7 Days of Gratitude

In talking with my friend Christine a week ago, I started to tell her about something good that had happened to me that day.  Then I thought of a couple of things that had happened during the past week that I also felt pretty good about. 

Before I was done telling her about those two things, I recalled something else.  Then, I remembered another good thing that had happened recently.  I lost count of how many good things I told her about before the conversation was over.

"I didn't realize how many good things I've been blessed with until I started talking with you," I told her.

The next evening, I challenged myself to write down 7 things I am grateful for every day for 7 days.  Because I was trying to avoid duplication, my list became a little more challenging as the week progressed.  What I ended up with - after finishing my 7th list of 7 - is a variety of entries.  My beloved son Eric, automatic washers and dryers, Native American flute music, and the flavor of basil in my soup are all things I am grateful for.

And, after writing 49 things I am grateful for, I am adding one more.  I am grateful for my friend Christine's call a week ago and the realization, as I talked with her, of the many good things with which my life is blessed.

Embracing New Technology

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.  (Confucius)

(continuing from yesterday's blog)  So, what am I going to do?  Well, I may not be embracing new technology, but at least I'm giving it a pat on the shoulder.  It has provided me a convenient way to write and edit, to pay my bills, to research any topic, and so on.  I am thankful for the tools that technology has provided and how they support me in life in 2011.

I am also thankful for my fantastic computer tech who helps me to make certain that virus infections and security breaches are blocked.  He ensures I am protected against power surges, backed up in case of disk failure, and probably a lot of other things I can't even describe.

One of the best things technology has given me is an appreciation for some of the things that have been around for centuries.  The warmth of a hug or handshake or the energy of a live concert renews me like nothing I've seen on a computer or heard on a cell phone.  The texture of the yellowed pages in a book belonging to my grandfather or the thrill that I have felt for over 50 years whenever I walk into a library - these are things that technology has been unable to duplicate. 

Confucius said that change is necessary in order to experience happiness or wisdom.  I'm sure he was correct.  I just wish that technological change would walk or jog instead of sprint.

Slow Down!

Sometimes I wish I could say, "Slow Down!" to technology.  As in, "Please do not make cell phones do anything else until I catch up with all the features of my 2009 Samsung."  I realize it is now 2011, but technology seems to be advancing with the speed of an Olympic runner.

Not only do I have to understand the rudiments of how my cell phone works, but I have to be able to push little buttons accurately, read the small print on the screen, and hear the caller through whatever interference or background noise is present. 

For my twenty-something niece and nephews, this is no problem.  (And, let's not even talk about texting!  The speed with which their thumbs work the keys would make that Olympic runner sweat!)

Even when I use a cell phone and computer every day, they still sometimes upset my comfort zone.  Just when I'm becoming accustomed to a familiar piece of hardware or a frequently used software program, a problem arises that might require an upgrade, or more memory, or a different kind of port, or a replacement part (that may no longer be available.)

Slow Down!  Do you think if I yell it loud enough and long enough that technological change will decrease its speed?  No way.  So what am I going to do?

Stay tuned.

Letting Go

Some things are easier for me to let go of than others.  When clearing out Mom's house last year, I found it relatively easy to toss old household items, old magazines, and old clothes.  Letters and photos, however, I tended to hold on to - even if I didn't know who the writer of the letter or the person in the photo was.

A book or a movie can be hard to let go of - if I've anticipated reading it or watching it, I tend to go through the whole thing whether I'm really enjoying it or not.  Sometimes I feel like I've won a victory if I can manage to shut the book or turn off the DVD player to make better use of my time and attention.  (I won't even go into the subject of television programs.)

Giving up certain activities is easy; for example, I do very little ironing.  On the other hand, if I start to worry, feelings come up that are very hard for me to dismiss, even while my brain tells me that "worry accomplishes nothing."  Whether it feels like guilt, rejection, fear, etc., doesn't matter - it's much more draining than ironing or any other task.

