It’s been a weird month. We started summer. Jared went to church camp for the first time. When did he get old enough to go off on his own? Jacob started cardiac testing (more on that later). Add a little more worry to a mom. For the most part I have been keeping up on my habits checklist. I had my 47th birthday and my oldest son had his 24th birthday. Where did the time go?
I have been giving life a lot of thought. Actually, I have felt a little bi-polar. On one hand I was feeling like I’ve missed out, that this is all there is. All my grand dreams were never going to come true. Then I watched “Julie and Julia” which I highly recommend! I barely remember Julia Child as anything more than a cooking legend. My mom used to watch her show when it came on after “Captain Kangaroo”. I didn’t realize that she took up cooking because her husband got transferred to Paris and she was basically a bored housewife. I also didn’t realize how late in life she took up cooking. She was:
• 36 when she went to Paris
• 39 when she started teaching French cooking
• 49 when her 1st book came out “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”
• 52 when her 1st TV show aired “The French Chef”
• 88 when her last TV show “Julia Child’s Kitchen Wisdom” aired
That was 36 years of TV cooking! Her husband, Paul and she were at the end of their career as OSS agents, traveling the world as government employees, and she launched into a whole new career. A new career in which she became a legend! She created a whole new form of literature with her cook books and she basically invented the live cooking show. Plus she brought fine cooking to everyday households. What an impact she made on the world! What an inspiration! She hadn’t really done anything except learn how to cook, until she was 49. It really gave me hope that there are still big things out there for me.
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Showing posts with label impact. Show all posts
Showing posts with label impact. Show all posts
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Mind & Day Five!
Even less pain today! I'm kicking my Fibro to the curb!!! My back is still aching but my hips don't feel like I need hip replacement surgery. Getting all of my daily disciplines done is feeling more like daily routine than a chore. Even "reaching one more", amazingly the people just are popping up. Yesterday, as I was helping my 16 year old train on a street in our neighborhood, I met a new neighbor AND I saw (and talked to) another neighbor, that I haven't talked to in at least a couple of years. Today I traded emails with two different people that I haven't talked to in about a year, one in Wichita, KS and one in Apache Junction, AZ.
The final area "Mind - Mental - Personal Development" ... Again we have the issue of measurement. How do you know if you're a better person? I even put the word daily in this goal because the end result is so immeasurable and we're never done. I hope to be improving personally, every day of my life. So the goal is: Stay on track with my personal development DAILY!
These are the easiest disciplines for me. If I am exercising, I'm listening to an audio. Through our business I have access to many wonderful MP3s, so I will never run out! Yesterday I walked with John Maxwell as he told me what books impacted his life and today I learned about forgiveness from Paul & Billie Tsieka. Wow, what powerful mentors. I also have been an avid reader for many years. I used to read Danielle Steel novels but then I realized they didn't impact my life (for the positive that is). Around 15 years ago I changed to reading books that I could get something good out of. Now I read every night before I go to sleep, actually I can't get to sleep without reading first. I am finding it challenging to read 10 pages. Before I was only reading until I got "drowsy" eyes, (sometimes after one sentence) turned off the light and went to sleep. So I feel that I am getting much more out of the reading now.
Finally, blog checklist!!! This of course is the newest habit for me, all of the others have been in my life off and on (more off than should have been) but this is a brand spankin' new discipline. Of course, I have used various forms of checklists in the past. Electronic on my PDA (remember those?), now on my phone, outlook tasks, and scribbled on scraps of paper in my purse (still the most common in my life). I still use these for different "to do" lists but I haven't ever blogged about my daily life. I have to say it has already helped tremendously. These daily disciplines aren't just New Year’s resolutions I made to myself, I publicly declared them!
Just in these five days, there are more times than I would like to admit, I didn't want to do one discipline or another and the thought occurred, "I would have to put on my blog that I didn't do it!" I know some of you are thinking, "Just SAY you did it." That would be people who don't know me. I CAN'T lie, not just that I DON'T lie, I CAN'T lie. Even as a child, my sister used to say, "Let me talk, not saying anything is not lying." Then mom would ask, "What are you girls up to?" and I would blurt out EVERYTHING my sister didn't want me to. Never been able to lie, I don't know why but I figure that's a good flaw to have so I never tried to change it. This trait is also a bonus in declaring my affirmation...
