Praise yourself. Pat on the back. Make Henry David Thoreau happy by living the life you had imagined. Come here and gather ‘round the fire, or the local AA meeting with coffee and donuts in the back, whatever metaphor you want, and we will tout ourselves up as idols of virtue.
I try to use times where I have little to no agency as places to meditate: haircuts, dentist appointments, traffic. There are limitations to this of course. Don't close your eyes and do breath work at a red light. It will change and you will have to move, or others will politely remind you with a gentle honk or two.
But there are opportunities to let your mind wander. You can take accountability of your breathing, your mindset, and reset.
Do you find yourself getting anxious at all the other drivers, the rest of you to do list? Can you let some of that go for now, and enjoy the song on the radio, call your mom, put on a podcast; you might be here a while.
This idea is easier when you are idle at those other places, but it is true too in waiting rooms. Ignore the home renovation reruns, the outdated magazines, your doom scrolling. Look out the window, count ceiling tiles, understand the space around you. This isn't boredom. Its being present.
I was reminded by Facebook of the time last year where I had a productive day after work planned, one of those where you buckle down and just get to it. I come outside to find my tire flattened to the ground. There was a screw embedded all the way into the treads.
It was the first time that I decided that I was to handle an obstacle as a stoic. I had never changed the tire on this truck. I wasn’t sure how to get to the spare. But all the same, I got to work.
It was chilly and but windy but I accepted what was happening and handled it. I was proud of my indifference.
The first thing that I have done that makes me happy about trying to practice virtue is in how I handled my second post. Oh, by the way, hi, I am the king of mistakes and second chances, picking up the pieces and trying again.
A peek behind the curtain, I didn't finish my second post last night (mistake one). I posted it before I reviewed it (mistake two). After I fixed it, I saw two more edits to be made (mistake three).
Wildly frustrating as it happened, but no time was wasted in worrying over it. Made the changes and went on.
Is this first comment an admission of unprofessionalism? Maybe. I never want to lie to the readers, or myself.
I try to use times where I have little to no agency as places to meditate: haircuts, dentist appointments, traffic. There are limitations to this of course. Don't close your eyes and do breath work at a red light. It will change and you will have to move, or others will politely remind you with a gentle honk or two.
But there are opportunities to let your mind wander. You can take accountability of your breathing, your mindset, and reset.
Do you find yourself getting anxious at all the other drivers, the rest of you to do list? Can you let some of that go for now, and enjoy the song on the radio, call your mom, put on a podcast; you might be here a while.
This idea is easier when you are idle at those other places, but it is true too in waiting rooms. Ignore the home renovation reruns, the outdated magazines, your doom scrolling. Look out the window, count ceiling tiles, understand the space around you. This isn't boredom. Its being present.
I was reminded by Facebook of the time last year where I had a productive day after work planned, one of those where you buckle down and just get to it. I come outside to find my tire flattened to the ground. There was a screw embedded all the way into the treads.
It was the first time that I decided that I was to handle an obstacle as a stoic. I had never changed the tire on this truck. I wasn’t sure how to get to the spare. But all the same, I got to work.
It was chilly and but windy but I accepted what was happening and handled it. I was proud of my indifference.
The first thing that I have done that makes me happy about trying to practice virtue is in how I handled my second post. Oh, by the way, hi, I am the king of mistakes and second chances, picking up the pieces and trying again.
A peek behind the curtain, I didn't finish my second post last night (mistake one). I posted it before I reviewed it (mistake two). After I fixed it, I saw two more edits to be made (mistake three).
Wildly frustrating as it happened, but no time was wasted in worrying over it. Made the changes and went on.
Is this first comment an admission of unprofessionalism? Maybe. I never want to lie to the readers, or myself.