Everyday Systems: nosdiet: message 2424 of 3212

Note: This is an archived message from our old discussion software. Join the current discussion here.

    


--- In , Reinhard Engels 
<beautiful_idiot@y...> wrote:
> Seriously, I hope these have been constructive
> failures. I hope you've learned something from them
> and are really getting closer.
....what you and the others have termed "constructive failures" is 

what I am always yammering on about when I say "setback". By using 

the word "failure", *I* personally feel bummed out and that this 

word is unnecessarily judgemental...which isn't too helpful when we 
are trying to be our own "rooting section"....It's way too much like 

a self inflicted thrashing.. In addition, it also doesn't include 
the underlying premise that we are continuing onward, whereas 
setback is more semantically positive all around..... Say the words 
to yourself next time you don't stick to the rules, and see how each 
produces a very different psychological outcome....
You can choose to say "I failed" (contstructive or otherwise)
or "I had a setback"....
My second degree after music, and before Massage Therapy, was a 
Masters degree (which only lacks a thesis! LOL, maybe in my next 
life :) from Columbia University in Teaching English as a second 
language.... My very favorite course was introduction to Linguistics 
and Semantics.... the right word can make or break the meaning and 
desired outcome.... failure, no matter how dressed up in nice 
modifiers like "constructive" is a very negative choice of word. It 

feels devoid of hope on the horizon... Infact it feels as if there 
is no horizon at all... Well semantic food for thought my librarian 
friend... Any other great ideas people? It's getting a little quiet 
out there, ha ha!.. besides my blabbermouth compadre Jools and 
little Sambo :) 
Oh last little comment so I don't go into machine gun mode again, I 
measured my waist after the Hannukah latke and post roast beef 
massacre, since my scale is dearly departed to a dumpyard in the 
sky, and *THE WAIST STAYED THE SAME* ha ha! So I can safely assume 
that I didn't really gain too much, and if I did it was minimal if 
nothing at all...And the last few days have been pretty sketchy.. 
Now for the rest of my life :)
I have great hopes and belief that within this year, sometime, I 
will see some great improvements, and they will all come from real, 
unadulterated hard work and perseverence... All I see is "green 
light go!"
Love,
Deb