Wistful Wednesday (a little early): Reflection

As I blog the crap out of this post ... I'm sitting on my spacious deck that I built, overlooking the back 8 acres of our land, listening to the hum of the pool to which I connected our deck - typing away on a "new to me" laptop and connected to my amazing wireless internet connection - listening to birds chirp, gazing into trees as far as the eye can see and generally just enjoying this little life I've carved out for myself.

It's good to be me. Aren't you jealous?

Only kidding around.

I am really doing all of this and it's all true - this is my life from the land to the deck to the "new to me" laptop - all true, what I said. You see, I am quite fortunate. But I'm not a jerk about it. Therein lies the kidding around part - I try very hard not to be an ass about success.

Rather I do try to be thankful for what I have. Its more than some and not as much as many - and that's generally where I like things in life - right down the middle of the road. I'm not an extreme person. Very hobbit-like as my blog description implies.

Sometimes its good to just sit back and look at what's happened in your life you know? I've said this before and I'll say it again. I had an old mentor once who listed out most of the things I have outlined here - and he asked me - which one of those would you give up for a million dollars? I said "none" .... and he said "right, its a helluva package".

He was right then and his advice rings true now.

Sometimes you just need to sit back for a second, unplug however briefly, from everything and everyone ... and just "look", with amazed detachment, at what you have. What you've earned AND what you've been given.

Without waxing political, and regardless of your affiliation, we still live in what I believe is the greatest nation on Earth. Regardless of the economy this is still the land of opportunity. It's the land of opportunity for *you* where ever you are; regardless of your circumstances. Life is truly what you make of it. Hey I'm a real Hallmark card tonight right?

None of this is Earth-shattering news I realize. I just needed to get a bit of it out. Occasionally I find myself trying too hard, always pushing to do more, expecting more of "me". "I need to be a better "worker" ... "I need to be a better husband, father, friend" ... "I need to work on that project" ... "I need to do this this this" ... all of that, and I'm sure each one reading this has their own "thing" or "things" to worry about just adds up to more worry.

So sometimes, just sometimes I realize it's okay to take a break.

There was a great t-shirt which I used to have that said, "Don't be so serious, it's only life".

Truer words have never been spoken.