Yes, I’m a Gilmore Girls fan so I appreciate “Never or Now” instead of “now or never”.
There are a lot of big issues in our world. Not that there haven’t always been – historically or more recently. However, I think awareness and new responses are adding tension. It doesn’t help that we’re still in the midst of the Covid pandemic and lack many of our usual coping mechanisms.
How do we handle such weighty topics on our own?
How do we change the world?
They say the devil is in the details so let’s be the devil. After all, we are the details. We are the only things constant in our daily lives. If you’ve followed my blog, you have probably heard me mention self-defense. You may also have read posts about self-discipline and possibly even self-esteem. What is the common thread? Self.
We change the world by changing ourselves.
Such an easy answer, right?
It’s kinda like the saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. However, no one ever provides a lemonade recipe so we know the right balance of sweet and sour.
Do I have a lemonade recipe? No, not really. I am continuing to work on it though and this is your invitation to join me. It’s taking some experimentation and yes, there will be some sour lemonade none of us want to drink. However, I think it’s important to not just be on the path but to check those mile markers to make sure we’re still going the right way.
Where is the path of change leading us? Hopefully to happiness.
Yes, I’m saying happiness instead of listing out inner peace, joy, kindness, health, goodness, love, charity, and the multitude of other things I feel it should include.
We’ve all been trapped by the Covid pandemic, but the end appears to be in sight. I see many people saying they’ve learned what’s important, they’ve changed, and they want to move forward differently in 2021. I’m all for this – for myself and others. It’s very much like a New Year’s resolution. We’ve taken time to evaluate where we are and where we want to be.
However, if the pandemic taught me anything, it’s that I still have much to learn…including self-discipline.
I don’t know about you but apparently just having more time at home wasn’t sufficient for me to get things off my home improvement list. It also wasn’t sufficient for me to write thousands of words each day or to improve my health with daily workouts and meditation. That’s not to say I haven’t been somewhat productive. I have, but not in the amounts I thought I would be.
While I love planning and thinking of the future, I’m working on being in the moment (happiness). I’m focusing on those smaller things, the details. Part of my journey is a new blog on Medium.com. The post series is ISO Happiness and I’ve included the free friend links at the end of this post. There will continue to be some crossover material as I’ll be active here and there. As always, I’d invite you to join the conversation by commenting or sending a message to me (just click the Contact button).
As part of the Medium series, I created and did a 24 Hour Challenge. It was my attempt to make some small changes as well as to focus on the here and now.
ISO Happiness: 24 Hour Challenge
- Skip one thing.
- Add one thing.
- Handle one overdue task.
What you pick to skip, add, and handle are entirely up to you, of course. I did stick to familiar things – eating healthier for my skip/ add and cleaning out the fridge for my handle. It may seem like 24 hours isn’t enough time to accomplish much or change your life, but I did successfully complete the challenge…and it felt pretty good!
When you only have 24 hours, the Never or Now mantra is a bit more pressing. There is no chance to double your efforts tomorrow. It is Never or Now. Just saying that to myself helped motivate me. It also helped that 24 hours is such a short period of time. I mean, how hard can it be to stick to a resolution for 24 hours?
If you’ve been around for the Book Chat posts then you know I have the whole year planned (almost anyway). I love planning, but I suck at execution. Sticking to something for a year or even the necessary 21 days to make a new habit can be intimidating and even discouraging.
I found I really liked the solution of setting the clock at 24 hours. It kept my 3 things in my mind, but it also helped me stay in the moment. I enjoyed it so much that I reset the clock and started another 24 Hour Challenge.
My three things will be repeated and they may change. TBH, I’m not stressed about that or planning what’s next. That’s a pretty big step for me. Perhaps this isn’t your struggle though. I still think there’s something to be learned for many of us here.
Do you want to make a change?
It’s Never or Now, my friend.
Come along and take the journey with me! Let’s see just what we can do in 24 Hours!
Medium.com Friend Links
ISO Happiness: 24 Hour Challenge
ISO Happiness: 24 Hour Challenge Results
Rennie St. James 