You lookin' at me??

My sister-in-law used to have a cat that looked like the one in the picture to your left there. All fat and fuzzy and lazy. She named him “Randell,” which I always thought was a kinda odd name for a cat, but hey, it was hers.

This cat also makes me think of the smug, orange shape-shifting cat character in one of my oldest daughter’s best pieces of writing who paranormally knows how to flip people off.

My sister has a bunch of cats, but I have none. Why? I don’t really like cats all that much. They climb on things they shouldn’t, constantly stay underfoot, and their fur flies everywhere. Up your nose, in your throat — pretty soon you’ll be hacking up hairballs just like your favored feline. Ugh.

But this post isn’t about who has cats or don’t, who likes cats or doesn’t like them, or even the ever-living debate over which pet is smarter – cats or dogs. Nope. Instead, this post is all about skinning cats. And the fact there is always more than one way to do it.

This post is also related to success, to Internet Marketing, and a whole score of other subjects because I’m going to say, “Don’t let thinking there is only one way to do things hold you back!” Or rather, “Yes, there is more than one way to skin a cat.” So let’s get to it…

We’ll start with — brushing your teeth. How do you do it? There are basic steps, and from toddlerhood, most of us know them. “Get toothbrush, apply toothpaste to brush, put toothbrush in mouth and squiggle it around on your teeth, remove and rinse toothbrush, rinse mouth. Done.”

Basic steps. Then, there are the complications, the 1,001 things that someone came up with to make brushing teeth harder than it has to be.

Which toothbrush is BEST? Which toothpaste? Do you squeeze the tube from the top, middle, or bottom? How much toothpaste should I use? Do I really “have” to put the cap back on the toothpaste? Must I use mouthwash, or will a plain water rinse do? How about baking soda? Peroxide? Will my gums bleed if I scratch them with my toothbrush, and is this normal or bad?

I could go on and on, but I’m ready to move off the topic of dental hygiene. Let’s talk about success instead…

Success is one of those things that mean different things to different people. For some, it’s about being able to toss their alarm clock out the window — not have to get up on someone else’s time. Others think it’s about having tons of money. For some, success is all about fame and prestige. Then there are those who think success is about winning, no matter how you fudge the game to make that win. And there is a way to manage all of those…but not all those ways will be the same for every person.

Yes, you can reach, find, manage, or become a success. Yes, you can clean your teeth and no, the way someone else says you have to do it is not the only way it can be done. You can opt for the simple route – straight from here to there. Or you can take the scenic route, enjoying the picturesque landscape along the way, or you can put on your survival clothes and hack your way through the dark and dangerous unknown territory … and STILL get there.

There is always more than one way to skin a cat.

Take blogs, for example (since I’m writing this post for one). You want to put a blog on your website. How do you do that? Well, you could use the Fantastico one-click method if it’s available. You could upload it manually, via FTP (if you know how) or you could pay someone else to do it for you — or you could barter with someone else – trade value for value, and get them to do it for you.

Those are the “off the top of my head” ways to skin the blog installation cat. But either way you go, there are still choices to be made. Which host offers Fantastico’s easy one-click? Which FTP program do I use? How much should I pay to have it done? What can I barter? WHY DO I EVEN WANT A BLOG?

The questions can get annoying for some. For others, they thrive on that stuff. Some prefer basic steps, some love the convoluted, “give me a challenge” path. Some just wanna get it done without ever touching it themselves. And all those work. There is more than one way to get a blog online.

Let’s look at goals. We all have them. A something we want to achieve. There are often obstacles between you and your goal. You have choices to make, even without defining things out to the minute details. How do you get past the obstacles to your goal? Go under them? Over them? Around them? Through them? Or do you get someone else to remove them for you? Doesn’t really matter which way you choose (except for the karma effect: beware evil), you can GET THERE. You can achieve the goal.

You’ll hear people mention “ways.” There’s good ways, bad ways, dumb ways, smart ways, slow ways, fast ways, your way, my way, the “best” way…but keep in mind, each of those “ways” will eventually get you there if you just do it. Start, and persevere until you reach the goal.

Don’t let the multitude of highways you could drive on hold you back from taking the trip to start with. There is more than one way to reach the goal, to get where you’re going. There is more than one way to skin a cat.

By the way, even though I don’t care much for cats of the feline variety, I have never actually skinned one.

Have a good day!