So the Musical Monday thing has been a bit hit & miss....
I think I'll try another tactic- What If, Wednesday!
This one might fit into my natural life schedule a bit better. We'll see.
I love a good question that gets people thinking and interacting. That's what I'm going for here.
My first 'What If ' will be this: What if I really did just stick to hanging out with only the people who bring me positivity?
While I'm certain that I might feel better most of the time, would I be limiting myself to just the 'hunky-dory' side of life? Am I more tolerant for putting up with people who seem to have a big slice of negativity in their life? Or do I just invite abuse and bring myself down unnecessarily? Can I ever really make a difference for someone who always sees the rotten/drama/unworkable side to every situation? What if everyone gave up on these people? What about long term friendships/family members?
Now, I'm not talking about someone having a bad day here. You know the people who just keep bringing you down and you know that's it's more than a bad day.
I'm really curious to get other people's take on this.
A bad attitude is like a flat tire.
You can't go anywhere until you change it.
Showing posts with label attitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label attitude. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Monday, August 19, 2013
Bullets In The Moment
Sometimes it seems like it's easier to blog when there's not so much that I could blog about, you know what I mean?
There's quite a bit going on around here.
It's not so much that I feel overwhelmed. It's just that I'm not sure how to break it down into digestible pieces, rather than yammer on in a not so interesting way.
For today, let's go with the bullet points...
o I have discovered that there is yet another layer of stuff that I am ready to have out of my life that is still currently residing in my house. I am in the process of purging more things again, even though I am probably the least pack-rattish of any of my friends.
o I have spent many hours with my little chihuahua doing more kinds of training than I have ever done with any other dog that I've ever had. It turns out that although he is still quite typically 'toy dog' shy with strangers and we can't seem to change that about him, he has an extreme ability to learn tricks very quickly. Although I wish that more than just our closest friends could see what a happy go lucky little guy we have, I have decided that it is not any more likely that I will ever truly change my dogs personality than changing my own innate self, so we are going to concentrate on his strengths. Since he loves attention when he is 'performing' and almost completely forgets his shyness, we will soon start agility training!
o On the way back from our July 4th trip to Yellowstone, my suv's A/C went out as we were traveling over 100 miles of eastern Oregon desert and it was 100 degrees out. Now a month after having it repaired for $900, it is out again. Did I mention that we are leaving on Friday to go back down to Palm Springs? Yeah, another desert. If this car is not careful, it will find itself in the pile of things that I don't need in my life anymore!
o Here in Seattle, this summer has honestly been the nicest, warmest, sunniest summer of my life. I wish it would never end. I am trimming back all of my trees and shrubs as much as I can to maximize the light later on this Fall.
o I have become very interested in the idea of people deciding to live where they like to vacation. Why do so many of us spend so much time convincing ourselves that we couldn't do that?
o I love that my husband is easily the most easy-going person that I have ever known. I used to find this a tad annoying and now I don't even know why I was ever annoyed by that!
What about you? What's up in your life these days?
Sometimes the fun is in the details!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Do You Push Yourself?
As my husband and I have been preparing for his upcoming reconstructive surgery we have been working on increasing his stamina. He has a desk job and isn't really familiar with pushing himself physically. He has worked extremely hard even with his current physical limitations and is doing amazing well. This has gotten me thinking more and more about the whole idea of pushing myself as a human being in general.
I have come to the conclusion that my body does best when I push it a bit. And also my mind.
It seems to me that really when we stop pushing ourselves, that's the moment when things start to go downhill. Now granted that can mean different things for different people at different points in our lives. But really, if we're not willing to push ourselves some then aren't we just waiting to die? That may sound harsh, but I can't really justify softening the sentiment when I feel so strongly about what happens when we just settle in and get too comfortable.
I've seen this idea in action many times. We all know people who have pretty much given up, even at a young age. They sit in front of a computer or TV and slowly watch their lives slip away. Or they sell their lives out to long hours at work that don't ever really produce all that much. Their health goes downhill fast. They lose their zest for life.
Meanwhile there are those who seem to make every last drop of life count to its fullest. I once worked for a 93 year old woman who had always told herself that her home would be ready for visitors at any given moment and she made sure that it always was. Not only was her home a wonderful and inviting place, but she was a fantastic conversationalist who had clearly kept her mind at the ready for those she would entertain as well.
