In between typing out the title for this post and writing this sentence, I switched windows and checked my email.

Then I realized how ironically relevant that is considering what I have in mind to say here.

Perhaps one of life’s proffered gifts, available to anyone open-eyed enough to receive it, is a pruned list of care-worthy things. I could easily – easily – spend my entire waking consciousness on items such as my distractions; my appearance; my success; my advantages; my positioning; my comfort; my analyses of, or competitions with, those around me; my worries; my anticipations; my past; my regrets; my pleasures; my poisons; my vices; my inner secrets; my own voice; my desires.

I’m not saying any of those items are necessarily bad in of themselves, or are imprudent to think about. Some of them should be attended to sometimes or even often.

I think though that I’m discovering how much weight I gave and give them can be drastically bloated. I pour myself into thought patterns that spin my wheels, cause frustration and pain, and don’t help anyone. I see the same tree slingshot past my vision again and realize that I’m on a merry-go-round, thinking I’m moving forward but instead swinging in distracted circles.

I want to be zealous this year about snuffing the unprofitable in order to make more room for the significant. I want to spend my time engaging the real instead of toying with the hypothetical. I want to sniff out those things that are worth dying for rather than bickering about.

#goals

-LS