Positivity For E’erybody!

We are what we eat.  We believe what we see.  We anticipate a cherished touch.  We long for the warmth of the sun in mid-winter.  What can we do about what we say?  We have five senses.  We are using them for the positive, uplifting results of living better lives.

I challenged me to try again to speak only the positive for one week– 7 days — 168 hours — 10080 minutes, so forth and so on.  You catch my drift.  This is not a lifelong commitment but it could be a lifelong challenge.  This is a designated period of time when you can focus on positivity!

I was going to check in on you lovely people and give an update of my progress but I did not want to interfere with anyone’s commitment — public or private.  So I just waited until we were finished with the 168 hours before we shared.

I did NOT make it.  I fell into the negative trap very early in the week.  It was so early I started to come back and retract the  challenge.  But . . .

What did I learn about me?

• My negative statements are usually about people.  That means I am judgmental.
• When I am memorizing scripture (I’ll tell you about that in another post), my focus is on goodness, purity.  My thoughts and words are life-promoting and life-sustaining.
• Aiming for good words makes me aware of what I am about to say.  I used these lines when I knew it would be negative, “I’m just making an observation” or “I’m just stating the obvious”.

What will I do with this information?

• I will focus on and discuss concepts, ideas and possibilities.
• I will recite scripture to myself for meditative purposes and for cleansing my thoughts.
• I will stop making excuses for my behavior.

How did you do?  What did you learn?  Will you try it again?  Maybe a one or two-day challenge?

Be POSITIVE!

 

No, Really

It’s Friday!  YaY!

• I just passed my Dean in the hallway.  He was watering his plants for the weekend.  He asked me, “What are you doing?”  I smiled and said “Nothing.”  He said, “No, really?”  I said, “No really.”   Really?  Really!
• I visited with a young lady last night I have known for 30 or so years.  Her grandmother is in the hospital.  I thought I’d drop by for 20 or 30 minutes.  We visited for 2 hours.  Talked.  Laughed.  Reminisced.  Now I see how two people can be in the same place, witness the same thing and come away with two totally different realities.  Take Sunday dinner for example.                                                                                                              ♦I envied her grandmother (her preacher of a grandfather and her) because they ate out EVERY Sunday after church.  I (with husband, 4 children and my mother) cooked MOST Sunday.                                                                                           ♦My interpretation:  Less work.  Her interpretation:  No food for snacking around regular dinner time.  Who knew?
• I thought I was going to die yesterday.  No, really.  Around 2 p.m. I realized that I had forgotten to eat lunch.  I had the shakes — literally.  Went and got some food, ate and carried on.  I’m fine thank you.
• We are going to a student appreciation for our dance class tonight.  It should be fun.  We must be on time.  Why?  Dr./Mr. and I have mastered about 5 dances.  They will be doing the introductory dances first.  Ergo, punctuality.
• I made a commitment to call people who I keep thinking about and not calling.  I could not figure out when to call or I’d put it off and it wouldn’t happen or I could not decide who to call first.  Well, I am calling people on my 25-35 drive home from work.  Monday — childhood friend.  Tuesday — former teacher.  Wednesday — a second mama.  Thursday — childhood friend and her husband.  Today — former co-worker.  Time management is a beautiful thang 🙂
• Tomorrow night we are going to a tribute to Dinah Washington’s music.
• Hope your week went well.
• What do you have on the calendar for this weekend?  Enjoy Yourself!!!

Photo Collage

I’m still mastering my photo uploading skills.

Shall We Try Again?

My theory, well one of my theories of life, is that if at first you don’t succeed, try again — at least once.

Well I posted this opportunity 2 years ago.  The effort was a short-lived, epic fail.  But the concept never left my mind.  I was convinced I could do it then and I am more convinced I can do it now and I am even more convinced that I NEED to do this.

I am in desperate NEED of a renewed mindset.  I NEED more positivity in my thoughts and my comments.  I NEED positive feedback so I NEED to have positive output.  I NEED positive life situations.  The only way I can change to this is to change to this.  So I am implementing the Sonia Sanchez Be Positive (Say Nothing Negative) For A Week — AGAIN.

Get your mind and mouth right.  Let’s start Wednesday, March 20 and end on Tuesday,  March 26.  We can talk about it on Wednesday, March 27.  That will give you the work day experiences, time to take it to the altar on Sunday, all your weekend activities and people.  I think we can do it.  Anybody up for a positive challenge.

Take A Big Breath.  Sit Tall.

Speak Positive!! OK?  OK.

Just Around the Bend

Our Saturday walk hike torture time is finished.

Although the benefits are overwhelming and the camaraderie is uplifting the process is still a challenge!

Thought you might like to see how we do it in So Cal.

Plus this is me practicing uploading a film clip.   Here goes.

FYI:  THERE IS A VIDEO CLIP THAT GOES WITH THIS THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO UPLOAD FROM MY PHONE — YET.  BUT I MUST KEEP TRYING.  I AM IN PRACTICE MODE FOR UPCOMING TRAVELS!!

Must Haves

Ever think there are some finds just for you?  Look at these two finds.  These made me add another category to my side bar — I Want . . . .  I really think I can populate a Wish List type category with my wishes for my nouns:  people, places and things!

I was sitting here minding my own business when these shoes popped into view.  I luuuuuuuv these!

