Recently there hasn’t been a lot of activity here. I could give a large number of excuses about why. Things like I didn’t know what I wanted to accomplish with the site, I was waiting for the images for the new header, and so on and so on. Ultimately, though, there is no excuse that is truly suitable.
Essentially, I needed to make some decisions, that I thought were difficult and complex, but they weren’t. The decisions were easy to make, the difficulty was accepting them once they were made. And, until I had done that, there was no way to move forward. The good news is that forward movement is once again possible, and the time has come to make sure that the Dragon pays for his crimes, Past, and Future.
To this end there are going to be some changes to how I run my life and this website. The life changes are not important in and of themselves, although, they will certainly prove to be a large amount of inspiration for future posts. There is one change that is going to be noticeable right up front. It revolves around the commitments I make.
I make a lot of commitments knowing that I won’t be held to many of them. This is not something I wish to continue. Instead, I am going to make far fewer commitments, and honour any that I do make. While this is a noble intention, I suspect it is going to be difficult to stick to. The most difficult part of which is going to be learning to say no. Part of which is understanding that declining a request is not a negative reflection on me. Or at least is far less of a negative reflection than not honouring my commitments.
In light of this new intention, I am stating my commitment to Fight Mediocrity. I started getting discouraged previously. I was basing my success on things outside of my control. I cannot commit to getting 73541 subscribers or writing a post that goes viral. I can commit to showing up, 5 days a week, and putting 100% into everything I do on the site. I can commit to ensuring that everything I write is as good as I can make it. And I can commit to making sure that I am doing what I want, not what everyone tells me I should. This is my commitment, and I intend to honour it.
The second change is likely to be a little less visible, but just as profound. Every day, you wake up with a choice. This is not always a conscious choice, but it is one that is made. You choose how you approach the day. Every day 100 things happen to you, a few of these are uplifting positive experiences, and some make you wonder what you’ve done to deserve them. Most, however, are neither. The choice affects how these events are interpreted. It is too easy to see the negative in the little things, I blame the Dragon. Seeing the good takes a little more effort. And, it’s an effort I am going to make.
This will not change my desire to cut the head off the Dragon and mount it on my wall, but it will change how I respond to the minor defeats that the Dragon is sure to inflict. Minor losses always hold some positive element. A new personal strength is uncovered, or a new strategy is suggested. These are the lessons I will choose to learn and focus on, and I am sure they are not the lessons the Dragon wants to teach.
The path to defeating the Dragon is long and treacherous, but, it is a path I am choosing to walk gladly.
Join me.
