Summer Projects?

My daughter Joanna asked me, "So Dad, what summer projects do you have lined up?"

Tennis Courts at CSUF

I paused. My to-do list is very short this summer. With a 10 week summer vacation from teaching, I could, and have done, some pretty substantial multi-day projects in the past. But this summer, my to-do list is kind of puny: wash the dog, fix the sprinklers, repair a window screen, etc. Nothing big there.

Seeing my indecisiveness, Joanna stated the obvious for me: "Well, I guess your big project is your fitness project."

"Oh, yeah. That," I replied, seeing for the first time the elephant in the room.

Water anyone?

I started running back in February as a part of New Year's goal: "I'm in charge of my habits. I let it be easy." I wanted to improve my fitness: endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility. Running was going to be a key component. I hoped to build up to running three days a week, 1/2 hour a day.

Since then, I've established running into a habit. Oh, yeah!

That habit has enabled me to pursue another part of improved fitness: weight loss. Surprisingly, all my running since February really hadn't effected the scale much, although I've done some reshaping: gaining some muscle, and losing some fat... even my face shows it. But the scale hasn't.

I'm very happy with the improved stamina, flexibility, and core strength I've gained, but I decided to readdress the weight issue. At 6 foot tall, 216 pounds was too heavy. Just ask my blood pressure. Since February, I have dropped five pounds, and yesterday's blood pressure was the best it's been in a year, back in the normal range. A pound a month weight loss, while building muscle, is okay, but I wanted to see if I could speed things up a little on the fat loss.

Soccer Stadium at CSUF

"I find it easy to achieve my goals with the help of God and others." That's another one of my affirmations. This time, Joanna supplied a puzzle piece that got me thinking. She said, "Well, they say that if you split the calorie difference, the deficit you want to create, between fewer calories eaten and more expended through exercise, they say you'll lose weight." Hmmm...

Ponderer that I am, I decided to just exercise 500 calories worth a day (3,500 calories a week) which is a pound of fat burned off. In addition to the exercise component, the nutrition part is this:  Eat well: 1750 calories a day, aim for 30% protein, 45% carb, 20% fat, 5% alcohol -- 7 meals a day (250 each) at 7, 9:30, 12, 2:30, 5, 7:30, 10.

On the stadium's wall (CSUF)

So does that sound like a summer project or what? Racquetball, yard work, and house work are rounding out the 500 calorie a day deficit project. I use my new Timex heart rate monitor during exercise to capture the calories burnt and a couple of computer Apps to track other parts of the program. Part of my cool down routine is logging the data! 

I'm about a week it to this new experiment, and I'm happy with the results. I maintained my 210 lb. weight for 3 or 4 days, then, after a blip up after some good celebratory eating, I dropped to 208 for two days in a row. That's where I am now.

I've got a plan. I'm working the plan. And I'm having fun doing it. (Summer projects: Don style.)

(The pictures are taken from the iCare 5K race course at CSUF. I ran the race in April with Joanna, then came back later with a camera. Enjoy.)

Breaking the Four Weeks Barrier!

Back on March 17th I wrote the following:

My New Year's affirmation is "I choose to be in charge of my habits. I let it be easy."

Fitness is nothing more than the result of habits, mostly involving exercise. So I've decided to let it be easy.

I'm using Psycho-Cybernetic's visualization techniques to create a new image: Don the Runner. (He's fit. He can run 30 minutes at a time, three days a week. At 60, he looks back and says, "It was in February of 2012 that I began to run. That's when I became a runner.")
...

I picture myself on Tax Day (April 15th) running. Why?

To avoid becoming this statistic: "80% of runners stop after 4 weeks!"  But 20% don't quit. I intend to be the one out of five who doesn't quit.

Today is Tax Day, and yesterday I did a practice 5K in preparation for next Saturday's race, the CSUF iCare 5K. The day before yesterday I built an eight foot privacy fence for my back patio. In the process, I strained my left calf. I found that out about three minutes in to my 39 minute run. Ouch.

