The O’Toole Chronicles: Ruining a Good Thing

The premise of today’s column is that life is good, so let’s not do something and ruin a good thing.

How many of us get to wake up every day and jump for absolute joy as we race toward a new day? Now, in the midst of the crazy world we inhabit, it is incumbent on us to really take stock in our lives and enjoy the day. If you have a meaningful job, great family and cool friends, who could ask for more?

Caution of the day—if life is grand and you love what you are doing, love the world that embraces you, appreciate it and don’t do something that will ruin a good thing. The problem is that we know a person or two will take a perfect

life, unnecessarily tinker, pine for more, not appreciate what is in front of them, or otherwise self-sabotage their own good fortunes.

In my walks of life, I am fortunate to run into people of all types, including those individuals who have a great life but somehow, someway, they feel compelled to do something stupid to ruin something special. I guess with age, comes a proportional appreciation of the life that surrounds us, so I enthusiastically write this cautionary tale today to help inform others that they shouldn’t do something reckless in life to ruin a good thing.

Let’s get to that blackboard.

If you are married and surfing merrily through life, don’t be that person who thinks that the proverbial grass is greener alone or with another partner—guess what, those mid-life crises usually never work out and, in the end, you are more miserable and you punish the family and friends who are living in that shattered wreckage. Now that isn’t personal experience talking, rather it is hearing from a number of broken hearts who took an ill-advised leap of faith and came crashing down to earth, far more miserable and definitely with deep regret. We all know that person.

How does this sound? If you have a great job, work it hard, enjoy the specialness of that craft and work hard to move forward, why gaze into that crystal ball and hope for something so different? There is nothing with measured ambition but changing a career mid-life has some drawbacks.

As for the angry naysayers, I can’t tell you how many times I have watched individuals work and are angry and upset with their lot in life yet do nothing to improve other than complain and gossip about others who are advancing and living their best life. Newsflash, this isn’t very productive, and I promise you that it won’t improve your professional or personal fortunes. This holds particularly true if you are in politics. Enjoy the position you are in, make the most of the opportunity and be joyful if another opportunity comes to you, without pining away, yearning for that next opportunity.

I can tell you a tale or two about that hard-driven politician who wins the big race one day and within 48 hours starts plotting for the next higher office. Unwise and unhealthy. Again, it is good to have ambition but don’t let that drive interfere with living in the now.

I recognize that we all live in a time where the commercial world beckons us to keep up with the Joneses; that isn’t a healthy recipe for any of us. Coming full circle, I once knew someone who would complain about everything in life. As opposed to being grateful for the amazing job that allowed great freedom to balance with work and freely see the kids, enjoy the finer things in life, and make a really good living. I found out that this habitual complainer would whine about every circumstance and ultimately, would never be satisfied with their present situation.

The hard truth is those professional complainers will never be happy and the rest of the world will walk, no make that run, in the opposite direction when they see the toxic complainer heading their way. Go enjoy your magical life!