Now I know that doesn't come as a news flash to any of you, or at least those of you that have had a long term relationship with me. But please also acknowledge that I have never denied it. On the contrary, I have loudly and proudly proclaimed it many times.
Today however brought it's very own example. I was working on a Roo project that involved cutting boards, wine glasses, and full wine bottles. I was working away at the kitchen island, and instead of putting the fragile parts out of reach while I marked up the cutting board I left it all sitting there. A sudden slip, sent bottles and glasses spinning everywhere. With the extraordinary luck that most idiots are born with, not a one of them hit the floor, and not a one of them was even scratched!! I just smiled...
And while that's typical idiot behaviour for me, it's probably the least serious kind. Unfortunately, I'm an even bigger idiot when it comes to the really important things in life. Fortunately, just like the near miss with the wine glasses, I can also smile at my idiocy with the heavier stuff.
I don't know when it dawned on me--I think probably sometime during my Roo project-- that I had been an idiot in a more philosophical sense. Flash back to yesterday when I posted a really cool bridge crossing video expounding on the need for change, while emphasizing that "there was no going back"!!
And then proceeded to whine about feeling defeated!!
I don't know if anyone else caught the irony or not, but it suddenly became clear to me, (crystal clear you might say as wine glasses were spinning precariously across the counter top ) that the reason I was feeling defeated was because I had totally neglected my resolve to make change, and to give up some control.
Every damn day I got out riding/running/walking, I let my thoughts return to Ironman and everything that encompasses; the fitness, the glory, the self image. If I'm truly serious about change, and truly serious about giving up control, then I need to get serious about truly enjoying an 11 km walk in January!!! How many people would even look forward to such a thing???
Anyway, with this realization, I had a truly wonderful day. I chose not to work out at all, and instead focused on something my lovely needed done. I have some small skills that go beyond triathlon, and I am so blessed to have someone that appreciates those skills. The double pleasure I felt today in making her happy, while also doing something that I enjoy, is a gift that's not to be taken lightly.
As to what I built, you'll have to wait and see til the time is right. Trust me though, I did a nice job :) Somewhere, sometime, maybe it will make someone else happy as well.
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."---Wayne Dyer
and I really like this one...I need to crawl out of my shell
"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." C.S. Lewis
Love
Peter
Today however brought it's very own example. I was working on a Roo project that involved cutting boards, wine glasses, and full wine bottles. I was working away at the kitchen island, and instead of putting the fragile parts out of reach while I marked up the cutting board I left it all sitting there. A sudden slip, sent bottles and glasses spinning everywhere. With the extraordinary luck that most idiots are born with, not a one of them hit the floor, and not a one of them was even scratched!! I just smiled...
And while that's typical idiot behaviour for me, it's probably the least serious kind. Unfortunately, I'm an even bigger idiot when it comes to the really important things in life. Fortunately, just like the near miss with the wine glasses, I can also smile at my idiocy with the heavier stuff.
I don't know when it dawned on me--I think probably sometime during my Roo project-- that I had been an idiot in a more philosophical sense. Flash back to yesterday when I posted a really cool bridge crossing video expounding on the need for change, while emphasizing that "there was no going back"!!
And then proceeded to whine about feeling defeated!!
I don't know if anyone else caught the irony or not, but it suddenly became clear to me, (crystal clear you might say as wine glasses were spinning precariously across the counter top ) that the reason I was feeling defeated was because I had totally neglected my resolve to make change, and to give up some control.
Every damn day I got out riding/running/walking, I let my thoughts return to Ironman and everything that encompasses; the fitness, the glory, the self image. If I'm truly serious about change, and truly serious about giving up control, then I need to get serious about truly enjoying an 11 km walk in January!!! How many people would even look forward to such a thing???
Anyway, with this realization, I had a truly wonderful day. I chose not to work out at all, and instead focused on something my lovely needed done. I have some small skills that go beyond triathlon, and I am so blessed to have someone that appreciates those skills. The double pleasure I felt today in making her happy, while also doing something that I enjoy, is a gift that's not to be taken lightly.
As to what I built, you'll have to wait and see til the time is right. Trust me though, I did a nice job :) Somewhere, sometime, maybe it will make someone else happy as well.
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."---Wayne Dyer
and I really like this one...I need to crawl out of my shell
"It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad." C.S. Lewis
Love
Peter
I could be off the mark, but what you've said here makes me think, isn't it weird how many of us become so occupied with trying to be better, more "successful", etc, etc? From my perspective, you've done a whole bunch of Ironman's, and many people haven't even done one in their entire lives, let alone at your age! I dunno - it just seems like for most us, no matter how much we do or how well we do, there is always another benchmark, the line gets drawn even higher for what we need to achieve. I suppose in some sense it's good to have that and to have goals, but if there is no reaching a point at which we've "made it" and been successful, because there is always someone doing better than us, why do we stress out so much about it?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Michael
Thanks Michael for sharing your thoughts. I too wonder about the MADE IT point. And the definition of success....so broad potentially, and at the end of the day....could it not just be each of us who decide what that means for us rather than accepting our culturally imposed measures...
Deleteps - so looking forward to our next poker day! xo
Agreed - and so looking forward to our next poker day too! Can't wait! :)
DeleteI too may be off the mark, Mike, but I beleive the only person your dad may be in competition with is himself. Although I am sure that can reach unhealthy levels in some circumstances, in general, I beleive that when you stop trying to be more or better than your yesterday,s self, you are dead!
ReplyDeleteLove holij
that's an apostrophy in yesterday, not a comma! somehow, it fell to the bottom of the line and i dont have an edit option.
ReplyDeleteholij
i had to get rhis in before someone else does, i wonder if Mark may have something to say? ;)
ReplyDeletelove holij
Here's to better than yesterday!
ReplyDeleteLove
Isabella
(If John can be holij, I can be Isabella)
I like the suggestion from the Four Agreements - "Always do your best" . And your best on any given day can/will be very different - many things impact our best - like for example you Peter - and the 11 k walk vs running etc...currently that may be your best whereas previously, running, biking and swimming on the same day was your best... Anyway, I love ready your blog - especially when you make me laugh like you did with the bridge - no turning back while advocating for change xoxo
ReplyDeleteready above should be reading
DeleteI agree Deb---'always do your best'. Accepting at we age that our best will change too! Might not be what we were capable of doing 10 years ago but it's our new best now!
DeleteI too can't wait til our next poker!