Tag Archives: Fresh Start

Monday Gets Postponed

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I’m not ready for Monday; so I would like to just postpone it.  That’s right!!  Let’s start tomorrow or maybe the next day.  You know….stop the clocks.  Gone Fishin’!  Anyone want to join me?!!

How many times do you hear someone say…”If I had just one more day…”  We always think we would be better at something or more prepared or feel more rested or just have a better start….if we just had a little more time!  I do it all the time.  I call them the “Should’ve, Would’ve, Could’ve ‘s”  We all think we are just on the edge of a breakthrough or look for something to, at least, use as an excuse for why we don’t do better.  I’ve been doing it all day.  I have a huge project that is due tomorrow; but my usual combination of poor planning and procrastination has got me in a ‘dash for the finish line’ for tomorrow’s project.  I have all the valid excuses (or so I keep telling myself) of why I have put myself in this place.  You know what REALLY annoys me??  This is not the first time….nor it will it probably be the last time!  Why do I do this to myself??

Maybe I like the thrill of the last minute rush, or maybe I AGAIN didn’t plan wisely or maybe even, I set myself up to fail sometimes.  Honestly, right now, I’m thinking I’m just plain stupid!

OK….we realistically can’t postpone Monday….and even though it didn’t get off to a great start, perhaps it can end on a high note.  Nose to the grindstone.  Let’s get those projects finished.  I am the little red engine…I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!! 

How about you?  Got any of these hot fires to put out around your house?  I’ve started at the top of my priority list.  Today I will tackle my list and get my project finished.

By the end of the day, I will probably be exhausted.  But, sometimes there is a good type of exhausted feeling…..the feeling of accomplishment and getting things done.

At the end of the day, Pat yourself on the back.

But, don’t linger on your laurels for too long.

Tomorrow is a new day and I’m sure you have lots you need to get marked off your list.  Start each day with an attitude of doing your very best and not wasting precious time in front of a TV or maybe your computer or any of the multiple possibilities of not staying on track to be the best you can be.

Your friends on Facebook will understand.  In fact, how about posting to your timeline, the list you want to get accomplished this week.  I dare you to make the declaration….and follow through with gusto.

Sorry I couldn’t really postpone Monday for you.

You might find out, however, it’s going to turn out to be a great day.

Smiles,

Nancy

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Monday Gets A New Job

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I start a new job today.  I’m a bit excited.  I’m looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing new happenings.  I wish I had documented each time I started a new job and all the thoughts, emotions, and questions that seem to surface.  I think starting a new job kind of reminds me of when I was younger and the thrill and uncertainties that go with starting each new school year.  I have a lot of the same questions….will I make some nice friends? will I have the knowledge to do well with each “test”? what should I wear the first day?…..and even do I need to pack my lunch? and hope I don’t don’t get lost on the first day (thank you google map).

Isn’t it funny how life kind of parallels itself?  We think something is a brand new experience but yet there always something there that is familiar that helps us get through the difficult or uncertain moments…nothing much is really brand new to us.  I sure wish I would have remembered that at times in the past when I was overwhelmed with nervousness and anxiety about beginning a new task.  I guess there is always the new people to meet and get to know……but that is also often the best part.

I hope I will have some new experiences to write about too.  This is my 49th post and my commitment was for 52 weeks.  Perhaps, time to shift gears and write about something different.  I’ve been thinking about a few things on my bucket list….I still want to write a book or screenplay….maybe this is a good place to try it out.  Do You have any suggestions?  I wonder if there is some kind of Blog Game?  I would write a line and then another person would write the next line and so on.  That would be fun.  Sure would make for interesting reading I bet and make writing a lot more fun….no one person would have the pressure or burden of writing the whole post.

Well, got to go pack my lunch and get ready for work.

Hope you have a good day at work today too.

I think it’s going to be a great day!

I love new adventures and learning new stuff, so I’m very excited.

Wish me luck.  See you next Monday.

