“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.”
–Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
Today I turn 30, and Gratitude and Abundance are what I wish to cultivate.
I’ve come to learn that taking the time to reflect, remember, and appreciate the rich memories of the past serves to leverage the joyous possibilities of the future.
It’s self-evident to mention that adversity made its appearances in my 20’s, I’ll set those aside and spotlight that which amazed me. Plus, as Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It,
“Sweet are the uses of adversity,
Which like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”
So, after doing an Appreciation Audit and listing 70 gratitudes over coffee this morning, and then continuing to churn on the events of this past decade, frankly, I’m overcome by the vastness and rich experiences in which I’ve had the pleasure to take part.
There are too many to name, but here I go with some highlights:
I’ve lived in two internationally touted cities with amazing restaurants. In Santa Fe I went on a personal breakfast burrito challenge and consumed burritos from 79 restaurants, ranked them, and wrote an article about it. Now I eat alligator in New Orleans.
I played trumpet in a ska/pop/rock/funk cover band in Santa Fe, sang “Salty Dog” by Flogging Molly at a packed bar in downtown Santa Fe, with amazing friends. Oh and also Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy. I played trumpet on Frenchman St. in New Orleans.
I conducted Mozart with the incredible young people of the Santa Fe Youth Symphony. I conducted Weill with the dedicated people fo the Concordia Santa Fe Wind Orchestra, I conduct Bedford and Byrd and Bach with the beautiful people of the High Desert Winds. I conducted the amazing people of the Michigan Symphony Band. I conduct the weaving shapes of CPE Bach and touching harmonies of Gordon Jacob on my Master’s recitals at Michigan. I conducted Stravinsky with the newfound New Orleans Chamber Players. I’m oh so grateful to carry these memories into the future. And I studied conducting with Brian K. Doyle and Michael Haithcock. I couldn’t have asked for better conducting teachers.
I traveled to 40 states, and 3 countries. I drove through Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Yosemite, Badlands, Cuyahoga, Carlsbad, Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, and Smoky Mountain. I dipped in the coldest water EVER, Lake Tahoe. I saw whales on the Gulf Coast. I slept in a yacht in Ft. Myers. I peaked Santa Fe Baldy. I ate sushi in San Francisco and saw the Red Sox in Denver.
I went and heard the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe Symphony, NM Mexico Symphony/Philharmonic, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Ann Arbor Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, World Youth Symphony, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, New Orleans Opera, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, Spoleto Festival, and Tanglewood.
I read life changing books and podcasts on personal growth. I’ve watched myself transform through the consumption and integration of nutritious information on philosophy, psychology, health, minimalism, creativity, productivity, and critical thinking. Most influential authors and podcasters? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Tim Ferriss, Brett Veinotte, Wes Bertrand, TK Coleman, Isaac Morehouse, Jordan Peterson, Steven Pressfield, and Joe Rogan.
I blogged for 60 days straight. I started a podcast and interviewed people across the country.
It’s truly unbelievable.
“It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”
— Germany Kent
Then, there are the people! I won’t name individuals here, but I wish to impart this: I’ve had the privilege to know, befriend, and work with so many individuals of so many stripes. It blows me away, and I am enormously grateful for each of the relationships I have been afforded.
Plus, it’s only been a shade over 100 years since the invention of aviation and automobiles. That alone has provided access and mobility to develop friendships and partnerships that most humans in history couldn’t ever imagine.
I’ve met musicians, conductors, actors, painters, philosophers, historians, psychologists, writers, and podcasters. People from, Canada, Mexico, Israel, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Germany, England, and all over the US.
This may sound commonplace to the modern person.
But, I’d encourage you to hold a finger to the wind: it’s AMAZING to be alive.
On the Future
For anyone turning 30 or any milestone age, I’d like to share with you a remark from James Carse in his Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility:
“As an infinite player one is neither young nor old, for one does not live in the time of another. There is therefore no external measure of an infinite player’s temporality. Time does not pass for the infinite player. Each moment of time is a beginning….
….For the finite player in us freedom is a function of time. We must have the time to be free. For the infinite player in us time is a function of freedom. We are free to have time. A finite player puts play into time. An infinite player puts time into play.”
The future is full of life, abundance possibility, and joy.
Eager to continue to write my script.
Thanks for being a part of it by reading.
