Happy Everyday

Yesterday was my birthday, the day that marks another year passing and makes me think of what I have done and hope to still do in this lifetime. I am not oblivious to the fact that I am closer to 50 now than to 40, or that I have reached something that must be nearly the halfway point of my life. Sometimes, I can feel a little confused and disappointed by this. On the other hand, there are also great benefits to aging. For example, the things that threw me into great despair at 20 years old, aren’t even close to making the cut, these days, and I am amazed at all of the opportunities I’ve been given to learn something that actually makes every day a little bit easier. I’m sure I must have thousands of bits of wisdom tucked away in some corner of my mind, just waiting for me need them. Here are the top 10 that I can recall without much provocation:

10.          Egg slicers do not work on onions.

9.            On any day that it really matters, take an extra pair of panty hose with you, because you WILL get a run.

8.            There are no days when “it really matters” if you get a run.

7.            Cheap, aerosol hairspray gets ink out of fabric.

6.            If you loan someone money and you never see them again, it’s money well spent. 
(On the other hand: Gel eyelashes cost $200, last only two weeks, and don’t look any different than wet eyelashes.)

5.            Hearts that don’t break because you hide them are no less lonely than broken ones, but they get cheated of all the fun beforehand.   
          
4.            The appropriate response to the oil light illuminating the dashboard of your car is not, “Oh, look at that cute little Jeanie lamp!”

3.            Almost nothing is so bad that a nap can’t help to fix it.

2.            We all have friends and advocates we don’t even know we have, and they are probably saying something nice about us, even right now.

And the number one thing getting older has taught me:

1.            You will be disappointed that you are not further ahead until you realize that neither are you further behind.

Cheers to living our lives for the very purpose of loving with reckless abandon, learning with an unquenchable thirst, and seeking to experience every emotion and possibility our particular paths provide.

Happy Everyday, everyone!

The List

MSN.com is really stepping it up. I like that they aren’t all bad news. This week, they decided to post a “Build Your Own Bucket List,” link. Sure I have a list. But I was mighty curious to see what their prescription for me was going to be, since I can always use a little more inspiration, and they have some pretty great ideas. (http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/life-unleashed/20-things-everyone-should-do-at-least-once#1)

How many of the things on the list have you already done?

How many of them would have made it on your Bucket List, if you would have thought of it?

This is an exercise really worth doing. If you haven’t already made your list of 20 things you’d most like to experience in this lifetime, it’s time to make it. And if you have made one, it’s time to cross of what you’ve done, give yourself credit, and add more to complete the list, again, because it’s very important to have something you can put into your own hands, periodically, to remind you of your own passions.

Remember how I said last week that I had accidentally fallen into a routine, and scarcely given thought to the things that most excite me? And I was paying the price, too. I wasn’t particularly happy, even though I wasn’t sad, either. And I wasn’t feeling like I could even write about living joyfully, because I wasn’t having much fun. What cured me? My list.

When you have a list, you can see where you are going. Your work that may seem mundane, now, will suddenly have a purpose! Your relationship that may have drifted toward distant will come alive, again! Your list will help you find your enthusiasm, and through enthusiastic eyes, everything looks new and attainable.

Lynn Grabhorn talks about the Law of Attraction and how a person in touch with his own excitement will feel like he is virtually vibrating. She says that is when good things start to happen: coincidences will place the people you most need right into your path, timing falls into perfect step with you, and ideas seem to pour into your brain as if from a wide-open spigot. It’s a bit like prayer and faith. Formulate the idea, then start getting excited about it, because it’s going to happen.

So, how do you get to vibrating? How do you get in touch with your own excitement? You think about which of these incredible gifts on this amazing playground of a planet you’d most like to experience. Suddenly, like a giddy child waiting for Christmas, you’ll find your own delight!

How about it? Ready to make a list? Let’s start with the one MSN made. I’m going to add to it, “Take the train tour through Alaska.” (http://www.princesslodges.com/alaska-rail-tours.cfm)

What would you like to add?

Fun vs. Joy

Have you ever invited someone into your home, and discovered as you met them at the door and brought them inside that you were suddenly seeing your home through their eyes? Have you been two steps ahead, picking up a blanket that was crumpled at the back of the sofa, or stacking mail and placing it in a drawer, for example? These things don’t bother you. You live with them. You barely notice them. But when you see them, suddenly, through the eyes of someone who may be taking it all in for the first time, you really see them. And you think, in a split second, “This isn’t as good as it could be. Let me make some adjustments.”

This just happened to me with someone who came to visit me after 30 years. Only it wasn’t my actual house I felt compelled to get in order, it was my proverbial house. This well-meaning friend asked me the simplest question of all: what do you do for fun? I had no answer. I love to enjoy the company of my friends at parties or over a glass of wine, and I appreciate feeling challenged at work, but what, praytell, do I do, exactly, for fun?

