Is everybody in a BAD mood?

Gees. I’ve decided it must be true. Everybody, everywhere must have a gripe or two. This morning, for example, I opened up my email with my first cup of Folgers nearby and I read a few email messages. Hey, I even planned to answer them. Shew, what a mistake. In fact, I think I’m going to start doing everything in reverse order. Maybe the day would go a little better.

I’ve decided in our industry few people know the old adage—“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Instead, it’s “do this and do that” and oh yeah, “kiss my sitter-downer after you do it.” I just can’t get over some of the attitudes I’ve faced in one morning. Is everyone miserable or do they just use this kind of thing to eliminate the perceived competition? I really don’t know because some of the emails I received today just did not make sense--at all. I feel like placing my email on an auto-responder with "Newsflash--there's room for everyone in this business." If you don't believe me, visit Amazon. Good grief, toddlers write for publication now. Their stories unfold in the womb.

I’ve decided to change up the way I do business. Tomorrow morning, I’m going to try out a new concept—reverse order. This way, no one has the opportunity to interfere with my productive day. Of course, I generally live by another adage anyway, “No one can ruin your day unless you let them.” Reverse order makes sense to me. See what you think:

1. Get up (on the left side of the bed because yes, I typically get up on the right).

2. Go straight to the refrigerator and pour a glass of red wine. (Yes, red-- not white) I need my heart pumping when you consider what I write.

3. Put the kids to bed even though they just got up. Hey, I like this concept already.

4. Watch the news (local won’t be on but CNN will do).

5. Cook dinner. It will be on the stove for anyone who is later interested.

6. Write--and sure, I may edit too since I'll be in such a fantastic mood.

7. Answer emails (even those I'd rather avoid). I can do it with a smile. After all, I’m going to bed. By morning, everything is all but forgotten.

8. Drink my coffee (of course now it will be decaf since I won't need to stay awake for the challenges found in some email letters).

9. Go to bed and allow the teenagers to get up. They’ll like this new schedule, I’m sure.

10. Start my day again. Okay, so I may need to go visit the winery if I’m going to try this but a new agenda certainly has its charms.

You know, I just don’t ‘get’ it. I really don’t. It takes as much energy to be nice to someone as it does to be a thorn in their side. Imagine. What if the entire world tried this 'do unto others' approach? Wow, there's an idea.

After a few years in an industry drowning with women, I’ve had to change up the way I do things. Admittedly, I was very, very gullible when I first entered the book business. I came from a ‘man’s world’ and the petty little one-ups you face with one out of every three or four women didn’t exist there. Most men, will look you in the eye and say what they mean and mean what they say. I grew up with these guys. I was the only girl in the family for 12 years before my sister finally decided to grace us with her presence.

Later in life, I worked with men. My friends were men. I gambled with men and watched ballgames with, you got it--men. I have women friends but they're like me--they're face value so when I entered into a world dominated by women, it took some 'getting used to' and I still haven't quite adjusted. Maybe I never will.

Women aren’t geared up like men (and yes, I’ve known this for some time). Thanks to a few reminders and hard learned lessons, I now refuse to answer my phone. I try to avoid those who always have some sort of time-wasting element to share. I don’t want to hear someone tell me something 'someone' said or did-- or hell, even imagined.

I don’t want to hear what I should’ve done instead of what I did. I’m an adult. I don’t need to be scolded like a child by complete strangers. And well, I won’t be. At least, not on a daily basis. I don’t really care what a complete stranger might think when they want to penalize others for something where absolution is never found.

In the broad scheme of things, in my small little corner of the world—it does not matter. Tomorrow will come and I’ll forget about it so why would someone even waste their negative energy firing it my way. In fact, I have a smart solution—I’m going to send these folks to the spam folder from now on because it’s where they belong—spam.

Now, I’m off to dump the coffee. I think the reverse order should start today. This way, I can put the kids back to bed and yep, avoid emails. Who knows, I might get more accomplished this way. I guess a little negative this morning went a long way—it certainly doesn’t discourage me. It only inspires and I have a lot of creative energy waiting to unleash. I’ll get back to work now. Enough venting.

Try to make someone’s day—you never know when they might truly need a good one!

Hugs!

Destiny