Still Talking!

I realize it has been awhile. I had to make this short post for all of you, just in case you were wondering where Tamu has been, just in case you were getting restless, just in case you were wondering when the next post was going to come through…well don’t fret...Tamu is still talking!  My slight absence from my blog is not because I’ve had nothing to say..o no! Much needed change has been occurring in my life and it hasn't left me much time to blog! I have noticed my view count continues to rise, so much appreciation to you for that (don’t forget to tell your friends about me!). So, be patient. I will return in a few. We have much to talk about!

No Comparison Part 2

We do ourselves an injustice when we compare our lives to someone else. That comparison is sometimes done without even knowing what a person’s life really looks like behind closed doors. We don’t know the inconveniences that a person has had to face everyday. We don’t know what another has had to deal with emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially to get where they are. There are certain things that I planned to have accomplished by a certain age, but those tasks are still a “work in progress.” What remains a “work in progress” for me, is an accomplished mission for some around me. When I look in the mirror I still see a successful person. I know that had I accomplished what I thought I should have accomplished by now then perhaps I wouldn’t have been able to have the experiences that I’ve had. I suspect what brings about comparisons comes from what society, and believe it or not, what our family and friends says success is supposed to look like. **Another News Flash** If you have people in your life who say things that make you feel you are less successful because you don’t have certain things or you don’t hold the “right” titles, then have an honest chat with those special ones. Tell them you don’t need their definition of success because you have your own. So class, what did we learn? Stop with the comparisons. Sloppy copies are not allowed. Success is by individual definition only. 

No Comparison Part 1

Define success for yourself. The more I experience in life, the more I hold onto that truth. I bet if you ask anybody the question, “Do you let other’s define success for you?" most people would answer with a proud, “NO.” So why do these same people compare their lives with everyone else’s?  **News Flash** When you compare your life to the life of another, you actually are letting others define success for you.  Some of us have this idea that by a certain age, if we have certain material things, have obtained certain statuses, or hold certain titles, that we, finally, have success. People become edgy when they see something they want and don’t have, but yet see their peers or friends with it. Those people start to question whether or not they have done something wrong or if they are less worthy. Another example: Some women think that by age of 30 they should have a strong career, and be married with at least one and half kids!  They start to become dissatisfied with life because they are noticing that their peers and friends are becoming a part of the “wives club.” (I have witnessed women who start to feel less successful and less womanly just because they haven’t walked down the aisle. How dreadful!) Whatever the comparison, we limit ourselves and the endless possibilities in our own lives go unnoticed. I also believe that when we compare our lives to others, we start to tragically copy. Why would you be a sloppy copy of someone else, when you can be fabulous in your own right?! Stay tuned for Part 2.

The Gift Called Resilience

Not everyone has the ability to recover or to “bounce back,” as some would say, after stressful events. Not everyone can smile or even laugh while enduring tension.  Not everyone can reach for inner strength to continue living a productive life. No situation under the sun is unique to just one person, so what makes one person keep going, while another loses steam? It is called resilience. In my life, I have found during stress, time can either drag or fly by.  When time passed quickly, I did not process what I had actually endured until after the fact. We should give ourselves credit for getting through what has not been easy. In the midst of stress, it is hard to wrap your head around what it really going on. I supposed it is because we are too busy trying to figure out why the mess (another 4 letter word comes to mind, but I’ll be civil) is unfolding. Writing a book is on my list of “things to do.”  I’ve always enjoyed writing since I was a little princess.  I’ve never known exactly what type of book to write and I don’t know where the desire came from.  But as far back as I can remember the desire has always been there.  Well thanks to some stress, I believe I now have some material to write about (whew, wiping my brow!).  People see the carefree and successful you, but they didn’t see the stressful you. To others, you make things look real easy and glamorous!  Do pat yourself on the back for not throwing away your plans, for still opening that business, for still obtaining that degree, for keeping your relationship together, for owning that promotion!  Maybe a pat on the back is not enough for you, maybe you feel like you need to do a back flip!  Just give yourself credit for the spirit you still have, even if no one else does.

