behind the bench

at this time.. i find that the proliferation of distractions real and imagined.. seem to be extremely effective at leading one astray. while a good distraction helps take the edge off ‘real life’.. i think it foolhardy to simply wander around in reactive mode, instead of being in creative mode.

get back to your roots.

life has a way of making plans for you if you dont make them for yourself. do you have any old diaries, or writings lying around? what about letters or any projects that have been collecting dust in some long lost corner of your life or living quarters? perhaps its time to revisit them and maybe, just maybe see where the train got switched over to another track.

simplify

anything that is a drag on your time that isnt earning you health, time, or money is a waste of your life energy. dump them immediately. it could be cable TV, it could be that friend that talks your ear off on the phone for an hour a day because they need to tell you about little jimmies yoga class. bail. excuse yourself. close the account. cancel the recurring billing. leave the committe.

check your bank account

twice this year our bank account debit card got raided by scumbags unknown. while we were fortunate enough to halt the fraud quickly enough to get our money back, other forms of subtle robbery are happening to you every day. a few of the other forms are:

• the recurring bill that just doesnt seem to take ‘please cancel my account’ for an answer. call them back a final time. if you cannot shake that leech off your leg, call your bank account, and get them to issue you either a new bank account number, or debit card. whereever these guys are getting their oxygen supply, you need to cut it off. now. dont forget to call the better business bureau and the attorney generals office where they do business and file a complaint.
• the loan that magically ups the interest rate without your consent or action. dont think that if you pay your bills on time and have good credit that you wont get hosed. you will.

ask yourself what you dont want in life

getting real with yourself for a few minutes in the morning before the world intrudes and takes away your train of thought and free energy. think about how much you do and what you do, and what of it really contributes to your goals in life. feel free to ignore the phone ringing, or even the doorbell just once. rehearse saying ‘no thank you’ and try using it when your gut says so.

ask yourself what you do want to do in life

imagine you dont have much time left. i’m not talking about grabbing material goods or being the president or a movie star. dont confuse ego driven status with real work that speaks to your soul. dont forget money represents time, and that once your life is up and done with. you can go from time->money but not the other way. ever. and no, you wont look or feel better in 10 years.

less is more. really.

having less of everything is really freedom. i think that if you have a few really amazing things, or a few really great things to do, beats the hell out of being scattered so much you arent even present in the moment. oh, sorry your mom has cancer, let me get my phone. its ringing.. this is a really nice dinner you cooked.. shit my work just texted me that the servers are down. i’d really like to jam with you this weekend, but i have to work extra hours, cause i bought all those guitars last month on ebay. be an evolved person and dont let your stuff own you. that includes having to go to the store and buy another widget because your last one was a piece of crap you bought as an afterthought. look for experiences and things that involve thought and love and care by the people involved. directly and indirectly.

i wish all of you out there good times, and an easy 2009. dont forget to tell those in your life that you are grateful for their friendship.