Occasionally Deep Thoughts

"There are only two creatures of value on the face of the earth: those with the commitment, and those who require the commitment of others." John Adams

This was part of our thought for the day from my WW Online group.  I thought I'd share it. It was taken from the book "Shot in the Arm" by Sharon Lee Riguzzi.

GET WHAT YOU WANT

This past Sunday, my in-laws celebrated their 67th anniversary. Yes, I did say 67th! Spending this amount of time with one person seems mind boggling to most of us. Besides love and hard work, I've witnessed a sense of commitment between these two. But it got me thinking: why do so many of us shy away from this word in all different areas of our lives?

Some of the definitions I found on commitment might give us some insight:
commitment: n. 1. the act of pledging or engaging 2. the act of binding yourself to a course of action or another person; 3. the act of consigning a person to prison or a mental institution.

I have a news flash for you: We all need a sense of commitment in our lives. Don't get nervous; I am not saying it has to be to another person. Let's start with gaining a sense of commitment to ourselves. We continually talk about goals, Winning Outcomes, and what we really want out of life. And the only way we'll ever get to the finish line is to continually revisit this subject.

What do you want and what's it going to take to get what you want?

This is where it sometimes gets a little tough. We often don't like the answer to this question. It might take some hard work.  But unless you are willing to make a commitment to yourself, I can almost guarantee you won't get what you say you want.

So how long will it take? I'm not asking for 67 years, but try committing to one year (with an option to renew of course!)

What is it going to cost?

Time, focus, planning, Positive Self-Talk, mental rehearsing and the most important -- a good motivational strategy!

If you're not familiar with this last tool, picture yourself already having achieved whatever it is you set out to do -- running in a marathon, building a house, losing weight, driving in your new convertible. Whatever your dream is, realize how good it feels to have achieved it, and then think back on the commitment it took. Once you've achieved it, the commitment is always worth it. It's important that we keep visiting the good feelings daily to keep us passionate about what it is we want.

You are definely worth the commitment.

Don't be afraid of the commitment. We'll help one another along the way!

Current Mood: committed

 "If we would only give, just once, the same amount of reflection to what we want to get out of life that we give to the question of what to do with a two week vacation." Dorothy Canfield Fisher

I've mentioned that we've be Tivo'ing the Olympics.  That’s a lot of hours of Olympics.  However, it does give us the ability to pick and choose what we want to watch.  Last night we watched one of the equestrian programs, men’s floor gymnastics routine, women’s floor gymnastics routine, men’s pommel horse, women’s vault, women’s 3m springboard diving, a couple of track races, women’s beach volleyball (on slow fast forward), and several rowing competitions (on slow fast forward).  Emotions ran the gamut from despair to overwhelmed jumping up and down joy.  We just cringed at mistakes that cost someone a medal.

Current Mood: bored

We went wedding dress shopping yesterday.  Ed was a HUGE help and unbelievably enough he seemed to enjoy it.  He's posted his own LJ about it with links to pictures here 

phredco

"Think of life as a terminal illness, because, if you do, you will live it with joy and passion, as it ought to be lived." Anna Quindlen

Time Files.  I said that the other night and was asked what I meant.  Time files away all the events in your life…all the good things you’ve done and bad, all the happy times and sad.  It files away all the moments of pain, fear, rage, passion, and joy.  There are some that are filed so far back you can’t reach them.  Some are marked “Do not open” because we don’t want to remember what’s inside of them.  Some we take out, dust off, and browse through, and maybe we cry, smile, cringe, laugh, shiver, or blush at what’s inside. 

Current Mood: chipper

"Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don't fight them. Just find a different way to stand." Oprah Winfrey

Time flies.  We have this big project at work that has been looming.  Tomorrow is the deadline.  We’re looking good, but I can’t believe it’s here already.  Looking at the calendar, I’ve been in Atlanta now for 2 years.  How did that happen?  Since the subject today seems to be time, I’ll also mention that the wedding is only 7 weeks away now.  I still have to get my dress.  I’m not sure what I’m going to do about that.  I had picked a dress out, but it isn’t really appropriate for fall in CT.  I’ll be shopping this weekend.

Current Mood: accomplished

"When you feel in your gut what you are and then dynamically pursue it - don't back down and don't give up - then you're going to mystify a lot of folks." Bob Dylan

I don’t usually watch the Olympics except casually.  Meaning, I would only watch if I was flipping channels and saw something I was interested in.  However, this year I’ve decided to make an effort to watch.  I’m not sure I know why I made that decision, but we’ve both been interested so we’re watching.   We saw the Men’s Swimming 400m Relay.  That was an AWESOME race.  The French really did have it, hands down.  I didn’t think we had a chance, but Lezak, the oldest member of the swimming team at 32, pulled it out in the last 20 meters. 

