What If?

What if?

Do you spend a portion of your time asking this question? Sometimes it's fun to ask, "What if I won the lottery?" "What if I could retire early and travel around the country?" 

However, sometimes we ask a different kind of "what if" question. Questions like, "What if I fail?" "What if I embarrass myself?" "What if I'm rejected?" 

These types of "what if" questions can really hold us back when it comes to trying something new. Deborah K. Heisz in Live Happy states simply, "What if's stifle creativity before it can even blossom."  She continues by saying, "By leaving the 'tried and true' pathway of action or thought the individual exposes herself to possible failure and ridicule." 

However, it is only through these "what if" questions that progress and innovation comes about. When those failures happen, and they will, it is only through asking that question again that something is able to "blossom." Start asking yourself "what if" a little more often, and see what happens. 

Harmony

Harmony. 

I've always tried to live my life in a balanced fashion; never leaning too far in one direction or the other. I thought this was the best way to live, and took great pride in my ability to accomplish this. However, the problem with balance is that it's kind of like juggling oranges. One slip in timing and the whole thing comes crashing down. 

Susan Bender Phelps has a different view about balance. She strives for harmony in her life as opposed to balance. Harmony is basically, "a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things." Rather than giving everything an equal value and attempting to balance them, seek to find harmony in the arrangement of values in your life. 

Phelps says, "Balance is very hard to maintain; there is a precariousness to it. But when I think of harmony, I think of music." Deborah K. Heisz, author of Live Happy compares Phelp's life to a symphony, "in which pieces ultimately play in harmony." I had never really considered this life view, but I find it definitely something to aspire toward. I'd much rather enjoy the sweet sound of harmony instead of battling to keep all the oranges in the air. 

Left Brain Right Brain

Left brain, right brain. 

If you were to ask me which hemisphere of my brain was more dominant, I would probably tell you my left. I am very analytical, organized, and view my life as a series of time oriented events. However, on the flip side I am also very imaginative, and funny, and quick to look for resourceful ways to solve my problems. 

And this is where my dilemma arises. I have struggled to call myself a "creative." I am too conventional in my thoughts and appearance. I don't feel comfortable sticking out as different. Although I enjoy art, my lack of drawing ability has kept me from considering myself a true artist. 

How could someone like me who leans so strongly toward the left brain really be creative? And yet in my heart of hearts, I knew I was, and had been my entire life. 

Well apparently new research is dismissing the old myth that only strongly right brained individuals are truly creative. New studies are finding that creativity is a combination of both sides of the brain; a more whole brain approach. According to Deborah K. Heisz in Live Happy "In other words all of us have a creative network just waiting to be activated." 

This was validated just the other day when I took one of those Facebook quizzes about the brain. My results were 55% left brain, and 45% right brain. Of course, this is not a scientific study, but it did help answer my question as to how I could be primarily left brain, and still highly creative. 

If you've given up on yourself as being creative, you might want to reconsider, and look for your own personal route to creativity. 

Greener

Greener. 

Sometimes I try to imagine a different kind of life. Maybe a more hip or trendier life. Last weekend as my husband and I drove around Deep Ellum searching for a BBQ place that's boasts the second best BBQ in Texas, I came to the reality that I like my suburban life. 

Crowded streets, no parking, and long lines just didn't seem very appealing to me. Once before when I anxiously searched for a specific restaurant in Uptown I found myself singing Wide Open Spaces by the Dixie Chicks. The combination of too tight of lanes that changed to single lanes on a moments notice, and bumper to bumper traffic all seemed to raise my blood pressure a notch or two.  Then there was the impossible task of locating a parking place, leaving a wing and a prayer as the only option. 

However, my desire to live a more cultural life makes me think that maybe living in an urban setting might facilitate this easier. But in being true to myself, I know that I am better suited for suburban life. In researching further, though, I found that cultural avenues are available beyond the city limits, and I'm only ascribing to false choices if I think it is just one or the other. 

I'm finding it may require a little effort on my part, but I can't help but think that the end results will certainly be rewarding

Right Before Your Eyes

Right before your eyes. 

I went out the other morning to get the paper. When I returned inside and opened the blinds I couldn't help but notice my neighbor's yard across the street was adorned with bright pink flamingos. I had to ask myself how I missed seeing them when I was outside?

They were right before my eyes. Well, technically a little off center, but how do you miss a yard full of pink flamingos? I guess when you are not really looking. 

It got me to wondering about how many other things I've missed, either out of distraction or because I wasn't really paying attention. Maybe being a little more in tune to your surroundings might result in more opportunities for enjoyment. Starting today I want to be more aware of those things right before my very eyes. 

Life's Plan

Life's plan. 

As a teenager when I thought about my future I assumed a lot. I assumed I would get married in my early twenties. I assumed I would have four children. I assumed I would be a stay at home mom, although the term had not yet been coined. I never really asked myself what do I like, what do I want to do, or how do I see myself living my life?

I was reading in the paper the other day about a young couple who were embracing the tiny house movement. Now, I have no desire to live in a tiny house, although I have been longing for a tiny camper, but what struck me about this couple was the why behind their tiny house. Randi and Cody Hennigan stated, "We started talking about our life's plan and where do we want to be. We wanted to spend more time together outdoors."

According to the article in The Dallas Morning News, Nancy Baldwin said, "The tiny house, they realized, would allow them the mobility and flexibility they sought, reduce their footprint and decrease their need for income." I can't help but admire this younger generation making choices about their future in such a thoughtful manner. It seems Baby Boomers and Generation X patterned their lives after the accumulation of bigger and better stuff. Keeping up with the infamous Jones was a driving force of my generation. 

As I enter the next part of my life I don't want to assume anything about the path I should take. I want to thoughtfully consider my, "life's plan and where I want to be." Maybe, these Millennials are onto something. 

Walmart

Walmart. 

I found myself the other day at the Walmart that my Dad used to shop at. His routine was to arrive early in the morning so as to beat the crowd. One day I ran into him as I was turning down an aisle. It made my day to see him there, as he had lived out of state for quite a bit of my adult life. It was good to have him living close by again. 

Dad had a habit of buying the same thing pretty much each week, regardless of whether he needed it or not. At the time I thought it probably had to do with the beginning stages of dementia, but my younger siblings assured me that he had always been that way. Needless to say, you never wanted for toothpaste or Kleenex when you went to visit. 

However, the other day I found myself feeling quite sad as I walked down the aisles. It was earlier than usual for me, and I couldn't help but wish that I might turn down an aisle and run into him again. I missed that big smile and warm laugh. Dad loved to laugh. 

At the time when you are just living your life and shopping at Walmart, you don't realize that someday you will miss that experience. As time went by my brother started taking Dad grocery shopping after church. And then Dad stopped shopping all together. You know it's the little things that don't seem to really matter so much that sometimes become the things you miss the most.