Quotations Weblog

Observation: it’s a loaded word and probably why Marilyn used it. Observation not only implies watching things, but making judgments based on what you have seen. I don’t know how you could really obtain wisdom from making judgments without testing them.

This is one of those quotes that sounds really good, but ends up being not very helpful in real life. Sure I can study. Sure I can observe. I’ll do the best I can but I think a little trial and error is better for the mind than all the observation of a lifetime.

Oh, this is such a nice way of saying this! I have noticed so many people who seem like they ENJOY their limits. I knew a woman who bragged about how scared she was of mice. She actually fainted and injured herself because a mouse was in her home. I just looked at her and said,

“You say that like you’re proud of it.”

She could tell by the tone of my voice that I thought she was bragging about her limitations and angrily didn’t talk for an hour. I know there are people who suffer from phobias. Their lives are severely restricted because of these fears, but I have never heard a person who is under treatment for a phobia sound like they are proud of it.

Listen to yourself. If you are bragging about your limitations, STOP IT! Stop it right now. Every time you feel the urge to say to comment on it, try turning it around. Try saying the positive in your mind instead.

Instead of:

“I’m so scared of mice, one time I fainted!”

Think to yourself:

“Nothing scares me, not even mice.”

Instead of:

“I never pump my own gasoline. I get my partner to do it for me. I don’t even know if I can remember how to do it.”

Think to yourself:

I can do anything. Nothing stops me from getting things done.”

Instead of:

“I never watch the news. It just depresses me, so I stopped watching it.” (This is MY limitation)

I think to myself:

“I am able to stay informed without getting bogged down in the emotional aspects of it all.”

Turn your limitations into assests and NEVER ever brag about them. Goethe had it right and said it far better than I did.

I love this quote, but the truth of the matter is that it REALLY only takes one drink to get me drunk: not the thirteenth or fourteenth, the first. I never built up the tolerance for alcohol and the fact that it takes so little for me to get out of control makes me avoid it even more. Maybe I didn’t party enough as a teenager, but I just don’t do well with alcohol.

The important thing is knowing my limit. Mine is one. After that, my voice becomes too loud and the filtering process between my brain and my mouth completely breaks down. People end up hearing WAY more about my personal thoughts than they wanted to hear.

What’s your limit? Is it one? Is it thirteen? Is it zero? Whatever your limit is, make a commitment to yourself to stick to it this holiday season. You’ll have happier parties and no one will hear intimate details about your last colonoscopy.

What? You mean I’m NOT?

In all seriousness, however, I have a bit of a problem with this quotation. Acting like you’re the center of the universe to other people isn’t an admirable quality, but you really need to take care of yourself first before anything else in the world. To you, the center of the universe SHOULD be you. You can’t help anyone else until you are cared for and the best person in the world to take care of your needs is yourself.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re NOT the center of the universe.

How many times have I tried to run away from my problems without thinking about the best escape? Solving a problem might be the messiest and most unpleasant thought, but the more time I spend thinking about it, the more I suffer. It’s just better for me when I jump in, get the problem solved and move on.

I need to remember that next time I’m tempted to run away to Las Vegas when I feel stressed.