LOVE: not the "I love you like a brother" kind

I did my best to stay away from this LOVE topic, because that could easily take my blog into another direction! But I figured I start off with a short post, otherwise it wouldn’t be TamuTalks if I didn’t. So for you men, that maybe secretly reading TamuTalks, please take note. (Side bar: No really, earlier I said TamuTalks is for men also, so please keep reading!) Ok. Here it goes:

Love is the way you feel when he says your name. Love is when he annoys the #### out of you, but yet you do not want him to leave. Love is when you argue, but yet the sound of his voice makes him irresistible. Love is when he makes you angry, but yet you cannot imagine life without him. Love is that warmth you feel when he enters the room. Love is the way you look at each other without saying a word. Love is when you sit on the same side in a booth at a restaurant (the “cheesy” alarm just went off!). Love is when he still stands out in a room full of other attractive men. Love is when life hits hard and he puts your hand inside of his and without saying a word, you know everything will be ok. Love is being blissful to be in each other presence, even when romance is hard to find. Love…to be continued.

Peace of Mind

If you have ever had this before, you know how this feels. Physically, it feels like weights have been lifted off of your shoulders. Peace of mind leads to a lighter heart. If you really pay attention, you even breathe lighter when you have peace of mind. Literally, your head feels lighter! Peace of mind can give you clearer vision. You start to look at situations differently. You start to notice opportunities in bleak situations. You start to feel like you can accomplish anything at anytime because your peace of mind has replaced fear. Peace of mind brings smiles and laughter easier. You’ll even find your talk is different. I’ve had to get myself to this point again. Because life is so full of decisions and options, it has been easy for me to be bombarded with those questions we ask ourselves; you know the ones: How will I know if I make the right decision? Where will this option lead me? Will I fall flat on my face (and chip a tooth)? I’ve been faced with decisions before, and with my peace of mind, I picked what was behind door #2, and moved on. I know I can do the same at this particular time in my life. We have to decide to trust that the decisions we make will work out in our favor. We have to decide to trust that the plans we have made will work out in our favor. After all what else are we going to do? Worry all day? No Thanks. Worrying brings wrinkles and gray hair, neither of which I wear well. So, I’m making a conscious, daily effort to maintain my peace of mind, hope you do the same. **Peace**

Back to the Basics

“If we just get back to the basics and watch how we treat each other, things in the world would be so much better.” This is what someone told me during our conversation we were having about progress and greed. This statement really got me to thinking, “Is it really that simple?” I have tried my best to keep my blog light, so I won’t give a list of all the treacherous things people have done and said to each other, just to get ahead. People make a choice to be dirty. While I’m achieving and progressing, I’m not going to step on anybody in the process. As a matter of fact, when I leave here, I want to be remembered for how I treated people. There’s no need to be ugly. Sometimes we can want to achieve and get ahead so badly, we develop this attitude of “I’m going to get what I want and forget everybody else.” A fine line can develop between this attitude and being malicious. For some, this attitude can just be one of ambition. Being ambitious, however, does not and should not translate into being grimy.  If you feel you have to throw someone under the bus, to get what you want, If you feel you have to down play someone else’s efforts to make yourself look good, If you feel you have to steal someone’s ideas because you feel it takes too long to develop your own, If you feel you have to be condescending to prove your status (whatever status that may be)…..????  Check Yourself! (Just like Ice Cube said in 1993!)

New city. New mind. Maybe.

I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to live in a couple of different cities. When I moved, I realized, after the fact, I did not take full advantage of what the cities had to offer because of my thought patterns. Change is fabulous! Change can bring progress. I’m all for new scenery, new experiences, new surroundings, new people, but before jumping up to move to another city just because you feel you need a change or if you are unhappy, consider a change in your thinking should come first. Changing cities may not necessarily change your mindset. Whatever your habits are, good or bad, those habits follow too. If you are unhappy in one city, you may still be unhappy in the next. I understand that traumatic things happen where we feel we need to leave a city for a new start, but the hurt will follow. You still have to recover. Maybe you have considered relocating because what you want to happen in your life is just not happening for you. (Of course, if you are trying to make a career change, there are cities that are homes to certain industries.) I believe that how we think, how we talk to ourselves, what we say about ourselves, affects every aspect of our lives. I believe our thinking, gives us our demeanor. I believe in the law of attraction; what we think, is what we attract. So moral of this short story, before you decide to pack up, ask yourself, “Is my thinking out of sorts, what am I saying to myself, does my thinking need to be more positive?” Answering truthfully to these questions is an eye-opener, take it from me. But, after answering these questions, you still feel the need to pack up, just relocate to a sunny place with beaches; because that’s the only way I will come and visit! Thanks!

