Believe

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“Pay no attention to what the critics say; there has never been setup a statue in honor of a critic.”

-Jean Sibelius

First, watch this video:

“Do you not believe in yourself? Can you not hear yourself?”

These are the questions Mr. Maloney is asked after performing his breathtaking rendition of Bette Midler’s touching song, “The Rose.”

Subject: Man, age 34, who has been told he has an amazing voice for God-knows-how-long. Has applied to X-Factor for five years. Has ripped up his application before mailing it in for the last four.

“People… just people,” is his response to the questions.

People. That is his reason for not risking “public embarrassment” and putting his talent out there for all to enjoy, and maybe even shed a tear or two.

Let me ask you a question. How often have you not done something because somebody told you that you couldn’t do it? Honestly?

No, I’m not just talking about applying for X-Factor or American Idol. How many of us make decisions every day based upon our BELIEFS that we can not actually do it? Are people really telling us that we are not good enough, or have we convinced ourselves of that fact?

How many girls did we not ask out?

How many promotions did we not ask for?

How many classes did we not take?

How many schools did we not apply for? I could go on and on and on.

I think we often try to hide the fact that we don’t believe in ourselves by conveniently pointing out all of our critics. One critical comment can negate 100 positive ones. Why is it that we believe our enemies but not our friends or loved ones? What gave them authority over our own trusted advisors?

So, in summary, two points:

1. Pay no attention to the critics, just like Jean said.
2. You’d best watch your mouth when criticizing somebody else. Your words could smash somebody’s hopes, dreams and perhaps even futures. You don’t know what they can do, so stop pretending that you do.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Superman

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“I don't think I ever thought of myself as Superman. But there were people who thought of me that way, and maybe I believed them a little.”

-Eminem

I got yelled at by my boss at work on Friday. It was about 2 pm, and my project was about ready to go out the door. It had been a long, exhausting week. Two of my team members were out sick – one all five days of the week – and I was scrambling to get stuff done in time to get drawings out on the day they were due. When it was all said and done, my boss gave me a task to do when I got back on Monday since I would be leaving soon.

“What do you mean you’re not leaving?” he asked after I told him that I was staying the full day until 5.

“I have to do EPA. I’ve been bugged about it all week. It has to have progress shown by next Monday.”

That’s when the chastisement began. “Don’t be Superman! You’re not Superman!” he yelled. “I had guys in the office doing nothing all week long. They could have taken your project and helped you out while you were doing this one. You’ve got to send up a flag for help!”

***

A friend just found out her mother is in trouble with the law. Mom apparently had been charging her credit card without paying the bill for over a year. The debt had been mounting and now, after not paying, legal entanglements are imminent. Understandably, the friend is upset and has started coming up with plans to bail her mother out of about $6,000 worth of debt.

The friend is a college student.

I reminded said friend of what my boss had just told me. There was nothing my friend could do to fix the problem her mother found herself in. Loving her and being there for her are all of the things that she could do. The money is not there, nor is the fault. Mom has problems, and daughter can’t fix them. She can’t be Super(wo)man.

***

“I need help with what we had talked about a few weeks ago.”

Really, I don’t know how this stuff happens. Somehow over the course of the last three years or so, I became the go-to guy for all things purity. “Purity” is what I and this teen had talked about several weeks ago, and purity is what this young man was trying to achieve.

So, I called the group of young men together that had been put together to all pursue purity. They all have each other’s phone numbers and call one another whenever they find themselves in the midst of sexual temptation. They have strength in numbers, and this one young man who came to me for advice knew that he couldn’t do it alone. As a matter of fact, that’s what he said. Then, he sought me out when he came to realize that fighting this fight by himself was a losing battle. He needed somebody to hold him accountable.

He wasn’t Superman, either.

The point of this week’s Gun’s Quote is not to point out that you are powerless. Indeed, the point of this week’s Gun’s Quote is to prove how powerful you are when you surrender yourself into the help and counsel of others. I am not good about this. I try to do everything I can by myself, then wonder why I feel like I’m behind the eight-ball all of the time. It takes great humility to ask for help, but not doing so can mean whatever it is you are doing doesn’t get done.

“It is not good for Man to be alone,” was spoken by God himself.

Perhaps this is a good reminder for those of us who are finding out that they aren’t Superman.

Join the club. Neither am I.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!

Break Dancing

Gun’s Quote-of-the-Week:

“Break dancing is like pooping; it feels best when no one is around.”

-Timothy Aiken

So, I’m sitting at the computer, having a difficult case of Writer’s Block. I want to write a Gun’s Quote but want it to be lighthearted, funny, and perhaps even a bit off-base. As I’m contemplating what to do, a teen from my youth group Facebook’s me and asks what I’m up to. So, I tell him I'm writing a Gun's Quote but I have Writer’s Block, and he presents me with the above.

Well, that, as they say, is that.

…and that’s why it’s a Gun’s Quote!