opinion Archives - Liz Esquirol

Not a fan of ‘cians

As the political season heats up, I would like to declare something this Two Cents Tuesday – and here goes – I’m not a big fan of Politicians.

Oh I know – discussions of politics is high on the list of what to avoid with friends, colleagues and family. And I understand why – it’s a polarizing subject – with strong emotion attached.

But if we are all honest, many of us would say we dislike politicians. I know why I do – because I view them as magicians without tricks. I can see up their sleeves. The outward appearance may be that they are in it to help you, me, the community. But are they really? I’m a skeptic. Think about it – they make promises they can NEVER keep, they say what they think the voters want to hear, they tout their abilities to get things done (but we all know it takes a governing “body” of folks to get things done and that no Lone Ranger can create true change.) They are well-dressed, well-rehearsed talking heads. And the worst thing is – that it’s so transparent.

I want to believe them so badly. I really do. I want to have faith that the next guy or gal in office will do better – that they will have the will of the people at the top of their agenda. Unfortunately, we are so often let down – through their actions, through the web of bureaucracy that ties our political system into knots.

I have a proposal – I suggest that if you’re running for office, don’t tell me anything. Shrug your shoulders and let your message be “I’ll give it a shot.” And if you don’t make good on what we expected of you, you give the taxpayers a refund – of your salary the entire time you were in office. That sounds like a bi-partisan policy I can back.

I will vote when it comes time as it’s my civic duty and a privilege. But it’s hard to pull the lever when I’m crossing my fingers. – BB

Two Cents Tuesday

Self-Improvement for Dummies

It’s Two Cents Tuesday….

I was at Barnes and Noble recently and I beelined to one of my favorite areas to browse -the “Self-Improvement” section. Not Self-Help, but Self-Improvement (that is how the B&N folks catalog this category.) I guess the heading Self-Help sounds too desperate. Improvement sounds uplifting and doable – like Home Improvement…”How to Fix Your Life with a Ladder and Hammer” – now that’s a book I can get behind. (Not a real title, but I may consider writing it.)

I mostly love these books because I’m a researcher but also because they make me smile with their claims to improve me, make me happier, richer, smarter, and more lovable. Really?

Happiness.

How many titles are there for books on happiness? Thousands…and thousands more. Happy – 5 letters that cause so much human concern – to achieve this “state” of happiness. I can save all of us a TON of money by saying quite simply, happiness is not a state you achieve or destination you arrive at – it is a feeling, an emotion that sweeps over you, at moments…it is not a consistent mindset or a plastered smile across one’s face (that would be creepy)…it is just one piece of the emotional pie.

Here are some actual titles on the shelves:

14,000 Things to Be Happy About
365 Ways to Live Happy
Happy For No Reason (pretty much sums it up, no?)
The Happy Book
Authentic Happiness
Choosing Happiness
Choose to Be Happy (lots of choosing going on)
Stumbling on Happiness
Happy – Simple Steps for Getting the Life You Want
A Short Guide to a Happy Life
How to Be Happy, Dammit (I guess you can be angry AND happy)

Beyond happiness, there are titles about Power…

Hidden Power
Tapping the Power Within
The Power of Intention
Unlimited Power

And a plethora of titles to help “improve” you even more….

1,001 Ways to Live in the Moment
What French Women Know
The Courage to Be Brilliant
Mojo Makeover: 4 Weeks to a Sexier You
Quiet Your Mind
59 Seconds – Change Your Life in Under a Minute (now this I gotta see!)
Live More, Want Less
Emotional Bullshit
Change or Die (not pulling any punches here)
Practical Intuition
A Gold Digger’s Guide (yes, this title was there)
Living Deeply (where? in a well?)
10 Stupid Things Women Do To Mess Up Their Lives
Get Out of Your Own Way
Life After Cigarettes
Think and Grow Rich (if it were that simple, we would all “think” a lot more)
Keep Your Brain Alive (good thinkin’)

And this awesome Pulitzer-Prize winning title by Shannen Doherty “Badass: A Hard- Earned Guide to Living Life With Style and (the Right) Attitude.” With style and attitude – a guide from the self-proclaimed Badass herself….hmm, I will be sure to put that on the top of my reading list.

Again…really??
Next to the four Improvement shelves, are three shelves for Psychology, two for Relationships, one for Sexuality and one for Addiction/Recovery. Lots and lots of reading to be done.

But – my very FAVORITE was seeing the “For Dummies” series in the Psychology section:

Schizophrenia For Dummies
Borderline Personality Disorder For Dummies
Overcoming Anxiety For Dummies
Bipolar Disorder For Dummies
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder For Dummies
Depression For Dummies (what’s in here – Hey, snap out of it you lug!)
Anger Management For Dummies
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies

I don’t know about you, but I prefer my psychologist or therapist to have degrees lining their walls – not the For Dummies collection on their bookshelves. Schizophrenia for Dummies??? Sounds like a bad documentary on the life of a ventriloquist. And I’m not really sure these encyclopedias can cure my bipolar disorder or quell the anger rising up in me at just the thought of these books.

I’m not making fun…I’m just shocked…well, slightly. I need to take a deep breath…I’m sure there is a book on one of these shelves that can bring me back to my zen state….oh yes, see books on Happiness above.

Just my two copper coins for today. – BB

Two Cents Tuesday

Buddha Balboa is starting Two Cents Tuesday– a day I/we get to throw our 2 cents into the fountain.

We all have something to say. Our two cents.

I think it is the fundamental need of people – to be HEARD. Listened to, yes, but moreso heard. How else can you explain the explosion of blogging, Twitter, Facebook, reality television and YouTube?

So today I have some “cents” to spend…

First impressions are everything. Nothing else needs to be said here. Make a good one.

You either exude a positive or a negative energy about you…make that choice. How do you want to be known?

Awesome quote – “Live as if you were to die tomorrow; learn as if you were to live forever.” – Gandhi. Most of us have heard the first part – to live each day to it’s fullest, as if it’s your last….BUT, learn as if you were to live forever? How cool is that? That message – to keep learning….and my belief, is that as long as you live, if you are open to it, you WILL keep on learning…evolving. Life is a learning experience. We don’t reach some invisible finish line where we should stop absorbing, questioning, wondering. Being curious is being alive. Learn everything – learn as if you were to live forever. I love it.

That’s three cents actually. Inflation. And I have a lot to say.

Send me your 2 cents worth – what’s on your mind? – BB