Thursday, December 30, 2021 (Day 363)
Relaxing Music for the week: Breathe: Liquid Mind (11:44) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdVTNzg6RuE
Question: How would you like to deepen your journaling over the next year?
Answer: I don’t know how or if I want to deepen my journaling practice, but I do know that I want to continue writing and documenting my experiences over the next year. I think 2022 is going to bring some interesting changes in my life, so taking the time to write them down will be useful. And it will be my last year in my 50’s, so it will be fun to see how I prepare for the transition into my 60’s. I’m one of the few people that really looks forward to my 60’s, since I’ll get all sorts of great discounts, especially on golf! Senior rates for golfers are incredible, especially if you walk! On the courses around here (Piedmont Triad, NC), I can walk 9 holes of golf for less than 10 dollars! And that’s a BARGAIN, compared to a lot of other places! It’s a easy way for me to build my golf game!
After writing what I wrote below in “Other Stuff,” I believe that I need to continue journaling – and continuing to do it online for the world to see. There are so many gems out there that it’s only right to share. I know that I struggle with life, even though things are really good right now. You know, there are good days and bad days. Maybe this is a place where my story helps one other person in their struggles. And as I navigate this unknown path of “retirement,” it’s probably a great time to journal this progression because I don’t know what it’s like NOT to work, especially in higher education. I started college in August 1981 – and I have been on a college campus every Fall Semester since that time. Spent 8 years as a full-time student (5 years undergrad, 2 years masters, 1 year doctorate); have been working on a college campus since the summer of 1989. I love being in the environment, but it looks like the environment isn’t loving me back right now – at least the UNCG environment. Maybe I’ll find my place at another institution, maybe my place is out on my own. All I know is that I’ll be muddling through this process over the next year!
So, I guess I’ll keep this going in 2022 – my last year in the 50’s!
Other Stuff
I’m almost done reading “The Second Mountain: The Quest for Moral Life” by David Brooks. I finished the section on Marriage which I found absolutely on point. He shared an article and some of the points from it in the book. If you’re married – or at least have a partner you’re thinking about spending the rest of your days and nights with, you might want to check it out here:
- 15 Ways to Stay Married for 15 Years – https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marriage-secrets_b_1459770
To be honest, there are so many gems in this article, I can’t begin to share which are my favorite. It’s definitely one of my favorites for the year, that’s for sure. Again, like all of the things that I’ve shared on this blog, don’t try to do everything; just find one or two gems that fit your situation and start there. Like for me, “Stop thinking temporarily” is one that resonates with me because I always think of everything in my life as a temporary state. For example, I look at places of residence as a “house or dwelling,” not a “home” because I’m always waiting for the next move. I feel that way about home, I feel that way about work, and I feel that way about my relationships. And that’s just not right. If you make a commitment (or covenant), honor that commitment. My #1 rule for being a Life Design Catalyst? Honor your word – do what you say you will do. That goes for work, that goes for marriage, that goes for life. Enough said.
The Dream Dean 