You’ve heard it said that all things should be done with love, that we should love our neighbors and enemies, and that love conquers all. Those are some mighty tall orders.
But today, show your love to one other person. Show them love in a way that differs from the usual. You may even chose someone you don’t know. “BE” love to someone; use words when necessary.
♥XO
…and be the best you can be. ALL that you can be. It’s a lot of work, and it takes a lot of practice. So just for part of the day think about how “great” or good or peaceful or content or happy or…whatever…you can be. Then do it. Even if it’s only for a little while. Enjoy the experience.
You may find you want to try it again!
Lent has begun! It’s a season of introspection and action, forty days worth. What can I “put down” in order to have the time and energy to “pick up” something new? What action can I take that helps me to remember how and why I’m actually on a path, that tightrope walk? I have a big list this year!
I’m busy, I’m well, I’m happy. And when “that” happens I have a tendency to just plow through, enjoying the bounty. Of course, that usually means I teeter on the rope or eventually fall and need to climb back up. So this year I’m taking my own advice and am going to stop and Take A Balance Break©…several times a day. I’ve got my small group and we’re doing a study on the Beatitudes. (BTW, I usually get stuck on the blessed “meek”…). I met some old friends for Ash Wednesday. Each day I’ve reconnected with someone I haven’t seen in a while. I’m getting up 15 minutes earlier to post a FB message and a song…a project that began as a friend’s request for the music that inspires me.
So in order to play catch-up, here are the first few days. I hope you will take a few moments each day to do something kind for yourself. Take a break from the day and…balance!
1/40 Take five minutes to BREATHE.
2/40 Make your day HAPPY.
3/40 Remember that GRACE falls down. If you fall, get back up and try again!
4/40 While on your path, LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE.
We can get a lot of thinking done in forty days!
Firstly, I haven’t forgotten about Resolutions 2-6. Just needed to jump ahead here.
Secondly, the actual resolution needs a little explaining. But first…a story.
Over the years I have gotten to known a few homeless people. Ruth in Hartford affectionately called me Liz or Elizabeth…when she was off her meds. She’d ask for insights about her life. When I moved to Florida in 1991 the regulars at my coffee shop took up looking after her; she gained weight, had more lucid moments, was dressed for the cold. When I met my all-time-favorite he said “My name is Lee Roy, but you can call me Pop”. So I did. And I still do, a good decade later. He works and now serves others as part of my church’s homeless ministry. And Norman…then there’s Norm.
I hadn’t seen Norm in a while, so when I had some extra food a couple of weeks ago I went looking for him. When he wasn’t in his normal evening spot, I looked again a couple of days later. Still no Norm. I got the news on Sunday: Norm passed away in December of a heart attack. I was away. There was a memorial service for him in January. If I wasn’t away, I sure wasn’t paying attention.
When you stop and REALLY look into the eyes of another, you may be VERY surprised at what you see.
I know why I missed the news; I was off taking care of myself. I’m glad I took the “me time”. That said, Norm’s death brought this New Year’s Resolution to the front of my mind.
My resolution is to spend more time WITH people. Not the quick hellos, not the “How are you?” thrown out there without the hopes of a real answer. I’m working on the QUALITY of time, quality of encounters.
Did I used to be better at this? I’m not sure. I do know, however, that I used to know more about the people in my immediate surroundings.
And that felt good. Funny how making a change in someone else’s day can lift your spirits. But then again, that’s balance.
I’ve been meaning to write a thank-you note (of sorts) to two men I met last year. I don’t know how to get it to them, so I pray for them, ask God to protect them, and hope that they’ll somehow…know. This isn’t the proper thank you they deserve–I mean, c’mon, I’m blogging about..uuuuhhhhh…myself. MY new year’s resolutions. I swear it all fits together:
When I checked into AP in December it wasn’t hard for me to be anonymous; nobody really cared who I am…a relative nobody. I decided that everyone should have the same consideration. If you’re checking into a private facility to do some work/get some work done, you deserve privacy. You don’t need the “nobody” in the crowd staring at you or trying to rub shoulders with you. I decided I wouldn’t even look at people’s last names.
Enter one, tough, scary dude. He sat next to me at lunch one day. As was usual, he did not acknowledge me. That was OK. Really. Someone not affiliated with AP came to him and thanked him for “his service”. That made it clearly obvious that he was military, not “sports”. And that, of course, gave him a very wide berth with me. I would leave him alone. After he left the lunch room an AP staff member came to me and said “You know who that is, right?”. I nodded and replied, “Yeah, he’s a SEAL”. I knew he was indeed “somebody”, I just didn’t need to know the extent of his “somebody-ness”.
Said SEAL has a twin brother who checked into the facility the same day I did. He was a little chattier, more social. He made eye contact. And he followed everything with “Ma’am”. Lots of woman of a certain age don’t like that. He’s military. He’s a Texan. And one can never fault on the side of good manners. Call me ma’am all you want.
