Catholic Online Forum

Do you like lots of routine in your life or do you like surprises and find routine boring?

I seem to vary on this.

Sometimes I hate it when my comfortable routines are interrupted or interfered with.
Other times I fear I am falling into a rut and I need to shake things up a little.

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David L (CA)
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx

David L,

I'm not all that comfortable with change...somewhat of an anxious person to begin with but I do get bored when everything is exactly the same. I'm undisciplined so my routine when I'm not working isn't exactly the same everyday in that I get into bad habits of sleeping irregularly, etc. But, overall, I'm deeply attached to some of my routines in big ways and small. I haven't moved in 22 years, worked the same job for 25 years and I have very definite "rules" in different situations. If I go to the movies (which I rarely do), I follow a set routine...when I go to the monastery, my hours and what I do there and when I do it are rather set as well.

One would think, as much as I like routine, that I'd be able to develop good habits in different areas of my life and stick to them but that doesn't happen very easily. I'm also very routine oriented around food...I can eat the same thing over and over and then move onto something else. I'm not very adventuresome in general and it bothers me.

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

I has been my experience in a long and disgustingly disappointing life that every surprise is a disaster.

Give me predictable routine.

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Norman
...that is the regret of a lot of old people when they look back and realize too late what might have been.
This was what President Martin regretted. He thought he was doing something good. It was a disaster. How can anybody know what is the right thing to do?
-- Theresa

Long ago I had a couple of semesters of music appreciation, learning about concert hall 'classical' music. It was some of the most useful education I've ever had.

I recall one of my professors saying this about the principles of musical composition. It should have enough variation and surprise to stay interesting, and enough repetition and constancy to be satisfying.

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Charles MacKenzie

"For nature is one with rapine, a harm no preacher can heal;
The Mayfly is torn by the swallow, the sparrow spear'd by the shrike,
And the whole little wood where I sit is a world of plunder and prey."
-Tennyson

I like that. That's good.

LOL
Hhmmm... I'm trying to think if that has been true in my life. I don't know.I think I like variety in my routine.
If I don't have a certain amount of routine I can get very undisciplined, and (when I am not working) can end up doing almost nothing but reading books.

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Grace

As to the past, let us entrust it to God's mercy, the future to Divine Providence. Our task is to live holy the present moment. - Saint Gianna Molla

Quote:
Do you like lots of routine in your life or do you like surprises and find routine boring?



"It has been my experience in a long and disgustingly disappointing life that every surprise is a disaster."

I am not a saint but I have found that some people when seeing a parade look for the colorful riders on the horses and others look only for the _ _ _ _ and that's all they find. I find that seeking and finding gratitude for the good things I have far outweigh the bad things. And one more thing. Life is like a wheel. You are either on your way up or on your way down and only at the bottom for a short while. I pray that your life becomes enriched with wonderful blessings of health, peace, and goodness.

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Pax et Bonum


Schultzz

I work best when I have a certain amount of routine, but I like to keep it flexible, too. So while I might get up at the same time, try to say the same prayers etc., do largely the same things, I also like being able to do something different if I want to. The only thing I've noticed is that I tend to be more productive if I keep to a timetable at least for part of the day.

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Jules Xx


What will become of sinners?

It is clear that you have never had a disastrous surprise which you could not have foreseen, that you never have heard happening to anybody let alone yourself, that you could do nothing to prevent, nothing to fix and no way to recover from,
or you wouldn't have written a word of that.

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Norman
...that is the regret of a lot of old people when they look back and realize too late what might have been.
This was what President Martin regretted. He thought he was doing something good. It was a disaster. How can anybody know what is the right thing to do?
-- Theresa

Well, it is a surprise to me that my innocent little question would be an occasion of rancor within the first seven replies.

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David L (CA)
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” - Groucho Marx

Rancor, David? Sure you're not assuming a tone of voice which isn't there?

I just pointed out that his opinion could be very different in other circumstances, those of many people who probably might not be participating in a Catholic board at this point as I am.

If you want to see rancor, see the Catholic.com forum philosophy section. Now there's bloodshed!
It wouldn't do on these boards, I suppose, on the other hand they have a large number of young people asking questions about "God allows evil" etc. some young people think dreams are messages from God etc. I try to give them a more orthodox view.

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Norman
...that is the regret of a lot of old people when they look back and realize too late what might have been.
This was what President Martin regretted. He thought he was doing something good. It was a disaster. How can anybody know what is the right thing to do?
-- Theresa

David,

Routine with the occasional variation. Like Julie, I think it's good to have a timetable for at least certain parts of the day.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

Norman,

I'm sorry you find your life disgustingly disappointing. I'll light a candle for you.

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James Daly

"It is the Lord." (Jn 21:7)

I find this question kind of interesting. I have always been a fly by the seat of your pants kind of person. As an adult, I now think I may have serious ADD. I am not kidding. I actually had a very decent GPA in college, but if I was studying for a test and someone came in with news of a great party or something like that....I was out of there. I met my husband as a junior in college and he was the studying type but I also kept him from being boring. We were opposites but good for each other in that we gave each other balance. To this day he is a very disciplined person but I can always get him to shake things up on the weekend.

Our families are opposite as well. My family has a revolving door policy. You never knew who would be sitting at the kitchen table having coffee when you came home and my husbands family would never dream of stopping in without an invitation. It always blew my mind that we had to call his parents first before we stopped in with the kids.

I would say that for the most part I have a pretty solid weekday routine. I keep my weekends open for spontaneous fun things. Not crazy things, just anything that could pop up. I like to look through the paper on the weekend for different things that might be going on. Sometimes I just google "Things going on in Michigan this weekend" and that will give you good ideas to do as well.

