On Being A Night Owl

I'm a natural night owl. It's as simple as my mind being clearer in the dark and quiet.
During the day I'm constantly bombarded with thoughts and tasks, people and conversations, and the never ending buzz that is our world today.
At night, it all stops, and I can just be.
I read something the other day that talked about how people who stay up later are smarter than the rest of the world. On certain levels I agree with this. Being a night person, or being a wake when the rest of the world is quiet, tends to show an affinity for bending the rules, and thinking outside the norm. A vast majority of those who we see as genius lived in these limbo areas. They thought differently and created when the world was at rest. Some of the most creative people I know sleep in the day and work in the quiet shadow of night.
While I was in college I loved staying up late and reading, or writing. Some of my best work was started and finished in the hours between dusk and dawn.
I had a good friend, another creative sort, who would sit and talk with me outside, under the stars. My favorite memories from this time of my life, took place at night. We would sit on a curb, or a stone wall and conversations would ebb and flow naturally, and without interruption. We laughed and cried and shared secrets not known to the daylight. We talked about ourselves honestly, and felt safe in the dark.
I've struggled with not being a "morning person" for a majority of my life. I'm beginning to come to terms with this, however. I've learned that morning isn't when I thrive. I can exist, but I am most present during the opposite end of the day.
After the sun falls and the outside world is fast asleep, my mind is alive and bright with possibility. Characters run with their stories, leaving pieces of them in my minds eye. Melodies hum in the background and pictures come to life. Night is when I create.
When the structure and chaos of day gives way to the open ended possibility of night, that is when I am most awake.

Be Extraordinary

Its a simple enough phrase. It is so little, and yet means so much. 

I find my life is constantly falling into a rut. The same things for dinner, the same netflix seasons. I'm comfortable. I have little to propel me forward, little to change me, because from where I'm sitting, life is good.
Every once in a while, however, a thought strikes me. "What if there's more? Be extraordinary." Today is one of those days. I woke up at the same usual time, took the same route to work, and will do the same few tasks, until I go home the same way I always do, and complete the same few daily chores. There is a simple elegance in this routine, a quiet dignity in sameness. It's a style that works for a lot of people.
To me, however, there's more. I have an ever-constant whisper in the back of my mind, itching me to move, or travel, or shake things up...or all of the above. I'm sitting here today wondering what "more" will look like. What does it look like to fulfill my life's mission. To find that "thing" that will quiet the whisper. It's not that I crave things, or more money. I crave flexibility, and experience. I crave the ability to grow and change, and be different from what I was 6 months ago. I crave change.
I've found a few experiences that will change my reality. The kind of experiences that will alter the course of my life. I yearn for these experiences, and will be working towards them.
Big things are in store for me this year. Big things with the promise of change.
I'm working on being extraordinary. Working towards beating the things that scare me, and overcoming the things that will hurt me.
I will be extraordinary.

But I'm Feelin' 22

I recently had a birthday. It was my 22nd birthday actually, 22 years on this earth, in this body, with this life. It's been a good 22 years, and I have very few complaints.

As I sat thinking the other day, I realized that though I lead a good life, I don't lead an intentional life. Since graduating college I have had very few long term goals to work towards. I work every day, and do pretty much the same thing all the time. It doesn't change much. Every once in a while I will take a short trip, or try a new Netflix series, but for the most part, I lead a fairly boring life.

With a new year upon us, I feel the need to make a decision to live more intentionally. To have a purpose, to have a direction. This will spill into a lot of areas in my life, but for now I want to focus my efforts on my personal growth and career.

I found this list of "resolutions" on Pinterest the other day and it struck a chord with me. I found a list of things I wanted to seek out and accomplish:

-Break a bad habit

- Learn a new skill

-Do a good deed

-Visit a new place

-Read a difficult book

-Write something important

-Try a new food

-Do something good for someone who cannot thank you

- Take an important risk

As i sit here writing today, I find that I am able to put specific tasks next to a few of those ideas, and I have plans to accomplish several of them already. It won't always be easy, but I'm hoping all of them will be fun, or at least worth my time. 

For a wonderful year being 22, I plan to be more intentional in my decisions and make a difference in someone else's life. I also hope to chronicle my adventures here. I need to be more diligent in the blog-o-sphere. 

Until next time, 

H.