Motivational Monday #17 - Little Moments Make Memories

Memories are a strange thing.  It is hard to set out to make a memory.  You can try, and maybe succeed, but chances are the memories slip in unexpectedly.

Think back, what do you remember in your life?  Was it big moments or silly little things you never planned? I have a few cherished memories, and none of them were planned, they were all spur of the moment silliness.

Tonight we played cards with the kids.  This was a little risky because not everyone is old enough to grasp the concept of the game Uno.  As we played we started to giggle, and even chortle.  By the end we were cracking jokes, heckling each other and guffawing.  After an hour of play we had no winner, but almost every card was in my hand.  We ended the game by seeing who had the fewest cards, and declared the youngest the winner.

I realized in the middle of the game that I will remember this evening in my favorite moments catalog.  It will be stored away and cherished.

As today falls into the Motivational Monday category, today I challenge you to think about those moments in your life.  Find things to cherish.  It could be a silly activity, or an unplanned surprise.  It could be a stolen moment or long awaited reunion.  Either way, take the time to think about it.

The Keeper of the Information

If you have been reading this blog for a while you will know we think Prepared Binder is important for a lot of reasons.  Not only is it great in cases of evacuation, emergency and death, it is also vital when the "keeper of the information" in the home is out of commission.

This week I was reminded of how important that can be.

I have a dear friend who suddenly and unexplainable fell ill.  Her husband was out of town and her children were home with her when they had to call the paramedics to get her immediate medical treatment.  She is now in ICU and the family is scrambling to take care of her while they keep things going at home.

To her credit, my friend had a book with everything in it.  When she left for the hospital her friends opened the book and started making calls.  Family was notified, appointments were canceled, neighbors were contacted for support.  A plan went into action and the right people were at the right place at the right time.

So what would have happened without that information? Who would have contacted her husband?  Who would have had her insurance information or medical history? How many things would have been different?

I know most of us don't think about sudden medical disasters, but really, when have you had a planned medical disaster?  Having your information ready to go is a kindness for those taking care of you.

Once again, write it down, tell people where it is, and be prepared.  Don't make a bad situation worse from a lack of information.

"Dressing Up" To Appreciate The Things Around Us

Have you ever seen a group of girls dressed up in princess gear and matching shoes?  The simple act of putting on different clothes transforms them into royalty from a land of magic.

Unfortunately, most adults don't get the same results. At some point the magical optimism of youth gives way to the realities of life, and glass slippers mean pinched toes, not handsome princes.

When we lose that charmed outlook on life we also lose the possibilities and wonder that come with it.  Have you ever watched a sunrise after a night of crisis? Have you even been struck by the beauty of something you have ignored before? 

Appreciation for that which is around us can be a hard thing.  Lives get busy, routines become boring and the status quo becomes reality.  Few of us take the time to "dress up" and imagine things in a different way. 

The question becomes, what are we missing? What have we overlooked or under appreciated? Are we not seeing the possibilities in our careers, our relationships or our personal growth? 

You will not catch me walking around in my mother's clothes and shoes anymore,  (which is a good thing, I have been taller than her since 4th grade...) but you will catch me imagining ways my life can be different.  I don't long for far away places, I just compare my current activities with the things I know I could be doing instead.

You have heard of "fake it until you make it," but how many of us change our behaviors to suit the person we want to be?  How many of us have tea with the queen while wearing a ball gown instead of PB&J with the kids while in our PJ's? How many of us act as if we are on the road to success instead of on the road to the grocery store?

Take the time to watch children lost in the land of pretend.  Enjoy their happiness and feel the freedom of their excitement. Remember what the world felt like when it was a place of endless opportunities, and then remember who you were when you were full of optimism.  Who will you be today, a princess, a business woman, a calm and collected mom (just as much of a myth as frog princes...) or an amazing volunteer?  Dress yourself up and appreciate everything your life has to offer!

Motivational Monday #16 - Climb Every Mountain

Over the weekend we took the kids to a not-so-local state park to commune with nature. Now I hurt.  Yes, it is true, I ache in places I forgot I had.  Add to the hiking/rock climbing adventure the fact I got hit in the face with a chair as well, and you can imagine I am a little banged up.

You may be wondering what is so motivational about me aching all over. So glad you asked.

The only way I will stop aching anytime soon is if I get up off my tush and keep moving.  Working the kinks out is the best way to feel better, and ironically, be in better shape to do it all again. (The hiking, not the chair in the face thing.)

