Go Deeper Not Wider

So I have been tootling around the blog world looking for interesting blogs - blogs with ease of commenting.  In my search I discovered this one:

 Raptitude.com - Getting Better At Being Human.

(Just a tiny point of clarification:  

no one should think I am interested in getting better at being human

 - and that is the first sign that 'bettering' is probably needed!!) 

Ha!!  

No, I was pulled into the blog by the current post called  Go Deeper Not Wider.

As I read this post I can honestly admit I felt a "wow factor."   It was like this guy was peeking in the window of my brain and finding something growing there that I was aware of but did not or could not express.  And he expressed it so well.

In his own words his thoughts on Go Deeper Not Wider:

*****

No new hobbies, equipment, games, or books are allowed during this year. Instead, you have to find the value in what you already own or what you’ve already started.

You improve skills rather than learning new ones. You consume media you’ve already stockpiled instead of acquiring more.

You read your unread books, or even reread your favorites. You pick up the guitar again and get better at it, instead of taking up the harmonica. You finish the Gordon Ramsey Masterclass you started in April, despite your fascination with the new Annie Leibovitz one, even though it’s on sale.

The guiding philosophy is “Go deeper, not wider.” Drill down for value and enrichment instead of fanning out. You turn to the wealth of options already in your house, literally and figuratively. We could call it a “Depth Year” or a “Year of Deepening” or something. 

*****

I encourage you to read the post completely.  I believe it reflects and compliments a lot of current thinking in areas of minimalism, anti-consumerism, finding joy in what you have, and other growing ground swells of thought.   

I am not sure I am up to any formal challenge or experimenting (his term) of 'deeper vs wider.'  But it does feel comfortable in my brain - and it is nice to have this image in my mind.

You see, I recognize the pattern of 'going wide' as a common pattern in my life.

• I have a room full of yarn and about 5 three inch binders full of patterns - and I need to stop that expansion.  I won't live long enough to use all the yarn and patterns I have now.  That is not an idle statement.  I have counted the yardage and averaged the usage.  There is yarn in my yarn room that will outlive me!! I have three weaving looms.  I am not weaving.  I have two tapestry looms - I do have plans to do that.  I have fiber spindles and fiber - I don't spin.  I used to have a spinning wheel but in a moment of mental clarity I gave that to a cousin who was interested in spinning.
• Adult coloring was all the rage a few years ago.  I got hooked.  I have several types of color pencils (not the cheap kind either) and probably 6 books - beautiful books.  I have colored about 2 1/2 pages ... only!!!  When I look at this hobby I think - yes I would like to return. I really enjoyed it.  But seriously, 6 books with only a few pages completed?!?!
• I have a iPhone phone with lots of memory and 61 audio books are housed there.  61!!  If each audio book averages 10 hours a piece of listening time and I have 61 - that is over 610 hours of listening or about 25 days of listening round the clock!  Ridiculous!  
• My Kindle library is about 6 screens long with titles just waiting to be read.  I kindle read only before bed and while I eat - at that rate I could read these titles probably for a year without adding to them.
• My Craftsy account has 9 previously purchased classes.  I have viewed a few, but when Craftsy went to Bluprint they offered a one year membership - at a reduced rate - which would allow you to select 12 classes to keep permanently - AND a year to view any of their classes on line for free.  Wow - great offer - a large savings on their class costs - so I joined right up because this would be the year I would take some instruction.  I can't travel to it - so at home instruction is PERFECT!  But ... really, now instead of 9 classes that I haven't fully viewed, I will have 12 more.  I probably went 'deep' with some advanced instruction in current hobbies, but I think I went 'wide' by expanding of the class numbers I have yet to view.  *sigh* 
• I have a pantry that is a hard-hat area!  And yet, my grocery shopping adds more to the stack of food stuffs then I use up.  What's with that??  I HATE cooking.  Sometimes I feel like I am unconsciously preparing for the apocalypse.

I could go on, but the bald-faced truth is this - I need to go 'deep'  ...  not 'wide.'   I think I have been moving in this direction unconsciously over the last year.  I avoid yarn stores, and yarn websites and I try to limit my purchases at yarn fairs.  I have de-stashed yarn and books and patterns, but to the casual eye - the dent is hard to see even with a microscope.  I did give away a full size spinning wheel  and a lap loom and that felt wonderful! We will not even address the pantry issues here (but I am ready for Zombies - in case you are wondering.).