More and more, it seems like saying good-bye - whether to old magazines, disappointing movies, or worry - seems to be the key to a more fulfilling life.  By releasing clutter, discerning what is or is not worth completing, and re-focusing my unproductive thoughts and feelings - all these give me more freedom to welcome new energy, new activities, and new people into my life.

(See also January 4 entry, "Rule Number 11")

My Amazing Trip

Three months ago today, I left Portland for a week in Sedona, Arizona. Every week - if not every day - since then, I think of someone I talked with or something I experienced on my journey.  It was a wonderful opportunity to meet with experienced practitioners who could provide insights and ideas to enhance my physical, mental, and spiritual health.  These sessions were arranged for me by Sedona Soul Adventures, and I encourage anyone who is curious to read more about this organization (http://www.sedonasouladventures.com/)

And, there was so much more.  The absolutely stunning scenery, the different styles of art and architecture, and the variety of food I enjoyed all contributed to my experience.  Even the environment of my guest house and the operation of my rental car provided me with a nudge to step back and look at my life in a different perspective.

Is my life completely changed since taking this trip?  No.  But, looking back on the past three months, I can see that, step by step, I am looking at a wider array of options and heading in some new directions.  From going to a new doctor who changed my thyroid medication with positive results to taking an intuitive painting class, my life will never be the same.

I continue to learn from and appreciate my trip to Sedona, and I look forward to more Soul Adventures in the future.

12 Days of Christmas (Part 2)

On the night of December 25, I promised myself that I would write in my blog every day for the 12 days of Christmas. And, this is it - my 12th entry!

The 12 days of Christmas may be ending, but my blogging efforts are not. I look forward to writing in my blog and learning more about blogging in the coming year.

And, what marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas? On January 6, Christians traditionally celebrate Epiphany, commemorating the appearance of Christ to the Gentiles (in the persons of the three kings).

I like the word epiphany in the sense of an intuitive perception or insight into the essential nature or meaning of something. I see an epiphany as a kind of super "aha!" moment where my understanding suddenly takes a leap.

May we all be blessed with our own personal epiphanies throughout the New Year.

Rule Number 11

When the job is done, walk away.  (Gibbs' Rule #11 on NCIS)

I randomly typed "Rule Number 11" into Google and this is what I came up with (according to http://www.ncisfanwiki.com/)

This rule reminds me of what I find hardest about blogging - to write my blog entry and then let it go.  I'm always tempted to go back, read it again, edit it further, go back, read it again, edit it further, go back . . .  Okay, you get the idea.

I don't know if there are any rules for blogging, but this might be a pretty good one.  "When the job is done, walk away."  Once the blog is published, let it go.  The aim is expression, not perfection.

This has been a challenge for me in scrapbooking, too.  I have been taught that I can work on a scrapbook page as long as I need or want to - but I can also resist the urge to go back and re-do the page later.  Over time, I may change my scrapbooking style.  I certainly hope I've improved my technique.  But there is no reason to re-do pages I created five years ago because they do not meet my expectations today.

Television does not always provide me with reliable guidelines for living, but I think NCIS is on the right track. Finish the work, Sandi, and and move on.

Stay tuned.

At 10:00 This Morning

My sisters were here for two days of visiting, watching movies, scrapbooking, drinking tea, and eating treats.  The first day had gone pretty much according to plan.

At 10:00 this morning, however, one sister came up with an idea.  "It's cold out, but the sun is shining, and my husband's not using our truck today.  Let's drive down to the storage place to do the work we've talked about." 

Somehow, watching movies and scrapbooking sounded a lot more relaxing.  But, we'd talked for months about consolidating the remaining stuff from Mom's house so that it would all fit into one of our two storage units, thereby saving us over $100 a month.

So, even though it was a 90-minute drive, we set off prepared to enjoy the sunshine, even though the temperature was hovering around 32 degrees.  We picked up sandwiches at Burger King along the way and arrived at our destination shortly after 1:00.  Within two hours, we had rearranged the items in the first storage unit, moved everything from the second storage unit into the first, and loaded the truck with several items to take home. 

