Outside the Comfort Zone

Habit is necessary; it is the habit of having habits,
of turning a trail into a rut, that must be incessantly

fought against if one is to remain alive.

~ Edith Wharton

Last night, hubby and I had a fun evening out. We saw the new Batman movie Dark Knight, which was pretty incredible (I'll second those who are voting for a posthumous Oscar nomination for Heath Ledger.) We don’t often go to movies while they're in the theatre, preferring instead to get them from Netflix so we can take potty and stretch breaks when needed. But sometimes, seeing a movie in a darken theatre, with one hundred of your closest friends (yes, it was packed last night) is an experience in itself. Don't you agree that there's something about the crowd that feeds the excitement of an action movie?

The other unusual thing we did last night was having "dinner" while we watched the movie. I don’t think I've ever eaten a hot dog at a movie theatre. I know it sounds silly, but it was so fun (and so yummy!)

What this all made me realize is how important it is to break out of our ruts, to do something different once in a while. How nice it is to see ourselves in a new situation, in a new light (in our case, with mustard dripping down our chins!)


I think the same idea applies when we're trying to progress as individuals. There certainly is comfort in routine, but there isn’t growth. It's important to step outside our comfort zone once in a while - that place that feels safe and familiar - and stretch our wings. We'll never know what we're fully capable of until we do.

All of this thinking about ruts and new adventures is in the forefront of my mind today, as I prepare to do my first-ever tutoring session tomorrow night. I am incredibly nervous, and incredibly excited all at once. I know I will grow from the experience, and I can’t seem to settle the butterflies in my stomach. But I know it’s all part of stepping outside of my comfort zone.

We all get in a rut in our lives. Good emotional health requires that we occasionally do something new to shake things up. I can highly recommend a hot dog and a movie -- just not too often. That treat ate up a lot of my calories for the week. But what a great way to spend them!


Until next time...

Ready to Begin

To teach is to learn twice. ~ Joseph Joubert, 1842

I just got word last night that I'm cleared and ready to begin as an adult literacy tutor. Best of all, I have an eager student waiting for me!

I'll be working with adult offenders through the work furlough program of our county probation offices. These folks have been convicted of a minor crime of some kind, but rather than receiving jail time, they were sentenced to probation. They're offered lots of opportunities to improve their lives, making them better citizens who hopefully won't break the law again. One of those opportunities is studying for their GED's. From that group of students, some are recognized as needing individual help learning to read. That's where we volunteer literacy tutors come in.

All I know at this point is that my student's name is Mark, and I'll be meeting with him twice a week for an hour each time, helping him learn to read. He's very eager to get his GED, and has been waiting for my security clearance to come through (background check, finger-printing, etc.) I've not yet met him, but I keep hearing from other tutors that he's enthusiastic and raring to go. I couldn't ask for more in my first assignment!

As I mentioned in a post a month or so ago, I can't image how difficult it is for an adult to step forward and say, "I don't know how to read. Please help me." I love to read, and always have my nose buried in a book or magazine of some kind. What would it be like to go through life not being able to escape into a good novel? Or more importantly, to be unable to read a menu or a perscription bottle or street signs? We take so much for granted when we can read, don't we?

So I'm excited to begin on Monday -- and scared as heck! Every time I misspell a word, or make a blunder in one of my crossword puzzles, I think, "Good grief, who am I to be teaching somehow how to read??" But then I remember that old expression about how in life, there will always be someone more knowledgeable than you, and always someone not quite as skilled. I've had some incredible teachers in my lifetime - both in traditional classrooms settings and out in the world. Now it's my turn to give something back.



Until next time...

You Become What You Think About

Listen to the Musn't's child,

Listen to the Don't's.
Listen to the Shouldn't's,

the Impossibles, the Won't's.
Listen to the Never Haves,

then Listen close to me:
Anything can happen, child,

Anything can Be!

~ Shel Silverstein

Drum roll, please... I lost six pounds last night at weigh in! Woo hoo! I'm a happy camper!

I've been thinking a lot lately about thinking. Specifically, how our thoughts can make or break us in life. I'm reading a great little book right now (recommend by Rebecca over at Ready Maid) called Being in Balance, by Dr. Wayne Dyer. He has a wonderful way of putting it:

You get what you think about, whether you want it or not.

