“If you want to be somebody else, if you’re tired of losing battles with yourself, if you want to be somebody else, change your mind, change your mind.”

Sister Hazel - “Change Your Mind” from the album “Fortress”

So after I went and wrote a post about not taking another break from posting, I proceeded to do just that, letting this exact post marinate in my head since Tuesday. Each night I’d get home late and swear to put this up, but then I’d get busy with dinner or work or nonsense, and pass out before putting it up. Epic fail, Sam. This writing thing, even with encouragement and positive results (the Central Park Conservancy using my essay, for one) is so easy to do in theory, and yet so so so hard in reality. Every artist and creative type out there, be it visual, verbal, musical, or written knows exactly what I mean, I hope.

Ken Block, the lead singer and writer of this song, introduces it in concert almost the same way every time: “This is a song about perspective. It’s not your life, it’s how you choose to LOOK at your life.” I’m not sure I can add much more regarding the lyric itself. I’ve been up and down all week, buoyed by some great things currently going on in my life, and some major upcoming events are keeping me upbeat. But despite some positive momentum, I feel like I’m still dragging. Perhaps I’m expecting more of myself, and struggling to reach my new level of goals. Perhaps I know that achievement itself is not something to rest on, but rather needs to be used as a springboard to more, and this stresses me. Maybe I just know I can be doing more, and that frustrates me. Any way you slice it, I’m tired of losing battles with myself, and need to heed Ken’s words. Hopefully you don’t need this encouragement like I do lately. But it’s there if you do….