Stream of Consciousness Sunday - Time Is A Wasting

It's Week 14 of my Stream of Consciousness Sunday posts. The day is half over & already I'm wishing it was Friday...again.  I know I'm getting older. And how do I know? I can't seem to stop time from flying by.  

We've been spoiled by a gorgeous start to our fall where the 80 degree temps lasted much longer than we could have hoped for, but now the leaves are falling & the overnight temps are approaching the 30's again & the highs only in the 50's.

Reluctantly it's time to say goodby to my deck garden.  A few plants are still bursting with tomatoes of all sizes & modest sizes peppers will all be harvested in a couple of days & will have to ripen in the house.

I'm filling up my calendar with appointments pre-winter & am stressing about kindergarten registration in the Spring. I need to get new tires for my old car & get it winterized as well. 

"Time = Life, Therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life." by Alan Lakein

So time is also running out for me to get my act together & make headway towards being worthy to wear this shirt that I bought from my trainer when I found out I was going back to work and could no longer go & have her beat me to a pulp for a hefty price.  

Hard to believe, but this used to be true & it will be again.

Since then I haven't exactly found time for me ~ to get myself back in "athletic" shape again. I quit the health club to save money. We got an elliptical trainer back in February, a late Christmas present that has since forgotten what I look like because I visit it so infrequently ;  ) 

I bought a pair of Levis today. Too chicken to try them on in the store, I tried them at home & sure enough - they don't fit - but... they are not going back to the store. They will fit by winter if it kills me!  This chick is back on a mission.

There are mountains of exercise videos gathering dust. Kettle bells, hand weights & tubes are calling my name. I have no more excuses...time is a wasting.  

This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. (Well sort of this week.) It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.

§         Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.

§         Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.

§         Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.

§         Link up your post at all.things.fadra

§         Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy: Stream of Consciousness Sunday - The Pieces That Make Us Whole or Inner Struggles

Back To Blogging Day 4: Who Inspires You?

If you are hopping over from The Blog Frog & had your heart set on a brand new post, check back next week to read about a woman I only met this past summer - Danielle Pellicano, who I learned recently completed the Ironman in Wisconsin on September 11th. I'm cheating a little because I needed more time to write the "who inspires me" post about her. 

In the mean time, many of you may have missed this recap about someone who has been to hell & back & survived despite the experience. I wrote this post about a woman who had to deal with a horrific set of circumstances that affected her very high profile husband & changed their lives as a couple & as a family forever.  I had the opportunity to meet her, and was in awe of her strength & perseverance.  She is a huge inspiration to me, to so many military wives and women across the country where she travels to speak, promote her writing & their foundation.

An evening with Lee Woodruff - My SmartTalk ConnectedConversations Recap

Goals To Live By

It's been an interesting week - full of highs & lows, celebration & disappointment all around the same event.  I've been thinking more & more about why it's important to set goals, write them down & then track progress on an ongoing basis.  Obviously goal setting is nothing new. We all claim to do it at any given time both in our personal & professional lives. The key, however is understanding how well you are able to hold yourself accountable for taking steps towards achieving those goals. In order to be the most effective, this has to be an ongoing ritual, not simply an infrequent agenda item.

"Life’s up and downs provide windows of opportunity to determine your values and goals. Think of using all obstacles as stepping stones to build the life you want." - Marsha Sinetar 

Every sale needs a closer.  That pretty much sums up my week ahead.  If I don't acknowledge my own worth, than how can I expect anyone else to come & meet me in the middle.  No one deserves to sell themselves short.  You've  got to dare to reach much higher than you may have ever needed to do in the past.  You may be happily surprised by a pleasant outcome.

"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo Buonarroti

So, what is the secret sauce? Reinforcing the positive behaviors: checking things off the list as you go and acknowledging the hard work it took to get each goal accomplished. The reward will come in the ability to praise yourself rather than waiting around for someone to acknowledge your worth. Make inspiration sustainable.

"People are not lazy. They simply have impotent goals - that is, goals that do not inspire them." - Tony Robbins

I assembled  the quotes for this post in the hopes that you'll take at least one to heart.  I'll call them "Goals To Live By".  Whenever you start to question or doubt one of those goals you've documented and/or your ability to find the strength to continue on the path of pursuit, remember some of these powerful words. 

"You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals." - Booker T. Washington

Revisiting Work-Life-Balance

Photo Courtesy of:  
EA / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

And so it begins. Back in the rat race again. One can't help but be thankful and fortunate during this fragile state of our economy, yet at the same time, I'm having all sorts of mixed emotions about what lies ahead. This time it's a little like the 1st day of school as an exchange student. You're only there for a short period of time, but while you're there in a strange country, you do your best to blend in, learn the culture of the family that's hosting you & the expectations of the school that's teaching you. It's truly a peculiar place to be in your career during your early 40's.

 Photo Courtesy of:  
Francesco Marino / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our family is having to find our new normal. New schedules, responsibilities & expectations all around. We'll be searching to find a balance between the comfortable life we had before I was laid off, the cautious reality of the past fifteen months and the relative uncertainty of the months ahead.

 Photo Courtesy of:  
Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'll miss the limited amount of alone time I had.  Doing those simple things on every mom's to-do list in solitude, like shopping for groceries, doing the laundry, planning meals, cleaning house.

Photo Courtesy of:  
Mantas Ruzveltas / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What's my greatest wish? To have the patience and the strength to begin each day with purpose outside of myself & to end the work day prioritizing the most important people in my life - my son & my husband, what their needs are, but not to forget my own. 

