Tuesday, January 21

Post 1063, Day 21 of 2014
- and 1,116 days since I started this blog -

Daily Comment

I'm thinking about the meaning of success today.

What it means to me, what it means to other people, and what it means to groups I'm involved in.

I know what it means to me, and it is very simple (and very selfish): Peace of mind. I'm not talking about an absence of conflict or even of being in harmony with the "Way Things Are." I'm talking about an inner state from which I can deal with externals. If I have that, I feel successful. 

How do externals affect this? Well, it is difficult for me to maintain my inner peace when I'm hungry, or threatened with violence or, to a degree, with loss. Simply put, if my material, physical needs are under attack, which is the time that I need a calm center the most, it is sometimes difficult to find - thankfully, these days, only temporarily.

What success means to other people doesn't concern or interest me much, until someone decides that their success requires someone else's subjugation or oppression. Luckily, in this life, this has not happened to me in any meaningful way: I've never been threatened with physical harm, although I've had jobs where I've felt like that over the last twenty-or-so years, I realize I still had choice. 

Defining success for the groups I'm in. is a different challenge, because, well, groups. The subjective nature of success means that for as many different people there are in the group, there is a unique vision of what success for that group would look like. 

In my band i am Fool, my definition of success would simply be: Playing often and regularly. J. he real band leader, has a kind of bucket-list or checklist of accomplishments, some of which are about places and stages the band will play, most of which have already been checked off; the band is only a part of his idea of success, and its success only contributes to his idea of personal success.. Tami wants the group to make regular, good money. Mike just wants the group to be able to choose the gigs we play, then play only a few each month. John, the drummer, apparently wants world domination.

Success for me with the Chad Bradshaw Trio would be to have paying gigs whenever there's slack in the i am Fool schedule. Chad wants lots of paying gigs and has accepted my putting i am Fool's schedule above his, which avoids conflict. I think Chad also wants to rename the band. Jim, the drummer, wants for the Trio what I want for i am Fool.

Man, that's a lot of abstract thinking about imaginary stuff of little real importance!

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 Food and Diet Section

January to June, 2014 Daily Weight

Today's Weight:         205.2 lbs

Previous Weight:        204.4 lbs

Day Net Loss/Gain:      + 0.8 lbs

Diet Comment

Late-night eating. I will never learn.

Food Log 

Breakfast

Skipped.

Lunch

Salmon and egg salad on baby kale, baby spinach, chard and cole slaw mix with balsamic vinaigrette.

Dinner

Pepperoni.


Snack

Chili from yesterday, with Ezekiel Flax bread and hummus and coconut oil.

Liquid Intake

   Coffee:  28 oz.   Water: 78+ oz. 

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