No Choice

A conceptual genius, marketing wiz and the writer of the blog that starts my day - Seth Godin.
He sent out this gem last week, take a read and then let me digress:

No Choice
"I had no choice, I just couldn't get out of bed."
"I had no choice, it was the best program I could get into."
"I had no choice, he told me to do it..."
Really?
It's probably more accurate to say, "the short-term benefit/satisfaction/risk avoidance was a lot higher than anything else, so I chose to do what I did."
Remarkable work often comes from making choices when everyone else feels as though there is no choice. Difficult choices involve painful sacrifices, advance planning or just plain guts.
Saying you have no choice cuts off all options, absolves responsibility and is the dream killer.
http://www.sethgodin.com

I love this. I love this so much because it is honest.  Brutally honest.  If we are completely honest with ourselves, we can all pick a time where we have said some variation of "no choice".  I think secretly, deep down inside when we do say these things, we know the truth. We know that we probably didn't challenge ourselves enough and that in some way, we quit.
This blog of God-in's is one that I hope I am able to re-call often.  Whenever I may think about not having choice, I hope to remind myself that if I don't - then I am really just giving up.
When "not having a choice" I am cutting myself short.
I choose the decisions I make.  I am in charge of my choices, my opinions and my values.
Whether that means getting out of bed on time, wearing heels or flats, speeding, staying up too late, letting someone's opinion effect my own, speaking up, working late to get it done, or pushing myself just a little bit further...I choose to have a choice.

Thanks for reading, I hope this is inspiring to you as it was to me.
Cheers,
Polly

Just some good ol fashioned dating advice ...

Hi Friends,

I found this and as a women that tends to over think just about everything I thought it was inspiring.  

I'm not sure who "D" is but I like her/it/him(?).  My next post/dating doozie is a-brewing - however, not my own. I will be focusing on some of my fellow single sistas. 

Much love,

Polly

WooSahhh

I had a big "Woosahhh" moment last night...and happened to stumble upon this image this morning.  When the going gets tough ... its probably going to get harder so take this advice:

Imagine Your Whole Love

Typing to Tunes: Wilco's new album, The Whole Love

A lovely day in 2004 a lovely friend of mine took a chance and lent me an album entitled Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It struck me as a peculiar name for an album, however it quickly became one of those CDs that was on constant repeat in my Jeep (R.I.P).  Since 2004 the band that has chosen to name their albums after civil war meets ballroom dance terms, Wilco has become a topper of my all time favorite bands list. A few things, beside Yankee Hotel Foxtrot have contributed to this. 

1. They are amazing musicians (don't get me started on Nels)

2. In my perspective they are a band that consistently redevelops themselves. You know it is them, but with every album something seems to change, but their vibe is still there.  Never stale and somehow mastering to always keep their trademark sound.

3. Those, what seem to be, moments of clarity at a concert.  Seeing any music is something that I will geek out on...for a while, and boy have I geeked out at Wilco show.

So thank you friend for introducing me to a band that I truly enjoy.  I hope that I have at least perked some sort of interest with some of you, below you can find the title track to Wilco's latest album, The Whole Love.

I thought I would share this song, b/c ... its just kind of adorable...and great.

Listening to this light-hearted love song I can't help but tap my toes and pop my shoulders to the vibe of the song.  Entitled Whole Love, I find it fitting that Mr. Tweedy's perfectly unique earnest vocals sing:

 I will call on the the telephone

I will call when you get mad
I'll still love you to death
And I will never forget how

It's such a happy and hopeful song about how someone would devote their "Whole Love".  The type of song that makes you want to dance with that someone special - in the cute way. Enjoy, Polly. 

My cold marigolds attack
My back a bed of roses
I'm gonna break my back
With you bounces high

And I know that I won't be
The easiest to set free
And I know that I won't be the last
Cold captain tied to the mast

I will call on the the telephone
I will call when you get mad
I'll still love you to death
And I will never forget how

And I know that I won't be
The easiest to set free
And I know that I won't be the last Cold captain tied to the mast

I'm on the other side
When I'm satisfied
Oh I'm a spirit dove
I'm looking for your love

I'm simple as a matter of fact
Punch you in the nose 
Don't over-react
I'll still love you to death
And I won't ever forget how

And I know that I won't be
The easiest to set free
And I know that I won't be the last Cold captain tied to the mast
And I know that I won't be the one
To secure they'll know what it's from
But I hope I'll know when it's past
And I hope I'll know when I show you my

Whole Love
Whole Love
Whole Love
Whole Love
Whole Love
Whole Love
Whole Love
Whole Love

And I won't ever forget how 

And Then He Kissed Me...

