Routines can sometimes be the hardest reminders of what we gave up this year. The daily rituals of waking, tea or coffee, commute, work. All of it now blends together.
And while we’re making progress in this most unusual of years, building routines can still be problematic.
As the year end apporaches, and I work on my Year in Review, I’m… Well, I’m flabbergasted. What a year.
But first and foremost, a need for daily routine is essential. Without it, everything can just become noise.
Adam Grant: “Articles fade after a week; people keep books.”
Articles may fade after a week, but what about tweets? Or videos? These things, though ephemeral, are also nearly permanent in their housing on the web.
Books are an easy reference, visible and tangible. The internet creates a unique storehouse. It is both intangible and yet infinite.
For me, books are easy. I can hold it in my hands, see the written word.
I was recently met with the difference between ‘dispatch’ and ‘despatch’, so perhaps that’s why the word stuck out to me. Regardless, here are some items that I’ve found worth telling people about from over the past week:
The last word: “The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” – Patrick Rothfuss
Okay, so in spite of all protests to the contrary, you know everything. Nothing anyone else says will make you doubt your belief in how much you know – how much more informed, intuitive, and perceptive you are than everyone else.
On the off chance that’s true (and maybe for one person out there, it actually is – but the numbers would suggest one person only), then imagine how boring it is. There’s no surprise. There’s no need to better yourself. There’s no search for the unknown. Because there is no unknown.
And when there is no unknown, everything just seems the same.
It’s easy to get distracted by life. You start out with intention, but along the way you get side tracked. Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”
And that’s it. Sometime’s life punches you in the mouth. The point is to get up, wipe yourself off, and keep going. Remember:
You can’t win them all. Failing can be a good thing. It’s good to have goals, but don’t be discouraged if you fall short from time to time.
I’ve written before about the importance of being in alignment. When the alignment is off, even the smallest misstep can throw the system out of whack.
A system that is working is often ignored. This can be anything throughout the day that operates exactly as it’s supposed to, or as it has been doing constantly over time.
We notice when it breaks, though. That computer that suddenly won’t power on. The cellphone that doesn’t hold a charge. The warm and tepid contents of the refrigerator.
Were there warning signs? Probably. Did we pay enough attention to notice? Now that is a good question.
Sometimes it feels like our personal beliefs are being assaulted. We get that gut reaction that, this person we’re talking to, their so different from me, in the way they think, what they believe, what they want – either for themself or for the country/world/whatever – that not only are we on different footing, but if this person’s footing is to stay strong, mine will be weakened as a result.
Thus, we become combative.
It happens time and again, that from the viewpoint of maintaining our beliefs, we need to put down the beliefs of others.
But, like so many things in life, it’s not that simple. Putting down one’s beliefs won’t change them, just as someone putting down my beliefs won’t affect the way I think. There’s common ground to be found among some things, and disparate views that must be accepted if a conversation is to start.
Being understanding, even in the face of uncertain results, is what is important when communicating. But communication is necessary and, in these turbulent times, more important than ever.
“With the internet, it’s like a road map,” says Hackett. “You know exactly what you’re looking for and you go there. Whereas with books – and this is true of cookbooks, too – they’re alive.” – Kathleen Hackett, from the book Bibliostyle。
Carey Grant said something along the lines of, “Life is simple. In the morning I get up, at night I go to sleep. In between, I try to keep myself occupied.”
Choosing how to fill your life is now less important than it used to be, while at the same time being ever so more important. Spend time wisely, and enjoy the life you have – no matter what sort of lemonade you have to make.
Yes, still tinkering with this one. Anyhoo…
Michael's Musings 