Boxing Day

It seems I should have packed my boxing gloves to get through this week.

I mean, it's not like I start out the day gunning for fights, but they seem to have a way of finding me. Especially this week. And, believe it or not, I'm not really confrontational. It's the Walker family way.

So I avoid conflict if at all possible, waiting for people to figure out their mistakes on their own. But they seldom do. Because the world is full of excuses and deflections, and seldom does anyone blame themselves for their problems.

If people are self-reflective, they choose to wallow in guilt and self-pity instead of learning the lesson and moving on. Quit apologizing! Show me you're sorry by changing your behavior and not repeating your mistakes.

And, while we're on the subject, please follow through on what you say you'll do. The road to destruction is paved with good intentions, and intent doesn't necessarily equal execution. If I mean to pay my light bill but forget to, does that keep my electricity on?

We'd all be better off if people would simply do their jobs, not hold others to standards that they're not willing to live up to, and always ask themselves if what they're doing is the right thing to do. The Golden Rule applies in most every situation.

For now, I vow to stop fighting the battles I cannot win, and to stop participating in problems that will never be solved. I promise to not let others steal my joy with their negative energy. I will control what I can control, and not waste energy on the things I can't. I give myself permission to say no to things that don't benefit me or my work. But I will never stop asking why. Because "that's the way we've always done it" isn't good enough.

Ok. Off my soapbox. Go back to work, people!