It's All about Perspective

There was a really good quote I heard the other day that I heard LL Cool J say on a tv program. Rachel Ray said to him that he is a guy who wears many hats...rapper, author, producer, writer, etc. She followed up that statement by asking him how does he keep up with such a busy life. His response was that he makes it a point to keep perspective and balance on everything. He added that, "there are many who are public successes yet private failures." What a profound statement. So many people strive to make tons of money and build professional and political power yet they don't have the same drive to do the same in their personal lives. The reverse is true as well. Some are good with their personal lives yet seem to flounder in the "outside world". Life really is about balance. I'm still working on Suze Orman's recommended steps which at its foundation is about balance. I am working towards the completing two components.

I think those who don't know me would consider me a public failure. Fired from two jobs, no ownership of any real estate, no husband or boyfriend, and basically no real financial assets aside from a little bit of savings. I use to view myself in that light but everything is really about perspective...how you decide to look at everything. I am neither a public nor personal failure. The average person will have seven jobs in the course of their lifetime. Being fired doesn't mean incompetent or that an employee did something wrong...it means decisions were made to severe a working relationship. Not owning property means perhaps my dream land is not necessarily in the hometown where I have grown up. It could also mean I am not meant to put down roots just yet as conditions are not at optimum just yet. Not being in a relationship doesn't mean I am not desirable or capable of love. It could mean that all of the men I have met so far are not prepared to be involved with anyone. It was interesting to hear the new statistic on women, in particular African Americans. Fifty one percent of women are single...and seventy percent of black women are not married. One theory is that there aren't enough black men out there. My theory is that many women are choosing to cohabitate hoping that marriage will follow. There's a song I like by Natasha Bedinfield called "Single" and I guess you could say the title speaks for itself. One line that stands out for me in the track is, " I'm not gunna get hooked up because you say I should..everything in its right time...everything in its right place." I think now when people ask me why i'm "still" single my response will be "everything in its right time". As for financial assets...I actually have more than someone else somewhere...so why measure what I have against someone who may have more than me? And who is to say that what I have isn't enough for happiness? I could be very wealthy and still miserable. Last night's episode of 20/20 explored that very subject with a man who won the lottery five years ago to a record 349 million dollars. Today he is being sued by many who want his money, the people he held dear to his heart are gone, and he is very unhappy. Who would ever think that a millionaire could be unhappy? Balance and Perspective.

I like my very own quote which most would say is not grammatically correct however since when do quotes have to be just that? I like to be a non-conformist and I am not complex just to be difficult. I am just me. I like to say, "We are all smart...we just each know something different."