This kinda sums up how I got ready for work today after last nights nerve-fill yet successful date with a new boy.  I haven't quite figured out his "name" yet or exactly pinned down what the deal is.  But thought I would share the song of the day inspired by last night:

Make Room for a Man's View

A man's take on the the Wonderful World of Women
"Be YO - Self"

Why is it the weirder the guy, the more cache he has with the ladies? I understand mystique, but just being weird I mean come on! I will never understand this mystery. Also what happened to that guy Mystery? Has he secretly gone off to nail every woman in America or did we find out that he is just like everyone else and eventually gave himself up to someone only to be rejected? One could only hope. I also hope he is bald under those hats. Like Telly Savalas bald baby.


He should of just been himself. I have been myself. I tried being someone else to get someone to
like me, but that never works out. Being yourself is the best advice I have ever received and given when it comes to finding someone to spend time with. Let's be honest, the first couple of dates are an interview. If there is a click you go from there. If it falls flat, well you say nice to meet you however I am not for you. What you don't do is say, “This person is my ideal. Good looking, good job, secure, we should be together. I need to find out what they want and be that.” No you shouldn't. Stop it.


(read slowly)
Here is what happens when you do that. You start dating and then to become their ideal you over compromise. They like hanging out with their friends and don't like or in most cases know yours. So their friends start becoming your friends. See where this going? No? Their friends are now your friends, which means your friends whom you met organically, like you are suppose to, are fading into the distance. This also means you get paired up with one their friends significant other. Now you are being forced to be friend with someone you have only one thing in common. You like to compromise your ideals for the idea of being with your ideal. My brain just melted a bit.


If you find yourself having this problem just say this, ”Hey I am going to go see my friend tonight,
you have fun with yours.” That statement alone should give you the confidence to do it. If that person runs off in the night over you wanting to spend time with your friend, you did yourself a favor. You are better off my friend. Are we friends? Yes. Facebook me bitch.


Well of course they like hanging out with their friends, they are THEIR FRIENDS! Duh! You like
hanging out with yours. So go do that. I guess some of this is chalked up to self esteem. If you have confidence in yourself, you will have confidence that this person will like you for you. Which also means they will like your friends or at least tolerate them and allow you to spend time with them. If you compromise about your friends it only tends to go downhill from there.


(read at regular pace)
For the record some of my friends girlfriends/wives can't stand me, but yet they still let me come
around. They let them be themselves by making poor decision in friends(me). I am actually a good friend, just don't get me drunk surrounded by women. One word: Kissing bandit.


While I am here I would also like to publicly apologize to my friend Richard's wife Sandra, for the
years 2002-2005. Thank you.


I know it is easy to say be yourself, but in reality it is hard to pull off. If you know me, you know I have few serious moments in my life. However if we go out, I will be serious and quiet on date #1. If I do catch myself doing this, I try and snap out of it. It is a tricky maneuver and I do not want to scare them off. A good dick joke usually breaks the ice enough for me to unveil myself. Once your true self is out, you are golden.


You better have a sense of humor about yourself as well. If you take yourself too seriously, you will only be disappointed when you don't live up to your expectations. I have a good sense of humor. It is who I am, but I wish I learned to play guitar. I didn't though, I am lazy. I am. Sense of humor is important. People with no sense of humor, especially about themselves, tend to be uptight. There is nothing worse than dating someone who is uptight. Yes, uptight does mean they do not put out. It also means no emotion, no love, no affection and just forget about sex at the drive-in.


Basically what it boils down to is, there are people we like and people we don't. What you hope for is you run into one these people you like and they just happen to be one of the people who like people like you. That was confusing. Let me try that again.


Once I was down and out about a lady and my friend's girlfriend said, “There is a flower for every pot.”and I said “Thanks for the cliché.”


Well I was drunk and she was right. There is someone for everyone. Sometimes you find them when you are young, sometimes when you are old. You won't find them though if you make yourself unavailable by compromising who you are and what you want out of a relationship.


Be yourself, it is just that easy.
It is the best thing for you can do for all of us.


And call your mother, she misses you.


XOX,