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Quote of the Day: A Gem in Itself
‘Whatever anyone does or says, I must be emerald and keep my colour.’ – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations.
This phrase, or the gist of it, has been coming to mind a lot lately: ‘I must be emerald’, and keep my character. It conjures up another line of Marcus Aurelius’s, which I think runs, roughly, ‘Everything you hear is an opinion, not a fact’. A useful thought to bear in mind when the dread power of assertion is ever bearing down on you: “I say this is so, therefore it is,” says someone else. “They say it’s so, therefore it must be so” (says you to yourself, says you), even when it’s not. And when confronted by things like that, what can a man do but be emerald?
Whew. Had me worried for a moment, there.
Special Super-Secret Bonus Level – Scraping the Barrel:
‘The sun too penetrates into privies, but is not polluted by them.’ – Diogenes.[1]
[1] : Though, your pardon, ladies and germs, for putting it thuswise.
Published in Group Writing
There is down in the dumps, and then there is down there.
Perhaps we should consult a Specialist?
That quote from Marcus Aurelius is an absolute gem!
Also, this post reminds me that I’ve never wondered about the exact duties of the Lord Privy Seal. Probably just as well.
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No, just no.
Always look on the sunny side, says I:
Once there was the Groom of the King’s Close Stool. He was not only part of the King’s Privy Chamber, he was the straw that stirred that particular drink, as it were.
Heh heh, “duties”.
Literally laughed out loud at this comment. Thanks for that!
How is it that your posts are so perfectly timed?!
I’m elbows deep in a project (not a privy) with a lot of moving parts and a lot of people demanding that their, well, demands be met. Today’s schedule included nine (NINE!) pre-production meetings in our virtual studio and it seemed like everyone was having a bad day. Patience was in short supply, nerves were rattled, fears were loudly expressed.
My nature in these kinds of situations is to exude patience and professionalism, while doing what I can to diffuse tensions and ease fears. Today, I almost fell into a negative spiral with a teammate who was, well, spinning (and not in a fun way, like you did when you were a kid, and spun in a circle until you fell over laughing…) She was upset with our client, started talking badly about them, and I almost joined in. I caught myself and thought very loudly, “this is not you!”
The quote you shared has been posted on the bottom of my iMac to remind me to be emerald.
It’s curious how that happens. And thank you, it’s nice to hear that. Glad to be of service.
But how many bosses do you have?
Well, considering that the clients pay the invoices, a lot. ;)