DAY 197 Week in Review

Hello Journal & Friends!

When I first got up this morning, it was an uphill battle, attitude-wise.

After making MyGuys two meals to take to work, then mainlining, er, drinking my coffee, I decided to go blog visiting before I post. Usually I do it the other way around. Today I'm glad I went visiting. It was like chatting with friends over morning coffee. And it lifted my spirits. 

Especially this wonderful video that Stacia posted, at Swimming It Off (HERE).  Watch all the way to the end, and I guarantee you will smile. I wanted to be like that guy!

I hadn't intended to write much today because somehow over the weekend, I irritated both of my wrists, and they are really hurting. I am wearing my wrist guards, and typing carefully... that helps. (Thanks to all you who have turned off the word verification feature! It's that much less typing... unless you are plagued by spammers or trolls, it's not really necessary to keep it on).  Just use this instead:

Week in Review: 

On track as far as calories counts and exercise. Okay mental wise, though it was a definite struggle when I did the sneak-peek weigh-in last Friday.  I was UP 12 pounds. Good griefus, Charlie Brown!! I know, I know....it's only temporary water. Since my tongue biopsy last week, I've been eating soft stuff, like shakes, soups, and such. And some of it was much more sodium than I usually eat. And less fiber... which means... you know... clogged plumbing, LOL!

So, just a bump in the road. But sure glad my monthly weigh-in isn't til NEXT Monday!

Well, I think I might even go get dressed now. :-D

From Dr Phil's book: "You and only you choose how you feel. Others may provide an event or behavior for you to react to, but it is up to you to choose how you feel about them."

My verse for today: "Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

My quote for today: "Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been." --Mark Twain

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 196 Day of Rest & Favorite Photo

Good Afternoon Journal & Friends,

In keeping with the theme of quiet and rest, here is a photo that Jim took one morning very early, while the mist was still rising from the pond. 

He has several like this, that I call his Misty series. They are my all-time favorites of his photos... I just love them (can click to enlarge).

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 195 Caturday

Hello Journal & Friends,

I don't think I'll write much today. I'm tired, and just feel the need to be... quiet.

This is Dusty in the photo below. She is 16 years old now, and sleeps alot. Here she was just waking up from her nap in a sunbeam. I think I'll find me a sunbeam, too.

From Dr Phil's book: "You can't eat what's not there."

My verse for today: "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

My quote for today: "Sometimes it is not enough to do our best; we must do what is required." --Sir Winston Churchill

DAY 194 Challenge Update & The Lost Story

Hello Journal & Friends,

It's time for The Perfect 10 Challenge update for Week 7.

My goals, which were to exercise 6 days per week, have been met, all except one day of my stretching, when I just plain forgot! I had to make it up the next day.  I miss the rebounder, but can see that I needed the stretching all along. So even when I can re-start the rebounder, I am thinking I will keep the stretching as a regular part of my routine.

And now for The Unknown Fact about myself:

I have a collection of little stuffed animals. 

But it is a collection with a PURPOSE. You see, I have this children's story I've wanted to write and illustrate for... years. The working title was "Us Four & No More". 

It was a fable for the young... and young at heart, about the power of attitudes.

The main characters were to be a Husky dog, a brown Bear, a Dalmation dog, and a black & white Cat.

A new stuffed animal came to live with them, and they did NOT like her... she was too colorful, too bold, too... different. She was a cat made from a bright print fabric, and her name was Kool Kat.

So they put on their tiny backpacks and left home, going on an adventure around the world. Everywhere they went, they met little stuffed animals, and the story follows their adventures to...

Tibetan Snowy mountains, and  Spotted Snow Leopard

African plains, and Elephant and Lion and Zebra

China, and Panda Bear

Under the Pacific Ocean, and Orca and Dolphin

the American Forest, and Racoon and Rabbit

the South American Rain Forest jungle, and Tiger and Monkey

the Arctic, and Polar Bear and Walrus

(At one time, I had all of these small-sized stuffed animals)

Everywhere the four main characters go, they meet animals that are happy because of their attitude. Our little troupe of 4 learn as they travel...

