by Miriam | Oct 15, 2014 | Uncategorized
Last week, from two entirely different sources came the same message.
Seth Godin, whom I refer to often, mentioned two different lists – one of all the things in your life that have gone wrong. All the deals missed. All the disappointments. Then the other list: all the things that have gone right. All the lucky breaks. All the good times. He challenged his readers to focus on the "gone right" list. Because it IS a choice, and life is so, so much better when we focus our energy in that direction.
On that same day, Richard Rohr also referred to the choice of gratefulness. His angle was different, but his point was the same. When we focus on what we are grateful for, we experience God.
I noticed today, as I was driving, I looked to the side at something of interest, and immediately, my car leaned that way (I'm not all that great of a driver!) And when I used to take riding lessons, the instructors would always say, "Look where you want to go, not where you are." Because where you looked focused your energy and your center of gravity, and the horse naturally went there.
Look upward and outward. Inward at times, but always, with humility and thankfulness.
PS. I will be traveling for the next week, in and out of internet service … so I am not taking my computer and will not post until I get back.
by Miriam | Oct 14, 2014 | Uncategorized
I just saw a trailer for "We the economy" – 20 short films by big name folks designed to help us understand the more complicated aspects of our fiscal universe.
I promptly went to their website (wetheeconomy.com) … sigh. They are available to the public on Oct 21. Why advertise for something prior to it's release? This is not a theater showing … it's available via the internet – so why tell me about it, but not let me have it? This seems like a poor marketing move because a) it is annoying and b) by the time it is released, I may have moved on.
In a cyber world that doesn't necessarily afford return visits due to overloaded info-splurge (a word is just now made up), it seems like the best move would be to make it available and THEN tell me about it.
Sometimes, we get the order of things mixed up.
Like buying something before you have the money for it.
Like giving someone too much of yourself before you have a commitment.
Like saying you'll do something before consulting your calendar or your internal energy reserves.
Sometimes it doesn't matter, but sometimes, it DOES.
by Miriam | Oct 13, 2014 | Uncategorized
No offense Mabel, my favorite (and only bulldog that I know).
But today, I have doggedly stayed with (and please notice the nice pun) a computer project almost all day.
I like technology, but I also am somewhat cursed, because I am just slightly too old to be really good at figuring out the in's and out's of it all. And it is constantly changing, so I feel like it is rare for me to be up on what all can be done, and HOW to do it.
For the better part of 8 months, I have been wrestling with getting a blog from my business website to communicate (and therefore SEND) to those subscribed to it. Part of the issue is that I cannot obtain a living, breathing HUMAN to help me. I usually invest a couple hours a week trying to solve the mystery of where all the humans at Google live, but as of yet, this has continued to foil and elude me.
However, stymied is not beaten.
Eventually, via a separate venture, it occurred to me that I could do an end-run around Google (which makes me feel powerful and vindicated) - I signed up with an entirely different company and I'm surprised it took me this long to do it – (on the whole, I am a pretty patient and long-suffering individual).
I suppose I shouldn't crow until I actually see the e-mails in people's inboxes, however, dare I say it, I think I have it figured out.
If any of you are aware of the idea of a 6 X 6 – what are the top six things I need to accomplish in the next six weeks? – this was my number one on the 6 X 6 – which is what prompted the action.
FINALLY.
If it works, then I feel like I will have learned something important:
Stick with it till you figure it out – But sometimes "figuring it out" means changing directions, companies, relationships, contexts, etc.
Even bulldogs have to let go of their grip eventually, right Mabel?
by Miriam | Oct 11, 2014 | Self-Awareness, Uncategorized
I have been experiencing the “spinning wheel of death” of late. (Of course, do you even have to ask? I am a mac user!)
The sad fact of it all is that my hard drive is in it’s twilight years, and may not be with us for very much longer.
I tried a couple of things earlier; a software ‘clean-up’ program and an OS upgrade. Interestingly, both of these things did not solve the problem, but rather made it worse.
Sometimes we try to dress up the externals – new clothes, home renovation, new relationship, etc. But, if the issue is internal, those things are not likely to help. And, they might just add to the disaster. You have to deal with the DNA. Heal the soul. Fix the heart. Mend the theology. Reconcile the relationship.
