Daily Dose of You

In Between...

2010-02-28T16:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I'm always a little slow to the party. If people are raving about something, it makes me not want it. When, a few years back, people were raving about "The Secret", I scoffed at them and vowed to never pick up that book. Sometimes people are zombies that are so willing to follow someone or anything. I blame Oprah.

So, I've stuck to that. BUT, at the library the other day, I happened upon a book that was about the Law of Attraction (note: NOT The Secret). I almost forgot that I even picked it up because whenever I go to the library, I'm such a book whore that I pick up many at a time.

So, in between completing a term paper and starting my business plan, I've been reading little snippets of this book and LOVE it. Bear in mind, that I'm a happy, positive girl by nature and most of this is not difficult for me to understand and follow. Here are a few little nuggets I'll share with you today.

"Where your energy goes, your energy flows." So true...so true. I will use my mom as an example. I love the woman dearly, but she is always sick, sad, and has catastrophe all around her. Why? Because she attracts it by paying so much attention to it.

"Settle for nothing less than magnificence in your life. Your emotions fuel your energy and your energy fuels your future."

So, my daily dose is to really be conscious of my thoughts this week and make sure they are positive ones. What's your daily dose?

If You Give a Cricket a....

2010-02-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

If any of you have ever had a kindergartner in your life, you're probably familiar with the book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". If you haven't, long story short, a boy gives a mouse a cookie and then the mouse asks for milk to go with it, which will remind him of something else, and then something else, and then something else. It's a whole chain of cause and effects and all that's left is a huge mess. Here's my version:

If you give a Cricket a Country Living magazine, she's going to want to decorate her house exactly like the cover.

While she's thinking about colors she wants in her rooms, she will remember that she has (for the past 6 years) wanted to frame her boys' hanboks that they came home with.

So, she'll take her current selections off the wall and put up the hanboks. When she takes the plates down from the wall, she'll remember that the diningroom needs something on it's walls.

She thinks that the plates would look good green and decides that she needs green spray paint at Home Depot.

While she's thinking about colors, she knows she has scarfs that she doesn't wear anymore that would look as pillows, so she pulls out old clothes and scarves and "dresses" pillows.

While she's pulling out old clothes, she'll remember that she needs new black pants and spends WAY too much time on LL Bean's site figuring out which ones would be best for her.

While she's on the computer, she'll remember that she's suppose to volunteer at her son's school.

While she's thinking about her sons, she'll remember that she's suppose to make a hot meal AND dessert for the cub scouts.

While she's thinking about cub scouts, she'll remember that she still hasn't sewn on a bunch of patches to her sons' shirts.

When her husband comes home, she tells him that ALL WEEK she has been running from one thing to the next with NO TIME to get ANYTHING accomplished.

While she's cranky and complaining, she'll remember that she hasn't had a green smoothie in DAYS.

While she's making her green smoothie, she looks around at her mess and realizes she needs to clean.

While she steps away from the blender, to start cleaning up her messy dishes, her blender freaks out (because she was in such a hurry assembling it, and therefore not entirely screwed onto the base).

While she's cleaning up said smoothie, she dies her white dishcloth a beautiful shade of green.

And chances are, when she sees a shade of green, she's going to remember that she saw a green pillow that she wanted in Country Living.

AAARRRGGHHH...must get it together and stop (not) doing a bazillion things at once and leaving gigantic messes behind. My mind has been soooo erratic lately and I KNOW it's directly related to my surroundings.

So, that day (actually happened last week) I decided to spend time getting my act together. I'm happy with the results. You'll see them in the coming days!

What's your daily dose?

Letting the Light In

2010-02-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

I just changed some of my curtains and oh-my-goodness, what a difference that made. It is so much brighter in my house and my mood instantly lifted.

I'm trying to upload pics and blogger is giving me a heck of a time. Whenever I upload a pic, it just shows as code. Hmmmm....I'll try to figure it out.

I also have a great post that has LOTS of great pics to go along with it, but that one will have to wait, too.

How about you? Do colors/light effect your mood?

Just who do THEY think THEY are?

2010-02-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

In going along with my post from yesterday, I think one of the saddest things is when you can see another person's greatness and they can't. Sitting back, watching someone flail around and thinking that they are so much better than that. I guess it's all a part of finding one's self, but sometimes I just want to smack people upside the head with a brick to get them to realize how awesome they are. They may not be able to do that, however, with a major concussion.

