Do You Like Who You Are?

Judging from all the self help books out there and the amount of money spent on them, a lot of you don't like who you are.  I will admit that I spent a lot of money to find ways to do a better job in my working days but I didn't spend a lot of time and money on the person I am.  I guess I believe in the Popeye Syndrome, "I Yam what I Yam."   It has taken me to as much and more than I ever thought possible so I will just settle with it.


This does remind me that like most of you, I have some flaws.  I think I learned from my father a bad way to deal with people and that is to somewhat overlook their feelings.  Like a lot of self assured people, I tend to say what I think and sometimes I think too much.  Sometimes success doesn't breed success, it breeds verbosity.  A part of me believes in justice not mercy.  Mostly that is at the Macro level and I don't see mercy until it is a personal thing between someone and me.  


One time, many years ago, I went to a middle manager "Make-over" course and a part of that was to ask several people to fill out an evaluation of me and send it to them.  Almost to a person, the results were pretty positive except for one.  It was pretty clear that whoever that was one of the people that got involved in a meeting engagement with the Colonel side of me.  Instead of the clarity the others said I was capable of, they looked at the bluntness and found it harsh. On the positive side, I was noted for getting the group of staff officers together to look at issues from all sides.  After the issues were all out there to look at, I would do my impression of a frog master.  I would issue the "jump" command and expected everyone to do what I said.  If a subject was in my opinion fully discussed and cussed, I would issue the edict, "Watch my Lips."  That was even a joke we all laughed at and I didn't have to use it very often.  It was on the cake at my change of command.

One reason for some of this introspection is the fact that at my last physical, the Doctor found some indicators that I was living a little too much of the good life and needed to exercise more and eat less.  Every spring, I do tend to do more and eat a little less, but sometimes I feel that when I am running in a race is just not the time to cut back on the fuel.  With diabetes running in my family and the associated heart disease, I am going to listen to good advice.  I am leaving the meal planning up to Barb who is a weight watcher follower and is doing well.  There are a few times I have gone off the reservation and had a fast food meal. I will fully admit that there are a couple of things I just crave from time to time.  Fried Chicken and a good hamburger both hit my mind from time to time.  That craving continues until it hits my belly and that's the problem.

Oh well, enough of this.  On with the day...

MUD