Good advice

As I was driving across Iowa the other day I recalled perhaps the best piece of advice I have ever been given. It came from Rev. Joe - who was just months from retirement at the time (several years ago). At our weekly pastors gathering I was going on about how frustrated I was with who-knows-what, and I said "I'm just tired of beating my head against the wall." And the advice Joe gave me - which I have re-visited many times - was, "So stop."

Maybe that sounds simple to you, but to me it was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. If I was beating my head against the wall, why didn't I quit doing it? Other people weren't "making" me frustrated. "I" was the one getting frustrated.

There is nothing we can do about what other people say or do; but how we react and respond is entirely up to us. Sometimes I have trouble remembering that. When I'm frustrated because someone won't behave in a manner I would like them too... I remember Joe's advice. Life is too short to get uptight about stuff that usually doesn't matter anyway. So, if you feel like you're beating your head against a wall... stop. Relax. Smile. 'kay?

Peace, friends. The revolution is at hand.