Day 168 The Power of P (Pt 1)

I've been busy the past few weeks filing legal paperwork.

It's a pain, but it's  necessary.

Filing these requirements has been quite the learning experience. There is an expected deadline and it doesn't pay to procrastinate.

Procrastinate is the first P I want to say a few words about.

Day 167 Stretching

Stretching is an important part of properly exercising.  Every time I work out, stretching precedes weightlifting, aerobics, and any sort of conditioning.

Physical stretching isn't the only kind of stretching I do.  I stretch my mind by reading. I stretch my spirit through worship, meditation, and instruction. I've stretched my capacity for love, for forgiveness and for empathy.  Interestingly, I've never stretched to a breaking point; the more I stretch those qualities, the more I'm able to stretch them.

166 Boundaries

As I work on myself, I am coming to grips with the fact that in the past I did a poor job of setting boundaries for myself.  I never had a "line" that said this far and no more.

Maybe that's because for many years I didn't need one. With my faith system in place, I knew what the boundaries were, and the people I hung out with had similar lines and so crossing them was never an issue.

Then came the troubles. They've been hitting me hard for nearly a decade and have certainly challenged me in ways I didn't expect or plan. Through recovery and extensive talks with my immediate family, I came to realize that somewhere along the way, the hard and fast boundaries I thought I had no longer existed in an absolute clear black and white.

Day 165 Celebrating

Recently, I just celebrated a milestone birthday.  They seem to come around about every decade.

Ten years has made a huge difference.  Ten years ago, my oldest was still in college, one in high school and one in middle school. Now they are all adults.

Ten years ago, I hadn't had my first heart attack.  I wasn't dealing with depression, or dealing with the long-term effects of diabetes. Today, I have flat feet, a damaged heart, and fight depression on a daily basis.

But, those three kids mentioned above.  Well, they are something special.  And they pulled off something special. 

Day 164 Out With the Old

With a recent hospitalization, I've come to the realization that I need to pare down, seriously.

I've three careers in my garage and basement.

For a number of years I taught middle school.  Just telling a friend tonight about some of the crazy things that happened to me early in my career.  

I entered a second career as a property and casualty phone representative and learned a whole lot about insurance, a career I revisited some years later.

My third career was that of a novelist and editor. I did a lot with romantic fiction. A lot.  

Day 163 Risking

In order to break some of my own personal boundaries, I have to be willing to try something new.

For the past decade, that is something overall I haven't done a very good job of. 

About five years ago, inspired / reminded by my brother of my desire to skydive, I took to the skies and plummeted to the earth. It was an exhilarating, unforgettable experience. 

Since then ...

Day 162 Of Bucket Lists

In a month or so I'll be transitioning into the next decade of my life.  At least I hope to.  This past month hasn't been the easiest and the future doesn't look like it is going to be all sunshine and roses either. Thing is, no matter what is in store, I have faith, tested as it has been, and that will get me through the hard days.

However, it doesn't stop my mind from "wondering" or "wandering" (or maybe a combination of both).  The kids have asked me about a bucket list, and I've pretty much not had one. Usually, when I want to do something, I take a good look at it, reverse engineer what it takes to do it, and then I make a plan to get her done.

Been that way pretty much my whole life, or at least my adult life.

Hospitalizations and complications from diabetes have given me occasion to rethink having a bucket list.

So, I've decided to put together a list.  So far, it is only one item long and I'm sure more ideas will come to me as I pursue this line of thinking.