Today my leg is much better. I'll be doing one to two mile workouts this week, and not very many of them... saving up for the "big event."

But the big event is really today: Don the Runner lives in my mind. Too often we let a false self-image impose non-existent boundaries. (Yes, there are some boundaries... I'll not be running any sub-six minute miles. I'm pretty sure that boat has sailed.) But what many say is impossible, really isn't. What we often say to ourselves in the guise of an Inner Critic, isn't really true, but we act as-if it is. Silly us.

On FaceBook Is yesterday:

Rereading Psycho-Cybernetics (hard copy... no e-book available). 1st read in 2008. Only I'm reading backwards through the chapters. Notable quotes?

"...the past need not predict the future."

"What now appears to be a miracle to others is simply my working to change my own self-image." Jeanne Sanders (Muscular Dystrophy sufferer)

"Little hinges swing big doors." W. Clement Stone

(This book -- Psycho-Cybernetics --  and this author -- Maxwell Maltz --  fathered the self-help movement and peak-performance via visualization.) 

What if... you discovered that many of your limits were self-imposed because you believed some lies about who you could become? 

What if...

Today, I'm celebrating Tax Day, because I'm still on the journey to improved fitness. A journey that includes running. A journey I'm enjoying as I stroll through today... Tax Day... and the four-week-80%-quit day. 

I'm rereading Max's book, and I may post more notable quotes here. 

I'm using his methods to realize New Year's goals. What do you want to realize? What would you undertake if you knew success was assured? What lies are your Inner Critic whispering in your ear to keep you from attempting what you are truly capable of? What if you could install an Automatic Success Mechanism? Would you?

Learning to Love Running: Books along the way!

I know runners. Only a few of them, as they are a fairly rare breed. All but two of these runners look as fit as most of the early morning runners I see out when I drive to work. I've often envied them for their sense of priority, level of fitness, and commitment. But I've only once before attempted to join their ranks.

The first time was a somewhat haphazard attempt that involved a new pair of shoes and some horse trails. I don't think I did more that three runs, and the dream faded.

I recently posted this on a running web-site in response to someone who was just getting back into running. He was looking for encouragement as he was starting over:

"I'm just starting out... or actually five weeks in. I'm moving out of "sedentary confinement."

I was very active in my teens and twenties, and played racquetball well into my 40's. Now "playmates" are harder to find, so I'm turning to running. I'm 58.

My first race (5K) is in two weeks. My son runs, and so does one daughter. They've been encouraging me some, but mostly it's  been books that have helped me: The Quotable Runner, Running for Mortals, The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Running, Wooden: A lifetime of Observations on and off the Court, and now I'm starting The Accidental Athlete.

I'm talking it slow and trying to avoid injury on the way to improved fitness. I'm just barely at 12 minute miles over a 5k distance: run 3, walk 2.

In the past I've only exercised as a by-product of having fun: playing sports. Now, I'm attempting to fall in love with running and a life of training. My goal: Run 1/2 hour three times a week, with off days of strength, flexibility, and balance work. Plus a few "spa" days thrown in as needed.

Long post. Hope it's helpful."

I'm re-posting my comments here because it contains clues as to where I've found some of the information and motivation that has helped me persist on my journey of improved fitness.

My nephew John stopped by with his wife and new baby yesterday (Easter) to say, "Hi." He mentioned that my FaceBook posts on running have got him thinking of taking it up again. I think a history of shin splints which hobbled him some time back. I was pleased the my postings have served to motivate. That's one of the main reasons I write.

"Motivation for change is always difficult. Staying motivated, almost impossible."

That has been my thinking for a number of years, maybe even decades, but for the last few years, I'm trying to reprogram myself into thinking more along these lines:

"I choose to be in charge of my habits. I let it be easy."

"I choose to move forward towards my goals at an easy, sustainable pace."

"I choose to achieve my goals, with the surprising help of God and others."

And, "I choose to let my future unfold at its own pace. Opportunities find me."