Another Health Edition: Kind of

I am thankful that I have not had any hospital stays.  I’m not suffering from any chronic illnesses. I have been abundantly blessed with good health. I’m conscious of what I put into my body, but I am not extreme. Before I go full force with my rant, let me emphasis this is my opinion. Everyone has to do what they feel they need to do to lead the healthiest lives. Back to where I was: Call me old-fashioned, but I still believe in the well balanced meal with meat, carbohydrates, and vegetables. I do not believe we have to totally omit certain foods from our diets to be our healthiest.  I consider myself a healthy eater. I am not a big fan of beef or pork. But I will inhale a baked piece of chicken or fish. Fried food is not a regular part of my diet, but I can still appreciate a large, fried catfish dinner! Everywhere we look there are articles and books that tell us what we should eat on Tuesdays, and what not to eat on Fridays! There are shakes being marketed, telling us, “Hey, you don’t need food at all. All the nutrients you need is in the shake!” (Ok. I’m exaggerating, but you get the idea.)  We hear food experts tell us what foods we should become blind to. You know those diets that tell us to eliminate carbs. Excuse me, no mac and cheese?!. No thank you! And real quick: how about that one diet that tells us to throw meat out the window..period? Well, I’ve looked into benefits of being a vegetarian, but I will not be moving to “Veganville” anytime soon. I may ruffle some feathers with this, but this diet is the perfect example of being extreme. I believe in eating foods in moderation. Too much of anything is not healthy, there must be balance.  I will say this again because I can: I do not believe we have to totally omit certain foods from our diets to be our healthiest. Now if you decide to go out and eat a carton of ice cream, don’t blame me because I’m not telling you to do that. Remember we are talking about extremes here. We know what foods we may need to cut back on and what foods we may need more of. Eat well. Be moderate. Until next time!

How Free Are You

To be completely comfortable with yourself, your personality, what you like, what you dislike, what excites you, what bores you to tears, accepting who you are, without making excuses, or feeling like you have to explain yourself, is what I call freedom. To know that we are flawed goes without saying. There are books that give ideas on how to work on our flaws and imperfections. I’ve read several of these books, and I’ve found them to be enlightening. I also found that while I was “working on my flaws”, I forgot about all the positive aspects of my personality. I was so focused on my flaws and how I needed to better myself that I no longer appreciated the qualities I had to offer the world. I no longer appreciated my personality. Yes, we should deal with our blemishes head on, but we should also deal with enhancing our positives. It’s no secret that when the good pieces of you are enhanced, the blemishes become smaller. We should also keep from putting the light out on our personalities just to make others feel comfortable. Not cute. Your goal in life is to live…YOU. My goal in life is to live…..ME. I’m the type of person who can mingle and would be comfortable sitting at a table full of strangers. I’m going to talk to someone at that table about something! Because of that fact, I’ve been told that I like being the center of attention. Well, if this aspect of my personality makes another uncomfortable, I can’t do anything about that. So, If you are bold, be bold! If you are life of the party, then be the life of the party! If you are witty, then be witty. Be YOU. Those that are supposed to stick around you will stay and those that leave weren’t supposed to be there in the first place.

Just Take the Compliment

When someone gives you a compliment, what do you say? All together now, “Thank you!” You may be saying, “Tamu, why are you taking us back to toddler years where we learned that rule?” Let me tell you why. We learned to say thank you because it is the proper, socially acceptable thing to do.  But where did we learn to follow up “thank yous” with negatives? Let me present a simple i.e.; let’s say someone says to me, “Tamu, those shoes are fabulous.” Then I respond with, “Thank you, but they are so old.” A perfectly good compliment has just been negated with a “but.” I suspect that some people don’t know how to accept compliments. I also think some people are so concerned with being modest, they feel they have to down play the compliments in some way, as if receiving compliments makes them less modest. Compliments are given for something done well. Another i.e. moment; let’s say you form an event and your guests tell you how wonderful it turned out. How about you just accept the compliment without proclaiming what you did not like about it. When you are good at something, you are just good. Following up a “thank you” with a needless, unconstructive comment, can make you appear unsure of yourself. It can even turn you into a compliment repellent. I’ve given compliments to people and after hearing all the downbeat commentary, I just wanted to just say, “Never mind on that compliment.” There is nothing wrong with accepting compliments and accepting them with a big kool-aid grin. Your acceptance doesn’t make you arrogant. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that people consider what you did, said, or how you look was/is grand! Compliments are one of the very few things in life that are free..so just take them!

