What is stopping you from living a great life?
Is it something that can be overcome? Is it a legitimate excuse? Is it real, or is it something you use to rationalize your limitations?
All of us have obstacles. Sometimes we acknowledge them. Sometimes we address them. Sometimes we overcome them.
However, sometimes we incorporate them into our lives.
Each of us has a soundtrack to our lives.
We have the sounds we hear during our normal routine and during special events, including those sounds we seek out.
For some, this soundscape is intentional; they craft their lives based in part on what they like (or don’t like) to hear. For others, their soundscapes are a complete afterthought—literally just background noise.
Some like the sound of the hustle and bustle of the city, while others like the subtler sounds associated with nature. Some like raucous, energetic music, while others prefer it calm and melodic. For many, the sounds to which they are drawn depend on their mood, and their tastes will vary accordingly.
We got the beat!
Rhythm is part of each of our lives, whether we are aware of it or not. Rhythm is defined as a strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. These regular patterns exist with us at all times—in nature, in our own bodies, in our creations, and in our constructed world. If we are musically inclined, we may notice them and—consciously or unconsciously—live our lives in time with them. Even when we don’t sense them or feel them, we tend to sync with them naturally.
Do you feel the need to make sure people are aware of your successes and triumphs?
I mean, what good is success if no one knows about it, right? Seems simple enough, but being a braggart or a show-off is never very attractive in a person. It really depends on the way we reveal what we’ve accomplished.
From a very young age, people have an innate urge to show off. From doing something to impress our parents (“Dad, look at me!”), to trying to impress a coach or a teacher, to trying to win over that first crush, exhibiting ourselves to impress others is very much part of the human condition.
If you had to characterize yourself one way or the other, would you say that you’re an optimist or a pessimist?
There is a lot of territory in between, and there are other qualities that can affect our overall outlook: being realistic, for example.
Although I would generally consider myself an optimist, I aspire to be a “positive realist” (copyright pending). Having a positive attitude should not involve the denial of undesirable truths.
It’s easy to be optimistic when things are going well. On days when the sun is shining and things are going according to plan, it seems like everyone’s an optimist. It’s when things start to go off track that you discover what people’s real outlooks are.