Positive change is exhilarating, affirming, and empowering. It's also fun. I believe that much of what limits us is our own unchallenged thinking about the difficulty level of positive change. If we can escape the flip-the-switch-into-a-new-life mentality and instead adopt a little-by-little-sustainable-pace mentality, then I think we'll enjoy life more as a Process-Of-On-Going-Improvement. A POOGI, as Eli Goldratt calls it.

I used to be more fit because I had more fun and played more. I'm rediscovering the joy of movement and athleticism. I'm moving toward adopting a new and improved life-style of fitness. I'm letting it be easy. I'm enjoying the journey. And I'm listening to the helpers who are cheering me on, including those who write books.

One of my runner friends used to say, "By the yard it's hard, but by the inch it's a cinch." Pace. Outlook. Improvement. Let it be easy.

Uncertainty...

Today is Sunday, which is traditionally a day of renewal: the start of a new week.

Chollo cacti: Joshua Tree

Today is the last Sunday before my year with students begins in earnest.

Today, I reviewed my set of personal affirmations. In the midst of them, one stood out:

"I choose to happily embrace uncertainty. I have a God."

New beginnings are full of uncertainties. Some call these worries, concerns, possible challenges, or possible problems. I lump them together under the label of "uncertainty."

As I reviewed my affirmations, my personal beliefs and commitments, this one resonated with my current sense of being: "I choose to happily embrace uncertainty. I have a God."

Chollos: 4' to 7' full grown

The future can be faced with a sense of foreboding OR with calm assurance.

The coming year will have trials and triumphs, but mostly it will have routines, ebbs and flows. I know that, but the trials and ebbs tend to scare me. So what do I do?

I trust in God.

A line from one of my favorite hymns is "All the way, my Savior leads me. What have I to ask beside? Can I doubt his endless mercies, who through life has been my Guide? ...here, by faith, in Him I dwell. For I know WHAT ERE befall me... Jesus doeth all things well."

What can life throw at me that will find God insufficient? (Nothing.)

A fading Chollo flower

"I choose to happily embrace uncertainty. I have a God."

What is certain is that I have a God, and that He has promised, "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you."

One of the names of God is "I am that I am." Some have paraphrased this as "I am becoming all that my people need."

This year I will be in need. There will be times when I am needy. Who will be there for me?

My Heavenly Father. God my Savior. I am that I am.

I read this morning, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Little children have a lot of confidence in their parents. They trust them. They rely upon them. They hold their parents' hand and go forward with assurance.

Today, I choose conversion!

You can look, but don't touch!

"I choose to happily embrace uncertainty. I have a God."

How about you? How will you face the uncertainties before you?

I recommend trusting God. He is faithful. He is able. He is willing to become all we need.

Yeah! (Happy Sunday!)

Beliefs: How is that working for you?

I'm re-reading a book called The Gabriel Method: The Revolutionary Diet-Free Way to Totally Transform Your Body. I read it a year or so ago, and the thoughts have helped me become a better eater: I now tend to eat more nutritious foods. I think that has contributed to my lower blood pressure and some weight loss, despite too much celebratory eating of the "free" food that shows up at work.

Stone-scape at Joshua Tree NP

One theme of the book is cultivating the belief that it is safe to be thin. As I went to bed last night, I rehearsed in my mind some of the Bible verses that give me personal assurance the my Heavenly Father "has my back." I slept very well: the best I've slept since school ended last Friday. Ahhh... thanks, I needed that.

Desert Bloom

Today, I came across this paragraph:

"Beliefs can control our entire reality because they act like reality filters. If we believe something is possible or will happen, we open up a range of possibilities to allow particular realities to occur. On the other hand, if we think that something is difficult or impossible to accomplish, we shut ourselves off from the possibilities, thus almost ensuring that an even will not occur. The harder we think something is to achieve, the harder achieving it will become. As the saying goes, argue for your limitations and sure enough they're yours. However, the easier we thing something is to achieve, the easier we make it for ourselves." (Page 26).

Grow where you are planted?