Pretty simple, but pretty powerful. If you think that making a change in your life (like paying your bills on time, or losing weight, or being a better a friend) is hard, then it will be hard. But if you look at the positive aspects of what you're doing, the experience will be positive. Yep, it's that old Law of Attraction idea: you draw to you the same energy you put out to the world.

I struggle with being too hard on myself, and I know from experience that I'm not alone in that. I am encouraging of others who take a step and fall. But when I do it? Oh boy - the inner tirades begin! But these past two weeks, I worked on letting go of past mistakes and instead focused on how good it felt to be eating healthy again. I created very positive thoughts that translated into very positive actions.

So here's an idea:

What if we all focus on the positive things about ourselves?

Quick! Name all the areas where you think you’re lacking. Go ahead - I'll wait. :-)

You can probably make a long list, can’t you? I’m not smart, I’m not thin, I’m not wealthy, I’m not stylish, I’m not active… I’m not, I’m not, I’m not!

How about listing all the things you are?

Focusing on the positive parts of ourselves is much more of a challenge because we’re used to looking at all the ways we think we don’t measure up. We’ve set a self-imposed standard inside us that constantly points out our shortcomings.

So here's my challenge for all of us today: take time to write down all of the good things you are. If you’re having trouble making a list, ask a trusted friend or loved one what they see as your strengths. It’s time we start defining ourselves in terms of what we ARE, not what we aren't. Remember Dr. Dyer's words: You become what you think about.

I'm a proud and capable woman who is six pounds lighter today! What are you?


Until next time...

Healthy Me: The Courage to Try Again

Courage doesn't always roar.

Sometimes courage is the little voice

at the end of the day that says

I'll try again tomorrow.

~ Mary Anne Radmacher

It’s been a long time since I posted as part of the Healthy You Challenge. I’ve done lots of good things to keep my mind and spirit healthy and active, but not so much having to do with my body.

Until two weeks ago.

You may remember a post I wrote called I Need Help. It was written on a Monday, when I hit the wall but felt so cynical about trying to lose weight. But the next day, I found the courage to once again put my feet back on the path to respecting and loving myself enough to take care of health.

Today, I am completing two weeks of what I refer to as clean, healthy eating. For me, that means writing down every single morsel that goes into my mouth. It means staying within my allotted Weight Watcher Points.

But it also means working hard to eat a combination of five fruits and/or vegetables every day, to get some amount of a healthy protein at every meal, to make sure I give my body the calcium it needs, and drinking lots and lots of water.

So I’m giving myself a Healthy You Badge (thanks Diana, for creating these!)

I’ll have my official weigh in Tuesday night, and am curious to see what feedback the scale will give me (it wasn’t pretty the last time I weighed.) But the reality is that whatever it says, it’s just a number. I know how much better I feel today than fourteen days ago. I know I haven’t taken a Tums since the day I posted my cry for help. I know that I feel so much calmer now that I’ve taken control of my eating again (can anyone relate to that feeling?)

Yes, I’m hoping for good results Tuesday night, but no reading on the scale can match how positive I’m feeling about my choices again. It's surely one day at a time, and I’m on my way!

Until next time…

"5 Things" Meme

In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter,
and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things
the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

~ Kahlil Gibran

I've been tagged once again with another meme, this time from The Incredible Shrinking Katschi - who posts the yummiest looking photos of the healthy foods she eats! How can I say no to a fellow birder? So here goes...

5 things in your bag:
1. Wallet
2. Planner/calendar
3. Breath mints
4. Bottled water
5. Cell phone

5 things in your bedroom:
1. LOTS of books
2. Wreathe made out of bird eggs (like the one pictured above)
3. A messy closet that needs organizing
4. Two cats that ‘nest’ under the bed
5. A little plaque that reads, Things To Do Today: Breathe In – Breathe Out.

5 things you have always wanted:
1. To be healthy until the day I drop dead!
2. A long, happy marriage
3. Lots of visits with family and friends
4. A cabin in the mountains, by a stream
5. To travel

5 things you're really into:
1. Quilting
2. Reading
3. Learning new things (there's so much I don't know!)
4. Blogging
5. Crossword puzzles

5 people I’m tagging:
Everyone who reads this and wants to play along! Feel free to opt out. My feelings won’t be hurt at all (sniff.) No really, it’s ok… (sniff, sniff.) :-)


Until next time...

