Leo Gilbert

New Year's Resolutions are the equivalent of those generic treatment posters at Staples that say 🎉 Make Good Choices! 🥳🎊 Just empty. No real meaning. Zero authenticity. Motivation doesn't last. Daily discipline beats motivation. Incremental gains require patience. I pray that you and I will live authentically this year. Stay true to ourselves. I answer to no one. Only God. This is what I have come to believe. The enemy isn't "out there". He's right there in the mirror. Acceptance is the key to all of my problems today. Not one of several keys. Not the key to only some of them. THE key to ALL my problems. The musician Warren Zevon (RIP) was a lyrical genius. When he was dying of cancer, he appeared on the Letterman Show for the final time. Letterman loved him. It was genuine. Warren said several things during that conversation. My favorite is "I like wherever I am. That's my big secret." When Letterman asked if he had any advice for folks he replied, "Enjoy every sandwich." The samurai lived every day like it was their last because they may be called to battle tomorrow and be killed. So they enjoyed each day, every meal, every conversation. The concept of mindfulness is fairly simple to understand. It is the practice that is difficult. I continue to lessen my desire and attachments to material things. I am quiet. For quiet is one of my greatest tools. To reflect. To use my imagination. To not rely on outside things for entertainment or to fill up the empty spaces. Each day I try to be a better man, a better brother, son, partner, friend and Christian. If you're still here, may God bless you on your own journey. I appreciate you.