Freeing Time

For some time now, I have been on a productivity/GTD spree.  For those of you who aren't familiar with all of that, visit these sites: Steve Pavlina, DIY Planner.

For a while now, I have been going about my daily life without a watch.  Just a few months ago, I would have told you that I cannot live without my watch, and it ruled my day.  At that time, I planned everything by the hour and followed that plan closely.  The problem, however came when it was a question of productivity vs. watching time. 

When I had my watch on, I could consistently glance at it to see how much time I had left to perform whatever task I was working on.  I thought that this was productive because I could then gauge my time better and spend it better.  Upon reflection, I now find that to be flawed.  When I wore a watch, I was focused more on the time rather than the task.  Now, that I'm not restricting myself by the time, I can focus more on the task.

I got this idea when looking for ways to help my sleeping.  One idea that I thought was genius is to either hide the clock or not have a clock in your bedroom when you're sleeping.  While you're laying there trying to fall asleep, if you have a clock that you can see, it is going to keep you from sleeping.  Remember waking up in the middle of the night and glancing at your clock and seeing you've still got 4 hours left?  Without a clock there, you don't spend the time and effort to focus your eyes and interpret the numbers and therefore make it harder for you to fall asleep.  This concept led me to eliminate using a clock/watch throughout my day.  I'm not focusing on the time, and am instead focusing on the task.  I carry around my cell phone and use the alarm on it to alert me when I need to do something else.

Give it a try sometime.  Free yourself from the hands that hold you to time.

Be a Better Driver

In my private flute lessons, my teacher emphasized Alexander Technique.  The idea behind this is to observe your body and your methods of movement to eliminate pain caused by improper posture or movement.  As you can imagine, this is important for musicians as learning this technique can prevent carpel tunnel, eliminate back pain, produce better sound/breathing, etc.  Ever since I was younger I have had a tendency to slump my shoulders and bow my head in a way that produced excess tension and bad posture.  I'm so used to this that I don't even notice it, until I practice my flute.  I'll get sharp pain in my back, my shoulders will ache, etc.  Thanks to my teacher, I am now more aware of what I'm doing wrong and can fix it.

Recently, I have found myself focusing more attention again to my posture.  At my job I spend most of the time standing and have found that my posture once again slumps back to the old way.  Even when driving, I have started noticing excess tension and have changed the way I drive.  I tend to slump down in the seat, slump my shoulders forward and keep my head low.  This feels normal to me, I've been doing this for a long time, it's natural.  However when I sit up straight, relax my shoulders, raise my head (adjust my mirrors), not only do I feel better when driving, but I drive better.  I'm more alert, more attentive to the road.  Something as simple as sitting up can have a big impact on my driving.  I have even found that when I drive correctly to work, I tend to have a better day at work, I walk in with more energy, I feel better about myself.

Sometimes, when we take notice of even the simplest things to change in our lives, it can have a big impact. 

Eternal Principles

There is a lot that I am wanting to post on this blog, however due to the business of my schedule lately, I am having trouble finding time to organize my ideas and record them in a way that's perceptible to everybody else.  The next few posts that I make over the next week will probably be quite short, sweet and un-explanatory.  I am merely getting these ideas down on my blog to further give me some initiative to write.  Most of these ideas will be a repost.  -BS

Something that I have explored in the past several months is the idea and perception of eternity and living those principles in our lives (and only by those principles) which are eternal.  For instance, (most of us) don't know what will happen to ourselves after we die.  If our spirits live on, we don't know where, how, etc.  If we cease to exist then everything I'm posting here is irrelevant.  However, if anything I've been seeking the past few months is going to be any help, I must assume that I do live after I die and that at the very least I will have the same consciousness and same knowledge I have now (or else the afterlife is, again, irrelevant). 

With that in mind, we can see that dependence on anything besides ourselves is dangerous.  As a composer, I use a lot of tools to write my music.  I depend on a piano, paper, pencil/ink, Finale, instruments, books, players, etc (the very least, pencil and staff paper).  Writing music is very important to me, it is a very large part of my life.  When I cannot create music, I feel a loss, I fall into a depression.  It is hard for me to believe that after I die, I will not be able to write music.  Just think about what you are most passionate about, and imagine that in any fleeting moment, (for eternity) you can no longer perform that passion.  Now, imagine that if all we had was our consciousness and our mind, what would we be able to accomplish.  How much do we depend on those things which are finite?  Another example is, if you smoke, imagine having that addiction, but without the body.  Without the ability to smoke.  You have drawn dependence on something that is not finite.  Over the past few months I have been doing some self-spiritual-exploration in which I try to find those things which we should base our lives after, those things which will continue to sustain us even after death, those things which we can eternally depend on. 