Nothing To Do With You

You cannot control decisions a person makes. A person will make decisions to make their life more comfortable as he or she has every right to do so. Sometimes an individual will make decisions without considering how those closest will be affected. So, the decision can make others feel uncomfortable, shocked, and even hurt. This hurt will cause a person to actually blame themselves for the decision another has made. A person can blame themselves to the point of feeling inferior or less valuable. I can go into several scenarios surrounding this idea, which could be the start a book (hmmmm). Anyway, I know from experience, people will make decisions based off of what they want. Questions of “What did I do wrong?” or “How can I change?” can start to take a toll. At some point, no more mental energy should be wasted on “figuring” out why a person made the choice they made. Why? Because the decision did not have anything to do with you. I’m not telling anyone to avoid owning when your wrong-doing influenced a resolve that did cause hurt feelings. That’s different. I’m talking about those decisions that are unexpected, unpleasant surprises. I’m talking about those decisions that interrupt something you got used to, something you thought was good and then this startling decision occurs leaving you to pick your face up off of the floor. It’s okay to be sad and angry for a moment. While you’re moving through those emotions, don’t beat yourself up over someone else’s choices. That person will go on with their choice and with their life. You should do the same.

Don’t Forget To Celebrate

I don’t know about you, but I do not need to be reminded that nothing comes easily in this life.blah..blah..blah. I don’t need to see it posted on an ad, t-shirt, billboard, or a piece of cardboard, nor do I need to hear it in a song. To live the life you want, to obtain the goals you set, it is no mystery that hard work goes with the territory. Time moves so fast, that no sooner you meet one goal, you have already shifted your focus toward your next objective. Sometimes the shift happens with no appreciation shown or celebrating done for what has been accomplished and acquired. I have found myself being drained from work to the point of being left discouraged because the journey to my aspiration had proven to be more difficult than the last. At times, the discouragement settled in to the point of me showing no consideration to what I have already achieved. I even found myself lessening the significance of what I had completed. Side note: Discouragement is a dreadful something if not dealt with. Don’t fret, I snapped out of it! I had to ask myself, does it really make sense to work so hard to make things happen, to be a “mover and a shaker,” only to never celebrate my successes? You and I deserve to honor what we’ve attained. We’ve had to overcome internal and external obstacles to make progress to get to whatever point we are at right now. To commemorate that, it IS personal empowerment. So the next time discouragement tries to take a comfortable seat at your table, let the celebration begin.

Take a Moment

Often, I wonder how in the world am I supposed to get done what I have to get done. I feel like I’m always rushed. There are days I feel like throwing my calendar out of a window. I get caught up with being busy and making preparations for tomorrow that I never take a minute to just be in the current moment. I have noticed my so called relaxation isn’t relaxation at all. My mind races heavily and I then I realize I’ve just spent the last 15 minutes thinking about what I needed to do next! It’s becoming more important for me to seize time to be tranquil and just look at my surroundings. I’m constantly proclaiming to the world my pressing need for a vacation. Maybe I wouldn’t feel this way all of the time, if I take a minute to just sit and listen to the calm and get recharged. I believe that more peace would come when I take time to notice my own breaths and feel my own heart beat. I guess it would be okay for my mind to race at first, because being silent will focus my attention to what and how I’m thinking. There are different situations that have sparked my preoccupation with making this apart of my life, as I still have yet to do so. (I got it! I’ll make it apart of my work out sessions.) I realize these moments have been of great value for quite some time. I’m sure that many of you already appreciate these quite moments. So, please excuse me for not being up to speed. Excuse me again, as I “take a moment.

