I'M Batman!

First there was Adam West.  

Then Michael Keaton.  

And along came Val Kilmer.  

Enter George Clooney. 

Hello Christian Bale. 

And next...it's Ben Affleck. 

They've all uttered the words "I'am Batman" with varrying degrees of success. 

It's strange how the evolution of Batman on the big screen has become a symbol to me for how things cycle through in our lives over and over again.  

I think back to where I was during each interpretive Batman performance and I reallze that I have been here before...and I will be here again.  

Places have changed...but they are the same. 

People have changed...but they are the same. 

Strange to think about when you watch someone or something outside of you change and evolve through the years how it can make you self-reflect. 

I actually was Batman myself for one night.  Have to admit...it was pretty cool. 

Actually hated taking off the mask that night. 

Maybe, an encore performance is in order. 

What's that in the sky?  Kinda looks like a bat to me. 

Connections Realized

We roam. 

We wander. 

We meander. 

Bumping into walls as we go. 

Aimlessly. 

Until...connections realized. 

Doesn't matter what your Myers-Briggs test says about you. Doesn't matter if you classify yourself as a loner. We all feel the need to connect. The connection touch point may seem inconsequential to some. It may seem insignificant to others. But to you, it as electric as a live wire. The actual connection may not last a long time but the affect can linger. 

Here's the thing...

You may not even realize it was a real connection until long after the fact but when you look in the rear view mirror...you see it for what it truly was. 20/20 baby. 20/20. 

Don't ever stop looking for them. Don't take them for granted. They are the lifeblood of who we are. 

It's the human version of connect the dots...with one exception; the picture is never complete. 

Take Two...

5/21/10 

That's the date of my first published blog post. It was titled "Fork in the road decisions."  It seems like I wrote that a lifetime ago.  So much has changed since.  Some things clearer. Some things murkier. 

A lot makes sense. A lot doesn't. 

It seems life does come full circle and tends to repeat itself. 

As a matter of fact...anything that you put out in the atmosphere today...probably was there via you or your circles of influence yesterday. 

You see your life in others and other times. 

Been there done that...right? 

Not exactly. 

Things do come full circle and you see things today that you saw before but...

Your vantage point is different. 

Your skyline changes. 

Your blind spot changes. 

Your camera lens changes. 

You see if from another angle. 

You understand. You misinterpret. 

But...no matter what...

You keep moving forward. 

Say cheese! 

Back In The Saddle

January? 

That's over 10 months ago. Really??

That's the last time I sharpened the pencil (figuratively of course) and put my thoughts on virtual paper. 

That's way too long. 

Time to get back in the saddle again.

Some history...

I started my blog back in 2010 for personal reasons. There are two main "distractions" in my life that keep me centered. Working out and writing. I have kept up with the workouts (for the most part) but the writing has taken a back seat to other things (some good/some not).  It happens.  I could list the litany of excuses but that's all they are...excuses. 

It's ironic because my last post was about New Year's resolutions. I talked about setting goals for yourself, etc.  Practice what I preach much?  Apparently not.  

So even though this isn't a deep dive into my heart, mind and soul...it's a start. The first step is always the hardest.  

I will leave you (for now) with a thought...

In life, there are X amount of things that make us happy and X amount of things that don't. I would strongly suggest you don't let the former go because if you do for too long...you will be a shadow of your former self. True story. 

Ah....nothing like a little writer's cramp to get the kinks out! 

I Resolve

"I am going to work out more." 

"I am going to give up chocolate." 

"I am going to stop wearing polka dot underwear." 

Ahhh...the new year's resolution. When you flip the calendar from either November to December or December to January, you automatically start thinking "what am I going to do to improve myself in the new year."  You proclaim with steel resolve (not to be confused with Zoolander's infamous blue steel look) that next year is going to be different. Next year is going to be better because...

And by January 19th, most of your new year resolutions are thrown out the window and discarded. 

It's time to take a different approach.  

Look, you might have some lofty goals for yourself for the upcoming 12 months and that is great but it might be time to reevaluate your goal setting process. 

A new YEAR resolution inherently includes a lot of pressure.  That's 12 months!  That's a lot of opportunity for failure. One slip up.  One day you decide "I just have to wear my polka dot underwear!"  Bam...resolution fail. 

Here is a better way to look at it.  

Give yourself a smaller goal to achieve weekly.  Break down the big picture into smaller pieces. Give yourself a sense of accomplishment more often.  You can still be working towards the end goal but give yourself permission to celebrate along the way. In addition, don't just do this at the end of a calendar year. Do this all of time.  Again, less pressure.  More opportunities to succeed. 

Resolve to no longer do New Years resolutions.  You will be happy you did it. 

The only thing that should bother you from this point forward is the fact that you own polka dot underwear.  That's just weird (probably only applies for dudes though...women can get away with it).