Between being and becoming is an #AttitudeOfGratitude
In 2011 I resolved to own an attitude of gratitude.
In 2012 I resolve, again, to adopt an attitude of gratitude.
But first, let's review 2011.
In 2011 I played outside. That was excellent.
And, I consumed many bootie mashups.
In 2011 I continued my obsession with pandas.
2012 is Year of the Dragon. The Water Dragon.
That's right, 2012 will be Panda vs Dragon.
Don't underestimate the things that I will do.
In 2012 I will face the difficult questions we face in creating a happy life.
Forty-Two means living in the exhilarating tension between being and becoming.
People have asked me where the phrase Between Being and Becoming came from.
SNL season 15, episode 17, Dana Carvey as George F. Will's Sports Machine:
George F. Will: All right, hands on buzzers. [ he hits several buttons on the machine, which spits out a quiz card that George reads ] "The precarious balance between infield and outfield suggests a perfect symmetry. For $50, identify the effect of that symmetry."
[ the contestants stare cluelessly, as the buzzer sounds ]
George F. Will: Sorry. The answer is: "The exhilarating tension between being and becoming." Being and becoming. Next question...
That phrase has been spinning infinity in my head since I first heard it.
I believe that life is a precarious balance, a perfect symmetry.
We have to be who we are, while becoming who we want to be.
We don't just want to be hard-working, awake, and accepting of ourselves.
We want to be a better version of ourselves. To continually improve.
In 2012 I resolve to...
1. Be grateful. Wake up every morning with a deep breath and an #AttitudeOfGratitude.
2. Be here now. Don't try to live your life in one day.
3. Be excellent. Excellence is a habit.
5. Be bold. Fortune favors the bold. TDs only; play to win.
6. Be creative. Creativity is just connecting the dots.
7. Be optimistic. Optimism creates luck.
8. Be who you are, as hard as you can. It's not about what happens to you; it's about how you respond to what happens to you.
10. Be healthy. Spiritually, emotionally, physically, just dance.
11. Be happy. Happiness is the way.
12. Be kind. Only kindness matters in the end.
Tom Landry said, "Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan."
That said, these twelve goals are qualitative, not quantitative. Each day as I wake up I can resolve to be grateful, excellent, lucky, bold, optimistic, creative, punctual, healthy, happy, and kind, but I'm not going to count each act of demonstrating that quality. It doesn't feel right to count random acts of kindness (#raok).
Instead I'm going to include these values in my thoughts whenever I can.
Thoughts become words become actions become habits become character.
And character is destiny.
I know how this works. The creative process is tough.
To summarize: Touchdowns only; no Field Goals. Play to win.
Who's got it better than us? NOBODY!
Now excuse me while I pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space...
