June 25, 2025

BG’s Positively Speaking

Public Enemy #1 — Self Pity

It’s true that there are a lot of people today that are going through tough times. It’s also true that there are those that want someone else to be responsible for getting them out of the situation they find themselves in. It’s also a fact that many will need extra help to pull themselves up, to find a fresh start in becoming productive members of society again. Then there’s the other group, the one that runs around suffering from the enemy of moving forward – self pity! We have all heard them: “I got laid off last week, I don’t know what I’m going to do,” “At my age there are no jobs for me,” “The government should do more (pay me more/look after me/find me a job).”

We tend to use self-pity as a reason to do nothing, to shift the blame on someone else. When things are not going well we should stop thinking like a ‘victim’ and think like a ‘victor.’ Thomas Payne once said “We have it in our power to begin the world again.” He, of course, was referring to the whole of humanity, but, if we accept that, then each individual has the power to begin their ‘world’ again. As we move forward opportunities are being created. Jobs, services, products that we didn’t know existed are now required. We have to look for the new opportunities the market place offers and the success and security that will come to those who search them out. All of life is change, nothing stays constant. Accept changes as a challenge and you will overcome self-pity and move forward in life. Life is filled with choices…make the first one:

Choose To Be A Victor…Not A Victim

Editors Quote Book

“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise”

— Sigmund Freud

Sharing The Road

Judge: But if you saw the lady driving towards you, why didn’t you give her half the road?

Motorist: I was going to, Your Honour, as soon as I could find out which half she wanted.

Things You Should Know But Probably Don’t

• On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents, daily.
• Chocolate affects a dog’s heart and nervous system; a few ounces will kill a small-sized dog.
• Orcas (killer whales) kill sharks by torpedoing up into the shark’s stomach from underneath, causing the shark to explode.
• Most lipstick contains fish scales (eeww).
• Donald Duck comics were banned from Finland because he doesn’t wear pants.
• Ketchup was sold in the 1830’s as medicine.
• Upper- and lower-case letters are named ‘upper’ and ‘lower’ because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the ‘upper case’ letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the smaller, ‘lower case’ letters.

Trivia Quiz

(Click Question For Answer)

Your Horoscope

For Amusement Only

Aries Mar. 21 – Apr. 19: You are not living up to your potential. You are bright and creative and continue to hide behind a barrel. Let your light shine!

Taurus Apr. 20 – May 20: Energy levels are down. Use this time to catch up on reading material or a quiet project. Enjoy sunshine and warm weather.

Gemini May 21 – June 20: You will be touched by the generosity of another. A kindness should never be forgotten. Do unto others…

Cancer June 21 – July 22: A pushy co-worker worms her way into your space. Set parameters. Don’t be bowled over by a gust of hot air.

Leo July 23 – Aug 22: You may have met your level of incompetence. In order to succeed, you will have to turn another corner and focus your attention along other lines.

Virgo Aug 23 – Sept 22: Forgiveness is a healing process. Not only will it make the one forgiven feel better, but it will also do wonders for your well being.

Libra Sept 23 – Oct 22: A stronger work ethic is needed by all to accomplish short-term goals. Communicate your needs more effectively. Don’t wait.

Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 21: What you want and what you get may be two different things. Continue to persevere or you will wind up settling for less.

Sagittarius Nov 22 – Dec 21: Romantic overture is made. You may be looking for something you will never find while the very best is right beneath your nose.

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 19: Vacate the office! If you can’t afford a real vacation, just get out and away. You need a break from the stress and strains of career demands.

Aquarius Jan 20 – Feb 18: Streamline your budget. There are many perks you can do without. Be more conservative the second half of the year.

Pisces Feb 19 – Mar 20: Warning signals should be heeded. Your health is more important than your career. Consult a specialist.

Spiderman Saves Boy

An eleven year old lad, who suffers from autism, left his classroom very upset on his first day in the class and crawled out onto a 3rd floor balcony at Srinakharinwirot University Special Needs Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Fire-fighters were called and they attempted to talk him down from his dangerous and precarious position. Nothing appeared to work until the lad’s mother arrived and suggested that her son would listen to a “superhero”.

Up jumped fireman Somchai Yoosabai who promptly donned a Spiderman costume normally used to entertain kids during fire drills. The boy’s face lit up like a beacon as he recognized his hero holding a glass of juice out for him. The lad embraced his superhero and was brought to safety.

Lexophile

• The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine last week is now fully recovered.
• He had a photographic memory but it was never fully developed.
• When she saw her first strands of gray hair she thought she’d dye.
• Acupuncture is a jab well done. That’s the point of it.
• I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
• Did you hear about the crossed-eyed teacher who lost her job because she couldn’t control her pupils?
• When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
• When chemists die, they barium.
• I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, and then it dawned on me.
• I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.

In Honour of Seniors Month

I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be. Oh, not my body! I sometime despair over my body – the wrinkles, the baggy eyes, and the sagging butt. And often I am taken aback by that old person that lives in my mirror, but I don’t agonize over those things for long.  I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly.  As I’ve aged, I’ve become more kind to myself, and less critical of myself.

I’ve become my own friend. I don’t chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn’t need, but looks so avant-garde on my patio. I am entitled to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

An elderly looking gentleman, (mid-nineties) very well dressed, hair well-groomed, great looking suit, presenting a well-looked-after image, walks into an upscale cocktail lounge. Seated at the bar is an elderly looking lady.

The gentleman walks over, sits alongside her, orders a drink, takes a sip, turns to her, and says, “So tell me, do I come here often?”

You’re Never Too Old To Follow A Dream

Funny man Andy Huggins got his start at standup comedy very late in life and found fame and even fortune after appearing on “America’s Got Talent” 6 years ago.

The Last Word

If you believe your life is worth living……It will be.