Cookies

Cookies.

My daughter sent me a box of warm, delicious cookies the other day. Her sweet note included that she wished she lived closer and could deliver them herself. Her thoughtful gesture made my day, and really lifted my spirits. Sometimes small actions result in big payoffs. 

She takes after her father when it comes to generosity, and has always had a big heart. I couldn't be more proud of her and love her to the moon and back. More than anything, I'm enjoying watching her and my son-in-law as new parents sharing their love with their first born.


My grandson is one lucky guy to have two such loving parents. I know the apple won't fall far from the tree when it comes to a generous heart for him. 

Proactive

Proactive. 

"Be proactive in seeking new experiences." Creativity coach Doreen Marcial Poreba includes this in her traits of creative individuals. 

This is an area that doesn't always come naturally to me. I have a tendency to hold back and exist in the tried and true. However, I know that I have almost always benefited from a new experience. It is the novelty that seems to spark the idea of possibilities. 

Being proactive means actively seeking out the new and different. Often times for a planner like me, I have to give myself a push in this direction. I'm afraid if I leave it up to happenstance it might just not happen. But the benefits outweigh the comfort and ease of the known. 

I want to look to the example of my Aunt Loree and my mother-in-law who never turned down an opportunity for a new experience. They certainly seized the day!

Limiting Beliefs

Limiting beliefs. 

Are you guilty of this? "They put limitations on themselves before they even start to consider the many options available to them." Doreen Marcial Poreba brings to light the fact that often times we've already made up our mind before we even begin. We refuse to fully examine all the possible options available to us. 

This goes along with the idea of false choices. Many times we narrow things down to one or two possibilities. The reality is that generally if you allow yourself you can come up with other possible options. 

Holding onto our limiting beliefs keeps our thinking small. It plays into the idea of scarcity, where there just isn't enough to go around. 

In my quest to include more creativity in my life, I don't want to automatically limit myself by limiting my options. Allowing yourself to think outside the box may be just the thing you need to expand your beliefs about what is possible in your life. 

Doors

Doors. 

"If it does not open, it's not your door," is a posting I saw the other day, and it got me to thinking about those doors that open along the way in life. 

If a door does opens to you, is it necessarily your door? 

For most of my life whenever a door opened to me I usually walked through. I think I was somewhat fearful that maybe there would never be a better door. I rarely asked myself if it was what I really wanted? Surely, there must be some sort of reason for that door to open? If I failed to step through, would I be missing out on something, and possibly risk not having that opportunity offered again?

Recently, I've come to believe that even though a door opens to me, it doesn't necessarily mean it is the best course of action. It just means that it is there for thoughtful consideration as I make my way down the path of life.   Earlier this year a door opened which resulted in some reservations on my part. Unfortunately, I pushed them aside, thinking that I was obligated to walk through because it had been opened to me. 

Looking back, I should have given more weight to the validity of my reservations, and trusted myself more in knowing what I wanted. As time goes on I realize that I'm not going to ever get back the time I spend doing something I don't really want to do. I want to listen more closely to that still, small voice and learn that it is okay to close a door or two without regret, and not just step through it because it opened. 

The Journey

The journey. 

You have probably heard the words, "It's the journey, not the destination that is important "

I think perhaps it really is both, however, sometimes we are in such a rush to get to the destination that we overlook the journey.  Our society is very results oriented. If there is no score or bottom-line then people assume there is little value. 

However, when it comes to creativity, the journey is the hidden pot of gold. You see most of us will never make our living through our creative pursuits. Most of us will not be recognized by the world for our creative accomplishments. But the value of expressing ourselves through creativity is what sweetens the journey. 

There is something about being involved in an activity that when you look up you wonder where the time went. This is called flow, and it is that rare experience where time seems to stand still. You are so involved in the moment that you lose track of time. It is a sweet feeling, and the satisfaction it brings is great. 

Look for small ways to express yourself creatively.  I know for me, I find great pleasure in writing. I do not consider it a chore, and look forward to the time I can devote to this pursuit. There is certainly nothing wrong with the destination, but enjoy the journey more. 

Heart's Desire

Heart's desire. 

About three years ago it became apparent to me that I needed a little something else in my life. After giving it some consideration, I decided that maybe bringing a puppy on board might be the very thing to solve this dilemma. 