How's your reality these days? Time for a belief check? To what extent do you monitor and upgrade your beliefs? Something to ponder...

A Mental Map for Teacher Success

"As a man thinks, so is he..."

So what kind of a teacher do I want to be this year? What are my personal goals, my guiding principles, the mental targets I want automatically steer towards?

I have eight:

I choose to find it easy to greet staff members and students by name.
I choose to invent schedules, curriculum, and routines to support Special Education.
I choose to successfully utilize my aide to assist the learning of students.
I choose to find it easy to get ready for IEPs ahead of time.
I choose to feel as if parents and staff like me and appreciate what I do.
I choose to cleverly incorporate memory improvement lessons into my curriculum.
I choose to have fun doing my own memory improvement projects.
I choose to find satisfying ways to balance work and home.

It's hard to hit a target if you don't know what you're aiming for. But if you consistently remind yourself who you are, then you become that image.



I have some pretty good ideas of who I am and who I want to become.

Have your created your own mental map for personal success? Can you bring that map into focus?



If you can't picture the target... chances are...
If you can picture the tartet... chance are...

What are your chances?

Why I blog: 200 posts later...

My Blogger Dashboard is slighty ahead of my Blog's counter, but I sense that I'm passing a milestone here: 200+ posts. Woo hoo!

I began this blog after my oldest daughter, Joanna, began one of her own. I didn't want to crowd her with my comments on her blog, so I began my own. Little did I know how much I would enjoy blogging.



Readers of my blog know that I use personal affirmations to help move myself towards goals that are important to me. I have three affirmations/choices that tie closely to why I blog.

1) I choose to find delight in interacting with my wife, family, friends.
2) I choose to write to inspire and to instruct. It gives me satisfaction.
3) I enjoy the feedback my readers provide. I feel their love and care.

I work hard to be genuine. I detest hypocrisy. As an educator, I often teach writing. My master's thesis in education explored the question: Does my writing teacher write? I discovered that blogging gave me a forum for practicing the craft of genuine writing.

Blogging provides me with and opportunity to interact with my readers. I love your comments. (I also love the insights offered on your blogs. It's a two-way street.)



Blogging helps me distill out of my life those things that have inspired and instructed me. I discover what I believe through the writing process. Through blogging I've discovered a like-minded community of caring, thoughtful people.

I also enjoy the sense of unknown influence. I began my blog in October of 2008. In December, I started using Google's Analytics to track visitors. (Joanna taught me how.) Here are some statistics regarding my blog that Analytics has compiled since December of 2008:

1,058 unique visitors
5,608 page-views
2,374 visits from 60 countries. (Top 5: US, UK, Taiwan, Canada, India)
1,820 visits from the US (47 states -- just missing S. Dakota, W. Virginia, and New Jersey)



Analytics provides me with a sense of involvement in the blog-o-sphere, but it is my regular readers and comment-ers who motivate me to blog. You are the ones who inspire me share my musings and miscellaneous thoughts. Thanks for your friendship and involvement.

Happy Saturday!

My vacations is ending... let the holidays begin!

Today was the last day of my summer vacation. It's was a long summer break this year, and I thoroughly enjoyed all eleven weeks or so.

The final three days of summer, I started getting up a bit earlier, and I worked (for free) five or six hours each day. Not only does my body get ready for the earlier rising time, but I'm prepared enough to relax and enjoy the first holiday of the school year: Labor Day!



We work two days without students, take a three day weekend, and the students show up Tuesday. Many or most of the teachers at the elementary school have been busy getting their classrooms ready. The others, I suspect, will be working (for free) over the Labor Day Weekend.

I'm ready and able to relax because I'm weeks ahead of where I was last year at this time. Last year was my first working at a new school and new grade levels. Apprehensions of last year were mostly imaginary, this year, I know what's ahead: the unexpected!



That's right: what lies ahead is the unexpected. I have a better idea this year about the actual challenges of the job, but life always has the unexpected.

But the unexpected isn't always bad. My #1 affirmation/choice is: "I choose to achieve my goals, with the surprising help of God and others."

