old bob

My professional life took place in several stages: The apprenticeship of a young engineer, trying to practice what he learned at university and gaining his first experiences of junior officer in the industry, The maturation period, as a general consultant working for an association of companies in the oil sector, with the purpose to improve the profitability of the 1'200 members of the association, from small commercial oil distributors to the big heads of several networks of oil storages and gas stations, An initial period of development, with my own agency as a consultant in business strategy , advising major companies in the industry in Switzerland and France as well as government agencies, and participating in the establishment of an international group of engineering in Algeria and the Maghreb. Given my success as a consultant, I thought that I was myself able to conduct my own industrial companies, applying myself the advice I gave to others. So I expanded my activities and became the head and owner of a international group of consultants and, at the same time, of several production and distribution companies in the film industry. Encouraged by my early success, I let myself go, forgetting all caution, and I took too big financial risks. The results were not long in coming. Most of my companies went bankrupt and I lost a lot of money. But I did not lose my friends and with their help, and with my experience and a broad network of contacts, I found myself again owner of a small consulting company. I also learned that it was better to give advices than to apply them oneself. Thus, for over 25 years, I have tried successfully to understand the problems of those who did appeal to me for advice, trying to find a practical answer, easy to implement, showing them the way to dominate their problems, while explaining that they were their own savior, anyone other than themselves being able to get out of their situation. So here some principles, learned from my 60 years of good and bad experiences : - Money does not buy happiness, it is meant to be spent, - True friends are those that you can count on when you are in trouble, - Receive advices is only the first step to success, the most important is how to apply them, - It is not given to everyone to know how to listen quietly before answering. Listening is a difficult art, which can only be learned through experience. Maybe some of you could use these principles for your own well being ?

Wow, what an interesting blog ! About your race, to find that your strength is no longer what it was last year is not a failure, but the recognition of a fact, with which it is possible to live without any other difficulty than a small wound in your self-esteem. About your work, your problem is easy to define : Your boss want that you should climb the corporate ladder, which means more responsabilities, more work and better pay. Yourself, you find "the red tape" annoying and wish you could stay where you are, right ? Suppose for a moment that you are your boss. What would you think of an employee who refuses to grow ? You should not be surprised if you are on an ejection seat. Either you accept his proposal, or you start to look for another job. That's your choice, think of it. About your other "life" problems, congrats to you ! You are on the right way, accepting yourself and trying to get the others non only to accept you with all aspects of your true nature, but to be proud of you (as you are yourself) to have the courage to go your way as you think best.

A suggestion to reduce the pain : acupuncture ! see here . some people around me made positive experiences. BTW, you see, it always pay to be optimistic .

I also like rain, and even more stormy weather. I makes me free, enjoying to be alive.

Dont be afraid of drugs addiction. I use Aprazolam since years, without any problem, and I dont think to stop it. It helps a lot. The best thing : I always see "la vie en rose" (a french expression meaning "the life in pink", or "a more enjoyable life".

childhood dreams... long, long ago. When I was 14, I wanted ro be a fighter, a knight. Later, when I was 18, I wanted to be an engineer, the main reason being that the best Institute of Technology was about 300 km far from home and I wanted to leave so far as possible from my rents ! Even later,after the end of my studies, I learned 2 rules to achieve success (to earn money !) : taking some calculated risks, and being ready to work 18 hours per day. I wanted to be rich and I became it . I wanted to find my pleasure in my work and I found it , working sometimes 60 hours a week. When you climb high, you run the risk of falling down quickly and it's sometimes painful. I have experienced this up and down many times. At the end, 64 years later, looking back all these years, my conclusion is that I really became what I wanted to be : a fighter and a knight, not how I imagined when I was 14, but in an other way, a fighter better suited to fighting in business, and a knight to serve all those in need of good advice.

I agree . What about John Wayne ?

I remember the day when I saw her for the first time in "Some Like It Hot" (1959 !) (for the youngsters : Marylin Monroe)

Nephy, sometimes morphine is a must . Dont be afraid to use it, just control how long you take it and make a break if you feel you could become addict. BTW, there are other drugs with the same effect, like Tramadoli hydrochloridum (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tramadol). My wife take it since 3 years (because her back) without problems.

I agree. As usual, James is one of the wisest guy I know here .

It's funny how such a problem could be such a great deal for so many people . There are so many more interesting things to do on a Sunday .

Reading Jung and Freud ? Wow, . now we are at least two here in GA who appreciate psychoanalysis and Analytical Psychology. And not to forget newer writer as James Hillman's archetypal psychology And good luck for a new job... and a new car.

