ME ME ME

You are the Center of the Universe.

A poem I once read said the least important word in the English language is the word "I." Balderdash! "I" is the most important word. The popular saying, "It's not about you," couldn't be more incorrect. It's all about you. How about "No man is an island?" Another dash of balder, of course we are each "islands." No one, and I mean no one, on this earth cares about what happens to you as much as you do. That's all right, after all you are the Center of the Universe.

Skeptics read on.

When people tell you they feel "good," did you ever wonder what their "good" is like? If you were in their body and felt the way they feel when they feel "good," might you be tempted to dial 911?

What does it feel like to them when people tell you they are in pain, hungry or sad. You know how it feels to you when you're in pain. You know what goes on in your innards when you're hungry and in your mind when you're sad. But do others twinge in the same places as you twinge? Are others grabbed in the same place you're grabbed?

You are the Center Of The Universe. Everything that happens in the world is given meaning by you based on your experiences and beliefs. Fred tells you he feels good, you immediately "know" how Fred feels based on how you feel when you feel good. How else could you possibly interpret Fred's condition?

When you walk down the theater aisle to your pricey, front-row seat, the people on your left you would call, "The people on my left." When you leave the theater, the people that you called "the people on my left," would now accurately be called, "The people on my right." The people didn't change sides during the play, but they did in relation to you.

Every way you view the world is in relation to you. Therefore you must be the "center," correct?

Being the Center of the Universe carries with it good news and bad news:
Good news--you're always right
Bad news--the rest of the world doesn't always believe the good
news. (The trick here is to realize that everyone else is also the Center of the Universe!)

You will have made a giant leap forward in living a less stressful and more rewarding life when you realize the truths in life you hold as indisputable are made up by you, judged by you, defended by you, and can therefore be changed by you.


Lesson: Contrary to popular parental precepts, the world does revolve around you.

STRAIGHT FROM THE GURU'S MOUTH

There I was, working from seven in the morning to seven at night and still not getting everything done. I was losing heart as quickly as I was losing ground. No matter if I worked the 12 hours or quit in two hours, there was so much to do I'd never get it done anyway. My job might as well have been emptying the ocean with a bucket.

I was discouraged, disillusioned and just plain tired. I needed some time management help.

Attending seminars, reading books and absorbing videos only put me further behind. Then while watching a documentary on TV (when I probably should have been doing something else), I heard the answer to my problem.

The answer came from that well-know, world-renowned, time management guru -- Arnold Schwartznegger. (We have learned recently just how he was using his "free" time.)

Arnold was telling a story of how in the past when he was a body building champion he was having difficulty finishing his workouts in the 2 1/2 hours he had allotted. They always ran longer. He (unlike me) was aware of the reason. He was a very gregarious person and would get to talking to others in the workout room, and his time would be up before his muscles were.

So Arnold's solution was to set a time limit. In 2 1/2 hours he would be done. There would be no staying longer to finish what he had not accomplished. That provided him with definitive criteria with which to make a decision. "Do I talk to Franco or finish my workout?" Either-or, he didn't have time for both. This worked for Mr. S.

I then decided to apply the Schwartznegger technique. I went to work at 7 a.m. but set 5:30 p.m. as quitting time. Then when a coworker would come to the office and inquire if I had a few minutes, I would ask myself "Could I meet with her and still get out at 5:30?" If so, the meeting was on. If not, we scheduled for the next day. Previously to my Arnold fix, I would have said yes, then added the extra time on the end of the day.

When you view your time as elastic there is a tendency to try to cram 30 hours of work in a 24 hour day. Set logical, attainable expectations, establish a time limit, and stick to it. The ocean may not get emptied, but you'll sure feel better about it.

Thanks, Arnold. You should have stayed with pumping iron.


Lesson: Time is life's currency; spend it selfishly.