Who says all things unexpected are negative. As I left today, I found out that one of my neediest, most challenging students, moved. That was unexpected.

Another upgraded affirmation/choice of mine is: "I choose to make a positive difference wherever I go. I let it be easy."

I'm going to let this year be easy. "I choose to be calm and confident."



Often, you find what you're looking for. I'm looking for surprising help, unforced efforts, positive results, and poise.

I wonder what I'll find?

Summer fades to Fall

This is my final weekend before I report back to work (next Thursday).

So what am I doing special?

Not much.

Why not?

Because I like my life. I've had a great summer vacation. I think it's been one of my best ever. Those of you who follow this blog will know that I've not done anything particularly spectacular. So what made it so good?

Because I like my life. If "Happiness is not a destination, but a way of travel," as I heard from my Grand-pa, then life should be full of happy times. My summer has been.



The summer hasn't been all golden moments, but the scene's have been more pastels than dark browns.

One of the labels on this blog is "Navigating Through Life." That's what I've been trying to learn, and what I've learned, I try to pass on. (Hence this blog.)



Summer is now fading into Fall. At first I didn't believe it. I heard it from other bloggers, mostly those who live further north. I've learned a lot this last year as I've "listened" to the voices of fellow bloggers musing on their weather, their lives, and their locations. I've come to see my own weather, life, and location differently.





The local American Elms confirm that summer is fading to fall. They are starting to lose leaves. Other trees disagree, they are putting out blossoms. (Welcome to Southern California.) The temperatures have been climbing, not falling. Late August and early September are some of our hottest times. (My son, when a student in Maine, saw his breath, at noon, in September! Shocking!)



My dog is going to miss me when I return to the work-a-day world, so I took her on a nice walk. Fullerton has horse trails and bike trails. Heidi and I took a nice walk on one. She didn't know it, but it was my going away present to her. (We took pictures!)



Before the heat came, we had a few cool days: we even had cloud cover til noonish. I took advantage of the cool to wax my two cars. I'd been putting off the task, because I remember the day when car waxes required a lot of buffing. Thanks to Turtle Wax Ice, and such products, those days are gone. (I was hoping they were, but I din't know.)

This summer I had the time and inclination to change TV carriers (now I have DVR), refinance my car to a better rate, out-fox my cats and save my sofas, book a half dozen mini-vacations for the next 12 months, fix some lawn sprinklers, and do some writing on my blog and letters to friends. (And that was just highlights from week one of my eleven week summer break.)



Nothing Earth-shattering, just organizing my life, just fulfilling one of my affirmations: My life is an enjoyable POOGI (Process Of On Going Improvement). Sustainable, enjoyable, involvement with life: That's been my summer.

Of course, in many ways, that's what I'll be doing this Fall and Winter. Another personal affirmation/choice is this: "I choose to make a positive difference wherever I go. I let it be easy." That's my intent and expectation.

That's my life. And I like it.



Last Christmas, my oldest daughter and her family were visiting from Illinois. At one meal, my youngest grand-daughter (2) looked up to her dad and joyfully shared her personal epiphany , "Daddy, I'm happy."

Me too.

Marriage, Cats, Claws, and Sofas

Goals are funny things. They can provide a compass to simplicity, but they can also introduce an undesired complexity. Here’s the problem:



I am married, and one of my personal affirmations/goals is: I love and nurture my wife.

Nothing wrong with that. I heard Josh McDowell recently say one of the best gifts a father can give his children is to love and nurture their mom. I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, I remember distinctly my dad saying to me, “Son, if it comes down to a choice between you or your mom, I’m choosing her… every time.” That seemed a bit unfair at the time, but he knew what he was talking about. (Zen marriage?)



I am a home owner. Another personal affirmation/goal is: My house and cars are well maintained and cared for.

