Tuesday rules.

The other side to last week’s blog about trickle down tyranny is that we are not in the Middle East or Ukraine. Sure, their pain is our pain and we will do all we can to stop the killing of innocent people but life goes on and we have to make it as positive as possible so we don’t spend our remaining days hiding under the covers with a steady diet of Cheetos and Xanax washed down with Prohibition Spirits Hooker’s House Bourbon.

Gratitude

Do you have a moment today to stop by the library and celebrate Clare (retirement celebration 4-7)? Of course you do, and if you don’t know Clare you should. She is one of the unsung Sonoma heros (along with Diana Rhoten, Lauren Drinkhall, Val Robichaud, Thea at Readers Books and an array of others who keep Sonoma positive and moving forward). Go congratulate Clare then start a weekly gratitude practice where you send notes to people who you catch doing well. And don’t forget to include your wife/husband, the most unsung hero of all.

Dad jeans and a hoodie

Golf season just ended and with it the end of khakis and tucked in collared shirts. Is it fine that I have dress requirements at the golf course? Of course it is.  John Fetterman could not be on the golf team in shorts and a hoodie because looking good matters especially when you are walking the halls of Congress. The right clothes are important for the right occasion but I’m glad to be sporting my baggy dad jeans, T-shirts and hoodies as I ride through town and teach my classes. Be comfortable people, the world is uncomfortable enough.

Move

Ride, walk, golf, tennis, frisbee, basketball. Just move, find your sport or try a new one and if it’s Lacrosse SVHS needs a new boys team coach (Altimira also needs basketball and volleyball coaches). You don’t have to be a pro but you do have to motivate and create lifelong athletes because COVID and screens have transformed idle time to playing Wi tennis over real tennis. Change this now. You don’t need to threaten to throw your player’s phone into the lake on hole #4 like some golf coach might have done during our final match last week but more doing and less watching will improve life for all of us.

Fuel

Potential energy leads to Kinetic energy. What goes in determines what comes out. Understand why an apple is better than a red bull but also understand that your caffeine addiction is a part of your Homeostasis and cutting out the red bull might make you irritable so balance appropriately. Healthy eating is not that tough but it does take some work, and it can be more expensive which is really unfortunate. Treat cooking like the art form that it is, embrace gardens and understand ingredients because, does anyone really know what Cheetos are actually made of?

Sleep

Just sleep, take naps, install that meditation app, have a book handy or whatever gets you back to sleep at 2am. You should get up without an alarm clock because your body is rested and recharged and if you have to supplement your sleep with something, be as organic as possible. And sometimes you just have to ride it out. I was up last week from 11-2, walking around the house and yard, playing with the dog, writing until I felt tired then having a 2-hour nap after work the next day. We don’t sleep enough, period, but it’s an easy fix.

Music

Bob Marley is my go to in troubled times but whatever calms you is good. Music motivates, reduces stress, helps focus, opens minds, inspires dialogue, and boosts your mood. As Bob says, “If you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth.” And if you are looking for a new creative outlet to fill your life, start making music. Never has it been so easy to learn an instrument or create and record a song. Oh, and dance, often and freely, with yourself or others, just because you can. The endorphins will always improve your mood.

Power spots

Where do you stop and smell the roses? Make a list then go there as frequently as possible. Could be a winery, a beach, a restaurant, or your own living room where you watch the sunrise over the Mayacamas mountains each morning. And find secret spots in your day, I have a favorite picnic table in the plaza where I stop and write, watch the Sycamore leaves fall, and listen to the happy sounds of kids playing.

And please avoid

Obsessive checking of current events. Sure, watch the news, keep up on the issues and discuss them with others (especially those who think differently than you), change the things you can but know that some things are beyond your reach. Can I change the course of political events? Not directly but I can promote love and connectedness over hate and separation in my very small world.

Celebrate Tuesday in paradise.  Congratulate Clare, go for a long walk, cook a new recipe, listen to Bob, because, I have to think that if we all feel a little bit better about life, the pain just might go away.