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.
Friday, October 21, 2011
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.
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