OUT OF OUR ELEMENT with Dan Malossi and Lauren Roedy Vaughn

The Players:

LRV = Lauren Roedy Vaughn

DM = Dan Malossi

LRV: You know that part in the movie Say Anything where Lloyd Dobler (played by John Cusack) grabs that guy who is freaking out at the party and tells him, “You must chill!”? 

You remember that?  

We all need a Lloyd Dobler sometimes. 

I might be projecting. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I need a Lloyd Dobler sometimes. Because I get myself revved up over stuff.

When I’m revved up, I Lloyd Doblerize myself by remembering the words Carl Jung used to describe life:

“…a brief pause between two mysteries.”

Then, I am chilled. By the Jungian perspective. His diction is chilling…in every sense of the word. 

Here we are living our “pause.”  Brevity inferred. Where we came from and where we are going…who knows. Don’t freak out…be humbled.

Chill. 

You get a pause.

So, what’s important here?

That you make the green light? That you get the best deal? That you win? That you prove yourself? That you accumulate stuff? That you look good? 

I mean, maybe. Maybe that’s what you really, really want with your pause. If so, I’d refer you back to Lloyd Dobler. 

We get a pause between two mysteries. Proceed wisely. With care. With awareness. With humility. With compassion. With love. Because it’s only a frickin’ pause between two mysteries. 

Maybe…make some meaning. Do something meaningful. Perhaps you’ll also accumulate stuff along the way and win stuff and be all that and a bag of chips …but that might just be a delayed after effect. What do you think?

DM: I support this message…let’s all do something with this gift we’re given, this pause between two mysteries. I have been feeling a bit tired lately, which I always do around this time of year…but reading Lauren’s thoughts today inspired me.

I’m going to write, record, or read for at least an hour a day for the foreseeable future. This is not easy to do with my current schedule, but no more excuses.

On November 22, 2024, I completed 365 days straight of 100 squats, 100 pushups, and 100 situps a day. I’m proud of this usage of my pause, mainly because it represents hard work (a good thing) and doing something specific to improve myself each day (another good thing). You’d think I’d look like John Cena after this, but somehow I’ve avoided that.

As my late cousin used to say, “If you want to be a writer, forget the six-pack abs.” Somehow, I’m unwilling to forget them, perhaps to my detriment…as a writer.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is this: stay forever Jung. At least in mind and spirit.