George Carlin had a unique perspective on life. The title of this piece, although maybe not as well known as some of his other sayings, is no less profound.
Even if you aren't one of them, we all know people in this world who have a need to be involved in everything. I, most definitely, am not one of them, and I often feel tempted to tranquilize those that are. There are many things I don't know much about, tasks I can't perform, people I don't know, and a large volume of stuff I simply don't care about because I don't feel a need to.
There are meetings I don't need to attend (although sometimes I have to in order to make other people happy), decisions I don't need to make (although others should) and things that other people may find important that I don't need to expend energy upon. One of the most valuable skills I have developed in life is how to say "no" without feeling guilty all of the time. While my job involves 24/7 accountability, I work with a lot of good people whom I respect and trust to make good decisions, and I am fortunate in that this is what happens most of the time. When things go wrong, I deal with it, but I also have a life outside of work that I value.
That's why I get opportunities to sit on the curb and clap. I hope you get chances to do the same.
