7 for Sunday

Have you found your one thing? Mitch at first tries to make light of Curly’s explanation of the secret to life. But the secret to life really is one thing, and everything else don’t mean shit. Character can be created on the job only when we can see that there’s an intelligible, justifiable relation between…

Is it clarity or control? There is a fine line between being organized because you believe that’s how you can best achieve your goals, and because you’re in love with checklists, systems, and processes. Distinguishing the two is important, but an exasperated, “just look at all this stuff I have to do,” doesn’t make the…

How does space shape us? This morning I was jotting some thoughts about resistance. I’ve learned (and others have reached these same conclusions) that it’s difficult to try to force myself; That requires a lot of mental energy which I often run short of. What works is when I have a clearly delineated space for…

How do I write what matters? I am aware that the Muse gives me bits of ideas. I feel I have a responsibility to be prepared for those gifts, and to that end I am very intentional with my surroundings. If my surroundings are distracting, or if my mind is overwhelmed, I’ll drop all else…

How do we know? Of course my default point of view is anthropocentric. I am a human being. As such, I have a super-power called the Theory of Mind: In my mind, I understand (the theory goes) that there are other minds completely separate from mine. Imagining the contents of those (theorized) other minds is…

How can I transform short-term inspiration into long-term change? I’m fixated on trying to get consistently good at converting short-term ideas and inspiration, into long-term life changes. For example: “Eat better,” is easy most of the time. Until I get stressed out, and run to the TV-monster to shut off my brain. Then, well I…

Why do we overlook the age of innocence to focus on the dramas of loss and redemption? The aphorism, “What once was lost, now is found” implies a preamble: What once was known, was then lost. One can’t have lost something without first having, or knowing, it. There are three acts to the story in…

Of what value are stories, and how do they shape our identity? As each new year begins, I start thinking about writing a list of the things I’ve learned. “54 things I’ve learned in 54 years,” or maybe, “14 things from 14 years of blogging.” In recent years I don’t even open a document to…

Can we navigate fulfillment, work, and societal expectations to find a meaningful life? About three weeks ago, the celestial dance carried me through a solstice. Here in the northern hemisphere, it was the shortest day of the year. I know well that late December is cold, but it’s usually late January and early February when…

How can a guiding word or phrase shape a person’s life over time? In 2012 I began selecting a phrase or a word to use as a guide for the coming year. A friend of mine showed me there’s a word for such a guide: Cynosure. My consciousness is a strange, obtuse, mystery to me, but…