Love, Change and Orbits
Love
The last six or eight months have brought a lot of new people into my life, and I've watched several old friends make dramatic changes for the better in their lives. I've stretched myself by going new places, meeting new people, and trying new things. All of this is on the heels of a couple of years of HUGE life changes.
My family has spent much of the last two or three years going through major life transitions. Here's a quick list of the biggies:
Sometimes, those friends don't even realize they've started a line of dominoes tumbling. Here's one example.
Recently, one friend posted a link to this article
http://www.wholeliving.com/article/the-love-experiment
I thought this was an amazing, scary idea. To be honest, it's not one I'm ready for quite yet. But I thought I might be ready for a smaller, easier step, if I could figure one out. So today at the bookstore, I noticed a Valentine coupon book, and that wonderful back brain saucepan that's been barely simmering heated up a little bit more. So my family is trying something new and different for Valentine's Day this year. Everyone is creating their own coupon book, full of little, easy ways they'd like to be loved. We'll share those ideas during dinner on Valentine's Day, and then during the next year, we'll all redeem our coupons, and get a little practice as asking clearly for the love we want.
Being the geek I am, and being part of a geeky family, I emailed my own family members with an explanation, and a link:
http://lifeasmom.com/2011/02/free-printable-valentine-coupons.html
Here's to more love in all our lives this year.
Change & Orbits
Another friend posted about the internal changes that are sometimes needed in order to facilitate external change. Here's a quote from her blog:
Wanna shift? Go here and let this guy explain exactly how he does it. Stick out the first post and get to the second: it's even more useful than the first.
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/01/why-some-goals-make-you-run-in-circles/
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/01/how-to-achieve-stretch-goals/
So I read this, and said to myself, "I've been orbiting healthy changes for quite a while." That's a big part of why I can successfully make these changes now. I've watched and learned, and I'm focused on reshaping my internal landscape. Chocolate cake will always be there, but I'm learning to look at it differently. A surprising number of the new people in my life right now are serving as role models and reality checks for my new worldview.
If you read the whole way through this entry hoping for a Year of Transformation update, I've lost a total of 12 pounds -- over 5% of my original weight. I also had two terrific sessions on the arc trainer last week -- 50 minutes and 45 minutes. I've figured out the right settings to wind up exhausted but happy. Just call me Dorothy--"I do believe in endorphins; I do believe in endorphins."
The last six or eight months have brought a lot of new people into my life, and I've watched several old friends make dramatic changes for the better in their lives. I've stretched myself by going new places, meeting new people, and trying new things. All of this is on the heels of a couple of years of HUGE life changes.
My family has spent much of the last two or three years going through major life transitions. Here's a quick list of the biggies:
- Our family moved away from a house we'd been living in for nearly 15 years
- We sold a house
- I started a new job after nearly 12 years at my previous job
- We bought a house
- My husband lost 50 pounds
- My mother died
- My father died
- I settled my father's estate, including selling his house
- My oldest daughter graduated from high school and started college
- My middle daughter started high school
- My husband and I both completely changed our religious view (in opposite directions from each other)
- My mother-in-law moved in with us from Oklahoma
Sometimes, those friends don't even realize they've started a line of dominoes tumbling. Here's one example.
Recently, one friend posted a link to this article
http://www.wholeliving.com/article/the-love-experiment
I thought this was an amazing, scary idea. To be honest, it's not one I'm ready for quite yet. But I thought I might be ready for a smaller, easier step, if I could figure one out. So today at the bookstore, I noticed a Valentine coupon book, and that wonderful back brain saucepan that's been barely simmering heated up a little bit more. So my family is trying something new and different for Valentine's Day this year. Everyone is creating their own coupon book, full of little, easy ways they'd like to be loved. We'll share those ideas during dinner on Valentine's Day, and then during the next year, we'll all redeem our coupons, and get a little practice as asking clearly for the love we want.
Being the geek I am, and being part of a geeky family, I emailed my own family members with an explanation, and a link:
http://lifeasmom.com/2011/02/free-printable-valentine-coupons.html
Here's to more love in all our lives this year.
Change & Orbits
Another friend posted about the internal changes that are sometimes needed in order to facilitate external change. Here's a quote from her blog:
Wanna shift? Go here and let this guy explain exactly how he does it. Stick out the first post and get to the second: it's even more useful than the first.
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/01/why-some-goals-make-you-run-in-circles/
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2011/01/how-to-achieve-stretch-goals/
So I read this, and said to myself, "I've been orbiting healthy changes for quite a while." That's a big part of why I can successfully make these changes now. I've watched and learned, and I'm focused on reshaping my internal landscape. Chocolate cake will always be there, but I'm learning to look at it differently. A surprising number of the new people in my life right now are serving as role models and reality checks for my new worldview.
If you read the whole way through this entry hoping for a Year of Transformation update, I've lost a total of 12 pounds -- over 5% of my original weight. I also had two terrific sessions on the arc trainer last week -- 50 minutes and 45 minutes. I've figured out the right settings to wind up exhausted but happy. Just call me Dorothy--"I do believe in endorphins; I do believe in endorphins."