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Life is what happens while you're distracted

Mental clutter is the bain of a successful career. It's what distracts you from your primary purpose as you busily get things done. You suddenly look up and it's November 12th or something and you wonder where the year went and why as it's Thanksgiving, you're thinking of what to give thanks for.

The design of a year's action plan ought to have enough buffer to allow life's random form to take place. And yet it should move forward in a way that serves your personal growth and development in ways that authentically align with your purpose on earth. What you feel connects you to truth is worth holding onto as a rudder for life. Evenso, after chats with Mother, I've also learned that values must be pliable enough to flex to new knowledge you gain as you travel. There's nothing more foolhardy than holding on to old beliefs that no longer serve you. I think it's suicidal.

That means, that you do the work of self introspection. That delicate work of journalling, dreaming, going for walks along the fall leaves and mapping in your mind, among the moon and the stars a vision for your life. Include thoughts about who travels alongside you. Deliberately include who supports and encourages you and how you'll stay close to them. And be clear with them about your dreams. Let them help you moderate your action plan so it's realistic and allows you to be truly human. And we must run new ideas as they shape by trusted others outside our brains to check ourselves for mad exursions.

To laugh, play, sleep, eat good food and exercise is worthwhile. It tempers our drive to outwit the world, and allows us to live well on the journey. Sometimes, that's all there really is. There may be no there there.

So if, as I do, you feel this year has moved you little forward on the hunt for some great achievement, know this: life is sometimes more about living, than winning or collecting trophies and toys. If I measure the living I've done this year, I am enormously blessed and fortunate, humbly grateful. If I count based on promotions, and certifications, raises and project completions, I could fall into a worthless depression.

So I'm choosing to count as a success, a year well lived. And somehow I'll find a way to write a decent self-appraisal. One about treading water well.

Work and live well.

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