Friday, September 7, 2018

Aim High


Stay Focused

Aim higher. Stay focused.”
Brandon Adams

I'm trying to gather myself to spend a few days away from home. The more I try, the less focused I become. Trying to organize what needs to be packed, what needs to stay here, while preparing to bomb the house with flea killer and put away anything that could be harmed by it—well, I just get discombobulated. I wonder if this happens to you?

Staying focused has always been an issue for me, so I can't blame it on age. I tend to begin something, and then remember something else I need to do, and before I know it, I've strayed way off course. My strategy for dealing with this has been to have a pretty strict routine—like writing first thing in the morning—because if I don't do it at that time, it's not likely to happen. Sometimes, straying off course is a good thing because it allows for creativity and serendipity. In that case, however, one has to let go of the idea that things will be done in a particular order and by a designated time. There's a happy balance point between openness to myriad possibilities, and rigid adherence to routine. Some days we find that balance, and some days we don't.

Aim higher—decide priorities. What really has to happen today? What can wait? Is it more important to clean the house, or to rest body and soul? Don't forget to leave time to observe squirrel play, or to see which birds come to the feeder. In our quest for certain outcomes, we may forget to enjoy the moment. And, let me tell you, the light of these early fall mornings is magnificent. The angle of the sun has moved south, and now casts a golden glow through the still green leaves and across the landscape. How could we possibly bear to miss that?

                                                               In the Spirit,
                                                                   Jane

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