Turn, Turn, Turn

Whether you know it as song from the 60's or know the words from the Bible, it is said that to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under Heaven.
Unfortunately, I think most people, if you are like me, may be waiting for that "perfect" time, and seasons are passing us by. Whether it is when I "get my license", "turn 18", "move out", "have kids", "kids grow up", "we get our bills paid off", "we retire", etc., etc., etc. Whatever it is, we are always waiting for something else to happen before it is time to act. Even something as simple as, "I'll start my diet Monday", "I'll start after the holidays" it is never going to be the right time. Let me say that again, IT IS NEVER GOING TO BE THE RIGHT TIME if you are waiting for things in your life to be perfect, but NOW is always the right time. So right now, think of three things that you would like to accomplish in the next three months, anything at all. And now write three things that you can do in this next week to start yourself on the path to accomplishing those goals, and finally, think of at least one thing that you can do tonight and do it. Once you start, and get yourself in momentum, it is much easier to keep going. So whatever it is, start today, for today is the season of your life to make a change, to help you move toward accomplishing your purpose.

The Director's Commentary

One of the things that I like most about watching DVDs is watching the Director's Commentary.  I love seeing the movie from the Director's point of view.  In the Director's Commentary you get to find out little secrets about the movie and the reason for why certain things are done.  You find out about why certain lighting is chosen, why certain music is played and you even get to find out about certain "extras" that happen to be someone's wife, uncle, son, daughter etc.  Then when you watch the movie again you have a better understanding and appreciation for what went into the making of the movie. 
I started thinking what would my "Director's Commentary" look like, what if I saw my life from the director's point of view?  Would I pay more attention to the colors, the lighting, the sounds, the people around me?  Would I appreciate the simple things that seem to just fade into the background?  Would I take better care of myself, if I saw the love and details that went into creating me?  Would I see people differently, if I thought of them as someone's son, daughter, mother, father?  What if?
So my challenge to you this week, is instead of just going through your daily routine, stop and think about what goes into every aspect of your life, enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, beauty of each and every day, look at people, really look and see, don't just look through them.  Listen and appreciate everything about your life.  And maybe, just maybe with a better appreciation of life, we will take better care of ourselves and others.

"So What?"

So What? Is it a way to give up, or is it the beginning of action? I think if used correctly, then "So What" can be the beginning of action, or at least the beginning of thinking. Take for example, the other day someone said to me, "Do you know that when we retire there would be no more Social Security?" and I said, "So What?" This person thought that I was giving up and not caring about the subject at hand. What this person failed to see that if we answered every problem, complaint, difficulty with "So What?" we would have a better chance of evaluating the situation and seeing if there is anything we can do about the situation or anything we really want to do about a situation. Let's take for example the problem with Social Security, when I said so what that forces me to ask myself, so what does this matter to me, and so what I am going to do about it? Maybe I can't change the course of something, but I can take responsibility to change how I will approach a situation. Maybe I need to save now, maybe I need to find a second income that will keep coming in for the rest of my life whatever I choose the choice is mine to make and act upon.
The same holds true with what I see in the mirror, if I look into the mirror and don't like what I see, I can complain, and moan about it or I can say "So What?" and now the ball is in my court to do something. "So what" am I going to do about how I look, what choices will I make today and each day to change what I don't like. The choice is ours, so tomorrow will you complain about a situation that you don't like, or seems unfair or will you ask yourself "So What?" and then come up with an answer that you can act upon to make some real changes in your life. The choice is yours.

Eating Out

Ok, I have a confession to make, the first time that I walked into a restaurant and saw the calories listed by my favorite foods, I was less than excited. I mean I go out to eat to enjoy myself when I eat out, why in the world would I want my meal ruined by knowing how many calories are in my food. But as time I went on, I found that these numbers, when I looked at them the right way could be my friend. If I know how many calories and sometimes other nutritional information that is sometimes offered, then I can make choices based on facts and not what I think or feel. As a matter of fact when I started looking at the calorie content in the foods that I would eat, I was amazed. Some of the foods that sounded healthy (like some salads) were loaded with calories. Some of them had enough calories for my entire day. So now instead of having my meal ruined by seeing the calories, I now embrace this new system and use it to help me to make good choices and informed choices. Like this morning I went to I-Hop with my husband for breakfast, and was able to order my breakfast with turkey bacon and imitation eggs for under 500 calories. Not that you have to have turkey bacon or imitation eggs, but at least now the power is mine to make choices that are good for me.