Because I own stuff, I need to take care of it. Sometimes you can own so much stuff that it seems to own you, but with me, I think I’ve found a good balance. Some time back I replaced my cat demolished sofas for some “gently used” leather sofas. Lovely. I traded up. I got a good deal on Craig’s list. But…



I own cats. Nothing wrong with that either. I own a dog too, but she doesn’t claw sofas. My cats do. I have an affirmation/goal for my pets: I care for my pets.

You begin to see the complexities. I love my wife. She loves the cats, and so do I. We like our stuff, including our new sofas, unfortunately, so do the cats. What is one person to do? (I have an affirmation/goal that ties it all together: My goals are meaningful and in keeping with my core beliefs and values.)

I’ve got core beliefs and values, and they provide me with both direction and challenges. They provoke me to find solutions that don’t violate my myriad of complementary and harmonic inner schemas.

So what to do about the cats slowing poking holes in the new sofa?

What’s a guy gonna do? Research! What have others done?

I found ways to train cats, ways to protect furniture, and most of them aren’t cheap. But I am. So…



I invented a “sticky moat.” Invention is a creative art. Being creative is not creating something out of nothing, only God does that. The rest of us create by mixing up existing stuff in new ways.

I took some old file folders, trimmed off the tab, and stapled seven-inch strips of contact paper face up. I peeled off the non-stick portion of the contact paper, cut some notches in the folders, and built a sticky moat around the chairs and sofas. (The uncovered part of the folders go under the sofa.)



But cats are complex animals. They have needs. A few years ago I bought them a nice three-story cat house that provides a view into the front yard and an appropriate clawing spot. They use it, sometimes. Because my cats are indoor cats, they love the smell of the outdoors. So I took some outside plants and rubbed them on their cat house in order to make it more appealing, even "new." (I also trimmed the cats' nails.)



Cats don’t like citrus smelling things, so I gently rubbed some lemon-scented Pledge on the sofas and chairs.

A three-pronged plan to solve a problem in keeping with my core beliefs! My wife and the cats are happy. My sofas are safe. (I hope.) And my wallet was barely impacted.

Score one for Don!? (I’ll tell you in a few weeks.)

Serendipity, Providence, or a Friendly Universe

Occasionally, I am a knucklehead. (I have witnesses!) And often, I'm blessed.

While waiting around for school to let out, I described the student I was waiting for to another co-worker. "This 6th grader weighs 193 lbs. and is about 5' 9". I need his dad to sign some papers."



While waiting for this dad, I got to talking to another co-worker about some help she needed on an assignment for a class in her Masters' program. While I was talking, I saw the student come in, but I didn't see him leave. I didn't see his dad sign him out.

(It's not always fun being a knuckle-head.)

I would have missed my signature-obtaining opportunity except that the first co-worker was watching me missing the whole thing!

"Hey, Don! Isn't that the parent you're waiting for?"

"Duh!" (I ran out the door and got my signature.)

My co-worker came by my classroom later to laugh at me up-close-and-personal. I laughed too.

Her help was needed and appreciated. (One of my affirmations is: I can reach my goals, but I can't reach them alone. I need God and others.)



But this was just a small scale "miracle." A bigger one happened at my family reunion. Let me elaborate...

At the reunion I was nursing a bad back from a biking injury. On the last morning, of the last day of the reunion, I approached the wife of my cousin's son to ask for help: she's a licensed massage therapist.

Katrina, the therapist, helped my back and my mind. She's trained in a sort of acupressure massage called Jin Shin Do, in addition to Swedish massage. This training, and her gift for healing, enabled her to find long-buried tensions in my muscles.

She found the pressure points associated with grief, and I was able to cathartically release tensions of grief that I'd been unknowingly holding on to for over 12 years. (To say I cried would be a gross understatement.)

What brought about this wonderful meeting? My back injury! When all was said and done, I knew why I had hurt my back: I needed to meet Katrina and learn a few things. Plus, I needed healing.



A week or two ago I had a disturbing dream: I was high on a cliff, rock climbing towards an exit with my first wife. She slipped and fell several stories, landed in a shallow pool, broke her neck, and quickly died. I couldn't do a thing. I couldn't get myself to leave the cliff. Then I woke up. (Nobody ever dies in my dreams, at least until this one. It was not a nice dream.)

