The Journey of a Thousand Miles continues… baby steps

Well, I did survive the first week and felt it was time to start writing about week 2 as in a couple of days it will be Sunday, and time to start writing week 3.

October 6
This week I felt much more comfortable than in week one, although I almost missed it. It seems my ability to track time without using a watch may be overrated.
The meeting started with a heads-up to take all of the processes and lessons seriously from the beginning, as there wasn’t going to be a review of materials. Many who had taken the MKE course before emphasized the importance of getting organized early and committing to the lessons.

We were told to re-submit our DMPs with the revisions from our counselor and the importance of getting it submitted early. I reviewed the previous information from my counselor and made the changes that were recommended.

Below are the main objectives I set out for this course:
1. To be happier.
2. To improve my relationship with my wife and family.
3. To work on my mental and physical well-being.
4. To improve my financial well-being.

There needs to be a bit of a twerk to these in that I feel my behavior is what needs to change (with regards to #2), as my wife told me, “We have a good relationship.” – Actually, that isn’t true; she didn’t say that, but I do think that’s funny shit, and I have to write things that amuse me. Besides, it is each of us who has to decide to be happy. It isn’t anyone else’s responsibility to make me or you feel happy. I get to decide how I feel. It is up to me, and I actually do feel better.

If for some reason I start to feel that I’m not happy, I think about Mark telling us, “How we feel is a choice.” Not verbatim, but that was the message. I like that. I can choose to be happy, sad, or angry, but I decide—no one else. I will make this a priority. How I feel is my decision.

I started my workout regime. I had taken a couple of weeks off while we moved. Moving furniture kind of sucked the energy out of me to do a workout. It felt good to get back into a routine.

I have spent a fair amount of time working with animals—horses and dogs mostly—and it is also true for humans: when it comes to training, there will be learning curves, ups and downs, and plateaus. But if you are diligent, there will be continuous improvement.

The financial thing? Well, that has been on hold, but I do have some ideas on how to get started.

October 7th through 9th
I received my update back from Maria. I really thought I had nailed it on Sunday, but she provided me with really good feedback. The issue is, I began to think, “Does this DMP actually reflect what I want?” I started to rewrite it and cut back on the material things I had written.

So, for the next two days, I tweaked one way, then tweaked back. I won’t lie—it was a bit of a struggle. I trimmed a few words—it’s hard to be precise and be under 300 words, but I can see the benefits of it. Get to the point—what do you really, really want or want to be?

We also filled out a couple of our colored cards. I wrote that the two skills/traits I want are ‘Anonymity’ and ‘Liberty.’ I’m not sure these are normal selections for a ‘Blue’ personality trait, but these are what I want. We need to read these daily and with vigor & feeling. So, I “Do it now, Do it now, Do it now,” 25 times in a row, three times daily. Mostly with less vigor than I should because I don’t live alone, and 5:30 am might be a bit early to be yelling at the wall.

I asked myself, “Would I want to read these DMPs and critique them?” Surely not. It is an important role. How would I tell someone that asking to manifest a new lawn mower is “okay, but aim a bit higher” or “Who really needs a G-Wagon?” You need to inspire them, provide direction without crushing their wants and needs. Tightrope for sure.

I have been diligent with the required reading of the scrolls. It has taken some time to get the cadence down when I’m reading aloud, so as not to sound like, “Me Tarzan, You Jane.” Or like an AI robot reading a PDF file without punctuation. I hope to have it down this week.
Just sitting here, thinking about how organized I am this week and how I can probably get back to doing my real job, when I realize, “I haven’t been doing the MKE Part Two homework!” WTF!

October 10th
Alright, so I’m not as organized as I thought.

Just realized there are several daily tasks that I haven’t managed to work into my routine:
1. Read my DMP daily (modified version).
2. Read the Blueprint Builder for Success, daily.
3. Read the first scroll three times a day—morning, noon, and before bed.
4. Read The Master Key, Part Two every day. Do the quiz.
5. Read the colored cards, with pizzazz!
6. Sit still for 15-30 minutes after reading The Master Key—no moving allowed. I haven’t mastered this yet, so I have modified it slightly.
7. Sit still, concentrate on controlling your thoughts. This is tough for ADHD—self-diagnosed—but truly necessary. This is where I modified #4. I sit still for as long as possible, and in order to control my mind and not have it chasing butterflies or whatever shiny object catches my eye, I’ve incorporated it with my sitting still, same chair, motionless, but thinking of the person I will become. I imagine driving my new car from my new house to my office. This has allowed me to concentrate on something rather than nothing. It also allows me to do both #4 and #5 simultaneously.

I know I said this last week, but it all makes sense.
And I feel my closing thought for the week is fitting:

Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely. ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Until next week!