Classical Escapism
Volume 13, Number 12
Issue 612
After a long conversation with Cynthia (the one that we started on August 13, 1983 and haven't finished yet), I became a much better professional when.
1. I stopped renting movies at the video store.
2. I stopped surfing television channels and only watched two to three drama shows, including re-runs that I am allowed to obsess over and over and over about. ["West Wing," "Third Watch" and "Smallville"]
3. I decided to limit my television news to no more than one hour each day.
4. I stopped my subscription to the local daily newspaper and decided to subscribe to The New York Times.
5. When I become tired of The New York Times, I stop my subscription and subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. By the time that I'm tired of the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times folks have called me to offer a special "cut-rate" deal to get me to come back.
6. I stopped thinking about or listening to any "news" about "celebrities."
7. I got season tickets to the opera and symphony.
8. I decided to go to 100 (yes, one hundred), ticketed, cultural events per year.
9. I decided not to go back to the mainstream theaters showing violent movies and decided to "hang out" at the art cinema for alternative and independent films.
10. I decided to never listen to any music on a radio station other than classical.
11. I stopped following sports on television, the newspaper and/or radio.
12. I started to write and tell stories.
13. I found artists and a playwright to underwrite. It's fun having artists tell their friends that Cynthia and I are "their benefactors."
14. I started going to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. as often as possible and to New York City at least twice a year.
15. I found a small professional theater company to direct financial support to. I think that the aforementioned is a good compilation of "the things that work for David" to keep me focused on being "professional in my personal life." I've got to have a personal life that keeps me focused as a CPA, a competent business advisor and a speaker/writer.
Watching mass quantities of television and being distracted by things that are not important in the grand scheme of life and that do not allow me to stay focused in a kind and gentle way on the goal of being the best CPA around, are simply useless to me.
A few years ago I discovered that when I signed-up for season tickets to the Virginia and Washington National operas and started seeing about 100 symphony, ballet and classical concerts per year, I became more focused on the detailed activities that make up my professional life. If I rush out to see the latest sexy shoot-'em-up movie at the local cinema multiplex, I lose my focus on being a kind and professional artist who has the simple goal of painting away the problems that my clients bring me.
During each busy season, I plan the concert series and the operas well in advance and I look forward to them as the single most important thing about busy season (other than simply getting through it). I post the schedule of the cultural events on the master schedule very early in the season and I stay focused on going from opera to symphony concert to ballet to piano concerto and I mix in professional work-not the opposite. When I am not in meetings, preparing taxes or eating, I am at a cultural event. I've found that when I'm attending these events I find that the same themes exist in art, music and literature. These themes match with the classical theories that the "professionalism" of serving clients embraces. Rhythm, timing and variance give me the ability to train and retrain my mind to think like a predictable and recurring pattern.
By having cultural events to look forward to, I am enriching myself while motivating myself at the same time. Unfortunately I see so many people who just look forward to a sporting event or to having time with the TV or, frankly, partying and drinking, that I wonder how they are making sure that they enrich themselves professionally.
When I stray--and I do stray every now and then--over to the multiplex to see the comedies or popular movies or I fall into the trap of channel surfing, I waste time and lose concentration. Then I get mad at myself for wasting time and I lose even more focus.
The reason that I can keep my attention devoted to solving problems and making a seamless transition of professionalism from my CPA life into my political life and then, in turn, into my personal life is that I center on classical themes involving art, music and literature that haven't changed for hundreds of years.
I urge you to try a few of the things that I listed on the first page gradually over a period of, say, six months. Then adapt some of your own that "work" for you. I believe you will find that you are much more productive, far more relaxed and that you have renewed confidence in your personal and professional actions.
"Greatness" lurks within the classic applications of literature, music and art. When greatness is demanded of you professionally, it is easier to rise to be great when you have soared with the eagles in your personal life. When you have let your personal life become overwhelmed by swimming around in what the news and entertainment media thinks will be entertaining, you will be stuck in a common rut, unable to get out and "soar with the eagles."
David B. Robinson, CPA
Index of Previous Issues of Tax Fax