Twelve years ago, at the last family reunion, my first wife discovered a lump in her belly that turned out to be pancreatic cancer. That discovery led to life-altering changes that culminated in her death 5 1/2 years later.

Driving home from the reunion on Sunday, I remembered the dream... and understood it: Someone I loved deeply had died, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. That was sad, very sad.

When did that downward spiral of sadness start? At a family reunion. At some sub-conscious level I was dreading going to the reunion, but I went.



Providentially, at last weekend's reunion, I was able to release hidden, pent-up grief I had held on to, because at the time, I needed to "be strong for the kids." I did grieve at the time, but apparently, I had held back.

I hurt my back bike-riding, but God was moving me towards a rendezvous for my benefit. God is good. He loves us and cares for us. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and if we let Him lead us, He will bring us to places of healing and wholeness.



Who knew? The children knew! They're the ones who sing, "He's got the whole world, in His hands..."

Call it what you like, serendipity, Providence, or a Friendly Universe, but I'm grateful that I was in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

"I can reach my goals, but I can't reach them alone. I need God and others."

Thank you Katrina.

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

Today I woke up with three issues begging for resolution.

My issues involved: car maintenance, job duties, and social responsibilities. Any of these sound familiar?

I had three varied problem areas… What was I to do?



I decided to take a few minutes to put my thoughts to paper.

Next, I reviewed my list of personal affirmations. I wondered if my affirmations would help me see my way to make some clear decisions.

I was able to easily match two of the three issues with an affirmation.



For the third one, I asked myself the question, “What would make me feel good about myself in making this decision?”

After asking the question, I could see how the remaining issue did fall under the influence of another affirmation.



As I weighed my choices in view of my affirmations and values, I could see my way clearly on what my course of decision and action should be in each case. Whew!

I feel better already!

(10 hours later…)



Two of the three morning solutions lasted through the day, but an unplanned visit from a district supervisor led to an option better than I had conceived for number three!

The Universe conspired to improve my plan, and I was ready for it!



A set of clearly stated goals/affirmation that are in keeping with core values apparently provide a good compass when navigating the sea of life! Who knew?

101st Post: Listen to your inner DJ

Today is a personal milestone: This is my 101st post.

A year or two ago I begin writing and using self-affirmations as a way to stimulate personal growth. At some point I added this affirmation to my list of affirmations: “I enjoy writing to inspire and instruct. I enjoy the feedback I get from the readers.”

Do affirmations work? (Read the previous 100 posts!);-)

Lately I’ve been writing about the songs that programmed me into optimism. Today I want to share one of the Secrets of Consulting gleaned from Gerald Weinberg’s book by the same title. He’s got a little section late in the book entitled, Using Your Unconscious Mind: The Songmeister.



From my previous posts on songs, it becomes obvious that I know lots of songs, most of us do. From time to time those songs creep into my consciousness: I find myself humming a tune, and I don’t know why.

Jerry suggests that the tunes that surface can contain useful clues for solving some problem that the conscious mind might be missing. He cleverly names the subconscious DJ that picks the tunes, The Songmeister.

My brain works that way. During the day, I’ve learned to listen to my internal DJ.



Sometimes the links are obvious… This morning I found myself humming the Happy Birthday song. (Yesterday was my oldest daughter’s birthday. I’m still celebrating.)

Sometimes the song holds a link that I have to ponder to find, but it’s usually there.

Right now I have a sad but comforting song haunting me. (I think it’s because of the sudden death of a co-worker’s spouse. I’m feeling my co-worker’s pain, and I’m reminded of my own loss a decade ago.)




Women are often better than men at having a 6th sense. They pick up clues many men miss. (Hey, a lot of men miss the obvious clues, let alone the obscure ones!)

Listening to you inner DJ can help you access information that’s percolating in your subconscious.

What songs are being served up by your Songmeister?

Tune in. Ponder. Become aware. Look for clues.