You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes, you get what you need.
          - Rolling Stones

Many people go through their lives constantly focusing on what they "should" be doing pretty much every minute of every day. It's exhausting. In fact, right now, I'm fretting about the fact that I should have put up Computor Companion about 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, life sort of got in the way.

The delay in releasing this issue got me thinking about the fact that any time you use the word "should," you enter a mental danger zone. Whenever you think somebody "should" do something, you are probably setting yourself up for disappointment. Many marriages have fallen by the wayside because the husband and wife kept living in this state of Great Expectations. When expectations aren't met (i.e. when what you thought "should" happen, didn't) tempers flare, stress ensues, and general unhappiness prevails.

Realistically, people are going to do what they do, and things are going to happen when they happen. I'm going to get Computor Companion online this week and everything will be fine. I wish I could say that it all happened without any stress, but I'm not quite that evolved.

After all, we all have only a certain number of hours every day and only 60 minutes in an hour. Yet I continue to put way more things on my to do list than I can ever get done in a day. Maybe it's because all those productivity experts say you should (see there's that word again) "make every minute count" and stuff like that. In the real world, I think pretty much everyone needs some down time too.

When you are constantly focused on what isn't happening or what you haven't gotten done yet, you spend a lot of time feeling depressed. Being depressed makes you less productive, so you get even less done than you hoped. In other words, "shoulding all over yourself" actually makes matters worse.

In the big scheme of things, the world will still continue to spin on its axis if you don't get that report done or need to take off work early to spend time with your kids. While the fall weather is lovely, give yourself a break. In fact, right now, I'm going to wander through the dappled shade of the forest and watch a bunch of goofy canines as they gallop through the fallen leaves.

After all, Computor Companion will still be here when I get back.

Susan Daffron
Editor