No Explanation Required (extension from “When Being Busy Gets Ridiculous”)

I have never understood why a certain two letter word has so much power and brings so much grief. Why is so hard for people to say, “NO?” In my earlier “Busy” post, I discussed how people find they don’t have enough time to fulfill obligations they’ve committed to. I hear people complain about being asked to do certain things they would much rather not do or get invites to go to places they would much rather not be see in. Last time I checked, “NO” is still a word.  People voice concerns of wanting to avoid hurting another’s feelings by declining. I am all for being considerate of other people’s feelings. On the other hand, I know that I have absolutely no control over another’s feelings. Guess what else? “NO” can be said freely, without providing an explanation. I have witnessed that, even after saying “NO”, people follow up with an explanation. Is the explanation supposed to soften the blow of hearing that two letter word? So, now you may be thinking, “Really? Come on! That’s just mean!” Ok. I understand under delicate circumstances, a follow up explanation would be polite, appropriate, and respectable. I just don’t think every proclaimed “NO” needs a follow up. Because, even after the “follow up”, that “NO” is still waiving. It is ok to use the word. You don’t have to feel bad using the word. You can’t do everything at one time. You have the right to respect your time and your energy. NO. Just say it…it really is that simple.

When Being Busy Gets Ridiculous

Being active is good! Being active keeps us alert and engaged. Life, if you have one, is busy anyway. We all have obligations we must tend to in addition to doing those things that give us pure enjoyment. Then something happens. We start to complain about all of the things that we have to get done. We start to gripe about the places we have to go to. We whine about the “duties” we’ve agreed to accept. Here is a perfect resolution for that. How about we stop agreeing to be involved in everything, in every group, in every club! How about we stop accepting every invite and “rsvp-ing” for two! I view giving time just as significant as giving green (green=money). I enjoy giving both. But I don’t know anyone who will give money until they don’t have enough left to take care of themselves. Even the richest person, that person with long money, is not giving all of their dollars away. Do you get the idea? Our time should be treated the same way. Unless you have a double, you can’t be in more than one place at one time. If people are asking you to give your time for whatever reason, and you find it is not feasible according to your schedule, you can decline the invite, you can say NO. (By the way, don’t fret about how people will react to your rebuff. That is not your problem. Look for further discussion on this in another post.) What is the point of agreeing to something, knowing you really do not have the time? You will end up dreading what you agreed to. You’ll end up asking yourself, “why did I agree to this?” or “why am I here?” or here’s my favorite, “what was I thinking?” Also, we get involved in so much that we forget to even set time out for ourselves! I get the feeling some may disagree with me on this, but that time out for you, is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s so important to me that I take time out for myself, that I make it an appointment on my calendar! Being “on the go” makes life even more eventful. But, if you find yourself fuming about being busy, try asking yourself if all that you are involved in has good reason…that’s of priority. (Only you can define a priority in your life and what is not. Don’t let others define that for you.) If you don’t find an answer to that question, then perhaps some of your “busy” is just brainless. Maybe it’s time to drop some “obligations” out of the line-up.

A Perfection Quickie

I often hear people say “Don’t try and be perfect, just do your best.” I’ve also heard, “Perfection is too much pressure.” So, when did perfection become such an unenthusiastic notion? To me, when you give your best at what you do, it is the same as reaching for perfection. I don’t believe in doing anything haphazardly, regardless of how big or small the task is. I believe when you do something, you should do everything you can to get the task done RIGHT. I get the feeling that some people will turn perfection into something negative when they need to find an excuse for either not completing their task or the task turning into something frightful. The search for an excuse begins because they know the task was not handled to the best of their ability. Instead of saying, “This task didn’t meet expectations because I didn’t do all that I needed to do,” they say, “Oh well, I’m not perfect.” Side Note: Consider that the effort you put into accomplishing a job is a reflection of you. Let me point out, I do feel the notion of perfection becomes a problem when it develops into obsession. Of course, after we’ve completed something, we will always notice what could have been done differently or better. That’s inevitable. We can take what we’ve learned and apply it to our next mission. That’s good for us! However, it is not healthy when we become gripped by everything that we could’ve done differently. But, when we know we have made all the proper preparations and put all of our sweat into completing that task, we can be confident that we gave our absolute best.  We can be confident in that, regardless of the outcome.

