January 27

Quote of the Day

Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.

Jane Wagner

The first thing I think of, when I read this quote is deadlines. But it would seem that deadlines seem to disprove more than strengthen this thought. From my own procrastinator point of view, it seems that those who are in touch with the reality of how long it takes to write a good paper, research proposal, or speech, go over it and do final touches, of how much better of an investment of your time it is to work early, little by little, and if the allnighter is a must, pull one off just tweaking and polishing the already pretty much ready work, are much less stressed than those who forget to think about this, until the deadline is in less than 24hours, and then go nuts. But then again, maybe most procrastinators don't stress about being procrastinators like I tend to do, so stress levels don't rise until the very end. Who knows.

But deadlines and papers are boring. As boring of a topic as it gets, pretty much.

So what else could reality and stressing over it be touching on?

Lunatics, who have no care in the world?

I could discuss this topic at length, but will not go there at this time of night.

Furthermore, what does a quote like this promote?

Dreamers. "Dream big." "Don't let boundaries stop you." "The sky is the limit."

Aren't all these basically saying the same thing? Don't let people's and society's limitations stop you from going after your dreams, from believing in yourself, from pushing harder and thinking positive. But is this always good?

Maybe it's the half-empty cup in me talking, but I tend to appreciate people who don't live with their head in the clouds. Who work hard and aim high, but know their limits, know that ordinary doesn't equal weak or bad, know when to stop, and know when to ask for advice. Most of all, people who keep in touch with the way things are, and act accordingly. If your relationship isn't going well, address it, believe it, tackle it head on when you notice, not once it's unavoidable and probably gone too far and for too long. If you're not winning the lottery however much money you put in it, maybe find something more constructive to invest in and put your hopes in. I'm sure there's more in you than the ability to dream of a jackpot and scratch tickets. If you're beginning to doubt the way things have always been, the way things have been taught to you, and the way you've set up and planned your life and future, don't be afraid, question, ask, discuss, do research, work hard, CHANGE. It's not as scary or as stressful than you think.

And when did being honest with yourself become stressful and negative?