Choices: My Week in Review 5/13/07-5/19/07

Autobiography in Five Chapters

1) I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in.
I am lost . . . I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
2.) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I’m in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
3) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it is there.
I still fall in . . . it's a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
4) I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it.
5) I walk down another street.

(Portia Nelson -From: Sogyal Rinpoche, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying)

At a seminar I once attended, the facilitator told a disturbing little story to illustrate the point that we ALWAYS have a choice, in any situation,about how we view our circumstances and how to respond or react. He said that a guy fell through a trap door that put him in a dungeon with no doors, windows, or any possible way of escape. Worse yet, the dungeon was full of crap! The guy was standing on his tip-toes, but even so, the crap came all the way to his chin! The facilitator allowed those at the seminar to offer their opinions as to how this guy should approach his dilemma.Some people said the guy should pray that God would send someone to rescue him. Others said that he should yell and scream to try and get the attention of a possible helper.The facilitator said that none of the solutions offered would work. So what now? The facilitator suggested that we look at perspective. It is possible to have an empowering view of your circumstances no matter what because there's always a choice! The guy in the vat of crap was able to have a winning outcome by being grateful that the crap only came up to his chin! Choice. Things can always be worse! I remember reading a book by Victor Frankle about his experiences as a POW in a concentration camp during WWII. His cell was filthy and barren. Once a day, he was given a bowl of hot water, sometimes not clean water, with a fish head floating in it. Through time, Victor Frankle said that he found true beauty in that fish head! He was grateful. That was his choice.
My choices this week were to focus on what is going RIGHT and keep moving forward! I choose to be happy! I choose to make the most of my life. I choose to get along with EVERYONE the best that I can-which will mean different things in each relationship.
Sunday, May 13: Mother's Day. Went to The Melting Pot with Marcee, Tyler and Michelle. I have been there once before on Christmas Eve. It IS expensive. You can plan on about $50-60 per person BUT it is a very unique dining experience. Definitely not something you would want to do or afford to do more than a couple times per year. Still, the food was good and the process of eating a meal there is very entertaining.
Monday, May 14: A very quiet and reflective day. Productive from the point of view that I had time to get a lot of things done. I had the day off work. Went to small group and we talked about choosing to be happy. A lot is said in this chapter of Your Best Life Now about keeping a good attitude, not waiting until everything is straightened out in your life, job, family, etc. but to be happy now and God will begin working on the other areas that need to change. Joel Osteen talks a lot about how gratitude figures in strongly to the happiness quotient. No other person can make you happy-you must be happy within yourself! Bloom where you are planted.
Tuesday, May 15: I did have work today and then the grilling class that I posted about earlier .
Wednesday, May 16: I went to work at Body. Then off to Weight Watchers. I lost 3/4 pound this week. We discussed the difference between a craving and an impulse. When we crave something, it is usually a process over time and is a specific food. When we have an impulse, it usually arises from a circumstance such as going to a fair or going to the movie, smelling popcorn, and deciding that you MUST have some right now! We talked about strategies to handle both. With the cravings, we can save points out to indulge, we can regulate the portion size so as not to undermine our eating for the day, we may be able to substitute a lesser calorie or lesser fat product for the original such as a Weight Watcher's fudge bar instead of a regular one. As for the impulse eating, the key is to be aware of upcoming events and plan for them. You should not go to parties or fairs or even movies when you are really hungry. Eat a little bit at least to take the edge off your hunger. Plan ahead for extra points to spend if you know you are going to an event. If an impulse catches you, try to minimize the portion size or substitute for a lesser amount of points. Use your bonus points. Don't let this throw you completely off course. Get right back on the program if you fall. After the impulse eating, examine the situation and think about a plan for handling it better next time.
Thursday and Friday, May 17 & 18: Work. This week I tried to have a specific intention each day as I worked on people. Tuesday it was clarity. Wednesday it was healing. Thursday it was prosperity. Friday I focused on authenticity. Saturday honesty was the quality I intended. It is interesting that even though I don't say anything to the clients about this when I am working, many of them make comments that reflect ideas, thoughts, feelings about the very thing I am holding in my mind and heart. Cool, huh?
Saturday, May 19: Worked earlier in the day. We had church at 6pm. The message that night was about honoring everyone who volunteers in the ministry. Pastor Steve took an example of three men in the Bible who volunteered to take some information to Paul when he was in prison. This effort involved taking a substantial journey. Upon receiving the information from these men, Paul expressed how much their efforts had refreshed his spirit. Pastor Steve reminded us that each time we serve, we refresh one another and it is a blessing to us and others as well as a sweet offering to God. We have no idea what impact even the smallest act of service will have upon the lives of those we touch! The other thing that came about was an announcement that there will be no more Saturday night services. It just hasn't served the purposes that it was initiated for. Well, I have mixed feelings here. I do absolutely love having my Sundays totally free! On the other hand, I have missed seeing a lot of the people who go to the Sunday services. This will also free me up to do more on Saturday nights. We were given a choice also of going to another local church that has a Saturday night service but I can't see myself anywhere else but Victory Point. So, it looks like I will be back to church on Sunday after I return from my trip.
Here are my other choices this week:
I am going to stop going to bed with Jay Leno every night! I am going to bed too late and not getting up to exercise. When I get home from vaca, I am going to start watching the 10 o'clock news on Fox and make it to bed by 10:30 or 11pm at the latest!
I am cancelling eharmony! Even though I just tweaked it...I'm not meeting anyone even remotely of interest. I have great fun at my cooking lessons, with friends, with my boys, and going to events on the weekends with various singles groups. School will be starting again. I have two jobs. Life is busy. Life is good. I am happy. I don't need to date right now unless the Lord specifically sends someone into my life...and brings him right to the door....and drops him right in my lap!!! Otherwise, forget it.
I am going to finish things up around the house and yard this summer. I started last year and then lost steam. Beth Dargis' simplify ecourse has inspired me to get going again.
I am going to develop some FLE courses and market them on my own website as ecourses. I am going to have Beth coach me about this...I will have this in place no later than the beginning of 2008. I had planned to wait until after my Masters degree but I feel inspired to pursue this as an avenue to use my writing and hopefully improve my income outlook...I know, I know, another job! This will be a fun adventure though. Just to see if I can do it!
HERE'S TO CHOICES!