All Good Things… Don’t Even Think About It... · 4:53pm Jun 9th, 2020
Hello, Chaps and Chapettes,
Firstly, I am getting a smattering of comments about these, which is really nice to see and read. Even if you’ve only read one or two of these, thank you for taking the time and interest to do so! It really makes a difference and I love hearing other people’s experiences, ideas, and suggestions. Thank you and do keep it up if you can!
(Grey clouds... Photo: Matt Brooks)
I’ve been given a new pre-owned bike (that doesn’t necessarily mean it is new, does it? But it is new to me and I am very happy to have it!) and I keep meaning to ride it more. Unfortunately, I got it at a time when the weather went from tiringly hot (for the UK) to drizzling, sodden, and grey. That’s made it a lot harder to get out and give it a proper ride. Or at least, that’s the excuse I’m using.
You see, whenever I am feeling lazy, boring, or simply lethargic, I find one thing that comes very easily to me; my ability to talk myself out of doing something. It could be something ordinary like getting the hoovering done, washing the dishes, or making my bed, to things such as doing a bit of exercise or going out for family and friends. Sometimes I’ve missed out on some great experiences because I over-thought about it and eventually said no or left it too late to respond.
Sidenote - Why do I overthink invitations? That is the billion-dollar (other currencies are available) question. I know often that there are occasions where I will enjoy myself. I also know there are occasions when I’ll regret it. Ultimately, I know I won’t know unless I make a decision one way or the other. There’s a bigger point to this that I think I’ll cover in another blog but the upshot is that I can remember plenty of times when I’ve enjoyed a night out, however, I can also remember many times when I have been left out, ignored and felt like most have wished I wasn’t there. It’s not necessarily a ‘good things’ story, but I do feel I’ll need to get it off my chest sooner or later…
My point isn’t to cry or sob about that. My point is that the more you think about things, the more time you leave it until you are late and have to make a last-minute snap decision. Ofter, I’m afraid that last-minute decision is the wrong one. Take doing these blogs for example. I was not going to do this blog until after I’d been out, however by finishing work a bit earlier as I’d worked late yesterday and by giving myself some time to arrange it, I will be able to complete this, post it and then get a quick ride on my bike before my flatmate gets home and starts dinner. Result!
(Sometimes have to go do things on your own, because nobody is that interested in doing it with you. Photo: Matt Brooks)
This is because I cut down the time I spent thinking about how I was going to approach this afternoon and “JUST DID IT!” (wouldn’t Nike be proud?). I did plan a little, hence why I know that I will write this, post it, and then get changed into clothes suitable to get sweaty in, before taking a ride out to see if the bike agrees with me. Overall, I made my plans swiftly, without bother or fuss and that has given me the time to act on them. This can work for many things, from invitations to projects, from work to home and everywhere in-between. You’ll find that as soon as you become a yes man/ yes woman/ yes person, you’ll get more done, experience more, and enjoy life a lot more too.
And yet, there’s still a little bit of a warning label that comes with that suggestion. Sometimes, you can throw yourself into some that you end up not enjoying and I’m sure many of you have thought, “why did I agree to do this? I knew I would not look forward to it and now I’m stuck here when I wish I was somewhere else.” Sometimes, this cannot be helped, such as work or family matters. You cannot get up in the middle of Uncle Bob’s funeral and say, “I thought this was going to be fun, sorry vicar, sorry everyone, see you at the next reunion” and toddle off home. Yet, you can excuse yourself early from other things, so long as you do not have an obligation to be there or are impacting somebody else who wants to be there. In that case, suck it up and play on your phone for a bit, Bub.
There’s a much easier way to avoid those situations before you’re in them. I call it the rule of three, it’s based on the actual rule of three where things happen in threes, both good and bad, or to teach someone something you repeat it three times. However, in my version, I weigh up the pros and cons. If there are three pros to doing what I want to do, then I’ll do it. If there are three cons, I don’t. The rule of three has helped me make up my mind about hundreds of things in the past and is really useful if you’re otherwise struggling whether to agree or disagree on what you should do.
(Photo: https://popcultureexperiment.com/2018/02/05/cover-songs-uncovered-three-is-a-magic-number/ )
Use my bike for example; three pros could be that I’ll get healthier if I do it, it’ll be great training for when I want to ride to work on it, and I’ll be able to get some fresh air which I feel I’ve been lacking for too long a time. This would sway me into doing a bike ride. If I came up with three cons, such as it needs too much work to make it rideable, the weather is rubbish and I don’t have anywhere to ride it, then the result would be negative instead. In this instance, my pros win out because some of those cons aren’t true - the weather is grey but not wet, not yet anyway.
The rule of three is great, yet it doesn’t work all the time. My advice is to use it when you’re really struggling to make the decision, otherwise, trust your gut and go with it. Your head usually knows long before you admit it whether you want to do something or not, so listen to what is between your ears sooner and follow its advice. Who knows what you may achieve if you do?
All good things,
Love, Scaramouche.
X
This is not exactly a direct comment on your piece (though I'm reading them!) -- but of all the things I didn't really expect to see on Fimfiction, a picture of the SVR shed area at Bridgnorth is quite high up the list!
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Haha, thanks! I guess it can be a bit of a surprise to see it there. I visited when the Scotsman and Tornado A1 class engines were there for their own event, got loads of photos and videos of the day. I had to go alone though because others were busy or not at all interested in spending time with me.
Still wish I'd done something with my hair though, ha!
Thanks for the notice and for shouting out!
All good things,
Scara x
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) And because I should probably add a pony link... here's the first leg of my journey to the Griffish Isles convention last year. Behind 75069, for the sake of completeness. Fluttershy did have her hooves on the seat, though, which really was a bit bad mannered of her... 
Yep, I remember the Pacific Power event. I didn't attend that time, though I saw FS going over Bewdley Viaduct so I got a photo or two. (I live in Bewdley, so it wasn't exactly hard...
4.bp.blogspot.com/-XIuHbBc6shE/XN8XPU04NCI/AAAAAAAAFHY/E_Wk_hHisYE3uKwHXyuNTj0weclLKN4pQCEwYBhgL/s1600/D6MxoXKXkAAceSN.jpg
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Ooooh you're lucky. I've always wanted to live near a railway. The closest I got was when my parents moved out to Whitby and lived a few minutes from the station for a few years, didn't live with them but got to stay for weekends and wander to watch the locos roll in.
Griffish Isles convention isn't something I knew about but I'm gonna look it up, I'm guessing like most things it's postponed but I'll see if I can make it. I don't think Flutters could help it this time, they are big seats for such a little pony. If you ever are heading anywhere steamy and need a seat buddy, gimme a yell :D
All Good Things,
Scara x