So often when we think about things we want to change or do in our lives, we tend to focus on the new things to do. Yet in many cases, it’s not the new things we should do; it’s the existing ones we have put aside and almost forgotten about and they can be staring us in the face. About 35 years ago, I started taking piano lessons and did a few duets with my daughter Ashley who was 6 years old at the time. Then life seemed to fill up with other things, the lessons stopped and I even quit practicing because I got “busy” with life. It’s amazing how I can find time to watch TV for two hours as a time, but I can’t find time to practice piano for 30 minutes. I’ve been telling myself that I’m going to start lessons again; once I retire from work in four years when I have “time”. And yet I’m still finding time to watch TV -and often falling asleep half way through a program. So why not start the piano practice again with the books I used long ago?
In hiking, what trails are out there that I used to do, but have ignored lately because I’m always looking for the new and different trails to do. Maybe it’s the Manitou Incline that I used to do on a weekly basis. Or some of the “standard” routes like the Sundance loop in Monument/Palmer Lake. Yes, there is an excitement about doing new trails all the time, but there is also a comfort in going back to the tried-and-true standard routes that got us hiking in the first place.
In my personal life, I think of the relationships in my life that used to be so close, but now seem to be at risk of falling off my radar. We can get caught up in the excitement of moving to a new area or going to a different church, where we want to connect and build new relationships. Yet it is those existing relationships that have helped mold us into who we are today that need to be maintained and cultivated. Or it’s a hobby/art form that we used to enjoy to expand our skills to grow our memory. In my case, it’s maintaining the relationships from Chicagoland and starting on the piano again.
In my work life, it can be going back to skills that helped get me where I am today, but I haven’t taken the time to refresh them. Yes, at work it is important to always be learning new skills, but it’s just as important to sharpen our existing areas of expertise.
It is exciting to go after the new and different things to get that emotional buzz from learning new things, but I think it’s just as important to go back and pick up these things that were foundational in making us who we are today. What things have you done in your hiking, personal, and work life that you are no longer doing that you need to pick up again? It could be something you need to look for or in my case, it’s the piano that I see everyday and completely ignore. It may take me 3 or 6 months, but I will be back nailing “This is Holy Ground” on piano and will let you know when it’s on YouTube…
Al Andersen 