How cool to have these guys around! The biomechanics geek in me stared at them constantly. And what a study! Brothers. Twin brothers. Twin brother SEALS. Both injured. Different injuries, different movements. Different, but somehow very, very same. I stared more. And I stood in awe. I felt joy. I felt indebted. I felt honor. I was in awe of their quiet work ethic and the symbiotic nature of their world. I imagined their willingness to go back into service. For us. Awesome.
My pain was my pain, and it was why I was there. I wouldn’t discredit that. These men, however, gave me massive perspective. I could not wait to work hard again. I gave my self a dose of “Suck it up, Loser, and get on with your work !”
One day I winced while getting in the cold tub. I looked at the twin in the tub (as I rolled my eyes at myself) and said “This probably doesn’t feel so bad to you.” He replied, “Cold is cold to everyone, Ma’am. It’s just cold”. I don’t really think he meant it as a judgement call; I didn’t take it as such. It did drive home the old message of living in the moment. And that’s how I want to start off my year. Living in the moment. Not in some carpe-diem-skip-out-of-work-on-Tuesday way, but by bucking up on the unpleasant times that we all go through. God knows the twins and their comrades have to do it all the time.
I can calmly enjoy a tough moment in my life, knowing it will pass. I can get through; joy comes in the morning. “Buck up, Rosebud”.
I am truly blessed to have had Morgan and Marcus dropped in my path. I said “thanks” before I left…thanks for being there, thanks for their service…but it’s not enough. So again, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. You have challenged me to become a better person.
This is a little more what I had in mind...
Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman.
All the world is waiting for you
And the power you possess.
In your satin tights,
Fighting for your rights
And the old Red, White and Blue.…Now the world is ready for you,
and the wonders you can do.
Make a hawk a dove,
Stop a war with love,
Make a liar tell the truth.…All our hopes are pinned on you.
And the magic that you do…
Change their minds, and change the world.You’re a wonder, Wonder Woman.
I’m working with my counter ego (is that a term?) this week. I like the fact that I have my own cartoon. I like the fact that my photo is on the side of a truck. It doesn’t exactly make me “better” or “better than”…or even “great”. But it is a conversation piece.
I’m reminded of the full armor of God from Ephesians. Perhaps I need to take my colorful cartoon a bit more seriously; get into the spirit of things. I should really consider arming the gal with:
A belt of truth as I teach the science of stress and promote work/life balance
A breastplate of righteousness as I give tools and wisdom to create positive change
The gospel of peace, or the patience to treat one’s body with respect and kindness
A shield of faith as I watch confidence in their abilities grow
A helmet of salvation as their health improves
A sword of the spirit as they feel “vitality” instead of “normal”
Yeah, that’s what I’m going to try. It’s cold and rainy and a bit dark and dreary here in Scottsdale. I’ve pulled on a nice pair of tights. I’ve lacquered my hair in place (heck, if you can’t find a helmet, you might as well have helmet-head!). A padded bra will have to do for a breastplate; it’s Deloitte I’m working with, not the WWE. Spirit: check. Faith: check.
May the winds of change blow your way today! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to find my cape and get to the gym!
Where are you on the tightrope of life?
The “real” purpose of my Arizona trip was to work, and the time has come to do just that. There was no mistake in the scheduling; it was orchestrated as it should be. Travel. Get butt kicked. Travel. Have spiritual and introspective time. Travel. Teach. Teach about balance.
We’re making a few changes on the presentation of information with this group. As I regroup the term “weight shift” keeps popping into my mind. Balance is great, but movement is about constant weight shift and the ability to balance in the new position. Mobile stability…stable mobility.
This week I do believe my focus should be on teaching the art and science of balance, and then mobilizing those skills to make the next step.
And as always, one should teach and lead by example.
Until next time…subtle shift.
This is my first trip to Sedona. I figured I should take advantage of being in Arizona and just get myself there. Who has anything BAD to say about Sedona? Nobody. Spiritual people make pilgrimages, congregating with souls past and present. Inspiration, education, comtemplation; it’s all to be had in Sedona. I wanted some of…that. Whatever “that” was and is, I’d receive what I was offered. It was with that intention that I set out. It was that vein in which I was early to bed, hoping for an early rise and a full heart.
I did awaken early. At 3:00 am the tapping outside my window got so loud and persistent that my dreams were flowing around it. It was pouring rain, but that would have been a welcome sound. I added a coat to my cold-weather-sleeping gear of pajamas and socks, and headed out the door. Don’t forget key. Don’t forget phone (in case something bad happened to me?). Don’t forget motel emergency number. I went to the outside wall of my room to find that the gutter above my window was broken, and that water was falling on my heating/AC unit. It seemed as if there wasn’t a fix, so I went back inside. When I spotted the ironing board, I set out again and fashioned a splash shield. Necessity is the mother of invention.
As I stepped back into my room I found I was up to my ears (well, ankles) in mud. Red clay type, Sedona style. I carefully removed my boots, simultaneously attempting to keep my pajamas mud free (heck, they were already soaked with rain) and keep the mud off the carpet. And yeah, I did mutter a few swear words under my breath.
