Hypnotising! What Stupid things are you telling your self?

In a back yard, delivering daylight, and there were other trades there too.  A concreter and his mate cutting, spreading then painting cement.  Gave my standard greeting.  "So are you having fun" followed by a smile and a nod.  He tilted his head gave me one of those "what are you talking about you idiot" looks which I took to mean he didn't hear me so I asked again. "Are you having fun" and then clarified. "I mean are you enjoying yourself?"

He took a deep breath then let out a growl which I thought was his reply until he spat out. "You can't have fun when you're making money."  Well that stopped me dead on the spot and unlike me I opened my mouth with no idea what to say so I stumbled with this. "Really do you really believe that?"  And another growl.  I looked to his left at our customer, both his and mine, listening in and again had nothing to say.

And the scene changes to half a dozen months ago on another site with many trades about.  Standing by a painter, both looking out the window at a concreter sitting in the front of his truck waiting for his slab to dry.  He turned to me and said "Times have completely changed.  I was not that many years ago, when you saw a concreter in the front of his truck, he was guaranteed to have a stubbie in his hand."  He laughed at his own joke and I thought to myself just how much of a joke it really was.

And the scene changes to a dozen years before in another persons' home. It was the first job of the day 7.00am  The driveway taped and ready for the paint and the concreters sitting in their Gemini station wagon watching and waiting.  I guessed that at this time the dew on the pad was why they could not start.  So when an hour and a half had passed and I was ready to leave I was curious.  OK I was being nosey, so I walked over to ask.  Is there something about the driveway that is making them wait. His answer.  "No mate we just had a six pack that we wanted to finish before we got started on it.

And back to just a few days ago as I sat at the end of the job having a cupper and cake and we discussed what was said.  I said that it can be difficult to find tradies that will talk to the customer like the boss does.  "He was the boss, the owner of his business."  I was told.

The next sound I heard was my jaw hitting the table.

It is here that I am supposed to come up with a great ending and some miracle cure that will help our young concreter friend.  I don't.  I am just happy that I can now recognise that he has been hypnotizing himself into believing that there can be no enjoyment for one third of his life.  I am happy too that once upon a time I had thoughts like that and they have been driven away by some that see me happy almost every day.

What hypnotising thoughts do you have?  What do you tell yourself?  Over & over again.   

Steve Anderson:  0413 704 891