I almost always feel good when I have pushed myself some. Sometimes the process is scary and feels a little edgy. In the end, the satisfaction with learning that maybe there is one more limit that I can break for myself is immense.
While there is no good reason to do things that we absolutely do not enjoy, surely we all can find something that will stretch us just enough to keep the mind and body elastic and living well.
I have come to the conclusion that my body does best when I push it a bit. And also my mind.
It seems to me that really when we stop pushing ourselves, that's the moment when things start to go downhill. Now granted that can mean different things for different people at different points in our lives. But really, if we're not willing to push ourselves some then aren't we just waiting to die? That may sound harsh, but I can't really justify softening the sentiment when I feel so strongly about what happens when we just settle in and get too comfortable.
I've seen this idea in action many times. We all know people who have pretty much given up, even at a young age. They sit in front of a computer or TV and slowly watch their lives slip away. Or they sell their lives out to long hours at work that don't ever really produce all that much. Their health goes downhill fast. They lose their zest for life.
Meanwhile there are those who seem to make every last drop of life count to its fullest. I once worked for a 93 year old woman who had always told herself that her home would be ready for visitors at any given moment and she made sure that it always was. Not only was her home a wonderful and inviting place, but she was a fantastic conversationalist who had clearly kept her mind at the ready for those she would entertain as well.
I almost always feel good when I have pushed myself some. Sometimes the process is scary and feels a little edgy. In the end, the satisfaction with learning that maybe there is one more limit that I can break for myself is immense.
While there is no good reason to do things that we absolutely do not enjoy, surely we all can find something that will stretch us just enough to keep the mind and body elastic and living well.
 | |
| copyright: Laughing Jasmine Images |
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
We're Still Not Moving & Now I Know Why
First of all, I want to thank everyone for all the positive comments about my husband's upcoming journey to health. It's gonna' go well. I just know it. And one of these days I'm gonna' want abs just like the ones he's getting, only I'll have to pay for them...
We're expecting a pretty big snow storm over the next few days and I know I've mentioned before about how much I just love snow. Not. It already looks like this:
Beautiful, yes. I'll leave it at that. Let's keep it positive, right?
I'm thankful that we were able to get him in to have his CT today despite the snow covered giant Seattle hills. This CT will help give more detailed info. so the doctor can decide on an actual surgical plan when we see her again on the 25th. I have decided that I'm just going to take in what she tells us, allow it all to sink in, and then set it free to the universe. That should put me in a good place to be ready to support my husband in the way that he will need in May when he actually gets the work done.
In the mean time I have realized a few things (yeah, you can feel free to figuratively whack me over the head!)- As annoyed as I have been with waiting for our plans to move to Texas to come through, I can see some good reasons as to why they have not:
1) It's a really good thing that we are in the position of my husband having been at his current job for a long time with good medical and paid time off for him to be able to recover fully.
2) It is so fortunate that I have awesome contacts and medical referrals through work I have done over the years. It makes me feel much more confident about this whole thing.
3) If we had moved to Texas last August when we truly believed we were going to, we might never have discovered our love of Palm Springs. And that really has been such a wonderful surprise.
So yup, it is time for me to buck up and be thankful for how this is all working out. As with anything, there is much to be gained by the attitude that we choose to have.
I believe this will be transformative for both my husband and I. He is going to be healed physically, stronger than ever. And he has already shown that he is well on his way to conquering any residual fears from his prior experience. He's meeting this challenge like anything else that comes his way- with a smile on his face and a peaceful demeanor. I continue to admire his fortitude of character.
Meanwhile I am going to take this opportunity to face up to the fact that medical situations were more than just a little bit weird as I grew up and not allow myself to be further traumatized. This time will be a positive. My husband is the best reason ever to change my thoughts and feelings about this. He deserves everything I have to give.
So, with a little shout out to Robin over at YOUR DAILY DOSE, I'll end this by saying that I have seen yet again that the lessons really will keep coming until we get it. That must be why they say it doesn't do any good to shoot the messenger!
We're expecting a pretty big snow storm over the next few days and I know I've mentioned before about how much I just love snow. Not. It already looks like this:
I'm thankful that we were able to get him in to have his CT today despite the snow covered giant Seattle hills. This CT will help give more detailed info. so the doctor can decide on an actual surgical plan when we see her again on the 25th. I have decided that I'm just going to take in what she tells us, allow it all to sink in, and then set it free to the universe. That should put me in a good place to be ready to support my husband in the way that he will need in May when he actually gets the work done.
