tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26241720780303832692024-03-14T02:55:20.130-07:00Midlife MacGyverPenny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-54180648022981013712014-10-15T19:58:00.001-07:002014-10-15T19:58:41.922-07:00The Antidote to Overwhelm<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">I may have bitten off more than I can
chew. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">I signed up for three different
coaching programs that each demand their own Herculean effort to complete and
for one month, October, they all overlap.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">I certainly wouldn't have planned it
this way had I been in charge of the master plan. But often times one
thing leads to another and several doors fly open at once. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">The seemingly innocent challenge I
took up in January to write 500 words a day for 30 days set me up for a
year of upping the ante. I figured if I could do that, I could do just about
anything. So I started doing stuff.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">By showing up, being
accountable, and being visible brave new worlds have opened up to me. When the
information is so valuable, so life-changing, so timely, it doesn't make sense
to wait until it all fits nicely into my schedule. Such is the case with
my coaching programs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">And here's what I've discovered about
overwhelm. <b>The antidote to overwhelm is not giving up, but engaging in
something whole-heartedly, completely, passionately.</b> Right now I have
to fire on all cylinders in order to keep up. From what goes into my
mouth to what comes out of it, I'm acutely aware of the impact on my energy
level.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Although it's easy to complain, the
only thing I really have to do is prioritize. Daily. Hourly. This means
giving up bad tv and carbs and regularly working outside my comfort zone. It
means going the extra quarter mile. It’s really not a bad trade considering
what I'm getting in return.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">It's a bit paradoxical. When I
have no energy, the last thing I think about is adding more to the mix.
However, if I add an experience that is so compelling, so enticing that I am
leaning towards it, it has the ability to energize all areas of my life. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">My guess is you've had a similar
experience. If not, the next time you feel like throwing in the towel,
try picking up a project instead. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Whether it be something as simple as
challenging yourself to get more steps each day than the previous day for 7
days in a row or organizing your parent's love letters or creating a guest blog
post, see how your new interest infuses your day with enthusiasm, curiosity,
and a sense of adventure. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Be sure to give yourself a time frame
that pushes you out of your comfort zone but not over the edge. Knowing that
the project will last "x" number of days or weeks adds the urgency
that tends to dissipate when there is no due date. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">It is also incredibly
helpful to have someone to hold you accountable who might also be doing the
same thing or has been there, done that, and is willing to coach you through
it. In my coaching programs I have either
a team or peer coach to check in with and that has been invaluable. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Sure there
are things we must do for ourselves. But there are many things we
shouldn't do without support. We have the collective wisdom of the ages
at our fingertips. Accessing it has never been easier. As <a href="http://www.barbarasher.com/index.htm">Barbara Sher</a> said, "<i>Isolation
is a dream killer.</i>"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">In a few months I will be launching the
online course (<i>Read It & Leap!</i> ) I am creating in one of my coaching
programs. In it I share several secrets about taking small leaps to move
you into a life that is the antidote to overwhelm - an engaged, inspired,
involved existence.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">If you'd like to know more about it,
email me with the word <i>Leap!</i> in the subject line and I will be sure to
let you know when I roll it out. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">In the meantime, I'd love for you to
share your antidote to overwhelm in the comments below.</span><br />
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<![endif]-->Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-27821974617998728472014-10-01T06:24:00.002-07:002014-10-01T18:47:31.972-07:00Ten Zen SecondsIt's official. I'm overwhelmed.<br />
<br />
Basic math suggests adding things to my schedule without subtracting anything results in a crowded and cramped life.<br />
<br />
But as the former Queen of Calm, I plan to dig deep into my toolkit and pull out a few tried and true time and tension tackling tips.<br />
<br />
The best strategy for me is to slow down those racing, negative thoughts and breathe. Last night I assigned my mind to figure a few things out while I was sleeping. Sure enough, when I awoke, <a href="http://zenandpen.com/services.html">Ten Zen Seconds</a> was the first thing that came to mind.<br />
<br />
The irony of meditating or contemplation is we like to think we don't have time for it. But taking a few moments to think about things, can save a lot of thoughtless activity.<br />
<br />
It helps to know we're not alone. And since I know I'm not the only one who might be feeling frazzled, I wrote this for all of us. <br />
<br />
In this riot of activity<br />
find an oasis of calm.<br />
Breathe deeply,<br />
slow down the thoughts,<br />
ask for clarity,<br />
and focus on the one thing<br />
that flows from this moment.<br />
Trust that finishing this sentence<br />
is the best way to be here now<br />
and honoring the present moment<br />
is the only guarantee<br />
we'll even be aware of our future. <br />
<br />
Ten Zen Seconds<br />
is all it takes...<br />
I am equal to this task,<br />
to my life,<br />
to all I have chosen to take on now...<br />
despite the part of me who wants to dispute that<br />
and do nothing more than watch tv and consume carbs.<br />
But the wise part of me knows better,<br />
knows I can do this,<br />
I can make informed nutritional choices,<br />
manage my time,<br />
and focus my energies.<br />
<br />
Other people handle far more than I do every day.<br />
Even though comparing myself to them<br />
doesn't diminish my load,<br />
it does remind me that <br />
I can figure this out and<br />
I chose to take this on. <br />
<br />
Breathe in compassion, breathe out judgment and criticism.<br />
Breathe in openness and spaciousness, breathe out fear and constriction.<br />
There is enough time, energy, money, love, forgiveness, understanding.<br />
Breathe it all in. Breathe it all out.<br />
Then<br />
just<br />
breathe.<br />
<br />
Peace out.Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-41497277723791919992014-09-18T20:17:00.001-07:002014-09-18T20:17:43.637-07:00Celebrating Slow Eaters<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;"></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">There's one in every
family. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">In my family it happens to be my
dad. He's the one who can turn any meal into an all day affair. Not
because of the endless preparation involved in cooking a family feast.
He's just a slow eater. Regardless if he's the first to start eating,
he's always the last to finish.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Turns out, that's a good thing. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">As an <a href="http://www.acefitness.org/?creative=45247337844&device=c&network=s&matchtype=e&gclid=CL3fvqyg7MACFRMaaQod9bsAIQ">ACE-certified</a>
fitness professional now pursuing a coaching certificate in <a href="http://psychologyofeating.com/what-is-dynamic-eating-psychology/">Dynamic
Eating Psychology</a>, I'm fascinated by many aspects of eating I've never
considered before that have literally shaped my life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">I'm reading a book by Marc David called<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594770603/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=49624066838&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=s&hvrand=15273772390440330636&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_4rtkf1glj8_b"> <i>The Slow Down Diet</i></a>. He asserts that it's not just <b><i>what
you eat</i></b> but <b><i>how you eat </i></b>that determines your body's
ability to digest and metabolize food. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">If you eat when you are stressed,
distracted, unaware of what or how much you're putting in your mouth, is it any
wonder you suffer heartburn, indigestion, bloating, constipation, or any number
of digestive issues in response?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">When your body is concerned with
threats to your well-being, the last thing it is going to think about is
digesting the doughnut that somehow found its way into abyss known as your
belly. Instead of extracting all the nutrients it can from the
side of protein, fruits, and veggies you wisely fed it, your body is
going to be busy secreting stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and
noradrenaline into your circulatory system. Blood flow will also be rerouted
to your brain for quick thinking and to your arms and legs, should you find the
need to fight for flee.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Can you see how operating in survival
mode can give you gas or at least irritable bowels? On the one hand you
must eat to survive, but on the other, constant stress, speed, and failure to
engage in the present moment will see to it that you don't.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Today's post is not intended to freak
you out or give you another "should" to add to your "to do"
list. I'd merely like to make a suggestion I think is both <b><i>doable</i></b>
and <b><i>enjoyable</i></b>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Here's the good news. You don't
have to change your diet (yet! That may come later.). This week's
challenge is simply to try this exercise in eating awareness as many times as
possible. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Here's how it works:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">1. <b>Notice what you are eating</b>.
Notice the texture, the color, the smell, the size, any especially endearing
quality about what you are about to put in your mouth. </span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">2. Notice why you are
eating.</span></b><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;"> You love it? It
was all that was in the frig? You are nervous, bored, or otherwise in need of
stimulation, sweetness, acceptance, or love? (You weren't expecting to
dive deep into the psychological underbelly of eating quite so quickly?
Pack your bags. That's where we're headed.)</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">3. Take your time eating</span></b><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">. Before you take a single bite,
breathe. Even if you are ravenous, <i>especially if you are ravenous</i>,
breathe. Then take a bite. Chew. Chew some more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Breathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Repeat. Follow my dad's example. Be the last person at the table to
finish eating. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;"> <b>4. Eat in a pleasant
environment.</b> No matter how much you love your car or office, <i>do not
eat an experimental meal in your car, at your desk, or after having an
especially emotional exchange with your credit card company</i>. Get out the
china. Use the special silverware. Break out the wine glasses. Definitely
find the cloth napkins cleverly cinched up in the napkin rings you received as
a housewarming gift. Whatever makes this meal meaningful, marvel at it why you
so seldom make the effort to celebrate a meal, and then proceed to do so.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">5. Luxuriate in the present
moment. </span></b><span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">Maybe you are
surrounded by someone who makes you laugh, lights your fire, unleashes your
creativity. Or perhaps you're alone at last. <i>Pleasure is a nutrient too.</i>
Don't squander the moments you've carved out to nourish yourself with
crazy-making activities. Whether it's fifteen minutes or a few hours,
take the time to savor your meal. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">I am supremely confident you can do
the above 5 steps without too much effort. I also have a strong suspicion these steps have the power to revolutionize the way you eat. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: LuzSans-Book;">I'd love to hear what you discover.</span><br />
<br />
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<![endif]-->Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-82825439829772559242014-09-14T21:01:00.001-07:002014-09-14T21:31:31.311-07:00Six Secrets to The Art of the Start<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was talking with a friend who was describing his life as
being on hold for the past three or four years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyone who has been on hold for three or four minutes can imagine how
excruciating three or four years might feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everything he tried from seeking new employment to moving to a new city
to looking for love seemed to get a resounding “no” or “not yet” from the
universe even though his biological clock was ticking at an alarming rate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could relate, having spent more than a few years wandering
around the desert in what seemed like a perpetual pause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t that I didn’t have dreams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t even that I didn’t have the time
because by all accounts, especially my bank account, that’s all I had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What I didn’t have was structure, a strategy, or accountability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a grand vision for my future but I had
no plan for how each day could lead me anywhere but into temptation. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like a tumbleweed, my daily course was
determined by whichever way the prevailing winds blew. I was definitely in what
<a href="http://www.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2009/07/a-problem-in-happiness-drift/">Gretchen Rubin calls drift</a> or “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the decision
you make by not deciding, or by making a decision that unleashes consequences
for which you don’t take responsibility.</i>”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The good news is most detours eventually lead us back to the
beaten path, often with insights we’d never have gleaned if not for the detour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that I have a lot of structure and
accountability, I often lament my lack of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>free time for creative pursuits. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remembered the long days of limbo and
wondered why in the world I didn’t write more, do more, or accomplish more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But those days by their very nature evoked a kind of
analysis paralysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t see the
gift of “the pause” then because I was so desperately confused about my
overwhelming underachievement, my lack of monetary resources, and the enormous
burden of potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so focused
on what wasn’t working that I couldn’t see what was and take full advantage of
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Listening to my friend, I started thinking about what I know
now that might help someone in a similar predicament take the kind of action
that would pull them forward with purpose and passion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here is what I came up with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.gapingvoidart.com/gallery/if-in-doubt-begin/">1 -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.gapingvoidart.com/gallery/if-in-doubt-begin/">When in doubt, begin.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>You don’t know what you don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So start immediately and find out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You do not need a lot of money to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, at this stage of the game, if you
have too many resources, you’ll probably squander them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because you don’t know what you don’t know,
you won’t yet know what or how to properly invest those resources.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What you need is an idea, the courage to act on it, and someone
to hold you accountable for doing what you say you’re going to do. You must connect with other people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you are too timid to get out and meet people, start with a virtual
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t simply stalk. Talk.
