A Purposeful Day
When I was a little boy, I used to jump out of bed in the very early morning, and race into the day. I’d beat everyone up, and so had to entertain myself for an hour or two before pestering others. I remember summers, heading down to the river out back, some mornings observing the mist rising off of the current, others I’d watch the black water bugs dart hither and to, and in the shallows, where the little fish would congregate, I’d watch first them and then their shadows multiply.
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How is it little kids fight like the dickens to stay up at night, then jump out of bed in the morning? Whatever happened to never wanting to miss a thing?
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Robert Frost said, ‘Happiness makes up in height what it lacks in length.’
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Recreating this feeling as adults is a chore at times. Yet, is it really all that taxing? Isn’t it simply a matter of creating fun? For me, adopting a life changing goal, and then implementing it with enthusiasm, and with a small step in the right direction each day, has brought the enthusiast back to the forefront.
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“Action is the foundational key to success.” (Pablo Picasso)
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If even the thought of a life changing goal has you constipated, consider: it doesn’t have to be something to die for. Instead, make it simply something you want to live for.
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“Happy people plan actions, they don’t plan results.” (Dennis Wholey)
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Action and intention are the two sides of this coin. Thinking you’ll get to it tomorrow or next Tuesday isn’t effective. Never will be. And you will be forever frustrated, and negative, toward yourself in the process. Which is then what you will bring into your life. A vicious circle. Yet that same circle can work in reverse. Take positive action, use intention, bring into your life what you know is out there for you. Happiness? Joy? Love? The source is boundless. Outflow determines inflow. It’s just that simple.
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Pascal said, “Nature is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”
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A good place to start, if still deciding what’s the goal, is simply to breath. Meditate on it. Quiet yourself. Become connected to that inner stillness. Your conscious self. Tip: try diaphragmatic breathing.