In the mean time I have realized a few things (yeah, you can feel free to figuratively whack me over the head!)- As annoyed as I have been with waiting for our plans to move to Texas to come through, I can see some good reasons as to why they have not:
1) It's a really good thing that we are in the position of my husband having been at his current job for a long time with good medical and paid time off for him to be able to recover fully.
2) It is so fortunate that I have awesome contacts and medical referrals through work I have done over the years. It makes me feel much more confident about this whole thing.
3) If we had moved to Texas last August when we truly believed we were going to, we might never have discovered our love of Palm Springs. And that really has been such a wonderful surprise.
So yup, it is time for me to buck up and be thankful for how this is all working out. As with anything, there is much to be gained by the attitude that we choose to have.
I believe this will be transformative for both my husband and I. He is going to be healed physically, stronger than ever. And he has already shown that he is well on his way to conquering any residual fears from his prior experience. He's meeting this challenge like anything else that comes his way- with a smile on his face and a peaceful demeanor. I continue to admire his fortitude of character.
Meanwhile I am going to take this opportunity to face up to the fact that medical situations were more than just a little bit weird as I grew up and not allow myself to be further traumatized. This time will be a positive. My husband is the best reason ever to change my thoughts and feelings about this. He deserves everything I have to give.
So, with a little shout out to Robin over at YOUR DAILY DOSE, I'll end this by saying that I have seen yet again that the lessons really will keep coming until we get it. That must be why they say it doesn't do any good to shoot the messenger!
Monday, October 3, 2011
The View From Here
I am back from Palm Springs and cannot say enough how much this trip turned out to be exactly what I had so desperately needed and more. I haven't been on a real 'two week vacation once you actually get where you're going to' since September of 1995! And I definitely recommend that you do this if you possibly can in any way. It doesn't have to cost a bundle. (VRBO- vacation rentals by owner is a fabulous invention and somebody should have told me about it long before I found it on my own- so definitely check that out.) Do whatever makes you happy and go wherever you are able, but just do it. You won't be sorry!
Please forgive me for not having the patience to get any vacation pictures up with this particular blog entry, but this is one of those times when I need to get out what I have to say before it ends up in the ether somewhere and then is only a blog I meant to write and never actually got to. So let me share one particular experience from the last day of our trip (and then I will be nice and share some photos and highlights later).
My husband and I were at the Palm Springs art museum. It is a place with mostly modern stuff and a lot of it is not easy for me to appreciate. They had a particular exhibit about 60's and 70's geometric abstractions, that my husband with his logical, actuarial mind was pretty keyed up to see.
Here is one that I thought was pretty neat.
Yaacov Agam, One and Another, 1977, serigraph, collection of Palm Springs Art Museum, gift of Martin Lawrence Limited Editions (Martin S. Blinder)
There were a few in a series like this that all had the same colored ovals and circles in the background, but different overlays that allowed you to see the colored areas in different perspectives.
So there we were casually enjoying the art, laughing at some of it- true. I was really feeling good about being open to some things I wouldn't normally like or even give much thought to. I was kind of lost in how good this whole trip had been and how it felt right to be winding down and heading home that next day.
All of a sudden another couple can be heard talking with one of the workers and it breaks into my thoughts. I hear them asking about one specific area that is closed while it is rearranged for the new season. The worker asks them when they will be coming back as the exhibit is due to be reopened in 3 days. I hear the woman say loudly, "probably never!" She goes on to exclaim how everything they came to see has been closed during their visit and that "I guess we just came at a bad time". Her husband is clearly annoyed.
While I never say a word to these people, I can't help but compare my own experience to the one that they are having. Here I am feeling as if I have come to Palm Springs at just the right moment for me and have had nothing but wonderful experiences and I can't imagine how things could be going so wrong for these people. They walk away in a huff and we see them several other times as we pass through the museum. They are hurriedly passing by the art and missing any chance to redeem their visit to this museum. They keep making rude comments and they just don't see anything good at all.
