Composer, Cartographer and Thought Adventurer, 44 🗺. Found in the Mountains 🏔. Friendly when approached. Likely to deliver hugs. Lucky Dad. Lucky Husband.
GRIT: Goofy – Resilience – Intimacy – Tempted
My plan to return to Goofy is actually demonstrated in confidence, more so than the goofy. This is an important observation as the point isn’t to show up to life every day in a jester hat “just because”. It is having the confidence to be natural in all environments and situations, which allows my lighter side to appear as it sees fit to appear – without fear of me being labeled as inappropriate.
In light of my Resilience, I am confident that change is possible but very unsure of the path and timeline. I am certain of self-betterment, knowing that this will be an iterative process and it will not always appear successful. I have experienced this time and again – whether through recovery from substance abuse, weight gain and weight loss, relationship CPR or music composition. All of these situations ebb and flow between measurable, immediate progress and frequent setbacks, sometimes subtle and sometimes not-so-much.
Intimacy is a bit of a crazy maker. My intimacy encompasses the whole of intimacy. For me, intimacy is real truth and discovery in all of my relationships. This does not mean that all interactions must be fire and brimstone debates and challenges; it merely means that all personal relationships must be ready to expose themselves to honest introspection and challenge. My plan to appreciate intimacy in the name of growth is to be aware and less fearful – nay – proud – of my commitment to embrace intimacy within myself and with those who are willing to adventure down this path. Self-betterment and perhaps betterment in general is, at its core, a very intimate journey.
My plan to appreciate temptation in the name of growth is Patience. Practice patience. Practice patience. The key to not following every temptation is patience. Patience allows me to practice my four pillars of patience and presence: Breathe + Think+ Decide + Commit. There is absolutely nothing wrong with temptation – the trick is knowing how to guide it and that is a constant work-in-progress.
Excerpts from Know, Grow and Show Your GRIT! Self-Discovery Made Simple (pg. 101-103)
The audio version drops on March 13th, 2023!
