I am considered by family, friends and business acquaintances to be calm, level-headed, rational, analytic, thoughtful, etc. It was part of what made me successful in my many roles in corporate life. And something that has perhaps prevented me from honoring my feelings and emotions in my personal life. While I don't think I fetishize reason and rationality, I seem to be coded to make them my primary mode of being (PEL is perhaps a reflection - or symptom?).
So my New Year's resolution is to be more 'unreasonable'. By that I mean not only cut down on the rational, analytical approach to things, the measured intake of data and attempt to view things from multiple perspectives, but also to stop being so accomodating to everyone else's requests - to be a bit 'unreasonable'. Open myself to interpersonal energy and the immediate Zeitgeist. And guess what world, that might mean I take more risks and am a bit more selfish. I'm 41 and I deserve it, so deal.
A corollary to this is that I am going to start setting unrealistic expectations and goals. Got this from The 4 Hour Work Week, but it seems to fit.
Unlike Mark, I'm not going to commit to either doing or sharing weekly with y'all.
Cheers, seth
That’s a nice logical analysis of what you need to do Seth. It makes perfect sense and I am sure it will make everyone very happy.
If your intention was to not be reasonable, you appear to be contradicting your intentions by sounding so reasonable about your intention to not be reasonable. So I take it that was not your intention. That is if you were being reasonable. But since your intention was to be not reasonable then the contradiction of being reasonable and not reasonable is ok, so in a way it is still reasonable, which was not your intention if you were being reasonable about being unreasonable. If you are unreasonable, then you are reasonable. If are reasonable, then you are reasonable and unreasonable, which is unreasonable, which was your intention, so it is reasonable. Is there a worry here? Only if you are being unreasonable. So happy new year dude.
This makes my brain hurt. Either I intentionally or unintentionally did or did not achieve my goal through the stating of it. Intentionality is irrelevant, however, how did it make you feel?
Today is the next best day of our lives and 2010 will be the best year. Happy new year to you too!
I was joking. I agree with you. I was just demonstrating being silly. I know what you mean. Sometimes it is not necessary to be analytical or logically consistent in everyday life. If you take apart every argument about who should should do the dishes or something like that, somebody is going to whack you upside the head. Sometimes we can be almost OCD in our desire for for everything to be neatly organized within our mental schemas. It may be that lot of the world just doesn’t make because we aren’t capable of understanding it from the narrow band of information available to us from our perspective. Our brains create our worlds a of a sea of wandering energy. There is Order and Random in the universe. We have to figure out how to juggle both of them.
I got the joke. Just having a bit of fun.
I like your comeback – “a sea of wandering energy’. Suggests the dynamic force we suppose drives everything is itself dynamically driven (if perhaps without aim).
My larger concern is creating space in my life for emotion, beauty and – as you indicate – recognizing the right kind (positive) of energy. And I do believe this will be the best year ever…
I am clearly way behind in commenting here given that it Oct 2011 but I love you guys and this podcast/blog that I’m reading everything…anywaaaay…my thought was when I reading this that you didn’t say anything about merely seeking to be happy. Or did you suppose that state would necessarily follow?
So–did you find happiness? (given the power of hindsight….)
Hey Laura, thanks for the shout out. It’s never too late to comment – the internet is forever, isn’t it?
Happiness was never the goal – wisdom, beauty and virtue were. Not so well articulated, but in hindsight…I think happiness is a byproduct of those things. In any case, 2010 was an interesting growth year with a lot of great things. 2011 has taken a slightly different turn but I’m pleased to report that the strategy is working. Despite what my participation in this podcast might lead you to believe.
–seth