It got me to thinking about some of the insights I have received from the universe recently, including some from this here blogging habit I've gotten into. There's a post I read about how getting angry doesn't solve anything... found here. (Came in handy when I got home to find a small water mess caused by me thinking I could cut corners before we left. I was a tiny bit ticked at myself for that one.) Christine's post was about a little more serious attitude adjustment, but I just couldn't help thinking of how different things could have been for my museum couple if they had only stepped back for a moment and taken advantage of whatever good there was in their day. And then I thought about a post that I wrote myself- here that ended with me talking about how I really wanted to lighten my work load and how that has already happened. Yes, that's right. While I was packing up to leave for this trip, I had gotten a phone call from my main client informing me that her husband had lost his job and that she would have to cut back working with me to only about once a month.
It's as if whatever you put out there you'd better have some purpose in it because your attitude and your intentions mean an awful lot in this life. And when the timing is right, things WILL happen. Sometimes faster than you might expect. Sometimes, slower. You all know that this past year has been somewhat of a struggle for me as I have dealt with not being able to get to Texas no matter how hard my husband and I have tried. And yet it feels good to know that even when you are not exactly where you physically believe you should be it often turns out that you might be right where you belong, in any given moment. And that the next big thing could be right around the corner if only you will open your eyes and see. Kind of like the art, it all depends on your perspective.
Please forgive me for not having the patience to get any vacation pictures up with this particular blog entry, but this is one of those times when I need to get out what I have to say before it ends up in the ether somewhere and then is only a blog I meant to write and never actually got to. So let me share one particular experience from the last day of our trip (and then I will be nice and share some photos and highlights later).
My husband and I were at the Palm Springs art museum. It is a place with mostly modern stuff and a lot of it is not easy for me to appreciate. They had a particular exhibit about 60's and 70's geometric abstractions, that my husband with his logical, actuarial mind was pretty keyed up to see.
Here is one that I thought was pretty neat.
There were a few in a series like this that all had the same colored ovals and circles in the background, but different overlays that allowed you to see the colored areas in different perspectives.
So there we were casually enjoying the art, laughing at some of it- true. I was really feeling good about being open to some things I wouldn't normally like or even give much thought to. I was kind of lost in how good this whole trip had been and how it felt right to be winding down and heading home that next day.
All of a sudden another couple can be heard talking with one of the workers and it breaks into my thoughts. I hear them asking about one specific area that is closed while it is rearranged for the new season. The worker asks them when they will be coming back as the exhibit is due to be reopened in 3 days. I hear the woman say loudly, "probably never!" She goes on to exclaim how everything they came to see has been closed during their visit and that "I guess we just came at a bad time". Her husband is clearly annoyed.
While I never say a word to these people, I can't help but compare my own experience to the one that they are having. Here I am feeling as if I have come to Palm Springs at just the right moment for me and have had nothing but wonderful experiences and I can't imagine how things could be going so wrong for these people. They walk away in a huff and we see them several other times as we pass through the museum. They are hurriedly passing by the art and missing any chance to redeem their visit to this museum. They keep making rude comments and they just don't see anything good at all.
It got me to thinking about some of the insights I have received from the universe recently, including some from this here blogging habit I've gotten into. There's a post I read about how getting angry doesn't solve anything... found here. (Came in handy when I got home to find a small water mess caused by me thinking I could cut corners before we left. I was a tiny bit ticked at myself for that one.) Christine's post was about a little more serious attitude adjustment, but I just couldn't help thinking of how different things could have been for my museum couple if they had only stepped back for a moment and taken advantage of whatever good there was in their day. And then I thought about a post that I wrote myself- here that ended with me talking about how I really wanted to lighten my work load and how that has already happened. Yes, that's right. While I was packing up to leave for this trip, I had gotten a phone call from my main client informing me that her husband had lost his job and that she would have to cut back working with me to only about once a month.
It's as if whatever you put out there you'd better have some purpose in it because your attitude and your intentions mean an awful lot in this life. And when the timing is right, things WILL happen. Sometimes faster than you might expect. Sometimes, slower. You all know that this past year has been somewhat of a struggle for me as I have dealt with not being able to get to Texas no matter how hard my husband and I have tried. And yet it feels good to know that even when you are not exactly where you physically believe you should be it often turns out that you might be right where you belong, in any given moment. And that the next big thing could be right around the corner if only you will open your eyes and see. Kind of like the art, it all depends on your perspective.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