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
The final area "Mind - Mental - Personal Development" ... Again we have the issue of measurement. How do you know if you're a better person? I even put the word daily in this goal because the end result is so immeasurable and we're never done. I hope to be improving personally, every day of my life. So the goal is: Stay on track with my personal development DAILY!
These are the easiest disciplines for me. If I am exercising, I'm listening to an audio. Through our business I have access to many wonderful MP3s, so I will never run out! Yesterday I walked with John Maxwell as he told me what books impacted his life and today I learned about forgiveness from Paul & Billie Tsieka. Wow, what powerful mentors. I also have been an avid reader for many years. I used to read Danielle Steel novels but then I realized they didn't impact my life (for the positive that is). Around 15 years ago I changed to reading books that I could get something good out of. Now I read every night before I go to sleep, actually I can't get to sleep without reading first. I am finding it challenging to read 10 pages. Before I was only reading until I got "drowsy" eyes, (sometimes after one sentence) turned off the light and went to sleep. So I feel that I am getting much more out of the reading now.
Finally, blog checklist!!! This of course is the newest habit for me, all of the others have been in my life off and on (more off than should have been) but this is a brand spankin' new discipline. Of course, I have used various forms of checklists in the past. Electronic on my PDA (remember those?), now on my phone, outlook tasks, and scribbled on scraps of paper in my purse (still the most common in my life). I still use these for different "to do" lists but I haven't ever blogged about my daily life. I have to say it has already helped tremendously. These daily disciplines aren't just New Year’s resolutions I made to myself, I publicly declared them!
Just in these five days, there are more times than I would like to admit, I didn't want to do one discipline or another and the thought occurred, "I would have to put on my blog that I didn't do it!" I know some of you are thinking, "Just SAY you did it." That would be people who don't know me. I CAN'T lie, not just that I DON'T lie, I CAN'T lie. Even as a child, my sister used to say, "Let me talk, not saying anything is not lying." Then mom would ask, "What are you girls up to?" and I would blurt out EVERYTHING my sister didn't want me to. Never been able to lie, I don't know why but I figure that's a good flaw to have so I never tried to change it. This trait is also a bonus in declaring my affirmation...
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Soul & Day Four
Yipee!! Day four actually had a little less pain than day three!
That means I am pushing through the Fibro pain. The way I describe it to others is like the tin man, when he was all rusted up, he didn't squeek. But when they started to oil his joints and move him, he squeeked really loudly. Then once he was all oiled up he could move freely without squeeking. I'm squeeking pretty loud but it's getting better!
Today I am going to discuss "Soul". I debated about these goals because I read in another book that said your goals should be measureable. How do you measure a "deepened relationship"? I believe that all relationships ebb and flow, even our relationship to God. He's always there, it is usually (always) us that moves. How do you measure "impacting more people"? Especially when I know there are people we can impact and never even know. This blog alone, I hope, inspires someone to keep going towards their goals, or even write down some goals. All of those would be positive impacts. Again not measureable. So I am simply going to measure my daily discipline. The goal then is to do these three EVERY day.
Let me give you a little history. The first two I have been doing for quite a while. My prayer partner and I have been praying every morning for just over three years. Well, sort of every morning, we're really bad on the weekends and if either one of us is traveling. So my challenge for this discipline is to not miss weekends. The same is true for talking to Jeff. We're really good on weekdays, but weekends slip through the cracks.
The third discipline, "reach out to one more", I am measuring as making contact with someone outside of my usual circle daily. This may be, having a little conversation with the checkout clerk at the store (answering, "did you find everything ok?" with "fine" doesn't count) or trading emails with a contact or making a phone call. I am allowing people that I already know but not counting those I regularly interact with. The key is they need to be someone I have to "reach out" to.
