Wednesday Words of Wisdom (Oh, Where Have You Been?)

Goat grief!  It has been simply ages since I wrote a Wednesday Words of Wisdom.  I guess I got sidetracked with my foray into authorism?  Authorship?  Oh, hay, when I was writing stories.  Anyway, you might remember waaaay back when I regaled you with a few sage recommendations bearing a bit of Marigoldish spin?  In case you forgot, you can refresh your memory here.  So I thought since I got side tracked, I might pretend that I didn't and get right back into the swing of things.

Now then, Sage Recommendations:

No.6  -  Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did. This is very sage advice.  If I ever made mistakes I would certainly pay attention to this.  I look at it this way.  Suppose I try to get a Peanut and I am not quite fast enough (which, of course, is purely hypothetical) and Ella gets there before me.  It is far more productive if I just keep trying (even if it does take me ten times) to get that Peanut because the Law of Averages says that sooner or later I will succeed.  Well the Law of Averages and the Law of Pickysnitedness.  The Law of Pickysnitedness says that sooner or later Ella is going to turn up her nose and not take it at all, in which case the next Peanut offered will be mine because I am definitely faster than Boo.  And trust me, if I did NOT get the next Peanut, I would definitely regret it.

No. 7  -  Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us.  We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past.  But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future.  Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.  The first part of this is likely true, although the second part sounds kind of like a Nubian wrote it.  Anyway, I think this definitely goes back to No. 6 and that whole missed Peanut thing.  You see, if one were to miss getting that Peanut, one might be inclined to step back and begin berating oneself, uttering things like 'God love a duck!  Why did you not get that Peanut?  Are you totally inept or what?  Oy. ';  at which time some other enterprising soul would slip in and grab that next Peanut from right under your nose.  Now true, we all make mistakes.  We all have struggles, but if I didn't then snap out of it, step right in there and T-bone that usurper, what kind of a goat would I be?  I Do have the power to shape my future and, let me tell you, that future involves that next Peanut!  At the very moment someone else tries to step in there and take that Peanut, everything that has happened in my life up to that moment has indeed prepared me to knock the stuffing right out of that idiot.  Yeah!  No. 7!  Ooh - RAH!

No. 8 -  Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive.  But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.  Okay.  I can say, in all honesty, that I feel this is only partially true.  Love and laughter are nice,  yes.  And they are technically  free, I suppose.  But the REAL truth is that if I were to work on MY passions, and the things that really satisfy me,  they would involve No. 1, Peanuts (are you surprised?), and No. 2, alfalfa, neither of which is free.  I can't say that I am trying to buy happiness.  More it is a matter of me trying to convince the Goatmother to buy happiness for me.  Because, let's face it, if you saw a goat walking into Costco, what do you think would happen?  I rest my case.  It is more than a little likely no goat would even make it past that happy card checker. Anyway,  if  the Goatmother is happy about making me happy, then we are all happy.  Yes?

No. 9 - Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either.  You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. This does not include expecting the Goatmother to go to Costco.  It just doesn't.  And really, I am quite happy with who I am, which is why the Goatmother and I get along so well.  I'm stable (evidenced by the fact I never fall off my stump), and the Goatmother is stable.   Well, maybe not that last part.  The Goatmother is pretty much a klutz.  Still, look at Ella.  She's about as unstable as they come.  I mean anyone who is subject to as many picky snits as that goat, simply can not be said to have a stable personality.  Which is obviously why Ella is such a pig.  See.  It says right up there:  You have to be stable before you can share with anyone.

No. 10 -  Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place.  Evaluate situations and take decisive action.  You cannot change what you refuse to confront.  Making progress involves risk.  Period!  You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first. Oy.  Don't think too much?  Don't think too much?  What are they saying?  Of course one has to think.  What else are stumps for?  How else will the world's problems be solved?  How is one to gain any wisdom, I ask you?  Besides, how can you be idle if you are thinking?   That isn't possible is it?  Plus, remember when Michelangelo said that the sculpture was already there in the stone and he merely uncovered it?  In my experience, that's the way it is with problems.  You see, they already exist and it is our job to uncover them - mostly so they don't get lost because problems are woefully stupid on their own.  Problems need us.  At any rate, it is simply not true that we create them , as I have just pointed out.  I will say, however, that one should evaluate and take action.  Of course that brings us back to that whole Peanut thing again.  I do realize that I simply can NOT change Ella, which is why I refuse to confront her.  I'm not brainless, after all.  Besides, shes a whole lot bigger than me.  Yep.  Ella = risk.  No doubt about that one.  But the ideal situation, here, would be to simply not meet Ella head on.  No the ideal situation would be to have the Goatmother throw that Peanut into the outfield.    The bases are loaded - Boo on first, Watson on second, Peanut on third.   The Goatmother winds up and throws the pitch.  Ella runs for it.  She misses!  There is a mad scramble around the field.  Watson and Peanut make it in.  Boo wanders off into the outfield.  Marigold slides into home!!!  The crowd goes wild!!!!!!  Okay, well maybe a little thinking goes a long way.  But no one can say I'm idle.