I have two favorite music channels.
One features the songs of the 80s.
I like 80s music.
It is usually upbeat and happy.
The other music channel
features today’s pop music.
I like quite a few of those songs
but not as many songs
as I like on the 80s music channel.
So why don’t I merely listen
to the 80s music channel?
Because that closes me off
to new experiences.
That doesn’t keep me current
with music trends.
That would put me
in a narrow, uninspired rut.
I’d be one of those old geezers
who shakes her fists at the sky
and tells everyone around her
they don’t make music
like they used to
and all new music is sh*t.
(It isn’t.
If you feel that way,
you’re not listening
to the right current music
for you.)
That type of attitude isn’t good for me,
for my career
or for the people
who interact with me.
“Ruts don’t dig themselves.
Most of the time,
we’re in a rut
because that’s precisely
where we put ourselves.
Actions become habits,
and habits get repeated
because they feel safe.”
The easiest way
to make things more interesting
is to simply stop repeating
your habitual behavior.”
It takes effort
to stay open minded,
to keep current,
to be flexible.
But that effort
is worth it.
Do something different today.
It could be as small
as listening to a different music channel
or taking a different route
on your morning jog
or eating a different type
of cereal for breakfast.
Jump out of that rut
before it buries you.