You know those little voices in your head (hmmm, as I write that, I’m hoping you have them, too)?
Well, anyway…
More often than not, those voices don’t provide me with a plethora of original solutions to life’s many problems; instead, they hurl clichés at me all freakin’ day, like they are going out of style. Yeah, it can be quite maddening, yet as this life is being lived, I’m learning they are actually doing me some good.
You could categorize some of these messages as wisdom, if you want to, as that's most likely how they developed. You know, little lessons gathered along the way that have earned some sort of value. Though I'm hesitant to call it wisdom because I don't think I'm old enough to have such a thing, but then again, that's only because I often forget how old I actually am (it’sjust a number, after all…um, right?).
Some of these little wisdom bombs are so insistent on revisiting, I started collecting them like an old person collects seashells at the seashore (ok, maybe that's not a very good metaphor since people of all ages do that). Anyway, in many situations, these common combinations of words do appear (and reappear) to remind me (over and over) that they are building a strong case that with age does come wisdom (oh god, did I just write that?).
So, without building this sh*t up too much, here are a few of those annoying collections of words that keep popping up in my head, helping me accept this wiser foundation:
🌹 Stop and smell the roses
Within any moment of any given day, something will happen, or appear, and remind my ass to slow down. It could be a song that I hear, a formation of unique clouds, the way the wind hits, the calling of morning birds — seriously, anything. And in those moments, this phrase will creep its way into my head.
It's possibly one of the most common clichés out there, but let's take a second and think about what it's saying. Yes, I'm suggesting that we metaphorically "stop and smell the roses" to dissect the phrase "stop and smell the roses".
Now, have you ever walked by a rose garden and felt like a hand is reaching out to place the scent of that flower under your nose? Did it not make you stop and root yourself in that moment? That’s it; that’s the action, or reminder to be present, is evident all around us…and not just in the smelling of roses.*
Ok, now that may lead us into another commonly said phrase that I also hear over, and over, and over…
🌞 Look on the brighter side
If someone says this phrase to me, I get super annoyed, so feel free to have the same reaction here. This comment seems condescending and feels like a parental guilt-trip disguised as optimism.
Yet...yet...there is always a brighter side.
I know, it's annoying as hell, but it's 100% on the nose. In almost any frustrating situation, there is usually another perspective that reveals a brighter side. Yup, this cliché wisdom is as annoying as someone talking out loud at a concert, but these clichés prove to be more sustainable.
On to yet another popular one…
📖 Don't judge a book by its cover
Ok, I'll go first...I can be quick to judge based on someone's appearance or when entering a new situation. I'm not happy I do this, and it may go deep into some sort of psychological profile...who the hell knows. Though this happens in a sliver of time, a millisecond, I hear this phrase in my head, and that judgment fades away. I then try to greet this person or situation curiously. It also helps me be more of the person I know I am, helping to show others that there is more behind this short, artsy dude who doesn't want to admit his age.
Ok, here’s a quick one…
⚠️ Better safe than sorry
This one runs deeper than most, and I'm sure if you know me, you would know why. Suffice it to say, if you take a second and think of what you are doing, safety does come first.
The next is tried and true…
🎯 Practice makes perfect
You can take this one so many ways, but for me, it makes me think of how long it's taken me to learn how to draw the way I currently do. How I've developed a style that's all mine. Sure, I've taken some influences from some of the giants that came before me, just as they've been lifted up by the giants before them. Though another lesson within the lesson is that it all takes the time it needs. Yup! Patience is a freakin’ virtue.
As a side note, another reminder may be that nothing is perfect. Except maybe a few Far Side cartoons, or a couple Beatles tunes, or maybe a cold drink on a hot day...
Which brings us to the most obvious of the obvious…
😂 Laughter is the best medicine
Well, isn’t it? Nuff said. Nothing else to see here. Please drive around. Do you want fries with that?
Lastly, well, kinda, is the one phrase that enters my mind more than any other…and the winner goes to…
⏰ This too shall pass
This phrase arrives during unfavorable weather, whenever I come down with a cold, or through any trying experience at the office or otherwise. It creeps its way in all the time, and it always, always, always holds true to its original promise. Sometimes it even leads to another cliché that grasps onto me like free will as the words “tomorrow is another day” appear.
Ok…that’s it for now…so, what did all of this prove?
Well, in the end, it turns out the most annoying phrases are annoying because they’re true. That may be the thing with clichés: they are proven and conflict with our natural desire to have original thoughts.
Feel free to remind me of some of yours in the comments or reply to the email. I'd love to know some of your wisdom, however cliché it may be.
On the other side of all of these clichés, I do have a few more I like to share because I ultimately disagree with them. Let me know what you think:
☁️ Misery loves company
Personally, I like my misery on my own. Thank you very much.
🦋 Time flies when you're having fun
I'd like to think that time has the ability and the will to slow down when we're having fun. So, there's that.
⏳ Life is short
If we pay attention to all the subtle, favorable distractions around us, in those moments when time actually slows down (as previously mentioned), life becomes what it really is — the longest thing we do.
🤷 It is what it is
Yeah, I have a personal reason for hating this one, and I believe it should probably be in the list above and not here. But again, this is my post, and I'll place it here for that personal reason. You see, I worked with someone years ago who would say this often in reaction to some of the creative we would come up with. It was insensitive to our work, and I'll always have a thorn in my side when I hear it.
Yet...yet...
I do use it on occasion, because, well, it is what it is.