CobraToon

Once there was an ordinary man. He enjoyed relaxing in the sunshine, time spent alone with his thoughts, watching television and hanging out with friends once a week to play cards. That was his life and he loved every moment. Hoping nothing would ever change, he only desired a life where he could someday look back at those good times. One warm and sunny day, he spent the afternoon at his parents' house. They were visiting relatives and wanted someone to check their home. He would relax in a lounge chair on their tall backyard deck. A light breeze perfectly balanced the heat. Some time later, the man heard strange noises from within the house. Voices, footsteps, heavy bags being set down. A burglar would be more quiet, he assumed. Yet his parents shouldn't be back. Had they called for cleaners? A mechanic? He stood from the lounge chair, not noticing at the time how the chair disappeared behind him. Walking through the door from the deck, he stopped and stared at the people

When did jogging get easy? Okay, not easy, exactly. At some point these sweaty walks got faster, steadier and maybe even routine. The when doesn’t really matter. Now it’s easier than … work, maybe. But work will always be hard. Why else would they pay us. Hustling along the empty sidewalk, the late-morning haze filters the sunlight to a distant warmth. A tiny mail car shoots down the empty street, slowing only when it goes past me. Another streaks through an intersection far ahead. Factory identical houses, one after another. Dirt lots, maybe an unkempt flower bed, empty driveways next to flood floors. Each home has a few visible differences: window curtains, deck furniture and other outdoor garbage mostly. Back when they were built, each of the thousand or so houses in the neighborhood had been painted one of a hundred pastel colors. Are they able to use different colors in other places? I turn at the corner. A few houses down the road, an old lady stands, water can and cutters

I've heard so many people say they want thick skin. Having developed a pretty good thick skin care routine myself, I thought I would share some tips. Frankly, the people I hear wishing they had thick skin seem to have one wrong idea to begin with: they talk like thick skin means being invulnerable to emotional pain. We might call this the Stoic method – Is there any pain right now? I don't notice any. I can't feel pain because I have thick skin. Now I'll admit there's a bit of Stoicism mixed into my thick skin care routine, some “fake it until you make it” confidence that you can gain by believing in the process. But denying pain is not going to help you in the long run. Instead let's think of thick skin as a sort of armor against the pains of the world, something we can put on or take off as needed, with gaps and flexible joints for maneuverability. And just like a quality set of armor, thick skin must be put on in steps. 1) Smile & Laugh Proper thick skin care starts with