“A great man(woman) is hard on him(her)self; a small man(woman) is hard on others.”

Confucius

Ever hear the one about the two gym-goers? One’s breaking a sweat lifting heavy weights, the other’s breaking a sweat lifting heavy criticisms. Guess who’s building more muscle? Confucius had it right.

The Bard Dad

Lifting Weights and Criticisms: A Tale of Two Men”

Gather round folks, for a story with a twist, packed with wisdom from none other than Confucius himself, and sprinkled with a dash of my own #BardDadWisdom.

Imagine a gym – a modern temple of self-improvement. In one corner, we have Larry. Larry is a massive man, a giant in more ways than one. He’s lifting weights, each one heavier than the last, pushing his limits, drenched in sweat, and wearing a grimace that would scare off a bear.

Now, let’s mosey on over to another corner where we find Gary. Gary isn’t lifting weights. No, Gary is lifting criticisms. He’s pointing out everyone’s wrong postures, incorrect grips, or unbalanced diets. He’s not breaking a sweat from exertion, but from the effort of scrutinizing everyone else.

In Gary’s mind, he’s the gym’s unsolicited consultant, a living, breathing Yelp review. To others, well, he’s just Gary, the human magnifying glass.

Confucius once said, “A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” Larry and Gary, my friends, are the living embodiments of this wisdom. One’s building muscle, and the other’s building… well, let’s just say it’s not something you can flex.

By now, you might be thinking, “Okay, Bard Dad, we get it. Be more like Larry and less like Gary.” But wait, there’s more to this story. You see, we’re not just talking about physical weights and criticisms here. This gym is a metaphor for life.

We all have our weights to lift – personal goals, self-improvement, mastering that one tricky dad joke. And we also have a choice – to focus on our weights or to start lifting criticisms.

So, next time you find yourself becoming a Gary, remember, it’s easier to flex muscles than criticisms. And if you’re a Larry, keep lifting! Just remember to stretch first – don’t want you to pull a muscle laughing at my next dad joke.

And remember, folks, whether you’re lifting weights or lifting spirits, it’s all about being a ‘great man’, and by ‘man’, I mean ‘person’, naturally. So let’s sweat the right stuff and leave the rest to Confucius and your friendly neighborhood Bard Dad. ???????? #BardDadWisdom