AUG 5th Just Be Yourself

Hello to Journal & Friends,

(taken in April 2011)

Joey is building her vocabulary. She's about 7 months old now, and here is a list of the words she is learning so far (Huh? What does this have to do with weight loss? Gimme a minute and I'll tell you):

Jim (her hero)

Daddy (aka Jim)

go potty

sit

stay

come

okay

wait

move

food

treat

water

bed

duck (her favorite stuffed toy)

shark (her favorite squeaky toy)

bear

toy

outside

inside

up

ball

stick

wanna go?

Vevie (her kitty playmate)

Butterfly (the kitty who will NOT play with her)

Oh yeah... and No. ;-)

Some, she knows better than others. And when a Treat is involved, miraculously she gets very smart!! The little twerp certainly has her own preferences. The trick is teaching her that some of these are NOT negotiable. :-)

(these in the yard taken April 2011)

Did you notice that the word FETCH is not on the list?? That's because Joey, who is a Miniature Schnauzer, has told us in no uncertain terms I. Am. Not. A. Retriever. 

Oh, she will race out in ecstasy when Daddy throws a ball, a stick, or a frisbee in the back yard. And she races right by it and races with equal ecstasy right back to Daddy, eager to do it again! 

We've raised a Springer Spaniel and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. They both LOVED to fetch. Joey... nope, nada, nyet. Not for treats, not for praise, not for any amount of teaching, training or coaxing.

It dawned on me recently, after yet another failed attempt to help her "exercise" by playing fetch... that she has made another point very clear to me...

LESSONS FROM A PUPPY #8

Play to your strengths, 

not your weaknesses. 

Be yourself, the Authentic you. 

Find who YOU really are, 

and nurture that.

In the last few years I've spent a lot of time working to find out the Authentic Me. Who I am, my purpose, my hopes and dreams.

One thing I am still working on is just what Joey reminded me: to play to my strengths. To celebrate who I AM, and not get all caught up in who I am NOT. 

Sure, there are things I need to change or work on... like not procrastinating. Like not feeling sorry for myself, or comparing myself to other people.

But some things are just the way I've been all my life, and guess what? I've decided that maybe it's alright that I don't WANT to change it, and that's okay. For instance:

I. HATE. EATING. BREAKFAST.

Always have, probably always will. Over the years I've heard so many so-called "experts" give their opinion on the subject. And I would try to be "good". And would resent it and rebel. 

I tried all kinds of breakfasts... didn't matter. 

I tried to not eat after such and such a time the night before. Didn't matter. 

You name it, I tried it. Didn't matter. 

For years I've felt guilty or wrong or frustrated or annoyed... I finally stopped following like a lemming, and decided to go with my OWN preference: FORGET BREAKFAST!

Oh, I might have a bite or two when I make Jim's 2 meals to take to work... or not. I always have a big mug of flavored coffee with real cream in it. And that is totally satisfying to me till lunch. I am happy with that. I don't resent that. It's working for me.

Then lo and behold, while recently listening to some podcasts from Jimmy Moore at Livin La Vida LowCarb. I learned there is a whole OTHER school of thought that says this whole idea of "three squares a day" is a relatively recent phenomenon. That over the eons, our ancestors didn't eat that way. And that our human body is designed to function quite well with ups and down of daily intake. I'm not talking about someone with a medical condition... I'm just talking about a regular healthy person. Anyway, I didn't need anyone's "permission" to do my own thing. But it did make me smile to find that I'm not the only one!

Right now for a few weeks, I'm eating a protein rich breakfast a la the Dr Kruse program to regain leptin sensitivity. But after that's done... I doubt if I will continue. I won't force it... we'll see. 

Anyway, I've read blogs that say THEIR way is THE way. Such HUBRIS!! Ha ha ha, I recently learned the official definition of that word, and loved it. Describes perfectly the people that feel superior and won't allow for differences: excessive pride or self-confidence, arrogance, egotism, pomposity, superiority, cockiness.

It felt weird to be looking at myself in search of "strengths". At first it was a little embarrassing... sort of like bragging. But we ALL have them. And it's been fun to start discovering them, and nurturing them. 

Joey doesn't do fetch. I don't usually do breakfast. But we both DO have strengths. So there. :-)

(taken June 2011)

From Dr Phil's book: "Never tell yourself beforehand that something is impossible, nor set limits on your efforts."

My verse for today: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."

My quote for today: Two dogs meet and one says to the other: "Hi, my name is NoNoBadDog, what's yours?"

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 719