Case in point--I have a facebook friend that I knew very well in high school. Years have passed and I no longer "know" him. I can tell from his posts that he is on such a destructive path. And he is so much better than that. Considering one's personality is pretty much set by age six, I highly doubt that someone that was truly a unique and wonderful person twenty years ago has changed all that much. Meaning, he is still unique and wonderful. I can tell by his posts that he doesn't think that about himself. That is sad.

How about you? Is there anyone that you can reach out to and tell them gently, "Hey, you're better than you think you are." Maybe someone you know, it may be the person in the mirror.

Just who do you think you are???

2010-02-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Last week has been horrible. Miserable, terrible, no good. I've eaten entirely too much junk food. I can't think of any "real" food I've had. Just junk, junk, junk.

Not surprisingly, I have been feeling like junk, junk, junk and announced to my husband a few days ago that I was going to start being like everyone else. I was going to become negative, neurotic, and all around no fun to be with. Normally, I'm the opposite. I think I'm one of the most optimistic people I know. I give support when needed, pep talks, lend an ear, and try to give good solid (positive) advice. Well, I was through with looking for the silver lining and I was going to become Eyeore. While I was at it, I was ready to spend too much time thinking about everything I don't have and everything I'm not.

So, I haven't told anyone else this stuff--I just unloaded on my husband. He's a lucky guy, huh? Truth is, in our relationship, he's the Eyeore. He's the one thinking that the sky is falling. Here's a newsflash if you are a pessimistic person--YOU ARE NO FUN TO HANG WITH. Here's another newsflash for you negative souls--IT IS EXHAUSTING BEING POSITIVE ALL THE FREAKING TIME. Seriously, it takes a lot of energy seeing crap all around you and remaining calm and upbeat.

Here's what's happening: God is sending me messages. Not crazy cat lady getting signs from above to go out and get me some more cats. But, I have had two people (that I don't know) tell me this week what positive energy I have. One person said to me today, "I just can tell you have a positive outlook. You give off good energy." The other person told me that me touch was great and had a lot of positive energy about me.

Also, I was chatting with my Marine nephew the other day online about tattoos. I was telling him what I would get if I was going to get one (I'm not going to, but I can still have a plan!). He said, "Well, you should get something with the universe because you're the Child of the Universe." I'd forgotten about that title. My dad gave me a first and middle name (neither of which are Cricket) because he said to him it meant, "Child of the Universe." Yes, he was kind of a hippie, but whatev. The point is that he just made up a name and thought that it had a good meaning and gave it to me when I was born.

Living up to being "Child of the Universe" can be exhausting, but it's worth it. I can have my cranky times, but deep down inside, I'm a happy, positive girl with good energy. That's what I know is true about me. God knows it too and that's why he sent me a few reminders.

Who are you and do you need to be reminded? Oh, and who you truly are has nothing to do with what you look like or what size you wear....it's who your soul is. Who are you?

Mmmmm...Chocolate

2010-02-03T03:00:00.000-08:00

I may or may not have posted at the beginning of the year (I'm too lazy to spend a second and actually look at my previous posts)that I was making the switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. I made that switch and it wasn't even hard.

My mother-in-law gave me a bag of dark chocolate Hershey kisses at Christmas time (along with a can of tuna, but I won't go into that gift) and I kind of rolled my eyes and thought "yeah, as if" because I NEVER ate dark chocolate. I thought it was too bitter and not sweet enough.

Around the time I switched to agave nectar in place of my 3 TABLESPOONS of sugar in my coffee (yup, you read that right--have I mentioned that diabetes runs in my family?), I broke open the bag and tried to make peace with dark chocolate. Here's what I found: I didn't mind it and (BONUS) I didn't need to eat much of it. I had two kisses and that was plenty. Back the frig up--let me explain that I have ALWAYS hated those skinny bitches that talk about how "a little piece of dark chocolate is how I like to splurge." WHAT? That's a splurge? How about chocolate chip cookie dough dipped in milk chocolate with some chocolate ice cream and a chaser of chocolate fudge sundae sauce? Now, that's a splurge. Please--a little piece of dark chocolate.

