#17 On trust

I think the world would be a better place if we learned to trust more.

I think of the pretty arguments we get into on a day to day basis. Over chores, over remembering to take out the garbage. Over a missed spot not cleaned on the kitchen counter. Over a missed phone call.

"But! I'm always the one doing it! It's not fair!" We cry. To hold our opinion over the "principle" of the matter.

It's petty. That's all it is. It's a play for power and control. It's a play for self esteem, feeling vindicated that our way is better than everyone else's. 

We must hold ourselves to the higher standard. Put 100% in everything you do. You must never ever congratulate yourself from this, pulling your self esteem from this. Because it's self defeating.

Simply, give 100%. Trust that someone is also giving 100%. If their half ass attempt at doing the dishes bothers you, do the dishes yourself. Don't hold it over their head. We all can't be great at everything. Make it your mission to find out what their talent is and celebrate it.

Just trust.

#16 Life is not a shape, not a line

I'm reading The Alchemist, Paulo Cohelo, and I was hit with something that I had learned long ago, 3 cat lives ago.

"when someone sees the same person everyday, they wind up becoming a part of that person's life. And then they want that person to change. If someone isn't what others want them to be, the others become angry. Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own." (P.16)

When you don't have something, you're forced to look at your situation differently. If all you have is $20 then you will be more motivated to think outside the box. When you move to a different city, you need to make friends. So you find things to talk about that are different then your normal ideas. You talk to strangers. You sign up for online groups.

When can't have kids, you look for other ways of being involved in your life. Instead of thinking that the be all and end all is 'settling down and having a family', you are forced to look around and see situations that would have never occurred to you on your one track mind.

So you move, maybe to Italy.

#22 British food

As much as my life has completely changed over the last while I haven't forgotten about my list that I first created bright eyed and bushy tailed a few months ago.. unbelievably I was able to complete 1 of the items on the list over Christmas: a week of eating British food.

I'm not sure how many more things I will be able to compete in the next 1001 days as many of them relate to a life in Edmonton, and I am currently living in Italy. It seems the list and my intentions for 2013 need some setting.

Nonetheless:
Full English Breakfast, well, a half English - it's missing beans

A "real" pint of ale 

Chips and sausage 

med. Donair with chilli sauce and sweet corn relish 

pies. 

Samosas and chips

meat and potato pie 

more curry 

monster munch are the best snacks 

pizza 

Christmas dinner 

more snacks 

Christmas pudding and rum sauce 

and of course more curry.