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What a rollercoaster of a month! Definitely so very valuable as a reflection on the emotional aspect of this list. My current melange of writing, reading, love/gratitude, sleep, and nature are really powerful as daily drivers that keep me on an even keel. However, they do little to progress my emotive acumen with respect to handling stressful situations with empathy, patience, and compassion. Specific instances of immaturity and poor communication of emotional needs have prompted me to add weekly therapy (remote) to the mix. I once complained to my mother how expensive these are as a weekly expense (cash money). In her wisdom she responded something to the effect of “look how expensive it is not having them” - referencing the avoidable self inflicted wounds and damage i’d wrought at the time.
Fascinated to see how those progress, I will ask Rodney for some daily exercises that fit into my spreadsheet structure. Thankfully the rest of the month was productive. Sober october worked well for me in terms of consistency with physical goals. I am especially happy with the pliability & solidity now evident in my bird of paradise. There’s a muscle in my back that’s appeared (or i am now actually using properly) that seems to make it so much easier to hold it for longer. That very same muscle also helps massively to get into the handstand against the wall, facing away from it. From either leg (surprisingly hard). Whilst my marathon training hasn’t been perfect, I've stayed active so hopefully it shouldn’t be too painful…..GULP.
Music has been outrageously solid. Makes such a difference having a piano in the house! I’ve gone back to basics and basically spent at least thirty minutes a day just on scales per instrument, with everything else as a bonus. Fingers now moving like lightning babay! I am just about ready to get going recording in Budapest, really excited to finally put down that second album. Lots to do in a short space of time, plus, the Dojang label is about to release its 600th song (amazing) with nearly 20 million plays across the roster on Spotify.
A real saviour has been the spiritual aspect of the TYNF list, which I've been imbibing unquenchably. Wim Hof is so very soothing and, especially towards the latter half of the month, is a wondrous salve. The Calm meditation app too has now overtaken Headspace for me (oh wonder of wonders)! Specifically their meditations on stoicism, love and relationships - although the classics on gratitude and mindfulness are excellent. Is it slightly strange that I've now conditioned myself to expect them before sleep? There have been no meaningful days of fasting, only intermittent, but that’s probably fine with the marathon coming up.
I had a taste of running an event for the first time since the pandemic early in the month: the brixton disco festival. We had about 5,000 people scurrying around, so busy, so expensive, so stressful, great fun! Not sure I still have the energy or inclination to really get stuck in promoting again as before but lovely to have that little blast from the past. Awesome to experience live music again too. I am playing at number 1 for the local squash team, games have been good fun - great squad. I spent time in Finchley for squash, ran to Cobham, and went to a gorgeous dinner party in Charlton which was such a treat for Carmel’s birthday. Ali Yousef cooked us up a bang tidy meal too, with Rob and Blakey on hand to play Catan. Somehow Rob snuck the victory again, not quite sure how he does it. We are planning to record a music video together in November.
