What's It Your Business

What's It Your Business

There is a line in the movie Annie Hall where Alfie (played by a young Woody Alan) is living under a train that rattles his apartment all day long.  Alfie is in deep depression and his Jewish mother takes him to see a Psychiatrist. The Psychiatrist asks Alfie why he thinks he is so depressed. Alfie answers: "I'm depressed because the universe is expanding." His mother then yells at Alfie: "what's it your business."


If you don't get the reason that line is very funny it's probably because you didn't grow up with a Jewish mother. Most mothers of any race want to be proud of their children. They want everyone to believe their children are the best looking, the smartest and the happiest child in the world. If any of that is not true, then the mother believes she is a failure. Therefore, Jewish, Italian, French, Muslim, etc.etc. do all they can to fix any child that is not happy. 


One way to fix a child that has problems with school kids, is unhappy all the time, sees the future as negative or wants everyone to love him is to tell him to ignore the problems by saying: "what's it your business."


The interesting thing about this way of dealing with her child is the mother is absolutely right. How many things do you get involved in that make you unhappy? How many times do you see others doing something wrong and that pisses you off? How many times do you want the outside world to treat you better? I could go on and on, but "what's it your business."


The challenge is to focus on your shit not their shit. We have a hard enough time getting through the day with a smile on our face. What we don't need is someone else's problems, attitude, depression, etc. etc. holding us back from our goal of happiness. However, it's very hard to ignore them because they are many times a mirror of what's going on inside ourselves.


As children we can be motivated by our parents. That could be for the good, the bad or the evil. However, as adults we have to take charge of our feelings. It does us no good to say: "I'm an unhappy person because my mother.....  Taking charge of your career and your life has to be your goal. I'll say it again and again; you have more control of your happiness than you think.


Sooo, when you're involved with an event that makes you unhappy, try saying: "what's it my business." When you're involved with someone who is doing things they shouldn't be doing and it's affecting you in a negative way, try saying: "what's it my business." 


Lastly, when someone you care about comes to you and says: "I'm unhappy because my parents did a piss poor job of raising me and my sister," you should yell back at them:

"What's It Your Business"