Guess what I consider a nice little treat these days? A little piece of dark chocolate. Don't hate. I'm not skinny. Not even close, but I do find that a tiny piece is doing the trick for me. I'm not sure if it's linked to coming off of the added sugar and onto the agave nectar, but it probably is. When I've been at friends' houses and had coffee with regular sugar, it seems weird to me. This could also go hand in hand with my new green smoothie habit. All I know is that I thought I would NEVER like dark chocolate and now I love it. Hmmm...that wasn't as hard as I thought. Makes me wonder what else I think is too hard and that I will hate, but won't be that bad. Is that exercise calling my name?

Maybe, just maybe, all these little tiny daily doses are changing me.

Oh, and here's what my bible, Woman's Day says about dark choc. this month: "Eating it DAILY for just one week can improve cholesterol levels and reduce inflammation in women." That comes from the smarty pants people at Johns Hopkins. All you need is 30 calories worth--trust me, it will be enough!

Drink up, friends!

2010-02-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

Because I base all of my posts on absolute medical data that I have compiled after spending hours and hours poring over medical journals, I have interesting and useful ways of improving my health and, hopefully, yours too. I hope you appreciate all I do for you (the millions of readers that I have that never leave a comment).

Okay, so you saw through it. Basically, whatever strikes my fancy is what I write about. BUT, I will let you in on a little secret. I swear that I get my best tips by reading magazines. I am an addict when it comes to them. I've been thinking about subscribing to more just to save money. In the mail I get Woman's Day, Family Circle, and Better Homes & Gardens. Ummm...no, I'm not 70 years old. I'm 37, but I LOVE these magazines. In fact, just receiving them makes me feel a little grown up--which is good considering how abnormally immature I am. Seriously, my mom gets these same magazines.

Here's what I just learned in the March issue of Woman's Day: people who drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day (regular or decaf) had a 25% lower risk of diabetes than non-coffee drinkers. they got that from the "Archives of Internal Medicine"--sounds official so I'm believing it. Now, one would assume (duh!) that these coffee drinkers are not loading it up with sugar and cream--like I USED to. I love it when I see the error of my ways. Or just how I used to eat like I was invincible.

These days when I enjoy my coffee (normally just one cup a day for me), I use agave nectar as a sweetener. Yes, it's more expensive and no, I doesn't taste exactly like sugar, but it doesn't effect blood sugar like regular old table sugar does. I also have a few drops of light cream in my coffee. IsweartoGodifoneofmymillionsofreadersrecommendsusingskimmilk,Iwillhuntthemdownandbitchslapthemintonextweek. (Just a little thought running through my head.)

Today, I just might have a second cup as my daily dose. What are you drinking?

My monthly intentions...

2010-02-01T06:59:00.000-08:00

Ah, the start of a new month...full of anticipation and full of things to do. This month, I will:

Take and pass my Anatomy & Physiology final. Cannot wait to be done with this class!

Make a curtain for the window at my kitchen sink. When I say "make" I mean find some fabric I like and see what a hot mess I can make with that, ribbon, and a hot glue gun.

Walk on the treadmill on days I'm home.

On days I have school and it's above 32 degrees, I will park in free parking and walk. While it's only a couple of blocks, I'm usually carrying two bags full of supplies. Yes, I suppose I could walk when it's below freezing, but I am an absolute WUSS when it comes to the cold.

Keep drinking my green smoothies. Yum!

Drink more tea. I have a hard time getting all of my water in, but if I drink hot tea, I can do it. The tea I drink is decaf and I don't add anything to it.

That's it--short and sweet. What are you aiming for this month?

You're rich, powerful, slender, and....

2010-01-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

doggonit, people like you. Remember in the 90's watching Saturday Night Live and seeing the Jack Handey skits? If not, it was a goofy little guy giving himself daily affirmations. Hilarious afffirmations. Go visit him for a good laugh--www.deepthoughtsbyjackhandey.com.

I've been thinking alot about this lately. I mentioned it on Ann's blog, too. "Change your mind, change the world." Truer words were never spoken. I was driving home today from having my minivan checked out and freaking out over the fact that it needs $600 worth of work. That $600 is going to hurt as we currently have no money trees growing in our yard. I kept telling myself, "I need more money. I need to find a job because I need more money. We are so broke..." you get the picture. My husband recently took a paycut and while it's a great thing he still has a job, we are living on a lot less money. Add to that that we now have to pay for our medical insurance and I'm in school full-time...well, you get the picture.

