These are the Best of Times

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beggin stripsOur memories of yesterday
Will last a lifetime
We’ll take the best, forget the rest
And someday we’ll find
These are the best of times

The Best of Times – Styx 1981

I thought about this song the other day while feeding Beggin’ Strips to my dogs, Candy and Rambo.

Now I know it seems funny to get your weekly blog ideas from watching dogs eat doggie junk food, but the best ideas come from the oddest places.

Candy and Rambo are toy poodles – half brother and sister. I was breaking off pieces of the Beggin’ Strips feeding each dog one-at-a-time. Rambo was taking his gently, savoring each bite. Candy on the other hand was swallowing hers whole apparently so Rambo wouldn’t get it. There was more than enough to go around but I think her jealousy prevented her from really enjoying it.

Have you ever experienced something wonderful only to ruin the moment worried if it would be taken away from you or wouldn’t last? Maybe something like this?

  • A great job opportunity presents itself but you turn it down believing it’s too good to be true.
  • A contest comes up that you know you’d do well in but you talk yourself out of it thinking “people like me never win anything.”
  • You refuse to enjoy a favor someone does for you because you think they’re only doing it to somehow curry favor later with you.
  • You think everyone, in every way, is out to take advantage of you.

I don’t do a lot of coaching work, but when I do, I often run across people who share a special sense of “victim-stance” where their pessimism causes even an opportunity to be reframed as some kind of trap. I don’t fault them. Most people I know have been hurt, taken advantage of, or manipulated and now their guard is up.  Unfortunately, this mindset will prevent you from enjoying anything fun, much like it caused Candy to inhale her bites of Beggin’ Strips simply because she thought Rambo would get more than her.

That line from The Best of Times sums up how we all ought to treat life.  It might not be prefect, but one day you might look back on today as “the best of times.”  Don’t wish away today hoping to get a better tomorrow.  Just some food for thought brought to you by Styx, Beggin’ Strips, and Candy Munro.