More on this later.  Feel free to post your ideas.

Education and Democracy

I have noticed a slight rise in complaints against public education (and other government sponsored programs originally designed to improve our society and provide a basic necessity).  First of all, some of these complaints come from people who claim to speak for the welfare of our children, but actually try to force their own biased beliefs on our children.

I have a serious problem with this: first of all, many people who complain about these programs are conspiracy airheads which lose the whole point of the service.  I believe that it is a genius idea for the government to require manditory education and not only that, but provide a way to make that education happen.  For anyone who believes the government shouldn't do this: too many people are too stupid to find a way to provide education to their children.  If the government did not make it manditory and provide a plan, it wouldn't happen.  Second, I do not see any suggestions to make the existing program work.  The only solutions I've seen is those which are more expensive and abandon the original program.  Ladies and gentlemen, if an existing government program does not work, first try to find a way to make it better before abandoning it!  I admit, the process may be long and hard, and with an imperfect government, improvements may be harder than need be, but completely abandoning the idea just because "you don't like it" is rediculous.  I have gotten a small taste of what it requires to get an education degree, and I'll have to say: there is no conspiracy theory.  Education students are learning their subjects and how to teach them, not how to "brainwash" your children.

When we find something we don't like, why do we assume the only option is to abandon the program?  It is just plain rediculous to abandon those programs we don't like, especially when it is a large part of our lives (government, education, business, etc.)  Suggestion: find good concrete reasons why you don't like it, and make good suggestions for change.  Be unbiased.  The whole purpose of a democratic government and society is that the people run the country.  How can we run the country when we do not try to improve but instead just opt to completely abandon?  You want a true democratic country where your opinion counts and where the people decide for the country?  Try getting involved in these programs and improving from the inside, there is no democracy when you do not make your contribution, then it is a seperated society that cares nothing for the other person.  Anyways, that's my thoughts.

Memoir Letters

First of all, I apologize for not having updated my blog more frequently.  There has been a lot going on and things have been quite busy, but now things are starting to settle down and return to a normal pace.

For some time now, I have been wanting to write a letter to a former "friend".  It has been quite difficult just getting started, I've played with the idea in my mind, but commiting to it, is another matter.  Any rate, I have finally started writing this letter today.  Needless to say, I plan on taking it through a few drafts as this will be the only letter and probably the only contact I will have with this person as we will no longer see each other or communicate with each other in any way anymore.  The situation is slightly complicated.

At any rate, I have begun writing this letter, and it has taken me down a painful path.  In the past couple of weeks, my luck has turned and things have started to change for me.  I wanted to write this letter, because I believe in the power of personal letters (those things with ink and paper which actually takes thought).  I even use a special pen, ink, and paper for this letter.  Since I will no longer communicate with this former friend, I wanted to express how I truly felt and how I hope they will remember me.  Writing this letter is a kind of memoir, as I will keep the drafts and hope that my former friend will keep the actual letter.  I keep everything (almost) that I write.  I have always done this and feel that it is very important.  I would like to dream that some time in the far future, younger generations will have an interest in our lives (as we have interest in Beethoven's letters, and Shostakovich, etc.) and will seek whatever writings we have made.  I haven't done a lot of geneology work, but from what I have experienced, it is quite amazing to read the letters and really get inside the minds of my great relatives.

Anyways, I will post or repost, as I finish and eventually send this letter, my thoughts.

A Cool Pen with a Cool Website

There is something to be said about writing with pen and paper.  I do a lot of my writing (both music and prose) on paper before I put it on the computer.  There are some things that I don't put on the computer (personal notes, letters, journals, etc.) and I like to use special pens/pencils for this.  Currently, for my journal and special letters, I use a cut nib pen (used for calligraphy) and 24lb. resume paper (looks cool).  I also use a special water-resistant (I think that's called waterproof) ink. 

When I'm out and about, I carry with me a Wellspring flip notes which I use constantly to write on the go.  And I would recommend it for anyone who needs a small very durable notebook to carry with them.  I have also found a new pen.  It is called Lamy.  It also has nib style (fountain pen) that I like.  (It also has ball point).  If you're a pen person (like me) check out their site, I have to give them some credit, it's quite creative (not the usual boring company site that only has one objective: their product).  I have to confess, I haven't got one of these pens yet, and so don't know how well it holds up, but it's cheap and looks pretty cool.

Observation from Earlier Today

Look at this old couple walking together.  Both of them has a smile on their face and are holding hands.  They have to be in their 70s.  It's sad, really, because they are the last two people who are still together at that age, from now and into the future.