Now it had been eleven years since I had had a puppy, and kind of like the pangs of 
childbirth, I had conviently forgotten all the work involved with a wee fur baby. I suppose this is nature's way of continued canine adoption. 

I knew I wanted a smaller dog, and began doing what I normally do when I want to know more about something.  I started looking on-line to determine the best dog for me. Although, I had never considered one before, the miniature poodle kept coming up as an excellent choice. Smart, portable, devoted and a non-shedder to boot made this dog the perfect candidate. There was one small problem, though, I had never really been all that taken with their looks. 

And as shallow as it might appear, CUTE was high on my priority list. Thus I began another on-line search for a cute poodle. What I did discover was that not everyone cuts their poodle 
in the same style. As a matter of fact, there is actually a more rough, puppy cut that seemed 
to appeal to me. 

Now as I saved various poodle pictures a pattern began to emerge. It seemed that they all looked alike; namely their tan color. Up to this point I thought poodles were only black, white and apricot color. 

A few months later Cooper was born. I really had no idea what he would look like. Amazingly, he was tan just like all the pictures I had saved. He also sported an adorable white muzzle and chest. I can honestly say in my eyes, he was the CUTEST puppy ever! 

As I thought about the chances of Cooper being the "exact" dog I had wanted, I couldn't help but remember Psalm 37:4, "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Beginner

Beginner. 

Agree to allow yourself to be a beginner. In her book, Unlocking Your Creativity, author Doreen Marcial Poreba states, "Agreeing to be a beginner at something throughout your life will keep you open to newness, support brain functioning, and invite growth."

As children we were in a constant state of being a beginner. No one just jumped on their bike and took off.  Cursive handwriting required hours of practice before it became legible. But somewhere around adolescence we become hesitant to try new things. Being a beginner became too much of a risk. "What would our friends think?"

As we enter adulthood this may keep us from pursuing new skills. But the truth is that all new things require some sort of a learning curve, and that is perfectly natural. Rome wasn't built in a day, and we have to allow ourselves the time needed to achieve mastery. 

One of the findings in studies of the aging brain, is that learning something new is quite beneficial to the brain. Perhaps learning something completely new, like a language or an instrument, might be even better. Pursuing a new skill will only add to our cognitive growth. 

The lesson learned from childhood is to enter a new task knowing you are a beginner, but not giving up hope that over time you'll get better and better.  

Creative Pursuits

Creative pursuits. 

How do you view creativity? 

Is it a necessity or an option? Doreen Marcial Poreba believes, "Seeing creativity as a necessity means it's not optional; you feel it's a requirement in your life."

In the past when I did not make creativity a priority, I felt a restlessness in my life. I kept thinking something was missing, but could never quite put my finger on it. 

Retirement brought me the gift of time, and creativity became a part of my life. I've made a list of my creative pursuits, and perhaps they might give you a few ideas. Journalist Bill Moyer believes, "Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous." I have to agree. 

Writing: Blogging

Art Journal

Bible Journaling

Knitting and Crocheting

Scrapbooking

Photography

Coloring

Cooking

Decorating

Repurposing

Spontaneous

Spontaneous. 

As I've been reading about the traits of creative individuals, I've been comparing them to my own life. One of the traits is being spontaneous. At first glance I thought that this was an area that I had fallen short of accomplishing. However, as I began to reflect on it, I realized that this was one of my strongest traits in the classroom.

That teachable moment might find my class on the playground excavating dinosaur bones, making a call to the Dallas Zoo on speaker phone to inquire about bears in Texas, or capitalizing on a great idea proposed by a student. I found the elementary classroom to be the perfect outlet for my creativity. Whether I was singing a lesson in an opera voice, or spearheading a dramatic class reading, I loved those opportunities to express my creativity. 

I was constantly encouraging my students to do the same. I tried to give them assignments that allowed them some level of choice. I think part of the reason that I retired so early from full time teaching was the slow encroachment of standardization of all classrooms. I often said there was both an art and science to teaching. The basic objectives are the science, but the art was up to me. No one else could teach exactly like me, because no one else had the same life experiences as me. 

I think this is why my blog has meant so much to me as far as creativity goes. How lucky I was to spend thirty one years doing something that allowed my creative self to shine through. 

Risk

Risk. 

As I'm making my way through, Unlocking Your Creativity, I'm learning more about myself and how I respond to risk. 

