Shrek Super Slam

Hey there hi there ho there!  It’s good to be back.  It was so good to get away and have a holiday with the family.  To all who are still following – thank you!  For those that left, sorry to see you go.

Ever notice how a little time off helps you clear your head?  I took work things with me.  I took books I needed to read, notebooks to write in and a selection of my favorite pens to satisfy that weird obsession I have with pens.  I mostly stayed offline, it was hard.  I have become an FB junkie, twitter addict, and yes – I checked frequently to see who stuck around while I was away from my blog.  I fully intended to automate, and publish posts each and every day while I was away.  As you can see it didn’t happen.  Forget to click one little box and nothing gets published, and I was too flustered to figure it out from my cell phone.

I know, you’ve got to be smarter than your smart phone.  LOL.  Amazing how a 3 X 4 piece of electronics can be so humbling.  On the bright side though, I took a ton of pictures and videos.  Ahem, more on the videos later.  About now you’re looking back at the title and scratching your head aren’t you?  Go ahead, admit it.  What strange journey am I on now that this is going to somehow tie into THAT title?  It’s a mystery world don’t you know!

First a bit of recap, the vacation was awesome!  Parasailing is something everyone should experience, as is swimming with the dolphins.  We took a sunset cruise in the gulf, and a moonlit stroll on the beach during the full moon.  I saw one of the most romantic things ever.  A couple waded out into the surf.  He kissed her then dropped to his knees and proposed.  By her reaction I’m assuming the answer was yes.  (We weren’t staring, we were walking in their direction, so we couldn’t help but see.)  On the walk back from the tour they were laying on their blanket making out – ok really tried not to look at them at that point!  But isn’t that romantic?

We celebrated our anniversary on this vacation, and it made my romance writer brain go into high gear.  Wondering about the couple, wondering where they were from.  How long had they dated?  Where would they be 25 years down the road?  When we were newly married, we took our honeymoon in Florida, at Orlando.  We went to Bradenton Beach. We were the only ones on the beach, turns out it was a retirement community.  this trip was in Panama City Beach. It was awesome!

Still scratching your head?  Patience my dears, patience.  We’ll get there. We haven’t had rain in the midwest all summer.  You may have noticed on the news drought conditions and record temperatures.  It was actually cooler in Florida than in St. Louis.  We arrive in Panama City Beach to a severe thunder-storm.  Seriously?  The flags on the beach were red,  wonderful. the next day more storms and had to cancel our plans.

The following day however was awesome.  We went parasailing, drove around sightseeing, and played on the beach.  Our hotel was right on the beach as most of them down there are.  I have to be honest, I’m not used to relaxing and not doing anything.  It goes against my upbringing and instilled work ethic.  It felt good.

On Thursday we had to cancel our plans again due to the weather – bummer.  but you know, when the boat captain says it’s too dangerous I’m not going to argue.  Our lives are worth more than a few shells and snorkeling.  Later though we went out and saw more dolphins, stingrays, a shark, and even cannonball jellyfish.  Weird creatures those!

Hmmm, still no super slam. Wait, it’s coming.  Get home, get the mail sorted, ready to start in refreshed and ready to go.  Had a meeting Monday night for the class I teach in the fall.  I was excited and anxious to start on a new semester.  This is one of my passions.  I’ve poured my heart and soul into the class.  I  spend a lot of time on the course manual, a lot of hours preparing lessons, and time researching better ways to present to students.

SHREK SUPER SLAM!!!! Administration cancelled my class.  It was deemed nonessential.   OUCH!  I held it together during the meeting, refused to take the mike until it was shoved in my face.  I tried to be professional but I felt like I’d been mortally wounded.  This was one of my deep wells; a course on recovering from abuse and picking up the pieces of a shattered life.  It took me a lifetime to develop, to be able to pay it forward to others who’ve been victimized.  Typically, there were 60 to 100 people per class.  I’d say it was a well received class.  In one decision by the board – gone.