I'll squeeze out time for my workouts, to get my hair done, and maybe have a massage once a year.  I'll ask my husband for his help & support when I need it, because I really don't have to play Superwoman to be successful. 

"Night is drawing nigh -
For all that has been - Thanks!
For all that shall be - Yes!"
An Evening Affirmation by Dag Hammarskjold

But more importantly, I know that it will all come back to me... remembering how I did it before, how I found the time in every day to get it all done. I will find my Work-Life-Balance.

A New Chapter

Well starting late next week, a new chapter will unfold as I start work at a contract position for the next several months.  I tossed the idea back in forth in my head, discussed it with family & a couple of close friends.  I've also heard in the past several days that more people in my personal circle would be losing their jobs. 

Everyone should learn to stretch beyond their comfort zone. 
- Harvey Mackay  

It's such a sobering reality. Things just may get worse for so many before they get better. There are no promises to be made - no guarantees - only what life dishes out day by day.  It's a matter of how you choose to play the cards you've been dealt and where you continue your journey from there. My prayers go out to them. I also said a little prayer of thanks that some good fortune has found it's way back to our family. It will mean some big changes for how we manage our lives, but we all will adjust.

"Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge

It's amazing how small victories give a person strength & courage. Only you can work to make sure you are in a better situation the next time a major challenge tests your will to survive. Only you can decide to thrive. I am empowered to write a new chapter.

The search goes on for a permanent career opportunity - still a work in progress. I never imagined a plot twist such as this, but I'm willing to take it and see how my character develops - in more ways than one.

Happy Mother's Day 2010

It seems like such a short time ago that God blessed my hubby & I with these ten little toes on my son's two perfect little feet.  How time has flown.  Those now 3 year old feet are wearing size 10 1/2 shoes! 

This is my fourth Mother's Day & every one that approaches makes me feel so blessed & fortunate to have a life so precious totally dependent on us.  What a huge responsibility it is, but I will be forever up to the task. I am determined & focused on my goals.

Motherhood has a way of putting everything into perspective.  Nothing in your life or in your heart is quite the same after you give birth to your child & thank goodness nothing will ever be quite as important.  Not even the uncertainty of the job search process.

"Our real blessings often appear to us in the shapes of pains, losses and disappointments; but let us have patience, and we soon shall see them in their proper figures." - Joseph Addison

Motherhood helps give me all the patience I need to continue my journey towards the next leg of my career - however long it takes.  I 'm determined to find the right role - that perfect fit for both myself & my future employer.  I refuse to give up hope - I'll continue searching, applying & networking until my search is over.  And when that happens, I'll be squeezing my son & thanking God that he gave me the strength of Motherhood to help get me there. 

For every generation celebrating this Mother's Day 2010, I wish you much peace, joy & happiness.

An evening with Lee Woodruff - My SmartTalk ConnectedConversations Recap

I had the pleasure of having a rare Girl's Night Out last Tuesday, April 27th.  A dear friend, with whom I golf, invited me to attend SmartTalk ConnectedConversations with Lee Woodruff. Another golf friend's company, JNBA Financial Advisors was an event sponsor.

Lee and her husband - Bob Woodruff (best known for his work as an ABC NEWS anchor) were immediately thrust into the hearts and homes of millions when breaking news announced that Bob's brain had been critically injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, while on assignment back on January 29th, 2006.

Lee recounted the entire course of events during her speech - engaging the emotions of the audience with every word. She sees herself as the "face of the caregiver" who relied on "strong foundations and faith" to lead her through the ordeal and Bob's long recovery process. It also allows us to identify with her & how we would react when presented with our own crisis situations.  She chooses to "live in a world of hope" and "to stay in the zone", which at the time meant waiting to find out Bob's baseline before forming any conclusions about the future of their existence together as a family.

"I have to know - will he still love me?... and he did... (the doctor) was right." - Lee Woodruff

She talked about "hope needing to be dispensed a little more with the reality" in the medical community and how it was the nurses that gave her glimmers of light - recounting Bob's hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute accomplishments as his brain slowly worked to "re-wire itself", which she called "an incredible miracle." 

"He's a fighter... He wants to live."  "He is my Bob."  "I can't believe you're here...You shouldn't be here... every night is a gift." - Lee Woodruff

I really encourage you to pick up her books: "In An Instant" and her newest work: "Perfectly Imperfect - A Life in Progress", which deals with "what happens when the adrenalin stops." I won't give a way every compelling detail - I want you to experience it for yourself, in her words.

I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to meet Lee and to hear her speak. She literally peeled back her layers and invited us into her soul - helping us understand what it took to get her through their family's personal tragedy, but more importantly to "come out the other side." She stressed the importance of connecting yourself on a daily basis to your loved ones - living in the moment. It's something every one of us could relate to - forgetting to do just that and taking the little miracles of life for granted.

"Be In The Moment" - Lee Woodruff

 Giving thanks for the moment is the only way to glimpse eternity.

- Modern meditation from Seville, Spain

If you haven't heard about Bob & Lee Woodruff's foundation, I encourage you to check out their website & learn about the incredible work they do through their grants. They have a great mission and purpose: to provide "resources and support to service members, veterans and their families to successfully reintegrate into their communities so they may thrive physically, psychologically, socially and economically."

By the way, Jennifer, a fellow MN blogger~ @UnplannedCookin attended this event as well, so for another point of view, look for her blog post recap next Monday at http://www.unplannedcooking.com/

Wordless Wednesday - "In An Instant"

 The incredible spirit who is Lee Woodruff 

says to "Be In The Moment" ~ http://remind.org/ 

More on this to come.