It is that time of the week again.  The day I get a James Clear email.  I feel there is pretty well always something to write about in those emails, and today is no exception.
Something he said was something Merril and I mentioned to each other yesterday. “"You draw out of the world what you put into it.  Want to attract reliable people? Be reliable.  Want to attract trustworthy people? Be trustworthy. Want to attract welcoming people? Be welcoming. Want to attract exceptional people? Be exceptional."
We have things going on at our place at the moment.  They include getting a new kitchen and having a granny flat (“The Cabin”) built.  We got some quotes concerning the Cabin and went with someone who at the time we had decided had a good attitude.  We could have gone a bit cheaper but we felt we were just a number reached in giving out quotes.  There was not the same interest, time or effort put into seeing what we wanted.
We felt the guy we went with was welcoming and trustworthy.  It has been interesting to me that they say “you can tell a bit about a person by their friends.”  I do not know if others he has had here in his employment are his friends, or just who he gets to do particular things, but this I know.  Every one of them I have liked.  I even had my bro visiting from the sunshine coast who met the person doing the Cabin, voluntarily comment how friendly the one doing the work was.
I am totally on board when I hear things like “like attracts like.”  I could add to the above “if you want to have friends show yourself friendly.”  To me that is a real key to attracting those of like mind.  The thing is, even when I don’t attract those of like mind, those who want to be that way are included in being attracted.
I consider myself to be a friendly person but any good qualities I have arise out of a new nature.  I know no matter how much I may pretend to be otherwise, the way I am will come out.  The more I try to change the more I don’t.  So for me it has been replacement of the old with the new.  Change has been an inside job.
We have found the kitchen people, the plumber, the electrician all to be friendly.  When we treat people the way we would like to be treated, there is a giving and working together response.

“Superficiality is the curse of our age….The desperate need today is not a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but deep people.” (Richard Foster)
If by deep is meant ones who do not blindly accept anything told, but those who search out a matter and as much as possible, find contentment in themselves that something is as it is represented, then count me in.  If deep means weird music and one with eyes half closed then that is not me, and I cannot relate. 
Deep to me is intensely practical.  A matter to attempt to solve may be physical or philosophical.  Either way it is approached in a way the simplest or most profound can arrive at a conclusion that satisfies.  I do not hold to the idea that in matters relating to “life, the universe and everything” a 12th century person misses out because of something only found out in the 21st century.
That is hard to say in an understandable way.  I guess what I am trying to say is that the age in which one lives does not determine arrival at a desirable destination.  Sure, things are easier in many ways these days, but I cannot help but think all our learning has made us mad.  So often now I hear “where is common sense?”
I guess I am a bit of a rebel.  One of the key questions I am asking myself at the moment is, “if all these ideas are so good, why is the world not a better place?”  There seems to be a universal feeling worldwide that thing are out of hand.  One of my favourite illustrations I heard somewhere, but forgotten where, is things are like reading a book at dusk.  I get so absorbed in the book, that it is only when I pause and look up that I realize how dark it has gotten.
I know I am not alone.  Those of like mind may appear superficial to some, but there is another side.  A questioning side.  A side not content to accept without question.  A flawed side with a hopeful side.

Yesterday was a typical day where something required effort, and it finished with us going out with friends for dinner.
I arose early which is typical.  We were expecting the builder of the granny flat to come with a few others.  He has been off sick (he went to hospital) and was wanting to make up for lost time.  He duly arrived about 7am with others and worked in the granny flat.
I was also expecting a visitor about 8am to take some mature hedge plants we had.  It was win win really.  We wanted them gone and he wanted them for his yard.  So it was worth the effort to remove them.  Our plan is to open up the “bush garden” at the front.  I had planted ot out with trees in the hope of alleviating mowing.  I did that but it is way more work than mowing would have been!
He did arrive about 8am and set about removing the plants.  I gave him a hand.  Boy was it hot.  It’s funny, but looking at the vacant ground one would not know that there were established shrubs there that had been removed.  We ended up getting rid of three of them.  We had removed three previously and there is one to go.  He also has a trailer so we could put the plants to save in it along with any vegetation to go to the dump.
After that work we had a coffee together.  He went home and I got some lunch and then had a shower and sleep.  The builder had gone to another job he was finishing up.
I was glad for the rest and work up and got up in a hurry wondering what time it was.  It turned out it was only not long after three.  I decided to make a coffee and while doing that I saw a van go past and wondered if it was of here.  It was.  He was delivering tiles for the granny flat.  He had phoned to say he was coming.  That was while I was asleep.
He duly delivered the tiles.  While he was doing so he said the lawn mower we had sold him worked well.  I had no memory of him getting it but he was happy.  Good thing really as he was bigger than me.
In the evening Merril and I had dinner with friends of ours.  One was from England and is going back tomorrow and the other was her son who lives here.  We knew them in table tennis days and have kept up our friendship with him via get togethers every now and then.
It was a good day and both Merril and I were zombie like at the end of the day.  We had enjoyed good food and good company.  The next day heaps is planned.