The past two weeks my goal has been simple. Write less, relax more. The result, however, was unexpected. Sure, it was nice to relax, but time actually passed faster, not slower after work. Without my routine of an hour or so of writing each night, time melted together into one big blob each evening. I felt restless and a little less happy. Proof enough I need to write.
In the midst of this whole experiment, life has been full of moments. The detailed death of funky monkey, one of my more imaginative student’s gigantic stuffed animals. The stunned looked on innocent faces after a terrible accident. The child who brought a thermos of coffee to school for his ADHD and sat like a little old man with his Japanese zen cup looking out the window to drink it. Tumultuous political discourse. Plumbing failures and late night communal with nature.
Maybe that’s the plus side of slowing down. More time to notice the details, pleasant and otherwise, that will someday add texture to my writing. More time to laugh at the craziness. I’m just not good at slowing down. I fight it. Time disappears and feels somehow wasted.
At least the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success was part of this downtime. I have it playing on loop in my car. I’m determined I need to hear it more than once. It resonates. It reminded me to live without judgment, (have you tried this? I had to laugh at the irony of watching someone litter out their window as these words played for the second time…).
My favorite principle, however, is about giving. Give to everyone you meet, whether it be a blessing, a compliment, or something material. I don’t know why I love this one so much, but I do. I give to my students everyday and this is one of those things that fuels my being. The idea of consciously giving to everyone I meet is exhilarating. Reminds me of a fellow blogger who blesses all the other cars along the morning commute.
Not sure what I’m giving you today, other than a rambling mess of words about life, but you are giving me a gift by reading them. I’m beginning to realize giving and receiving are really the same thing. Thank you.
On second thought, I know what I’ll give you. My favorite music videos of the morning. The first for its message that home is about people, the second because the kids will make you smile:
oliviaobryon 
So, guess who one of the artists is that I just added to my Spotify playlist in the last couple of days? Interestingly, the Edward Sharpe songs I put on my playlist are different than yours. But, now, listening to Home … must add that. The second video … kind of puts a different light on how we adults are.
On to more important things … I like your favorite principal. I think I was much better about it years ago, but because of my current difficulties, I’ve gone more inward. Your favorite principal is a good reminder for me to get back to where I’ve been in the past. Thanks.
That’s definitely a coincidence– Edward Sharpe comes up all the time in my Pandora playlists. I still need to try Spotify. And, much agreed, giving is one of the best principles to live by. I get so caught up in teaching, I forget to consciously give as much to the other people in my life. I’m on a mission to change that.
Love… the principle, and the music! So easy to forget, life just gets in the way of what’s important too often.
So true 🙂