All three of us worked hard, and by 3:30 we were on the road again.  We even had time to stop and pay a quick visit to Mom on the way home.  Tomorrow we will probably have a few sore muscles from shifting heavy boxes around and sitting for several hours in the car.  We will also have a sense of accomplishment for starting out the New Year by working together to complete a long-pending project.

Stay tuned.

Nine Bits of Trivia

I'm pretty tired (after all my New Year's celebrating?), but I've come up with nine bits of trivia that probably won't help you at all in 2011 - unless you're appearing on Jeopardy.

Nine Food Groups:  The nine food groups reflecting foods with generally similar nutritional characteristics are: (1) cereals, (2) starchy roots, (3) legumes, (4) vegetables and fruits, (5) sugars, preserves, and syrups, (6) meat, fish, and eggs, (7) milk and milk products, (8) fats and oils, (9) beverages.  (http://www.britannica.com/)

Nine Lives:  Some people believe in the superstition that cats have nine lives because cats can survive falls from high places with few, if any, injuries. This gives rise to the myth that cats return to life after suffering serioius accidents.  (http://www.coolquiz.com/)

Nine Magnitude Earthquakes:  Earthquakes with a magnitude of 9.0 on the Richter scale occur rarely and cause major damage affecting a large region over 1000 km (Chile 1960, Alaska 1964, and west coast of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, 1700).  (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/)

Nine Million Americans:  The FTC estimates that as many as 9 million Americans have their identities stolen each year.  Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information, like your name, Social Security number, or credit card number, to commit fraud or other crimes.  (http://www.ftc.gov/)

Nine Muses:  The Muses were nine goddesses presiding over the arts and the sciences. (www.greek-gods.info)  In Greek mythology, the nine muses, all sisters, were believed to inspire poets, historians, flutists, dancers, singers, astronomers, philosophers, and other thinkers and artists.  (www.cummingsstudyguides.net)

Nine Presidents:  Nine Presidents never attended college: George Washington, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Grover Cleveland, and Harry Truman.  (http://www.infoplease.com/)

Nine Senses:  There are between nine and twenty-one human senses, depending on who you ask, and how they define a sense. It is generally agreed that nine is the minimum. These are touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing, thermoception, nociception, equilibrioception, and proprioception.  (http://www.wisegeek.com/)

Nine Years of Marriage:  If you know someone celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary, keep in mind the traditional gift is pottery, the modern gift is willow, and the alternate gift is leather.  The flower is poppy, and the stone is lapis lazuli (alternate stone is amethyst).  (http://www.happy-anniversary.com/)

Ninety-Nine Bottles of Beer:  When it comes to determining this song's true history, the best guess is that it's an American version of "Ten Green Bottles," a 19th-century English children's song - which itself has several variations.  (http://ask.yahoo.com/)

Stay tuned.

Eight Days A Week

Besides the fact that I'm in the Beatles generation, I've always liked the phrase "eight days a week."  What if there were eight days in a week?

In my eight-day week, the work week would still be five days.  The sixth day would be for yard work, volunteer work, shopping or whatever.  The seventh day would be for church and family.  And there would still be one day left - just for me!

What would it be like if everyone had one day a week when they could work on their own intentions and activities?  A day earmarked to read the book I've always meant to read, to get together with the friend I haven't seen for months, to pursue a craft that interests me, to take a class in something I've always been curious about. 

The only criteria for this day is that I do things (or perhaps not do things) that I choose.  Not because someone else wants me to read the book.  Not because the friend has been hounding me for a get-together.  But, choosing for myself what I want to do on this day.

Sounds like a beautiful fantasy to me!  Eight days a week - seven days to take care of responsibilities and commitments to others (family, work, church, community) - and one day to take care of myself.

How would my life change under such a plan?  Not only on the eighth day, but on all the days of the week.  Might I become different myself in some way? 

Stay tuned.

3:27 a.m.

I remembered at 3:27 a.m. that I had not done my blog post for the seventh day of Christmas.

Best wishes for health and happiness in the New Year to all.

Stay tuned as the twelve days of Christmas continue.