Last week, a dear friend of mine texted me with a heartfelt request: please write something light-hearted and fun.
“When was the last time you wrote something fun? I like your writing, always have and you know that, but it is so serious. I worry people will think you are depressed.”
I thought on that for a bit. I can see his point. I shuffled through this blog and found that even when I thought I was being light, I was still being heavy in tone and message.
And for the past week, I’ve been searching for something, anything, that I can write about that would be fun, fluffy and less “on-edge.”
But I cannot do it; at least not at this moment.
I am not depressed. I’m actually quite happy. I suppose if you want funny, try The Onion – uh, at least the online version anyway. I enjoy comedy and humor. I can’t wait for Anchorman 2, and the clips of the British gentleman arguing about Michael Caine impressions crack me up.
But perhaps I’ve changed.
My writing comes from a place of inspiration and motivation, which is where I think I should probably be spending the majority of my time – inspired and motivated. And I am inspired and motivated by very little: just to change the world and make it a less selfish, self-serving place, with less complaining and more enjoyment, where people interact positively and attempt to do good.
I wish I could blame this on my kids and say that being a father changed me. It did, in so many wonderfully challenging ways, but my wife and I had children long before my mindset changed. For better or worse, this is my voice now. I am compelled, not out of a belief or right and wrong, but because it feels like a calling, a destiny.
And as the great voice of our times, Ke$ha, once said, we are who are.
Someone of perhaps equal importance from the past, some dude named Gandhi, once said your values become your destiny.
I cannot speak for anyone’s values but my own. Values come from what we believe, which is really just opinion. And we all opine. Life is opinion and simply a matter of perspective.
And it can change if you allow it, from a number of different sources – which is the beauty of life. It could be a movie, a song, an event. Death has a way of putting life in perspective. Loss often affects us more than any gain. Loss accomplishes what we should have known and appreciated all along – that we had it but did not realize it.
What holds us back? Simply stated, us.
There is really no difference between you and those you would deem as accomplished outside of perseverance, motivation and belief. The problem is, those are increasingly hard to come by. They cannot be bought – though we certainly try in a variety of ways – through books, speakers, events, inspirational videos and the like.
Yet all that is temporary and fleeting. Longer term, only we can build the path we seek. It doesn’t come to us, wrapped like a Christmas present.
Success in a box? For me? Why, you shouldn’t have.
Life is our gift, yet we are constantly looking for a gift receipt. We’re looking for discounts and sales, return policies and guarantees in life, in relationships.
One day, someday, wishing, hoping – none invoke any amount of self-resolve needed to define life your terms.
Negativity breeds, infects and spreads. Ignore it, get away from it. Laugh at it. Do something to remove yourself from it and the negativity of the world.
I’ve come to understand it is the stuff we don’t think matters that we actually think matters. Just look at your social media feeds. Your own timeline and those of your friends will tell you everything you need to know about what your focus is on.
Life occurs in the space between the spaces. Too esoteric? What I mean is you will find your values, your truths and beliefs in the moments between moments.
Who are you when no one is looking? Do you take pride in keeping yourself well-presented, not for others, but for you? Do you hold the elevator? Let the car waiting in during a traffic jam? Do the dishes at someone else’s house? Look people in the eye? Are you honest, yet reserved with how brutal and hurtful that honesty can be? Do you show tact and general decorum? Take your shoes off when entering someone’s home? Call instead of text?
You see, those moments, and thousands more like them occur on a daily basis and we miss our real opportunities to make an impact in the world or to show who we really are. We’re stuck thinking it’s these big, life-defining events that display who we are. On the contrary, we define our own lives in the seemingly insignificant moments in between those moments.
If the world feels like it’s attacking you, putting you down and betraying you, then you ought to be proud. Don’t be like the world – we already say it’s messed up enough, so why would you want to fall in line with it?
Therefore, I’ll keep writing about what motivates me, without compensation, because no one needs to pay me to be who I am.
As for the humor, well, I suppose I can work on that, too. Come to think of it, my voice impressions are pretty good.
Perhaps I’ve just became more interested in making an impression than doing one.
worldbetweenlines.com 