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MIRROR MIRROR ON THAT WALL
Monday Jan. 2, 2017
1st day of this year – woke to dark sky, fresh soft snowy blanket – couldn’t help reflecting on recent events, on New Year’s Eve so different (early meal & movie, in bed by 10 vis-à-vis late night revelry of youth).
Best year ever, begun.
I’ll likely lose weight, be in better shape – not from anything begun yesterday, but from new habits of sleeping, cooking and portion size begun in recent months.
Woke to melding entrenched habit with new plan – just another Sunday morning.
But not ‘just another’ anything. As cream separates from milk, sifting through everything to minimize routine necessities to let creativity in. Maybe I should paint. Already do. Not with brush or knife, not with pigments from a tube or charcoal from a pencil – with pen, with keyboard, depicting middle-aged pregnant man giving birth to himself. Not re-birth, no religious experience. Epiphany. Birthed, as new baby who will crawl, cry and take root on earth like a seed in spring so a crop can be harvested in the fall.
Started. Already have. As New Year’s days go it included basics of my new life: daily ablutions, list of activities, daily must-do projects so my ball won’t be dropped, no grazing holiday buffet, no bowl games channel surfing yet some conventions maintained. I’ll read (more) and write (more) every day, take care of business (more), take care of clients (more), take care of projects (more) – every day.
Occasion deserved a big meal and company. Check. New journey needs a check list, starting point, and departure – check. Fuel in my tank – check. Plan, no road map, just my gut-compass – check. Ideas, dreams, wild imagination – no old expectations – check. Check, check, check.
No ‘beginnings for Dummies’ book. Ought to be!
So, how does magic happen?
Will this be a year of magic for me?
Not hoping so, I’m knowing so.
Everyone who ever started anything – you believe in me.
Everyone who ever failed at anything – you are cheering for me.
Everyone who wants to be along for the ride – hop on, it will be an adventure. It’s already begun. I’m born, already walking and typing (skills learned in a former life) and expanding my horizon. Work is joy. Joy is work. No separation, no time to waste, no moment of this new youth to be missed.
Gazillion failure ways – everything you can imagine – been done, tried and failed.
What’s my magic new formula?
It’s not foolproof, not bulletproof, but certainly criticism proof. And, fools aren’t welcome.
Receiver off – ignoring naysayers, nonbelievers – not abiding internal critics, self-defeatism of echoes ‘who do you think you are?, ‘what ever possessed you to believe that?’, ‘what kind of fool do you take me for?’ Silenced.
In terms of external voices – to those who offer constructive critique aimed at helping me become better, more effective – my ears are wide open. Those who have any other motive, I’m not listening and likely won’t hang out with you.
And you – great idea, advance it; great plan, execute it; change to make, make it – need a co-conspirator?
You, me or we – have only three things to measure in anything we do: agree on goals, agree on reality and agree on measurement.
What does success look like?
We need only look in our mirror …
Reader feedback:
BYE-BYE 2016
Hello Mark, Good-by to 2016 & all the best to 2017. Happy New Year to you & Gusta. I am hoping for a better year to come. That the job situation improves greatly for the people that have lost so much in our province, that the world political situations settle & not so full of anger, deceit, greed, war. We all need a better tomorrow, lets plan to get there, MC, Bottrel, AB
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