Thursday, August 12, 2010

DAY 368 Polka Dot Day & Focusing on Now & Then


Hi Journal & Friends,

Yesterday I donned my Polka Dot shirt.


And my Polka Dot shoes.



And off I went to the dentist to get my regular teeth-cleaning done... oh joy!

I was driving along, thinking about this journey and my priorities, and thinking that I was just "living in the moment", ya know? Uh-huh, right.  Next thing I know I was heading for the wrong freeway entrance leading to the wrong town! 

Those that know me in real life are guffawing and asking "So what? You are always getting lost!"

But the thing is... I wasn't lost. I was just not focusing, not paying attention, not thinking about where I was going. My mind was elsewhere... and I went off in the wrong direction.

Here is where I finally ended up. I've been going there over 20 years and he always has the loveliest flowers out front.




On the way home, after having been poked, scraped, polished and rinsed... I got to thinking...

I've been having problems lately staying focused on this health journey for the same reason. I wasn't focusing on the right things...my mind was off elsewhere, and I was driving on autopilot. 

I can't afford to do that, or I'll end up in the wrong "town". I have to make a conscious effort EVERY day, whether I feel like it or not. 

To focus on both NOW, and THEN. My daily life now, taking actions that connect me to THEN, my passions and goals and dreams. I've been thinking a visual might help me on that... and I might have come up with one. Still working it out.

In the meantime, the journey continues.




From Dr Phil's book: "Slow your thoughts down and listen attentively."

My verse for today: "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

My quote for today: "Each new day is a blank page in the diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the best story you possibly can." --Douglas Pagels

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta
=^..^=

17 comments:

x said...

super cute shoes lady!

I agree its on auto pilot that I tend to unravel...

I am like A.D.D. weight loss chick if I don't stick to the exercise which makes me remember why I want to eat better and less.

Shawn said...

I'm with ya Loretta!!! I have been doing that off and on for years. But it seems to get worse whenever I decide to do things the right way. Just like you said, we must make a conscious decision EVERYDAY... I find it weird because I was feeling the same thing the past couple of days.. Recognizing that there is something wrong, is the first step to getting back on track...

Keep up the good work!!!

Shawn :)

Anonymous said...

Haha! First, I LOVE the courage who had to wear both a polka dot shirt AND shoes! hahahaha. You're gaining on that "be yourself" thing. :D

Second, GREAT life lesson, huh? Isn't it great how God can take our every day life and use it as an object lesson for us? Talk about visual aids! Daydreaming, wrong route...oops! Then, the analogy. God is good. :D

On one of you rercent posts--could've been the last one, for that matter--you wrote about the need to focus on dreams/goals not just this present task (one thing challenge). I didn't write the comment then, because I had intended to do a post. Haven't had time, so I'll just do it in this comment. :D

Just THAT day, I had a post in mind about that very thing. I had been cutting--or trying to- a straight line for wrapping the challenge prizes. I had a hard time because my vision no longer sees straight lines. sigh.

Anyway, I thought about the fact that this was harder because I had to focus on where I was--not just where I was going--with the scissors.

When you just look at the spot you're cutting, rather than where you're heading, you tend to cut at a slant a little. Not straight up. So you end off point.

I mulled that over a bit as i corrected my cut. (sigh) And driving crossed my mind. It's the same issue. When you drive--and beginning drivers have a hard time with this--you can't focus on the few feet in front of the car. You MUST put your eyes out in front of you, to where you are going, or you'll veer off of the road!

It's a trick to do that. Having to look right in front of you to monitor where you are AND out in front of you to steer to where you are heading. After driving awhile, it is second nature...but at first, a tough thing.

This post and that previous one, reminded me of this need for a dual perspective. Now and then. Both need our eye's attention.

We're learning. :D Yes we are!

Deb

Anonymous said...

P.S. If I disappear for a while, do not panic. My computer has been acting up terribly. It keeps freezing up. Sometiems I have no cursor. I dunno. I wouldn't be surprised if I have a spell that I can't get it to functin. Just wanted to let you know.

Deb

Joy said...

Brillant!! You are amazing!! Love the polka dots. You can totally pull them off. Total cuteness!! Hugs!

Retta said...

STACIA: Glad you like the shoes. They started their life out as plain white canvas shoes. Well, what artist can resist white canvas??! So I painted the dots with black acrylic paint.