Connect. Contribute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one knows you
are there until you give yourself away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Begin again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>Every day you will need to recommit to yourself, your project, the
changes you want to make, the action you need to take. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be easy when the project is new and
fun and you are getting some positive feedback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Regretfully, this will not last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One day you will wake up and convince yourself none of it matters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It does.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Begin again.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may feel like you
are taking baby steps or managing micro movements that are getting you nowhere. It may even feel like you are losing ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Backing
up is sometimes necessary to gain the speed you need for takeoff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You simply must begin again. And then again and
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time you begin, you start
from a different vantage point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
gain more experience and perspective.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Start where you are.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do what you can with what you’ve got.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> You will always have a reason to postpone the start if you wait for everything to align before you dare to act. Don't miss the gift of today by waiting for the perfect someday. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Lean times are the best learning times. They teach
you about what’s essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Creativity kicks
in to help you figure out how to get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. Get fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>The same factors that contribute to an
effective fitness program contribute to the success of any program.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Strength,
flexibility, and endurance are essential to taking an idea from inception to execution.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to summon your strength for the many
times things don’t go as you would like, which will be daily, possibly hourly, at
the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You also have to stay as
flexible as possible since your idea will and should undergo many incarnations
as it evolves and adapts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And you’ll
need to pace yourself and build your endurance so you can manage your time and
energy over the long haul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Manage your expectations. </b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beginning is hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beginning again is harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starting where you are and getting fit take a
real commitment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you’ve worked
through these steps you may be more than a little anxious to see some results
or at least see the light at the end of the tunnel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do not set yourself up for disappointment by assuming
you know what success should look like and when it should arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That blinding light could be an oncoming
train.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t get derailed by thinking it
should have been your ticket out of oblivion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Resilience is a key quality to have in your toolkit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are a society obsessed with overnight
success and Cinderella stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yours is
not a fairly tale but a love story, an adventure story, a comedy and drama
where all parts of you embark on a hero’s journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Expect the unexpected.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>Gather your wits about you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
it may look as if nothing is happening, you’re simply experiencing that grace
period when you can fly under the radar and make all kinds of mistakes without anyone
really noticing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Use this grace period
to figure out who you are, what you want, why you want it and what you are
willing to do, sacrifice, contribute, give up, allow, and accept so when the
world comes knocking at your door, you are ready to let them in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">If you have some secrets that you'd like to share about the art of the start, please add them below! </span></div>
Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-16825465408318297362014-09-07T09:42:00.001-07:002014-09-07T15:22:40.593-07:00Live and LearnWhen asked why I write, my answer is always the same. I cannot not write. Like eating or breathing, writing is essential to the way I metabolize life, the best way I know how to make sense of it.<br />
<br />
I also love to read. Reading has taken me places I could never get to on my own. Reading makes me feel less alone, less quirky, less peculiar and more compassionate, more human, more adventurous.<br />
<br />
Sometimes I read a line or passage so beautiful or eloquent it stays with me and shapes my entire day, month, even years. Knowing that the right words at the right time have so much power, I couldn't think of a better super power to have than wielding words. Okay, an invisibility cloak would come in handy. Especially after wielding the <i>wrong</i> words. <br />
<br />
Many years ago I read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/1590302613/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410099101&sr=1-3&keywords=wild+mind"><i>Writing Down the Bones</i> </a>and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Mind-Living-Writers-Life/dp/0553347756/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410099249&sr=1-2&keywords=wild+mind">Wild Mind</a> </i>by Natalie Goldberg. I was also reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Artists-Way-Julia-Cameron/dp/1585421464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410099345&sr=1-1&keywords=the+artists+way+by+julia+cameron">The Artist Way</a> </i>by Julia Cameron. These books became my bibles, turning my life upside down and setting my writing mission on fire. Because both of these authors lived in or around Santa Fe and Taos, I decided I must live there as well. Clearly, the muses gathered there.<br />
<br />
Santa Fe is nothing short of a creative mecca. My love affair with the landscape and the culture and the people who find their way there makes it the home of my heart. I did some major healing there and often pine after it the way one pines after the great love that got away.<br />
<br />
But I also agonized over every aspect of my life there. I struggled financially, I had my heart broken more times than I care to recount, and my career floundered. I was determined to make my living as a writer but I was drawn more to the mountains than the blank page. Housesitting gave me a place to stay, but it didn't provide a paycheck, insurance, or a benefits package beyond being young, healthy, single, and free to pursue whatever dream of happiness I could mortgage my future on. <br />
<br />
But bills have a way of coming due and even detours eventually lead us back to the beaten path. I returned to the Midwest and reinvented my writer's life around a "<i>real job</i>" and a solid foundation that has allowed me the freedom to attend blogger conferences, pursue coaching certifications and online business schools, and occasionally take a trip back to my old stomping grounds. <br />
<br />
Last week Bob and I took a day trip to Madison and made a stop in Mt. Horeb, home of one of my favorite eating establishments, <a href="http://thegrumpytroll.com/"><i>The Grumpy Troll</i></a> and a one of a kind shopping experience at <i><a href="http://blog.duluthtrading.com/visit-duluth-trading-mount-horeb/">The Duluth Trading Company</a>.</i> We happened to walk by a bookstore and in the window was a new book by Natalie Goldberg called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/True-Secret-Writing-Connecting-Language/dp/1451641257/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410099286&sr=1-1&keywords=the+true+secret+of+writing+by+natalie+goldberg"><i>The True Secret of Writing</i>.</a><br />
<br />
As you might imagine, I <i>love</i> bookstores. Quaint, locally owned corner bookstores are especially dear to my heart because they are so rare now. So I made a beeline into the store, snatched the book out of the window, and told the owner how this writer changed my life and prompted a move to The Land of Enchantment.<br />
<br />
He then shared with me how he moved from New England to Wisconsin and how content he has been living in the land of happy cows and cheese and trolls. <a href="http://trollway.com/">Mt. Horeb</a> is overrun with trolls. As their website claims, it's the troll capital of the world, right off the troll way.<br />
<br />
Books create instant relationships, a safe gathering space for ideas to mingle. The same can be said for movies, music, video games, weekly television series, or fantasy football leagues. We're all looking for a connection, a way to relate to each other on some common ground that might eventually lead us to the uncommon ground where we really get to know ourselves.<br />
<br />
So this morning I was reading from <i>The True Secret of Writing</i> and just like when I read <i>Writing Down the Bones</i>, I was so moved by the words that I jumped out of bed and started writing.<br />
<br />
This morning's topic was determination and how we all hunger for certain things and how that<i> hunger,</i> that <i>heat</i>, that <i>disturbance</i> continues to pull us forward to become more of ourselves. Honestly, the need for continuous quality improvement in my life often gets on my own nerves. Enough, already. I'm tired.<br />
<br />
Then I got a glimpse of Jake, our throw-the-ball, throw-the-ball, throw-the-baaaalllll brown lab, who relentlessly pursues whatever ball has not managed to end up in the Maquoketa River. He is my determination role model. I refuse to roll over and play dead.<br />
<br />
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As long as I'm here, I have work to do, words to write, universes to
explore. So I get up, get over myself, show up on the page, and practice writing.<br />
<br />
Writing allows me to make ideas real, dynamic, interesting. It amazes me that I have lived this long and can still discover something mind blowing every day. I just have to stay curious and open and engaged. Easier said than done.<br />
<br />
So I'll leave you with this excerpt from <i>The True Secret of Writing. </i>May this help you stay connected with your desire to initiate whatever change you are longing to make whether it be sustaining a twelve pound weight loss or communicating honestly with your spouse or children or coworkers or completing a degree, a 5k race, or a good book.<br />
<br />
"<i>First we admit in our heart of hearts it's something we sincerely want. And then we move toward it. Sometimes we fail for a week, a month, a year, a decade. And then we come back, circle the fire. Our lives are not linear. We get lost, then we get found. Patience is important, and a large tolerance for our mistakes. We don't become anything overnight." </i>- Natalie Goldberg, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/True-Secret-Writing-Connecting-Language/dp/1451641257/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1410099286&sr=1-1&keywords=the+true+secret+of+writing+by+natalie+goldberg"><i>The True Secret of Writing</i></a><br />
<br />
I'd love to hear what you hunger for. Share if you dare in the comments below. <br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-82203696495164048462014-08-30T19:35:00.001-07:002014-08-30T19:35:42.979-07:00Unleash Your Creativity!<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Today's post is by guest blogger, Tom Bonow. Tom was inspired by an earlier post, <i><a href="http://midlifemacgyver.com/2014/03/12/jury-duty-the-musical/">Jury Duty: The Musical</a>. </i>This, of course, was born out of<i> </i>my experience as a juror and my nearly constant exposure to the <a href="http://www.beegees.com/">Bee Gees</a> throughout my formative years and now on the seventies channel on <a href="http://www.siriusxm.com/70son7">Siriux XM</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">I'm sure you have many projects in need of attention throughout the Labor Day weekend, but if you'd prefer to labor over something you love, try this. Pick your favorite musical group or artist, create your own musical, and submit it here. (Prizes could be involved.)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">There are so many great groups and infinite individual musicians to chose from as well as any number of genres covering any era. From Elvis to Adele, from country to a cappella, there is no limit nor judgment as to who might ignite your imagination.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Before you begin to tell me you are not that creative, I beg to differ. Everything you do is creative from what you put in your mouth to the clothes you have on your body, considering you are wearing them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">What I'm suggesting is that you have a little fun and unleash your creativity. Even if you don't write down a single line, just imagine you get to direct one episode of <a href="http://www.fox.com/glee/">Glee</a>. What artist(s) would you choose to honor? What songs would you choose to tell a particular story? How you would you love to see that music come to life?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Then, just to make this exercise more interesting, pay attention to how often you hear these songs in the next week. I swear after <i>Jury Duty: The Musical </i>everyone was reporting an unusually high occurrence of hearing <a href="http://www.beegees.com/">Bee Gees</a> songs on the radio. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Maybe after reading Tom's post, it will be <a href="http://www.thebeatles.com/">The Beatles</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";">Enjoy! And don't forget to share your musical, if you dare, below.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Beatles at the Prom</span></b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">George: You guys goin' to the prom this year?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: Probably not, <b><i>I'm </i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">o </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">t</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ired</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">, </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">it feels like<i> <b>Maxwell's </b></i></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ilver </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">h</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ammer</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">came down on my head.</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: That's no excuse - I've had <b><i>a hard day's night</i></b>, too, but now </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">I feel fine</span></i></b><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">.</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> What about you, Ringo, you got a date?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: Nah, too busy - it's <b><i>helter skelter</i></b> <b><i>in my life</i></b> right now, and I'm </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">n</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">owhere, </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">m</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">an</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">. </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">What about you?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: Not yet, but I'm thinking of asking </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">exy Sadie</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">. </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">There's </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">omething </span></i></b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">in the </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">w</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ay </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">he </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">l</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ooks<i>.</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">George: </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">S</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">he's a </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">w</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">oman</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span></i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">alright</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">,<i> </i>but <b><i>you're going to lose that girl</i></b> 'cause <b><i>she's leaving home. </i></b>What's your Plan B?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: I'm thinking <b><i>Michelle</i></b>. I'd like to give her <b><i>all my lovin'</i></b>, but <b><i>she loves you</i></b>, John, doesn't she? </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: Yeah, yeah, yeah… no sweat - <b><i>it's only love</i></b>. But maybe I'll go if the band's decent - who's playing?