A Few of My Favorite Things

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love,

the things you are, the things you never want to lose.

~ From the television show The Wonder Years

I was just sitting and sewing a bit, and looked over at my cork board, hanging in the sewing room. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

I love the things pinned on to this board. Much of it rotates depending on what strikes my fancy. I have lots of quotes pinned up, and little mementos of various events. But some things remain constant, including the word "Believe" created in metal and given to me by my cousin Kristi, and two photos of one of my favorite people in the whole world, my ex-brother in law, Chris.

Here are a few close-ups of some things I'd like to share. Click on the images for an even better view...


Don't you just love this little illustration by Mary Engelbreit? It was in the most recent edition of her magazine and I had to cut it out. I love how close these three women appear to be. But I think perhaps what draws me to it most is that little round lady in the front, with the brown curls and big smile, reminds me of me! My goal is to be filled with that much happiness all the time (and a big bouquet of flowers wouldn't hurt, either!)

This is a mini-poster that my dear friend Claudia gave me when my ex and I were going through a painful divorce. I've carried with me and put it somewhere in my home for over 12 years now. The quote by Eleanor Roosevelt, about the strength of a woman, has become one of my favorites. And what a peaceful, calm image.

I have no idea who this little guy is. I saw this photo in Parade Magazine a year or so ago, where it had been entered in a photography contest. It just made me grin! How can you look at that face and not laugh? What a great expression!

Finally, I wanted to share a picture of my sewing machine, which means a great deal to me. Not only does it provide hours of enjoyment through quilting (notice that I'm almost done with the prizes for my contest winners?) but I learn something new every time I use it. But what makes it extra special is that it was my Mom's machine. Yep, it's a 1960 Singer - almost as old as I am! It doesn't do any of the fancy things the new machines do, but it sure is a workhorse.

So that's where I spend a great deal of my leisure time these days. I have good music playing when I sew, and light a softly scented candle. I surround myself with things I love, and items that make me smile. Life is too short to do otherwise!

Until next time...

Silly Stuff

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle

I woke up this morning on the wrong side of the bed.

I was grouchy, I was hungry and I had menstrual cramps (I'm 51, for heaven's sake: much too old for this nonsense!) I tried blogging first thing, which always makes me feel good. But Blogger's image upload program has apparently been down for the past two hours. So I used the time to figure out why my previously almost-perfect credit score has recently been dinged -- only to find that a final payment I made in the huge amount of $28 is showing as being 30 days late. The payment was applied to my daughter's account in error, so now I need to jump through the hoops to get that fixed (and my credit score back to where it was. Grrr!)

So what's a person to do, when the morning starts like this?

BE GOOFY!

Being silly can go a long way toward fighting off those blues that can ruin a day started on a sour note. So in that spirit, I offer you the following silly MEME, sent to me by my friend Marsha. I invite you to post a personalized version for yourself, using only the first initial of your first name in your answers. It's not as easy as it looks!

1. What is your name? Pattie
2. A four-letter word: Path
3. A vehicle: Prius
4. A city: Paris
5. A boy's name: Peter
6. A girl's name: Priscilla
7. Drink: Pepsi
8. An occupation: Paralegal
9. Something you wear: Pants
10. A celebrity: Paula Poundstone
11. A food: Pizza
12. Something found in a bathroom: Pills
13. Reason for being late: Pottying
14. Something you shout: Par-Tay!
15. An animal: Panther
16. A body part: Penis (Hey, it didn’t say a body part on ME!)

* * * * *

One last silly thing, then I'll stop. If you're not familiar with LOLCats, let me introduce you to something that makes me laugh each and every morning:

The website is called I Can Has Cheeseburger and it features goofy photos of cats and other animals. What makes them so funny are the captions, written as if the animal in the photo is speaking. I know, I know - humor is very subjective, but I find these things so funny! I subscribe so I get a few LOL Cats in email every morning. It's a great way to start the day.

* * * * *

So here's to lots of laughter in your day! And always remember: never do anything that you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics! :-)

Until next time...