If you have ever read FISH written by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen) you probably already know that there is a definite difference between being "here" and being present. A good chunk of the recent years I have been just here (or there :) but not really present. I think this is why I have felt like it has been effort some of these days to take this HealthFULL Journey. I was tired of just being here and not present.
My body would go and fulfill my responsibilities to work, family, and friends. But rarely was I truly engaged. I was busy disappearing into the past of good memories, painful lessons, and rehashing relationships and moments that slipped through my fingers for a variety of reasons. Occasionally I would motivate myself enough to engage myself into lists for the future - some short term and some long term. But rarely did anyone have my full attention; especially myself. As I was checking out I was killing myself with food and little to no activity.
Its why FULL stands for Fully Understanding Life by Living. I wasn't engaging life, I was barely showing up. As I have taken my sweet time on the scenic route of this journey - I feel some of these days I feel like I am driving 90 mph (and when I was a teenager I received two speeding tickets that prove I know what that feels like - not bragging about that fact just full disclosure). I feel overwhelmed. I feel thrilled. I feel joy. I feel needed. I feel alive. People come to me with questions. As I faded into the background those years not too far back few questions nor comments came my way. A zombie like fill-in doesn't tend to have much enthusiasm to attract people nor seem very wise with their empty stare and the occasional frown.
I write this entry because I am looking back in my rearview mirror at someone who wasn't living and though I was numb to hurt which I feel is one of the reasons I had shut-down - its only a temporary solution that freezes us out of own lives and out of the lives of those we care about. Our society seems to be losing control as few and fewer people want to pick up the reins of responsibility. Honestly, how many households have the discussion what/where should we eat and it last for twenty plus minutes? And rarely is that a lively debate kind of discussion but a lazy conversation where nobody wants to make the final decision. Within a week if you have a twenty minute conversation about where/what to eat for supper - that wastes over two plus hours. For something all of us have to do typically three times a day. That means it is a possible seven hour time - waster to stall on a weekly basis about what we should eat! That's insane. I admit we have that same discussion around here.
Not only do we waste time, avoid responsibility, but we grab minute details to fixate on and lose the big picture of the moment. We go to a restaurant as a form of ease and entertainment. We go to socialize but we get caught up in the minor details. You can have a good conversation at a restaurant - it is possible. But rare. As a family or a group you will have the server interrupt your meal on average five to seven times. That halts the conversation. That is kind of hard to have anyway as people are far apart usually and then surrounded by other conversations. You certainly don't want to shout private news - so that leaves small talk. It is easy at the dinner table to focus on your meal and be there in the group but not really present as you catch the server to criticize your meal or request a speedier service.
I write this post heavy on my heart that many of us could find more ways to be involved in our own lives. Find activities that bless your mind, spirit, and body. Reach out to community charities. Sign up for a church function. The world is crying out for us to take responsibility and engage in our own lives. But when we're "just here" we miss the cry of those in pain. When we're just here we miss the laughter of those living in the moment. When we're just here we miss too much. But when we're present - no mental lists, no flashbacks of recent arguments, no antagonizing games of "what if" - but really present we are blessed ten-fold -We learn, we connect, we live!
Be present so that you can know this kind of goodness:
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. " --Philippians 4:8
May you be present in your life - engaging with those around you and able to offer a helping hand when called. 'Til we meet again. . .
Showing posts with label awareness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label awareness. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
And then there was Sunshine
Its hard to remember the warmth and the light of the sun when you are caught in a dark threatening thunderstorm. Its frustrating to feel trapped and that any and every step will get you drenched or put you at risk. And then the rain stops, the lightening and thundering fade, and clouds part and there it is -the sun; bright and ready to shine.