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: The <b><i>Strawberry Fields Revolution</i></b><i> - </i>but I hear their<i> </i></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">r</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ock & </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">r</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">oll </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">m</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">usic</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">is just a bunch of <b><i>silly love songs</i></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: <b><i>Think for yourself</i></b>, <b><i>fool </i></b>! <b><i>On the hill</i></b> where I live, they rock <b><i>8 days a week </i></b>!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: <b><i>Ob la di, ob la da - your mother should know.</i></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: Don't be talking that way about me mum, or I'll knock <b><i>you across the universe</i></b>!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Brian Epstein: Calm down, boys - <b><i>let it be</i></b>. Let's figure how <b><i>we can work it out</i></b><i> so you</i> all go to prom. And Paul still needs a date.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">George: <b><i>Wait</i></b> </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">just </span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">a minute - what about </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">l</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ovely Rita</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">, </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">the </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">m</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">eter </span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">m</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">aid ?<i> </i>I hear<i> </i>she's no<i> </i></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">L</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ady Madonna</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">.</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: True - when I took her out, she actually asked me, "<b>W<i>hy </i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">d</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">on't </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">w</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">e </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">d</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">o </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">i</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">t in the </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">r</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">oad?"</span></i></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: Y</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">e</span><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ah, </span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">he </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">c</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ame in </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">t</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">hrough the </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">b</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">athroom </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">w</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">indow</span></i></b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span></i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">last week at my place<i>. </i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">George: <b><i>My </i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">s</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">weet Lord, </span></i></b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul !!<i> <b>You </b></i></span><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">b</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">etter </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">r</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">un for </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">y</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">our </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">l</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">ife</span></i></b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> !</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: <b><i>I should have known better</i></b>… maybe <b><i>Eleanor Rigby</i></b> is more my speed…</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Flash forward one week…</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">George: Prom's next Saturday. Anyone still need <b><i>help</i></b> finding a date?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: Finally got one <b><i>Yesterday</i></b> . It was a <b><i>long and winding road</i></b>, but I found me a <b><i>day tripper</i></b>. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: Did you use one of your old lines of B.S. , like "<b><i>I got to get you into my life</i></b>." or "<b><i>I want to hold your hand</i></b>."?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: Nope - <b><i>I saw her standing there</i></b> and simply said. "<b><i>Oh Darling, please please me."</i></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: How 'bout you, Ringo? If you're in, we can all <b><i>come together</i></b>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: Can't afford it, dude - damn <b><i>taxman</i></b> ! Guess <b><i>I'm a loser</i></b>, but I just need <b><i>a little help from my friends</i></b>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: <b><i>Imagine </i></b>that - Ringo's broke! But I don't care too much for <b><i>money</i></b>. It<b><i> can't but me love</i></b>.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: <b><i>Get back</i></b> - you trying to tell me <b><i>all you need is love</i></b> ?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Brian Epstein: <b><i>Do you want to know a secret </i></b>? Y<b><i>ou've got to hide your love away</i></b> - when will you figure that out?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: <b><i>When I'm 64</i></b>, dude<i>. </i>If you're the expert, then <b><i>I am the walrus </i></b>! <b><i>I'm looking through you</i></b>,<i> </i>and you're full of crap!<i> </i> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: No need to <b><i>twist & shout</i></b>, Ringo. Boys, let’s each of us lend Ringo a few quid for a tux - <b><i>don't let me down</i></b>. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: OK, I'm in - then things should be <b><i>getting better</i></b>, and <b><i>we'll all shine on</i></b><i>. </i>But how will we get there?</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">George: We don't need a <b><i>ticket to ride</i></b> - just say <b><i>the word</i></b>, and we can all <b><i>drive my car</i></b>. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">John: <b><i>Tell me why</i></b> you think that old junker will <b><i>carry that weight. </i></b></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Ringo: Sounds lake a veritable <b><i>magical mystery tour</i></b> ! Paul, you never did say who you're bringing.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Comic Sans MS";">Paul: Why, that prolific <b><i>paperback writer</i></b> - <b><i>Penny Lane</i></b>, of course!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"></span></div>
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Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-74354884806953398072014-08-24T05:46:00.001-07:002014-08-24T05:46:40.161-07:00It Starts With FoodIf we are open to learning, we can learn something new every day. Or every time we click on a new link.<br />
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Some of these lessons we may quickly forget and therefore need to repeat. Others rock our worlds for as long as we can sustain the enthusiasm they generated. And others change life as we know it. There is simply no going back to the time when we didn't know what we now know.<br />
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This has been a year of big change for me. It started off with the blogging blitz that forced me to be accountable as a writer and prompted me to attend the <a href="http://www.blogher.com/blogher-14">Blogher</a> conference that allowed me to run with the big blogs. This shifted my priorities to making time to write, which matters a great deal to me.<br />
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Then came the marriage proposal. At this point in life, many people have been married as long as they've been single. I've been single half a century. You understand how this requires a slight adjustment in my thinking? Sort of like teaching an old dog a new trick. But it can be done! <br />
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Next came B-school and the immersion into all things related to launching and sustaining an online presence and business. At the same time I attended a <a href="http://www.kirkwood.edu/rubies">workshop at a neighboring college</a> that helped me set up my physical office so I could be more physically active and engaged with students.<br />
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But probably the most life altering adventure I have undertaken this year began with an innocent inquiry into how I might feel better and have the energy to evolve at an ever increasing rate. <br />
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Surprisingly the answer lead me to something I had not really given a lot of consideration. I had to start with food. <br />
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I had spent a great deal of time, energy, and resources carefully selecting what I fed my mind on a regular basis but I had essentially ignored how I was feeding my body.<br />
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Having a career in the fitness/nutrition business, I was aware of the rules, I was just not interested in how they applied to me. If I could exercise my way out of of cupcake craze, I was fine. Besides, I had neither the time nor the incentive to plan meals for one.<br />
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But midlife had a way of making me realize I could no longer exercise my way out of carb or sugar induced brain fog followed by a hot flash followed by something else I couldn't remember or didn't want to experience. Having a partner to share meals with also required some forethought.<br />
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So I found a <a href="http://www.washingtonstreetwellness.com/">functional medicine practitioner</a> who said the words that changed life as I knew it. No sugar. No wheat. No pasta. No kidding.<br />
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It's been three months since I've attempted this new way of eating. It's been one of the most difficult changes I've attempted to make. Every day, at least three times a day I have to choose the foods that fuel and nourish my body instead of satisfy my sugar or carb cravings. And let me just tell you, they can be very insistent.<br />
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It takes a great deal of planning and many trips to a grocery store to get it right. Like any adventure, there are as many mishaps as successes. <br />
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The good news is I feel better than I have in a long time. My system is
running cleaner, my energy is consistent, my brain is working
better, and I finally feel like I'm eating like an adult with all kinds
of new colorful foods in my house. <br />
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This way of eating has revolutionized the way I approach life. Consequently, I will be writing extensively about it on this site because I believe midlife can be the best time of our lives <i>if we feel good enough to make the most of it. </i><br />
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That means hormones, weight, emotions, relationships, finances, spiritual practices, life work, and creative pursuits have to be examined and aligned (<i>note I did not say mastered!</i>) in order to really get our groove back.<br />
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The types of stories I've normally posted here will now be moved to <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">www.pennyplautz.com</a>. If you'd rather read those, hop on over to <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">www.pennyplautz.com </a>and sign up now. <br />
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<a href="http://www.midlifemacgyver.com/">Midlife MacGyver </a>will become more of an educational site where I'll post resources as well as personal experiences. I hope you'll be a part of both communities.<br />
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Thanks so much for reading. As always, share if you dare below. I'd love to know your tips and tricks for making the most of midlife.<br />
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<span><br /><span data-dmc="image-credit"></span></span>Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-86988051809798159612014-08-17T19:39:00.000-07:002014-08-17T19:39:13.309-07:00My Fair LadyNothing completes the summer experience quite like the county fair. Or so I've been told by those who relish the sights, sounds, smells, and screams of farms animals, fried foods, and carnival rides.<br />
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I, for one, was traumatized early on when I took my horses to the two-day show and discovered those were the two days my horses were in heat.<br />
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While I was too young to fully grasp what had turned my normally mild mannered horses into wild things, the damage was done. The event scarred me in the same way being offered cold coffee to quench my thirst turned me off of drinking coffee for life.<br />
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Unfortunately the fellow who was in my life before Bob loved the fair. I warned him early on I would never be his fair lady. I would never willingly use vacation time to attend the fair from sunup to sundown. Sadly he clung to the hope I might change my perspective once I experienced the fair from his. No dice. <br />
<br />Although Bob was under no assumption that I would want to accompany him to the fair, his company fed many of the animals shown there. Consequently, he knew I'd cave when it came to showing support for his business and even be a judge for the greased pig contest, which naturally scarred me - and the pigs - all over again.<br />
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So last year I switched from watching kids show pigs to watching kids show chickens. Although the chickens seemed to be very hot and very thirsty, they did not appear to be in heat and I did not see anyone serve them cold coffee. <br />
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I repeated several calming mantras to reassure myself that no animals were harmed in preparation for the fair. Sadly, I cannot say the same for what happened after the fair and therefore will redirect this post to discuss the entertainment.<br />
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Bob's business was one of the sponsors so we had backstage passes to the big name entertainment and the appreciation dinner beforehand. Since Bob knows everyone in town and I basically only know their kids, I did what anyone would do and called in my parents for reinforcement.<br />
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They thought the whole experience was fantastic and it upped Bob's approval rating in their eyes, if that's even possible. He's already above me. I take my parents to places like <a href="http://www.bombfiresabula.com/">Bombfire Pizza</a>, which tends to make them wonder if I ever recovered from the psychedelics of the 60s. (Not that I was old enough to do psychedelics. I still assert it was the cold coffee that fractured my reality.) <br />
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In any case, this year I thought I was off the hook because our local fair took place while I was in San Jose. The timing of the Blogher Conference couldn't have been better if I'd planned it myself.<br />
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There are certain people who can ask me things and I will agree to go or do or say whatever simply because they ask. My sister is one of those people. Imagine my surprise when on her latest visit home she said she'd like to go to the <a href="http://whitesidecountryfair.org/">Whiteside County Fair</a>, the very place "<i>the incident</i>" happened with my horses oh so long ago.<br />
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I learned at the Blogher conference that people love to
take selfies. One thing that I've always known about myself is that I
don't. But here is proof that I can face my past and live to blog about it. <br />
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Here I am (<i>standing in the very ring where I rode my horses</i>) at the fair with my sister. Our parents are as well there but they sat in the grandstand and pretended not to know
us once we rushed the stage to see <a href="https://www.facebook.com/homefreevocalband">Home Free.</a><br />
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<br />Below is my favorite photo. I like to call it Peek-a-Boo. I'm subtly trying to take my sister's picture with the acapella boy band but I did neither her nor the boys justice. We did, however, laugh our heads off and declared her the photographer in the family. I'll stick to writing.<br />
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As it turns out, these guys could really rock the place. Of course my sister knew that which is why she insisted we see them live at the fair. Despite the fact that we could be the mother of any one of them, they were so adorable and so talented we couldn't help but argue over who we thought was the sexiest of the bunch. There was definitely a reason they won <a href="http://www.nbc.com/the-sing-off">The Sing Off </a>last year and why I follow them now on Facebook. <br />