Then I had this thought that stopped me in my tracks. It was a little voice inside my head that said, "No, you are rich". For the simple fact that I was blessed just by being born in the good ole USA, I have more than most people in the world. So I started considering ways I was rich. I have beautiful, healthy kids. When they are not healthy, I have access to doctors. I have food--nobody in my family has ever gone to bed starving. I have warmth and a roof over my head. A very nice roof, I might add. We are by no means living in a shack. I have family and friends that love me.

So, today I am changing my mind. Instead of telling myself what I don't have, I'm reminding myself of what I do. I am going to donate $5.00 to charity and be grateful for everything that I have.

That's my daily dose. What are you giving yourself a dose of today?

The belly

2010-01-29T04:38:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the human stomach can stretch up to 50 times its empty size? I'm horrified by this. Picture your sweet little stomach and then picture it inflated by 50. Ugh.

Last night for the first time ever, I watched a show called "Man vs. Food". Have you seen it? It's on the Food Network. They had a marathon on last night and I sat up until 11:30 transfixed by how much food this man can pack away. The basic premise of the show is this guy travels around the country and takes part in those eating contests that little diners and hole-in-the-wall places offer. You know the ones, the 50 lb. steak that you have to eat in an hour and then you roll away a t-shirt saying "I ate the whole thing...blah, blah, blah". Hopefully that shirt comes in XXXXXXL. Anyway--in the shows I watched, the guy always "wins". In the end of the show, he announces that man won out over food.

Great. But, I think in the end, it's the food that is going to win. What is this man's cholesterol level? It's not like he's in contests where you have to eat gigantic salads. There were chili-cheese fries, 5 lb. cheeseburgers, gigantic milkshakes (that were the equivalent of drinking 9 regular sized ones)....not exactly health food.

My point? Well, I don't really have one. Take care of your belly. I guess that would be it. Don't ask it to stretch out too much for you. Going along with that--I guess that would also include wearing elastic waisted pants that can expand along with you.

Tonight, I'm going to have a cup of peppermint tea with nothing added. Sweet peppermint is soooo gentle and good for your tummy. That's my daily dose.

Those wonderful muscles

2010-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

Random fact of the day: The human body has about 700 muscles. That's a lot! These constitute about 40% of our body weight. Here's the bad news: with age, your muscle fibers become smaller in diameter, become less elastic, your ability to recover from muscle injuries decreases, and tolerance for exercise decreases.

Bummer.

Go out and enjoy those fabulous muscles while you can. Take a walk, do some yoga or gentle stretching, or a few push ups. Enjoy!

Bones: Use 'em or Lose 'em

2010-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Did you know that after you croak and someone (a medical professional) checks out your bones, he/she can tell what kind of shape you were in?

In an individual that exercises and works out, the bones have more markings and become thicker and stronger. The markings are where tendons attached when muscles are worked more and built up. Also, the bone is heavier because more mineral crystals are attracted to the area and deposit on the bone and make more bone. We can see how this would benefit us in our later years--falling down and breaking a hip doesn't seem so fun, does it?

In a couch potato, the breakdown of bone would be more rapid and thus, the doctor examining those bones would note that they were light, thin and brittle. I don't want to be brittle.

Do something great for your bones today and lift some weights.

Love the skin you're in..

2010-01-26T00:05:00.000-08:00

Okay, students, another fact about your wonderful body. Today, let's talk about your skin. Think about all it does for you without asking much in return. It "provides protection for underlying tissues, provides mechanical strength and flexibility, provides protection from UV radiation, prevents fluid loss, produces vitamin D3, and resists damage from chemicals, pathogens, and abrasion."

Also, the water content of your skin helps maintain its flexibility. Here's a quick test to see if you're dehydrated: pinch the skin on the back of your hand. If it stays peaked, you need water. If it flatens out, your skin is amply hydrated.

Your skin is your first line of defense--it protects you from many things, keeps your fluids in your body, AND protects your organs underneath it. We also ask it to stretch with every pregnancy, weight gain/loss/gain/loss. Oh, and if that is not enough for you, it repairs itself.

Today after your shower, give your skin a little love. Find a nice, healthy lotion and slather it on. After that, drink some water.

Want to go one step further? Use only phthalate-free cosmetics. For more reading on that, go to: www.nottoopretty.org or watch the documentary, "America the Beautiful" (available on netflix). Your skin will love you for it!

I'm still here!

2010-01-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

No, Ann, I haven't forgotten to take my daily dose....I've just forgotten to write about it!