I get the momentum and everything is clicking on the healthfull journey and then lightening storms pop up. Colds and their icky symptoms flood our household. We throw away our routines on vacation. And the locomotive of health stops in its tracks and retreats. I tried really hard to stay on track with at least being active on our vacation. We didn't even go to the beach and still played outside. This has not always been true for us. But we found two awesome playgrounds to have our whole family engaged. But as I admitted I ate the opposite of healthy in New Orleans - but their food is so good and rich (if you choose their delicious sauces and such - and I DID!). So I kept up with half of the healthy lifestyle. Well before I corrected my eating habits - I got hit with the big old cold that drains energy and had me walking less and less....and less! And the eating not improving so I started to feel threatened that I would never catch my locomotive of health. So with purpose and thought I would dig in my heels and force myself baby steps. I am back drinking soda but not the three - four cans a day. I bought Coke Zero in 7.5 oz can. And I am trying to allow myself up to one a day. 1 and half days in and I have had two. So we'll see. I got myself back to walking after a couple of days rest for the cold. And I felt the break I took as I attempted our big hill and started pushing myself mentally mailbox to mailbox (there are eight on one side of the big hill :) And today I ran a couple of quick errands. The two both could be ran via drive thru. Because its convenient I tend to use this advantage. But I figured this is an easy extra two hundred steps I can choose to take. The world is making it easier and easier to be lazy. We have to make a commitment to make decisions to be active in our own lives. Don't get me wrong that I will NEVER again use a drive -thru but when I have time then I need to remind myself this is a choice I can make to add years to my life by taking three extra minutes here and now.
Its easy to get lost in those dark clouds. But I promise you if you seek the sunshine you will eventually see past those threatening clouds.
"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." - Proverbs 15:13
May your heart and body be healed on your own HealthFULL Journey when you seek the SONshine and that His light and warmth protect you from those threatening dark cloud kind of days. 'Til we meet again. . .
I get the momentum and everything is clicking on the healthfull journey and then lightening storms pop up. Colds and their icky symptoms flood our household. We throw away our routines on vacation. And the locomotive of health stops in its tracks and retreats. I tried really hard to stay on track with at least being active on our vacation. We didn't even go to the beach and still played outside. This has not always been true for us. But we found two awesome playgrounds to have our whole family engaged. But as I admitted I ate the opposite of healthy in New Orleans - but their food is so good and rich (if you choose their delicious sauces and such - and I DID!). So I kept up with half of the healthy lifestyle. Well before I corrected my eating habits - I got hit with the big old cold that drains energy and had me walking less and less....and less! And the eating not improving so I started to feel threatened that I would never catch my locomotive of health. So with purpose and thought I would dig in my heels and force myself baby steps. I am back drinking soda but not the three - four cans a day. I bought Coke Zero in 7.5 oz can. And I am trying to allow myself up to one a day. 1 and half days in and I have had two. So we'll see. I got myself back to walking after a couple of days rest for the cold. And I felt the break I took as I attempted our big hill and started pushing myself mentally mailbox to mailbox (there are eight on one side of the big hill :) And today I ran a couple of quick errands. The two both could be ran via drive thru. Because its convenient I tend to use this advantage. But I figured this is an easy extra two hundred steps I can choose to take. The world is making it easier and easier to be lazy. We have to make a commitment to make decisions to be active in our own lives. Don't get me wrong that I will NEVER again use a drive -thru but when I have time then I need to remind myself this is a choice I can make to add years to my life by taking three extra minutes here and now.
Its easy to get lost in those dark clouds. But I promise you if you seek the sunshine you will eventually see past those threatening clouds.
"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." - Proverbs 15:13
May your heart and body be healed on your own HealthFULL Journey when you seek the SONshine and that His light and warmth protect you from those threatening dark cloud kind of days. 'Til we meet again. . .
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Strides for Autism
Do you know someone who is personally affected by Autism? Or do you know a family member of someone who falls on the sprectrum? The chances are very likely in today's day and age. Once upon a time, around 1950, the prevalence of autism was estimated 1 in 10,000 people were diagnosed with autism. The numbers of today for children in the United States : 1 in 88. Do you know 10,000 people? Probably not - at least on a personal level. Do you know 88 people? Probably several times over without too much effort. There are tons of reasons these numbers have greatly changed. We are becoming more aware - but we also need to take a more active approach in research to help reduce the causation factors and also learn how we can support our friends and family affected by life on the spectrum. Its not easy to classify in a neat description. But those who live with autism themselves or within their households realize that it changes everything. You may have seen the awareness ribbons - quite attractive with the bright colors that look like puzzle pieces. Here is a great site that displays the ribbon and description : http://www.autism-society.org/about-us/puzzle-ribbon.html .