For me, this is BY FAR the most difficult of all nine daily disciplines. I don't work outside my home and it would be very easy for me to "hibernate" in my house and my comfortable environment. So this will take effort to either go somewhere or pick up the phone. Plus there's the issue of how I was wired. Most people who know me are always surprised that this is a challenage for me. I would be described as out-going, friendly, and talkative (sometimes too much). All that is true, but only if I am with someone I know. I was in drama in high school and I am very comfortable on stage or at the podium. I have spoken to audiences of several hundred without a single bit of nerves, I love it actually. But talking to a stranger, one on one, by myself, terrifies me!!! The thought of a job interview (back when I was a working girl) scared me, even if I was the interviewer! I have worked very hard on this over the past several years and I have to say I have gotten way better. I now feel "compelled" to strike up a conversation with the checkout clerk. I went to a copy shop yesterday and was actually glad there was no one else in there so I could have an extended conversation with the clerk. She was a very nice lady!
Besides being the most difficult discipline, I also believe that it is the most important. I heard someone say that the only thing you can take to heaven with you are other people. When I graduated from high school someone gave me a card with a poem titled "Success". The card credited it to Ralph Waldo Emerson which is not true. It has also been attributed to Robert Louis Steveson, also not true. A similar poem was written by Bessie Anderson Stanley, in 1904. Here is the version that was on my card:
Success
To live well, laugh often, and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
I have since believed that the only true definition of success is to touch other people's lives. That is impacting people!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
That means I am pushing through the Fibro pain. The way I describe it to others is like the tin man, when he was all rusted up, he didn't squeek. But when they started to oil his joints and move him, he squeeked really loudly. Then once he was all oiled up he could move freely without squeeking. I'm squeeking pretty loud but it's getting better!
Today I am going to discuss "Soul". I debated about these goals because I read in another book that said your goals should be measureable. How do you measure a "deepened relationship"? I believe that all relationships ebb and flow, even our relationship to God. He's always there, it is usually (always) us that moves. How do you measure "impacting more people"? Especially when I know there are people we can impact and never even know. This blog alone, I hope, inspires someone to keep going towards their goals, or even write down some goals. All of those would be positive impacts. Again not measureable. So I am simply going to measure my daily discipline. The goal then is to do these three EVERY day.
Let me give you a little history. The first two I have been doing for quite a while. My prayer partner and I have been praying every morning for just over three years. Well, sort of every morning, we're really bad on the weekends and if either one of us is traveling. So my challenge for this discipline is to not miss weekends. The same is true for talking to Jeff. We're really good on weekdays, but weekends slip through the cracks.
The third discipline, "reach out to one more", I am measuring as making contact with someone outside of my usual circle daily. This may be, having a little conversation with the checkout clerk at the store (answering, "did you find everything ok?" with "fine" doesn't count) or trading emails with a contact or making a phone call. I am allowing people that I already know but not counting those I regularly interact with. The key is they need to be someone I have to "reach out" to.
For me, this is BY FAR the most difficult of all nine daily disciplines. I don't work outside my home and it would be very easy for me to "hibernate" in my house and my comfortable environment. So this will take effort to either go somewhere or pick up the phone. Plus there's the issue of how I was wired. Most people who know me are always surprised that this is a challenage for me. I would be described as out-going, friendly, and talkative (sometimes too much). All that is true, but only if I am with someone I know. I was in drama in high school and I am very comfortable on stage or at the podium. I have spoken to audiences of several hundred without a single bit of nerves, I love it actually. But talking to a stranger, one on one, by myself, terrifies me!!! The thought of a job interview (back when I was a working girl) scared me, even if I was the interviewer! I have worked very hard on this over the past several years and I have to say I have gotten way better. I now feel "compelled" to strike up a conversation with the checkout clerk. I went to a copy shop yesterday and was actually glad there was no one else in there so I could have an extended conversation with the clerk. She was a very nice lady!
Besides being the most difficult discipline, I also believe that it is the most important. I heard someone say that the only thing you can take to heaven with you are other people. When I graduated from high school someone gave me a card with a poem titled "Success". The card credited it to Ralph Waldo Emerson which is not true. It has also been attributed to Robert Louis Steveson, also not true. A similar poem was written by Bessie Anderson Stanley, in 1904. Here is the version that was on my card:
Success
To live well, laugh often, and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child,
A garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded.
I have since believed that the only true definition of success is to touch other people's lives. That is impacting people!
I'm living on the eighth day, right now!
Heart
check 30 Minute Exercise
check ate fruits or veggies
check followed payoff plan
Soul
check Prayed with prayer partner
check Talked to Jeff
check Reached out to one more
Mind
check listened to audio
check read 10 pages
check blog checklist
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