It may seem too early to talk about resolutions. But I'm reflecting today about my resolution to make this holiday season different. I resolve to rush less and relax more. I would stress less about gift buying and enjoy more of the holiday concerts, get togethers and conversations with valued friends.
Today, then, is a time to step back and look at that resolution. How am I doing? This is not a time to measure shortcomings, but to take an honest analysis of where I am and compare it to where I would like to be.
Am I behaving like a person of peace? Am I bringing encouragement to others? Am I insisting on being first during that lane change and first into the store doorway?
What is my sore back telling me about the wrapping and decorating I have been doing? They let me know that I am overdoing it again. So for today's pot luck party, I will let go of trying to impress my friends with my culinary skills and show up with a bottle of store-bought dip and 2 boxes of crackers.
For me it is a step towards truly enjoying today.
May today bring you moments to step back, evaluate, and enjoy more.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
One of the best gifts to give
At this time of year, we rush and scurry to decorate, cook, clean, party, and fill the calendar with important stuff. (Or is it important?)
Today someone asked me to listen. I was simultaneously nodding and gesticulating to the Goodwill attendant and I was dropping off unneeded items (don't we have homes full of them, really?) The person on the phone did not know that I was soon driving to the next errand as I gave half an ear to her concerns. I am ashamed to admit this dual "listening."
Earlier in the day, a different phone call held a different scenario. I sat motionless in the chair, stopping all activity, and I focused on the voice on the other end of the line. It was one hundred percent listening, even though the calendar tried to tempt me to "away! away! Do two things at once!"
Who in your day will request the gift of listening from you?
How willing will you be to offer the gift?
Listening is one of the best gifts you can give someone else this season.
Today someone asked me to listen. I was simultaneously nodding and gesticulating to the Goodwill attendant and I was dropping off unneeded items (don't we have homes full of them, really?) The person on the phone did not know that I was soon driving to the next errand as I gave half an ear to her concerns. I am ashamed to admit this dual "listening."
Earlier in the day, a different phone call held a different scenario. I sat motionless in the chair, stopping all activity, and I focused on the voice on the other end of the line. It was one hundred percent listening, even though the calendar tried to tempt me to "away! away! Do two things at once!"
Who in your day will request the gift of listening from you?
How willing will you be to offer the gift?
Listening is one of the best gifts you can give someone else this season.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Time change
Blink! We get another hour. That's the gift for those of us who live under the collective spell of Daylight Saving Time.
What did I do with my extra hour? My body rebelled as it tried to awaken at its usual time, and struggled to stay awake an hour later. At the restaurant where we ate breakfast, the waitress commented that everyone seemed out of whack today. I wondered why it wasn't dinner time yet, and being Sunday, I actually took it easy for one more hour.
One day a year, we wedge an extra hour into a day. At the same time the days are getting shorter as the light stays with us a little less and less. Wouldn't it be great if we could all call, "Time change!" about three months from now, when we really need it to recover from the holidays, and give everyone another hour?
Of course, the inevitable counterpoint and much less welcome loss of an hour will bite us in Spring. Why do we put ourselves through this illusion? Who are we kidding here?
What did I do with my extra hour? My body rebelled as it tried to awaken at its usual time, and struggled to stay awake an hour later. At the restaurant where we ate breakfast, the waitress commented that everyone seemed out of whack today. I wondered why it wasn't dinner time yet, and being Sunday, I actually took it easy for one more hour.
One day a year, we wedge an extra hour into a day. At the same time the days are getting shorter as the light stays with us a little less and less. Wouldn't it be great if we could all call, "Time change!" about three months from now, when we really need it to recover from the holidays, and give everyone another hour?
Of course, the inevitable counterpoint and much less welcome loss of an hour will bite us in Spring. Why do we put ourselves through this illusion? Who are we kidding here?
Friday, November 4, 2011
The most important task of the day
Time is running out you say? The most important task of the day remains unfinished? And now someone else pops into the office, desperately in need of a few minutes.
As one busy person to another, we offer understanding, patience, but most important of all, listening.
I may never get a handle on the day. But if I can ease someone else's burden, it is enough.
Yesterday I was able to help a man who recently accepted custody of a niece who had been neglected and abused. I gave the unemployed man the best gift I could think of as the baby toddled around us: I listened. I looked at the pictures he proffered of this child before the courts intervened and I cried.
As one busy person to another, we offer understanding, patience, but most important of all, listening.
I may never get a handle on the day. But if I can ease someone else's burden, it is enough.