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This may just complete my summer series of concerts and fairs and other things that allow me feel like school should be starting again despite my inability to account for any <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOV96BCAvZc">lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.</a><br />
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I will leave you with this amazing video of Home Free's <a href="http://www.ask.com/youtube?q=home+free+ring+of+fire+video&v=0l3dsHCScxU">Ring of Fire.</a> It somehow seems fitting.... stepping into a burning ring of fire and all. It just so happens there is a musician at Bombfire Pizza who sings this very song but with slightly different lyrics. "A<i>nd it burns, burns, burns.... my car's on fire, my car's on fire." </i><br />
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Maybe it does have something to do with psychedelics?<br />
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Share your fair experiences if you dare below. Or just share what you've been up to this summer.Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-74737931528807730152014-08-03T15:26:00.002-07:002014-08-03T15:26:43.242-07:00Girls Just Wanna Have FunAfter my latest adventure to Silicon Valley and becoming a proud member of the girl geek club, <a href="http://www.blogher.com/">Blogher</a>, I can say without hesitation that although our mission is serious - to save the world, to right wrongs, expose injustice, encourage compassion, and give voice to those who have none - when we congregate, our goal is to have serious fun as well.<br />
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Our conference concluded last Saturday with a block party sponsored by <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en/food/product_nutrition.chicken.1362.bacon-clubhouse-crispy-chicken-sandwich.html">McDonalds</a> with guest DJ <a href="http://www.rundmc.com/run/">Rev Run of Run DMC</a>. Let me just say, it certainly raised the bar on summer block parties for me. I have a new respect for McDonalds as they were an amazing host and went above and beyond to make it a memorable event.<br />
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Maybe it was the intoxicating mix of new friendships, invaluable information, and the realization that the ocean was within an easy driving distance that made this event so spectacular. <br />
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It required considerable planning, budgeting, and researching to <span id="goog_1759748765"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">know the way to San Jose<span id="goog_1759748766"></span></a> using American Advantage miles and an unfaltering belief in my future to get me to this conference in particular.<br />
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When I started blogging in 2011 I considered attending the Bogher conference in San Diego. Alas, it was August, and in the world of education, no one leaves town amidst the rush to enroll students at the eleventh hour. Had I gone then, things might look different today.<br />
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But we get to the party when we get there. Or as the Zen saying goes, "<i>When the student is ready, the teacher appears.</i>"<br />
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In the safety of my daily routine, I forget that I truly come alive when I dare to venture out beyond the confines of my comfort zone. All my senses are heightened, my energy level spikes, my curiosity goes into overdrive, foods take on a new quality, smells bring back memories and incite new associations, and I just see things differently. I imagine my life in completely new ways.<br />
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Like the contents in my luggage, my world expands. Getting my bags and myself on the plane home is always a challenge. And while there is no place like home and the relative safety that implies, I can't help but feel deflated as the air escapes from the protective bubble that buoys my spirits while traveling. Even my voice takes on that high pitched alien quality that comes from swallowing helium as I excitedly attempt to convey the sights I've seen.<br />
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The contraction required to curb my new found enthusiasm or redirect it into my regularly scheduled life takes some discipline. It is in direct opposition to the newly unleashed expansion and about as comfortable as squeezing into skinny jeans after a substantial brunch.<br />
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There are many lessons learned on this trip that can translate to all areas of my life. From ideas I picked up from the vendors at the trade show to something I saw at a surf shop, there are universal themes of connection that transcend industries and cultures. Like the humpback whales that emerged from the calm waters near our whale watching boat in Monterey, amazing experiences often swim just below the surface of our awareness. We just have to look closely to recognize them.<br />
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This is where the real work begins. We're all a complicated conundrum of sights, sounds, experiences, preferences, memories, music, visuals, and wisdom born of all kinds of connections. Bringing this unique world view into play each day is a choice.<br />
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We can be pigeon-holed into playing a part, acting within the confines of our job title, family position, or self-appointed role. Or we can dare to bring all of who we are to the table.<br />
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I keep this Hallmark card in my office as a reminder that although the work I do is important and hopefully makes a difference to those I serve, elevating that importance and pretending to be something or someone I am not will surely be the death of me.<br />
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It reads, "<i>Adding to my misery, no one here thinks I'm funny</i>." Naturally, I identify with the sheep in the bow tie. I happen to think I'm hilarious. Bob, however, has a different opinion. So do the students. They just think I’m old as evidenced by their frequent use of the word “<em>ma’am</em>” when they refer to me. If we were in the South, I’d take it as a sign of respect. In Iowa, it translates to dinosaur.<br />
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<img alt="lamb bow tie" class="attachment-triton-lite-290 wp-post-image" src="http://brkwilson.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/lamb-bow-tie.jpg?w=230" height="190" width="200" /><br />
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No matter how old we may happen to be, we only start to feel old when we lose our sense of wonder.<br />
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This week I encourage you to rekindle that sense of wonder in whatever way feels meaningful, if not downright thrilling, to you. Maybe it's simply taking some time out to lounge on your deck with a good book. Or maybe you take a chance and go on a blind date (if you're single), take in a ball game, or hop in your car for an impromptu road trip.<br />
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Friday night Bob and I went with some friends to <a href="http://www.mooneyhollowbarn.com/schedule.html">Mooney Hollow</a> Reception Hall and Saloon for a benefit for the Bellevue Fire Department. (A healthier choice than pancake breakfasts for me.) We were delighted to discover the amazingly talented <a href="http://johnstonecountry.com/">John Stone and the Trailor Park All-Stars</a> performing at an incredibly cozy barn venue.<br />
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Once again I was transported to a place where summer memories are made and Bob and I found ourselves dancing in the moonlight for the second time in a week. And Bob says he can't dance!<br />
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So, Girls...Guys.... Ladies and Gentlemen.... do me a favor and have some fun before the summer sneaks away. And then, please come back and tell me all about it!<br />
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PS - If you live in Iowa, be sure to check out <a href="http://codfishhollowbarnstormers.com/">Cod Fish Hollow</a>, another music venue housed within a barn that is great fun and hosts some fantastic bands.<br />
<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-78841638491742714932014-07-28T08:48:00.000-07:002014-07-28T08:48:36.667-07:00Roam, If You Want ToI've always loved the song by the B-52s that encourages us to "<a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1x9yk_b-52-s-roam_music"><i>Roam, if you want to. Roam around the world</i>."</a><br />
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I'm a firm believer that travel teaches us things that watching a documentary can't. I love that we can learn a great deal in advance from the travel channel and from travel writers, especially if our budgets don't allow us to go to the places our imaginations long to. But there is truly nothing like getting yourself to that place and smelling the smells, hearing the sounds, feeling the heat, humidity, or ocean breeze, tasting the local flavors, and intuitively sensing what it's like to live in that particular part of the world.<br />
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San Jose was a hot mix of the highly diverse geek culture that drives Silicon Valley along side the homeless who make their beds on a park bench or museum step and use the dancing water display to cool off or clean up like the many children who flock there in lieu of a public swimming pool. <br />
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Since my internal clock was still on central time, I became an early bird and used this time to slip on my sneakers and walk around the city as it slowly awakened. This became my favorite time of the day because the streets were empty, the temperatures were still cool, I could take random photos, and smile and say "<i>Good Morning!</i>" to total strangers, and find a produce market where I picked out some of the sweetest and tastiest fruit I've ever had.<br />
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Every day has this grace period when it reveals its true nature before getting lost in the hustle and bustle of business. I supposed the same is true for us if we take a few moments to meditate before we medicate with caffeine, daily news, or drama. Had I slept through it or even blogged through it, I would have missed the magic.<br />
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So today, even though I have so many words in my head to share that have no choice but to let a few tumble out, I'm saving the rest for later in the week so that I can go out and experience the Monterey Peninsula this morning. <br />
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Yesterday I moved us from the <a href="http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/the-fairmont-san-jose.en-us.html?aid=330632;label=msn-ND*C*hgHj_xMbz7sKEMnKg-470751860;sid=3cfe77bd75712bdb288de473f0066843;dcid=4;ucfs=1;srfid=8370a78d440c62fca32b7549275a81e625f90ee8X1">Taj Mahal of hotels</a> in San Jose to what Bob thought might be <i>Couples Camp</i> at <a href="https://reservations.ahlsmsworld.com/Asilomar/Plan-Your-Trip">Asilomar</a> in Pacific Grove. He's kind of right since this place was for a long time a YMCA camp. While I have no problem and actually prefer no television and sparse surroundings (less distractions for a writer), I can see where the equivalent of a dorm room might not be everyone's cup of tea.<br />
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However, we do have an ocean view and an intricate system of trails that will guarantee our FitBits vibrate with the thrill of 10,000 steps. This is a gorgeous place for families and groups to gather for connections of all kinds.<br />
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This afternoon we hope to connect with some whales on our whales watching excursion. Actually, my #1 goal is to not get sea sick so that I might fully appreciate a humpback should I see one. The sea otters are also on my must see list. I'd so like to bring a couple home to keep in the Maquoketa River, although I know that's not possible. Bob just suggested I might find some in Otter Creek, a small town next to us in Iowa. (Inspired by the Blogher conference, Bob's now considering a side gig as a humor blogger.)<br />
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So even though I could write all day and tell you how many ways my world has changed in the last week simply by getting myself out in it, I have some waves to catch, salt to smell, sand to squeeze between my toes, and whales to talk to in my best <a href="http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=dorey+whale+talk&ei=UTF-8&fr=chrf-yff25">Dory</a> whale voice.<br />
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In the meantime, I hope you discover a little magic in your day today.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-78101291428874981462014-07-25T06:16:00.000-07:002014-07-25T06:16:34.415-07:00California DreamingThere are many indicators I am not in Kansas (or Iowa) anymore besides the fact that Toto (or Abbey) is not by my side.<br />
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<b>Exhibit A </b>- palm trees.<br />
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Arriving on Planet California is an intoxicating mix of sunshine, excess, glitz, traffic, technology, fruits, nuts and flowers mixed with an abundance of beautiful people, homeless people, and people from just about every culture or walk of life.<br />
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San Jose is the heart of Silicon Valley and technology rules this town. It's a fitting place for me to be attending my first blogging conference. <br />
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Naturally my head is spinning as I soak this all in. But fortunately, this tribe of Blogher women and a few men are more than willing to welcome me into the fold and teach this old dog some new tricks.<br />
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Stay tuned.... <br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-68257386018272176322014-07-20T21:02:00.000-07:002014-07-20T21:02:13.840-07:00Movie Review MondayBack when I thought I could create anything and figure out a way to sell it, I came up with an idea to create a <i>Movie Critic Kit</i>. I had the whole thing figured out from packaging to marketing, convinced it would be a fantastic way for friends to recommend their favorite films not only their to friends, but film aficionados everywhere.<br />
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The idea was basically one would recommend a film in a way that revealed as much about the reviewer as the movie. This would be designed not so much for mainstream movies but those independent, quirky, lovely movies that never get the big release or audience they deserve. This would be ideally suited for independent, quirky, lovely reviewers who often don't get heard but have a unique point of view. <br />
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Okay, maybe you understand why I couldn't retire off the deal? <br />
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But my love for quirky, beautiful, off the beaten path movies remains and whenever I stumble upon a place that shows these kinds of films in Iowa, where I now live, (I only say this only because they were around every corner in Santa Fe, where I used to live), I get extremely excited.<br />
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So imagine my delight when I stumbled into the fabulously funky <a href="http://www.mindframetheaters.com/">Mindframe Theater</a> in Dubuque to see a movie called <a href="http://beginagainfilm.com/#/home">Begin Again</a>. I love this theater not because you can buy beer in a bucket or caramel corn as well as popcorn and they have exquisite sinks in the bathrooms, but because they show my kind of movies.<br />
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Bob has learned to follow my lead in movies even though he's had many opportunities to doubt me. Saturday night was no exception when he looked around the room and came to the conclusion, as he did at <a href="http://www.jerseyboysmovie.com/">Jersey Boys</a>, that we were the youngest couple in the room. Clearly, the younger set had gone to see <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1956620/">Sex Tape.</a><br />
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But I was on a mission. As soon as I learned this movie was produced by the same people who gave us <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/once-2007">Once</a>, I knew we were in for a treat.<br />
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I so love stories of unlikely artists who become successful in their own way and time. The thing I particularly loved about <i>Begin Again</i> is that it is showing us how not only the music industry but our whole culture is shifting to giving our gifts away. Ironically, in doing so, we find support in unsuspecting places.<br />
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We all have a light inside of us that burns brightly for something or someone or a cause or a cure. Yet with all of the competing voices, it's hard to believe our voice will ever get even 15 minutes of fame. Marketers will tell us we have to be edgier, more outrageous, more in your face or whatever.<br />
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This movie reminds us we just have to be authentic, genuinely love what we do, find others who are similarly passionate and committed and willing to do it not for eventual fame and fortune, but because doing so heals us, it saves us, it sets us free. As I have said before, <i>we must let our art heal our hearts.</i><br />
