Comfort Schmomfort

Comfort, Schmomfort. Schmomfort isch my teasching. Eschew Comfort, Choose Schmomfort.

Where hasch Comfort gotten usch? We're lazschy, clinging, never schatisfied, deep in debt, peeking out the blinds, the schades. That's the firscht thing I do, schurely every morning.

Yesch, it'sch scho! When all the time -- in plain schight, no lessch, and open to all -- Schmomfort opens wide thosche schmomforting arms, schaying, pleading, "Schmomfort, Schmomfort my people. Lischten to Schmomfort and rescheive Schmomfort in rische abundance." All the schmomforting Schmomfort you need and more. Schmomfort, scho musch that no one can schmomfortly take it from you. Let 'em try, huh?

Friends, let me schmestify: As I write thisch schmestimony I'm schitting in a broken chair. It'sch wobbly, appears to be on itsch last legs, and it isch. The armreschts, they're schtill a place to rescht my arms -- but there'sch scho much brokennesch that the rescht is schistory. I'm honeschtly nearly provoked to throw thisch chair away and get a new one. Only one thing schtands in my way: Schmomfort!

That's juscht me. What about you? And, no, I'm no one schpecial, just another schmo. But I can't schmomfortably let you go! I would tossch and turn and barely schleep if I tried. Maybe I schould let you go, and schettle myschelf schmomfortably in my own Schmomfort. Who wouldn't, if you know what I know? I'd have it all to myschelf! Can you guessch what'sch holding me back? Schmomfort itschelf, yes, the schame. That's Schmomfort, brother, schister.

Because Schmomfort isch without end. Comfort, too, of coursche, but Comfort takes us to a falls schend. True, huh? You go for Comfort, you getsch a falsche end. A big fat falls schend that you'll be schitting on forever. It's scho true! I've scheen the ravages of Comfort. Schtarts off with schitting a schpell, then on and on. Butt time fails me to schow and tell the whole teasching. Schuffice to schay, when you need a bigger schair, by then it'sch too late, butt time fails you two...

Have you already schlipped away? Are you scho far away you're outta schight? Have you drifted scho far, then hit the rusches of Comfort? Perhaps crasched on the schoals? If scho, what can I schay, go on, take your rescht. Don't let me dischturb you.

Schtill, friends, I have to believe there are schome here today -- schurly many -- who would be able to agree and schay: "Yesch, I hear the voisch of Schmomfort!" And you're ready to take the firscht schtep. Until it'sch schtep after schoothing schtep, all the blessched way on the scherene path to meet for yourschelf and know Schmomfort and Schmomfort's perfect peasche.

Pleasche, schtep out now.

All Due Digiligence -- The Rage With Me

EVENING:

Due diligence is all the rage with me.

I'm up, I'm at 'em, I'm stoked, I'm prevailing, accomplishing, kicking booty left and right, swiftly and persistently.

Some may think it's a personality flaw but I see it as a strength. And if anyone wants to argue about it, I'll never give up till I win.

If you want to win, you have to aim high, for the top, then claw your way with all due diligence till you get there.

I'm well aware that not everyone is as diligent as I. It seems I'm a part of the elite, the diligentsia. We get together and grunt.

I'm in a race with myself, always wanting to give 150%. Someone pointed out to me that's just a figure of speech, making me try even harder.

Even now I'm bouncing in my chair, champing at the bit, eager for my next personal conquest, just begging for someone to challenge me.

I'm definitely taking care of business. Yeah! Yeah! Rrrrrrrr! USA! USA! USA!

Do Things With All Due Diligence

AFTERNOON:

With all due respect, you really ought to do things with all due diligence.

The house is on fire? Be calm and get everyone out. Maybe rescue your pets if it's not too much effort. But do it with all due diligence.

A car's coming at you head-on? Be calm. First, quit texting immediately. Second, with all due diligence, swerve.

Diligence. I bet I could look up the word and find it has an interesting root. Perhaps it's from the same root as DELicious or DILLY Bar.