The jacket.  Look at the jacket.  I am too, too,way too old to think about an “Easter Outfit”.  But I am thinking “Easter Outfit”.  I luuuuuuuv the cut, the color, the style, the price — e’erythang about this jacket!  (You know I already have polish to match this jacket:-) )

Do you still get an “Easter Outfit”?  How dressy is it?  Can you wear it to places other than the sanctuary?

Chime in.  I’ve got some finger clickin’ shopping to do.

Dot, DOt, DOT – POTW Part 2

Tuesday I showed this manicure with solid colors — no dots.  Well, I was sitting in my office and thought there must be something I can do to pass my break time — wink, wink 😉

So I decided to put an orange dot on the purple and vice-y vers-y.  It’s not a look I would wear to President Obama’s 3rd Inaugural Ball but for fun at the office — why not?!?!?

BTW:  Let me know when you get your invite to the Inaugural Ball?

. . . And Here She Comes

Well, we are in the last half of the third month of the first quarter of a (kinda) new year.  In 2012 one of my goals was to run a 5k each quarter.  (RECAP:  I completed all four 5k’s and came in 2nd – once; 3rd – twice; and 6th – once.  YaaaaY!!)

Wellllll, last Saturday, I completed my first 5k of 2013.  Before you say too many woo hoo’s, I need to confess:

1. I did NOT train like I should have AND I knew that.  In my whole training period I never ran a complete 5k (3.1 miles).  That is not good.
2. Our Saturday walking group was fired up and ready to walk it.  But I could ignore them 🙂
3. I gave serious consideration to not running at all.  Then I thought about all of you — encouraging me, cheering me on and waiting for results.
4. I need new running shoes.  I have now put 5 5k’s plus training on them.
5. I thought there would be a rainstorm in Southern Cali last weekend.  It turned out to be perfect running weather.
6. OK, when you’re looking for excuses, you can always find lots of them.  They’re everywhere! Remember that this also applies to your life journey.

I got up and went to run just to get this thing over.  Guess what I found out?!?!?:

1. There is an invigorating energy that passes through the crowd.  I got the fever.
2. There are not a lot of women my age running.  So my chances increase over the general younger population to win, place or show.
3. One of our group members offered to fix breakfast after the 5k!  Count me in!
4. I set out to run and run I did.

I came in at 36:30 — running.  Dr./Mr. came in at 38:59 — WALKING!!  Read it again if you need to.  I said I came in at 36:30 — running.  Dr./Mr. came in 38:59 — WALKING!!  (I do NOT even want to talk about those stats!)

I got a massage after the run while waiting for the medal presentation — Ahhhhhhhh!

End Results:  I came in 2nd in my age category!  Now you can say woo hoo!!

Spring Combinations

Remember the set of polishes I recently bought? This is a pairing for your review.

DISCLAIMER — PART 3:  (I made adjustments that are now lurking in never, neverland, I guess)  If 1 or 2 adjustments show up one day, rest assured that I made them.

I am experimenting with posting from my cell.  I will be going to New York City and Iceland soon and I want to post from my phone while there.  Do you have suggestions or tips for phone posting?  ‘Preciate it.

You Can Stay

I used to work in an eight-story building at this institution.  I felt comfortable when asked to be a floor monitor for emergencies — fires, earthquakes, violence — whatever.  Got my little training.  Had a green neon vest AND a hard hat.  Participated in the scheduled drills.  There was never an emergency, but we were prepared . . . and I helped.

I’m in southern California and we are always aware that an earthquake, maybe even the BIG one, could hit at any time.

Around 10 a.m. we had a slight tremor but it was an “event” that was measurable.  Most of the time we just ignore the earth moving , buildings swaying and chandeliers swinging.  That’s exactly what I did this time.  So I was sitting here working on a project trying to get my POTW post together when the Police Department calls.  Incredibly, I am still listed as a Building/Floor Marshall.  I was told to evacuate and of course tell the others to evacuate.  First things first — I saved my POTW as a draft.  Then I got my purse that is always near and ready to go and proceeded to tell faculty, staff, classes and lingering students to evacuate.

I am a light-hearted person who sings in the bathroom, whistles in the halls, smiles at strangers, speaks to students with a low gpa just to test their comprehension skills.  So each group that I told to evacuate, collectively or individually, asked “Are you serious?!?”  The first couple of times I said “Yes, I am” and kept it moving.  The other times I told them it was a personal choice and that I no longer had time for the second round of “20 questions.”

(What I really told them was, “I don’t give a damn what you do.”  But I did not want to use that type of language and ruin my motherly image with y’all)

The prissy, I-want-to-be-in-charge-of-everything, designated Emergency Coordinator was outside with a wide-eye look and a floating question mark in the middle of her forehead asking me why all the people leaving the building.  I told her the Police Department had ordered an evacuation.  This overzealous Emergency Princess wanted to know why she was not called.  I reminded her that when the 4.5 tremor hit she left and had been seen since and that she had not been back to her office.  She reminded me that she should be contacted when there is an evacuation notice.  I kept moving because no matter what the circumstances, it is frowned upon to pimp slap a co-worker at work.  We are not supposed to create emergencies — go figure.

A few minutes later, the Emergency Princess came over to tell me — personally — that it was safe to re-enter the building.  I thanked her profusely.  Then I told her that she needed to find someone else, anyone else to fill the slot of back up in-case-of-an-emergency building evacuator type person.

She apologized for questioning me.  I accepted her apology.  I then restated that she was short one on her be-safe-out-there emergency team.

What is wrong with these people?!?!?!?

BTW — POTW tomorrow.