I’m hosting a songwriting workshop at the library, and our fearless leader, Jud Caswell, mentioned something last week that resonated with me.

“Beware of GIGO!”

Asked to explain, Jud said simply, “Garbage in. Garbage out.”

In the context of songwriting, Jud was saying that if you want to write good music you need to surround yourself with music you love. There’s no “right” when it comes to music. There are just some notes that make your heart sing and that’s what you want to listen to.

If we take Jud’s metaphor a step further, think about the work that brings you the greatest joy. How can you surround yourself with the best that’s out there?

• If you’re writing, do you read inspiring books, blogs, or journals?
• If you’re a singer, do you listen to music that makes you want to hone your craft?
• If you love connecting with people, do you seek out places where you’ll meet inspiring strangers?
• If you love to travel and can’t always be on the road, do you find out interesting things about where you live and places you choose to visit?
• If it’s business that thrills your heart, do you spend time reading the latest thinking on smart ways to run a business?

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and let life run you. Is there something you can do this week to turn a GIGO moment into a JIJO, joy-in, joy-out moment?

Points to ponder. Thanks, Jud 🙂

I’ll close today with Flynn who knows no boundaries (“Get off the table!”), and is generally joyous even as he keeps an eye on the open dog kennel 🙂

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