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One of my favorite things to witness is watching people do what they are naturally gifted at doing but unassumingly unaware of how good they are. Their generosity and spontaneity and creativity is contagious. Yeah, we all want to get us some of that mojo, charisma, whatever you choose to call it.<br />
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The thing is these people live among us, quietly going their rock star thing without needing to have their own reality show to validate their egos. But amazingly enough, people flock to them. Check out any of those people who have given a <a href="http://www.ted.com/">TED talk</a>. <br />
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Of course having a viewing audience helps, but with the Internet, anything can go viral... for better or for worse. Worse would be what I'm assuming happens in the <i>Sex Tape</i> movie.<br />
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But in <i>Begin Again</i>, the power of the Internet is used for good. I don't want to give away the ending, so I'll leave it at that. And this - do not expect anymore than two judges from <a href="http://www.biography.com/people/groups/judges-of-the-voice">The Voice</a> to show up in the film.<br />
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If you are at all inclined to quietly make some noise, be daringly different, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/8767-speak-your-mind-even-if-your-voice-shakes">speak your mind, even if your voice shakes</a>, do yourself a favor and see <i>Begin Again.</i> And if you live near Dubuque, check out Mindframe Theater. If you don't like it, you don't ever have to follow me into a movie theater again. Only Bob does.<br />
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But if you do, I have more reviews for you!<br />
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Share if you dare in the comments believe. Or please head over to <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">www.pennyplautz.com</a> and follow me there. Then these posts with come beautifully formatted into your Inbox.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-5805898517412049182014-07-17T19:35:00.000-07:002014-07-17T20:12:51.573-07:00Good Dog, StayThere is nothing quite like the excruciating pain of losing an animal companion. Whether that be canine, feline, equine, or bovine, when we have to say goodbye to a being that loves us like no other, the grief seems unbearable.<br />
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When a person dies, people understand that it will take a considerable amount of time to process the loss. Yet when a pet dies, the expectation is not so magnanimous. Some suggest "replacing" the pet as soon as possible.<br />
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But as anyone who has ever been loved by an animal will tell you, these creatures leave paw prints on our hearts that refuse to be replaced. Their mischievous shenanigans, annoyingly cute little tricks, and insistence on undivided attention will be the things we miss the most.<br />
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A year ago I had to put my dog Malcolm down after 17 years. Ours was a very intricately woven bond. His loyalty was so fierce, I knew he would not leave me even though he was in intense pain. He not only changed my life the day I walked into <a href="http://www.operationkindness.org/index.php">Operation Kindness</a>, he saved it. He more than lived up to his side of the deal and stuck with me through thick and thin. I needed to live up to mine and be brave enough to let him go.<br />
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We had traveled the country together and met more dogs in more places than most people and dogs do. We'd regularly go out for a walk and return with 3-6 neighbor dogs in tow, making me <i>Penny the Pied Piper of Puppies.</i><br />
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There is something so comforting to me about the company of dogs. Maybe it's that my dogs and I can communicate without speaking. Or it could be that they think I'm a good cook, hilarious, beautiful, brilliant, generous, and have great taste in leashes. They know when I need to exercise, eat, sleep, or shower. They know when someone or something is threatening me. And vice versa.<br />
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They allow me to pretend I'm the boss of them, but we all know the truth. And even though I scold them for dropping the best, most durable balls in the Maquoketa River within 10 minutes of taking them out of the package and other bad behavior, they refuse to point out my mistakes or bad behavior.<br />
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My friend Susan and her dog Sophie gave me a pillow that says, "<i>To error is human, to forgive canine." </i>That pretty much sums up it up.<br />
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For these and a hundred other reasons, I offer the most heartfelt condolences to those who lose their animals companions. Animals complete us. They make our families fuller. They make our lives richer. They provide unconditional love and acceptance. Not to mention unlimited writing material and photo opportunities.<br />
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My good friend Karen lost her sweet Callie last weekend. There are no words to ease her pain and talking of Callie will continue to bring tears to both of our eyes for quite some time.<br />
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So in honor of our four-legged furry friends everywhere, let's offer up a prayer or two of gratitude that these amazing creatures choose to spend their limited time among us and teach us how to sit, roll over, and fetch our farthest reaching dreams.<br />
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If only they could stay longer. <br />
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Share your favorite pet story, trick, photo, memory, etc. below. Or hop over to <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">www.pennyplautz.com</a> and follow me there.<br />
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This is a picture of me and Abbey, the beautiful, gentle yellow lab who joined Malcolm and me and made the last two years of his life so much spunkier. <br />
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Photo by Lucas Mitchell.Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-8143678172400404012014-07-16T20:43:00.000-07:002014-07-16T20:43:20.222-07:00It's Gonna Cost YouAlthough I do not consider myself an expert on microeconomics, lately I've been thinking a lot about opportunity costs.<br />
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The <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Oxford_American_Dictionary" title="New Oxford American Dictionary">New Oxford American Dictionary</a></i> defines opportunity costs as "<i>the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen." </i> For example, you might decide to go to school before pursuing a career, believing the potential income earned after obtaining your degree will make up for the income lost while attaining it.<br />
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Theoretically the concept is most useful when applied to making everyday decisions about how best to spend limited time or money or even calories. <i>Six raspberries or one M & M? Go to a concert or buy a <a href="http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/shop_online/index.jsp&audience=AFFILIATE_AUDIENCE&affiliateid=CJ6425001&audience=AFFILIATE_AUDIENCE&src=CJ6425001">Bose</a>? </i><br />
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Since I've been making many life changing decisions this year I have had to consider not just the cost of doing something, but the cost of not doing something.<br />
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With this in mind, I decided it would cost me more <b>not</b> to attend the Blogher Conference in San Jose next week and find my midlife blogger tribe than to attend. <br />
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Lo and behold, the planets aligned, the frequent flyer miles added up, and I did enough blogging to throughout the year to take myself seriously enough to run with the big dogs, or big blogs, as the case may be. Not one single thing about the trip is guaranteed, except the room, of course.<br />
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I learned early on that leaps of faith are not for the faint of heart. <i>No, no, no. </i>Payment is required <b>in full </b>and <b>up front</b> regardless of the outcome.<br />
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So yes, my big adventure is going to cost me. Just like giving up sugar and flour and pasta has cost me. Like getting braces will cost me. Like revamping my website will cost me.<br />
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But lessons that come with a cost are not easily forgotten. Perhaps that's why we gladly pay in terms of time, money, discipline, dedication, and occasionally, disgust. We are hard wired to work for our rewards. If they come too easily, we feel unworthy of them.<br />
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So next week when I am sufficiently humbled by bloggers half my age doing outrageously bold and brilliant things without once doubting that they can, please remind me I am capable of the same things. And I will gently remind you with every subsequent post that the cost of your dreams is worth every penny.<br />
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Share your dream if you dare below. And please make the move over to <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">www.pennyplautz.com</a> and sign up to follow me there. Your emails will arrive beautifully formatted in your Inbox as soon as they are published.<br />
<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-30186834119462123922014-07-07T20:31:00.000-07:002014-07-07T21:03:49.986-07:00Whole Lotta Shakin' Going OnIt's been one of those ready-fire-aim years where I've started before I'm ready, leaped before I've looked, and flown entirely by the seat of my pants. But for all intents and purposes, that was what was required.<br />
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I've learned that nothing really goes the way I think it's going to go. The best I can do is prepare as much as possible and then take action.<br />
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Some things can only be learned along the way. I can study those who have attempted similar stretches of the imagination. But there's nothing quite like first hand experience to give me the confidence or humiliation necessary for me to be able to master whatever the next step may be.<br />
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The good news is big, bold steps are not required in the course corrections I am charting these days. Baby steps are really the only way I can navigate the tsunami of change that each new step ushers in.<br />
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I have held some BHAGs <i>(Big Harry Audacious Goals) </i>closely for many years without making any real progress. Part of the reason is I had no system of accountability. The other part is I told myself I'd have more time later.<br />
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Then it occurred to me that I might never have any more time in the future than I have right now to write another book, launch a couple of different websites, learn how to prepare healthy meals, straighten my teeth, or connect with those who matter to me.<br />
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If I can't manage the time I have right now, how will I manage more later? I think the universe in its infinite wisdom is always giving us opportunities cleverly disguised as challenges.<br />
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My challenge at the beginning of the year was to write 500 words a day for 30 days. If I couldn't write 500 words a day, how did I expect to write another book?<br />
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Next came B-school. I knew if I wanted to have a successful online presence, I needed to learn from <a href="http://www.marieforleo.com/">someone who already does</a>. Throughout my life, I have learned to go to the source. I've never regretted a single dollar I've spent on my education. This was no exception.<br />
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Because of B-school I realized I needed to change my website, my blogs, just about everything pertaining to my business plan. This prompted the move to Wordpress and the general reconfiguring of my blogs.<br />
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I decided posts like this one are best suited for my blog at <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">www.pennyplautz.com</a>. I'm calling these my <i>Stories of a Lifetime</i>. <i>One blog post at a time</i>. If you would be so kind as to click <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">here</a> and follow me by adding your email to the bottom right hand of the page, you will continue to get these posts emailed to you hot off the press. Not to mention a few extra goodies.<br />
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To recap, here are the steps.<br />
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<ul>
<li>#1 - Click <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com/">here</a>. This will take you to <a href="http://www.pennyplautz.com./">www.pennyplautz.com.</a> This will have the same content as you get here but with pictures and audio and video to come soon.</li>
<li>#2 - Click <b>Follow</b> at the bottom right hand of the page and add your email address.</li>
<li> #3 - Each time I publish a new post, you'll get it in your Inbox.</li>
<li>#4 - That's it!</li>
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As for Midlife MacGyver, I've got some brand new material that I'm planning to roll out, one baby step at a time. I hope that you will stay with me during this adventure as well. The steps to signing up for this are the same as above except you'll click <a href="http://www.midlifemacgyver.com/">here</a> and click the <b>follow</b> bottom on that page.<br />
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Right now the two pages look alike, so don't worry that you have signed up twice. They will eventually be two very different sites, but for now, I wanted to make sure I didn't lose any information or followers in the transition. You can always opt out at any time.<br />
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I want to shift the focus more to the issues that specifically arise at midlife and make it a little more informative and provide you with questions, answers, options, but mainly inspiration so that you can truly make the most of midlife.<br />
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Which leads me to the third big shake up of 2014. This is probably the most challenging of all because it requires an enormous amount of planning, resolve, and delayed gratification on my part. I'm changing the way I eat and cutting out most of the foods I hold most dear... namely pasta, sugar, flour, and wheat.<br />
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After a visit to a <a href="http://www.washingtonstwellness.com/">functional medicine doctor</a> and about 20 different blood tests, I'm now taking more supplements than most body builders. I've sworn off the stuff that makes me feel fat and fuzzy for the most part.<br />
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As a former fitness professional and wellness consultant, I simply couldn't accept what was happening with my body as inevitable once I reached a certain age. So, the first part of the Midlife MacGyver blog I'm going to address is <i>Body Confidence at Midlife</i>. I wrote a book called <i>Body Confidence</i> in 2007. Now I want to take that a step further.<br />
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Some other areas I'll include are <i>Mating and Dating at Midlife, What (Not) To Wear at Midlife</i>, <i>Making Meaning at Midlife</i>,<i> RelationShifts, Money Matters</i>, and <i>Downloads From the Divine </i>just to name a few. Most of these areas will not be ready right away. Patience, grasshopper.<br />
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I'm inviting guest bloggers to join me. If this is your area of expertise, please let me know.<br />
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I want Midlife MacGyver to be a community where we all have something to contribute and learn. I hope to bring back many new ideas and resources from the <a href="http://www.blogher.com/conferences">Blogher conference</a> I'll be attending in two weeks.<br />
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But for now, I simply wanted to let you in on the big plans so you know what all the moving and shaking is about. I hope you'll continue to read and be an essential part of the Midlife MacGyver tribe.<br />
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What about you? What are your BHAGs? Share if you dare below. <br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-28771372200934591212014-07-03T21:04:00.002-07:002014-07-03T21:04:55.192-07:00Live Free or DiePossibly the best-known state motto of all, the New Hampshire motto, "<i>Live Free or Die,"</i> is the exact sentiment required for a group of visionaries to cut the ties to the motherland.<br />
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A few weeks ago we were changing our wall of fame (aka bulletin board) at work from our recent graduates to something a little patriotic. We had the background figured out and were looking for something sensational to put in the middle.<br />
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We decided the Declaration of Independence or the Bill of Rights and possibly the Constitution would be fantastic. Much to my delight, I was able to find a copy of all three of these documents on some poster size parchment paper. Using my Amazon prime, these documents arrived on my doorstop in two days and cost me less than $20.<br />