Often when we flex our organization muscles we get the same pain I currently have from hiking.  It is hard to purge unneeded items and rearrange what was once a perfectly good mess.  When finished however, you will find a much leaner, meaner organized being, one ready to take on the next project with ease.

So climb that mountain of stuff to organize.  Flex your unused muscles. Just don't get hit in the face with a chair.  That hurts.

Muppets and Other Bonding Tricks

I don't really know what is going on with me lately, but I seem to feel the need to introduce my kids to movies I loved as a child. I had the chance to take my kids to a Muppet movie in the theater, and I couldn't wait to initiate them into the craziness.  You may remember I wrote a post about the Muppets some time back, and yes, I love them just as much now as I did then.

There is something about a group of furry puppets that puts everything into perspective. (That is a sentence I never thought I would write.)

As we sat in a darkened theater with popcorn and sodas, my kids and I laughed, gasped and giggled as Gonzo tried to find his family in "Muppets in Space." We were inspired by Kermit's true friendship and horrified by Piggy's selfishness. We understood Gonzo's need to belong and how hard it is to be different.

As we left the theater, I noticed that my kids and I were talking about something we enjoyed together.  We had a bonding moment.  If I hadn't liked the Muppets before, I would have loved them at that point.

Bonding with our kids is an issue as old as time.  I am sure parents thousands of years ago tried to figure out how to relate to their kids the same way we do today. Having a way to meet them halfway (okay, even 10% of the way) is an important part of being a family.  Sometimes it can take a Muppet to get that far. Sometimes it can take a lot of Muppets.

As my kids age, I doubt it will be this easy, but I hope we always find a common place to meet up.  Maybe it will be sports, maybe art, maybe music.  (Who am I kidding?  Turn that down already!!) In order for us to stay a strong unit we will need all the common ground we can get.

So if you see me in a ton of nostalgic movies, or sitting at a peewee game, or listening to my kid's ipod, just remember, common ground can be found in the oddest places.  Feeling like you belong to a family can take a lot of work and a leap of faith. Just ask Gonzo.

Karate Kid - What is Your Rule #1?

This last week I decided to introduce my son to Karate Kid, the original movie.  He absolutely loved it, and in fact has informed me he wants to grow up to be Mr. Miyagi.

In the second movie they travel to Okinawa and in the Miyagi family dojo there are two rules written on the wall.  Rule #1 is: Karate is only for defense.  Rule #2 is: Quickly learn rule #1.

While we all chuckled, it seems in life many times rule #2 is to refer to what you already learned in rule #1. For example, when I was growing up my dad would tell us rule #1 was "education is your job." When I would forget rule #1 and get too busy to keep good grades, my dad would refer me to rule #2, which was always "see rule #1."

You would think we would be smart enough creatures to remember simple rules, but as Danielson learned over and over, Mr Miyagi was right. When in doubt, see rule #1.

So this begs the question, what is written on the walls of your home?  What rules do you live by?  When in doubt, what is rule #1?

I have seen families who put together a mission statement and a motto.  I have always wanted one.  Sometimes I am afraid our family motto would be a little too pathetic to write on the wall.  Something like, "Always late and fighting" or "We will argue until we are right" just doesn't have the same ring as "Karate is only for defense."  Maybe we can work on that a bit.

I think I would like something more sage sounding on my walls.  Maybe "Kindness is not an option, it is a requirement" or "Forgive first." Then again, I don't want people to snicker when they walk in my home.

So for now I will work on the Rule #1 in my life.  If and when I figure it out, I will let you know. If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them!

Motivational Monday #15 - Finding Happiness

"Happiness is the consequence of personal effort."

I have been reading "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert and that sentence stopped me in my tracks. It made me think and it made me squirm a little. I'm not sure how much personal effort I put into the act of happiness.

If you think about it, most of society is based on "more." More stuff, more house, more vacations, more friends, more money, thus more work. In my experience, happiness is vary rarely found in the word more.  It might be found in "contentment" or "peace" or "balance," but I have never seen it in "more."

So how do we seek out happiness?  How do we put in personal effort to find and keep happiness?  What is happiness really in our lives?

Today is a Motivational Monday, and thus my goal is to motivate. Today what I want to motivate you to do is think about that first statement. How much effort do you put into happiness, not entertainment or frivolity, but happiness.  Then determine if it is enough.

We may not all be able to spend a year soul searching and traveling the world to find happiness, but we can all look within. The last I checked, that didn't require a passport.