The last stop is the Arctic. It is white, white, white!! Baby Polar Bear takes the unhappy travelers home to his ice cave, and Mama Polar Bear gives gentle wise advice that convinces them to go home, and look at things in a new light, saying: "Go home, children, and choose to be happy."

They decide, after seeing nothing but white, white, white, that they miss color! And now they can appreciate the bright, cheery colors of Kool Kat. It's all in how you choose to look at it..... The End.

Well, that's the itty bitty version of my story. :-D

I gave a lot of the stuffed animals from the story away to kids over the years. Maybe as a reward to myself later, I will replace them, and actually write and illustrate that story. I am sure I can find a "vanity press" to publish it, LOL!! 

Here is Butterfly... she thinks if she sits very still she can sneak into the stuffed animal pictures!

From Dr Phil's book: "Forgiveness is a choice."

My verse for today: "He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

My quote for today: "A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes." --Hugh Downs

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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DAY 193 Patience vs Determination

Hi Journal & Friends,

We have lived at this house now for about 16 months. The box with most of my party light collection has been lost all this time, buried somewhere in the storeroom (I talked about my party light collection HERE). MyGuy "kinda" looked, and kept saying he couldn't find it. I have been "kinda" patient. 

But yesterday, I had HAD it. I was determined to find my lights!! And guess what... we found them. I had the fun of putting up a new one in my studio... the Pink Flamingos (click to enlarge if you just must see a bigger flamingo!).

What do Pink Flamingos have to do with this weight loss journey??? It was those two words, patience and determination that set me off.

I've been thinking about this journey, and how at times, in spite doing all we need to do, and know to do, it STILL seems like it's moving slower than molasses in winter!

Here are a couple of dictionary definitions:

PATIENCE: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

DETERMINATION: firmness of purpose, resoluteness 

And here are MY working definitions of these same words:

PATIENCE: the attitude required, due to waiting longer than I would prefer to see results from my efforts.

DETERMINATION: making my mind up that nothing is going to make this take longer than is necessary.

But... then a weird thing happened. I was noticing the synonyms for both words. Patience had 2 inferences. The first used words like: 

forbearance, tolerance, restraint, self-restraint, calmness, composure,  serenity, tranquility... Okay, I get  that.

But then, the second side of Patience surprised me. It had these SAME synonyms as did Determination:

perseverance

persistence

tenacity

staying power

doggedness

resolve

resoluteness

And I had thought that the two words, Patience and Determination, were almost opposites!

I would chafe when I, or others for that matter, kept saying we must be patient. I felt like it was being wimpy, and not determined. It felt passive and accepting, instead of aggressively going after my goals and working hard to make them happen.

So, today I learned something new. I CAN work hard, and yet have a patient spirit while I do it. 

I CAN be aggressive in going after my goals and dreams, yet tolerate delays well, without becoming frustrated. 

I think it has something to do with being realistic as to which things are within my control, and which are not. 

I can act with determination on the things that ARE within my control. 

I can practice patience on the things NOT within my control.

That's my deep thinkin' for today:  that they are  "parallel truths", not opposites after all.

Learn sumpthin new every day, right?

From Dr Phil's book: "You must carve out time in your life for tension-reducing activities."

My verse for today: "Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people..."

My quote for today: "In any contest between power and patience, bet on patience." --W.B. Prescott

DAY 192 Thank You & Doing the Mental Work

Hello Journal & Friends!

First, I want to say thank you to everyone that sent me such supportive comments, cards and email.   It meant so much to me that people that have never met me in person would be so kind and generous! The biopsy procedure went smoothly, and wasn't as bad as it could have been. Even when the numbness wore off, it only throbbed for a little bit. Now it only hurts when I talk (so shut up, Loretta!), and if I try to eat too fast or food that is too thick (so slow down, Loretta!). ;-)  It was not such a big deal after all... I kinda feel like a wuss! LOL!