I like to walk for so many reasons. But sometimes it is good to have goals. So every year I try to pick at least one cause or several to raise funds and get out there to move. A reminder to myself that health really is a blessing, one many of us take for granted too often - until we get a cold, a flu, or those dreaded test results or a frightening diagnosis. A diagnosis our catch 22 in life. We want validation when we see a doctor, a medical professional, a specialist. We like that a diagnosis points us in a direction and hopefully comes with a cure. But sometimes, especially after our patience has been tried, too much pain felt, confusion abounding and frustration burying us we finally receive our long awaited diagnosis. And sometimes when we finally hear "the official word" we want to return it because ignorance seems a better alternative. Because the diagnosis was too scary. Too much unknown. Or too well known with little success rates. Perhaps its manageable but not curable. Or if curable a hard unrelenting uphill battle. These are our friends and families who need support the most. Many of you might identify cancer with these examples. And absolutely that C-word is a dreadful word to hear. But a diagnosis of autism can also feel this way. It can bury a family in depression. Thats why we need to continue to fight together and support each other. We waste too much energy in blame and pointing fingers, even sometimes bullying to separate ourselves from responsibility or a little extra work.
It doesn't take much to help in most instances. A kind word. A listening ear. A few dollars out of many pockets. An extra look to see how you can personally use your talents to help. At the walk today they called in a fun run. Along the path were little activities to "spice" up the walk. Touch your nose. Bunny hop. Spin around. Smile bigger. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily activities, daily lives, daily duties that we forget to take that extra minute and spin our children. To offer a silly grin. Seconds these take to brighten a whole afternoon for both you and whoever you're with. I challenge you to look for extra signs in your day on how to brighten someone else's day which in turn (I guarantee!!!) will also brighten your own.
I thank you all so much for the prayers, the support, and the donations the Strides for Autism today at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC was a great success. There was a good turn-out. Some great fun (including a Zumba work-out) and a beautiful song written by a father with a child who falls on the Autism spectrum.
We still would love to meet our goal and you can still donate online at: https://scautism.org/strides/team/3/
May your healthfull journey lead you to places beyond your craziest dreams and happiest fantasies. 'Til we meet again. . .
P.S. If you like the picture of autism awareness I found it at http://www.cafepress.com/kcgraphics/2318994 with a lot of amazing images and merchandise for sale.
I like to walk for so many reasons. But sometimes it is good to have goals. So every year I try to pick at least one cause or several to raise funds and get out there to move. A reminder to myself that health really is a blessing, one many of us take for granted too often - until we get a cold, a flu, or those dreaded test results or a frightening diagnosis. A diagnosis our catch 22 in life. We want validation when we see a doctor, a medical professional, a specialist. We like that a diagnosis points us in a direction and hopefully comes with a cure. But sometimes, especially after our patience has been tried, too much pain felt, confusion abounding and frustration burying us we finally receive our long awaited diagnosis. And sometimes when we finally hear "the official word" we want to return it because ignorance seems a better alternative. Because the diagnosis was too scary. Too much unknown. Or too well known with little success rates. Perhaps its manageable but not curable. Or if curable a hard unrelenting uphill battle. These are our friends and families who need support the most. Many of you might identify cancer with these examples. And absolutely that C-word is a dreadful word to hear. But a diagnosis of autism can also feel this way. It can bury a family in depression. Thats why we need to continue to fight together and support each other. We waste too much energy in blame and pointing fingers, even sometimes bullying to separate ourselves from responsibility or a little extra work.
