UBBT Week 2

[Lisa Clark]

Lisa Spagnolo's journal mirrors my own thoughts. It was aptly titled "Repetition and the New Normal." My own life is restructuring. There is a new 'normal.' Its not just the UBBT requirements.

Financial ventures are new and more satisfying than before. I've wanted to nanny for a long time. Two families have recently presented the opportunity. Its developing deeper patience, greater understanding, inspiring laughter and meeting the bills. What could be better?

Time with family is taking on a new importance. My sister's belly is growing and they will soon know if its Baby Samantha or Baby Jared. She calls to complain about how clothes just won't fit, or peanut butter smells bad, or Luke talked to the baby on the sonogram monitor and yelled at the doctor when the image went away. He thought the baby disappeared. Oh the mind of a 4 year old nephew!

My physical living space is slowly but surely decluttering. You wouldn't think it from all the piles on the floor. They're individual piles though. There's the goodwill pile, the return to owner pile, the sell on Amazon pile, the pictures to hang pile, the clothes donation pile, the reorganize/repack for storage pile, etc. It's very satisfying to see how much is leaving the house and how little has genuine value. A sneak peak at the future results of my decluttering goal!

Even transportation has changed. I drive as needed but primarily travel on foot. Walking fulfills the miles for the UBBT requirement, and its refreshing. The crisp air, the lovely leaves clinging to the trees, and the satisfaction of not further polluting my beloved planet. Yes, I am a green thinker. And I love being outdoors exploring the world around me.

Diet is not much changed; rather it has restructured the previous ingredients. Conscious choices in protein and veggies are paying off. Iron rich spinach, walnuts, kidney beans, chicken, and more of Mother Nature's bounty are being maximized in more salads and diverse menus. Sweets are limited to naturally sweet fruit or an occasional dessert. The ol' sweet tooth was out of control for a while and would quickly be again if neglected. Water or tea is the new drink of choice; replacing coffee and milk. My tummy prefers the decrease in acid.

Time spent on the computer is no longer an aimless internet rabbit hole. I used to turn it on with a single purpose at 9:00 am only to read the clock at 1 something and never have accomplished the original goal. Purposeful journaling, emailing, farming, or researching have helped focus the electronic time. The day is now spent with real people, or at least in a reality based environment. Don't get me wrong, I still love my Wii, movies, anime, Facebook, and Netflix. I just don't spend all day with them anymore.

Bottom line: I've found my stride again.

For months, I've been deeply upset over a single failure. I didn't do my best at a critical time and there are ongoing consequences for that mistake. Its time to get over it. Move on. As Lisa said in her blog, "Repetition means you always get a do-over." I'm thankful that there is the opportunity to do-over what I should have done then.

[Lisa Spagnolo]

Thanks for the reference! ;). I like how this post covers a lot of topics--there are so many areas in life to get in order! I have had struggles in each of these.  Regarding the last paragraph--regret--that is probably the hardest because you can't technically "do over" but have to make peace and walk in today.