I'm on a roll! Two blog posts in a week. Look at me and my bad self...
I shared with you all my first declaration from 'The Motivation Manifesto'. Maybe it inspired you to be more present this week. Maybe you felt your eyes were clearer and you noticed something precious, void of electronics, in a quiet moment that you may not have while otherwise glued to a screen. Maybe you let go of the tireless must-haves brought on by app amnesia and browser black out and simply lived- in the moment - pure and Simple. Maybe not.
Regardless, here comes another blog post for you to chew on - not unlike our bovine friends.. Minus the vacant look in our eyes.
"We Shall Reclaim Our Agenda"
The OCD organizer in me loves this one. I love me some organization! Whether it be as common as a to-do list, tried and true, or as unique as a full fledged command center, I repeat- I love me some organization. My house may be full to the brim of what may appear to some as clutter and crap, but to me everything has a home. My MO is organize first, clean after. If something is out of place and horribly dirty, I'll put it in its home first.... It can stay grimy until later (I'm being present with my kids, not obsessively cleaning, remember??) Anyways, have we adequately established that I love me some organization? My label maker is my BFF. Alphabetization. Categorization. Bins and buckets, folders and files. I feel a trying-to-be-cool-but-terribly-awkward rap for preteens coming on....
So naturally, I thought I would already have this in the bag.
Like many things in life, I was wrong.
Well, maybe not wrong. Just...disillusioned.
I may be the queen of to do lists and monthly planners, but what of my life's agenda? What are my goals? I have, after all, but one life (even though reincarnation does sound oodles of fun...) This book outlines our life's agenda to one hurling a spear of purpose far into the vast, green, fields of the future and then striding diligently towards it. Loose your way? No matter. Find a vantage path and reorient yourself to that golden spear. Are you on your path? Have you strayed?
What a beautiful concept. A far cry more courageous than my menial lists and labels...
1. Grocery shopping
2. Paint the bathroom
3. Clean up dog poop
4. Weed the garden
5. Lesson plans for Eva
6. Spend time with the kids
That was literally an example of one of my to do lists. Yahoo. What a shining spear of purpose i have thrust upon myself - the ever glorious task of ridding my yard of feces. Go me. For the win.
I'm not saying the menial daily tasks are unnecessary. They are. I'm not saying I'll leave the dog poops (poopi?) where they lay- although perhaps to be safe you should watch your step when you come to my house ;-) - I'm saying that there should be more to my life, more to me, to what Nicole IS fundamentally, to what my life can offer the universe, karma, God, whatever you subscribe to; than ONLY these daily repetitions.
What do I dream? What accomplishment(s) would give me pure pride and pleasure at my last day in this life? That's what I should be striving for, working toward, sweating and poring over. It's a difficult and demanding personal question to ask of yourself. This question is made more difficult by the host of distractions laid on us - both self inflicted and otherwise. Which is why becoming fully present is crucial first and foremost, otherwise we will still be bogged down by the chorus, nay, clamour of the digital age.
The book urges its reader to write down your goals and dreams as a visual reminder to check yourself. Failing this, wrecking yourself is heavily implied but never outright said.
This one may take me a while evidenced by the fact that I am still sitting, pen in hand, trying to accurately put into the words the grandiose vision I have in my head. Ya know, the one NOT influenced by media perceptions or peer pressure. It's tricky to truly weed out the nonsense that takes root in our brains.. Well, this is my blog so we'll focus on my brain so as to not inappropriately accuse anyone of having a dumb brain... It's tricky for ME to weed out the nonsense that takes root in my brain. They are clever, you know. (Whoever 'they' are..) It seems their mission is to make the weeds seem as similar to the stalks that bear fruit as possible. And boy, are they good. Also, at making you feel like you really shouldn't or needn't be it there weeding in the first place. Hmm. I like this weeding analogy.
Being well off was one of the things on that list and lately I've truly had to ask myself some hard questions about what that really means and why. Why with the money. Always this infatuation with money. Gotta get it, gotta have it, gotta squirrel it away. I'm not suggesting being financially stupid is the pathway to happiness, but I most certainly AM suggesting that being rich is just as much not.
I am content, however to say, that more and more each day I have been able to recognize the true colors behind each of the items that showed up on my list. Like a ruthless job interview, I scrutinized each of the candidates legitimacy and intentions... Any found lacking in either department were sent packing.
This true vision of my 'life's agenda' will hopefully provide purpose and intent to each of my days. Ok, maybe not each. Let's go with most. Okay, some. Some of my days. No doubt most days my head will be in the clouds daydreaming about when I can have any of those ridiculous things so far out of my reach... Or I'll be down in the dirt, with my head so far in the sand of self pity or anger or bitterness or whatever other silly useless emotion that mires us down.. I am horribly imperfect after all! But, if after all of that I am able to get up, look into the future and see that shining 'Spear' I've set for myself and take one or two steps toward... Well, at least I'm on my way. And that's the whole point, isn't it?
Now.. If I can just muster up the bicep strength to hurl this hefty Spear...
