Thought for The Day - The Same

Routine

Standards

Regular

Common

Base

When your soul is restless, "normal" becomes boring. When your life lacks stability, "regular" is desired. Trained in routine, it is our basis for life. Waking up at a certain time each day becomes a habit formed and maintained throughout our lives. We find it challenging to change this basic part of our life. And when situations rise and the time we wake for work becomes "irregular," we have a hard time adjusting!

But we say we crave change, something new and different and exciting! Are you sure that's what you want? Actually, it doesn't matter because change is always in the air! Hovering over the basics of our lives, nothing stays the same. The changes we desire and those we don't constantly alter our perspective. Today, we can hardly wait for football season; in a year or so, we hardly notice it's fall!

Stability is part of our DNA; and variety is the spice of life!

Thought for The Day - Routine

The "Same" is okay...even good...

3:35 am

Grab an apple and the green, plastic cup

Journal

Meditate

Stare at the painting

Dab paint on the painting

Leg day

Get to the train by 7:15

Take a walk at lunch for 45 min

The parts of our life we come to expect to be the same. The routine, the processes, while we desire to be different, remain the same. We crave variety, improvement and success, but these staples of our daily living come as a result of habits formed over the years. And yet, there is more to life than the routine of it all...

Thought for The Day - A Couple Days Off

I'm taking a couple days off from work and really looking forward to it! It's been a busy year and I haven't made time to get to my "real" work. I've been using my vacation days when I was sick longer than the 6 days allowed for a year and cleaning water out of our basement. I've used days for doctor's visits and other errands, so these days will hopefully be somewhat relaxing.

I have a bunch of tasks to do around the house, so I won't completely relax. Still there is something to be said to get out of the routine of the daily commute, sitting at a desk and daily triage calls. Breaking the pattern of days long and exhausting, where I get home with only enough energy to arrange tomorrow's clothes...yeah I need this time off!

Thought for The Day - Doing what must be done

Clear Channel 24 x 36 Oils

Sometimes a person's "strange behavior" is really bravery exercised.

The routine: hit the snooze of my sleep app a few times and finally get up. I might doze off for a few minutes, but getting up at 3:00 am permits me extra time to prepare for my day. I'm up, filling a 32 ounce cup with water, grabbing a piece of fruit and making my way to the "studio." My corner in the basement, mostly cold, but well lit, my art surrounds me. My laptop is waiting, journaling to be done before writing an entry for the world.

This morning, I'm up, as I normally would be, but my back says I should be lying down. One small move in the gym yesterday, reminded me that some injuries you never quite get over. An injury from so many years ago, stiffens my back and makes standing, walking and sitting painful. But I'm up anyway; the routine somehow ingrained in my psyche. Waking up early has become as much a habit as breathing and I give in to the need to write and express.

I talked with my mom last night and she told me my father went to the basement to check on the water heater. You have to understand, it normally takes him a minute or so to walk from his seat in the living room to the hall between rooms. To walk down stairs had to take him 15 minutes or more. More importantly, a number of ailments should make him stay away as far as possible, from stairs, unassisted. But dad has in his mind, that he can do everything he always has. His smile and quiet nature masks a stubborn, tough guy, waiting for an opportunity to do what must be done. Guess I get the determination from him.

Be blessed folks, I'm crawling back in bed and hopefully I can sleep off this latest challenge. If not, I'll be back tomorrow, still working.

Routine

Practice 10/17/11

I woke to the sound of the “gong” sound coming from my clock, at 3:00 am. That’s the time to wake up during the week. I get up; have my time of writing, ala The Morning Pages exercise, shower and out the door for a couple hours of exercise. Routine; love it or leave it, the sense of knowing what your day brings contains sanity and safety. No further opinion from me.

It’s 9:05 am. Normally, after getting back from the gym, I get the wife off for work, my youngest out for school and have my devotional time. Spending time with my Father is vital for the same reasons as my 3:00 am routine: sanity and safety. The added benefit is my soul is fed in ways no other human endeavor matches. Normally, at this time, I’m sifting through emails, thinking about what I want to work on, paint or pencil wise, and planning to work until I can’t anymore. Some routines take longer to establish and I’m learning to set rules to make them happen.

For the last year or so, I’ve adjusted to life at home. For a number of years, I was a contract employee at McDonalds, testing software. At 9:05, I would have been at work for at least an hour, also sorting through email, maybe a morning conference call and by now, employees would have filtered in and gone to their desk or on their way for coffee. I would have reviewed my list of test scripts to execute for the day, checking over what was done the previous day and looking at the defect report. I could plan men’s room breaks almost to the minute, as well as when a coworker would stop by my desk for a chat. I tested software and was the resident counselor.

I know where I want to be in my life and with each day of nailing down this routine, I see myself moving toward that life. I see my days much as it is now, with the exception, rather than going to the basement, I’m in my studio, quietly preparing to open myself for creativity.

There are days when what I want feels like a 345-pound weight across my shoulders, as I try to rise from a squat, but that isn’t the case today. Today, I’m at peace with my life as it is. Yes, I would like to be “in charge,” or “responsible” for more monetary resources (meaning, “I wish I had more than enough to take care of my needs, wants and a few other folks”) but today, I’m grateful for multiple meals, a warm house and gym membership. Additionally, I have a studio in my basement, brushes, paints, pencils and paper and I can go at it as long as I desire. Course, I’m making dinner today, but that fits into the life I want.

Closing this entry with this thought: No further comment on my part needed. What about you?