Anything is possible…

Posted by random olio

A friend shared the below video on Facebook yesterday (thank you, Kim)! I was curious when I saw her comment earlier in the day: “such a fantastic story. i am continually amazed at what the human spirit is capable of…” but the screenshot of the video did not spark my interest. When I got home last night, the thought came to me: “You need to watch the video Kim shared.” So I sat down to watch and by the end there were tears streaming down my face. It was just the video I needed to see.

Over the past few days my knees have been killing me. I’ve been running 6+ miles a day for a few years now, and never had any problems. We recently had issues with our treadmill and it has meant that I have done my runs outside. After a few weeks of running on pavement, my knees have been hurting. Last night I came home and took a long, hot salt bath in hopes it would help my knees to rest a bit. After watching the below video I realized my complaints are lame in comparison.

I am also completely addicted to Coldplay’s song “Fix You” which is featured as a cover in the below video. The story and a bit of “Fix You” might shift your perspective today. It is a bit long, but so worth it when you get to the end.

What did you think? Has your thought shifted?

“Routine doesn’t deserve its bad reputation.”

Posted by random olio

I am in the middle of reading “Happier at Home” by Gretchen Rubin. You might have heard of her book: “The Happiness Project” which I read last year. “Happier at Home” brings The Happiness Project to her home, where she looks for ways to make her life happier with a specific focus on her home. She breaks it up into different areas she wants to focus on each month. One of the areas that resonated with me while reading over the weekend was her section on routine.

Usually I have a love/hate feeling about routines. Part of me loves the competition I have with myself to stick to a routine. Part of me feels like it makes me completely boring, dull, and unadventurous to follow a routine each day. I have quite a few routines. I have a green smoothie every morning. I eat basically the same lunch everyday. I go crazy if I do not get a run in each day. I like to stay up-to-date on my email as much as possible. An overflowing inbox makes me feel out of whack. For some reason these so-called routines that I have help me feel like I have just a bit more control over something in my life, when so many of the other aspects of life I have no control over. This all came into my thought after reading this quote from Rubin’s book:

“Routine doesn’t deserve its bad reputation. It’s true that novelty and challenge bring happiness, and that people who break their routines, try new things, and go to new places are happier, but routine can also bring happiness. The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn’t be overlooked. The things I do every day take on a certain beauty and provide a kind of invisible architecture to my life. Andy Warhol wrote, ‘Either once only, or every day. If you do something once it’s exciting, and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it’s not good any more’.” page 147

In my own way my routine does bring me happiness. I can do these specific things in my life and not have to overly think about them. I do not have to agonize over what to make for breakfast or lunch. I feel so much calmer and collected after my run. These routines ground me. They bring a balance to my life and that makes me happier.

What do you think? Does routine bring you happiness, or does it feel like it drags you down?

To pee or not to pee…

Posted by random olio

On Saturday, at about 5 pm and dark out, we were getting out of our car at a store. I hear this strange sound and look over and see a large man peeing in the parking lot. Gross. Luckily, I saw him from behind instead of the front. Still I could not get it out of my mind as we went into the store. So much so that I wanted to make our purchase, leave, and come home. Why did it bother me so much?

I am not completely against the peeing in public thing. I have a friend that will drop and pee if needed, but she is discreet. This was far from discreet. There is also a big difference between a small woman crouching down and hiding behind a car door, and a man standing in the middle of the parking lot, with the sound of his spray similar to a fire hydrant.

What would you have done? I would love to have said something to the man, however, I was not in the safest of neighborhoods, and he was three times my size. I had a hard time finding out if it was against the law in Oregon or in Portland to publicly urinate. I found this, but I am not sure if it is legitimate:

“Any person who urinates upon any public sidewalk, street, parking lot or building, or in any public place, except in receptacles and recognized places provided for those purposes, commits a Class B violation.”

If it is that hard for me to find an answer online, then I wonder if most people know whether it is legal or not. I was thinking about the person that parks in that spot next. When they get out of the car, and they step into a pool of water they might think it is rain (it is Portland), or they might think someone emptied their beverage, not their bladder.

#whatisthisworldcomingto

How are you perceived?

Posted by random olio

I was talking with Chris on the way home last night about perception. It is an interesting thing. Do you ever think about how others perceive you?

You might feel that others think of you as confident, or feisty, or determined. They may think of you in that way too. But, what if they do not? What if instead they think of you as aggressive, cocky, or impatient. Does how others perceive you matter? Does it change how effective you are with them, whether in a work or personal setting? I think it may. Do we have to manage others perceptions of us? Does it matter?

Often I think that others can be blocked to get to know someone more, or make a decision not to pursue creating a relationship or alliance with someone because of their assumptions or perceptions. I do not think we have to change who we are, or adapt who we are for others, but I do think we need to be aware of how we are perceived. Would knowing that make you approach a situation in a more gentle way? Or maybe just the opposite, would knowing how you are perceived make you act more aggressive? In some ways it is knowing your audience and understanding what they need and how they view the world. It may make a difference in how you interact with your boss, your kid, or your spouse.

I would love to hear other’s thoughts on this topic as it was a spur of the moment thought for me and one I would like to dig deeper into. Any books or articles you have read on this topic? Please share!

Don’t let the f**kers get you down…

Posted by random olio

Yesterday was a rough day. I wonder if it was just in the air due to the election. If the results made some agitated and others gloriously happy. I am dismayed by some of the comments on Facebook that were just so negative towards President Obama. I dislike the hatred I see. There should still be respect for the office of the President.

My day felt like a boulder was laid on me as the hours turned from morning to afternoon. I struggled. I got mad. I vented. I felt put in an unfair position. Then I went for a run. I felt better. Then the nagging voices came back. Tears came to my eyes (which does not happen too often). I felt overwhelmed. Stressed. Uninspired. I took a hot, hot shower after my run. Why does that always help to solve problems? Okay, so maybe it does not solve any problems, but it helps to wash them away for a short period of time.

What kept coming to me while running, while showering, while driving home was gratitude. It is often that word that comes to my thought when I am frustrated. When I do not see an answer to a problem. Gratitude for what is. Clearer thoughts tend to come when I focus on gratitude: I am trying too hard. I need to take a step back and breathe and enjoy the moment. I need to learn to say no. I need to learn to ask for help. I cannot do everything, and I cannot make everyone happy.

I do not like certain decisions made, but they have been made. I do not appreciate the value they express, but that is not mine to decide. In the words of a print I purchased from a local artist: “Don’t let the f**kers get you down.” When I show my reaction, I have let them in. I have shown the signs of wear and tear.

My next steps are to repair, communicate, and move on. My inclination is to close up and not let those back in. Why do we often react in that way? Why do we live so often like a snapdragon, and open only to catch our prey, and then close back again?

I need peace of mind, freshness of direction, and that clear voice that tells me I am on the right path. I am ready for my answer. I am ready to feel at peace.