What are the parameters of your small world? How do you decide where to draw the line, where to focus your energies, what to give your attention and time to? What, if anything, do you do to enlarge it? If nothing, why not?
The basic parameters for me are a set of things that I consider necessary for health, wellness and beauty. These include such things as job, keeping food in the cupboard, sleeping enough, keeping the laundry done, getting a haircut every two weeks, going to my 12-step meetings, meditation and step-work, exercise three times a week. After that there's not that much time left over really, and I like to have fun, spend time with men in an amorous or sexual context when I'm able to make it happen, enjoy social time with friends, work on music and songwriting, waste time on Facebook and the internet, watch movies and TV shows, a bit of travel here and there. Ultimately I try to prioritize the basic things I need for health and wellness. However, sex and dating, for example might be considered a luxury but actually I would call it a basic need. It doesn't mean I need it all the time, but I need to have some of it in my life. The pursuit of happiness I would call sort of a basic need (on my Maslow's pyramid).
I don't like to plan every last minute of my life. I like to leave room for spontaneity. I like to take suggestions that others have thought of. If I only did the things that I thought of, my life would be very small. I have a very intuitive process for deciding whether to do this or that or not. The main way I enlarge my life is to accept outside offers as much as possible in the framework of my basic health and wellness priorities.
Why aren’t you more involved in trying to better the world of others?
Because I'm ultimately kind of self-absorbed and don't have a lot of extra time or energy after all the things I want to do are done. I try to stay as engaged as possible in the world of others and be as good an influence and a giver of energy as I can. I don't have a lot of faith that individuals can make huge and important changes and ultimately I don't know how folks find the time. I'm so busy thinking about sex all the time, for example, and doing what I can to get some here and there. Or, listening to and plalying music. I don't know if music betters the world but I like it and that's a way that I enjoy spending my time. As far as doing volunteer work and stuff, I wish I did more, but I do always try to be helpful to those people who are in my life, in any way I can.