Perception Is Basically Everything (The 3 Birthday Questions (2015))

June 25, 2015

Joel and Aurora smiling
One of the coolest things I did in this past year – going to the Creative Arts Emmys 🙂

Today’s my birthday!

Because of that, I’ve been thinking lately on the three birthday questions Fareed (one of my friends) asks every year. (I’ve totally stolen that from him and always ask other people the three birthday questions as well.)

They are:

1) What are you proudest of from the past year?

2) What was your biggest mistake and/or what was your biggest lesson?

3) What’s your biggest goal for the upcoming year?

As I thought back on this year, it’s been interesting. Because there have been times when I thought, “I did my first 50-mile race! I’m super cool and strong!” And other times I’ve thought, “Who cares that I did 50 miles? I wasn’t very fast. And it’s a race. Literally anyone who wanted to could train for it and do it.”

Aurora after finishing the 50-mile race
After my first 50-miler, another fun thing from this year

There have been times I thought, “I had my first producing job this year! I made so much stuff happen, and I worked with the Jacksons!” And times I’ve thought, “I worked on a show that never even paid us for the last few weeks, and it didn’t even air. (Etc. etc.)”

Even when I think back on how I felt in the moments, I definitely had a lot of happy times in the last year, remembered to be thankful, and tried to enjoy my time. But I also had a lot of “I’m so fat” and “what am I doing” moments? But now when I look back on pictures and things I’m like, “Look at me! I’m so cool doing cool stuff. And I’m not all that fat…”

(I could go on with other examples, but you get the idea.)

The actual events that happened in my life did not change. The past is done. It doesn’t change, but the way you think about it might. And when I think about things in different ways, they sometimes feel like completely different experiences. But the things themselves remain unchanged!

[Have you seen Inside Out? ‘Cause it’s basically like when they shine a different colored light on the same thing. The thing stays the same, but you feel differently about it.]

Dominic Monaghan with Aurora
(And one more photo from the Emmys, ’cause why not? (It’s one of those where I thought, “I’m not as fat as I thought I am… or at least I’m not in this picture… I think! :-P)

And I know it’s super important to work toward your goals and to know where you’re coming up short. But it’s also important to enjoy life and the things you do, and sometimes be proud of things you are doing right. And I guess it’s a balance.

But yeah, that’s just something I’ve been thinking about lately… I don’t have any mind-blowing conclusions on this subject. It’s just that I’ve mentioned a number of times that perception is practically everything. And I’m just mentioning it again. ‘Cause it’s something I’m just understanding more and more over and over. And maybe it’ll be something I’m apparently learning for the rest of my life. But here it is again.

By the way, the new thing I’m doing this year? Hot air ballooning! And I’ll be talking all about it tomorrow.

I'd love to hear from you! So whaddya say?