Smiles, Nancy

Monday Gets A Birthday Celebration

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I had the wonderful experience of celebrating my son’s birthday in a special kind of way this year.  He had taken an amazing trip to parts of Europe and I flew to NYC to meet him on his return trip.  We spent the evening celebrating his special day with family.  It is so nice to celebrate a birthday with people all around that love you.

The next day we took a little ‘walk down memory lane’ and visited special places in his early life.  We went to the hospital where he was born, visited the tiny little carriage house where we lived until he was about six months old, went to his elementary school and even went to get a pizza from a special restaurant that we had always loved.

Some things had changed drastically, but some things were almost exactly the same.  And some things for me were exactly the same….but for my son (who had experienced them at a very young age) found them shockingly different.  His memory of a house way down the lane was actually just a few hundred feet across the street.  A hill that he had remembered to be almost insurmountable as he learned to ride his bike was actually just a small hump in the road.

Isn’t it funny how our brain takes a picture of something that we think will never change?  We live with that memory for a long time and would swear that we knew every little detail of the image.  But….then we see it years later and it is so awkward and different from the memory we had been recalling over and over.  It makes me want to take a picture of every thing I see, so that I can keep referring to it and keeping the vision accurate in my mind.

I think it is different with people we love and care about though.  We spend time with someone and somehow we connect to more of what is inside them rather than what is on the surface.  We may not see them for a very long time; but yet when we do reunite, it seems like nothing has changed and we have somehow been close to them the whole time.  We still laugh at the same silly things and remember many insignificant events and know every detail of its happening.  After a while, we don’t even register that this person’s face is sometimes drawn with lines of age or their hair is far from the original color of their youth.  We just ‘see’ the person we remembered long ago.   Isn’t it interesting how our heart “captures” pictures that our brain doesn’t seem to be able to recall?!!

There are lots of happenings that I don’t remember about my son’s early years, but yet I can recall with great detail the first moment of seeing his face.  I can remember his sweet smell and the feel of his pudgy body.   I can remember sitting alone with him the first night in the hospital nursery and rocking him quietly as he slept.  I can remember feeling the fear that I wouldn’t be a good enough Mom or the overwhelming quantity of things that I needed to learn in order to take good care of him.  I can also remember the joy and love I felt for this tiny little being and how I promised him that night that I would always do my very best to protect him and teach him and help him grow.  Yes, my heart captured a very clear picture that first birthday night…..the sweet love of my life was born!

I hope you have a few of these joyful recalls in your life.

Take some time to just sit and let your mind return to some of those heartfelt moments……there is no better medicine!

When you let yourself ‘re-live’ some of those special times in your life,

it feels like you are floating on clouds and there is nothing that is wrong or negative in this world.

And be sure to create some new memories too.

Don’t let yourself get caught up in all the details of an event, but rather just focus on the people that you are with at the moment.

Be sure to let your heart take a snapshot!

In fact….do it today.

It’s Monday….a good day to start.

Smiles,

Nancy

Monday Gets Organized

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pileI know it is hard to tell from this pile of garbage…..but I have really been busy getting organized this week.  I feel like I have been hoarding so many unnecessary pieces of garbage.  Some of them, I am still not certain why I kept them in the first place.  If it was a memorable experience, it must not have been too impressive because no details of the event remain in my mind!

I am cleaning out closets and files and cabinets and things I have stashed–all with the certain feeling they would be used one day soon.  Well, it just didn’t happen….so time to let them go.   This pile went to the recycling bin and bags of clothes and books and other no longer necessary objects went to Goodwill.

I’m not sure why I have kept so much junk.  I moved to California with just a small U-Haul trailer and somehow it seems that everything was like a compressed sponge and has swollen to 3 or 4 times its original size.stuffed house

Why do you think we feel we need to hang onto our junk?  Is it a childhood thing? or just a normal human thing?  And it seems we have such big plans for the things we do save….fix the broken leg on an old couch or refinish an old desk (even though it has never fit in any house where we have lived) or maybe write a book from old research papers from college we have saved?!!  Or maybe we  just continue trying to pretend all the stuff doesn’t exist so we don’t have to deal with it.

