Resolutions, Retrospectives and When's Season 4 of Homeland

When I was younger, every year around this time of year I would write out my New Year's Resolutions. When it seemed that each year I wrote out the same resolutions without realizing it, I stopped doing resolutions.

Then came the retrospectives. Seems that when you no longer take even your own resolutions seriously, you turn to a retrospective. A retrospective is basically looking back on the year and recapping this on Facebook for everyone to see how truly boring, pathetic and unfocused your year was, having lived that year without any resolutions, I might add. I have a hard time recapping my day, so I could never do this for a full year. No matter how entertaining these are, my mind wanders before I finish reading the first line.

Come to think of it,  my lack of focus has starred in some of my resolutions in years past. I once worked for a guy who had a plaque in his office that simply said "FOCUS." This was before the Successories posters depicting a super athlete kicking a soccer ball with the word "Focus" boldly typed beneath his torso as if it is holding him up mid-air. I admired that plaque until Bob fired me. The reason was that he sold his bread and butter product line to a company in Florida, yet my gut told me it was because I told him we shouldn't piss off a single-sourced supplier without a backup plan. He didn't take kindly to being told how to temper his rage at a supplier for a mistake he himself had made, I suppose.

Oh yeah, back to focus. I've been reading articles, essays and books on running and it seems that focus plays a central role. The tedium of running can often be a problem, even for the most experienced runner. When runners focus on their body, their breath, their stride and how they feel during the run instead of trying to follow other runners, pace themselves with a watch or use other mental tricks and distractions, they finish faster. While I might feel that my distractions keep me going, it turns out that my thoughts of a post-run treat to reward myself are actually not helping. All too often I end up skipping the run and just going straight for the treat.

The same advice can be said of living life. When we are not truly present, when we are focused on the past, the future, or any of the numerous distractions now available, it is hard to be happy. Period.

So, all this time writing I have really only wanted to figure out a way to ask what is on my single-tracked mind: When does Season 4 of Homeland start and did Brody really die?

But, for now, I leave you with only a quote from my favorite runner/author extraordinaire Dr. George Sheehan:
           "The runner lives in an eternal present."
Dr. Sheehan - On Running, 1975

So, my wish for everyone in 2014: May we all live in an eternal present.

Quote is from The Essential Sheehan: A Lifetime of Running Wisdom From the Legendary Dr. George Sheehan

http://www.amazon.com/The-Essential-Sheehan-Lifetime-Legendary/dp/1609619323