As Good as it Gets?

Are you getting the most out of your life?
If things aren't perfect do you check out of society?
Do you have to control everything?
Are you not flexible or willing to compromise? Ever.
Is this as good as it gets?

It seems that time and again I meet people who are so self-centered that they cannot cope with their own existence unless everything stems from their tree of life. They are not interested in new things unless they discover them. They are not flexible in the direction their life takes (how about Wahoo's instead of El Torito this time?). They put rules on themselves and others that can only result in disappointment because life doesn't always go their way.

Some might say that these people just haven't grown up. Others might describe them as stubborn and self-centered. But I have to believe that in some way these people are the way they are because they want to be that way at any cost. They want to have their way, they are convinced that they cannot learn anything from others, and this is the best of life.

This kind of personality can be frustrating at times and I have found that when I apply my "associate within boundaries" philosophy to this type of situation I can get the optimal results. In short this philosophy says to address people at their level. If your friendship with someone is based on having a beer at Hooters once in a blue moon you shouldn't expect that person to say YES when you call them in the middle of the night asking for a spare kidney.

Are you one of these people? Someone who needs that coffee table to be exactly 14 inches from the TV. Someone whose happiness is dependent on the outcome of a sporting event. An individual who can never admit when they are wrong but trumpets the failure of others.

If you are then I suspect you aren't reading this.
On the slight chance that you are this way and reading my blog I ask you this.

Are you happy?

Normally I would end a post like this with a profound question like that but in this case I think I have to be blunt. The self-centered among us need to examine who they are dominating by being so controlling and inflexible. I think if you think about it you will discover that the only person you are dominating by building up the walls of self-centrism is you.

Life is too short. Live a little.

If the kitchen is out of orange juice why not try grapefruit?