Stuck on stupid

Mr. Santos had a leak in the roof over his dining room, so he called a carpenter to take a look at it. “When did you first notice the leak?” the carpenter inquired.

Mr. Santos frowned. “Last night, when it took me two hours to finish my soup!”

Couldn’t he just move his soup away from the leak from the roof?

Now that is a classic example of being stuck on stupid.

Have you ever heard this phrase “Stuck on stupid?”

You wouldn’t want to be branded as such. It’s mean and it’s insulting yet when you think about it, there is a ring of truth in it.

Many people in the work place are not stupid but when they refuse to improve and when they resist change then they certainly become stupid. If you insist on playing today’s games by yesterday’s rules then you’re stuck; stuck with a stupid strategy because the world has changed. Some organizations are stuck. Others move quickly. And in a world that is constantly changing, the adapters are certainly having more fun.

Why do certain people go deeper into debt? Because they are stuck on stupid. They are not only acting their age, they are not acting their wage…! Buying things they don’t need with money they don’t have from people they don’t know to impress people they don’t like.

Why do certain people cannot get a steady job? Because they are stuck on stupid. Anywhere they go they feel like the world is against them. Poor people skills and the inability to respect authority. They are all wrapped up in themselves and they make a small package.

Why do certain people destroy their relationship with their families? Because they are stuck on stupid. Playing with fire all the time and not expecting to get burnt?

Why do certain people continue to work in a job they don’t like, live in a house they don’t want and live a life they hate living? Because they are stuck on stupid. They have not taken the initiative to stop doing what they are doing and to start working on themselves more than they do on their jobs.

Here’s what to do when stuck on stupid.

Break the Mold! Start thinking differently and start behaving differently.

Stop whining and start winning. Don’t be an expert in blame-storming.

Most people I know are winners and live with healthy habits. But if you happen to be one of these people I mentioned who are stuck on stupid, then out of love and concern I will have to talk to you this time…..

No…no…no…your colleague did not do special personal favors for your boss and that’s why the promotion was given. It was simply because while you were sleeping on the job, overstaying in the washrooms, whining, moaning, grumbling and groaning every time an assignment is given you and reporting in late all the time your colleague was busy producing results and carving a name for herself. So don’t get stuck on stupid it will not get you anywhere.

Stop resisting and start learning. Work on your attitude. Develop healthy work habits. Put on those gym clothes and start exercising. Learn from the successful and get out of your comfort and lazy zones. Take some risks.

Life is all about taking risks.

When you attend a seminar you risk the time and money spent on it but you can walk away with vital life lessons that will help you earn a fortune. It’s a risk worth taking.

When you stop resisting change and start adapting to it you risk losing your areas of familiarity but you may gain newer and better ways to be more efficient and productive. It’s a risk worth taking.

When you drop all those stupid and useless relationships, go back to your family and start loving and caring for them faithfully you risk ridicule from the other losers in your company but you begin to build a life and a future for those who are the most important to you. And that is a risk worth taking.

Listen now. If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up too much space.

If you are not making yourself productive then you are merely occupying up space and sucking up air.

Don’t get stuck on stupid. Start living life to the full for that is what God has always wanted us to do. 

(Francis Kong will be launching his one-day workshop seminar entitled “Culture of Personal Excellence on Sept. 4, 2008 at SMX Convention Center. For further inquiries contact Inspire Leadership Consultancy Inc. 632-6872614 or 09178511115)