October 18, 2012 Rah, rah, siss boom, bah!

My last day this week in the office went very quickly, as I was working on a project which had not been documented as well as I like (but then, there were a number of extenuating circumstances, and I'm doing my darndest to rectify the lapse) so I had to virtually reinvent the wheel, or the spreadsheet, as it were.  More of the same for tomorrow, but from home and only for half a day as I have a wedding to attend and a car to have serviced.  Then it's the weekend, and I get not two, but three nights of dancing this week!  Woo hoo!  Needless to say, I listened to my knee tonight and took off my boots when the pain became a bit insistent.  But the knee is now well iced and my daily exercises have been done, so all is well.

It seems my little epiphany about carving out time for oneself is gaining momentum.  One of my friends has been having a tough time with her mom in and out of the hospital and husband out of town.  She ended up coming out after work to do a little dancing and give herself a little break.  I was happy to see her infectious smile and a more relaxed look on her face by the time I left!  Strong is one thing, but even the strongest of us need a little break, a hug and a few minutes to just, well, not be strong.  It's like breathing in and breathing in and breathing in.  Eventually, you have to exhale.  And believe me, an hour or so of dancing in the midst of a life of chaos is definitely the exhale!  Sometimes, it's more like a WHHOOOOOSH!!!  

I really get a kick out of introducing a topic, then finding ways to incorporate it into my daily life.  I'm beginning to see how people like Marianne Williamson and others like her got their start.  You get really passionate about making positive changes and you become very aware of those little changes that have been made either by yourself or others around you.  As you start exploring those changes, talking about them with other people and watching the results, you can't help but get excited and passionate about them, and pretty soon you're sharing them with anyone who will listen.  I was about to say that the hard part is coming up with new topics on a regular basis, but the reality is, the topics are there for the picking in this marvelous game we call "Life", or more accurately "the Human Experience".  All it really takes is keen observation, a certain amount of objectivity and a lot of empathy.  In order to be passionate about a life change, you really have to have some experience, and heaven knows, we all have things we've changed as we've evolved, and as we've made those changes, we discover even more we'd like to make, but each has to be made in it's own time.  Granted, my changes won't be exactly like someone else's, but once I've observed, planned, acted, refined and started the process over, it becomes, not so much the change, but the process.  And the process is infinite. 

Just like setting goals for yourself, you set small ones first and as your achievements grow, you begin setting larger ones.  The same is true of change.  You start small with really manageable things, things which will show results quickly.  Now you have your reward so you find things which might take a bit more time and effort and once those have been achieved...well, you get the idea, but the fact is, the sky is truly the limit, and even that isn't high enough or far enough.  Our own imaginations are infinite, so why not what we can achieve if we just put our minds to it? 

I find that as I type at near warp speed tonight to try to keep up with the thoughts that are pouring out, I have to stop every so often to kind of regroup because what is also going through my head and not making it to the screen are new goals and changes and improvements I can add to the list called "Me, new and improved".  I'll stop for a moment and remind myself of how much I have accomplished, then look ahead and find that I can do so much more, one step at a time. 

At this point, I think I've progressed past baby steps as I don't need instant gratification to know that a change is for the better.  I'm not yet to giant steps, though, as I still need some indication, however small, that I'm on the right track.  But each of us is at a different stage of the game, some are mere beginners who could do with a cheerleader or two as they start down their path.  Others just need the occasional attaboy,. and still others are ready to be cheerleaders themselves.  But I think the most common of all is when we find ourselves in each of these roles, and everything in between at one time or another.  Because, the fact is, there's always something new to learn, and we will continue to grow as long as we don't stop learning.  To stop learning is to stagnate and as a stagnant pool breeds disease, stagnating is not a very good option as either the body, the soul or the mind (or all of the above) ultimately sickens and dies.  As a plant needs water, a human needs growth and challenges and lessons, and of course, successes.

Thus, I have, without even realizing it, taken my baby steps and my larger steps until, at least part of the time, I CAN be the cheerleader, the supporter, the coaxer and the listener.  At the same time, there are people out there who do the same for me.

My gratitudes tonight are:

1. I am grateful for all who support me as I make my way down new paths every day.
2. I am grateful for those who allow me to support them in their journies.
3. I am grateful for healing energy both given and received.
4. I am grateful for feedback as it inspires me to think and observe and learn.
5. I am grateful for a warm, comfortable bed on which to lay my pleasantly tired body and snuggle with my cats.

Love and light.