reverb10 – December 16 – Friendship

December 16 Friendship.
How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst?

I looked at this one-word prompt in my email, set this post up, and then came back later. Now reading the actual prompt, it’s a lot different from what I assumed a question about friendship would be. Which is good! This is a much more interesting question to answer.

Part of the reason I arrived at “conscious” for my word for 2011 is Patrick Rhone.

The guy’s just thoughtful. Everything that comes out of his mouth (or his fingers) is considered. Patrick is an idea guy. That’s a totally cliche term that’s been abused but really, he is. His philosophy behind Minimal Mac is “enough” and that is reflective of his philosophy on life. Only as much as you need. No more and no less. And really invest in what’s important to you.

This has been a gradual evolution. As I’ve continued to read Patrick’s work and gotten to know him better, it’s helped me see that stuff I’ve read elsewhere on this topic can really be lived. I told him not long ago that, as I write these #reverb10 posts, I feel like I have a tiny Patrick on my shoulder – with wings, not a pitchfork – guiding me as I process all this stuff.

I think I need “What Would Patrick Do?” on a t-shirt. Or at least on a Post-It note.

UPDATE: I was telling Missy about what I wrote here and in explaining it to her, a more coherent thought occurred to me: What I especially like about Patrick’s philosophy and practice is that he has a clear value system that he deliberately uses to judge things by. Which fits really nicely with my Enneagram 6-ness, but I need to get crystal clear on what my governing value is.

For the month of December, I’m participating in a project called #reverb10. You can read the creation story yourself; the short version is that it’s a month-long exercise in reflecting on the year and manifesting what you want for next year. There’s a daily prompt to which you respond as you see fit. View all my #reverb10 posts.