It's a sad story... but James's comment resume everything. The main point is : can american people do more to fight all these pseudo-therapies ? I doubt it, as long as the religious sentiment is so widespread in some circles. How many of such cases we dont know about ?

:music: HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIC :music: Enjoy your day, enjoy your life; you are at the best age, combining the maturity you earned with the youth you still have .

Thanks a lot for all your wishes . It warms my heart to have so many people who care about an old chap . My day was illuminated by your comments, especially as the party itself had to be postponed till end of June, or even later. It was too difficult to find a date convenient for all the 28 family members I wanted to be present . It doesnt matter, it was still a nice birthday .

hobbies ? I have no one "just for the moment". But, as I said in former blogs, A big one is expecting me : writing the story of ma familiy from 1750 to today, from my great-great-grandparents to my children. I have a documentation of about 3000 documents; 500 of them are already classified and the canvas of the story is also already written. The advantage of such an hobby : I can work at it at my own space, and the work is varied : collect the informations, classify them, make copies of the originals, divid the text in chapters...and write, the only work that need concentration and at least enough continuous hours.

During the last 4 months, I participated in the life of GA with 10 blogs, 6 of them dealing with death problems. It's horrible ! Fortunately, the last blog dealt mainly with the future. Today, I forget the past and also the long term future. I only care what will happen in the next weeks. In exactly one week, next Friday, this will be my birthday. I do not know what my wife and my children are planning to prepare. I dont like too large family celebrations but I'll let them do what they want, it's not my main problem. My real problem, it's the new mandates that I just received. For months, I've never had so much work to do. My clients seem to forget that I am no more 40 years old . Anyway, it's therefore necessary that I should also forget it ! But it is not always easy, especially in the morning, when I have to get up, while the warmth of the bed is holding me back. I often wonder why people come to an old man like me. Maybe my rates are too low and that I should ask for more fees ? But why be more expensive when I dont need more money ?... and the pleasure of working for old friends is far more important than money. With many years experience, it is easier to find good solutions quickly. I work perhaps more quickly than younger others. I forgot most of the theories I had to learn and the years of practice allow me to more easily find the right path. Fortunately, I have no other hobby that my work, I can work at my own pace, and that's what makes me happy.

I'm sure you felt much better after have written this blog. Tantrum is often the best way to bring everything in order. Believe me, I practice it almost every week. People around me are used to it, they laugh mostly and dont fear my reaction. BTW, laughing about oneself is fun. You just have to try... Good luck.

You have a good taste, even for a conservative .

I'm also with you. I know what it means to be where you are. Keep faith, take the days step by step, as you certainly do . I'm sure the end of this dark tunnel is not so far away.

Thanks to all of you for your kind comments . I am who I am, not better as many, many others. "pluck the day" is my motto, as I said many times .

The state of things being what they are, I must first take stock of the present. The experience of my life is a significant asset. I learned that you should always face, never lose heart and that every setback has also good sides. I experienced a succession of joys, my marriage, the birth of 4 children, the support my wife gave me in the dark moments of my professional life, and also a succession of misfortunes, disease (AIDS) of my daughter and her death, the loss of my fortune as a result of poor investments and, 3 years ago, the death of my eldest son after a heart attack. Today I am pleased to see as often as possible my children, my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren. I adapt the pace of my work in my mood and the demands of my clients, all of whom are longtime friends. My health (the threat of a recurrence of my cancer) is not a problem that keeps me awake. When I see the world situation, the political and economic difficulties of countries around the mine, I think I'm very lucky to live in Switzerland, in a peaceful and whealthy country. It is a great chance to still have my wife beside me, to know, among other tasks, that she's watching me, helping me to not forget my appointments, and trying to correct my faults as well as possible (It’s an hard work !). Despite my age, I feel I still have time to enjoy life, to still be in service to others, to be able to help by my advices and my example all those who are depressed, sad or gloomy. It’s easier to forecast one’s future when you are 82. I know time is short, but I also know that we can enjoy life to the fullest when death becomes closer. In summary, I cannot imagine my future to be other than my past. I built my life with passion and the same passion takes me into a future that I hope to be as interesting as my past was. Long life to all of you who have the same faith as me in their future :2hands:.

really beautiful . I could imagine that this poem is the strong expression of a true experience ?

This is a goal of great worth . Just not forget that this is a hard path, you need self confidence, you need good friends, you need fierceness in your behavior. I wish you good luck in your new future. I am sure you will have all what you need to be successful