Dreaming Big

I’m a goal setter. I make lists at work and at home of things I need to do or want to accomplish, and then joyfully scribble them out when complete. Most days it’s mundane things like “laundry” or “clean up email”, and I keep lists to stay focused on what needs to get done or I will while away my time on Pinterest (and believe me, I can spend a lot of time on Pinterest) or camped in front of the Big Bang Theory, while my laundry begins it’s world domination plot like some bad episode of Pinky and the Brain. But I also

My laundry can take these guys.

keep lists because I LOVE the feeling of accomplishment that comes with crossing something off.

Sometimes I set bigger goals. These are not chores that need to be done to keep the world safe from my laundry. These are life changers. Personal Quests and Personal Bests. Goals that fuel my imagination, motivation, dedication, anticipation, concentration, inspiration and aspiration – and any other ‘tions’ you might like to throw in. These goals are usually challenging but attainable – like reading the bible cover to cover in a year or completing a century (100 mile bike ride) – both goals that I accomplished last year.

So when I sat down to write this post and explain my motivation behind changing my diet, I was at a loss because while I can feel the overall goal in my heart, I am having trouble putting the magnitude of it into a single explanation. Of course part of it is weight loss and health, and part of it is because I have some physical goals I want to reach this year (another post in the making!).

But I also have these other carrots God is dangling in front of me. Carrots that will take longer than a spring of training, and will in fact take a life time to realize. And a lot of divine intervention.

For instance – I would like to be a motivational speaker. Or inspirational. Or spiritual. But I like speaking in front of people about things I am passionate about. A friend of mine once said she thought I was an exhibitionist – she was just kidding (I think) but there was some truth to it. I have spoken a few times in church and I think I did alright. I just want to share what I have learned with other people, especially other women, because:

I have a passion for helping women love themselves for who they are. I want to redefine body image, not only for myself but for anyone who has ever looked in the mirror and found only fault. I want to learn to see myself as God sees me, and then help others do the same.

You all know I love to work out. It’s not because I enjoy pain or hanging around with sweating, grunting men (although there is something to be said for that). It’s because exercise tires out my body and my brain. I have clinical depression, but since I have been exercising regularly, I have not had a major dip. At the end of a 4 mile run or a 20 mile bike ride or a really good strength training session, my brain is empty (no comments on that from the Peanut Gallery). I sleep better. I have more confidence. I am stronger, both physically and emotionally. My head is clearer and I can think better.

Well, I want to share that too, with people who are afraid to work out, or don’t have the money to join a gym, or the confidence to even try. Maybe they think they are too awkward or weak or fat or ugly or old or unable. But they aren’t. I want to help others to feel that confidence that comes from accomplishing a physical goal. It’s unbelievable how that changed my life.

I also want to buy the old De Pere Library (thanks for planting that seed, Collie), currently a law office, and turn it into a women’s gathering place/coffee house/craft consignment/creative outlet/peaceful getaway place-thing-house-store-shop-house-thing. With one room full of big loungy furniture and cushy pillows; another room with tables and chairs for games or eating or creating; another room – maybe like a chapel area – for when you need to be quiet and meditative; a coffee bar area with comfy stools; a consignment area where people can sell their artwork or jewelry or handmade items. And books. I think there will have to be books in there somehow. I will be cruising around with my walker because I will be 150 years old by this time, but hey. A girl’s gotta dream and if I’m going to dream, I’m going to make it big.

I just finished reading Mark Batterson’s book, The Circle Maker. In it he talks about the importance of Dreaming Big, Praying Hard and Thinking Long. Right now, this is just a nebulous idea, a gleam in God’s eye. He at least knows whats going on. But until God gives me a better handle on it, I’m just going to refer to this whole thing as Brick House Ministries. Maybe it will be a real ministry or maybe it will only ever be a name. But I will never know unless I try. And somehow, making that dietary change is the first step of the journey. With God, and all of you by my side, I am willing.

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” – Erma Bombeck

Brain Flopping

Oh Christmas Tree…

Just a short note to let you all know I am still around.  Apparently being overwhelmed with work and Christmas preparation and a class at church and working out and walking the dogs and and watching football and keeping up with social media (translation – sucked in by Pinterest) and my daily bible readings and sitting in front of my SAD light and doing push ups and keeping up with the house and playing the Simpsons Tapped Out (seriously addicted – thank you David Mauel) and did I mention work? is frying my brain and by 8 pm I have little to no creative juices left for writing.  Or at least, writing anything of significance, although that would imply “significant” writing earlier, which I am not sure I qualified for anyway.

Therefore, I have decided to treat the month of December as “Random Post Month”, where I will just post whatever is flopping around in my brain and not try so hard to be profound or give you anything useful.  This then, will be my first brain flopping post.  You will also notice pictures of the neighbors light displays scattered about.  This is the time of year the dogs and I traipse far and wide in search of glorious light displays, while Harry Belafonte and Josh Groban fight for the attention of my eardrums.

 

Before I start,  I have to confess.  My push ups have gone south for the winter.  Seriously, I don’t have time to do 150 push ups each morning and sit in front of my SAD light, plus get ready for work, etc.  And if I am completing 150 push ups in the first 15 minutes of the day, even if they aren’t consecutive, doesn’t that count as having achieved my goal?  I think the longest I have rested between sets has been 2 minutes or so.  I really think that should count, at least for now.  I do plan on picking it back up again in January.  Maybe.  Okay, yes, fine.  I will.  January is depressing anyway.  Might as well make it worse.

I may actually make cut-out cookies this year.  This is very thin ice for me, because I LOVE cut-outs – eating them mostly.  One year, I hid about a dozen of them from the rest of the family, because I wanted the last of them all to myself.  Well, it must have been one of those hormonal brain fog days, because I promptly forgot about them.  The next year, while digging out my cookie cutters, I discovered them hidden in the corner cupboard, behind the mixer.  Such a waste.  For the record, year old Christmas cut-outs taste like cardboard.

Mind you, I only like making the dough, rolling them out, baking them, and eating them.  I hate decorating them.  If it weren’t for the fact that they taste oh so much better with frosting, sprinkles, chocolate chips, red hots, and tiny silver candy balls that break your teeth when you bite them, I wouldn’t bother.  But they are so much better decorated and just biting into one brings me back to being a kid and sitting in front of our living room window, looking out at the snow and lights, or laying under our tree with my sister, looking at our reflections in the Christmas balls.

Well, that’s about all the brain flopping I can handle tonight.  I started a little too late and even though I have more stray thoughts, they will just have to wait for another post, or turn into a weird dream where I am running around looking for my locker that I can’t find, to get my books for a class that I can’t remember, to take a test I didn’t study for, the entire time knowing full well that I am the mother of adult children, making the scenario all the more ridiculous.  Or maybe it will be the one where I am late for work and forget to call in.  Or the one where I am trying to get the kids to school on time and fail miserably.  There.  Discuss amongst yourselves.  Let me know when you have a diagnosis.

Until next time!
Sue

I felt a little weird taking this picture because it was right up by the house and if they were home, it would have looked a little weird. I managed to take the picture though, and just got to the sidewalk when the neighbors came home.