So, what can I say? What have I been up to other than school, life, family, friends? I have become addicted to green smoothies. ADDICTED I tell you. So I do that now daily for myself.

Other than that, I've been concentrating on cranking out my Anatomy & Physiology so that I can take my final and be done with it already. My goal is to finish in three weeks so I'm working hard. Add to that some other classes (had one final today) and I'm focused with a capital F. This is all new, you know. Normally, I procrastinate. Not anymore. I'm all about just getting things done and over with.

So, in the spirit of A&P, I'm going to give you some facts about your amazing body this next week. Here's your first fact:

Oh, but first you need the definition of homeostasis: "the existence of a stable internal environment. Maintaining homeostasis is absolutely vital to an organism's survival."

Now, think of what happens when you sweat. "This increases losses of both water and salts. Other systems must then compensate for these losses and reestablish an equilibrium state for water and salts. Any adjustment made by one physiological system have direct and indirect effects on a variety of other systems. The maintenance of homeostasis is like a jubbling act that keeps lots of ball in the air."

Consider that for a moment. The simple act of sweating has to have your body reconfiguring things all without you even thinking about it. The body is an amazing thing.

Do something special for your body today! Show it some love!

Resolutions

2009-12-30T10:45:00.001-08:00

I hate new year's resolutions. I really do. BUT, I'm making a few. Not really resolutions, but a to-do list for the year. It's short and sweet:

1) Lose 15 pounds. I really need to lose approx. 30 lbs., but 15 is much more manageable. I will do this by eating healthier and more "real" foods. What the hell is an Oreo, anyway? I also need to discover my kitchen and cook a little more.

2) Find a church I like and feel comfortable in.

3) Have my nieces and nephews come over more often.

4) Find more active things to do with the kiddos.

5) Finish school and start a new career. This one I put on here because I know I will accomplish it and well, I want to make sure atleast one thing on this to-do list actually happens.

Tried and Liked...

2009-12-30T05:45:00.000-08:00

Green smoothies are a big hit! I love them and am totally amazed that you can't taste the spinach! I had mine with apple, pineapple, and banana. Definitely a healthy habit I can do! It was so fresh tasting and really, all I could taste was the pineapple. Bonus--my oldest son liked it. He HATES vegetables. I don't think he would ever request one, but I made it and he drank the whole cup. I wish I could say the same for my youngest. I think the color did it for him. He is the one that loves fruit and doesn't mind veggies so I'm surprised.

Almond milk--I love it. I bought the vanilla flavor and it seems like a milk shake to me. Oldest son will drink it, youngest son (who I really think has a problem digesting lactose)doesn't like it. AAARRRGHHH.

Agave--love it. Put it in my green smoothie and tried a little on my finger. Yum. Nice and sweet. I haven't tried it in my coffee yet, but will give it a go in a little while. I'm really excited about this considering how much I love sugar and how much diabetes runs in my family.

I love trying new things. I think my tastebuds are changing, too. I had a handful of m&m's yesterday and they tasted weird to me. I can't describe it...just weird. Not to fear, I had some Hershey kisses and they tasted just fine. I'm going to try to switch over to dark chocolate slowly.

Okay, time to jump on the treadmill for a few minutes.

"We are students and teachers of each other" ~The Twelve Principles of Attitudinal Healing.

Inspiration abounds

2009-12-29T16:01:00.000-08:00

Ann and Jessica have convinced me through blogs and fb posts that I should try Agave in place of sugar. I'm giving it a try tonight in my tea. I love sugar so if this can help me cut back, I'm all about it.

Also, Jessica is all about green smoothies. Will try tomorrow morning. I wish I could say that I was looking forward to it, but the thought of drinking spinach doesn't seem that great. Way to go with the open mind, huh?

Tonight I made a chicken fajita soup that was fabulous and healthy.

Just desserts...

2009-12-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

Just came back from a Christmas Eve celebration. One plate of food with VERY reasonable portions and for dessert, I split a cookie with my husband. A normal sized cookie. I split it. Do you see the signifigance of this event?!?

Yeah, me.

Also, I spent a little time on the treadmill today. On Christmas Eve. Again, do you get it?!?!

Major stuff, people!

Ripping Band-aids Off

2009-12-15T09:13:00.000-08:00

You know when you HAVE to do something and you just keep putting it off again and again or telling yourself (and somewhat believe it) that you will be better prepared for it some other day? I'm FAMOUS for stuff like that. Or I used to be...I'm getting better at it.

