Free Music

I love to have music playing whenever I'm working on my computer. It can help me stay calm--or excited--or focused, depending on what I want to listen to. Therefore, I wanted to share the three methods that I use most often for streaming free music online.

1. Moody Radio. This is a Christian online radio station that plays music and other helpful thing for the Christian life. The URL is: http://www.moodyradio.org/brd_AudioMin.aspx?id=13144
2. ITunes Radio. Select a stream (genre), then choose from hundreds of different radio stations that are streaming online.
3. Pandora.com. Create an account for free, then build your own "radio stations" based on the artists or songs you like.

Why am I including this entry in The Examined Life? Because I feel that music is integral to life, and that we can harness its power to move us in many different ways. The Lord God designed us to be creative and to appreciate creativity in others. Music is one form of creativity that many people have not fully appreciated.

The value of being non-committal

Is there anyone you would describe as non-committal? You may find it rather annoying when people are afraid to take any responsibility, or they have low confidence that they can do what you are asking them to do. However, it is also annoying when people make promises that they do not keep. After a person makes a few promises that they don't keep, you start to lose confidence in their reliability.

This year I have been working on the character trait of reliability. I have noticed my tendency to promise lots of little things, yet forget to do them. Here are some examples:
1. I'll e-mail you that document tomorrow.
2. I'll call you next week.
3. I'll help you with that project this afternoon.

A few months ago I was exposed to a system called "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. This system helps you organize your life. One of its basic strategies is to get in the habit of writing things down. As simple as this sounds, I have become much more intentional about writing things down (in a location where I know I will look regularly), so that I remember to do them without having the stress of them floating around in my head.

One line from one my favorite poems says, "A promise made is a debt unpaid". When I remember a promise that I made but not fulfilled, I cringe to think that someone out there may be losing their trust in me. Therefore, I have been pondering a very simple solution: Don't make many promises, and for the few that you do make, find ways to remind yourself to quickly do them.

For example, today I was talking to someone on the phone and I offered to e-mail her a list of names within 30 minutes. At the same moment that I said that, I created a new e-mail, addressed it to her, and wrote the first sentence of the e-mail. That way, when I hung up the phone, I could not possibly avoid seeing the e-mail I had already started. Plus, once an e-mail is started, it is more motivating to finish it.

With another situation today, I was about to e-mail someone to promise that I would post a certain thing to our church's website, but I stopped myself. I took a moment to post the item first, then I e-mailed the person to say that I had already posted it. That way, I didn't have to promise anything; it was already done. As Benjamin Franklin once stated, "Well done is better than well said."

Therefore, I see some value in being a "non-committal" person. If someone asks me to do something, I want to take a moment and think about it before committing. If I know for sure that I can do it and will do it, it's okay to commit to it (but I should also write it down). If I'm not sure, I will say something like, "I'm not sure--check back with me tomorrow." That way, the ball is in their court to follow up with me, and even if I don't do a thing, I have not broken a promise.

The value of being non-committal

Is there anyone you would describe as non-committal? You may find it rather annoying when people are afraid to take any responsibility, or they have low confidence that they can do what you are asking them to do. However, it is also annoying when people make promises that they do not keep. After a person makes a few promises that they don't keep, you start to lose confidence in their reliability.

This year I have been working on the character trait of reliability. I have noticed my tendency to promise lots of little things, yet forget to do them. Here are some examples:
1. I'll e-mail you that document tomorrow.
2. I'll call you next week.
3. I'll help you with that project.

A few months ago I was exposed to a system called "Getting Things Done" by David Allen. This system helps you organize your life. One of its basic strategies is to get in the habit of writing things down. As simple as this sounds, I have become much more intentional about writing things down (in a location where I know I will look regularly), so that I remember to do them without having the stress of them floating around in my head.

One line from one my favorite poems says, "A promise made is a debt unpaid". When I remember a promise that I made but not fulfilled, I cringe to think that someone out there may be losing their trust in me. Therefore, I have been pondering a very simple solution: Don't make many promises, and for the few that you do make, find ways to remind yourself to quickly do them.

For example, today I was talking to someone on the phone and I offered to e-mail her a list of names within 30 minutes. At the same moment that I said that, I created a new e-mail, addressed it to her, and wrote the first sentence of the e-mail. That way, when I hung up the phone, I could not possibly avoid seeing the e-mail I had already started. Plus, once an e-mail is started, it is more motivating to finish it.

With another situation today, I was about to e-mail someone to promise that I would post a certain thing to our church's website, but I stopped myself. I took a moment to post the item first, then I e-mailed the person to say that I had already posted it. As Benjamin Franklin once stated, "Well done is better than well said."