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I so love getting packages and was super excited to get these documents. It was thrilling to read the words and touch the names and think about the tremendous courage, vision, and outrage these people must have felt to declare their independence in such a bold and committed way that would surely take its toll.<br />
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When I first started looking for the documents I came across t<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYyttEu_NLU">his reading of the Declaration of Independence </a>by Hollywood's finest. Apparently it was intended to be read aloud to have the most impact. I must say, hearing it made me appreciate it our forefathers and mothers even more.<br />
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It could be that I never actually read the entire Declaration of Independence. Thanks to <a href="http://www.schooltube.com/video/03f9c858260a4da9b582/School-House-Rock-The-Preamble">School House Rock</a>, I knew a fairly impressive amount of The Preamble to the Constitution, but the only thing I really remember about the Declaration of Independence was the <a href="https://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/the-story-of-john-hancocks-signature-2505538.html">story about John Hancock's signature</a>. <br />
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Our ancestors had to be huge risk takers to even get on the boat, cross the ocean, and arrive in a place where they'd have to start from the ground up. None of my adventures can compare to that. Someone always has left the light on for me. Even if it's Motel 6.<br />
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It's only fitting that we take a day to commemorate all that has been done, sacrificed, and paid to insure we are a country of people who are free to do, be, and have all that we are willing to fight for or make peace with.<br />
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However you celebrate the holiday, you might take a moment to recall the things, ideas, and people you value most. What would you be willing to declare, knowing it could cost you everything? What would be willing to sign so that the whole world knew you where you stood?<br />
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As you know from a previous post, my dad will tell you I came out of the womb with my declaration of independence branded on my being. Consequently, freedom is a pretty big deal to me. Fireworks are definitely required.<br />
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How about you? What would you declare? What would you include in your personal Bill of Rights?<br />
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Share if you dare below.<br />
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I am now hosting this on <a href="http://www.midlifemacgyver.com/">www.midlifemacgyver.com</a> on Wordpress. If you are following me here and could take a moment to hop over there and click the "following" button in the upper left hand corner, I would really appreciate it. I've updated the site in an effort to make some sweeping changes later this summer.<br />
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I'll continue to post here as well, but the new site will have a lot more features in the coming months. <br />
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Thanks for following!Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-42728042777373769942014-06-26T20:52:00.000-07:002014-06-26T20:52:08.696-07:00Sonic SanctuaryWe live in amazing times. Just when I thought Amazon Prime couldn't get any better, bring on the free music.<br />
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It seems like just yesterday I was buying albums so I could carefully blend the most magical tunes together in order to have a mixed tape for every mood. I'd spend hours as<i> PJ the DJ</i> carefully curating the most energizing tunes for my aerobics classes, the subtlest of sexy songs for the dating ritual, the rowdiest road songs for adventurous outings, along with the occasional classical cut to cultivate my creativity or monastic chant to elevate my spirit.<br />
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These days all I have to do is search the playlists that are already assembled by other music lovers, hit the download button, and in the same time it took me to make one side of a mixed tape, I've downloaded twenty playlists.<br />
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I once listened to an audio program called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Music-Obsession/dp/0452288525">This IsYour Brain On Music</a> by Daniel Levitin. I remember the author stating that we vividly remember the music of our younger days because of all the emotions associated with our developing brain and bodies.<br />
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Although that may be true, I'm
finding it works miracles at midlife as well since this seems to be the second coming of hormone-induced hysteria.<br />
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Music is a universal language and when words fail us, we can fall
back on our favorite playlist to do the talking for us. There is something supremely satisfying to me to know I can search and
rescue my favorite song from oblivion at a moment's notice and share it
with an unsuspecting niece, nephew, sibling, parent, partner, or
passerby.<br />
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Before Sirius XM, I had been stuck musically somewhere in the last
century. Now I am thrilled to discover new music every time I step foot inside the virtual <a href="http://www.siriusxm.com/thecoffeehouse">Coffee House</a> in my car. When I'm not in my car, websites like Amazon Prime, Spotifiy, and Songza catapult me right
out of the past and directly into the present where I can surround
myself with all kinds of music from an incredible array of genres.<br />
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Who knew I'd once again be spending oodles of hours listening to music from the past and present like a lovestruck teenager?<br />
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As soon as I figure out how to add playlists to my posts I'll add them to this blog. (Feel free to fill me in if you already know how.) That way if you don't have time to read the post, you can just listen to the playlist. I'll think you'll be able to adequately determine how things are going in my world just by listening. <br />
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Plus, you can send me yours and it we'll create a virtual record store... or better yet, a sonic sanctuary. Oh yes, that sounds so soothing. A Zen and Pen moment if ever there was one.<br />
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Give me a few days to figure it out and I'll be back to rock your world! <br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-91940601250051728432014-06-22T01:37:00.000-07:002014-06-22T01:37:20.617-07:00Who's Your Daddy?Yes, I realize Father's Day was last Sunday, but my dad's birthday was yesterday and I figured after all he's done for me, he deserved a day and a blog post all to himself.<br />
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Having a birthday on the summer solstice is quite convenient for a couple of reasons. First, it's easy to remember because the beginning of summer is usually something people celebrate more than the beginning of winter, at least in Iowa. <br />
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Second, it's more likely Dad will be able to spend the day doing the kind of things he enjoys doing, like fishing, watching the Cubs play baseball, or having a patio party with friends and family.<br />
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And third, it's the driving force coercing me out of the comfort of my bed and into my writing room to post this while the day and my dad are fresh in my mind. I swear I'm channeling the collective energy of all the midnight revelers dancing in the moonlight as they usher in the summer.<br />
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Whatever the case, it's well past my bedtime. However, the words will not wait so I will release them and maybe we'll all sleep better for it.<br />
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I would like to get something clear from the get-go. I've never been <i>Daddy's Girl</i>, <i>Daddy's Little Princess</i>, or even the first name that came to mind when he addressed me. Being the youngest, he often remembered my name only after reciting my sister and brother's names first. <br />
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Granted, I often got him so flustered or irritated that<i> </i>addressing me in an ever increasing crescendo of<i> Kellie-Kendall- PENNY</i> was the most effective way to let us all know I was in trouble. <br />
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While we each had our ways of sending this gentle giant over the edge, I was particularly good at it. Especially during church, I am told.<br />
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As anyone with siblings can attest, it's not necessarily the one who started it who suffers the consequences. It's the one who gets caught. Since there were three of us, it was usually two against one, and I was often the sacrificial lamb or black sheep.<br />
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I'm not saying my dad didn't have reason to suspect me. I did my very best to challenge him throughout my childhood. Not intentionally, mind you. I was just incredibly independent. "<i>Because I'm your dad and I said so,</i>" might have worked on the other two, but it seldom worked on me. <br />
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Even though I was the last on the family food chain, I was the first to try things that I considered to be brilliant, bold, and daring. My dad didn't see it that way .<br />
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Once in a fit of frustration he said in a loud voice, "<i>You are the most independent woman I've ever met!</i>" To this day I consider it a compliment, although when I'm walking three dogs and Scooter exhibits his independent nature and leaves the pack to discover disgusting things to proudly bring back to us, I begin to see my dad's point.<br />
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This is the thing with dads and parents in general. They are wiser than we ever give them credit for and right more often than we care to admit.<br />
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Even though we live our whole lives in anticipation of their approval or in reaction to their rules, there is no denying the indelible influence they have on who we become, how we behave, even how we look.<br />
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I'll never forget one particularly bad blind date that ended in a drive by drop-off . The guy had never met me but had met my dad. The first words out of his mouth were, "<i>You look just like your dad.</i>"<br />
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My dad is approximately 6'3", 280 lbs, and balding. Although my dad is handsome <i>to me</i>, no woman with any sense of sexiness left after succumbing to the humiliation of a blind date is going to want to be compared to those height, weight, and hair restrictions. <br />
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I knew at that point, the rest of the night was pointless. Seriously, men who might be reading this: <i>Unless your date's dad has just been named Sexiest Man Alive, avoid that line</i>. And the drive by drop off. Walk your date to the door at least.<br />
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Okay, so before you begin to think daddy issues are responsible for me not getting engaged until now, let me reassure you it's more the independence thing. When the independence thing had run its course and I moved back to the Midwest, I became fiercely protective of my parents. <b> </b><br />
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Midlife has a way of softening judgments and expectations not only of ourselves but especially our elders. When options begin to contract instead of expand, and there are more exits than entrances, there is a certain amount of grace we learn to extend to others. For me, this began at home.<br />
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After years of being the yin to my dad's yang, the "<i>heck, yes!</i>" to his "<i>heavens, no!</i>", the left to his right, the open to his closed, I find myself appreciating the middle space we can meet in now.<br />
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I used to believe my dad would never understand me, let alone admit he had something to do with creating me. But my mom told me how once he was busily bragging me up to strangers, telling them his daughter had written a book. Up to that point, I wasn't sure he knew what a big deal getting a book published was to me.<br />
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Then there was the day I decided to temporarily set my writing dream aside to take the respectable job I have now. On our way to Maquoketa to look for a house my dad said, "<i>This is going to be really hard for you, isn't it?</i>" <br />
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My free spirit heart melted as I realized I had been living the dream for all of us. My dad had his share of dreams he had to give up in order to be responsible, respectable, and do the right thing for his family. Now he was witnessing me make the same choice.<br />
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The happy ending to this story is I'm now writing again while holding down a job and enjoying a family of my own with friends and animals that supply me with blogging material on a regular basis. <br />
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I suppose if Bob would suggest I <i>remind</i> him of my dad, I'd take no offense to that. After all, my dad is kind, intelligent, generous, and lovable. And he can say his daughter dedicated this blog post to him, even though I suspect he may not know what a blog is. <br />
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What about you? Who's your daddy? Share if you dare in the comments below. Or hop on over to my new work-in-progress blogsite at www.pennyplautz.com.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-12115551480072055732014-06-08T06:16:00.000-07:002014-06-08T06:16:03.980-07:00Teach An Old Dog A New TrickAs an educator, one of the ideas I embrace with gusto is lifelong learning.<br />
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From my childhood days of playing school to my attendance at a <a href="http://www.uni.edu/">college known for cranking out teachers</a> , I've picked up on the clues that learning lights my fire.<br />
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Granted, most learning takes place outside of the classroom where ideas get translated into action. Sometimes it takes years before you benefit from your extensive training in algebra, Latin, or history. But one glorious day, the fruits of your labor will be revealed. <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carpe+diem">Carpe diem</a>!<br />
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The best kind of learning for me is a mixed bag of challenges and instant gratification. While I believe the view from the top is spectacular in part because of the climb, I'm equally sure I'm going to need a few glimpses of that view along the way to convince me I'm not barking up the wrong tree.<br />
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"<i>If it were easy</i>," the saying goes, "<i>we'd all be doing it.</i>" But "easy" is a relative term. For example, my challenge this week is to become proficient at using Twitter. While this may be "easy" to those raised with a smart phone, it tends to leave me feeling a bit slow on the uptake. But like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Little-Engine-That-Could-mini/dp/0448400715">the little engine that could</a>, I think I can, I think I can.<br />
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The amazing thing is so far I have as many followers on Twitter as I do my blog and I have yet to tweet anything. By following others in return, I have found some very useful, albeit overwhelming, information. <br />
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I'm in the process of revamping my website and this blog so when I get to the <a href="http://www.blogher.com/conferences">Blogher Conference</a> in San Jose next month, I will at least not appear to be the dinosaur boomer bloggers are assumed to be. <br />
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After reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Career-Comeback-Repackage-Yourself-Want/dp/B0058M5Z6O">Career Comeback</a> by Lisa Johnson Mandell, I'm on a mission to expose midlife as the mecca of miracles it can be rather than the slow decline into oblivion we've been taught avoid like the plague.<br />
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There are opportunities at midlife that may not have been viable options before. For me these include home ownership, getting engaged, and considering braces. Again, I might be slow on the uptake but it does give me faith that you can teach an old dog a new trick or two. <br />
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For you it could be financial freedom, retirement or changing careers to something you've always wanted to do, moving to the country or the city, or creating your own internet tv channel or weekly podcast.<br />
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It matters not what you want to learn. It matters deeply that you learn. (And you can tweet that!)<br />
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I've always loved this quote that apparently is a combination of thoughts by German poet <a href="http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth12.htm">Goethe and W.H. Murray</a>.<br />
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“<i>Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back.
Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one
elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and
splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then
Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would
never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the
decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and
meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would
have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”</i><br />
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With that in mind, today's tasks include Tweeting<i> </i>and putting together a new website on Wordpress<i>. </i>I'll keep you posted on my progress.<br />
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What about you? What kind of summer school have you signed up for?<br />
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Share if you dare in the comments below, on Facebook, or @midlifemacgyver on Twitter. <br />
<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-4095191605169930872014-05-28T22:14:00.000-07:002014-05-28T22:14:26.461-07:00Catch & Release<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibmHeOBfNHDVlIxtmgjhBtXY-UYrNSNKhnujk1MyCFa4auBHu5jQZjhpTpzx2jddr432gS3iWI2kmJtd4eZhh4n0mAJiDOM0hxmvlaMp5PsjXFe-1rJ5d7m1prGU_V_JdqXV7g6inpbg/s1600/IMG_20140528_150907645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibmHeOBfNHDVlIxtmgjhBtXY-UYrNSNKhnujk1MyCFa4auBHu5jQZjhpTpzx2jddr432gS3iWI2kmJtd4eZhh4n0mAJiDOM0hxmvlaMp5PsjXFe-1rJ5d7m1prGU_V_JdqXV7g6inpbg/s1600/IMG_20140528_150907645.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
According to Bob, it was a big day at fish camp. A record setting day of not only consistently catching fish but catching fish that become the stuff of legends. <br />
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And it wasn't just Bob who was catching them. Brad broke all kinds of records. The whole boat got in on the action with the guide attempting to help three out of six people reel them in at the same time. <br />
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Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I was reeling in some of my big projects and breaking them down into baby steps that will hopefully lead to breakthroughs.<br />
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I have a tendency to underestimate the amount of time it will take me to do certain things like create a playlist on my iPod or properly hang string lights along my deck or write a letter to United's frequent flyer program requesting my miles get reinstated without a fee.<br />
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While I deem all of these things necessary, I tend to put them off during my regularly scheduled life because they require a certain kind of patience, intelligence, and tact I'm usually out of by the end of the work day.<br />
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Unfortunately, putting them off does not take them off my mental checklist. Oh no. They hang around the periphery of my awareness and slowly siphon energy off my already compromised reserve so that I'm never quite starting out the day with a full tank.<br />
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So this week I'm committed to taking care of the energy leaks and replenishing my supply with flowers, friends, canines, phone calls, and a little retail therapy. I'm on what I fondly refer to as "turtle time," although Bob might argue I'm always on turtle time.<br />
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This means I'm allowing myself the luxury of space and time to do the things I normally reserve for evenings and weekends without any expectations of how quickly or efficiently I do them. Ironically, I'm getting a lot done.<br />
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The thing about most vacations is we often come back just as stressed as when we leave, or worse yet, sick because any number of new or random things have overloaded our system.<br />
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Maybe it's because I've had a lifetime of adventures already and spend so much time at work that makes a week at home so thrilling for me. Or maybe it's that my life is so full that the thought of a week of relative peace and quiet is just as comforting as wearing sweatpants to a buffet.<br />
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I need time to digest the smorgasbord of delights that a day can hold. Just because life offers me the all you can experience option, doesn't mean I need to choose it all at once. Just because everyone else is hurrying through the main course so they can take dessert with them in a to go bag doesn't mean I can't sit still and savor one or two selections. <br />
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Some moments, days, experiences, even relationships are more of the catch and release variety. By all means, I should go after them with gusto. I should plan for them, anticipate their arrival, participate whole-heartedly when they do arrive, and celebrate their subtlety as well as their sensationalism. And I should definitely document them. (Bob's photo says it all.... "<i>I caught one this big!</i>")<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYgi6YV49FUgiFcoubTjZiFw8_iVmbfFmSzTQ2rFT1QPsuSXyu8bfXl1ho6nA9EGyQzOdPxfzssEYdz8ty0vRaJm2YB6YsP-3yqZ0I66wDDQmJPZxeZEsrR_soVlXGKwHYnaD8w3alII/s1600/summer+staycation+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwYgi6YV49FUgiFcoubTjZiFw8_iVmbfFmSzTQ2rFT1QPsuSXyu8bfXl1ho6nA9EGyQzOdPxfzssEYdz8ty0vRaJm2YB6YsP-3yqZ0I66wDDQmJPZxeZEsrR_soVlXGKwHYnaD8w3alII/s1600/summer+staycation+004.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a>I long to linger just long enough. Kind of like the white tailed deer in my yard today. She stayed just long enough to determine the deer Bob had placed by another tree was a decoy. Looking for love in all the wrong places, she was. Catch and release. (You'll have to look closely to see her in this photo. If only I had taken a different angle you could see her object of affection as well.)<br />
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Maybe <i>catch and release</i> will become my motto for the summer.<br />
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There will always be bigger fish to fry, other fish in the sea, something fishy, you see (sea) where I'm going with this. In the end, maybe life is one big lesson in catching and releasing.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-52926691158268070362014-05-26T20:28:00.000-07:002014-05-26T20:28:37.656-07:00Bloom Where You Are PlantedI thought this might be the summer I resisted the power of the flower. But if this table is any indication, there is no joining the resistance this year.<br />
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The truth is, I love flowers. I love the colors, the smells, the surprising way I can mix and match them in all kinds of cute and colorful containers. I love to wake up and see them on my deck all happy and rooting for me to have a good day. I love to water them and sing to them and call them by name. Not their official name, mind you, but the names I carefully select for them.<br />
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In <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Move-Little-Lose-Lot-N-E/dp/0307408558/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401154434&sr=1-1&keywords=move+a+little+lose+a+lot">Move A Little, Lose A Lot</a> </i>, author James Levine suggests acquiring a plant and caring for it as a way to mirror the efforts required to make changes in our health. Like plants, our goals and intentions need to be nurtured and cared for in order to thrive and grow. Neglect them and it's not pretty.<br />
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There are many studies that extol the benefits of plants in the workplace and home. Not only can they help us be more productive but they can also reduce concentrations of toxic gases. And don't even get me started on all the possibilities for displaying their particular brand of beauty. <br />
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Today instead of heading north to fishing camp, I stayed home and planted flowers in wheelbarrows, baskets, pots, and planters. I planted from sunup to sundown stopping only for dog walks, tossing the ball to Jake, sharing my lunch with Abbey, and fielding phone calls from here to Baudette, the Walleye Capital of the World.<br />
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Last year I accompanied Bob and Brad to the famous waters in hopes of creating the optimal environment for my writing retreat. While I managed one blog post from Minnesota, I learned it's best to write where I know my supplies are.<br />
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This is mainly because I am so easily distracted. Give me a pristine cabin with nothing to do but write and I will find a hardware store, grocery store, and nursery just so I can have the place spruced up, beautified, and smelling good by the time the boys get back at five. Who has time to write when a minor makeover is clearly mandated? And who can write without a Himalayan salt lamp or Calla lily nearby?<br />
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This year Bob enticed me by choosing a place that had a pool and would take dogs, so I would not be without my canine companion/muse or a way to work out the kinks of my storyline. Still, knowing myself as I do, I realized I would write more if I opted for a "staycation" versus a vacation.<br />
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I live under this constant fantasy that if I just had more time to write, exercise, plant flowers, revamp my website, reconcile my financial statements, etc, I would. The reality is I have as much time as everyone has. How I choose to focus my energy determines if any of the above happens.<br />
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So this week I am staying put and staying focused. In order to bloom where I am planted, I needed to consult a master gardener or two. Prior to this week, I set up appointments with a doctor who practices <a href="http://www.washingtonstwellness.com/">functional medicine</a> and booked a <a href="http://spaganique/">bamboo </a><a href="http://spaganique.com/">massage</a> with the incredible Teisha. I also downloaded and organized all my <a href="http://www.marieforleo.com/bschool/">B-school</a> material so I can start to envision my business and revamp my website so I'll feel good and know what I'm doing by the time I head to my first <a href="http://www.blogher.com/conferences">Blogher conference </a>next month.<br />
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As it turns out, staying home and staying on task requires as much strategic planning as a fishing trip. Although my men will no doubt return with fish tales of the big ones that got away, I plan to be blogging about the little stories I'm reeling in along the way.<br />
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What's on your summer schedule? What strategic plans are in the works for you? Share if you dare in the comments below.<br />
<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-67072945457949016112014-05-16T12:05:00.000-07:002014-05-16T12:05:26.068-07:00All the World's a StageSome days require a little more reflection than others.<br />
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Birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, new years, and holidays distinguish themselves from ordinary days not just by the rituals we perform around them but by the awareness and consciousness we bring to them.<br />
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Today is one of those days for me. As I sit here in my birthday shoes (<i>yes, Bob knows a pair of leopard print Danskos is the perfect gift</i>) reflecting upon my life so far, I am overwhelmed with gratitude not just for all the good that has come my way, but for the grace that got me through the not so good.<br />
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Let's face it, no story worth telling is without a puzzling plot, an intriguing setting, numerous conflicts, engaging characters, a nasty nemesis, and an unlikely hero. <br />
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If Shakespeare is correct and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_world%27s_a_stage">all the world's a stage</a> and men and women are merely players with their own exits and entrances and many parts, then I for one, would like to play my parts with gusto. Whether this day calls for a leading or supporting role in a comedy, tragedy, drama, or romance, I want to research my role with sheer abandon. <br />
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A couple of years ago I met this gorgeous Scotsman on an Alaskan cruise. He happened to be part of the talent team so I was one of many who fell instantly in love/lust with <a href="http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=bread+the+guitar+man&ei=UTF-8&fr=chrf-yff25">the guitar man</a>. Night after night I'd trot myself up to the lounge to listen to this guy sing to me (and admittedly a few others).<br />
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The night my niece and nephew went with me to whale watch as we listened, they pointed out that the Great Scot was looking at me as much as I was looking at him. I passed this off as merely being the only one on deck who was in his age range and not using a walker.<br />
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On the final night with nothing to lose, I approached him under the guise of needing some insider information on the entertainment business for my blog. It was one of those inevitable yet equally impossible encounters. I'd waited a lifetime to meet someone I'd only get to know
for a few hours. I could now draw upon this experience to play the part of Rose in
the Titanic.<br />
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We talked about the creative life, the plight of the artist, being on the road, turning fifty, and at last, our mutual admiration. Then the clock struck three and since the ship would set sail at six without me, this fairy tale ended as abruptly as it began. <br />
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I think part of what happens when we fall for someone else is we actually fall in love with ourselves again. In presenting all that is stunning and entrancing about our character it is <a href="https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=ytff1-yff25&p=i%20feel%20pretty%20oh%20so%20pretty&type=">alarming how charming we begin to feel.</a> No wonder we hardly can believe we're real. For a brief interlude we lose track of the daily litany of our self-improvement causes and just love and let ourselves be loved in return.<br />