Yesterday I was able to help a man who recently accepted custody of a niece who had been neglected and abused. I gave the unemployed man the best gift I could think of as the baby toddled around us: I listened. I looked at the pictures he proffered of this child before the courts intervened and I cried.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
"Yes, I'll hold."
Just when you think you've accomplished some task and can cross it off the list for good, something happens to set things back. Next thing you know, you lose 2 hours rectifying something you thought was history.
Have you ever had something you take for granted suddenly demand hours to get it back on track? Here is an example. I called my phone provider about a feature on my plan and discovered that they had not received my electronuc fund transfer to pay the bill on time. It turns out that my bank puts a paper check in the SNAIL MAIL when I ask the funds be sent from my account. But I know my bank deducts those funds the minute I request that bill be paid. The kind operator explained that it can take up to FIVE days for the money to arrive at their desk from the date on the check!
"I had no idea that you weren't getting the funds electronically shortly after I send them," I said. "So the bank is using my money during that float. That doesn't seem ethical. ...Yes, I'll hold."
Kindly, the phone company credited back the late fees. They suggested that if I continue to use my bank'sbill pay system that I send the payments a week earlier.
Another phone call to my bank and more time being transferred and on hold verified that the bank uses a third party to cut checks and mail them as part of my "electronic" bill pay service.So I canceled the payments and set up a new system directly with the phone carrier via credit card.
And there went an hour that I had not planned on spending.
I refuse to let this time drain get me down. I accomplished something. Life is full of such tasks. Slowly, the wheels of our lives grind forward even when we doubt. Perhaps my kindness to the phone operator will translate in a further kindness to someone else in her life. Her kindness to me helped me be patient with the next faceless employee I dealt with at my bank.
Have you ever had something you take for granted suddenly demand hours to get it back on track? Here is an example. I called my phone provider about a feature on my plan and discovered that they had not received my electronuc fund transfer to pay the bill on time. It turns out that my bank puts a paper check in the SNAIL MAIL when I ask the funds be sent from my account. But I know my bank deducts those funds the minute I request that bill be paid. The kind operator explained that it can take up to FIVE days for the money to arrive at their desk from the date on the check!
"I had no idea that you weren't getting the funds electronically shortly after I send them," I said. "So the bank is using my money during that float. That doesn't seem ethical. ...Yes, I'll hold."
Kindly, the phone company credited back the late fees. They suggested that if I continue to use my bank'sbill pay system that I send the payments a week earlier.
Another phone call to my bank and more time being transferred and on hold verified that the bank uses a third party to cut checks and mail them as part of my "electronic" bill pay service.So I canceled the payments and set up a new system directly with the phone carrier via credit card.
And there went an hour that I had not planned on spending.
I refuse to let this time drain get me down. I accomplished something. Life is full of such tasks. Slowly, the wheels of our lives grind forward even when we doubt. Perhaps my kindness to the phone operator will translate in a further kindness to someone else in her life. Her kindness to me helped me be patient with the next faceless employee I dealt with at my bank.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Enjoy the minute.
Time! Hold on a minute there! Give me a coupla seconds, will ya? What's your hurry ?
Little Miss-tMinute. Where are you rushing to? Don't run from me! I won't harm you. Where is the fire that you must leave me so quickly?
Oops. Another minute slipped into oblivion. Well, missed minute, you certainly had your nerve! I had the illusion that we would enjoy our 60 seconds together. But no, you sneaked past me again without a backward glance, and I am left holding the lists of things to do, knowing I have not enough time to do them.
Oh wait! Here comes a friend of yours! And this minute looks a little friendlier. Perhaps he will stay with me long enough to enjoy a cup of coffee...
Little Miss-tMinute. Where are you rushing to? Don't run from me! I won't harm you. Where is the fire that you must leave me so quickly?
Oops. Another minute slipped into oblivion. Well, missed minute, you certainly had your nerve! I had the illusion that we would enjoy our 60 seconds together. But no, you sneaked past me again without a backward glance, and I am left holding the lists of things to do, knowing I have not enough time to do them.
Oh wait! Here comes a friend of yours! And this minute looks a little friendlier. Perhaps he will stay with me long enough to enjoy a cup of coffee...
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Fall
Colors from fall.
f
a
l
l
i
n
g
Cascading
Arching
Dancing
A last gasp of breath as they leave their tree
leaving
leaving
leaves.
f
a
l
l
i
n
g
Cascading
Arching
Dancing
A last gasp of breath as they leave their tree
leaving
leaving
leaves.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Time to be gentle
Okay. It's after five and time to wrap up another work day. I didn't get half the stuff done that I hoped to achieve. Can I be okay with that?