Often times we are told that fear of failure or fear of success might be what is holding us back in the creativity arena. For me, though, I think it has more to do with the idea of risk. I rarely look at a new endeavor with unbridled excitement, rather I find myself uncomfortable with the uncertainty it brings. This level of discomfort often prevents me from even beginning. 

A few years after I was married I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. Being the product of the educational system of the seventies, I had had my fair share of home economics, and had learned to sew. However, when I moved out on my own, I no longer owned a sewing machine. At the time I was excited to get started, but still a little unsure because it had been at least a decade since I had sewn anything. I remember getting the machine out and setting it up on our glass kitchen table top. My husband rightly expressed some concern about the weight of the machine, so I removed it and never took it out again. I guess that was just enough uncertainty to convince me that maybe it wasn't a good idea after all. 

Now I still own that machine almost thirty years later, and it has sat unused in my closet all these years. The reality is that now it has been four decades since I've sewn, and I REALLY don't know what I'm doing. What I'm learning, though, is that for me the ambiguity of a new task is too great of a risk. I like the safety found in my daily routines, and the things that are certain. The bottom line is that I like knowing what to expect. 

Now the author, Poreba, asks a good question, "How much assurance do you need before you begin?" Apparently, the risk of uncertainty is what ultimately holds me back. Now that I am aware of this, I plan on taking action because it is just not worth it not pursuing what you really want to do. 

Original Plans

Original plans. 

I'm a planner by nature, which is no shock to those who know me. In fact sometimes, I enjoy the planning more than I do the experience. A perfect example of this is in vacation planning. 

A couple of years after my husband and I were married, we decided to take a trip to Washington DC with a quick side trip to Niagra Falls. Now the irony of this is that if I had planned just a little more carefully it would be apparent that the distance between DC and Niagra Falls, Canada was about a day's drive away, and not quite a side trip. 

Along the way as we traveled down the interstate, my husband spontaneously decided that it would be better to travel through the Smokey Mountain National Forest. It quickly became apparent that I was madder than a wet hen. I had already mapped out a journey and was not happy to be veering from it. Now, there were two things that happened along the way that made me realize he was correct. 

One was getting to see a black bear in real life quite closely from a look-out site. The other was eating lunch along a creek bed on giant boulders. As I attempted to make sandwiches with deviled ham, my husband began making meowing noises, as the potted meat certainly resembled cat food. We both got a good laugh out of this, and relished the beautiful scenery. 

No trip along the interstate would have provided that view. 

Now in my defense, though, our next stop was a "planned" visit to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. To this day it remains one of our all time favorite places to have visited. Even the annoying young man, who reminded me of myself, with his constant questions always brings back a smile. 

As Donny and Marie used to say, "I'm a little bit country, and I'm a little bit rock and roll." It's worked out well having both a planner and a free spirit in the family! 

Creativity Conscious

Creativity conscious. 

I'm reading Unlocking Your Creativity by Doreen Marcial Poreba. She says, "The more you consciously create, the more aware you become, and the more tuned in you are with your inner being and outer surroundings, the more meaningful life becomes."

The word conscious simply means being aware of and responding to one's surroundings. I have found this to be true in the writing of this blog. This is a conscious act; something that I actively pursue. It is in being aware that I find my inspiration. 

By tuning in to my inner feelings and outer surroundings I find the seeds of creative expression. Creativity is an interesting thing. You may hide it away and pretend you don't hear it calling your name, but it will continue to whisper in your ear. 

We are all creative, but whether we make the conscious effort to pursue this creativity is really up to us. Start listening to your creativity conscious and watch it unfold. 

Future

Future. 

"Do something today that your future self will thank you for."

Although, the author of these words are unknown, the sentiment is worth knowing. How many times in life do we actually think about our future self?   Sometimes we might make long term career goals, or plan a future vacation, or dream about those retirement years, but
 do we actually imagine what our future self might be. 

It's easy to avoid this thinking, because we really have no idea what our future will be even if we've planned everything to to a T. But I can't help think that the choices we make today will effect our future self. 

If we treat our health as a high priority then maybe we might alleviate chronic conditions that are age related. If we foster strong relationships today then we will have a

strong social circle for our elder years. If we reconsider how we spend our money today then there is a better chance there will be enough come retirement. 

Choosing to look on the bright side, keeping a sense of adventure, and challenging yourself to learn new things are all ways to invest in that future self. Begin today considering what you can do to benefit yourself in the future. As the words say, you'll thank yourself later. 

