Yesterday, like every day, I had a Plan A. Some days my Plan A is vague and general, but lately the Plan A has been a bit more specific. The day to day Plan A falls in line with the goals I have for the week, and the month, and the quarter, etc. You get the idea.
So yesterday... my Plan A was destined to be a low carb/no grain day. No big, same as the day before, food was pre-planned accordingly. Then, before the sun even though of peeking over the horizion, Plan A was pushed out my 2nd floor bedroom window... rather uncerimoniously and thoughtlessly, I may add.
And I was happy to do it.
Why am I not gripped with guilt and shame?
Because Plan A turned to Plan B because of one lovely moment that would have been missed otherwise...
You see, my Awesome Hubby (henceforth referred to as AH... Cute, no? ;) is working in town this week. When he's working here, it's not the best of situations since I'm asleep when he gets home from work, he's asleep when I get up and he's gone before I get home.
Sorta stinks, actually... but I digress.
Yesterday, though, he woke up with a coughing fit - love the dry AZ winters! He went downstairs so he didn't wake me and while he was calming his cough, the coffee pot started brewing it's happy dark elixr.
::romantic lightbulb moment::
He prepared a tray with coffee, coffee cake and some other snacks to wake me up with so we could sit and spend some quiet time that we hadn't been able to have in a few weeks.
My first reaction: OMG someone's breaking in or something's very wrong! (what?! I was sound asleep when I heard much rustling around me! What was I supposed to think?)
Second reaction: My AH is up, why is my AH up?!
Third reaction: YAY Coffee and... cake?! But... is low carb day! Eh, I've got the rest of the day to have Plan B be pretty darn close to Plan A, this is special me & AH time.
I /could/ have pitched a fit... I mean, didn't he /know/ what my Plan A was?! Seriously! How did he not pick up on my thoughts and unspoken/unwritten plans?!
Yeah, what does that accomplish aside from hurt feelings, guilt, and a reactionary bad mood? Not to mention it greatly reduces the chances for such a rare, but sweet gesture to ever happen again.
I /could/ have figured that, if I couldn't do Plan A, I wouldn't do a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g so there. ::arms crossed, tongue stuck up and flop on the floor with a *neyh*::
Again, doesn't really accomplish much (see above).
No... The transition from Plan A to Plan B went super smooth, with hardly a bump felt in the greater scheme of things.
Thing is, the food and the Plan... just things. Things that can be modified, things that can make life easy or difficult if you choose, but things just the same.
The moment and the experience with the AH... that's precious, and fleeting, and meant to be savored.
Times like this that make me gaze in wonder at myself: Who the heck am I? LOL!!
No, I'm not 'perfect'. No, I'm not better-than-you. I'm just working on continually being better-than-me-yesterday.
"If you must compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to yourself yesterday." ~ Unknown
Sometimes you can recover Plan A with a Plan B... sometimes ya have to go all the way to Plan ZZ. And that's ok... maybe next time you'll stop at Plan ZY, and eventually you'll work your way up just Plan A.
How about you? Is it Plan A or nothing? Do you have Plans A - ZZZZZ? Ever gotten a happy breakfast in bed surprise?
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Fear and Gratitude
Hi there. I need to take a departure from focusing on health, wellness, and other physical weighty things, and turn to something a little more emotionally weighty.
My name is Stephanie and I live in Tucson, Arizona. I moved here from a smallish community in Michigan in 1992 because I fell in love with the beautiful mountains, the amazing desert, oh yeah, and because I wanted to get the heck out of snow filled winters. ;) But, most importantly, I fell in love with the people. It had that small town feel of a community where you talked to one person and chances where they knew someone you knew.
Since I’ve been here, Tucson’s population has grown to over 1 million people, but it’s kept that small town vibe which is fantastic.
Why is all this important to be sharing? Because on Saturday, January 8, 2011, my town became the epicenter of national news. My congresswoman and 19 other peoples lives were forever impacted because of one person. My town has been effected in ways that I can’t even begin to imagine, because the literal and figurative wounds are still too fresh to even begin to think of healing.
If event itself weren’t bad enough, my town, the innocent bystanders who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, a 9 year old girl for cripes sake, is the becoming the target of a hate group/cult that is descending on Tucson to proclaim to all that we deserved this. That SHE deserved this.
And I am glad, they’re coming, in an odd way, I am glad that this happened... Before you start throwing things at me, hear me out. I am not in any way, shape or form, happy people are dead or injured. It saddens me immensely! I have been carrying around sorrow and anger and fear since Saturday morning. Any time an emergency vehicle rushes by, my heart races. I find myself wondering the what ifs and whys that can’t be resolved. I’ve had a knot in my stomach for days that isn’t showing signs of lessening any time soon.
But because of this horrible tragedy; despite a surge of finger pointing, questioning, and blaming; in the midst of being attacked by a contingent from Kansas, my town, my community, is pulling together like never before. In an instant all labels were evaporated. Young, old, rich, poor, fat, thin, man, woman, geek and freak... all gone when the first literal shot was fired, and only people were left. Strangers have found a small piece of common ground, and I hope and pray that it grows and builds, so we start seeing each other and so we know that we are not alone in this journey and are there for each other.
