The Long Road to Slug-cess

There is a widely-coveted phenomenon known as Success, and a not-so-popular, stagnate one full of slugs, mosquito larvae, and foul-smelling dishwater. Day after day, I study the difference between the two and have concluded that Success, and its doppelganger Slug-cess, are both realized through long and winding roads. Sometimes the roads intertwine. The most important thing we can do, however, is stay focused on our goals, and press forward through perseverance and hard work.

The art of Slug-cess promotes the exact opposite. Its ideology is to half ass—or even kiss ass—to live a life with as little responsibility as possible. You can probably think of a few co-workers who fit this description! They’re the ones who land a job and do the exact same thing for 30 years. The only other skill they acquire is effective brown-nosing. But as long as they get a paycheck every week, they see no need for self-improvement. They have no desire to be greater, or to do anything greater.

As such, they eventually reap the spoils of slug-cess. They report to several bosses but never become the boss, themselves. They experience two or three raises that amount to a few bucks. Then they retire, get a gold watch, and continue to struggle for their remaining days. And that’s if their lucky! The all-too-often alternative is when their effective brown-nosing proves to be ineffective, and they’re laid off before they can retire. They now have to compete with a younger, more talented workforce.

Perhaps under normal circumstances, one could understand this complaint. Furlough can happen to anyone, especially in a depressed economy. But the problem with slug-cess is its history of complaining. Some people complain all the time; they never once consider they may be the problem. They get too comfortable and it shows in their work. The quality of what they produce begins to diminish, and if they interface with people, they are often rude and obnoxious (i.e., the good folks running the post office and public transportation). Their attitudes are slimy and they’re full of excuses.

In some cases, The Man and technology ARE the cause of our current economic conditions. And then sometimes, folks just have it coming. You get what you put in. Complaints and excuses are the characteristics of oily slugs; driven by heavy rainfall, and burnt up the moment sunlight gazes their way.

It takes a LOT of energy to be slug-cessful! Why not use it that energy to become successful? As mentioned in an earlier post, success is nothing more than setting a goal and reaching it. But it can’t be done through complaining and outright laziness. Let’s stop making excuses and become the successful people we were meant to be!

This is your Monday Unleaded for the week of May 5, 2013. Have a productive week!

Git Up, Git Out – OutKast featuring Goodie Mob