The time is now: maybe that simply means trying something new

Have you been repeating the same thing, over and over, yet never experience different results? Like trying to lose weight or breaking a habit or attempting to follow your dreams? I’ve often wished I could order a “one-size-fits-all” book spelling everything out in black and white: “How to XYZ in 6 Easy Steps.” I can imagine a book like that would remain on indefinite backorder. Or maybe it’s a faulty mindset you engage in battle with, continually entertaining thoughts like: “I’m always late, so why try getting there on time?” Or, “I never finish anything I start, so why should I join that book discussion or take that class or [fill-in-the-blank]?” Oftentimes, we even blame others for why we’re “stuck” and life continues to look the same. If you relate, then I’ve got big news. Revolutionary, in fact. It’s your fault. Because it’s all about choice. If you’re ready to try something new, read The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks.

In what area are you stuck in life?

Image courtesy of arztsamui at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Effecting change: love harder, forgive more

During my lifetime, I’ve met basically two kinds of people: The ones who are grateful simply because they are alive and breathing, equipped with the ability to contribute to society in some way; and the ones who greet you with, “It’s going to be a bad day” and proceed to tick off a barrage of superficial complaints. In my own experience, each set of people exhibits certain stereotypical qualities. The former kind seeks to put others’ needs first, walks his/her talk, leads by example and always looks for the good in humanity. The latter kind tends to obsess over messages of hate and judgment, holds grudges and finds fault with (seemingly) every little thing. Oh, how my heart aches for storm-ravaged Texas, the condition of our world, for the division that separates. My deepest desire is to collectively become one kind of people who learn to dismiss the small stuff, love harder, forgive more and unite to make a radical difference.

What can you do to effect change?

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Nobody’s perfect (not even me)

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

The other day, I posted on Facebook and misspelled the word rode as road.  Not surprisingly, one of my friends commented right away.  For a split second, I contemplated deleting the status update.  But despite my grammar lessons (and upcoming “word-of-the-month” posts), I decided to let my imperfection hang out there.  After all, I’m the first to admit I’m not without fault.  And when we are in a hurry (like another recent update where I wrote soups on … without the apostrophe of all things), we oftentimes overlook words that look right because they are right — except for their context.   Other words I’ve noticed incorrectly substituted (by others, of course) include: loose for lose (not tight and not winning, respectively), affect (verb) versus effect (noun) and don’t even get me started on their, there and they’re (belonging to, location and they are).  Hopefully, your audience will be as forgiving as mine and laugh right along with you.  Because I guarantee … they’re not perfect, either.

What is a notable boo-boo you frequently see spelled correctly, but is used incorrectly?

Put the needle on the record, put the needle on the record …

[Image credit: dan]

I’ve been accused of resembling a broken record.  For those readers who don’t know what a record is, ask your parents or grandparents.  Simply speaking, a record looks like a giant CD with grooves, or tracks where a needle rests as it revolves around a turntable.  And a broken record skips tracks — meaning, it repeats itself.  In my post entitled You know what you’re doing wrong, I touched on how we tend to repeat the same unhealthy behaviors.  Yesterday, after nearly two weeks of resting my ankle, I finally made it back to the gym.  Right away I began complaining about how I looked and felt due to continued poor food choices.  My trainer’s response to me this time was a question rather than a statement: whose fault is it?  How easy it is to point the finger at someone else when faced with this question no matter the topic.  But the truth is, in this case I have no one to blame but myself.  I’d say it’s past time to trade the record in for a new model.

Do you find yourself regularly complaining about something only you can change?