If your core is having a breakdown, a new outfit doesn’t really solve the problem.
by Miriam | Oct 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Everyone knows that creating prioritized lists helps you get stuff done. Or, at the very least, it makes you feel guilty. But I not very many people talk about REALISTIC lists. Maybe you should have two lists. The one with all the stuff you want to get done in your lifetime or this year or this month; and then the one for today.
Friday is the first day in my whole entire life where I accomplished EVERYTHING on my list!
But, before you all start hating me out of jealous envy, let me clarify: my list was realistic.
When I was younger, I used to make these horrible lists that even God couldn't accomplish in a day. (well, maybe He could). And you know how when something stays on your list and gets bumped to the next day and then the next … well, pretty soon a year has gone by … oh yea, I really should do that. (Like the grout around my tub that I bought the tube of silicone over a year ago …)
There were three things I did today that I think contributed to my sucess:
A) New dry erase board / calendar to write list on, because I get some sort of heady pleasure when I erase the item with my finger. It feels powerful. More so than crossing something off.
B) I really was careful to not add things like "finish my kitchen baseboards" because that felt un-do-able. (However, it is on tomorrow's list!)
C) I did ONLY the items on my board.
Normally, when I'm waiting for an attachment to load onto an e-mail and I'm trying to be efficient, I'll go downstairs to put the laundry in the dryer and I get distracted by emptying the cat box, and when I take the kitty litter out to the garage, I get side-tracked by the messy garage that needs sweeping, and while I'm going to get the broom, I get hungry and start making lunch, which, as I clean that up, I think, I should wash the dishes … and my e-mail has timed out by the time I get back.
Today, when I thought of the cat box, I said, "No, I'll do it tomorrow." And so I put the clothes in the dryer and came back upstairs and sent the e-mail. I did this all day.
As a result, my wonderful friends (I think you are still my friends …) who loaned me their ladder in the MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER … yes, you will get it back today. Because, just as the sun was setting, I touched up the final bits of one of the sides of my barn (last item on my list). With God and all my faithful blog readers as my witness, you will get your ladder back TODAY! I did not abscond with it; it just kept getting moved to the next day's to do's.
So, fair readers … you can do it too. When you're making your lists and checking them twice, cross some things off and make it do-able. You will be so much happier. When I wiped that last item off my dry-erase board, my endorphins were singing inside me. Better than drugs, I tell you.
by Miriam | Oct 9, 2014 | Uncategorized
So I joined this 21-Day Blogging Challenge put on by Jeff Goins (someone who has some great podcasts, btw – put his name in the itunes store search and you can access them for free). Even though I have been blogging for about 9 months (!), I thought the challenge could perhaps tighten up some of my nebulous spaces. (Would those be called Nebuli?)
Anyway, his challenge yesterday was to find your focus: Who am I and what do I want to say?
Question One: What is the SUBJECT of my Blog?
- What am I passionate about?
- In what topic do I have expertise or a desire to learn?
- What could I write about for a year without running out of ideas or energy?
I started out to write about intentionality, and I think, with few exceptions, this is exactly what I have done … YAY! I am on track.
Question Two: What is my THEME?
-
How can I break this subject down into its various components?
- What do I want to concentrate on?
- Is there a specific manner in which I want to attack this issue? What will my writing "voice" be? (e.g. Humorous, sarcastic, practical, anecdotal, etc.)
The answer to this comes from my friend Carolyn … who told me I write with a kind of practical everyday wisdom … this was helpful feedback, because some days, it feels a little muddled inside.
Question Three: What is my OBJECTIVE?
- What do I want to accomplish with my writing?
- What impression do I want to leave?
- What's my goal? How do I measure it?
This one is tricky. A) I want to influence people and be value-added. B) I want to create a feeling of "Tribe" amongst people who follow the blog. Like we get each other on some levels. C) I want to encourage people … to let them know that being human is okay. D) I want to learn how to create something larger than myself … really big. By the end of this year, I will begin utilizing all forms of social media and see where this thing goes.
So the reason for the post today is that I thought Jeff's questions are awesome for everyday life as well as a blog. We all have subjects, themes and objectives to our lives.
What are some of yours?
