By Ben Branstetter
1. Floss. Shut up about blood and it getting stuck in your teeth or a general fear of dentistry and just floss.
3. Apologize to your partner; you know what you did. In the words of Ogden Nash, 'When you're wrong admit. When you're right, shut up.' Know that every fight is brought on by pride. Don't debase yourself, but humble yourself.
6. Drink chamomile tea. It's good for nearly every part of your body. Stop hoping one more cup of coffee will halt the shaking and you'll magically end up on the other side of sanity like Buddha during a fast. Drink some calming, honey-laden tea and think for a second.
8. Meet your neighbors. Bake something and give it to them. You don't even have to talk to them; just give them cookies.
13. Listen to NPR. It may not have snarky jokes or flashy graphics, but you'll learn more in an hour of All Things Considered than in a year of witty headlines.
17. Leave 15 minutes early for everything.
19. Go to bed at a p.m. hour. Watch both a sunset and a sunrise.
23. Listen to a whole album. The digital sales market has returned music to the singles-centric model that worked in the 50s and 60s, but even then the best work was the full version of an artist. Be it Cher Lloyd or Bloc Party, listen to the entire thing and be sucked into their world.
25. Write something every day. Doesn't matter if it's a bitch-fest against your roommate or the philosophical ponderings brought on by an episode of Breaking Bad. Write a review of everything you encounter: sandwiches, intersections, elevator music. Realize that no matter your stature, about 1% of what you write will ever be seen by anyone but you.
28. Listen to Harvey Danger: If you're bored, then you're boring.
29. Remember when lazy was an insult and not an emotion?
30. Remember that you live in this world, not your own, and reality has a way of biting you while your back is turned. It doesn't play by rules and doesn't give a shit about your dreams or plans. Be prepared. Don't panic.
No comments:
Post a Comment