Waiting On The Thunder

My hometown in southeast Texas had a number of freshwater canals and ponds. Just behind the home I grew up in is a large field that, as inquisitive and gullible youngsters we used to explore. It happens to also be the location of The Spindletop oil field, where a world-changing deposit of oil was discovered on January 10, 1901. This field had a huge fresh water canal and a massive storm sewer we affectionately named; "The Cement Ditch"in addition to several ponds of varying sizes and depths. These canals, storm sewers and ponds were excellent habitats for; Macrochelys Temminckii, more commonly referred to as; The Alligator Snapping Turtle. One of these creatures, according to The United States Geological Survey, reached an incredible 250 pounds! These are intimidating and formidable creatures who possess extremely powerful jaw strength. The local legend we lived with (because our parents said so) held that if one of these fearsome creatures were able to snap down on you, they would not let go until it thundered. We were terrified and therefore we avoided these guys at all costs, especially on cloudy days.

There are a lot of people who hold on to something, or allow something to hold on to them, far too long and as a result they are continually burdened by the additional emotional weight. Things such as: when they were treated harshly by someone close, when they were unjustly targeted at the workplace, when they were treated as an outcast, the times they were picked on by their peers, jilted and many more instances that were beyond control. Then there is the emotional baggage holding on that is entirely the result of the individual being held on to. The list may look similar to the things already mentioned. The damage is considerable independent of the initiation.

Let it go or make it let go of you. The alligator snapping turtle does not need a clap of thunder in order to let go. What the turtle needs is enough of the focused energies sufficient to inform the turtle that holding on is a really bad idea. Anyone can let go or make something let go of them by making a decision and moving on. You don't need to wait any longer.

When it is Okay to Talk About UFO's

There really is a time and place for everything. The things we talk about are important to us and ideally to those folks around us. We continually communicate verbally and in doing so we must be judicious as to the subjects we discuss and the words we use, especially in a professional setting.

There are subjects we discuss that are relevant, important and meaningful in our professional walk that enrich our experience and hopefully the experience of those we engage with. Discussions that enlighten, inform and direct. These are the good words.

Choosing wisely, what we say in any setting, figuratively speaks, to the thought we have put behind our statements. The flip-side is that some folks  engage their mouth long before they engage their intellect. When you are in a professional setting your discussions should be largely about the tasks at hand. Sharing personal experiences, events, attitudes and opinions in a professional setting is going to happen. The problem arises when that is ALL someone continually offers and therefore the perception is that this individual spends greater energies with personal things that are not helping move the collective-professional-process forward. Then, they become a distraction and may lead the entire team off a cliff. This manifestation of a distraction is one that is often challenging to overlook and will likely lead to an uncomfortable event when eventually someone gets fed-up and takes the "distraction" to task.

So, after work, when you are with people you trust feel free to share your experience with little green men from Mars. But don' t be disappointed if they look at you funny and strongly encourage you to keep the Encounter of the Third Kind to yourself.