Popcorn

Popcorn. 

Rarely a day goes by that I don't eat popcorn. I've been partial to this snack my entire life. 

Every time I entered a Sears and Robuck as a child, I found myself gravitating to the center of the store enticed by the smell of the buttery goodness. When microwave popcorn first hit the scene, I made frequent trips to the local 7-11, as we did not yet own a microwave. 

Remember Jiffy Pop, Jiffy Pop the magic treat? It was probably the coolest popcorn experience growing up. Who could resist watching the aluminum dome grow? Movies were not movies without buttery movie popcorn, however, that was long before we learned the truth about calorie and fat content, and before it cost a small fortune for movie concessions. 

Over the years I have popped popcorn on the stove with oil, in a plastic microwave popper with oil, in a prepackaged microwave bag, and have even tried the cardboard tasting air popcorn. Who ever thought that was a good idea was crazy! Recently, I tried popping it in a brown paper bag in the microwave. It actually turned out quite well, and required no oil. 

However, my latest venture in popcorn is popping it in coconut oil. The result is a less greasy popcorn, and it is a natural ingredient as opposed to canola oil. Now coconut oil is a bit pricey, but I've been pleased with the results. I actually saw a glass microwave popcorn popper the other day. I'm intrigued, so I might need to check it out more closely. It's reusable and oil free. So many popcorn options, so little time!

The Present

The present. 

"We must give the present the space in which to exist." Author Christophe Andre sure has it right when it comes to this one. 

How often have you spent your present ruminating over the past or worrying about the future? Neither of which accomplishes anything. You can't change what has already happened, and you really have no idea what the future will bring. 

All you really have is the here and now. Of course, I'm a pretty practical person so I usually have some game plan in place for tomorrow. But the lesson learned is that I shouldn't take too much away from the present to worry about the future. 

The other problem with the present is that we are often times in such a hurry to get to the next thing that we completely ignore what is right in front of us. Trying to accomplish multiple things at one time in the long run is counter productive. 

The other day at work I was in such a hurry to get to the copier that I completely overlooked the yellow caution sign indicating a wet floor. The next thing I knew I was flat on my back having slipped on the clearly marked spot. Luckily, I was fine except perhaps for a bruised ego. 

The point is that if I was fully present in the act of walking, rather than attempting to read the papers I needed copied, I probably would have slowed down when I saw the sign. Think about how many things you miss along the way when you are not present. Being mindful is really the better way. 

Bible Journaling

Bible journaling. 

I had recently heard about Bible journaling and was quite taken with the idea. It seemed like the perfect combination of studying scripture and expressing yourself through art. 

I was fortunate to be able to attend a class a few weeks back. I learned that there actually is a type of Bible called a journal Bible that was initially made for note taking. Creative individuals capitalized on this by expanding note taking into art journaling. The result was a combination of the love of art with the love of scripture. It lends itself beautifully to this because it has margins on either side which makes it perfecting for lettering and graphics. 

The presenter said that she set aside time every Sunday afternoon to work on hers. She said that she was really able to meditate more fully as she worked with a particular chapter or verse. She also showed how tracing and graphite paper made it easy for those of us who are intimidated by our limited drawing ability and our need for perfection. 

I have found many ideas on Pinterest, and did my first verse the other day. The presenter was correct. The scriptures stayed with me over several days as I thought about them and how they applied to my life. 

I want to thank my friend Annette for posting about the class. It was just the push I needed to get started. 

Did I Make a Difference?

Did I make a difference? 

"What we leave behind in this life is the memory of who we were and what we did. An imprint, no more. I have learned much. I have become wise. But have I made a difference?"

These words come from a novel by Kate Mosse entitled, Labyrinth. This is a question I think we all must ask ourselves. This idea of making a difference really brings the true meaning of our existence to light. 

I heard about a woman on the news the other night who made a difference. Her name was Zulita Walker and she was a Dart bus driver. A year ago she was returning her bus to the depot when she saw a pair of legs dangling from an overpass. It would have been easier to just continue down the road, but she didn't. Those legs belonged to a man who had given up on life and was ready to end things that night. He believed that no one, but his parents cared about him. Zulita let him know that she cared. If she didn't,  she would not have stopped her bus under a highway overpass that night. 

Because of Zulita that man's life did not end. Unfortunately, Zulita's life ended too soon when her bus crashed into a highway overpass the other night.  We are all given a limited number of days on this earth. How we choose to use them is really up to us. 

