Things I Learned While I Should Have Been Doing Something Else

I read a book today.

Yes, I know, if you've met me you are not surprised. It's notable, though, in that I started writing down sentences and quotes that jumped out at me while I read. I then discovered a few things once I finished the book. For the sharing:

* '... Maybe there's nothing fundamentally wrong with me. Maybe I've just been making appalling choices.'

* '...The thing to remember about bad luck is that it always runs out.'

* "Try harder, fail better." - Samuel Beckett

* '...When the universe sends you something awful, the converse is only around the corner.'

See: CHEMICALIZATION

* "I'm not needy, but I do require the reassurance of constant attention."

* '... Life is not designed for us to go through alone, you're supposed to have a partner."

These things all struck one chord or another with me, and those chords are probably fairly obvious to you, the audience. The following may not seem so obvious, but the items below are the things I actually learned/realized after reading the book.

* You will achieve the thing on which you focus.

* A person can rarely focus on more than one thing at a time. Since most things a person wants deeply are pretty "big", and there are usually more than one of them, smaller, specific goals that lead to a "big" desire are vital.

* Know thyself. And if you don't, and you ask the people around you to help you get to know yourself, PAY ATTENTION.

* There is a right way to write a story. A book without an ending is a huge cop-out, and will in no way please your readers.

* I am a magpie. I talk too much, and I am too easily distracted (insert "shiny" joke here. I just spent 15 minutes thinking up and discarding several - see above).

* I am also obsessive-impulsive (or, impulsive-obsessive). Anyone who's seen me in action knows what I'm talking about.

* An impulsive-obsessive magpie is not the most productive of creatures. These tendencies must be fought, and conquered, if I am going to be able to truly focus on the things I wish to achieve.

* I got a lot out of the book, and found a little self-actualization, but I still hate it because it doesn't end and it "twist"s and "spin"s in such a way that it tramples on its own premise. SLOPPY. (Try not to do that when you write a book.)

It's interesting (to me, anyway) that when I buckle down and attempt to focus and clean house and change things that are bugging me, I blog a lot more. Hmmm.

* * * * *

Maybe reading that book was what I was supposed to be doing after all.