This blog is for fun because let’s face it, I’m almost 40, and since I was 30-something, everything I do that is a little outside of the norm is considered a mid-life crisis. Well, I say that’s bull. If you know me or have been following my wife on social media (@lmarievasquez), you will see pictures of my new baby girl (Lenna Rae), and me rocking a mustache, and skinny(ier) jeans. I decided to coin this time in my life “The Lenna Years” to reflect some of the change going on in my life. Plus, it’s fun to try something new. I would say it started with listening to country music again a few months ago…
Mixing it up is fun and you should do it whenever you feel the need – in a healthy way of course. 40? So what, go get that man bun. 50? So what, try skinny jeans out. 60? So what, go get tatted up. You get the idea.
Stress can sneak up on you and changing things around in little ways can be a mood enhancer in of itself. One thing that I find that especially makes life a little easier during my busiest seasons is music. Rap is high energy, rock is high intensity, country is feel good family, pop represents eras – and eras create auras.
When I’m at the office, I listen to rap all day long. It gets the vibe right and allows me to focus and bang out what I need to. When I’m home lately we’ve had country – especially when we are getting work done on the house. It has an uplifting way of making it all seem okay.
The point? I guess it’s just to say that sometimes we get overwhelmed, we face stress at work or home, we get stuck in a pattern that seems mundane and never-ending. When you find yourself in one of these phases, I would challenge you to do one if not all these three things:
- Tune it up: Change what you’re listening to. Explore stations and genres that represent the mood you WANT to feel – not necessarily the mood you are feeling. Like my friends at T-Bone Art Co. say, music is a time machine, and it can take you all sorts of places.
- Change your appearance: Try something new. A haircut, new clothes, a tattoo, whatever floats your boat. Change you control feels a lot better than the change you can’t control.
- Get away: Even if only for a few days, getting out of town and disconnecting can set the stage for a completely different pace when you get back. `
What have you done to switch it up lately? Share pics on social media – and if you haven’t done much, can I challenge you to join me with a bad ass Same Elliot mustache.