Fashion Edition: Summer Weddings

Since summer is my absolute favorite season and I’m attending several weddings during the season, it’s only fitting to do a segment on what to wear to a summer wedding. I do not claim the “fashion expert” title, but I do know a few things. What you will read here, and in future fashion segments, is inspired by my own style and fashion tragedies I’ve witnessed. Please note: some of what is discussed here can be applied to weddings in general. OK. Men, your best bet is to stick with linen to keep you cool, now stand by. Women, here we go. We see more couples opting for nontraditional ceremonies instead of the traditional church weddings. For example, I’m attending one wedding that will be outside and the other will take place in a ballroom. Because of the “nontraditional-ness,” attire for weddings has become slightly more flexible. This flexibility necessitates caution. I will be the first to embrace every moment to wear shorts, halter/strapless dresses and tops, and high-split skirts! But let us pump our brakes when we go to weddings. Please remember you are not at a party, a lounge, or in a club. It’s important to keep your “extra sexy, showing a lot of skin and I’m too sexy for my shirt” attire in the closet.  We already know that bright colors are so right for the summer. However, please do not wear the same bright colors that are themed in the wedding. Remember you are a guest, not part of the bridal party. So, look like you are a guest. I probably do not have to address this, but I will, for the sake of completion and clarity. If you show up in white, you deserve to be escorted to a far away land and that is all I will say about that. So you ask, “Well Tamu, since you have these “rules”, what do I wear?” Try an asymmetric dress, which always has sophistication without “over-shining.” Also, a simple A-Line dress with pleats or appliqué detail is classy. You can’t go wrong with the Maxi skirt or dress. Please don’t forget about the jersey dress, especially if it is strictly comfort that you are going for. I have posted pictures, but keep in mind they are only examples. If we were to get into accessories (shoes, jewelry, hand bags), that would be a totally new post. However, I would be more than happy to provide ideas for coordination of your complete ensemble, should you have further questions.



(ignore the dreadful flip flops)

Health Edition:You Have Time!

I won’t list the reasons here because you know them well. You see them listed in magazines, on the news, and everywhere else!  But I will say, “Yes, you do have time!” I’ve heard the argument, “When your time comes to die, exercise won’t keep you here.” (**crickets**) Let’s talk about living. I believe in quality of life and doing those activities, within reason, that will keep us feeling and looking fabulous, not for other people, but for ourselves. Exercise is a stress reliever for me. Exercise helps me clear my mind. Ladies, raise your hand if you feel extra sexy after a workout! Men, I don’t mean to leave you out, maybe you guys also feel extra sexy or..something..after a workout. So that I don’t use the “I don’t have time” excuse, I treat my exercise sessions as appointments. Some days, because of my odd schedule, I exercise at odd times. Either way, I know I’m getting my exercise done. We can probably name at least one disease that is common in our family. That does not mean we have to be doomed to the same disease. For example, heart disease is a disease we hear about everyday. .Now, I know I said I wasn’t going to list reasons, but you know exercise strengthens your heart (you know it does!)  Even if family members suffer, why not do everything you can to avoid the same diagnosis? We know stories of seemingly, healthy people who exercised regularly, who were stricken with incurable illnesses. So, yes, life is unpredictable. Yet, we cannot live with the morbid words of “I’m going to die anyway.” Those words rob you from getting the most out of your life. Speaking from experience, exercise provides wellness in the mind and body. Take care of yourself. Make exercise your time. You have just been served an extra-mini lecture on exercise.

Good Luck?..No Thanks

That saying has always been unnerving to me.  When people say that phrase, for the most part, there is no malicious intent behind it. But, it sounds like a phrase you say, when you don’t know what to say, but have to say something to avoid an awkward moment. “Webster” tells me that luck is “the force that operates for good or ill in a person’s life, as in shaping circumstances, events, and opportunities, considered a result of chance.” Excuse me “Webster”, but I’d like to believe that all of my hard work, the disappointments, and sleep deprivation, and not simply chance, have opened and will open doors for me.  I’d like to believe that my efforts have cultivated my success grounds. Otherwise, if simple luck is all I need, then I might as well get my beauty sleep! Life will interrupt the most precise of plans and turn them upside down. I have learned that being flexible is essential. I have had to readjust to make my plans harmonize once again. After all of this “readjusting” and “harmonizing”, there has to be more than just luck behind curtain 1, 2, and 3! Good luck just does not seem to match my efforts. I need favor, a phenomenon! Someone said to me, “Tamara (in a disapproving tone), you can’t tell people to not tell you good luck.” Let me think. Maybe saying, “Don’t tell me good luck,” could make me appear starchy and rude, especially to someone who really wants to wish me all the best. So, to replace “Good Luck”, how about saying, “Best Wishes?”  That works for me!