This comment got me thinking, and that's usually a good thing.

Yes, the world is messed up!

Grave injustices have been committed and have gone unpunished.

For many millions of us, it's really hard to make a living these days.

The situation is dire!

I think we can all agree on all that.
This rock presented itself at a moment when I was feeling un-loved. On it, a message to "CL," which happen to be my initials.
What I refuse to believe is that any of this should hold any of us back individually or that it should hold us back collectively. What we have here is fecund ground in which to re-plant. Yes, it's brown and smells like sh*t... because it is sh*t, vast amounts of sh*t.

So what are we to do with all this sh*t?

First, till the soil.
Next, plant.
After that, vigilance -- weed, spray, make scarecrows.
Finally, bust ass and reap a bountiful harvest.

Does all this happen overnight? No.
Will it be easy? No.
Is it up to us whether our field of sh*t produces a bountiful harvest? Barring a severe drought, heck yeah!

No matter what you do, no matter what the economic climate, no matter how hard you work or how skilled you may be, no matter how morally upstanding and well respected you are, I assure you that your life will -- due to circumstances beyond your control -- turn into a giant field of sh*t at some point.

The thing about this period in American history is that a significant percentage of us are facing that field of sh*t collectively.

I'm standing in front of my own little plot and it is nothing but sh*t at the moment: I have no job (again). My wife is leaving me (again -- but this time I'm glad because I know the score). My unemployment claim was denied (again -- which pisses me off more than last time). No health insurance. Real friends and family far away. Snakes and fakes everywhere.

Oh me, oh my -- whatever shall I do?
Suck My Beat: Suck my beat.
I can tell you this: I'm damn sure not gonna curl up and cry about it. I will do what I did last time, only better because now I have practice and experience. I will hustle. I will work. I will turn this f*ckin' ship around (again) and put it back on course. Everything considered, my life is pretty good in a lot of ways, even with all my current troubles.

Mark my words: A year from now (probably sooner) I will have a new job (or a successful business), a new girl, new friends, new creative projects, a whole new and improved life. How? Work. Why? Because I am a talented, wonderful guy who likes himself, who treats others with respect and is widely liked and respected in return; in short, because I deserve it.

(not to be poetic about it or anything, but...)

F*ck the economy.
F*ck the haters.
F*ck the naysayers.
F*ck the liars and fakes.
F*ck the earthquakes
(or tornadoes, hurricanes
or come what may).

This life of mine is mine alone to live, and I'm living it on my own terms starting this moment, my terms being these:

1. At no time will I accept mediocrity in any aspect of my life. If something is mediocre, I will strive to make it excellent, or I will leave it in the dust.
• The above applies above all to myself. I constantly improve myself, exercise my strengths and make an earnest effort to exorcise my weaknesses.
• The above applies to people. Either you bring me up or I bring you up or we go our separate ways. I have no time for people who try to drag me down, not that they could even if they tried.
• The above applies to things. I do not want to accumulate a bunch of future garbage. The only things I am interested in acquiring are those of high quality, those things that last. The rest of it is just dish soap.
• The above applies to jobs. I work hard and create an enormous and usually under-appreciated amount of value. I am an excellent employee and deserve an excellent job.
• The above applies to "relationships." I attract only healthy, mutually respectful, honest, fulfilling, fun, low-drama relationships. I will not be anyone's daddy or emotional punching bag (flip side being, of course, that you will not be my mommy or emotional punching bag). I will be your man, and we will be lucky to have each other.
2. I move forward, not back, and nothing can stop me. It might slow me down, but it won't stop me.
3. I accept responsibility for and learn from my mistakes. I accept credit for and teach from my success.

(More later...)

There is no "magical thinking" here. These are all responsible, realistic, adult positions to take.

Of course, life could keep throwing sh*t at me, but that won't stop me from making fertilizer out of what it's already thrown.

It works like this:

Lost job -> opportunity for self-reinvention OR just sh*t -- your choice.
Lost spouse/significant other -> opportunity to form a new relationship OR just sh*t -- your choice.
Lost money -> motivation to make more because there's plenty of money in the world OR just sh*t -- your choice.

If you still have your life, your faculties, and all your limbs, be grateful.

Even if you lost a limb, you can still live a wonderful life.

Whew... that felt good!

Keep it positive, and keep it real, folks!