Common Sense

What is common sense? You can have book smarts but no common sense.

I define common sense as street smarts, street smarts meaning surviving outside of your books and career. Day to day life, knowing how to handle situations. Sound practical judgement. Read that last word, JUDGEMENT. Sometimes a situation calls for some good old fashioned common sense. Like today, we were reading the label for a specific fever/pain reducer with a sleep aid added in it. The label tells you the specific medication may cause drowsiness, not to drive or operate heavy machinery and don't take other sleep aids with it. Really? It's a sleep aid, I kind of knew it would cause drowsiness, and figured driving while sleeping wasn't a good idea and really? Mixing 2 sleep aids is just dangerous, so if these things are common sense why are they added to the bottle?

The thing that I find sad is how people who lack common sense are treated. I'm an educated woman, I have a degree in Medical Assisting, I also am certified in Medical Assisting, I am certified in infant/child/adult CPR as well as the defibrillator, I know the Heimlich maneuver, and had a GPA of 3.7 throughout high school, 3.8 throughout college. I am a mother to a special needs child, a wife, sister, daughter, 3rd degree brown belt in Karate (had to throw that in). So, because I am educated do I have common sense? I would like to think so, others may disagree. My daddy used to tell me I was book smart but not street smart, but then again he held a similar opinion of my husband, so you can't go by his opinion. But I have seen people make bad judgement calls and instead of helping them, they're ridiculed or laughed at. This takes me full circle back to a previous post about loving your neighbor. We are here to be happy, not be the butt of someones joke. Why are so many people making these bad decisions? Could it be parenting? Sure, if you never teach your child the dangers of drugs they may make the bad judgement of taking them. Is it friends? Sure, if you have the wrong kind of friends, you could be pressured to make a decision that's bad. So how do you formulate a good judgement call when you're faced with a bad situation?

First thing is dare to be different. If something seems like a bad idea, don't do it. Even if your friends/family/parents are. You're the only you the world will ever know, so why ruin that by getting yourself in trouble?

If something looks like it's too good to be true, than it probably is. Don't be caught up in these schemes.

Think before you react. This is the biggest piece of advice I can give. I have a standing joke when I fly off at the handle "Danger, mouth works faster than the mind"

My thoughts for today? IF you see someone making bad decisions, instead of spreading the gossip around, give them a hand. Help guide them. This doesn't have to be spiritually either. Be you and no one else. Have fun and be mindful of others. Stand your ground, don't be pressured into something you know is bad. Last but not least, Love. Without love the world would be pretty boring.