Category: encouragement

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Living a Better Life

Some time ago, I came to the realization that over the past few years, my life had become a series of “one day I woulds…”

One day I would exercise and stick to it…

One day I would lose weight…

One day I would go white water rafting…

One day…

I took an extended break from social media – got rid of Twitter, Instagram, and signed out of Facebook for several months. It was liberating. I rediscovered reading. I cooked fresh flounder over a campfire and I hiked in the Adirondacks. I taught myself how to make sourdough bread.

I’ve committed myself to living in such a way that when I’m old, I won’t look back with regret.

My better life is a journey not a destination. It’s about the things I learn and do along the way.

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Perfectly Imperfect

I love sunflowers.  This one was in my garden.  The picture is over exposed but I like that.  I think it makes the image different  – and wonderful because it’s not perfect.  That’s a marvelous thing about people.  We’re perfectly imperfect.  We make mistakes – many times more often than we should but still we try to do better, to be better than the day before.  Here’s wishing each of us a wonderful week full of moments that allow the better you/me to shine forth!

sunflower1
Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” -Jalal al-Din Rumi

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Editing My Life

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I’m not sure where the first half of 2018 has gone.  It seems like only yesterday I was writing down my new year’s resolutions – some of which I’ve actually managed to maintain.  Others were abandoned/forgotten.  

July feels like a good time to re-evaluate my progress.  

I’m healthier.  I made walking/hiking part of my life.  I started strength training and while I need to be more consistent, my body is stronger.  I feel better than I have in years.  I’ve lost weight – not as much as I had hoped but I still have 6 months to go. 

One of the things I wanted to work on that still needs improvement is utilizing my “down-time.” I’ve spent time on my photography but there’s other things I enjoy.   So in this next half of the year, I’m going to finish the baby blanket I started crocheting.  I have a beautiful puzzle that needs to be put together.  After working all day, it’ll feel good to engage my mind on something I enjoy.  

During June, I spent a lot of time staining my deck – never realized how many pickets we had on that sucker.  I thought my hand was permanently stuck in the “holding the brush” position.  While the work was time-consuming, the pay-off has been so rewarding.  Most evenings I’m out on my hammock, torches burning, crickets singing, frogs croaking and me – doing my best to unwind.  I think the alone time has helped with my stress.

Life goes by so quickly.  It wasn’t that long ago that I was at ballgames cheering for my boys.  Now, two of them have children.  It’s quite challenging to build a new life (in a matter of speaking) when your world has changed.  I want to make sure that I’m living the best life I can.  I don’t want to look back with regret.  So that’s what July 2018 is for – editing my life and evaluating my progress. 

Overall:

I’m proud of my successes but there’s room for improvement.

How about you?  How’s things going with your resolutions/goals?

-Deb

 

 

 

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My Little Victory

I came across this quote the other day:

The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do. 

                                                                                                                                                 -Bill Phillips

I’ve adopted this as my mantra.

When I turned 50, I promised myself that I’d make an effort to get in shape, to be a healthier me.  Only, the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months and 2017 became 2018.   I could see my fifty-first year on the horizon and I was quite disappointed with myself.  After all, I have a goal of living to be at least 103 years old.  But, poor health choices were sending me down an entirely different road.

Today begins week six of the health and wellness challenge that I promised myself I would complete.  After five weeks of making healthier food choices and doing some strength and cardio training, I’m happy to say that I’m on my way to becoming the person I want to be.   I’ve lost weight and inches and have more energy.

Making progress feels so much better than making excuses.

So – this is me having a little victory moment!

victory dance

I hope you experience a victory of your own this week!

Take care.

-Deb

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DISTRACTIONS – THEY’RE EVERYWHERE

Like so many of you, I work a full-time job and squeeze in my writing here and there. I find it tremendously sad that the thing I enjoy most is the first thing that is sacrificed at the altar of not enough time.

I’m sure I’m not the only person who feels a bit brain-dead at the end of a work day. And to be honest, it’s not that my job is unduly stressful or that I work in an unpleasant environment. Hardly. I like busy days and I get along with my co-workers. But there is a certain frustration that lingers with me through out the work day. Story ideas are born. Characters stop by and introduce themselves and to be quite honest, distract me from my work. I might make a note or two, time allowing, and I usher them away. By the time five o’clock has rolled around, my eyes are tired from staring at a computer screen. And those characters – they are long gone…

A short drive home and I’m preparing dinner. I might go for a ride in the jeep just to unwind. And I might plan on getting a few words down only…

DISTRACTIONSDistractions.

Excuses.

Poor time management.

Whatever you want to call it – it robs many of us (writers) of valuable time. And it does so, so insidiously, we often fail to recognize it’s happening.

It starts out innocently enough. An internet search/fact check becomes a quick stop on Amazon… A look at a cute puppy video is followed by a notification of a friend’s Facebook update… A text message that leads to a phone call… A short break that turns into an hour in front of the television…

Before you know it, your best laid plans have failed and its time to go to bed and you didn’t make any headway on your latest WIP.

The frustration is real. So real in fact, that I decided I needed to be proactive.  Following the suggestions of many other writers, I made myself some rules.

  1. Turn off the cellphone.
  2. Turn off the television.
  3. Do not access the internet.
  4. Be committed.  Schedule writing time and stick to it.
  5. Go on DND (do not disturb) during scheduled writing time.

So this is the plan.

Got my fingers crossed that I’m disciplined enough to follow through.