Inspiration Points: No Regrets!

Wednesday Words

To Go Where Your VisionPoints, a few inspiration points for you and your business.

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.
—John Barrymore

Grow and be well,

Kelly Erickson

Comments

[Brett Legree]

Kelly,

That quote rocks. I think I'll print that out and post it today.

Thank you.

-Brett

[Kelly Erickson]

Thanks, Brett.

It seemed to go with the many posts I've been reading lately like yours, talking about living life to the fullest. Maybe no man ever sat on his deathbed saying I wish I spent more time at the office, but a lot of people are there saying I wish the third of my life I spend at work, was spent better. This is my "business" answer to those beautiful "life" posts. It ain't a dress rehearsal at work either!

John Barrymore certainly did live life to the fullest. He was a really interesting guy.

He also said a LOT of funny things (which I'll never get to print here), in addition to quite a few thoughtful ones like this old favorite of mine. Do a search for "John Barrymore quotes" and you'll get a chuckle.

Regards,

Kelly

[Friar]

Kelly

I like this quote. It helps me forget I'm (ahem) in my 40's. :-)

I have another.

"Growing old can't be helped.

But growing up is optional"

-Friar's Mom

[Janice C Cartier]

Yeah baby... Dennis Hopper ditto to that!!!
It's palpable this week isn't it?
Jan

[Kelly Erickson]

Friar,

Your Mom sounds cool. And your forties is not old! (I hope...) I have to join you very shortly and I've got a LOT left to do.

Janice,

I agree. I said to a friend, some people are mooning about like bull moose in the spring.

Until later,

Kelly

[Friar]

Kelly

Well, I certainly don't FEEL old.

But my body occasionally tries to remind me. I try not to listen.

Yes, my Mom is pretty cool. She's 67 and instead of going to Florida for the winter, she goes out west and skis for 4 months. When she's not skiing, she cycles 10,000 km a year.

I wanna be like that when I grow up.

[Kelly Erickson]

Friar,

Ah, the aches, the pains, the reading glasses... or is that just me?

Still, just yesterday I heard the words "my daughter" come out of my mouth and I felt silly—I can't be old enough to have a daughter! Sometimes I feel like I'm 23 trapped in a 39-year-old's bod.

Your Mom has WAY more energy than I had when I was 23, nevermind now. I'm tired just thinking about it. That's wonderful. What a great example to follow.

Until later,

Kelly

[Friar]

Yeah, my Mom is inspirational. She has way too much energy. Like a Jack Russell Terrier that just dosent' know when to quit. I couldn't maintain her pace.

Actually, it seems there has been a plethora of "inspirational stories" on the Blogosphere lately.

A few stories are great...but I'm getting "inspirationned" out.

For the next few days,
I dont'wanna hear any more stories about how some disadvanated person overcame huge odds and acheived the Nobel Prize and solved Global Warming.

Compared to them, I'm just Joe Average Screw-up. All these super-acheivers are starting to give me an inferiority complex! :-)

[Brett Legree]

Friar,

Meh - so they can do all that running and biking - yeah, it is cool.

But you can paint, and draw, and write really well.

I mean, I like to run too, but once I'm dead and gone, my running doesn't leave a legacy to the world, not like art.

So there :P tell that to the athletes!

(I know it's your family so you can't really say that, but you know what I mean.)

-Brett

[Friar]

@Brett.

That's why I like to underacheive.

(Life's easier that way, isnt' it?)

[Kelly Erickson]

Friar,

ACK! No underachievers allowed at MCE!

Wait a minute. You've got a PhD (I did read that someplace, didn't I?), you're a blasted engineer, you paint, you ski, you're one of the wittiest people I read, and you write like a dream.

You just have oddly low self-esteem.

You're not an underachiever, you can stay. We'll work on your self-esteem.

Brett, give this boy a pat on the back or something!

BTW I totally agree about the super-achievers posts. We preach to the choir, we read the same stuff, and then all of a sudden there's a glut when everyone gets in synch. That's why mine's two lines long. I wept enough at everybody else's blogs this week. Everybody except Brett has to stop, because his are the best weepers.

Later,

Kelly

[Friar]

Oh, I know I've acheived things. I'm just being a bit of a smart-ass. That's what I do.

As for self-esteem. I know you're not supposed to listen to what other people say, it's what you feel INSIDE that counts. Yadda yadda yadda.

In theory,yes. But if you're surrounded by constant criticism, sometimes it's hard not to listen to the nay-sayers.

That's why I hang out with people like Brett. We pound back a few pints once a week, and he sets me straight.

And WOW! Thanks for the words of encouragement. I've never heard anyone say such nice things about my writing!

[Kelly Erickson]

Brett was going to say those nice things about your writing, only he was busy with you and the pints last night, so I heard. "You write like a dream" sound funny at your local pub.

:)

[Friar]

Kelly

Still, it's nice to hear you say that I write well. You've really boosted my spirits.

Last week, a family member gave me their 'two cents" about my blog. It was a long email.

I basically got scolded. They didnt' like the occasional cuss words I sometimes added. They said they were embarassed to tell others about my blog. Why lower myself to the unwahsed masses? Why can't I write the without using bad words?

I was totally DEVASTATED after hearing that. For a day or so, I felt like I had done something terribly, terribly wrong.

I didnt' even want to write anymore.

But then I realized, I'm writing for ME. Not for them. If they dont' like it, they dont' have read the Friar, and neither do their friends.

To Thine Own Self be True, (or something like that)

[Matt Tuley, Laptop for Hire]

This quote made an awesome introduction to your site!

Wandered on over here from Tei's Rogue Ink site. You've got some great stuff here. We'll have to tlak about an idea I once had for a consulting business.

BTW: tag, you're it. More info: http://tuleydocs.com/2008/05/09/sixteen-random-facts-about-me/

[Ellen Wilson]

Kelly, in case you didn't get my last comment over at Brett's, I tagged you for a meme. Yes, that's right. I am not making this up and you will have to go to my site and read all about it or Brett's or Friar's or whoever, because it seems we are all interrelated somehow.

Wasn't John Barrymore Robinhood? And Drew Barrymore's grandpa?

No regrets. Cheers and have a good Friday night. E

[Kelly Erickson]

OMG, three tags! Brett, this is ALL your fault. I feel as funky as Friar must have after the ladies were all over him last night.

Friar,

At some point I want to know your real name. I hate cloaks of invisibility.

You write extremely well and you should ignore whoever said all that to you. Pfft to that. You have good stuff to say and you say it well. I didn't notice any foul language at all on yours, and I'm kinda picky, so there can't be that much. (Or I've been inured to it by reading Naomi's blog.)

Matt,

The door's been open and I've been expecting you. Thanks for wandering in, I hope you'll find lots to hang around for.

Ellen,

I caught it at Brett's "place," but thanks for commenting here too.

No, Errol Flynn was Robin Hood. John Barrymore was Don Juan, among many, many other things. My favorite role of his was in Grand Hotel. Well worth renting.

Yes, Drew Barrymore is his granddaughter; he was the brother of Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore (he was Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life). Lots of talent in that family.

The scary thing about being tagged thrice is I could probably come up with 24 Random Things. We'll see what writing-day tomorrow brings. Thanks to all three, it will be up on Sunday!

Until later,

Kelly