I had one of those moments yesterday. I had to schedule my mid-term for my Anatomy and Physiology class. I really didn't want to take it. I had a solid day of studying for a class that I hate. That's it--just one day. I tried to tell myself that I should take it at the end of the week because that would give me more time to study. Deep down inside, though, I knew I wouldn't really study that much more for it.

So, yesterday morning when I was at school, I just innocently checked with the registrar if I could take the test that day when my first class finished. He told me the computers were wide open and I could do it immediately after class. Immediately, I started hesitating. Should I go have lunch first, cram a little more, and then take the test? Should I tell him that I was just kidding and wanted to take the test on Friday? the first of the year? when hell froze over? never???

Then, I decided that I really just wanted to get it over with. I also had in my mind that I was going to fail. Normally, I don't think this way--I'm pretty confident, but that just goes to show you how unprepared I felt. If I failed, I could use it as a learning experience and just try again, this time with a better idea of where I needed to brush up.

Well, I passed by the skin of my teeth. I needed a 75% to pass and I got a 79%. Success! I'm NOT beating myself up over my grade, instead I'm gleeful because I can go into Christmas knowing that's behind me.

My point? Sometimes you just have to yank that band-aid off quickly. It's going to hurt and suck, but then it's over. Done. Okay, enough obsessing already--go do something that you've been putting off. Go on. Skidaddle.

News Flash--Kids Stress Mom OUT!

2009-12-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

Tonight while getting the kiddos ready for bed, my lovely little 6 year-old told me what he wanted to get me for Christmas. Before you grab your Kleenex, this is NOT a heart warming post. Keep in mind this was one over tired and over sugared child. He told me he wanted to get me "a slap in the face"! Nice, huh? This was after we had a conversation about respect.

Instead of telling him that I wanted to get him a kick in the ass to celebrate the birth of Christ, I instead tucked him in, removed myself from his room and came downstairs where I had the overwhelming urge to down handfuls of M&M's (only in the house for holiday baking, I swear!).

Before I indulged, I had a memory of a woman I used to work with named Sheila. Sheila had a heart of gold. She was the sweetest woman, but carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, hips, butt and belly. She was probably 5'3" and weighed maybe 350-400 lbs. Every morning in her cubicle, she would down two bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches from McDonald's. Every morning, without fail, she ate both sandwiches within three minute. I could hear her in my cubicle and it always sounded like she was so desperate. She was almost gagging them down. Anyone could tell that she wasn't hungry or starving, but she was so stressed out by life and this was her "coping" mechanism.

I, like Sheila, eat out of stress, boredom, celebration, etc. I'm trying to be more mindful and feed my body what it deserves and what will fuel it. TRYING. I consider it progress that I'm typing instead of eating M&M's. If I was really good, I'd be on the treadmill huffing and puffing, but baby steps, people, baby steps!!

Dream Big!

2009-12-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

In recent years, there has been much talk about passion and discovering your dreams. I suspect Oprah and Dr. Phil had a lot to do with all that talk. Women and men are waking up everywhere and discovering that there's something missing from their mcmansion, suv, grande mocha latte drenched lives. They've forgotten who they were, what they wanted, and what they were meant to be. The irony in all of this is that what they most want is absolutely free. Never costs a dime and never will. We are all free to dream and to recreate ourselves as many times as we want. FREE OF CHARGE (my favorite words)!!!!

Today, for my health and (in)sanity, I decided to take a few minutes and dream big. I am currently in school for massage therapy, so it's no secret that I am dreaming of becoming a massage therapist. Duh. But, where do I want to do this, what do I want this dream to look like, how do it want it to be?

This is where the fun begins!! I want to own my own massage studio. Ultimately, it would fun to work with one or two other people. Okay, dream over, right? Nope! What do I want my studio to look like? I want it to be a beautifully serene place that is the perfect blend of simple, natural, low-key and comfortable. I do not want it to be a posh girly-girl space because I want everyone to come in, breathe a sigh of relief and instantly feel soothed, comfortable and at home. I hate going into places that are so fancy that I feel out of place. I want it to have a tea bar--people can choose from a variety of teas. I want the walls to be green (my favorite color) and I want pictures of nature on the wall. How do I want to look doing my job? Comfortable. I want to wear yoga pants and be barefoot or in my clogs while giving massages. Ultimately, it would be great to look 30 pounds lighter and that is in my control, so it's possible, right? I also want my hair a little shorter. What do I want it to smell like? I'm not sure yet, but I'm taking a class in aromatherapy this winter so I may have a better idea after that. Something non-offensive would be nice. I also thought about having a "Do Good/Feel Good" program so I could give back to the community. This is a recurring thought of mine--trying to give back--it's in all of my dreams.

