Past...Present...Future

'Past' ... 'Present' ... 'Future' ... which one do you prefer to live in? That's a tough one I know. Some would say that it depends what season your life is in, while others might venture to say it only matters which day of the week it is.

Sometimes it can be difficult to let go of hurts from the past making it hard to move forward. There's also those who refuse to grow up and want to re-live their past (usually through their kids ... just think of TV reality shows like 'Toddlers & Tiaras' or 'Dance Moms' ... enough said). How we remember the past can affect what we choose to hold on to and what we choose to let go of.

There's the present; living each day for the unique beauty that it presents. That could be a baby's laugh, a double rainbow, or getting on the scale and realizing that you finally lost 5 pounds. Enjoy all the little things that are uniquely 'today'.

Then there's the future. The future is the ultimate unknown. It holds uncertainties, lots and lots of questions, hope, and often stress. The point is you can't control the future ... only your present.

Try to live today as if it were your last. There's an old saying 'Don't put off til tomorrow what you can take care of today'. Could that be any more accurate? I kind of think it says it all. Live today with all the hope, strength, ambition, and focus you can muster and it'll get you where you need to be tomorrow.

How do you handle temptation?

Question of the day ... can you resist temptation?

This is when we answer honestly ... even anonymously, if necessary.

Lately I've been watching the Olympics (like a lot of other people I imagine), but have had to deal with the time zone difference. I am working on a computer at work most of the day and various 'Spoiler Alerts' will flash at the top of the Yahoo page. So ... have you been able to resist clicking on the convenient link to see who gets the Gold OR have you shown your supernatural will power and waited til you've been able to watch the event later on in the day? I'll be honest and admit the first few days I didn't know about the spoiler alerts and waited, but once I became aware of them my will power slowly began to dwindle. A few times now I've realized that my evening schedule was possibly going to prohibit me from watching my favorite events, so I decided to just grasp the spoiler alert and wait for the recaps. Not quite as much fun, but definitely better than not knowing, right?

So, Olympics are one level of temptation, then there's french fries, DQ and the secret snack size candy hidden in the volunteer desk drawer. Uh-oh, now the secret is out. Oops! How do we  handle these temptations? Obviously these are some of my weaknesses - yours may be different. To be totally honest I've only had DQ a few times this summer and when I have I've tried to show great restraint and order the 'MINI' blizzard (seriously it's like the size of a bathroom Dixie cup). How much more restraint can a person be expected to endure? French fries ... I generally never order my own, I share with someone ... that's resisting temptation, right? OK, maybe we shouldn't talk about the secret candy in the drawer - I've got nothing to say on that one that won't incriminate me. Guess I'm human after all.

Just curious about what temptations make you stress a bit? How do you handle them? If you're stronger and more disciplined than me - that's awesome for you, but please share some of your secrets and techniques with me. I could use some help. While I may sound like everything is casual and whimsy, society clearly says otherwise. I'm fortunate not to have any big temptations in my life and I'm blessed not to have any addictions (alcohol, smoking, or gambling). If you find you're facing those kinds of temptations, please seek out some help. Find someone to talk to. Don't feel like you have to be superhuman and handle everything life throws at you by yourself. You're never alone.

Are you part of a stereotype?

Today's question is 'Do you steroeotype people and situations?'

An interesting thing happened at work today. We had ordered a bench to be placed outside the front entrance. Timing was impeccable as the freight truck showed up '5-10 days' early at precisely noon ... the same exact time that 85+ children (ages  preschool - 4th grade) were being picked up following an action-packed morning of vacation bible school. Yes ... it apparently is all about the timing.

The freight truck driver was pleasant and agreed to wait 10 minutes til the children and traffic eased out of the church parking lot. Then he placed the 270 lb. load on the designated sidewalk for us. My co-worker and I (as a disclaimer I will mention that BOTH of us are stubborn women, although I'm pretty sure only one of us is Irish ... me). We checked out the materials for damage, counted the bolts, reviewed the situation and proceeded to assemble the 6 ft. bench ourselves. We had a bad ratchet, but still got the project done without any scraped knuckles. The funny thing was that several people suggested we call around and get 'some of the strong guys from the church' to put it together for us. Obviously they didn't know us very well, because we were already outside assembling the bench. I wouldn't really call either of us 'women's libbers', but neither of us has the time nor the patience to wait around to call someone else in to do the job  ... 'male' or 'female'. We've both been known to pull shrubs, lay mulch, paint offices, reorganize storage closets ... whatever needs done.

So back to the original question ... 'Do you stereotype people and situations?' (even if unknowingly) Have you ever found yourself to be stereotyped? And if so, how did that make you feel?