Final thoughts on the Raptitude blog:

• He has a deep inventory of posts on various subjects.  He currently does about 2 posts a month - and many of the titles are intriguing.  I have only read this one, but I know I will visit again to look at his other posts.  I did subscribe to his blog.

• His blog is not a personal life sharing blog like mine or like so many I follow.  He does have a tab where he documents individual experiments (on himself) and logs the process.  And I noticed that while there is some commenting, he closes his commenting after a bit.  

• Finally, the blogger doesn't claim to have any professional expertise - and that is fine by me.  Sometimes when a blogger has professional creds and lets you know what they are - I can't help wonder what they are trying to 'sell.'  This blog appears to be just his thoughts and ideas.  He appears to be just a writer-guy out of Canada that thinks a lot about these subjects and wants to share his thoughts.  Not much different from us other bloggers, I guess.  

In previous years I picked a word to point in the direction I wanted to go.  It is a popular habit among bloggers.  I didn't plan on picking a word this year, but after reading this post - 'Go Deep' fits me like hand to glove. 

  Check him out - or at least check out this post
 and let me know what you think.

Do you prefer going 'deep' or going 'wide?'

Who I will be in 2018!

I don't make resolutions.  I do, however, enjoy visiting the blogs where people publish their resolutions.  To me resolutions are not so much goal setting and achieving ... resolutions reflect our desire to be someone different than we are now - or improve qualities that we already have but have not 'fed' recently.

In recent years I followed the blog trend of picking a single word and seeing how closely I could live my life to demonstrate of that word.

• In 2016 I picked the word - Move!  I wanted to be more physically active.  I don't know about physical activity - be we did move - in 2016 - and it did require a great deal of physical activity on my part.  I guess that counts even if not planned that way.
• In 2017 I picked the word - Consistency.  I wanted good habits performed more consistently.  In truth, I promptly forgot that word as I got into 2017.  I couldn't even guess what it was until I looked it up for this post.  Certainly exercise was a good habit I wanted this past year.   Looking back I did consistently exercise - joining The Y last January and being dedicated to my PT exercises since June.  

So what to do about 2018!

I won't be doing 'Resolutions' nor picking a 'Word' to thread through my year.  If I learned anything from my life in 2017 - it is that regardless of any goals or intentions I have - the future will happen regardless of my plans for it, and I will be responding.

But the question that keeps rising to the surface is: who will I be in 2018?

• Health: The events of 2017 set me back.  This body is good for only a fixed period of time, and I want to be sure it is functional for ALL that time.  So I am continuing what I started in 2017 - to maintain and improve this body through regular activity. 
• Distractions: As in previous years - I need to start decluttering again.   Objects for me are distractions and the condo has started to feel full.  All the downsizing I did allowed me to move from 2200 square feet space into 1375 feet space in 2016.  Someday I may need to shrink even more - maybe into a single room.  What I do now will minimize what my children may be forced to do on my behalf in the future.   Objects are half the battle.  Time is the other half.  The clutter of an overly busy calendar can be stressful. 
• Grandchild:  This will be a new adventure!  One that I can hardly wait to begin.  

Keep healthy for a grandchild.

Make space and time for a grandchild.

Those are the words that will guide me in 2018!

Who will you be in 2018?

Wisdom from an unlikely source!

George Carlin was a American comedian of the 70's and 80's.  My husband and I were big fans of his stand up comedy and his observations of life.  But I understand that Mr. Carlin was a controversial person and not admired by many.

Some of the descriptions of Mr. Carlin include:  social critic, actor, author, philosopher and satirist.  He didn't shy away from difficult topics like religion or politics, and he addressed taboo subjects with gusto.  One of his best and funniest bits was called "Seven Dirty Words."  Google it if you are not familiar with his work, but be warned - they really are words not used in polite conversation.

I don't know when this piece was written by Mr. Carlin, but I believe it is representative of the worth of this man.  It shows that he was more than just controversial ... he was a many faceted individual and seeing life in this piece through his eyes is worthwhile even if you did not like his comedy.

I wanted to share this piece on my blog so that I could find it again when I needed a reminder of what is crazy and is important in life.  So much of what he writes reflects some of my own evolution in thinking over the last year.

It is a long piece but well worth your time.  Hope you think so too.

*****

"The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints.  We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less.  We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time.  We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much and pray took seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.  We Talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life.  We've added years to life not life to years.  We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor.  We conquered outer space but not inner space.  We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.  We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice.  We write more, but learn less.  We plan more, but accomplish less.  We've learned to rush, but not to wait.  We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.  These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are the days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.  It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom.  A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it.  A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak!  And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away."