"If your head is wax, don't walk in the sun." Benjamin Franklin

Time to catch up.  I’m not going to go back and do several days worth of posts mostly because I feel like that’d be cheating.  So, I’ll just pick up where I left off after this update…with day 7.  I’ve been pretty sick the last week.  I woke up with a high fever just under 103 degrees last Monday morning around 2 am.  Ed held me through most of the night to keep me warm even though I was terribly hot to touch and he couldn't have been comfortable doing it. After being awake most of the night he was kind enough to go to the pharmacy at 7:30 in the morning to get me a thermometer so I’d know exactly what my temp was.  I was worried that it was even higher than it was based on how I felt, so his trip was for nothing more than to reassure me.  He’d already insisted that I was going to the doctor as soon as we could get an appointment for me.  Then, he called in sick so he could stay home and take care of me.

Long story short, I went to four doctor's appointments, and two different doctor's while they were trying to pinpoint the problem.  I was vampired (i.e. they took blood) three times to run various and assundry tests.  My white blood cell count was really really high.  I haven't gotten the results yet of the one they did Friday.  I've been on two different anitbiotics which I think are the main cause for my inability to eat much of anything.  Most food just tastes wrong.  It's a great weightloss plan, but I don't recommend it.  My temp has been stable since about Thursday.  All the other symptoms are gone for the most part too except the difficulty eating.  I take the last of my antibiotics tonight, so I'm hoping that will improve soon too.

Current Mood: blah

"There's some things that people don't admit because they don't like the way it sounds." Cindy Chupack

Work's really busy.  It should slow down somewhat after Aug 15th.  I'll spend the last two weeks of August in a training class.  Unfortunately, it's for software that I really don't want to support, but you do what you must to be more useful in your job.  Ed and I are BOTH reading “A Matter For Men” by David Gerrold.  We take turns reading it, folding the book mark in half to keep each other’s place.  It’s the first book in the War Against the Chtorr series.  Luckily, we managed to find the second one at a used book store.

Current Mood: content

"To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can." Sydney Smith

We hit three used book stores today...bought a LOT of books.  At least some of them were paid for by trade in credits.  We picked up "The Watchmen" graphic novel.  It looks like the movie is going to be SO cool, so we wanted to read it first.  Thanks to the recent release of Joss Whedon’s Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along-Blog, we’ve just had to watch Firefly again.  I can’t wait until Dollhouse comes out next year.  We also heard that in addition to the Buffy and Angel comics, Joss is writing one about Sheppard Book from Firefly.  How cool is that?

Current Mood: relaxed

"Don't let the bastards grind you down." General Joseph W. Stilwell

To reference Ed’s post, we’re almost finished planning the wedding/honeymoon.  We’ve decided to drive instead of fly to CT.  It will actually save us money, even with the cost of gas.  Plus, who wouldn’t want to drive across the Eastern part of the country during prime time fall foliage season.  We have a couple very nice bed and breakfasts booked as well as a couple of “regular” hotels.  We’re still trying to figure out what to do about the last night before we head back, can’t decide if we want to stay in a place on the ocean. So excited!

Current Mood: excited

 "The simple solution for disappointment depression: Get up and get moving. Physically move. Do. Act. Get going." Peter McWilliams

I’m not good at taking the high road…at not responding to accusations, criticism, or other perceived wrongs whether intentional or otherwise.  I’ve never been good at backing down from a fight even when I should.  I’ve never been good at keeping my mouth shut even when I should.  Ask my mom.  I wish I was.  Until I respond, I end up with butterflies so bad I can’t sleep.  I really wish I had it in me to just accept that I won’t always agree with other people and that it’s ok.   It’s something I should work on, but not today.

Current Mood: tired

 "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." Andy Warhol

I walked home in the rain yesterday.  It was nice.  My mom sent me links to the “Last Lecture” of Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon Professor who recently died of pancreatic cancer.  The first is about an hour long and is the actual lecture he gave at Carnegie.  The second is about 10 minutes and is the shortened version he gave on Oprah.  I haven’t seen the longer version yet but watched the shorter one.  I’d highly recommend watching.  I get to start moving my office cube today.  At least I only have two years worth of stuff to move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9ya9BXClRw&feature=related

Current Mood: contemplative

Current Mood: accomplished

"It's not easy being green."  Kermit the Frog

I believe I mentioned before that the move put us a bit closer to my office.  In fact, it put me within walking/biking distance.   Sunday I had to go in to work for a maintenance weekend and decided that I'd check out the walk.  This seemed like a good idea since I wouldn't have to change clothes and the traffice would be a lot lighter not to mention I wouldn't have to get up quite so early as I would on a normal week day.  It's about a 35 minute walk there and a 45 minute walk back.  The reason it's so much longer on the way back is the ginormous hill I must walk UP at the very end of my walk going up the entry way to my apartment complex and the heat.  I take it a little slower since it's 94+ degrees and I have almost no shade on the walk back.  I'm nearly completely shaded in the morning on the way there.

Deciding that I'd start with walking in 3 days a week, I walked in again this morning.  I learned a few things that I hadn't discovered on Sunday.  1) Turn off the laptop before putting it in the backpack. It's like carrying a small heater on my back.  Great for winter, not so much for summer.  2) Pack the backpack the night before, it takes about 15 min to pack it which makes me run a little later than I'd like.  3) A backpack with only a laptop weighs less than a backpack with a laptop + shoes, pants, shirt, socks, etc, etc, etc. 4) I'm really glad I decided to do this.

