This document printed from the University
of Illinois Extension Tent Poles at http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/macon/
Are you doing as much as possible?
March 24, 2004
Rexlyn Nicole
Community and Economic Development Program Coordinator
Macon County Unit 2535 Millikin Parkway
Decatur, IL 62526
Phone: 217-877-6042
FAX: 217-877-4564 rxnicole@uiuc.edu
Everyone is getting ahead but me. We all suffer from this one. Whether it is trying to lose weight, trying to finish a project or trying to find a job.
There always seems to be someone who is ahead of you and got there with little or no effort. But what we tend to overlook is where we are. How hard are you trying to achieve the same goal? Is the same goal realistic? Do you know that the other guy started at the same point? Are you letting your emotions get in the way of what you are trying to accomplish? At times we tend to tax ourselves with the 'poor me' syndrome when we are frustrated or disappointed.
But we fail to do that when we are ahead. Look deeper into the question that you are baiting yourself with, and ask this one. Is the helping hand at the end of my wrist doing as much as it can do? If the answer is no, then get busy. And if the answer is yes, then perhaps a more realistic goal needs to be set.
If you look at life as a tent, do you know the importance of tent poles? When putting up the tent, the tent poles are hard to deal with, they are cumbersome and yet without them, there is no tent. The tent poles are there for support. They are the backbone of the tent. They are the foundation of the cover against the storm while camping. Tent poles are in your every day life as well. They are there propping you up when times are tough. Do you know who and what your tent poles are?