So--why is this all necessary? I like to have a good idea of what I'm working towards. And, that way, when I come to a crossroads, I can figure out if what I'm questioning will have an impact on my dreams. Will spending money on shoes get me closer to my dream? Umm...probably not. Will a piece of cake get me closer to my dream? Umm...probably not considering I need to be healthy to perform my job and diabetes would be a bitch to deal with. Will creating a dream board (pictures and ideas of how I want things to be pasted on a cardboard) get me closer to my dream? Yeah, probably. My vision will get clearer that way. Will self-doubt get me closer to my dream? Nuh-uh...don't need it, can't have it, won't have it.

People dream differently. What works for me, doesn't work for others. What I find fascinating is that kids have a million and one dreams and adults find it hard to dream. I asked my oldest son his biggest dream today. He thought $100,000,000 would do it. I asked him if he had another dream and he did. He wanted to be a police officer/cake decorator/president/principal. I asked him what his third biggest dream would be. He thought it would be cool if he got 100,000 Nintendo DS's. I asked him what he would do with so many when he could only play with one at a time. He said, that he would keep one and then pass on 99,999 to someone else who would do the same. That way (with everyone taking one and passing the rest down), a lot of people could have one that really wanted one. We could have done this all day. He had so many dreams. Ask an adult what their dreams are and you'll probably get something like "winning the lottery", but beyond that, I think most people are stumped. We are too confined by what we have, what we don't have, and thinking our daily lives get in the way to what we truly want.

In our quest to obtaining our dreams, we can decide that what others want for us is a good dream to have. But, it's not genuinely us. I have been down this road so many times in my life, I can't even count them. We need our own dreams. It's hard for me to not include people in my dreams--I want to bring them in and let them get in on the (my) fun. Again, it's not their dream. They have dream for themselves. I try to bend my dreams to fit others, but they are not one-size-fits-all. They are one-size-fits-one. We can also steal others' dreams. I was having a conversation the other day with a classmate about what he wants to do when he graduates. His idea was so amazing that I immediately went to work trying to figure out how I could get in on that idea or make it my own. After thinking more about it, it's not me and wouldn't work for me. But, it got my mind turning and that was a good thing.

And then what? That's a question I always ask--always looking for the next thing. Well, that's the great thing about dreams. They are made out of silly putty...they can stretch, bend, be crumpled up to be molded into something different. They will change along the way because life changes along the way. We are not racing to the finish line (where's the fun in that?), we are on a journey where we can slow down along the way, take a detour, dance the tango, take a sip of water and a deep breath, and then keep going.

If all of this isn't enough to boggle the mind, I'll leave you with a quote from Marianne Williamson from her book, "A Return to Love": "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the Glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Tune in tomorrow where I'm going to blab (to myself) about the Haters and others who try to diminish your dreams.

Real Life Foils My Plans...

2009-12-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

I had the intention of going to school today and parking a few blocks away and walking--thereby doing something great for myself and saving $2.50 at the parking meters. However, snow happened today and while my school (which is 45 minutes away) was not cancelled, I started driving and realized the highways were treacherous and I wasn't willing to risk my life for school.

While the kiddos also don't have school today, I just decided to have them go play with Legos while I walked on the treadmill. So I just put in 10 minutes of brisk walking/jogging. Not the recommended 30 minutes-45 minutes per day that my doctor would recommend, but I have to believe that something is better than nothing.

My goal for this blog (yes, it's my 4th one, but the others had to do with strictly work, strictly weightloss, and strictly decorating/crafts) is to just do one simple thing for myself and my health every single day. Maybe these simple things will propel me to do bigger things. Who knows? I recently read an article that said if you change one thing about your appearance (haircut, new lipstick, new dress), it can get you to see the bigger picture of what could be. By my documenting these little things, maybe I will want to build on each thing. Or maybe not.

In the meantime, I am not going to let real life get in my way. Look out world, I'm getting my daily dose of me.