years and you would think being quarantined I would have used that time to make more. But I just was not feeling creative. My frame of mind was not there! I needed to be outside, to feel the sun and the breeze. Being in nature is very calming and helps me stay centered.
So, this week I am sharing feedback from longtime friends, family and subscribers that resonated with me.
From Bob on being Happy – “I decided to drop the use of “glasses half empty or half full ” when I reached a point in life of understanding that the important thing is to just enjoy the contents. This Universe is so abundant there is plenty for everyone without having to beat anyone else at anything to gain what you desire.
And the refilling of the glass is inexhaustible. Problems don’t really exist. They are opportunities to flex your mind and question and grow from experience. When I find myself whining, I remember to stop telling God how big my problems are, and start telling my problems how big my God is. And I definitely believe that being happy or sad is a choice but choosing to be happy has a better result for you. It is easier to maintain an attitude of gratitude when you live in paradise…”
From my niece Mary on Paraprosdokian – who sent this picture
From Wendy on Carpe Diem – “The trouble is, you think you have time.” Credited to the Buddha.
I personally am guilty of thinking I have more time than I do! Time management is a lifelong goal for me, and I am getting better at it when I am in the mood 😊
And this from YourDictionary.com – “A mood is a feeling or a person’s specific state of mind at any particular time. A mood is less specific than an emotion or feeling, less intense and less likely to be triggered by a particular action or event. Moods can be described as being either positive or negative.” And for me it just felt like indifference.
This week’s focus is on your frame of mind. Are there any projects that you need to complete? What would it take for you to be “in the mood” to accomplish them?
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Word-Of-the-Week #827: Carpe Diem
June 11, 2020 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #827: Carpe Diem
Carpe diem – seize the day!
Are you making the most of each day? Have you ever been guilty of taking your job or the people in your life for granted? Are you lucky to have a true love in your life during this crazy time?
I went to the Phrase Finder website and found this. “Carpe” translates literally as “pluck”, with particular reference to the picking of fruit, so a more accurate rendition is “enjoy the day, pluck the day when it is ripe.” The extended version of the phrase “carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero” translates as “Pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.”
The meaning is similar to that of many proverbs that we continue to use in English as a warning to make the most of the time we have, with the implication that our time on Earth is short.
Many years back I had a friend who asked, “Susan, if you had six months to live would you live your life differently?” To which I responded, “Yes.” And then she said, “What makes you think you have six months to live?” Well, I thought that was pretty eerie and I have never forgotten it. As I have gotten older, I realize how short life really is.
And now living with the coronavirus for the last three months has made me very aware of how truly fragile life can be. I am sharing a couple of quotes that spoke to me.
- “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs
- “Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.” – Dale Carnegie
- “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” – Mae West
This week’s focus is carpe diem. When was the last time you “seized the day” and felt like you were living life to the fullest? Has the pandemic caused you to make changes so you are “making the most of each day?” Are you cherishing the people in your life who most deserve it?
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Word-Of-the-Week #826: Paraprosdokian
June 4, 2020 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word-Of-the-Week #826: Paraprosdokian
Paraprosdokian – pa-ra-prose-DOKEee-en. – figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently humorous.
Have you ever seen or heard this word before? Did you know that Winston Churchill loved them? Do you know they are extremely popular among comedians and satirists? It was such an odd word that I added the pronunciation for the first time ever.
Last week was the official start of summer and I wanted to keep it light and FUN this week! And too much negative news is just not good. Special thanks to my long-time friend and client Les (we go back to the 80’s, how scary is that?) for sending this list of paraprosdokians to me back in 2009.
1. Where there’s a will, I want to be in it.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list.
3. Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right – only who is left.
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
9. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
10. In filling out an application, where it says, ‘In case of emergency, Notify:’ I put ‘DOCTOR’.
11. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
12. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
13. I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not so sure.
14. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
15. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
16. You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
17. I’m supposed to respect my elders, but it’s getting harder and harder for me to find one now.
And this could just be my favorite: I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.
This week’s focus is about finding a paraprosdokian you can remember and sharing it! I LOVE a good laugh and hope you got one too. And have a FUN summer!
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