I suppose what I find most interesting about this is the fact that I have been doing research and setting goals and working my own Living in Joy plan for awhile now.  I’m in touch with Joy, per se, meaning that “all is well,” undercurrent that allows me to enjoy every experience for what it is, comfortable and uncomfortable, alike. It took awhile to get there, and I’m glad to report not only that I do, indeed, live in Joy, but that I am also delighted to be able to share that learning with anyone who is interested. But what about fun?  

One good thing about my Living in Joy work is that I have already answered the very difficult question, “What would you do, if you could do anything at all.” As it turns out, that puts me ahead of the game. I went back to my original answers to that very important question and found my list. I want to swim with dolphins. I want to write and travel and speak. I want to play guitar and be able to sing along. I want to find and enjoy all of that with the Love of My Lifetime, whoever he turns out to be… and lots of other “fun things.” I had forgotten those goals, in favor of learning my new management job. I had done exactly what I coach against… “Don’t give up on your dreams, while you make a living.”

As soon as I realized that I had been operating on auto-pilot, I almost immediately felt my slump of the last year dissipate. I had things to do and things to look forward to doing. I have a mission, and that is not only to live in touch with Joy, but to have fun, too!

Carolyn Myss suggests that our SoulMates aren’t the loves of our lifetime and meant to stay with us, but rather, are the transient souls who drop in for a moment to give us the wake-up calls we need along the way. If that’s the case, then this friend from my past is one of my SoulMates. Thank you for reminding me to have fun. Thank you for motivating me to continue pursuing the things I most want to experience in this lifetime. Thank you for helping me see the dust on the shelves and the clutter on the counter. Because my little corner of the world isn’t as good as it could be, it’s time to make some adjustments.

So, how about it, everyone? What do you do for fun?

Weathering the Weather

There was a Facebook Quiz, today, on my MSN homepage:
“It’s nearly Spring. What’s your favorite part of this time of year?
A. The change to warmer (hopefully drier) weather
B. Seasonal foods like asparagus, peas and morels
C. The colorful fashion updates

Is anyone shocked that choice “A” won out by 84%? I think we all know how much the weather influences our moods and how we feel, physically. What we may not know is why.

You may already know that vitamin D supports bone strength, but did you know it’s also critical to building and maintaining the neurotransmitters in our brains, as well as supporting immune function? Sunshine helps our bodies make vitamin D and a lack of sunshine may contribute to a shortage. We also get a surge of endorphins (the “feel good” hormones), just by being in natural settings, and in the winter, we’re not out in nature nearly as much as we’re likely to be in friendlier months. Without that nature boost, we may experience fewer “feel good” hormone surges. Lastly, because the weather doesn’t allow for as much physical activity and shorter days promote more lethargy (triggering a hibernation response), our bodies can lose energy and our moods can follow suit.   

What do we do about something over which we have absolutely no control having such a tremendous influence on the level of joy we may be able to access at any given time? Answer: We find other ways to feed ourselves the Vitamin D, release the endorphins, and maintain stable temperatures and comfort. Here are my top 3 suggestions:

1. Get your Vitamin D! Although there’s some controversy about whether or not tanning beds are a good option for this, they aren’t. They are now listed as a carcinogen in the same category as cigarettes! 400-1000 IU are recommended daily allowances, and in the winter, you should move toward the higher side of supplementation. Canned tuna or salmon have anywhere from 200-800 IU so try to incorporate those into your diet. Not sure what you can stand to eat in the canned salmon category? Try recipes from the experts: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/canned/recipes/appetizer.html  Another option? Swap your non-fat latte for a vanilla soy misto and save on calories while upping your intake by at least 50 IU per drink.

2. Keep indoor plants and pictures of nature at the ready. Research shows that the brain responds to only seeing pictures of the sun, the beach, trees, and flowers, in the very same way it responds to taking a walk through the real thing. In addition, cut flowers are available all year, and a small bouquet by your bed table has been shown to help you get up on the right side of the bed. Fill your house with these visuals and take a minute to enjoy them. http://www.art.com/gallery/id--b1833/scenic-posters.htm

3. Let there be light. When sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depressive disorder triggered by dreary days and a lack of summer light, relief can be found with some simple home solutions. Don’t be a scrooge about turning on your lights; use full spectrum light bulbs, too, at least in the rooms you spend the most time; keep your rooms bright when you are awake, and dark when you sleep. Keep windows uncovered; eat tryptophan rich foods which are not as likely to add to your middle as, say, the donut you are craving. Turkey, bullion, and whole grains are good options; exercise daily, even if it’s just a walk on the treadmill. If you haven’t yet discovered Planet Fitness, at $10/month with no contract, it’s the perfect commitment to make to yourself and enhancing own best mood.

Take heart. Summer is coming, days are getting longer, spring bulbs are sprouting. Get yourself ready to peel off those winter layers and become active, again. Hibernation season is over, regardless of what color the sky is today. Enjoy yourself, wherever you are, as you watch the world and yourself come alive again!