Originally posted on Facebook HERE
September 1st today. Not sure when September 1st became the day after January 1st, but that’s sure what it feels like. Where did the Summer go? Time seems to be moving at breakneck speed. Looking back, I’m slightly amazed at what I got done this year, it was maybe more productive for me than most years. Published three books with a fourth on the way this month, after never publishing even one book my entire life. Put out a double CD of recordings from the Twistin’ Egyptians, which was 32 years in the making. Went to St. Lucia with the grandkids, and Yosemite on our own. Personally took a month off, went to Florida and wrote and published one of the afore-mentioned books. Played shows with two different bands on two different instruments. Did it all while managing my business as a financial advisor, which demands a lot of attention as well. No wonder the time blew by. November 1st will be thirty-one years sober for me, I remember thinking back when I quit using, “what will I do with my time?”… everything in my life revolved around drinking and using drugs. Well, I don’t worry about that any more. The one thing I’m not proud of, though, as I look back – and this isn’t easy to think about or accept, much less write – is how often I got caught up in gossip, or speaking poorly about someone behind their backs. I can’t do it anymore. We all have those people who aggravate us who are for whatever reason in our lives whether we like it or not. It’s easy to get into a conversation with another like minded individual and talk down about the person you mutually disrespect. But it doesn’t feel good. It certainly doesn’t help make the situation better. And this morning, as I ordered the new Wayne Dyer book (released posthumously) I thought about one of his most famous quotes that I’ve used often in my own writing: “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”. Sometimes our greatest teachers are the most annoying people in our lives. Sometimes it’s the toughest things we go through that in the end make us stronger. And when it comes to dealing with an annoying person, or wondering why they seemingly don’t like you even though you hardly know them – if you also respond in anger, it starts the ball rolling downhill. I’m going to experiment with eliminating (as much as possible) this from my life. If negative thoughts and feelings are being tossed out into the Universe, they’re going to come back to you, and that’s what you’ll see. It would be tough to eliminate the thoughts, but maybe it’s possible to learn how to respond in a positive way to a negative situation and/or person. And diffuse it that way. I don’t need any more anger, anxiety, worry or frustration in my life – especially if it’s in any way originating from me in the first place. I have to find my home in love. Totally not as easy to do as it sounds. I’m really going to try to watch this going forward, and see if it has an impact on my life. But first, we need to talk about my friend Fenwick – did you see what he did? I can’t believe that guy – he’s such an… ah, see – not gonna do it. Nope. Fenwick can live his own reality. He doesn’t need us working it out for him behind his back. We can’t find what’s right by focusing on what’s wrong with anything in life.
