“Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now, cartwheels turn to car wheels through the town And they tell him, “Take your time. It won’t be long now. ‘Til you drag your feet to slow the circles down”
Joni Mitchell, the Circle Game
Become a decent human being
Your Look Out Above! guides now have this life thing pretty much all figured out. It took a while, but here are the answers . . .
- Eat snacks every day (chocolate chip cookies and 2% milk are best)
- Remember Mike Babcock’s “15-minute rule.” Whenever you suffer great disappointment, take 15 minutes to pout, whine, and complain about the bad luck and unfairness of it all. Then stop, forget it and move forward. At least try
- Love and be loved by somebody (ies)
- Figure out the things in life you enjoy and do more of that. Every week, month, year
- At work, figure out what you are really good at, naturally, and over time get in position to do more of that (and re-read Look Out Above!)
- We’re told doing good deeds for others makes one feel good
- Net worth does not equal self-worth. You’re living your life for yourself (see rule #4)
- Be grateful. As the sage said, “If all the world’s troubles were piled in a single heap to be shared equally, most people would take their own and depart”
- Time management isn’t about figuring out how to cram more things into a day. It’s about doing the things that matter to you. Doing something well doesn’t mean it was worth doing at all.
- Move! Exercise. Play sports. Jog. Dance. Lift. Frisbee. Take the stairs.
- Get out in nature. Hike, camp, canoe, raft, fish, hunt, bike, backpack, garden, do yard work. Sleep in a tent. If you don’t mind creepy-crawly company, sleep under the stars
- Explore the spiritual dimension. Worship. Pray. Journal. Believe
- The customer is not always right and, sad to say, some of them are jerks
- Believe in yourself! If you don’t, who will? Trust your own judgment
- Talk to animals. They get it (English bulldogs just don’t care much what you have to say)
- Master your craft – it’s tough to play “D” in hockey if you can’t skate backwards
- Courageous conversations take courage. Once a habit, they get easier and require less angst. Trust the relationship can take it, or it’s not much of a relationship anyway
- Stuff happens. When you’re feeling blue, or you’ve messed up, remember “This too, shall pass.” Thank goodness, it usually does
And maybe slow down, as the Circle Game is all too true. What’s your list?