Current Mood: accomplished

I saw this on my WW Online forum today.  I thought I'd share it with everyone since it rings very true with me and how I think.  Plus, I just think it's good advice.

John is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!"

He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, John was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up and asked him, "I don't get it!  You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?"

He replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or...you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it.

Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or...I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life."

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested.

"Yes, it is," he said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood.  You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life."

Several years later, I heard that he was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, he was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw him about six months after the accident.

When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins...Wanna see my scars?"

I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place.

He replied. "As I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live."

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked.

He continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action."

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said John. "She asked if I was allergic to anything 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'"

Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead."

He lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude...I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.

Attitude, after all, is everything!

Current Mood: happy

"Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital." Kelly Barton

I don't remember if I mentioned it here, some of you knew from talking with me, but the actual purpose of our trip to Wyoming last week was to give Ed's mom the chance to see her grandchildren.  She's been pretty sick for a while now.  Last year her doctor said she needed by-pass surgery, but he didn't believe she'd survive it.  She has fluid on her lungs that she has to take a diuretic for and is has to carry around an oxygen tank to get enough oxygen in her lungs.  She has diabetes to boot.  All of this is probably the result of being dramatically overweight her whole life.  In the last two years she has managed to lose about 60 pounds. 

This is quite an accomplishment for a woman who is 68 years old and can barely get around.  She attributes this to two things.  Walking two miles every day, one mile in the morning and one in the afternoon, and drinking lots and lots of water.  Now, she doesn't walk fast and she walks with a walker, but she does walk...every day...two miles.  To me, that's inspiring. 

Current Mood: inspired

Today we planned to go North to Canyon Village and then take the park's upper loop.  We drove along side the Yellowstone River the whole way to Canyon Village.  At one of the park's many pull out / overlooks / trails, LeHardys Rapids, they have built walk ways right on the banks of the river so that you can walk right along side the rapids.  It was awe inpsiring to be so close to so much power.  You couldn't help but be soaked in it.

The river opened up into a valley where the Buffalo roam.  As we crested a hill we started to see a smattering of Bison here and there.  Then, the cars in front of us all came to an abrupt halt.  We could just make out that there was a herd of Bison in front of us.  Several of them had decided to prove that this territory, including the road, belonged to them.  We sat for about 20 minutes as cars slowly manuevered around the Bison.  Two rather bold Buffalo wandered no more than six inches from my window, casually looking back at me.  I could have reached out and touched them but I kinda felt it would be rude.  They are after all wild animals and not cows to be petted.  It was also here that many of my fellow humans proved their stupidity and sense of superiority.  After being warned repeatedly that Bison are dangerous, wild animals, tons of people were out of their cars with their children within feet of the herd practically chasing them cameras.

Artist point and the Lower Falls of Yellowstone River were spectacular.  Artist Point is also known as Yellowstone's Grand Canyon, for good reason.

We tried to get everyone home at a decent hour this time and got to the cabins around 5pm.  Ryan got to wander around and explore like every 11 year old boy should be able to do.  The two youngest colored in their coloring books and I took the opportunity to start repacking for the trip back to Colorado.  We decided to drive to Cody for dinner, which was probably a mistake.  We didn't get to the restaurant until after 8 and where home again at 11pm with the kids dead asleep in the car.  I don't think we're going to get up at dawn tomorrow after all.

Current Mood: energetic

This morning we woke up at the crack of dawn and took great pleasure in waking up the kids the way they have done to us so many times…rudely. Apparently, we were not the only early birds. When we poked our heads out, we ran into several different species of wild critters. Three moose were having breakfast behind our cabin. Ed and the kids saw a wolf before I had ventured out. Just as we were leaving, a fox wandered up pretty as you please, obviously not afraid of us. He sat down and took to scratching an ear less than 5 feet from us.

Current Mood: peaceful

The most amazing thing about the drive across Wyoming from Cheyenne to Buffalo is the complete and utter lack of civilization.  There's not a house to be seen for miles and miles.  We set the GPS to display a 10 mile radius and saw NOTHING but the road in front of us.

How does the song go..."on a clear day you can see forever".  Here and there you find a line or two of trees that appear to have been planted specifically to try and deflect the wind and/or snow.  Very little grows out here except grass and cows.  The landscape is mostly rolling green hills covered in grasses that wave with the ever present wind interrupted here and there by rock cliffs jutting abruptly out of the hillside.  The rock formations are stunning.  It's very much like the wind and rain have eaten away the earth's flesh and exposed her bones beneath.

The climate is so different from Atlanta's.  This time of year in Atlanta you're drenched in sweat less than 5 minutes after stepping outside because the air is so moist.  Here, you don't have the opportunity to feel the sweat at all.  It evaporates in the dryness so quickly.

As we got closer to Buffalo we, we saw more and more of the stone castle-like structures built by mother nature and shear stone walls that appear to be carved by the hand of God...ancient and giant walls.

Current Mood: awed