I had fully intended to post yesterday, but just couldn’t muster it.  It’s like a part of me has died.  I know there will be other things, but it’s hard to let go of the things we value.  I guess I”m not as good at handling change as I thought, when it’s something I hold dear.  After all, tomorrow is another day.

So back to the video; remember when I got nominated for the Leibster award and I carefully evaded the question about my blonde moment(s)?  Yeah, well while on vaca - I had a truly epic blond moment.  Seriously, dye my hair and call me Blondie!  I was going to share the video so you could all get a good laugh, but having technical problems with my computer.  Operator error more than likely.  Ah, perhaps tomorrow.

 

Write on my friends, write on!

Turn Up the Heat

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”   Theodore Roosevelt

212 Degrees- Turn Up the Heat

Critics are a dime a dozen.  Ever notice how as soon as you take that first step towards your dreams, they come out of the woodwork like cockroaches?

I’ve been called daydreamer, slacker, goof off, and it spirals downward from there.  Where would we be in this word if not for the dreamers?  I’ll proudly wear that hat!  It’s taken me years to accept that about myself, and longer to go for my dreams.  A life lived in others expectations is no life at all.  It brings no satisfaction, no victories.  Trust me, I know this from experience.  It’s a low road to live as a cockroach.

Some people don’t hesitated to offer their criticism.  That used to stop me.  Not anymore.  I’ve crossed the line, and no longer content with mediocrity. My dreams aren’t earth shattering, cure for cancer ( I wish!) types of things.  they are personal goals, personal dreams, the pursuit of my own passions.

Some people disappoint you.  Eventually everyone will at some point but I’m talking about the ones that epically fail!  You have little expectations of them and they fail to achieve even your lowest level of what you hoped for.  It’s disappointing, but at the same time motivating.  I am sad that they don’t seem to have any inner drive or chutzpah.  I’m a little angry because I know they are capable of so much more.  At the same time, it’s encouraging for me because I’m starting to recognize the indicators.  I don’t get as upset at someone else’s actions, I ask myself how it applies to me and what I can learn from it.

That one degree of difference is really all it takes to make a difference.  If you haven’t watched the video link above, do it now!  Otherwise you won’t get what I’m about to say. The one extra degree of effort in business, in life separates the good from the great!

For many years I gave up easily, said “I can’t.”  I remember my track coach making us run extra laps if we said those words.  In life we don’t have a coach, unless we pay someone to be our coach like a personal trainer, or virtual assistant.  Apparently it’s not just me either because it’s becoming big business to be a personal trainer.

It’s not easy to overcome the voices screaming at you to give up, including the one inside your head, that resistance is futile.  I can’t live that life any longer.  I have to try, and if I fail – at least I went for it.

I have the vision, the victory dance on the summit.  It plays in my mind every day.  It plays just at the edge, a constant reminder to urge me forward.  It’s not easy, but it’s possible.

Why is it so hard to lose 50 pounds?  Run a marathon?  Pay off debt? Write a book? All of these things have the same thing in common, you do it one step at a time.  One dietary change can net a loss of 10 pounds, increased exertion increase your odds.  To run a marathon, you stat with one step, then ten feet, then a lap, a mile and eventually 26 miles.

It’s the same with a book.  You write a word. Then make a sentence.  Pretty soon you have a paragraph, the paragraph becomes a page, the page becomes a chapter and over time you have a complete book.  It’s the daily application, the persistence to stick with it when it’s tough.  The determination to reach the goal is just fuel to the fire.

While the cockroaches are scurrying around the base, I’m part of the way up my mountain.  I’ve made enough  progress that I can look back and see how much progress I’ve made, yet the summit is high above my head.  I can’t wait to see the view from the top.

My knees have been bloodied, my hands scraped, dirt smeared on my face, and clothing in disarray.  Let them laugh and mock, I don’t care anymore.  I’m closer to the top than I’ve ever been before, and I love it!  Besides, the roaches are just afraid of change – that’s why they are virtually the same since Paleozoic time.

I’m certain that you can get my analogies, and see the accuracy.  I don’t want to get to the end and have the regrets of omission.

It’s Your Life!  You are responsible for the Results!