Well….today’s the day to start fresh and clean out that clutter in your life….and your garage, apartment, house or wherever you have stashed all that stuff!  Don’t even think of the current state of the disaster…rather visualize what it will look like when you are all finished.  Go pick up a bunch of boxes and containers to help with the process.  Label a few “donation”, a couple are for keepers and a few ‘to be determined’ are allowed.  Start early in the day and keep snacks and beverages handy so you will keep focused on the task.

Here’s some visuals for you to get started….

Before Organizing

Before Organizing

After Organizing

After Organizing

Before organizing

Before organizing

Okay…..so this is a little bit of an exaggeration but sometimes that’s just what we need to really see the true picture of something that we need to deal with……and deal with it in a positive way!

After Organizing

After Organizing

So while you’re going through all your things…ask yourself questions….like….do I really need this now?  or maybe picture another person or family using the items that need them more than you?  if you think you do, in fact, need something…..be sure to ask yourself ‘will I use this in the next year?’  If not, then there is a really good chance that you won’t use it in the next 3-5 years!  And, if it’s like some of my things….I hadn’t used them in the previous 2 or 3 years either!!

I read that if you’re really having trouble letting go of something that you should take a picture of it.  That way, you’ll still have something tangible to “hold onto” but without all the clutter.  I’ve never tried that but let me know if it works for you.  Be sure to take a picture of all the stuff you are donating too…..great tax deduction and much more valid if you have a picture of things.

So, where are you going to start?

Maybe even start with your car!

You’ll need it to haul away all the things you are getting rid of so better make space and be able to load everything up as you are sorting.  Once it’s packed in your car, it’s hard to change your mind…..especially when you start seeing areas that are already showing signs of being neat and sorted.

I’ve got to get back to my piles here.

I want to make 2013 the best it can be and be ready for whatever wonderful adventure might come along.

Oh yeah!  Sometimes, you find amazing treasures amongst all the clutter….hope that motivates you to get started!!  Wonder what you will find?!!

Smiles and Happy Monday,

Nancy

Monday Gets A New Start

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It is New Year’s Eve and so many things to think about that have happened over this year.  “Where O Where has the time gone” is the sentiment of many!  Today is the day to begin our preparation for how the next New Year will play out….making lists, organizing, cleaning out, throwing away, thinking, reflecting, worrying and planning.  Many emotions go into this once-a-year happening.  But more than anything today should be…..

Monday Gets A New Start

How appropriate today is a Monday.  It’s what I’ve been saying all along… Just Start With Monday.  That’s all you have to do for this year’s preparation.  Just take today to be the first day of all the great things you would like to accomplish this year.  New Year’s Resolutions are great, but don’t wait until tomorrow to begin your new regime….start today.  You’ll be way ahead of the game and already on a path of meeting your goals.

So what do you have on your list?  Lose some weight?  Eat healthier?  Get a new job?  What about just trying to be a better person?  Or being a more patient and considerate friend?  One of my friends has planned to “contaminate the world with tolerance.”   I like it!  The world certainly needs more tolerance for sure.  Our resolutions should be more focused on not what we will be giving up, but rather what we plan to give back.

I am excited about what the New Year will bring.  Wouldn’t it be nice if Google had a calendar that could forecast what each day would bring for us?!!  Guess it would make life pretty boring though if we knew what was around the corner each day.  What we can “forecast” is today!  We can start this Monday saying….I’m going to make this a good day!  I’m going to make this day the very best I can!  I’m going to make this a GREAT day!  I’m going to make a difference today….in MY life and in someone else’s life!

So how about you….ready to start this year AND this Monday off with a great start?  I’m sure you can do great things if you make the choice.

I hope 2013 will be the very best year you have ever experienced in your entire life.

I hope each of you will have good health and experience many joyful moments throughout this year.