It doesn't take much to help in most instances. A kind word. A listening ear. A few dollars out of many pockets. An extra look to see how you can personally use your talents to help. At the walk today they called in a fun run. Along the path were little activities to "spice" up the walk. Touch your nose. Bunny hop. Spin around. Smile bigger. Sometimes we get so caught up in our daily activities, daily lives, daily duties that we forget to take that extra minute and spin our children. To offer a silly grin. Seconds these take to brighten a whole afternoon for both you and whoever you're with. I challenge you to look for extra signs in your day on how to brighten someone else's day which in turn (I guarantee!!!) will also brighten your own.
I thank you all so much for the prayers, the support, and the donations the Strides for Autism today at Heritage Park in Simpsonville, SC was a great success. There was a good turn-out. Some great fun (including a Zumba work-out) and a beautiful song written by a father with a child who falls on the Autism spectrum.
We still would love to meet our goal and you can still donate online at: https://scautism.org/strides/team/3/
Puzzles abound,
Mysteries swirl,
And sometimes frustration grows!
But yet, there are moments so precious,
that steal your breath;
because for one minute
we glimpse their world.
We meet where there is purity.
Where there is no confusion
and everything makes sense.
There are a lot of smiles,
perhaps a few cheers,
and only tears of delight.
But then all too quickly
someone closes the curtains
and the light dims.
And though we are are near each other
we no longer can communicate.
So. . . we start again!
We work with hope.
We work with determination
because even if all we share is a moment---
It was a moment too precious
too important
too special to miss!!!
Join us in our fight for autism
to unlock the puzzles that silences these precious gems.
Help us to help them.
Help us to share their story.
Help them to be their best version.
And help the world be better because of what we ALL can offer.
May your healthfull journey lead you to places beyond your craziest dreams and happiest fantasies. 'Til we meet again. . .
P.S. If you like the picture of autism awareness I found it at http://www.cafepress.com/kcgraphics/2318994 with a lot of amazing images and merchandise for sale.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Living means to be Aware.
This post was originally to be titled "Minty Fresh" and that the herb Mint was our new produce of the week. I thought about sharing how we used it with lamb. Considered doing light research on the computer about the benefits of adding fresh herbs to meals. But then life happened and I realized Mint was no longer on my thoughts but the importance of being aware seemed to be smacking me in the face.
Currently our house is in upheaval. My wonderful hubby is off on a retreat which I will be taking one myself soon. This leaves us separated for a couple of days at a time. We tend to be those couples that do a lot together. So this is a little surreal. We split parenting duties - a lot!!!! In the last day I have found myself communicating with his ghost. Alright you pour the milk and I'll grab the boy and change his diaper. And how rude, I return and no one has poured the milk! When I need to tag-team out of responsibility for just a three minute sit down. There is no partner to tag and our delightful toddling son only sees my weakness as his advantage. Isn't it funny how much more we aware of a person or an object when they go missing?
I also wanted to write from this present mind as I am doing okay healthfull journey wise today. I am not being super fit and super healthy but I also am not doing horrible and moping on the couch (maybe a small part of myself would love to be a couch potato :) I ate not the best choices today. But I did walk over 12000+ steps today. I had two slow days this week around 5000 steps. The rest right at 7000 steps. But I made myself AWARE of how many steps I took today as the day progressed. For most of the day I made myself get up and walk around or jog at least 1000 steps each hour. This helped keep me moving, but not to an impossible standard. That is less than fifteen minutes every hour of just moving. It didn't have to be working out and sweating (though there were spurts as I looked at the clock and saw I had less than ten minutes to add 700 steps :) .
I got some cleaning done today which helps me feel energetic. When we bog ourselves down with a guilt - laden to - do list it drags us down and drains our energy. At least I am AWARE of this phenomenon for myself. By clearing items off the list for the weekend I feel more available to my son, to myself (tell me I am not alone on withholding pleasures because chores are unfinished - a quiet hour of reading, an indulgent bathtub, a decadent dessert?) and to life. I feel stronger, more energetic, more sane, organized, accomplished which leads to confident, and frees up my spirit to be playful. Crazy how items that take as little as ten minutes steal moments, hours, days from my life because I procrastinate, whine, and sometimes just plain ignore the situation.