I started with the very important things this morning, and got two of those items crossed off the lengthy list. Why do the undone items nag me still? I need a pep talk: "Celebrate the success, and recognize that unrealistic expectations can drive one to burnout. Be at peace with what is done and what is not."
May you be gentle with yourself.
I started with the very important things this morning, and got two of those items crossed off the lengthy list. Why do the undone items nag me still? I need a pep talk: "Celebrate the success, and recognize that unrealistic expectations can drive one to burnout. Be at peace with what is done and what is not."
May you be gentle with yourself.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Another day
You're physically exhausted and the meeting ran late, but you come home to discover the sheets in the washer and the bed stripped to the mattress. Somewhere you have to find the energy to put it back together.
Busy people are used to squeezing in one more thing.
"If you want something done, ask a busy person."
The old saying is still true today.
So take that deep breath, and do one more thing before you crash for the night.
Enjoy your rest! Tomorrow is another day.
Busy people are used to squeezing in one more thing.
"If you want something done, ask a busy person."
The old saying is still true today.
So take that deep breath, and do one more thing before you crash for the night.
Enjoy your rest! Tomorrow is another day.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
"I need a favor."
Have you got time to do someone a favor?
Busy people don't have such luxuries, but we take them all the time anyway.
The old saying, "If you want something done, ask a busy person!" is too true in real life.
Of course I can get up an hour earlier than usual to give someone a lift to the airport. And rather than groan as I roll out of bed, I feel grateful for the timer on the coffee pot that offers me the opportunity to have a piping hot cup waiting for me as I stumble into the kitchen.
The secret of being happy while being busy just might be in looking for the uplifting angles on each task.
So take the time to help someone out! And look for the part of it that buoys your boat.
Busy people don't have such luxuries, but we take them all the time anyway.
The old saying, "If you want something done, ask a busy person!" is too true in real life.
Of course I can get up an hour earlier than usual to give someone a lift to the airport. And rather than groan as I roll out of bed, I feel grateful for the timer on the coffee pot that offers me the opportunity to have a piping hot cup waiting for me as I stumble into the kitchen.
The secret of being happy while being busy just might be in looking for the uplifting angles on each task.
So take the time to help someone out! And look for the part of it that buoys your boat.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
What do you choose to remember?
Some friends took us to dinner at an elegant restaurant, and we laughed at Harry as he photographed each course. Why would he do that?
Harry and Donna live far from us, and they drove up for the weekend specifically for this meal. Weeks later, we received a Snapfish booklet in the mail that chronicled the evening, from us getting out of the car to shots of the interior of the restaurant to us strolling by the river after dinner.
He must have planned this memory book from the time he made the reservations. As I looked at the little keepsake, 4 by 6 inches and spiral bound, I remembered the awesome flavor in the unexpected hors d' oeuvres and the complimentary champagne since we happened to eat there the night of the restaurant's anniversary. I would have forgotten all these details without Harry's chronicle in pictures.
What do we choose to remember?
And how do we give ourselves aids for remembering?
In conversations by phone since that meal, Donna and I recall the fun we had that evening. The memory grows, like a carefully cultivated vegetable plant. We stretch the joy of the moment across days and months.
Retelling strengthens the memory, and brings us back to an enjoyable moment. Now I look at a photo of potato soup and I am once again watching Harry savor and rave after every spooonful.
Let us cultivate memories of joyful times; we have more of these than we realize and in fact I bet we have them every day. Let's let go of the hurts, the trials and the disappointments. Let's cultivate memories of beautiful, ordinary moments. We will be happier people.
Harry and Donna live far from us, and they drove up for the weekend specifically for this meal. Weeks later, we received a Snapfish booklet in the mail that chronicled the evening, from us getting out of the car to shots of the interior of the restaurant to us strolling by the river after dinner.
He must have planned this memory book from the time he made the reservations. As I looked at the little keepsake, 4 by 6 inches and spiral bound, I remembered the awesome flavor in the unexpected hors d' oeuvres and the complimentary champagne since we happened to eat there the night of the restaurant's anniversary. I would have forgotten all these details without Harry's chronicle in pictures.
What do we choose to remember?
And how do we give ourselves aids for remembering?
In conversations by phone since that meal, Donna and I recall the fun we had that evening. The memory grows, like a carefully cultivated vegetable plant. We stretch the joy of the moment across days and months.
Retelling strengthens the memory, and brings us back to an enjoyable moment. Now I look at a photo of potato soup and I am once again watching Harry savor and rave after every spooonful.