As you go about your day, think about how you choose to use the time you are given. When your last breath is taken, let it be done knowing that there was purpose and meaning in your life because you made a difference. 

Rest in peace Zulita Walker. 

Not Yet

Not yet.

The power of the term "Not Yet" comes from the author of Mindset, Carol Dweck.  It was actually a Ted talk that she gave that introduced me to this idea. Instead of assigning the grade of F to something you are struggling with, why not give it a "Not Yet?"

Basically, this turns your entire mindset away from unachievable to I just haven't given myself enough time, yet. And in most cases this is exactly right. Anytime we are tackling something new there will always be a learning curve. 

Even learning how to coordinate the clicker-treat sequence when taking my puppy to 
obedience training required time and practice for me. I remember feeling like such a failure 
because I wasn't very good at it at first. Now it makes me wonder how Cooper must have felt since every move was new to him! However, I didn't give up on him. He just hadn't had enough time to get it all down yet. 

So instead of giving up when you are trying to digitally organize the thousand of pictures you've taken in the last few years, just say I'm not there yet, but I will be. This is something we should be teaching our children when they encounter failure in school,  and many will with our pushed-down curriculum. So the next time you want to give up remember the power of "Not Yet."

Zero Waste

Zero Waste. 

I've become fascinated with the concept of zero waste. Basically, what this refers to is the idea of producing the least amount of trash possible. It professes the Five R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rot. 

My husband and I have been faithful recyclers for many years, and take our produce scraps to our farm for disposal. However, as I have been researching this idea, I'm learning more about packaging, and how it contributes to our trash output. I'm beginning to notice this kind of thing as I go grocery shopping.  

Although, I have been hit or miss about using reusable grocery bags, I'm now investigating reusable produce bags and bulk bin shopping, and want to recommit to using them. Apparently, you can bring a container to Sprouts and they will weigh it first and allow you to use it for your bulk bin purchases. That way you don't need to use plastic bags.

I'm starting to learn more about this, and am excited about the challenge of producing less trash. What I have noticed, though, is the landfill we pass on the way to our farm is beginning to look like "the foothills of the Rocky Mountains," to quote my husband. 

Although, I'm not sure I can realistically get to zero waste, I hope to curtail the trash coming out of our household.  

Focus

Focus.

What do you focus on? Doctor Phil says, "It takes 1,000 ' Atta boys' to overcome one, 'You're worthless and no good."

Why is that? Why does the negative have such power over our lives? Why is our tendency to look for everything that went wrong that day, while forgetting about all the good? Why do we let the hurtful words of someone ruin our day? 

I think it has to do with what we choose to focus on. There will always be bumps along the way, hurtful people, and less than ideal circumstances, but chances are that most of the time the good will outweigh the bad. 

Back in the 90's Gratitude Journals were all the rage. Basically, each day you would list five things that you were grateful for that day. This simple practice resulted in you ending your day on a more positive note. Since then I have seen something called a Blessings Jar on Pinterest. Each day you add one slip of paper to the jar with something you were grateful for. Then at the end of the year you go back and reread what you have written. 

Whose to say that even though we are in the month of February, that it might not be too late to start either one of these exercises. If focusing on the positive brings more joy to your life then it certainly would be worth a try. 

Believe

Believe. 

I was at a Weight Watchers meeting the other day, and one of the members made the comment that she truly believed that this would be the year she would have her greatest weight loss. She attributed it to the fact that she strongly believed this to be true. 

It got me to thinking about how in my heart of hearts I don't really believe that I can maintain my weight loss. This is due to my past history. Dr. Phil likes to say, "The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." 

For the last twenty years I have been on the roller coaster of weight loss and gain. I always manage to find my "weigh" back, but I have stumbled time and time again. Each time I tell myself that this time will be different, and that I will not regain the weight. But, the truth is that I really didn't believe this. 

Today, though, I want to. You see I have managed to maintain my weight loss within a few pounds for the last two years. I've not allowed a "slip to become a slide," as Weight Watchers likes to say. I have rewritten my past history, and I truly believe I can do this. Not just for the present moment, but for the rest of my life. 

It does require preplanning, and mindful eating. But, it can be done. 

Attending the weekly meetings and using the tools they provide is the key to success. Best of all, if I maintain my weight there is no cost for me. Now that sounds like a win-win!