Another moment of AWAREness is how awesome that a regular everyday kind of day can be life - altering. Sometimes, this is not an awesome realization, but can be that kind of moment where your heart pounds in anticipation, how your mind begins to overwork the gears at the infinite possibilities, and how just for a moment you are lost in the surprise. Because sometimes if you are willing and AWARE life decides to sparkle in the simplest of pleasures - child goes to sleep, an old friend drops you a note, a book has an inspiring quote, or you just stop; breathe in, breathe out - and realize you are beyond blessed.
May your HealthFULL Journey help you gain awareness of your surroundings and the blessings that already glimmer in your life. 'Til we meet again. . .
Currently our house is in upheaval. My wonderful hubby is off on a retreat which I will be taking one myself soon. This leaves us separated for a couple of days at a time. We tend to be those couples that do a lot together. So this is a little surreal. We split parenting duties - a lot!!!! In the last day I have found myself communicating with his ghost. Alright you pour the milk and I'll grab the boy and change his diaper. And how rude, I return and no one has poured the milk! When I need to tag-team out of responsibility for just a three minute sit down. There is no partner to tag and our delightful toddling son only sees my weakness as his advantage. Isn't it funny how much more we aware of a person or an object when they go missing?
I also wanted to write from this present mind as I am doing okay healthfull journey wise today. I am not being super fit and super healthy but I also am not doing horrible and moping on the couch (maybe a small part of myself would love to be a couch potato :) I ate not the best choices today. But I did walk over 12000+ steps today. I had two slow days this week around 5000 steps. The rest right at 7000 steps. But I made myself AWARE of how many steps I took today as the day progressed. For most of the day I made myself get up and walk around or jog at least 1000 steps each hour. This helped keep me moving, but not to an impossible standard. That is less than fifteen minutes every hour of just moving. It didn't have to be working out and sweating (though there were spurts as I looked at the clock and saw I had less than ten minutes to add 700 steps :) .
I got some cleaning done today which helps me feel energetic. When we bog ourselves down with a guilt - laden to - do list it drags us down and drains our energy. At least I am AWARE of this phenomenon for myself. By clearing items off the list for the weekend I feel more available to my son, to myself (tell me I am not alone on withholding pleasures because chores are unfinished - a quiet hour of reading, an indulgent bathtub, a decadent dessert?) and to life. I feel stronger, more energetic, more sane, organized, accomplished which leads to confident, and frees up my spirit to be playful. Crazy how items that take as little as ten minutes steal moments, hours, days from my life because I procrastinate, whine, and sometimes just plain ignore the situation.
Another moment of AWAREness is how awesome that a regular everyday kind of day can be life - altering. Sometimes, this is not an awesome realization, but can be that kind of moment where your heart pounds in anticipation, how your mind begins to overwork the gears at the infinite possibilities, and how just for a moment you are lost in the surprise. Because sometimes if you are willing and AWARE life decides to sparkle in the simplest of pleasures - child goes to sleep, an old friend drops you a note, a book has an inspiring quote, or you just stop; breathe in, breathe out - and realize you are beyond blessed.
May your HealthFULL Journey help you gain awareness of your surroundings and the blessings that already glimmer in your life. 'Til we meet again. . .
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Chasing a Dream? Or Just my tail?
Its easy to be "busy". Its easy to feel so important that the world will cave in if I personally don't hold the sky above my shoulders. Its easy to fill up a calendar. Its easy to overlook the details because too much is demanding our attention. Its easy to get distracted by mindnumbing activities (Facebook? Pinterest? TV? Anyone?) Its easy to snap at our loved ones because the world is begging for our time, our money, and our opinions. But you know what is not easy? Honestly answering why do we keep so busy? Do we have to serve on four committees to impress our peers? Do we have to keep an immaculate house just in case company stops by? Do we have to squeeze in two extra hours of work to please our bosses? Do we have to say yes to every person who calls in hopes of a favor?