I then got several more white pair, and painted them different colors. I'm now toying with the idea of getting more white ones, and doodling pictures on them. I wanted to do that a couple of years ago, but didn't want to attract attention to myself.

Now, who cares! I love tennies that are wild and fun, so I think it's time I was "myself", ya know?! I'll let you know when I do my first pair of Crazy Shoes! LOL!

Loretta
=^..^=

Christine said...

I would totally wear those shoes.
love the flowers. It isn't hard to get off course. It doesn't take much.
Just a few minutes of not paying attention.
You are great loretta, you are always focusing and refocusing.

paulawannacracker said...

Your polka dot shoes are so very cute. I think I know what you mean about autopilot and being more focused but I must tell you when I am jogging, I love those moments that I lose myself that my mind goes somewhere else and next thing I know, 1/3rd of the run is over.

Maybe autopilot isn't such a bad thing?

Love your verses and quotes. Very inspiring.

kristi said...

Cute shoes!! I sometimes go the wrong way or forget to stop off when I am thinking of other things..I hate when that happens.

Anonymous said...

Huh. I just read your comment about painting those shoes yourself.

Have you ever considerred opening an on-line boutique? You wouldn't need much stock--just your own shoes, really, for pictures. You could do custom orders and buy as you have the orders pending.

I bet they would SELL!

You could also do them to sell at craft shows and, hu-hmm, county fairs, that that would require stock--which would be an investment. I'd do the order buy order until you get well-known. :D Making very sure that you cover the cost + shipping + profit!

I bet some of your blogging buddies would be willing to post pics of your shes on their blogs.

I gotta tell you, they'd be big in PA!

Deb

financecupcake said...

Retta, you are too cute! i love your outfit. :)

Nice connection between your trip to the dentist and your weight-loss journey. You always seem so aware of your problems (like being on autopilot). Good for you for recognizing issues and not wasting time coming up with solutions. You seem very in-tune with yourself. STOP. Don't reject the compliment. :)

Anonymous said...

Love the shoes and I love them even more now that I know you actually created them yourself. Great job!

Your dentist sure does have lovely flowers.

You are right about staying focused Loretta, one little glimpse in the wrong direction and bam!

You are so wise! Not to mention cool in all those polka dots.

Anonymous said...

ooh love the polka dots! My oldest daughter wants a polka dotted prom dress next year so we are looking for one.

I have a TERRIBLE sense of direction, in real life, on the road and in my dieting stuff. Just terrible. I never go from point a to point b....I got to K then to D then to Q. Will I ever get to Z? Ha ha

Sugar Bush Primitives said...

I LOVE the polka dots!!!!

I have done the auto pilot thing. Hahaha
Last night I arrived at a potluck only to have a young lady take me aside and point out that I had my shirt on backwards. Oh the joys of getting older!!!!

Sugar Bush Primitives said...

Oooops, my shirt wasn't backwards, it was inside out. I did it again.

Ann (-50 lbs in -60 lb challenge) said...

Well, Loretta, I am newly back from vacation (techically, still on it through Sunday) - so to save me some reading - what, exactly, ARE your current reasons and goals for your weight-loss journey? I am recognizing, of course, that reasons and goals can shift and change over time. I think it is always a good idea to revisit your focus, and you are halfway through your journey! I plan to revisit my reasons and my motivations at the 1-month mark (coming up soon), then every 3-month mark. I appreciate your struggles with focus lately. I had a good dose of focus-related self-talks during my vacation this past week!! Keep up the good fight. You are doing well ...

Retta said...

BABYSTEPPER: That's funny about your shirt... it reminded me that the second day of my recent yard sale, at the END of the day I discovered I had been wearing my knit dress inside out all day!! I asked MyGuy why he didn't TELL ME?!! And he grinned and said: "Because I was looking at YOU, not your dress." Isn't he sneaky?! What a cute guy!

ANN: Well, sorry this is too important to me to reduce it to a sound bite in a comment, LOL!

But short answer: scroll down in my side bar to the pic after the Blogs I am Keen On.
Long answer is here: http://lorettasjourney.blogspot.com/2009/08/day-15-passion-purpose.html

You are right, our goals can change some over time...but in the deep of our heart, I feel there are consistent reasons that transcend the surface, everyday relatively trivial stuff.

You might even say we all have the same longing of heart: to live our best life, to love and be loved, to make our life count, to be the persons God created us to be.

Loretta
=^..^=

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