Essential, Random and Frivolous Thoughts of a Cabinet Maker

It can be challenging for me to remain in a growth mindset day after day when it’s much easier to get comfortable and coast.

The irony is nowadays, apathy – the act of being distracted – or procrastination, is just as much of a grind. Maybe worse.

But, I always feel better after I hop back on the wagon and dig into my routine and do the things that should be done because it’s important to me.

Then I remember; “why do you stop, Jim? You feel better afterwards.

I hope for the courage to continue to want to grow and the wisdom to know when I’m not.

As we all know, farmers can’t get away with cultivating their soil one time. Just like anything else we intend to take care of, it takes a commitment to continuously tend to the field. Over and over again. Plow, plant, fertilize, etc. Every year over and over again.

Why would we be any different? Whether that’s physical tending, mental nurturing or spiritual development. A continuous cultivation of ourselves is essential not only for our health – physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually and socially, but for our loved-ones and the people we care about around us.

If we’re unable to be the best version of ourselves around those we care about, including ourselves, what’s the point? Coasting is not choice. That’s easy. Who wants easy?

Let’s choose better not indifference.

Maybe it doesn’t take much to be happy. It could be as easy as noticing a sunset or savoring a fine meal. Sometimes it’s a conversation with a loved-one or the doctor you just met at your appointment to look at your shoulder and you have a wonderful conversation filled with empathy and trust while connecting with them on a deeper level. Possibly, it feels as comforting as a warm bath as you listen to a beautiful piece of music.

It doesn’t take much to dive into our happiness. It’s just a leap of faith. A surrendering. Blind faith. A willingness to risk more. And yes, it is a risk. Why? We’re abandoning the excuse to be miserable – to feel mediocre or worse ‘fine.’ The worst; indifferent.

Let’s dive into our happiness that’s as clear of a choice as it is to strip off our clothes and plunge head first into the cold dark waters that lay below us. However, once we take that leap, we’re refreshed by the exhilarating waters that envelope our bodies.

And so dive I will.

I’ve heard it said, many times, that you can only attract in your life what you are. Another words, like attracts like. You cannot be stingy with your money and have an attitude of scarcity and become financially abundant. Nor can you be a pessimist with a poor attitude and bring kind, optimistic and giving people into your life. It just doesn’t work that way.

I love that idea, as I see it as a clear path of the person I want to evolve into in order to attract my intended goal. Anything outside of those directives becomes a distraction and white noise.

It also becomes abundantly clear that wishing, hoping or praying to ‘win the lottery’ is a futile effort. Besides, even if your ‘numbers’ were drawn, your ‘abundance’ would only be temporary as that is not who you are. You’d be broke in a matter of months wishing you would have spent your time becoming the person you needed to become. Water always finds it’s level.

I use to believe that I would be happy when . . . . I had piles of money, when I was “successful,” when I had ‘X’ amount of friends, when I lived in a certain size house in a particular part of town, when I rubbed shoulders with the elite, when I drove a nice car and on and on and on.

That idea is not only wrong, but extremely unrealistic and downright detrimental to our well-being.

One of the most rich lessons I’ve learned over the years is to embrace the messy. Welcome the arduous. And entertain the chaos. These are where the gems of wisdom lie if you’re willing to look and remove yourself from victimhood.

Let’s not miss out on the most valuable parts of life just because we’re a bit reluctant to lean into the ugly.