Canion dot Blog

Today has been one of thought and self-reflection.

There are many parts of my self that I’m not entirely happy with. Are we ever happy with ourselves? Probably not. Nevertheless, making an effort to do better must be a form of self-improvement in its own right.

My effort ties in neatly with a new year, but this hasn’t anything to do with New Year’s Resolutions. This is more about me trying to become a better version of myself, irrespective of the time of year. The helpful thing about early January is that I’m not working, which frees up time for self-reflection.

Today I have done some brainstorming. I pulled out my (almost unused) Theme System journal and transitioned my thinking into a theme for the upcoming season — because a year is too long.

I hope that applying focus to my theme will lead to self-improvement. I’m trying to confront my weaknesses head on and deal with them. What weaknesses? Let’s just say that being the son of a father who had mental health challenges, and being the father of a son with autism, mental health is an issue I deal with on the daily.¹

I can’t change who I was yesterday, but I can strive to be a better version of myself tomorrow. Hopefully this time of introspection and thought will lead to personal growth. The good thing is that it certainly can’t make the situation worse.

When I was a young boy who didn’t want to fall asleep, I would listen to talkback radio: specifically 6PR 882 AM. The evening shift featured Perth radio legend Graham Maybury. I even called in to the show a couple of times, as a kid, such was my devotion. Most nights, at midnight when the show came to an end and I had stayed awake listening, Maybury would play the song, One Day at a Time. This song helped soothe my mind. Now, 30 years on, I think it still holds value.