Oh. My. Goodness. I realize now that when something or someone makes me angry or frustrated, it is because I am being tested. Well, not sure I am going to pass the test every time.
I am taking a 21 day meditation challenge. (Yes, for some reason I am mesmerized by challenges. I think it is my will and drive to win.) Every day I take at least 5 minutes to be quiet and still (not sleeping) and meditate. Then I spend 5 minutes every morning making a journal entry providing content for the following items:
- List 3 things I am grateful for in my life
- Journal about 1 positive experience from the last 24 hours
- Write about an act of kindness I did in the last 24 hours
I may not have an entry for each one of these items, but it is the repetition of taking time to pause and reflect on these events in my life. Studies (I am not sure how well documented and official they are) show that reflecting on positive events and gratitudes in your life release a chemical in your body that make you feel less stressed. I do not remember the term, but I am sure it is some kind of endorphin. At the end of the 21 days, I will pick out some of my entries and share them with you.
Today's entry was nice and I want to share with you. My one positive experience that happened within the last 24 hours happened this morning. Madison is the ray of sunshine in my life and made me smile from ear to ear. Usually it is difficult getting her up in the morning to get dressed, but today was very easy. When I saw she was dressed, I reminded her that she needed socks and shoes on before we left. I saw her go to her room and a few minutes later, she came out of her room with socks, shoes and a crown. I asked her why she chose to wear the crown and without missing a beat, she replied, "It completes my look for today." I smiled and laughed at bit and agreed with her. Her crown DID complete the outfit. I took this experience and hold onto the smile and the way it made me feel and still grin. I am proud to know she is confident in her choices and support her to continue to walk with confidence.
Item #1585: Soak in the moment of laughter, smiles or simplicity today. Let go of anger and be positive.
I love your guts!
I will not be a statistic.
Today, an article revealed that heart disease is another issue for breast cancer patients to be concerned about because of the radiation therapy. Well, I did sign the waiver when the oncologist explained to me that this could be a long term concern for me. No, I do not want it to be all consuming for me every day. However, it is enough of a concern for me to think twice about sitting around on the couch or getting up and moving to get my heart pumping. I choose the second option for 2 reasons...ok 4+ reasons.
Reason 1: I want my heart to work as long as it can, so I need to move to keep it working at maximum capacity.
Reason 2: I want to live for another 30+ years. I still have a lot to do here.
Reason 3 - 6: My family - Jeff, Lorenzo, Brett and Miss Madison. They should have me around a long time. We still have 2 more kids to get through school years. Teach them how to drive, cook, clean and take care of themselves. Lots more soccer, baseball and martial arts activities to attend. Plus, Madison has a laundry list of 'firsts' to experience and I want to be here.
Reasons 7 to infinity: I am still young. At 40, I still have a lot of living to do and need all the strength to get me up in the morning to face the day. I have family, friends in my life and many more to meet that haven't arrived yet.
I will not be a statistic. I feel good today because I choose to feel good.
I love your guts!
Today it is raining. Right now the rain is soft and light. I see people running for cover as if they were going to be stained or harmed. In contrast, I stand in the rain and feel it on my skin. The feeling is a reminder for me that I am alive and reminded of power and control greater than me. We cover up to shield ourselves from nature because that is what we have been taught. Yes, I told my kids to put on jackets before they left for the day.
At the end of today, when it is time to start the weekend, I hope the rain is coming down in big drops. I will park the car far away from the front door, take jackets away and let them run through and dance in the rain. Hearing them giggle, laugh and yell out about how wet they are getting, this one memory will be etched in their history forever. We often forget that life is more about the times when we are given permission to go against how we "should" behave. Connections are made true and deep through our experiences and how they make us feel.
#1585 - Do the unexpected to surprise and delight someone else. Make a meaningful memory today.
I love your guts!
Most people want consistency in their lives. The clock goes off at the same time during the week and we know it is coming because we have been conditioned. However, when we are in a hurry to get somewhere, the power goes off and the clock freaks out and your settings are all off.
So maybe that was a wasted paragraph, but I blurted it out to say this...I am consistent when it I want to be. Consistency is based on choice. We choose to go to the work out class and not eat greasy foods afterwards to negate the time you spent to tone your body. We choose to make the gas in our tank go a few extra miles before coasting into the nearest gas station. (Yes, I took my tank down to less than a gallon of gas.) We choose to actually use all those vegetables in the fridge for juicing and not slicing up for salad or to be used on a sandwich.
I love juicing because I feel powerful when I drink it, though it looks like green sludge with an orange glow from the carrots. I am not a fan of doing it every day because it is a lot of work. Back to consistency - I do not even follow my own advice. I tell my kids that they need to do their work, clean their room, make their bed, etc. I do *most* of these things but I could be better with making consistent choices to benefit my health.
So, the next time you see me, ask me when I last juiced. Or ask me how much I love giving up counter space as a reminder that I need to juice. Or volunteer to come over and make me juice and then freeze in containers so I can just zap them in the blender to be a fruit/veg smoothie.
Or...I could just stop making excuses. Be consistent.
And juice every day.
I have one life. And every minute I have is on loan to me from God. I am thankful for fighting like a girl this past year and need to put my gloves back on and JUST DO IT!
You said tomorrow yesterday - NIKE (Oh so true!)
Looking back - it was a year ago today that I had my surgery to remove the lump and go through radiation only. I guess in my mind I thought if it was gone from my body, that the job was done. Lo and behold, the job had just begun. Oh reality, you slapped me in the face like a wet noodle. A lasagna noodle!
Item #15686: Drink more water. Soda is a filler and not natural. We are made mostly of water and soda will never quench your thirst.
I love your guts!
