On Values and What Is Right

The world right now is a world of uncertainty, especially here on the bit of soil we call America.  There is finger pointing, there is a blame game, and there is a government (not one side or the other of the government, but the ENTIRE government) playing politics and being ridiculous while the American people suffer.  There are children shooting each other in school and adults shooting each other almost everywhere.

There are people who make vows to one another and then simply leave when the going gets tough.  And no, I'm not saying there is anything simple about separating from a spouse.  But we live in a world where a PROMISE really just means "I promise to love you while its convenient and easy.  Unless it gets hard.  Then I'm done." 

There are people who spend the few hours they have with their kids with electronics in front of their face instead of listening, REALLY listening to what their kids have to say.  Our children can be empowered when we give them a voice and actually LISTEN to what they are saying.

I'm blown away lately by the nastiness that is floating around in the world. . . from partisan rants to vitriol among people that should be friends. It leaves you with a yucky feeling.

So do yourself a favor.  Smile.  Say something nice to someone.   Listen when your children speak.  Turn off the TV and have dinner as a family. Let your children know that their opinions and thoughts matter.  Model how they should treat people by how YOU treat people.

Our world is broken, and sad, and sorry right now. But it doesn't have to be that way.  Even though we are each single people, we can change our little corner of the world.  We can change it for our children.  We can change it for our friends.  Bad things will happen, but we can approach them with grace and show that strength is beautiful.  We can revel in the simple beauty of the day.  We can find wonder in the simpler things in life.

We had a great yoga class a few weeks back about keeping steady in times of uncertainty.  Going back to basics is a great way to do this.  Our foundations, our roots are what keep us strong.  What is your foundation?  What are your strengths?  Think of those things as you move through your day. 

Take a step back. Unplug.  Do something kind.  Say a kind word to someone you don't know.  When you make a promise, keep it.  And when there are people in your life who don't do these things, let them go, because they don't add any value to your life.  Our days on Earth are numbered . . . we are each only here for so long.  Don't kid yourself that what you do DOESN'T impact someone.  Because it can.  And it probably does.  Live a life you can be proud of.

Less is more

As we get ready to start the 2013-2014 school year, I'm subscribing to the idea that LESS in life is a good thing.  We've spent the better part of this week going through the too-much-stuff we own and weeding it out.  Organizing.  Cleaning.

We live in a society of excess--we like to have too much stuff.  I've been intrigued by the idea of minimalist living (Simple Mom, anyone?), but we hardly live a minimalist life.  It was a cathartic process this week to weed out the things that our household does not need, organize what we have, and get the house ready for what is sure to be a crazy end of year.  Because balancing 2 work schedules, two crazy training schedules, a child in preschool and a child doing virtual school from home is going to require a home that is easy to pick up at the end of a crazy day.

I've been stuck on philosophies lately.  There are so many simple phrases that can help keep your life full and enjoyable.  Remembering to find the joy is one of those philosophies.  The idea of LESS IS MORE is certainly another. Its a philosophy that we can improve our lives with--not just our every day grind, but also our training. 

Of course, less is more when it comes to our things.  If we have too many things, we become overwhelmed by how much there is.  We tend to use what we have less, and therefore enjoy it less.  Who HASN'T been overwhelmed by the huge stacks of stuff in their house that needs to be organized/cleaned/put away/etc. etc. etc.  

When it comes to running, we always want to be the fastest, but we need to remember that sometimes slowing down and simply enjoying the run is important.  Remember its not ALWAYS about how far you go, or how fast.  

• Occasionally, its okay to leave the GPS at home and just go for the joy of it.   LESS IS MORE.
• Sometimes, its okay to miss your distance goal, if it means you are listening to your body.  Yes, running is mind over matter, but you have to listen to what your body is telling you.  Listening can mean the difference between an injury with a long recovery period and just having a mediocre run.  LESS IS MORE.
• The long run is about building the slow twitch muscles fibers that allow your body to go the distance.  If you try to run fast while doing it, it sort of defeats the purpose.  LESS IS MORE.

Less can sometimes be more.  In toys.  In runnning.  In life.