“Everybody has a plan until they get hit.” — Mike Tyson

It’s been a little while since I posted.

Part of that is because I had been working on a post built around the idea of “when nothing is on your mind.” Then life came at me pretty quickly and changed that direction altogether. It’s amazing how fast your mindset can shift in the blink of an eye.

That original post may still see the light of day at some point, but right now it just didn’t feel sincere.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had everything on my mind.

The kids. Retirement. Our next trip. Work. Microeconomic issues. The general state of the world. A few things that felt important in the moment and a few that probably never deserved as much space in my head as I gave them.

Then perspective showed up.

Funny how quickly some of the smaller concerns move down the list when something more important comes along. Hopefully, that has helped me focus a little more on what actually matters and spend a little less time worrying about things that probably won’t matter six months from now.

Life has a way of rolling along smoothly enough that you start getting comfortable.

Then it decides you’ve had enough of that.

A stressful event hits. Then another one. Then maybe one more just to make sure you’re paying attention.

I do believe those stretches make us stronger. You learn a little more about yourself. You figure out what matters. You find out what you can handle.

Of course, you may also feel like you aged two years over the course of three weeks, but I guess that’s part of the deal.

The good news is things eventually start settling back into place.

Not necessarily the exact place they were before, and maybe that’s a good thing. Sometimes you come out the other side with a slightly different perspective, a few adjusted priorities, and a better appreciation for the ordinary days when nothing particularly exciting is happening.

I’m trying to enjoy those days a little more.

And on a much lighter note, the elusive Cedar Waxwing has finally been found. Somewhere along the way I also managed to move into the top birder spot in Wise County, and Sarah is closing in on second.

So naturally, the search continues.

Anyone happen to have a good hot spot for owls?

Now for the part of these posts where I continue holding myself publicly accountable.

The weight loss journey has been pretty typical lately. Progress. Plateau. More progress. Another plateau.

But all in all, I’m now down more than 20 pounds.

I’ve also started paying a lot more attention to food labels and making some additional changes to what I eat. The latest focus has been lowering my sodium intake and cutting back on saturated fat.

That sounds simple until you start actually reading labels.

Living in a rural community with one grocery store can make that adjustment a little more challenging at times. Your options are your options. But that’s part of the process too. Learn what works, make better choices where you can, and keep moving forward.

Slowly, it’s working.

So that’s where things stand right now.

A couple of stressful weeks. A little more perspective. Twenty-plus pounds gone. And hopefully a better appreciation for the stretches of life when nothing is on your mind after all.

Before I go, here are a few things I’ve been reading lately. As always, if you’ve come across a book, article, or blog post worth sharing, send it my way.