Dancing With The Universe
I can’t believe that I was able to fill two yard waste bags with leaves yesterday. The silver maples are dropping them fast. It feels early, but it’s really not. This year is damn-near over. By Christmas, our youngest will have earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Neuroscience (and, fingers crossed, landed his first post-college job).
It’s deep enough into the year to know that some of the goals I set at the start of the year are unlikely to be achieved. This doesn’t bother me, really - because outcomes are never guaranteed, and things take the time that they take. I feel very good about my focus, effort and energy this year - and will maintain it for the rest of the year.
Falling short of ambitious goals used to create a lot of inner turmoil for me. My inner critic can be fierce. It paralyzed me at times in the past. That hasn’t been the case this year, and I’m committed to keeping that chattering monkey as quiet as possible for the rest of my life.
The most effective way to silence that monkey for me has been simply to take consistent daily action. James Clear and his book Atomic Habits has been instrumental in me getting my mind right about this stuff.
What I am building cannot be built in a day. But if I stack enough good days together, it will come together. I like the path that I’m on. I believe it will take me where I am trying to go. And I have all the patience, focus and flexibility that I need to adjust to the changing world and keep making progress.
There have been a couple of instances recently where good things seemingly fell into my lap. Some people might interpret these things as the universe (or God, or karma) rewarding me for my efforts. My sense of it is different. In each instance, the goodness of the thing was not obvious at first. It would be have been easy to miss both opportunities by overlooking their potential.
But I maintained an openness and a curiosity that stimulated deeper conversation, which eventually revealed the mutual benefits of collaborating with some other people. So we’re going to be working together in various ways, and I’m excited about where this work might take us.
Lori will tell you, I have a rich inner life. I can think, and think, and think myself into circles. This year I have had a much higher bias towards action - trying things, assessing how they worked, adjusting and taking a new round of actions. Actual engagement with the universe (rather than thinking) is the most effective and efficient way to learn.
Last week I learned the term “Zone of Proximal Development” - this is the sweet spot of learning and growing, where something is challenging enough to be engaging while avoiding either boredom from being too easy or frustration due to being too difficult. I like this term. It rhymes with “Productive Discomfort.” This is where I have spent a high percentage of my time this year - “In The Zone,” so to speak. This is where I will try to spend even more time in the future.
Sunday Supper
Bird’s Haven Farms had the cutest little Fairy Tale Eggplant at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Lori found this Sticky Tofu & Fairytale Eggplant recipe, which was both easy and delicious. This Crispy Chicken w/ Lime Butter looks amazing. So does this Beef Fried Rice. Of course, I liberally add fresh summer vegetables to everything - you should too. Think of these recipes as guidelines rather than doctrine.
Sunday Music
I love Ben Folds. This concert from a couple of years ago in St. Paul, Minnesota is great. Speaking of piano-based crooners this week - here is Billy Joel’s full concert to close out Shea Stadium a couple of years ago. And lastly, here is piano gal Norah Jones with Margaret Glaspy singing Get Back (one of my favorite songs in the past few years. Enjoy!
If you know anyone who might like this essay, please share it with them.
Have a great week ahead! You can do anything you set your mind to. Let me know how I can help.
Peace & Love,