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Elizabeth

"Jesus go before me and prepare the way"

Norman,



Being the pessimistic sort, I would find it hard to write what Schultzz wrote, however, some of the people I know who have been through the most horrific things could certainly write that and mean it and even for me, on some days...I can get what he's saying. I've had some pretty horrible surprises...more of those than the good ones..things like assault and rape, the sudden death of people I loved dearly..the biggies. Why do you assume that because you cannot see the world that way, that it can only mean that nobody else has had your experience or they can only react exactly as you have?

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

Try this.

Whatever you're doing for a living, drop it right now.
Go off somewhere, completely alone, to some place you've never been, with nothing but a suitcase of clothes, no money, and start all over again in a completely different line of work with nothing in common with what you did before. How long will it be before you get back up to where your were?

When you've done that, a couple of times, you'll understand what I'm talking about.

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Norman
...that is the regret of a lot of old people when they look back and realize too late what might have been.
This was what President Martin regretted. He thought he was doing something good. It was a disaster. How can anybody know what is the right thing to do?
-- Theresa

Norman,
I would never make light of a person's dilemma and I don't intend to do so here.
Would you agree that someone calling you and telling you that your son-in-law was just electricuted and you have to tell your daughter why he isn't coming home for dinner is a disastrous surprise? How about being told you have cancer? How about your business just burned down along with all your investment and you didn't pay your fire insurance? You have no money and have to depend entirely upon God's good people? How about finding out your daughter tried to committ suicide and is in a mental hospital? Am I boring you? Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Everything I have, whatever it is, belongs to God because He provided it in the first place. If He chooses for me to not have it that is His right. I will still love Him. He will still love me.

Do you have your health? Do you have your faith? Do you have other opportunities? Man you are blessed! If you want it better, then find a way to make it better. If you cannot then be grateful for what you have. We are only here a short time. God WILL balance the scales if you keep on keeping on. Don't give into satan's legions who want you to give up and feel sorry for yourself. Think of the man who felt he suffered because he didn't have any shoes to wear until he saw a man with no feet. We all have crosses to bear, huge challenges to meet and impossible demands made upon us at times. God is in charge; not me, not you, not even fate. Hang in there man, pray for others worse off than you and do what you have to, to change your predicament. I will pray for you.

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Pax et Bonum


Schultzz

I have a bad memory, so I don't remember my routine

I have small routines I like, i.e. checking internet before everyone gets up. Other than that, I have no routine whatsoever.

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Kathleen

______________________________________________________________________

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

FWIW, my routine evaporated today in favour of staying in bed until 8am and reading a good book until 10... and look at just how productive today has been so far!!! I meant to study this morning and it's ten to eleven now. Yes, I could put in the time a bit later, but I'm meeting a friend for coffee instead (and my friend probably needs that with some of the stuff that's happened lately)...

The worst of it is that I always feel kind of disgusted at myself on days like this, but otoh I was genuinely tired and sometimes need that 'me' time.

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Jules Xx


What will become of sinners?

Norman,



Since I'm unemployed it's rather hard to try as you describe...though my brother did it once. When the money runs out...I don't know what I'll do.

Try this...alone in a room with just two men who are alternately raping you. They are humiliating you in more ways than just the rape. There are cut out porn pictures on the wall of the most hideous examples of violence towards women that you can imagine. There are guns in the room...your throat is being forced nearly shut with the weight of his arm. You are told repeatedly that you will be killed when they are done with you. Your father is critically ill and you survive but cannot tell anyone. You're sixteen years old.

We cannot compare our suffering. . .God has given us all crosses to bear and I wish that you and I both could feel as Schultzz feels though I suspect I'm closer to it than you...and I can only thank God for that. There is so much pain in the world and Schultzz has outlined a very good way of dealing with it as there is always something to thank God for and nurturing a sense of gratitude changes everything in terms of an outlook on life. I live in one of the most free and prosperous nations on the face of the earth and in human history and I did nothing to deserve it. I have lovely, deeply loving and caring people in my life who help me through every day because without them, I would simply kill myself but I can't bring myself to intentionally hurt another living being and so I can't hurt all of those who love and cherish me...and there are many. We are not at Auschwitz.. .I knew a man who was there and was grateful to be alive. You're a very intelligent man, gifted in many things and being grateful for what you do have is going to make you feel better regardless of your life circumstances. I, more often than not, am not able to feel that gratitude but I try very hard because I know that it fosters in me a sense of perspective about the world that also results in a realization that I have suffered nothing in comparison to the very real suffering that is going on all around me and around the world.

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

David L,

Maybe if you could just stop starting these controversial and divisive posts of yours......

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Valerie Garcia
vals1990@yahoo.com

"Listen, O my son, to the precepts of thy master, and incline the ear of thy heart, and cheerfully receive and faithfully execute the admonitions of thy loving Father, that by the toil of obedience thou mayest return to Him ....." St. Benedict

It occurs to me that regardless of whether we prefer routine or variety, that how we apprehend what happens to us probably has more to do with our general outlook.

I read above some who see life as oppressing and others, who may have experienced more grief than those who are sour on life, who still have a positive outlook.

As for me, while I wouldn't turn down the opportunity for a couple of "do overs", life has been overall, a positive experience.

And routine is okay, I guess, but surprises both good and bad, keep us sharp!

And I'm an old guy who has had my share of the latter kind!

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In Christ,

Jim B

I will consider your position if stated with firm, well-thought-out, quiet reasoning. Hateful diatribe, ad hominem attacks and shouted rhetoric don't impress.