Stepping Away is Critical to Your Well Being

       Getting off the treadmill that is daily life these days is becoming more and more important as I get further away from my 18th birthday. The month of June marked another year of an even greater distance from that milestone. Day in and day out from that point on to about a year ago I was on the bandwagon like so many millions of us around the country and around the globe. Up before dawn with a whole bunch of things on the to do list only to find that 16 hours later the list was incomplete and some items had to be shifted to the next day. It quickly became a vicious cycle that was not just a Monday through Friday thing, but something that encroached on Saturday and Sunday first but soon those days became as bad as Monday through Friday.

It was about a year ago that a light bulb went on above my head, something that is occurring more and more these days. It probably comes with age...something akin to older but wiser. The realization hit that it was not worth it. Going full bore 16 or so hours a day seven days a week was simply not healthy. So changes were made. From Friday at 5:00 to at least Saturday at 5:00 the electronic bus is parked. No websites, no email, no checking for text messages on the phone. All of that will be there after 5:00 on Saturday and it's hard to believe that any of those things require immediate attention since it is a Friday night into Saturday. ( If people needed information for something on Saturday more than seven hours advance notice is probably a good thing. It has become a very freeing experience and something that is greatly anticipated.

            Another key to regaining some balance is to do things you like as opposed to what others like. I recently spent two "glorious" days at a country club watching a Senior PGA tour competition. The Senior Tour is great for several reasons. The crowds are smaller than the regular tour meaning you can get closer to the golfers. It also means more room around tee boxes and greens to just plop down and watch some action. It's kind of peaceful.

            There is something about digging in the dirt that is just as peaceful. I've taken a liking to flower gardening. There is something magical about planting something and having the anticipating about what it will look like. Plus it allows a person to get away from it all for a couple of hours. It also means normally that I get to spend time with my wife...and that has become increasingly important after 16 years of marriage.

            There are several other examples that could be listed here but instead, find your own way to unplug from the day to day existence so many of us get caught in. And do something you really like to do. All of that other stuff will wait.

Being A True Optimist

There are always going to be days that bring the unexpected. Sometimes those days present themselves with opportunities while others present challenges that can lead to opportunities. One of those days reared its head recently and had it come at a different stage of life the end result might have been quite different.

The car was in need of an oil change and other routine maintenance. You may already know where this is going. The car has 111 thousand miles and then some so you expected the unexpected. Sure enough the mechanic calls and says, "You know that noise you are hearing? One of the sway bar link has broken and the other one (I didn't know there were two) was about to go. Anytime there is a part of an automobile that you know nothing about it's usually bad news for the wallet.

At a different time in life this would have been a traumatic experience. But I have learned something along the way. Setbacks like this actually happen all the time. It's what you do with them that makes the difference. There was some grumbling between my wife and me about the $25 dollar oil change suddenly costing a a couple hundred more and change. There was the discussion about paying for it and how no matter how hard we try we never seem to be able to clear a credit card balance completely. And there was that general sinking feeling inside that we all get when we have to spend money on something we didn't want to spend it on.

But the bottom line is the car is quieter now, probably safer and I was able to take the high road. I believe if you set your mind in advance to accept the stuff life throws at us from time to time it's easier to maintain your balance. Just think about it... because if today was a bad one tomorrow should be better...especially if you have the mind set to look at the "Sunny Side of Everything....."

Excerpt in quotations taken from the Optimist Creed written by Christian D. Larson 1912