As I was approaching fifty years old I sought the wisdom of my elders.  I sought out men and women older than I was to learn lessons on life that they had been learning.

I would ask: 

I know that you have spent your career with men and women older than yourself.
In that time you have listened and learned as they’ve talked about their lives and their values. You have gathered insights and wisdom from their successes and their failures.

This year I’m turning 50 and I’m starting to feel middle-aged.
I don’t know how old you are, but I know you’ve learned from those older than us.

Sometimes I feel like a failure.

Whether it’s feeling overwhelmed, “I don’t have enough money”, “there’s not enough time”, or just being lazy, a fear of failure or the fear of success, or the classic “I’ll get to it later”, sometimes things just don’t get done.

What else can go wrong?

So many things, including:
– Unexpected car repairs: ~$600
– Two computers that stopped working
– Late for work
– Misplaced paperwork
And, that’s just in the last three days

How Can We Fight Back?

Here’s a formula I’m using:

This week on mysilentscream is not just about How To Make Your School Year Easier, it’s how to make your life more enjoyable.

For instance,
– My office is covered with post-summer, unsorted remains that need to get put away.
– My study is still a mess, and I’m married to a great professional declutterer!! (It’s NOT her fault!)
– My book — Beyond Whatever — is well-past due for my self-imposed deadline.

But, I know that I’m not the only one who procrastinates out there.

Did you have a busy Memorial Day weekend?
Did you have a hard time cranking it back up yesterday at work or school?
Me too.
I was late to my first two meetings as I tried to resume my weekday timeliness.

So what can you do when stress levels rise?

STOP

A few years ago Elisha Goldstein on psychcentral.com offered four simple, helpful stress relieving tips.

Next time you find your mind racing with stress, try the acronym S.T.O.P.

S – Stop what you are doing, put things down for a minute.

Tuesday I posted Norman Vincent Peale’s 10 Rules For Getting Along With People. Yesterday I wrote about how socially awkward I can be.

Don’t be Egotistical or a Know-It-All

Have you ever blurted something out without thinking it through?
Have you ever mumbled something incoherent to a crush?
Have you ever left a voicemail that sounded stupid, but you can’t take it back.
Have you ever regretted saying something before you even finished saying it?
Me too!

Unresolved anger tsunamis relationships.

In an office or a coffee shop I’ve met many men who believe that they could conquer their anger only to later find themselves swept under the wave of feelings they never saw coming.

Seemingly successful in every way they were destroyed by their delusions.

Corporate executives and daily laborers, academic professionals and the uneducated, men, women, young and old we’re all affected emotionally by hurt feelings, blocked goals, unmet needs and the internal challenges of anger.

We manage our feelings with our unique combination of strategies. Some strategies work better than others.