Happy March. It’s still cold and rainy here so it doesn’t feel like spring at all. At least the days are getting longer.
One of the biggest aspects of having open as my word is making sure I remember that just because it’s always been this way it doesn’t mean it always has to be this way. I want to stay open to possibilities, open to change, open to a shift in perspective, in response.
That also requires paying attention, slowing down and not reacting but responding intentionally.
It’s interesting how there are some times when I really want to be totally present moment focused. When I am listening to someone I want to be here right now and focused on this very moment. When I am hugging my kids. When something wonderful is happening.
And then there are times when I want to remember that the present moment is ephemeral and this too shall pass. Being sick, having a tough work day, being really upset about a fight or a situation at work etc.
I think this plays off of how the brain is Velcro for the bad stuff so I need to actively remind myself that this is one of many many moments and in the wider context of life maybe doesn’t matter as much as I’m making it mean right now. And Teflon for the good stuff so I need to really pause and acknowledge the moment so I can really lock it in, prolong it and remember it.
It’s the end of a week off for my kiddos and tomorrow we all go back to routine. It’s nice to have time off and it’s nice to have a routine.
I was driving to see my cousin today and the whole time I thought about how calm and quiet I felt inside. I had been anxious about driving in the rain and anxious about the week ending and anxious about some upcoming health stuff.
But in that moment, in the car, my head was completely quiet and I felt content.
Not only am I glad for the moment but I am also glad that I took time to notice and appreciate it.
Painting while waiting for the little one at Stanford today. Listening to Babel and painting while I sip coffee. So grateful for simple pleasures today.
This is one of the trees that fell down near our neighborhood. We are lucky that our power was finally restored yesterday, there are still many people without power.
It’s amazing how much we take for granted until it’s not there. All the infrastructure that our life is built upon.
Little reminders like this help keep things in perspective.
When I first started this puzzle, I almost gave up. It has no edges and no corners and it was mostly blue so all the typical methods I’d used to start a puzzle were not available.
But I was listening to a good book and had nothing to lose so I kept at it.
I found a few small patterns that looked like they went together and slowly, slowly started to form some sort of a shape
I made several wrong assumptions along the way and had to turn things right to left or upside down.
But I got there in the end.
It was a good reminder that just because I don’t know how to start doesn’t mean I can’t keep at it and that I can still find my way through and finish.
I love the long weekends so much. Getting two full days without the sunday-syndrome is magical. Grateful for the relaxed calm and spaciousness it offers. I wish we had them more frequently.
About two months ago I quit caffeine. I was having trouble sleeping through the night uninterrupted and I’d already tried everything I could think of, so as a last resort I quit caffeine.
I didn’t get any of the excruciating headaches that I was expecting.
I still drink tea (herbal) and coffee (decaf) and coke zero (not caffeinated) so it doesn’t seem to have made a huge difference on the surface.
But I am mostly able to sleep through the night uninterrupted now.
I still miss my tea most of all. And being able to get soda when I am out and about but it’s been absolutely worth it.
Now if only I could walk away from sugar the same way.