The answer: No. But the reality - Usually we accept the responsibility on your shoulders with pride, determination, and pure stubbornness. And crazy thing when you carry a ton of weight on your shoulders we get tired. And what happens to people when they get tired? They tend to get cranky! So we accept these extra duties that we didn't have to accept. We then our tired and cranky for those we love because of all the extra work we're doing. And then they get cranky because they are getting less of our time, but all of our crabbiness and they too have accepted too much responsibility.
Don't get me wrong. There are favors we should grant. And cleaning should absolutely happen in a household. And there are times it would be a good idea to work those extra hours at our jobs. But not every favor and not every day. We need to evaluate how we should answer the requests. By accomplishing this task am I chasing a dream? or just my tail?
What's the difference? Chasing a dream means you are working towards goals you have for yourself. Perhaps you want to get healthier and build stronger friendships. So you join a gym and ask a good friend to work out with you. This is working towards a goal and therefore chasing a dream. Grabbing fast food for the third time in a week because you couldn't possibly find time to stop at the grocery store. You are not only avoiding your goal but moving away from your dream - but still moving in constant "busy" motion - means you are chasing your tail. You are doing a lot of "work" but not really moving towards what you want to accomplish. You're stuck in a horrible whirlwind of chasing your tail.
We can chase several dreams at once but we need to know our dreams. And once we establish what we truly desire. And I say this again - once we understand what we truly crave can we figure out the best way to make our dreams come true. Its easy to say we want more money. Well does that mean you don't have enough money to purchase goods you desire (better car, house, more trips?) Or you want to eliminate debt? Or you feel your time at work is worth more? These problems could be addressed with more money in the household but each dilemma means there is a different desire at the true root of our craving. We don't necessarily want more money - we crave freedom ( to purchase our wants on a whim), we crave peace (from the never-ending bills, stretched relationships,) or we crave recognition (for our hard work).
Life is too short! Don't waste your precious time chasing your tail in hopes to impress those that really don't matter and get busy chasing your dreams.
May your HealthFULL Journey reveal truth about what really matters to you so that you can avoid the trap of chasing your tail. 'Til we meet again . . .
The answer: No. But the reality - Usually we accept the responsibility on your shoulders with pride, determination, and pure stubbornness. And crazy thing when you carry a ton of weight on your shoulders we get tired. And what happens to people when they get tired? They tend to get cranky! So we accept these extra duties that we didn't have to accept. We then our tired and cranky for those we love because of all the extra work we're doing. And then they get cranky because they are getting less of our time, but all of our crabbiness and they too have accepted too much responsibility.
Don't get me wrong. There are favors we should grant. And cleaning should absolutely happen in a household. And there are times it would be a good idea to work those extra hours at our jobs. But not every favor and not every day. We need to evaluate how we should answer the requests. By accomplishing this task am I chasing a dream? or just my tail?
What's the difference? Chasing a dream means you are working towards goals you have for yourself. Perhaps you want to get healthier and build stronger friendships. So you join a gym and ask a good friend to work out with you. This is working towards a goal and therefore chasing a dream. Grabbing fast food for the third time in a week because you couldn't possibly find time to stop at the grocery store. You are not only avoiding your goal but moving away from your dream - but still moving in constant "busy" motion - means you are chasing your tail. You are doing a lot of "work" but not really moving towards what you want to accomplish. You're stuck in a horrible whirlwind of chasing your tail.
We can chase several dreams at once but we need to know our dreams. And once we establish what we truly desire. And I say this again - once we understand what we truly crave can we figure out the best way to make our dreams come true. Its easy to say we want more money. Well does that mean you don't have enough money to purchase goods you desire (better car, house, more trips?) Or you want to eliminate debt? Or you feel your time at work is worth more? These problems could be addressed with more money in the household but each dilemma means there is a different desire at the true root of our craving. We don't necessarily want more money - we crave freedom ( to purchase our wants on a whim), we crave peace (from the never-ending bills, stretched relationships,) or we crave recognition (for our hard work).
Life is too short! Don't waste your precious time chasing your tail in hopes to impress those that really don't matter and get busy chasing your dreams.
May your HealthFULL Journey reveal truth about what really matters to you so that you can avoid the trap of chasing your tail. 'Til we meet again . . .
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