Do Something Useless

There is a tired, weak, lazy, unambitious and careless part of each of us. Some call the ego, saboteur, demons or (as I say) scammer. I'm not very interested in what you call it but when you have thoughts that try to keep you comfortable, uninspired and immobilized...know what they are and deal with the enemy of The Uncompromised life aggressively.

Now having said that, I've found that there are many ways that top athletes, spiritual legends, and many other achievers have used to slay those voices that crop up to kill their initiative and efforts. One is the tried and true, "Do it NOW!" Do it now, regardless of how uncomfortable, hard or whatever a situation may be.

Let me offer another option used by some of these greats. Commit to doing something, seemingly useless that ruffles the feathers of your scamming inner-critic nonsense. Do it faithfully and do it well.

Set 10 rocks up at one end of your driveway, get up at 3:30 in the morning and methodically pick up one rock at a time and move it carefully, slowly and gingerly to the other end of the driveway. Do this with all 10 and then put them back where they were. Then, at say 3:55-or whenever you're done, go back to sleep.

It makes no sense, it won't directly put money in your pocket or peace in your heart but it will frustrate that voice that hacks away at your ambition and discipline-both of which are required for you to live the life you want.

If you normally like to run for exercise, go for a run on a local beach (at a nearby lake/the ocean) but first cover yourself with sand. No the Navy Seals won't come knocking but the seemingly meaningless and voluntarily created discomfort from the sand and the abrasion (pun intended) to your ego's insatiable desire for comfort will begin to tame the scammer's expectation for constant satisfaction-and as a result, the quality of your commitments and follow-through will grow regardless of the discomfort that comes with any commitment you might make.

You can do the above or something greater or smaller that frustrates the scammer but avail yourself of the power in doing something useless to do something special.

Enough Said,

RR

Interruption or Opportunity?

Here she comes...the old lady next door wants to talk--you're just trying to do some work in your yard.

Not NOW! A school bus pulls out just ahead of you--now you're stopping every 100 yards for a quarter mile local tour of your neighborhood.

The list could go on of course but it's instructive to think that we call these things interruptions.

Really? What got interrupted?? Your plan? Somewhere along the line we buy into the notion that our plan is the plan and then we become frustrated and less than our best when our plan is interrupted. Silly rabbit...

No. Your plan is your plan and then there are another 7 billion other plans.

At the risk of being all chipper-personal-growthy on you. Your choice is to see reality and accept the unexpected as an opportunity to bring more of what you want into the world or you can deny reality (not a good plan), think you are the center point of time and history, continue to be frustrated by people and their thinking that their plans matter.

I'm just saying...

RR

What To Do With A Crappy Blog Post

I think there are some greater life lessons in here. I bet you are a big enough boy or girl to extrapolate them.

If you write in a circle and can't unknot it... delete it.

If you don't know what you are writing and end up confusing yourself... stop and figure out what in the world you're trying to say.

If you're ready to press "publish" on a mediocre post... don't.

If you are trying to impress someone as you write... pause and let that go.

If you are busy trying to get your needs met as you write... call your mommy -then finish your post.

Just a Thought or Two,

RR

PS Where did the idea for this post come? The convoluted and wanna-be-profound post I wrote and deleted just prior to breathing this one out.

4:30 AM

I never regret when I get up at 4:30 AM. In my house, it guarantees me two solid hours in total silence.

Benjamin Franklin said 10 or 20 years ago (plus or minus 250), "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man (women too) healthy, wealthy and wise." I'm down with that plan.

I know there are those who get that quiet time at night (I just don't get it) but regardless of when... get you some. If you are up to anything worthwhile -and this might be a test, you need that alone, quiet, writing, reflecting and/or creative time.

I'd fallen off the wagon recently as I started staying up later so I could do more over the course of a couple days. Well that turning into several days makes morning wake up later and later. Suddenly I'm working, not at my best (4:30-6:30 AM), but just 'doing more busy stuff' between 9 and 11. Not productive. Compromised. Fatigue... ug.

Sometimes it's hard to remember what you are investing in before you get the payoff. For me, getting to bed with a book at 9:30 preferably, and 10 for sure, guarantees a happy boy in the morning.

Oye! I'll let you know how I did this week on Thursday!

17 days until my book is due to the editor! I'd better get in bed... oh wait. It's 6:45 AM!

RR

Why Now?!

So I'm writing this book. Things are coming together but man there is still a lot left to write, organize and link together.

Inspiration was supposed to visit this morning at 4:30 not 8:30 last night when I was trying to crash. Of course it was well after 9 by the time I went to bed but I was able to capture my inspiration -and that is what matters.

I just wish inspiration would keep better hours.

RR

Why Create??

Aint nothin' new gonna be said. Every note that there ever will be has been played, every color one could hope to put on canvas (or base of your choice) has been put there.

Books have been written, speeches given and songs composed. Basically it's the same stuff with a new marketing twist.

I used to think, "Man, the Beatles did Abbey Road, how could it get better... why would people bother trying to be better than that!?" Depending on your preference, the Bible, Torah or Koran, Tao de Ching, etc. have been written. What other wisdom is there. There aren't gonna be any new fundamentals...

The truth is not everyone likes The Beatles, and even though whatever you do has probably been done many times over, what the world needs is you, now.

Your way of speaking, your combination of colors, your unique perspective, your notes, spaces, chords and tempo, texture... we need you!

No wanna-be reheated version of Tony Robbins, John Lennon, Poe, or even Raphael will get the job done. What the world needs is you -stripped of the unessential nonsense yet out loud and inspired.

The faithful expression of your true identity is what will give you peace now, inspire others... and if you create for a living, we all do... it's what will sell.

Be Good-Do Great,

RR