Happy New Year, Dear Friends.

You Matter to Me!!

Together let’s make the world a better place.

Just Start With Monday.

2013---It's Going to be a Good Year!

2013—It’s Going to be a Good Year!

Smiles,

Nancy

Monday Gets A Break

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Sometimes, a person just needs to sit back and relax and take a break.  Tramp and I are taking time to ‘smell the roses’ with special friends and family this week; but wanted to let all my blogger friends know that I am thinking about you today.

Hope your day is special too.

 You Matter!

 Smiles,

Nancy

Monday Gets Political—or Not

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There are so many things happening in our country that seem to tax one’s political side to the max.  The Presidential Election!  Wow!  There’s a lot to take into consideration.  It would be great if we had two really outstanding candidates; but unfortunately, it just seems we are voting for the lesser of two evils.  I know that just “raised the hair on the back of your neck” for some; but I just think everyone is trying to rationalize and stretch the positive points.

What happened to the truth in politics….or was that ever a possibility?   Why does everyone have to skirt the issues?  Why can’t they just ‘say it like it is’?!!

MONDAY GETS POLITICAL….or NOT

Don’t you think it would be wonderful to have someone stand up in front of the nation and say….”Hey, I’m not perfect and I don’t have all the answers, but I am going to try my very best to get the job done.  I’ve got a great team behind me and if I don’t know something, you can be assured my staff is going to work to find all the details to inform me about the issue so I can make the very best decision.”  And…then actually do that!!  Instead…they skirt the issues, lie when they feel it might slip by and rarely just say “I don’t know!”

There’s so much diversity in all areas in our country right now.  There are people who will fight to the end to honor and protect our country….and there are those who find it appropriate to picket a funeral of a family who have just lost a son or husband fighting for our nation.  There is complete destruction on the East Coast from Hurricane Sandy and then there are areas that seem almost immune to anything except blue skies and balmy breezes today.  Gas prices dropping by at least a dollar a gallon in California….and little gas available in New York/New Jersey.  But, everyone, no matter what their circumstances, is looking for some balance, some certainty, some kept promises…..some hope.  Wouldn’t it be great if tomorrow’s election provided that?!!

Some people that read this Blog aren’t from the United States.  I wonder what they think about all the debates that have gone on between the candidates.  I wonder if it seems very appropriate and common or rather sounds like a bunch of whining kids who are trying to get their way!!

I guess it could always be worse.  We could have no freedom, no choices, no right to vote.  We could be living in war zones and fearing for our lives every moment of the day.  I just think we sometimes take what we have for granted and some take advantage of the freedoms we are given.

So for this new reign of the elected officials of our country….whomever it might be….

I wish for some forward movement of resolving some of the issues of healthcare and national debt and unemployment and an overall struggling nation.

I wish for the citizens of this country to be able to feel they are being represented and supported by candidates who are sincere in their efforts and follow through on all their promises.

I wish the candidates that are elected are true to their word and can see the struggles of many and fight to make changes, so some of the suffering can end.

And….I wish for this Monday to indeed be the start of something new and exciting.  Wouldn’t it be nice to get back that American spirit and everyone be able to feel proud to be an American.  I think we have lost a little of that.

So remember to vote tomorrow

and choose your candidates wisely.

Let’s hope brighter days and good times are just around the corner.

Onward and Forward!

Smiles,  Nancy

Monday Gets Technically Overloaded

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Wherever you turn, the world of technology is continuing to challenge every individual.  It’s no longer about how many TVs you have in a household, but rather how many high-tech devices do you have…cell phone, ipad, computer, gps, security cameras, devices that allow you to turn your oven or your lights on while at work, curtains that open with a touch of a button…….and the list goes on.  They all come with earphones, remotes or some kind of Bluetooth peripheral and many with complex control centers that you need a team of tech people to program for you.  Plus, another crew that is constantly updating the software that is needed to run all these devices.  Then…..all these devices have to be “sync-ed” so you are “in the know” at all times wherever you are…home, work, in your car or on a flight to another state or country.

