A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Hunting Flies" He responded.

"Oh. Killing any?" She asked.

"Yep, 3 males, 2 Females," he replied.

Intrigued, she asked. "How can you tell?"

He responded, "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."

If you were a movie star one of your concerns would be that folks would keep you typecast. You know, not expand your acting roles to include different types of characters.

Whether you know it or not, that happens to all of us in real life, too.

We get to be known by the friends we keep, the places in which we circulate, but most of all by our actions.

It's, too bad, especially when one wants to change and make improvement for while one can become known as a bad character in an instant, becoming a good character takes a lifetime.

One of my favorite sayings is by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Of his many observations he once commented that "Your actions speak so loudly that what you say to the contrary . . . I cannot hear."

Men, generally, I guess, tend to be beer drinkers and ladies have a rep, though I think it is being taken over by men, for being on the phone talking all the time.

Some of the things we do may be humorous. Some may be harmless, yet some will make a direct determination by you as whether people trust you, like you, love you, respect you.

Each of us must, daily, ask how am I being perceived today? Becoming the person you want to be is a daily task of being that person. Maxwell Maltz, author of "Psycho-Cybernetics" says that it takes twenty one days to establish a habit. Whether it takes more or less is not so much the question as continually performing as the person you want to be. Sooner or later it will be such an ingrained habit, that is who you will be.

That is the secret of becoming rich. Everyone of us is like the little gosling newly hatched from the egg. It imprints on the first thing it sees. If that is Momma then the gosling will be a goose.

Every one of us emulates our parents . . EVERYONE OF US. If your parents aren't rich, then neither will you be, until you have this realization and make changes to your thinking patterns. Sorry folks . . . that's just the way it is.

I am one of those who, when asked "How are you?", always responds "Fantastic!", or "Terrific" or, "Wonderful".

Some folks think it phony, only because it is their opinion that no one can feel that good all the time. They think that, of course, because they have never tried it. How little they know.

When I rise in the morning I am happy to see the day, ready to go to work and look forward to whatever is going to happen today. I feel fantastic, I think fantastic and I am fantastic. I feel that all day long and when given the opportunity to re-affirm it by responding to the question . . . . I say "I'm Fantastic! How are you?"

Most often I get, "Oh! Okay I guess!" or "I could be better!" or, "You know, same old, same old!".

Those are actions and that is how these people become known. It is almost as if they are afraid to feel "Fantastic". But, we all make choices, don't we. You can be who you want to be. You need only make the choice. Following the lessons of Eloise would be a wonderful place to start.

If you would be known as happy, healthy, fantastic, helpful, trustworthy, and worthy of respect . . .think . . Act . . and TALK that way.

Are You Typecast?

©2005

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