My neighbors - all million plus of them - are taking the act of one person, or a small group, and using it to motivate them to action, as a chance to say “We’re still here.” In the way that the horrible acts of a few people roused a nation September 11, 2001, the tragedy of January 8, 2011, is bringing a group of individuals together again as a community to protect itself.
To heal.
To grow.
To prove that one person may be capable of unspeakable horrors. But another IS capable of amazing acts that will motivate and strengthen the bonds of this world.
My name is Stephanie and I live in Tucson, Arizona. I moved here from a smallish community in Michigan in 1992 because I fell in love with the beautiful mountains, the amazing desert, oh yeah, and because I wanted to get the heck out of snow filled winters. ;) But, most importantly, I fell in love with the people. It had that small town feel of a community where you talked to one person and chances where they knew someone you knew.
Since I’ve been here, Tucson’s population has grown to over 1 million people, but it’s kept that small town vibe which is fantastic.
Why is all this important to be sharing? Because on Saturday, January 8, 2011, my town became the epicenter of national news. My congresswoman and 19 other peoples lives were forever impacted because of one person. My town has been effected in ways that I can’t even begin to imagine, because the literal and figurative wounds are still too fresh to even begin to think of healing.
If event itself weren’t bad enough, my town, the innocent bystanders who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, a 9 year old girl for cripes sake, is the becoming the target of a hate group/cult that is descending on Tucson to proclaim to all that we deserved this. That SHE deserved this.
And I am glad, they’re coming, in an odd way, I am glad that this happened... Before you start throwing things at me, hear me out. I am not in any way, shape or form, happy people are dead or injured. It saddens me immensely! I have been carrying around sorrow and anger and fear since Saturday morning. Any time an emergency vehicle rushes by, my heart races. I find myself wondering the what ifs and whys that can’t be resolved. I’ve had a knot in my stomach for days that isn’t showing signs of lessening any time soon.
But because of this horrible tragedy; despite a surge of finger pointing, questioning, and blaming; in the midst of being attacked by a contingent from Kansas, my town, my community, is pulling together like never before. In an instant all labels were evaporated. Young, old, rich, poor, fat, thin, man, woman, geek and freak... all gone when the first literal shot was fired, and only people were left. Strangers have found a small piece of common ground, and I hope and pray that it grows and builds, so we start seeing each other and so we know that we are not alone in this journey and are there for each other.
My neighbors - all million plus of them - are taking the act of one person, or a small group, and using it to motivate them to action, as a chance to say “We’re still here.” In the way that the horrible acts of a few people roused a nation September 11, 2001, the tragedy of January 8, 2011, is bringing a group of individuals together again as a community to protect itself.
To heal.
To grow.
To prove that one person may be capable of unspeakable horrors. But another IS capable of amazing acts that will motivate and strengthen the bonds of this world.
Monday, January 3, 2011
2011: New Year, New Theme, Same Plan
Nothing like a fresh blank page on a brand new calendar to bring out the musing and reflective mind. Thinking about the past, where I've been, what I had planned, what I accomplished, what I didn't. Looking ahead at the wide open space of possibilities. Looking at the past few weeks of oh so much celebrating and welcoming the normalcy of routine that comes with the passing of the holiday 'season'.
Last year, I was all about the basics - basic exercise, basic food, basic plans. I had some lofty goals and sorta kinda hit some of them, and had set backs in other areas. In general I just wanted to continue to create a better, stronger, faster version of myself. And I did... and didn't.
The theme was basic, the lesson learned was humbling. ::Cute Mick Jagger:: You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need. Aawww yeeeeaaah...
::ahem::
What I wanted was a super buff body, to be able to run, jump, swing, and lift whatever and whenever I wanted.
What I got was a body that had less fat on it than when I started the year, and was able to do some of those things better than I started, but there were setbacks.
What I wanted was to be focused and never waiver from achieving my goals, no matter what.
What I got were lessons that kept me focused on more important things: fun, function, flexibility, family, friends.
So I don't have the super buff, super strong body that I set out to attain in 2010. I'm healthy, happy and haven't been sick since not sure when. ::knocks on wood::
Does that mean that I ditched my goals from last year or gave up when I got sidelined?
Far from it!
What I wanted was to get it done and be done with it.
What I got was a greater understanding of living a healthy LIFE, and the meaning of the word tenatious.
I did ditch some things - the obsession, the all or nothing, all about the weight "Diet" mentality.
I gained perserverence, and creativity.
I worked my 'push through' muscles along with my 'push up' muscles.
I learned that any goal worth achieving is worth continually reaching towards it. You may not get it on the first, second, or elebenty-billionth try... but you'll keep geting closer.
My theme for this year picked itself... or rather, was picked for me. The messages all around me said the same thing: Press On
And this passage that was read at church yesterday drove it home: "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me." Philippians 3:12
So this is me, pressing on... anything that I achived, keep at it. Anything that I missed the mark, keep trying. Anything that needs improvment, game on!
What's your theme for 2011?
Any lessons learned?
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