It'll take 2 weeks to get the pathology report back. So now it's a waiting game. I've reminded myself that worrying is like trying to travel in a rocking chair: you waste a lot of energy rocking back and forth, but you don't get anywhere!

 

I'm still mulling over the concept of sowing and reaping, that I wrote about in the story for Toon Tuesday (here) . For years I've heard it taught in a negative context. Sort of like the boogie man, used to scare people into not doing anything bad, or later it will "get you".

Well, if the concept is a Truth (and I believe it is), then it also works for the good! The old advice of "if you want friends, be friendly" is based on this Truth.

I have visited a lot of blogs. And my heart goes out to those that are struggling. We are all soo busy... sometimes overcommitted, stretched thin. And some of you are trying to do this journey with a job, children, spouses, other commitments. I am amazed at times how much some of you juggle, and still do this!

The times when I have had my most struggles are usually when I have allowed myself to get too busy to do "the work" on a consistent, daily basis. 

What work?

The mental work. Getting rid of the junk in my head, and replacing it with right thinking. Asking myself the hard questions, and being honest with the answers. Not choosing to always have "noise" going on, so that I can't even think.

And I used to do that... all the time. All my waking hours. Music, radio, computer, DVD's, books on tape. Input... always some kind of input. I would even get mildly anxious if I finished a library book-on-tape, and didn't have another one waiting to listen to... for entertainment, to take me away from reality, for distraction.

Why?? Because I didn't like where my thoughts took me. I didn't like how they would spiral down eventually, and it was a struggle not to sink into negativity.

I'm not talking about facing my issues... resolving them... learning from them... putting them to rest. That's good and necessary.

I'm talking about letting my own thoughts work AGAINST me, instead of FOR me.

I'm talking about letting my thoughts run me... just floating downstream like a dead fish, putting up no resistance to them, instead of making the EFFORT of taking charge and swimming UPstream.

Here are some questions, for those that might be struggling. 

I am certainly no expert... these are just things that I learned (the hard way) over time, that have helped me:

• How much "positive input" do you get each day? 

• Do you make time, even if 5 minutes, to consistently--every day--read or think something uplifting, something that will help inspire or motivate you?

• Do you make sure you get input that makes you SMILE or LAUGH each day? Whether you feel like it or not when you started?

• Did you WRITE DOWN your goals? WHY you want to lose the weight? Your life purpose? Your passions in life? 

• Do you review them often?

• Do you take time each day, even if only for 5 minutes, to be alone, quiet, and do whatever you believe in... pray, meditate, center yourself?

• Do you have a hero? Someone farther along this road that you can learn from? That inspires you? That has shown that it CAN be done? 

• Have you made the choice to reduce or eliminate the "anchors" from your life? Those people or associations that drag you down, drowning you in negativity, and sapping your energy? 

I not talking about not helping people in need... you know what I mean: people that light up a room by LEAVING it... people who love to complain, gossip, and are always full of doubt and pessimism. Attitudes are contagious, and you don't need to be constantly rubbing elbows with toxic people. 

Care about them, yes. Saturate yourself with their attitude, no.

This journey takes energy. Physical energy. Mental energy. 

We need to charge our batteries on a daily basis, on purpose. It will NOT just happen.

It will ony happen if we MAKE it happen... if we take time to do the mental work.

If we are struggling, we owe it to ourselves to check our calendar: are WE ON IT?? 

From Dr Phil's book: "Gain emotional closure...Refuse to live with unfinished emotional business."

My verse for today: "I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

My quote for today: "I will live this day to it's fullest. Time is the coin of my life, and I choose to spend it wisely." --adapted from Carl Sandburg

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta

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