It's a great characteristic for someone to have. The definition being something like an extraordinary effort at accomplishing something.

What's desirable, from my point of view, is to have diligence as an ordinary thing. To face every challenge -- big or small -- diligently.

Diligence implies you're scoping out all the angles, acting in a purposeful way toward a goal, believing in yourself, that it can be done.

There's an extra effort in it. Confidence calls forth from you what's extra, not only to get it done, but to do it in a terrific way.

I've had a few tasks today. I've stepped through them with all due diligence. This is done, that is done, and I'm working on the rest.

I recommend it to you. Take on your day, your tasks and challenges. See them accomplished in the best way, with a very confident diligence.

All Due Diligence Wins The Day

MORNING:

Having all due diligence in life, the resolve and strength to get your responsibilities and duties accomplished, is the way to go.

You want to be a strong person with achievements? Then BE a strong person with achievements. It all starts with your desire.

But desire alone doesn't do a thing. There's a whole mental framework standing behind desire. That's where our focus needs to be.

Each day if we set our mind, we're on the way. Set it for a number of purposes. These include not just doing our job, but our spirit in it.

It's easier to do a job when your heart's in it. But it's also good to let your heart know who's boss. Fulfill responsibilities and duties.

Mental strength is not just following your bliss (in that sense of somewhere else), but making the life I have now my bliss.

Yes, there are goals and dreams, but there's also all the unpaid bills from yesterday. These need to be honored as well.

To be truly happy, we take care of our business with all due diligence, like a man at an anvil, slugging it out every single day.

It's not drudgery -- it's life itself. It is easy to appreciate and treasure it when the mental framework is truly set in place.

Today, I will live my life with all due diligence. Nothing is going to sway me. I will accomplish, achieve, and probably be tired tonight.

All Due Diligence

My personal resolve refuses to weaken. I will press on in boldness and strength, exerting myself with all due diligence to get the job done.

That applies to whatever job there is. My resolve is such that I will have discipline to accomplish this, that, or the other thing. If it's set before me and is a part of my responsibility or duty, that is what I will do.

Once your mind is set, the resolve is locked in place. At that point there must be no loosening, no shrinking back to a place of laziness and excuses.

Just looking at this great picture helps toughen my hide for what the day may bring. I will be both the anvil and the guy pounding against it. Anything but the colorful marshmallow background! I will not soften or become a sticky, gooey mush, regardless of what anyone else does.

I like the looks of that old anvil: "ACME GUARANTEED." You don't want a bad anvil. So it's always best to get one that's guaranteed. You take a whack at it and it splits in two? That'd be the last anvil I'd buy from Acme, or whoever. The shipping on an anvil, it's high. You want one that's going to stand the test of time. And, frankly, I've never heard of a bad anvil. Whoever makes them knows by now how to get the job done.

Obviously I have a lot in common with anvil makers. They're tough and I'm tough. Except I'm made of flesh and bone, not iron. So it's tougher to successfully be me than it is to be an anvil. I have that as a point of pride. It represents me, and anyone who would exercise all due diligence in his or her life to get their job accomplished in a worthy manner.

There's not enough toughness in the world. There's too much softness. People falling away from their responsibilities and duties. Or in so many cases, never giving them a second thought in the first place. Like deadbeat dads. You want to stick it where you want to stick it, but there's a price to pay. That price is responsibility, deadbeat. You either need to be tougher or keep it zipped.

I've got going on here a "Drive for Pride," with some of the principles of self-esteem, confidence, and pride going forth. And yes, I'm taking my own medicine, and it's delicious. There's nothing more satisfying than keeping strict personal control, of being personally strong, mentally strong.

It starts with your mental framework. If you have it in you to say this is how it will be, then to follow through on it, you can have great success. If you will put forth all due diligence to get the job done, and to do it with appreciation for the responsibility and task, there's no stopping you.

Let this be another day of fulfilling our responsibilities and duties. Appreciate your work. Do it with sincerity and resolve. With all due diligence. Be tough, but also a nice person.