I, personally, am on overload!!!

Monday Gets Technically Overloaded

I think it’s great that we live in a country that allows us to have so many options and that many of these devices are affordable for the average.  It’s great that the technology strives  to try to make our lives easier and more connected….but are they really?!!  It’s getting harder and harder to remember the “days” before we had all these modern conveniences.  In fact, our ‘must have’ lifeline a/k/a the cell phone wasn’t readily available just 15 or 16 years ago.  Seems like without one was like living in the Dark Ages.

Sometimes though, I think we need to shut some of this stuff off and just “rough it”…..maybe it’s not necessary to text your friend who is across the room at a party.  Maybe you could walk around the block without texting or calling all your friends just to keep yourself entertained.  Or perhaps, you actually turn your phone completely off sometimes to enjoy a sunset or listen to some relaxing music.

With everything there has to be a balance and I think we’ve lost that a bit.  Yes, it’s nice to be so in touch with everyone, but how about ‘being in touch’ with the person that is sitting right in front of you!  Some days, I’m ready to say I just can’t take another technical challenge!!  I want it to be okay to say “I don’t know how to sync my phone to my ipad to my computer to my home to my office to my calendar, to my……”  I feel like I want that brainpower back to focus on more important things.

So that’s my frustration today.

I want to get back in balance.  I want to know that it is okay to be “out of touch” some days.

I want to listen to my friends while they’re talking….without interruptions.  And I want them to know that I am interested in what they have to say and what they are doing and feeling.  All with No distractions, no in/out texting, no bells and whistles of multiple tunes going off every few minutes.

I sure hope I can do that……it’s harder than it sounds.

I hope you find a little balance in the technical world today too.

I hope you discover new things about yourself, your friends and the world around you.

Today, I hope you are a bit old-fashioned and enjoy NOT being connected at all times.

Good Luck!

Smiles,

Nancy

Monday Gets on the Scale

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OK….I have a question.  If you have a driver’s license that lists your weight and height, are they accurate?  If not, are they off by 10%, 20%, Yikes! 30% or more???  If so, join the club.  Supposedly, most women lie about their weight and men lie about their height.  Not all states require the weight part, but I wonder why we have such an important document that we feel the need to avoid the truth?!!  Do you think that when other people look at our license that they check the weight or height and then snicker to themselves?  Obviously, it’s not important to DMV because I’ve never had to “weigh in” for them.  Have you?  Oh the horror, right?!!

What I find interesting about the weight part is that we know we need to lose weight, but feel the need to avoid dealing with it even when it comes to being a responsible and honest, license-carrying citizen.  I wonder if we had to weigh in at the DMV when we renewed our license if we would even avoid renewing it….kind of like we do when we need to go to the doctor.  How many of you have tried to make great effort to lose a pound or more the week or two before your doctor’s appointment?  I’m raising my hand because I’ve sure been there.  I even try to find the very lightest weight clothing sometimes….no heavy jeans or boots are on my body when I step on that scale!!  Let’s get honest…..

Monday Gets on the Scale

I went through years of professing my weight (the one of my choosing) to DMV or anyone else that asked, knowing that it was a huge exaggeration.  I knew I needed to lose weight and get healthy, but I continued to live in the fiction world.  Why did I wait so long to do anything about it??  I still can’t answer that question.   I guess we all have to “hit that wall” that makes us “look in the mirror” to make changes in our lives.  I am very thankful that I found info about the Paleo lifestyle this year.  I can say honestly that I am finally at the weight that I have proclaimed for years and less than I have weighed in at least 15 years or more.  What ‘clicked’ I wonder?  What makes us throw those bad habits out the window?

It is really intriguing to me to see someone seem to change, literally, overnight.  They do all the things that are wrong for them and then suddenly, one day, all the “lessons” they have been given miraculously make sense.  I wonder if it is something cosmic-like…..if all the stars are aligned in a certain manner and we “receive” information…that info suddenly will get absorbed??!!   Any scientist out there that can answer that question?  I have a bunch of other issues to work on too, so maybe I could start planning for that cosmic-alignment moment now.