Maneuvering the mud upon (appropriate) wake up was just as interesting. I worked my way out the door, lacing up my boots as the door closed behind me. Carefully into car with newspaper at feet. Carefully into lobby, wiping my feet on the mats. Standing in a puddle upon approaching the coffee shop. Who needs to clean up after another dirty hiking boot?
I was blotting my feet as I approached the door of the Shaman’s office. We spied each other through the glass, he opened the door, and welcomed me in. And in I went.
And that, my friends, was the pivotal moment in the day. Seems I am the very first person to ever walk into this man’s office with mud on my shoes. Ever. In his 14 years in Sedona, I’m the first. Why would I enter a room with mud on my feet? Is this what I needed healing for…my utter disregard for sacred space? Am I always that thoughtless? I tried to explain that I just lost my thought on all the mud the minute we made eye contact and he said “come in”. Do I always turn things around and make them other people’s fault. He wasn’t sure this was going to work.
Nor was I, so I suggested we stop. He was fine with that, but I was being charged with a full day PLUS carpet cleaning. I might as well just sit down and get on with it.
OK, the day got better than that. I returned my rental; they said “mud happens” in Arizona. I went back to my hotel and voiced my concern about tracking mud into Chateau Swishy; they actually said “Whatever”. The mud sticks to my boots like dog poop and gum in the summer.
And the damn mud sticks to the front of my brain with the same vengeance. I know I got something more than that out of my day. Right now, however, it’s all lost in the muck and mire.
A memory of Sedona stays with you forever!
"Camp Sporty" Revisited
Today I got up nice and early. Actually, I woke up so many times during the night. The great news is that I’m not waking up every time I roll over or just because everything H-U-R-T-S… This time I awoke because I could hardly wait to get on with my day! Yeah for me!!
I ate a good (uuuhhh…delicious, nutritious, hearty) breakfast as well as schlucking down a bunch of coffee. A gleeful heart should always be fueled with a little extra caffeine, you know. I took the short drive out to…
Athletes Performance Phoenix! After spending a couple of weeks at their Pensacola/Gulf Breeze facility in December, I know I’ll never go anywhere else for “professional help” again. OK, that’s not entirely true, but I really love this place. While only a handful of us were training in December, a great number of athletes were in training now. Football players were on the field, baseballs were flying, a good number of Asian men were holding weight plates for some reason unknown to me, and everyone seemed to have a huge protein shake and a handful of supplements. (At one point I couldn’t find where I was going and some very large man told me to follow him. I obliged, of course, feeling like a dwarf.) The place is cool, way cooler and larger than the original site they opened in Tempe ten years ago.
I was here to run. I have been holding off on running because I don’t feel quite “right” yet. I’m not fully rehab-ed, I’m not strong enough, and I’m not quite structurally balanced. Yet, while in Phoenix I wanted a valuable professional evaluation and updated plan. So I ran. I ran on the Woodway treadmill. Then I ran on the new updated non-motorized arc-shaped Woodway. Then I ran on the Woodway in “dynamic” mode. Then I ran on the harnessed Wooday. That’s a lot of treadmills, you know! Then I walked, exercised, walked some more…and got the verdict:
I’M NOT READY TO RUN…YET. Bummer. Boo for me.
But…I have a new checklist and a new plan. It will happen. Once again, AP is leaving me hopeful and happy. I am determined to make that “comeback” (read: come back) to triathlon.
Today I got the butt-kicking I was looking for. I then used my Ford Focus to set my sites on Sedona. Tomorrow, the yin to my yang. Until then, Cheers!
Sun, Warmth, and Random Plants!
Sometimes life has….perfect timing. I left for Phoenix this morning, and Hartley’s daughter came in for a visit last night; I cleared out of the guest room just as she needed a place to sleep.
I’m travelling for business, but because my world is all about finding and maintaing balance…I’ve got to take a couple of days for myself. I like to treat ALL trips to thye airport as “vacation”. I read pleasure books, I drink Bloody Marys, I chat with people who want to tell their story, I help old-timers navigate their way through the new-fangled operations of Homeland Security…I travel as if I’m without schedule. Today I encountered a man in the bar who had just gotten off a blues cruise, so we chatted about music. A gay couple with whom I shared a seat needed real estate advice (read: cute homes in the appropriate neighborhood). I obliged.
I watched a movie on the plane. I don’t even go to movies at home. Whatever…I’m on vacation.
I drove into Scottsdale where I checked into a Hilton. I had “gourmet Mexican” for dinner. It was a l-a-r-g-e plate of meat with a few onions scattered about. Whatever, today I’m on vacation. I just-said-no to the guacamole. Although I love a good guac (especially one made expressly for me at table side) I thought the portion of “enough for four” was a little over the top. No Guacamole. No cocktails.
I have to be ready for tomorrow…
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Mobile Balance 