Let us cultivate memories of joyful times; we have more of these than we realize and in fact I bet we have them every day. Let's let go of the hurts, the trials and the disappointments. Let's cultivate memories of beautiful, ordinary moments. We will be happier people.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Deep breathing
Sometimes the best thing I can do is take a deep breath. The list for today is too long! I begin to consider priorities. But first, I take a deep breath. Maybe another.
Now I look at my surroundings. What inspires me? Another deep breath gives me renewed perspective, and I am ready to return to the list.
Now I look at my surroundings. What inspires me? Another deep breath gives me renewed perspective, and I am ready to return to the list.
Friday, July 8, 2011
So little time
Grandchildren offer a new perspective on time. Mikayla says that 7 days until her birthday is an eternity. And waiting only 10 minutes for me to play a game with her feels like forever to her.
So why do I feel that having a few hours to myself is not enough time, and it disappears as if it were only 5 seconds??
So why do I feel that having a few hours to myself is not enough time, and it disappears as if it were only 5 seconds??
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Take a swim break
I love a cool dip in a pool. That initial "woo !" as the cool water hits each section of my body as I step down the ladder reminds me how alive I am.
It's a refreshing moment that brings the whole body's temperature down a notch, especially on a hot day.
In your mind, take a break and go swimming. Imagine yourself taking a dip in a clear, cool body of water. Allow your mind to turn the pool into the activities of your day since awakening. What floats around you? Notice the uplifting memories, the faces of the people you met. Swim into the memories of your morning. Let go of any that drag you down. Give thanks for those that lift you up.
Gently exit the pool, towel off, and return to the present moment.
Allow the refreshment to carry you into the next segment of time in your day.
It's a refreshing moment that brings the whole body's temperature down a notch, especially on a hot day.
In your mind, take a break and go swimming. Imagine yourself taking a dip in a clear, cool body of water. Allow your mind to turn the pool into the activities of your day since awakening. What floats around you? Notice the uplifting memories, the faces of the people you met. Swim into the memories of your morning. Let go of any that drag you down. Give thanks for those that lift you up.
Gently exit the pool, towel off, and return to the present moment.
Allow the refreshment to carry you into the next segment of time in your day.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Merry almost Christmas?
What? It's June 30 already?
Do you realize that it is less than six months until Christmas?
So if I send those cards I've been meaning to send for months, will the recipients think I am really on top of things and am sending them early? I doubt it. They will see right through my ruse and know I am really really late. But no less heart-felt wishes would be sent.
Today do something to celebrate Christmas!
Do you realize that it is less than six months until Christmas?
So if I send those cards I've been meaning to send for months, will the recipients think I am really on top of things and am sending them early? I doubt it. They will see right through my ruse and know I am really really late. But no less heart-felt wishes would be sent.
Today do something to celebrate Christmas!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Mondays
Another cup of coffee would really help me get going today. When you have a marvelous weekend, does it make it that much harder to get to work on Monday?
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Yard work-I mean gardening
I've been too busy to work in the yard. But today I woke up unseasonably early and decided to do the usual 40-min walk, with bagel and coffee afterward right away. Got home before it was too hot, so I was able to turn the compost, trim the flower beds, weed under the trees, edge the lawn, and all before 10:30.
But is it yard work or gardening? If it is gardening, then it is enjoyable and fun. But the name yard work sounds like something you have to pay me to do. Today it was fun.
May your Saturday be filled with a sense of accomplishment and joy.
But is it yard work or gardening? If it is gardening, then it is enjoyable and fun. But the name yard work sounds like something you have to pay me to do. Today it was fun.
May your Saturday be filled with a sense of accomplishment and joy.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Fridays
Thank God it's Friday! But can it really be 11:30 a.m. already? What happened to 7:30, 8:30, 9:30 and 10:30? Myriad tasks demand attention and I dutifully comply. But were they the important things, the necessary things, or just the loudest things.
"This will only take me a minute," I think, but it doesn't take just a minute. And soon I've abdicated another hour to the "I have no idea where time went" category.
Does this every happen to you?
Before another hour slips into the past, I am stealing a minute to reflect on what just happened here.
"This will only take me a minute," I think, but it doesn't take just a minute. And soon I've abdicated another hour to the "I have no idea where time went" category.
Does this every happen to you?
Before another hour slips into the past, I am stealing a minute to reflect on what just happened here.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Welcome!
Welcome to the Too Busy Club. Sorry, I haven't had time to post any particularly meaningful comment yet. I've just been too darn busy!
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