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My Frenemy

 My frenemy has his daughter repeat daily affirmations (then he writes about these affirmations on LinkedIn):


I am kind.
I have loving family and friends.
If I work hard, I can succeed anywhere I choose to go.

My own affirmations are different. Something I'll say, on an almost daily basis, is this: "The next hour won't be fun. Do not expect it to be fun. It will likely be brutally unpleasant. But at some point it's over."

I can say this about any number of things: flights, doctor visits, hearing tests, therapy sessions, a free consultation with the car-seat-installation-expert. The versatility of my chosen sentences astounds me.

Also, I think that Josh really benefits from the candor. I believe this.

But perhaps I could be sunnier, like my frenemy. I'm thinking it over.

And it's time to get the kids.
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Comments

  1. KathyMarch 9, 2022 at 7:18 AM

    Thanks for the morning chuckle Daniel - I needed it! And perhaps there's a middle path (suggested the psychologist)?

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  2. ReaderMarch 9, 2022 at 1:34 PM

    I'm fully on board with this guy's affirmations.....My own...hmmm...."brutally unpleasant" is often a stretch. I do think there is something to be said for realism. The Times recently suggested that people might be happier if they viewed work as work -- and not as a path to bliss. (Or at least people can have the freedom of acknowledging that sometimes a job is just a job.) If I have a copyediting task, and I take a moment and think, it's not supposed to be fun. It's just a job.....that is sometimes helpful for me.

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