If not now, then when?

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Now

Have you ever wanted something/somewhere/someone so much, so bad… that you were willing to do almost anything to get it? No matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how hard it might seem… and it wasn’t hard at all?

Acting outside of our comfort zone, especially against natural instincts is a sure fire way to see growth. What if the growth was simply an added bonus for achieving the dream?

I’ve learned over the years, that I have more strength that I have cared to test or realize… Every circumstance that has been trying has been, in almost every case, unsolicited. I find myself now, seeking, and driven towards even, a different way. I have realized a new means of getting there. A way that while challenging in theory, has turned out to be entirely doable.

And so I hope that my patience and perseverance pays off in the end. Yet, much like a young child does in developing a new skill I enjoy the process and the journey almost as much (sometimes more than) the end game.

I know where I want to end up. And each day – while living in this moment – I am ever so conscious of where I want to be.

What are you doing – right now – to get to where you want to be?

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Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun or email me at trish at trishblogs dot com!

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Filed Under: General, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , ,

Make the pledge with me! Appreciate someone today!

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I was speaking with a co-worker yesterday about the tendency in our line of work to occasionally envision a more satisfying job doing something “happy”. You know where the purpose of your job is not to help people fix their problems (like many of us social workers do) but instead to further their happiness (i.e. in hospitality). One thing I’ve noted when working in other areas is that I don’t have patience for the complainers or the sense of urgency people have. After having worked in truly urgent environments, my immediate reaction is to think “no one is dieing here!”

We’re all guilty of complaining, of having high expectations, or not showing our appreciation for the successful things, yet making a big deal out of small errors, faults or omissions.

There are lots of similar movements out there, but I’d like to challenge you to make a point every day of complimenting someone for a job well done. Thank the barista for the hot coffee and the smile; tell you hairdresser how much you value their special touches (like that scalp massage); thank your doctor for seeing you on short notice…

To take it up a notch: do so publicly.

And to add to the challenge, for every compliant you make in a day, try to make one additional positive remark to someone that day.

Make your pledge with me to share with someone how they have added to the joy in your day/life… tell a friend/co-worker/family member/service provider you know something you appreciate about them.  Do it now!

Filed Under: Gratitude, West Nova Family Tagged With: , ,

Yes, there is still a plan / AKA Writing challenge: throw a topic at me!

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I have not entirely completed my current (any) life plan. I haven’t clarified my goals, nor written out my plans: short term, long term and individual to each goal. I believe I must make time to do this, then begin following the plan(s).

Today I decided that any physical activity of some level of intensity of up to 30 mins, everyday would become a part of my fitness plan. There will be some more specific goals and challenging activities, but EVERYday, I will spend up to 30 mins working out. For the time being, this involves swimming during my children’s lessons at the lake each morning. Last week I swam daily and the level of intensity was entirely inconsistent. I took Saturday and Sunday off. Today I decided for this week it will involve swimming across the lake and back (approximately 900 meters).

I want to start working towards each of my goals this way, one small activity weekly or daily depending upon the relevance. Photography: a photo a day, everyday. Photo must be taken in manual mode and be something I am willing to share online. For today I chose to start with reading about getting out of the auto settings (I never use the actual “AUTO”, but the predefined semi-auto are my comfort zone), so I know this involves getting to know my camera better – tomorrow’s task: read the rest of the camera manual.

When it comes to my career related goals, I will need to take more time to eek any semblance of a plan out.

Writing: post at least one blog entry everyday. The toughest part of writing for me is getting started: deciding what to write about. So I decided to start a little experiment. I posted a Tweet/Buzz and Facebook Status asking for topics. I am challenging myself to write about every topic, no matter how strange, boring irrelevant to me. They do not necessarily need to be posted everyday – I may have other ideas that compel me to write as well 😉 , but I will have a running list to refer to and challenge myself with. Unless I start getting more topics thrown at me than I can ever keep up with, then I will need to set some clearer limits and expectations. I have received three suggestions so far. Two I have an idea of where to go with, the third I haven’t looked at yet (I was told not to if I a still on vacation– but realize now, I’ll at least need to add it to my list).

So here’s to moving forward, starting with little baby steps.

***If you have a suggestion for my writing topic challenge please add it to the comments on my blog!

Filed Under: General, Health & Fitness, West Nova Family Tagged With: , , , ,