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When I returned to reality, grateful that my ship had not sunk or otherwise been detained in the middle of the ocean without food, drink, or bathroom facilities, I realized I had been looking for love in all the wrong places.<br />
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A real love story would require a person be present to win. As unlikely as that seemed given my age, location, job, general aversion to being social or using a dating website, I got lucky. <br />
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Enter Bob, stage left. A new role begins.<br />
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Because I am living proof that love can happen at midlife, I'm tossing around the idea of adding another aspect to Midlife MacGyver for all my friends who are suddenly single at midlife by choice or by circumstance. <br />
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Midlife Ms. Match might be the new addition. Interested? If so, let me know. We'll swap stories and and see what kind of community we can create.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-2454362955419059962014-05-09T22:12:00.001-07:002014-05-09T22:12:26.045-07:00Move A Little, Lose A LotI'm reading a book by James Levine, MD, PhD and Selene Yeager called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Move-Little-Lose-Lot-N-E-ebook/dp/B002B7R4EU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1399694635&sr=1-1&keywords=move+a+little+lose+a+">Move A Little, Lose A Lot</a>.</i> I originally heard about it at a session called <i>Stand Up for Your Health</i> at the Beyond Rubies conference I attended a few months ago. <br />
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My career as a college administrator often involves a lot of sitting. This is very different from my previous career as a fitness professional. That job involved a lot of jumping, squatting, stretching, sweating, and occasional swearing mixed in with woo-hooing. It also demanded a very different wardrobe. With the exception of superheroes, no one wears leotards and tights to work these days.<br />
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While I <a href="https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=ytff1-yff25&p=donna%20summer%20she%20works%20hard%20for%20the%20money&type=">worked hard for the money </a> and earned my aching calves, the exhaustion I feel after a day of sitting is actually more incapacitating. Any mental toughness I can muster cannot compete with the couch.<br />
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Fortunately for me I have canines who need to exercise as much as I do. They insist we <a href="http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMzA0MTA0Mjk2.html">shake our groove thing</a> at least once a day. But, according to Dr. Levine, once is not nearly enough. We need to be active all day long. Sitting is not at all what our bodies are designed to do.<br />
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This book is full of ways to incorporate movement into our daily lives that are relatively easy to incorporate. Little things like standing while talking on the phone or physically performing some of the tasks our labor saving devices are designed to relieve us of can add up to a big difference throughout the course of the day.<br />
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These suggestions seem more manageable than carving out a hour or more for a fitness class and then not moving the rest of the day. Bursts of activity throughout the day can be much more beneficial and keep our minds and bodies functioning at their best.<br />
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As much as I'd love to spend my time outside or in a pool or at home moving through my day, most of my work week is spent inside in a building behind a desk. Saving the world requires a lot of paperwork. (Capes, leotards, tights, and tiaras are apparently optional as stated earlier.)<br />
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This week I decided saving the world should start with saving myself. So, I started moving stuff around. <br />
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First, I switched out a low table for a high table to create a standing desk in the room next to my office. Next I brought in a balance ball, a step, and a few weights. My friend Ann offered to throw in her treadmill. This way if anyone gets cranky, we put them in <i>treadmill time out</i>. Instead of sitting in a corner and thinking about their behavior, students and staff will have to work it out by walking it out until they are no longer cranky.<br />
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Then we transformed the resource room into a rejuvenation room. When Bob and I combined our households we had two of everything. Loveseats and lamps I once loved now live in the Rejuve Room, making this makeover priceless.<br />
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Call it spring cleaning or call it whatever you call that thing that happens before a birthday or a big trip that suddenly makes getting your affairs in order and your energy aligned muy importante. In any case, a little movement was necessary.<br />
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One of my favorite mugs is of a woman looking down at the scales with the caption, "<i>This week's goal: Lose something other than the keys to the car.</i>" If all this movement results in losing something other than the keys to the car, I'll be thrilled. <br />
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But the real goal has already been achieved. The office feels energized and I love the creativity and collaboration that happen around the standing desk. <br />
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Now I'm off to save the world so I can blog about it!<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-48323585196690593872014-05-04T22:04:00.000-07:002014-05-04T22:04:28.578-07:00Losing My ReligionThe other night Bob wanted to go see the movie "<i>Heaven Is Real</i>." Being the movie buff that I am, I gladly agreed and off to the movies we went.<br />
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A movie theater in a town the size of Maquoketa is quite a luxury. Although we usually go to movies on Tuesday night when the movies are matinee priced or Wednesday night when the popcorn is free, we decided to splurge and go on a Friday night.<br />
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That was our first mistake.<br />
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Because of a limited number of things for people to do in town on date nights, going to the movies is an extremely popular choice. When I saw the line wind around the corner, I suggested we come back another time. Crowds are not my scene and I thought this movie in particular might be better viewed in a more intimate environment. <br />
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Bob assured me the crowds were for Spiderman 2 and we'd be fine. Not wanting to be a party pooper, I conceded.<br />
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One thing I've learned over the years besides "<i>if you're happy and you know it clap your hands</i>" is this. If something makes you crazy and you know it, trust your gut.<br />
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As I suspected, there were as many people in our movie as there were in Spiderman 2. I selected the first available row with two seats together. Bob shuffled off to get popcorn as I previewed coming attractions.<br />
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When people sit in close proximity, you can learn a lot about them very quickly. Sometimes it's subtle like their personal hygiene preferences or obvious like their take on parenting or the adverse effects of too many concessions.<br />
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During our movie the point of contention was a rogue cell phone. Alarmingly the phone in question was suspiciously close to me. Although I'm not one to get or receive many calls, mainly because I never know the exact location of my phone, I feared perhaps this was the precise moment had left it on in my purse.<br />
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After a moment of panic, I assured myself my phone was on vibrate and later discovered it wasn't even at the movie with me. That did not stop the woman in front of me from turning around and glaring at me, clearly assuming this would shame the offending phone into silence. I had no choice but to confess to the back of her head, "<i>It's not my phone."</i><br />
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A few moments later the person behind<i> </i>me got up and left the room to have a conversation with the insistent caller. She later returned to fill anyone within earshot of the who, what, when, where, why and how of the call.<br />
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Despite the uplifting message of the movie, I left in a funk. I've come to accept I will be blamed for things I have nothing more to do with than being at the <a href="https://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=ytff1-yff25&p=right%20place%20wrong%20time%20dr%20john&type=">right place at the wrong time</a>. It's part of my job as little big cheese. <br />
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But movie theater etiquette or any number of civility or entitlement issues have me perplexed. This is why it's best for me not to encounter large crowds at the end of a work week.<br />
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"<i>Forgive them for they know not what they do</i>," is a really hard sentiment to practice.<br />
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This is why losing my religion has more to do with the congregation than the message. If the point is to love one another, why do we insist on blaming, shaming, judging and disrespecting each other?<br />
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I will never lose my sense of wonder and awe for all that is mysterious and divine. My life is nothing if not one continuous quest for truth, beauty, love, and a cute pair of comfortable shoes. <br />
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It's just walking in someone else's shoes takes a great deal of compassion, tolerance, and grace. Fortunately, I have a closet full of practice shoes.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624172078030383269.post-80721470675264472602014-04-27T22:31:00.000-07:002014-04-27T22:31:32.322-07:00You Spot It, You Got It<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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If I didn't know better, I'd say Mother Nature is a bit of a drama queen. <br />
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I notice when I write about weather related things, I experience more of the same. So instead of spinning snow and rain into something to celebrate, I've decided to stick to sunshine, seventy degree temps, low humidity, and a lack of tornadoes and flash floods in hopes that things will calm things down.<br />
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One of the keys phrases from the <a href="http://www.soundstrue.com/shop/promotion/1918.pd">Radical Forgiveness</a> audio-program I've been listening to is, "<i>You spot it, you got it</i>." In other words, if you notice something in someone or something else, it's in you as well.<br />
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Suggesting Mother Nature is a bit dramatic could mean I, too, have a tendency to be a bit over the top when storms are brewing.<br />
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"<i>You spot it, you got it</i>," is similar to what my siblings and I would say to each other as kids. When one of us slung an especially unflattering insult, the other would respond with, "<i>Oh yeah?</i> <i>It</i> <i>takes one to know one</i>!"<br />
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Like a lot of phrases that have stayed with me from childhood, this catch and release comeback is paradoxically profound. <br />
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This idea is difficult to digest when I'm spotting crazy making behaviors in someone else. Part of what gets me so worked up is the idea that I would <i>never </i>behave like this person is behaving. <br />
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For example, I get wigged out about poor customer service because good, or at least decent, customer service doesn't take that much more effort. I make it a point not to treat others the way I have been treated by people in so called <i>"customer care" </i>departments.<br />
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But if I am honest, I have had my moments (usually when I'm <a href="http://draonline.org/relapse5.html"><i>hungry, angry, lonely, or tired</i></a>) when I could have been kinder, more patient, or more understanding.<br />
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On my good days, I catch myself in the act and repeat the message I remember hearing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Broadcast_System">Emergency Broadcasting System</a> send. <i>This is a test. This is only a test. In case of emergency, we'll send reinforcements.... </i>or some such thing.<br />
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This is another one of those paradoxically profound messages. <br />
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On the flip side, I am often blown away by how innovative, generous, smart, or talented someone is. I'm convinced I could never summon the courage, creativity, or sheer stamina to succeed as spectacularly as the person I'm reading about, listening to, watching, or learning from.<br />
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And yet, if I spotted it, might I have at least some potential? After all, I can't recognize in someone else what I can't recognize in myself.<br />
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It may be that <i>what we see is what we get</i>, but it might also be that <i>what we see is what we forget. </i>We forget we're more or less all that.<i> </i>Isn't it convenient we get so many reminders?<br />
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I'd love to hear what you're spotting. Share if you dare in the comments below.<br />
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<br />Penny Plautzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06544008605025838628noreply@blogger.com0