What would you like to change about yourself?

How close are you to your DMV weight?

And, yes, what do you have on your “list” that you have not ever checked off?

I wonder what is going to have to happen in your life to get you to “look in the mirror” and see the reality.

Are you ready to change?

Well, whatever you would like to happen, be sure to stop saying:  “Oh, I could never give that up”, or “I just don’t have time” or even “I’ll work on that next year.”

How about changing your mantra to “I Matter” or “I care about myself” or even “I love myself”.  It is amazing to me to talk to people who are not able to say this to themselves…..AND they don’t know that others care about them either.

So today…..I’m saying it for you.  I’m going to tell you the truth because I care.

YOU MATTER…..YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON…..YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY BEING THE BEST PERSON YOU CAN BE!!

Did you hear me???!!

Are you ready to start?  Repeat after me….

I Matter.  I Matter.  I Matter.

Now, take the next step and make changes.  What do you see in the mirror?

Pretend the planets are in alignment and you can

do anything you want to do…..starting today…now!!

You can do it.

Smiles,

Nancy

Monday Gets A Bucket List

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I was recently posting on a fellow blogger’s post Y and Z ~~ or the end of another challenge http://onthehomefrontandbeyond.wordpress.com/   I was congratulating her on her initiative to challenge herself to writing a book.  I made the comment that I have always wanted to do that in my life…..Just one of those casual, off-hand comments that you sometimes make in friendly replies.  Her response:  “why not I ask with all seriousness.”

It kind of sparked something in me that made me realize that unless we continuously challenge ourselves in our lives, we never really grow much.  It IS very important to make that Bucket List, otherwise, we will never push ourselves to new heights and new adventures.  We often fall into a rut that keeps us on the same path and doing things that we not only have become comfortable in our own skins doing, but also in what others have grown accustomed to for us as well.  So today, I’m doing it….

Monday Gets A Bucket List

Should I start big???  I would love to try sky diving….but I did promise my son that I will wait until I am well into my 80s to attempt that…..I’ll put that near the end of my list.  I’ll definitely put the book writing on my list.  I would love to write a screenplay too.  Oh heck!  Why don’t I just plan to write an epic novel that turns into an epic screenplay while I’m at it!!  Think Big Bucket, right?  I think I would like to re-visit the South of France too.  I had a wonderful experience there a few years back and would love to return some day.  I have a really good friend who retired recently and decided she wanted to learn to paint….and she did!  I would love to know that every day of my life was filled with time to do some kind of art…painting, pottery or maybe photography.  The three P’s sound good to me.  And speaking of retiring, I think it would be great to have a little camper/RV type vehicle that would allow me to pack up minimal belongings and take off to travel the good ole USA with my ole dog, Tramp.

Home Sweet Home

Just stopping along the way to visit friends and seeing the beauty of this country. The national and state park services have part time/temporary jobs that you can do at various places.  They provide some housing and meals and give you a decent salary too.  Maybe just work a season and then move on to somewhere else.  I could combine the art with the experience too.  Okay….I’m ready to start packing!

So really, the bucket list is about dreams too.  And, if we believe that dreams come true, then  the next few years are already planned for me.  I’m looking forward to the adventure.

So what’s on your bucket list?  What kind of dream would you like to come true?  I know you’re probably sick of my list suggestions by now, but this is a really important one!

Sit down, close your eyes and dream big!!

Write your bucket list….and then commit to making it happen.

I NEVER thought I would be blogging…..but just a little challenge from others and it happened! And the best part is that I not only did I never envision myself sharing my writing with others, I NEVER thought I would love it so much.  Amazing what happens when we challenge ourselves a bit.

Well, I better get busy….Epics take a bit of work.

Chapter One…..

Smiles, Nancy