we think of things and we want to make change. we say we will change and we start off the next day in the change mode. we don’t want to go back to a negative tone, we want to stay in the positive tone. but, events kick in, the daily routine kicks in –life challenges your new tone and then you suddenly revert back to the old tone or the tone you usually follow. but if the current tone is not working to create a positive flow in your life –you must change it or future results will not be good. you can make change if you stop to think and not react as you always do. set the positive tone in your house and with your family –the way you act now with the kids will set their tone for life –so be careful in the tone you set in the house. these kids are soaking it all in and if you are constantly rushing around and always barking orders, it will be detrimental to the tone set in the house and the tone your kids set in their houses, etc. you have a powerful position of influence that can affect generations –so set the positive tone in the house and do not let outside events alter the positive tone. maintain a consistent tone –it will make all the difference.
Category: Life
cutting the grass
what a pain in the ass! we are trapped by this suburban BS where each week we have to cut the grass and trim the hedges and trim the driveway and weed whack the edges and blow it all into a pile. we sweat like dogs for 2 hours while we do this process over and over –week after week –all to keep up appearances in the hood. this hood is of course the doldrums of suburbia –where you might have a moment once a week to sit down and have a beer to contemplate your existence in this suburban plight. how did this all come about? we once lived a fast paced life out in the real world–and now we live a fast paced life in our own homes –keeping up with the kids, etc –but if you look out the window, you see the slow-paced life of suburbia –an invisible bubble that we are inevitably trapped in until all the kids leave home –then we sell the house and go back to the real world –if you have enough bread to actually do this –can you tell I’m bored? So bored that this post did not come from a spontaneous thought –so actually a boring post–sorry –I see a blade out of place on the lawn –have to run!! (I mean mow)
you are lucky
cut the BS –you are lucky. you are lucky to be alive and reading this. you are lucky to have a job. you are lucky to have a family. you are lucky to have your health. you are lucky to have friends. you are lucky to see the sky. you are lucky to smell the food. you are lucky to walk. you are lucky to talk. you are lucky to sleep. you are lucky to breathe. you are lucky to read. you are lucky to have memories. you are lucky to have today. So cut the self loathing crap and remember that you are lucky. comprende?
the dojo
the dojo is cool. it is a mix of american flags, ying and yang, U2 music, strobe lights, trophys, pictures of champions, mirrors, mats, cubbies for your shoes. it is a place where you learn shit that you have no idea about. it is a place where you find out more about how to use your body. it is a place where you gain confidence. it is a place where you meet cool people, providing that it is not some a-hole running the shop and fortunately in my case –the guy is cool. thus his dojo has a cool vibe and attracts other cool types –mostly musicians, surfers, carpenters –people that are used to using their hands–unlike me. each time in the dojo, i learn more. it is a fascinating experience to actually learn something new every week –but also to know that a new learning is guaranteed and expected. you also need the dojo master to be an exceptional teacher because if you do not understand what is trying to be taught in the dojo, then you will get lost. yes, there is discipline–but it is not extreme. do not go to a dojo with extreme discipline unless you need it. the dojo is cool –a bit strange, but still cool. try it , you only live once.
the struggle
guess what? when you are in the early struggles of life, when you have just been married, when the bills are piling up, when the mortgage is twice as high as any rent you ever paid in your single days, guess what —these are the best days of your life. you and your partner are in the greatest struggle of your lives, trying to make ends meet, trying to start a family, trying to get a footing in your career. this is the greatest balancing act of your young life and you are making it, you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but you are making it. this is the struggle. some people never get beyond this phase in life, they still indulge in their fancies, they still go on fancy trips, they still pile up the debt, they live beyond their means, they have fun, but they always struggle, unless they get lucky. do not underestimate the challenge of this life struggle. do not attempt to be unhappy during this struggle. you must embrace this time and relish every minute you are in the grocery store trying to stay within the budget by settling with eating chili for five days and having salad for lunch. this is part of the struggle. you must enjoy balancing the household budget every month. guess what, you made it through another month and you got to have a few beers and a few laughs in between on the cape or skiing in vermont. you know how it works. you have been paid on friday, you pay your bills on saturday, you now have 40 bucks to spend on extras for the next 2 weeks. but with the team working together, you always make it to the next paycheck…..more to come in next post –but keep up the struggle –it is the best time fo your life –don’t forget that –these are the good old days
superhero path
you are running down the road and there is no one around –then yell out loud that you never quit, that you never give up, that you will succeed, that you will make it happen, that you will kick some ass –and do it to U2’s “Desire” –because you have desire and you will live the life that you want to live –and you will overcome all obstacles and the glass is half-full –and you were supposed to get laid off –because you did that job for too long and it was time for a new challenge –what are living for? –to be in rat race, to not smell the roses, to be on the same treadmill forever –c’mon–you are here for a short period of time –slap yourself in the face and get on that superhero path and yell to the world that you are making it happen!!
history
the whole thing is a cliche –yes, it repeats itself, yes, it runs in cycles, yes, you need to study it as a guide for the future. people hate history–they think it is dusty and boring and blah, blah, blah –BUT, it ain’t any of that at all. it is the most important shit that you need to know, because if you don’t, then you will keep stepping in the shit –get it? the problem is that there is so much of it, and it is hard to weed through it–to get what you want and often times you need to know all of it or at least the trends to make use of it –this is a dilemma that needs to be solved –you need this historical perspective –but how do you get it? –that is the question….need to think on this
marathon
you’re in one–it’s called life and yes this is a cliche –but it works because it is true. if you don’t see life as a marathon, then you’re in trouble –you need to see down the road and find a point here and here –then work towards that point –each day is a stride and each stride gets you there. the trouble is you are impatient –we all are and it gets in the way of our stride and our goals –you don’t see it as a marathon, so you don’t look back to see where you came from and you don’t look forward to see where you are going –you need to think like this to have purpose and to have relief from the daily guilt of life– more later…keep running
clichés
the rat race
oh it is a rat race –we get in our cars every day and we drive an hour to work –we go through tunnels, we pay tolls, we listen to the same radio shows, we want to bash our hands through the steering wheel when traffic bogs down–we scream f this and f that at the traffic and the cars–we flick people off –we get home after dark and leave in the morning when it is dark -we warm up our cars for 20 minutes before we get in –scrambling to the car to turn it on, then scrambling back to our cave–though the solace is in the drive –then we wake up and arrive at work–same people, same work, SOSDD –we can’t get off this treadmill –got to keep the money coming in…oh what a rat race–it is all we know