Friday I got the bug numerous people I know have come down with; scratchy throat, stuffy head, sneezing, achy body. I want it to go away – immediately! Of course that’s impossible. I also want to be physically close to the woman I love, but that would risk getting her sick. So, what to do? Every moment we are choosing what we want! We do that by what we think about. Of course we don’t get to control everything; the weather, the economy, what others think, say or do. But we are constantly making choices and only we can be responsible for that.
Ask yourself what you want right now? Want to feel more appreciated by your mate? Want your children to listen to you. Of course, but that is about what you want to receive. The truth is we get from giving to the things that are important.
Whether your relationship with another is not the way you want it to be, you want more out of your career, your musical instrument or your body, you must make better choices and follow that with genuine commitment. That is done through a positive attitude, mustering up discipline and engaging in action that is consistently aligned with your goals. Otherwise as the saying goes, it’s just a lot of “blah, blah, blah.”
Know that your choices must be specific. If you leave too much wiggle room in your language; “I want to make my relationship better” for example, the lazy, needy, or wounded child part of your mind – there is some of that in all of us – will use that as an excuse or rationale to avoid acting responsibly.
Maybe it will blame your significant other for the reason things aren’t improving instead of focusing on what only you can be responsible for. Or maybe your musical instrument will sit there collecting dust. “Well I wanted to practice, but I couldn’t find the time.” We find the time and make the effort to take care of what is truly important, that is unless laziness or fear gets in the way.
I don’t feel too chipper today, but I truly love playing music and I’m committed to continually improving my drumming. Just as soon as I finish this I’m going to turn on the metronome and practice my rudiments for an hour.
What do you want today?
