Reality Bites

“Practice what you preach. You lose respect when you act contrary to the way in which you insist the people around you act. Feel your power from within as opposed to trying to get it from others. “

An eloquent statement, for certain; but it was my horoscope today…ugh. Add that to the irony that this was my Monday-back-from-vacation and WOW this one could cause me to need to really rethink my future.

Vacations always cause us to really sit down and think things through anyway, so starting the week off with this kind of astrological pressure was really enough to make me yearn for the margarita Monday lunch at the local Mexican place. I decided to forgo the margarita but I have stopped a few times during the day to really consider the impact of the statement as I had read it and how to allow it to affect my Monday. So here’s what I’ve decided:

You lose respect when you act contrary to the way in which you insist the people around you act.

My interpretation: If you talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, people will ultimately stop listening to you. That would be enough except that there are plenty of people who I’ve talked to lately and I’m certain some of them are watching to see if I’ll walk along with my words. That’s motivation to keep moving, for sure.

Feel your power from within as opposed to trying to get it from others.

My interpretation: Don’t be a drag. Negativity not only breeds contempt, it acts as a magnet for it. Woe is me didn’t even help Eeyore except that Pooh felt responsible for him and kept the collective chin up. So when it’s time to get better…get yourself better and the rest will follow suit. And don’t steal anyone else’s better, make your own. Making me feel worse never makes you feel better, we just both feel bad. Nobody wins.

Horoscopes are one of those things that you either believe in or you don’t but here’s what 40Something teaches you about them: Horoscopes are for people still having birthdays and as they say, it’s always better to be on this side of the dirt.