Role Reversal and Looking the Part

As a parent, there comes a day when you realize that your child is outgrowing you.  I remember two distinct incidents that took me by surprise:

• After playing all kinds of games with my son throughout his childhood, I spent a balmy spring afternoon tossing a ball to him. He was about 11 years old.  Suddenly it became apparent that he was better at throwing a ball than me.  I no longer posed a challenge.  He was humoring me.
• One day I woke up and faced my son in the kitchen.  We no longer saw eye to eye.  He was taller than me!

With him, it was clear.  With my daughter, a bit more subtle.  She didn't need me to take her shopping anymore; she could get there on her own.  She made her own snacks.  Stuff like that.

Has anyone else had to face this bittersweet reality?  It's what we hoped for, right?

Now that my children are not children, and have a pretty solid sense of where they stand in the world, I no longer dismiss their suggestions and comments as childhood folly.  

That's why I now wear a SPORTS BRA to exercise.  My daughter told me a regular bra is not practical or comfortable and looks amateurish.  Not in those exact words, but I took it to mean I did not look the part.

Yesterday I went for a run (my sports bra and I) on our local bike trail.  Lots of people were out on a beautiful Labor Day Monday, off from work and school and hitting the trail.  It was cool-ish; the kind of day that starts off cool and ends up hot.  Kind of like the workout.

I saw a lot of people biking and running who looked really uncomfortable and it was readily apparent: EVERYONE WAS OVERDRESSED!  Running in big sweats and clunky sneakers that are overpadded, and biking in big sweats that get caught in the bicycle chain.  Plenty of people had their sweatshirts tied around their waists, thereby weighing them down even more.  Several carried big water bottles -- is it necessary to schlep all this stuff around?

If you ditch the unnecessary clothes and accessories and pare down only to what you need for your activity, you'll look like a pro.

Does this mean you'll feel like a pro?  Is this notion analogous to your work wardrobe too?  They say if you dress for the job you want...

My questions for you this week are:

1. Have you ever felt that you have been outgrown by someone else?  That you weren't exactly irrelevant, but that your roles have changed?
2. Do you present yourself like the pro that you want to be, in whatever activity you find valuable?

Let's discuss!!

Exercise of the Day: What Makes You Happy?

Before you even start, take a second to STOP what you're doing.

STOP.

BREATHE.

Ok?

Now... may I suggest writing "STOP.  BREATHE." on a post-it note and plop it right onto your computer monitor or whatever you see most frequently during your workday.  Stop and breathe often!

Now for the fun part.  You can do this just for yourself, or you can share with this blog by commenting below.  Either way, list TEN things that make you HAPPY.  Don't overthink them.

Then, how many of those things did you experience today?  Is there something on that list that you haven't seen/heard/done in a while?  How can you make it happen?

Take steps to make it happen!  If you don't know how to get started, let me know... I will help you!

I will take a leap and share my 10 things.  They are not in any particular order:

1.  The country: fields, meadows, and fresh air
2.  The city:  interesting things to do all the time
3.  Seeing my handsome husband every day.
4.  Talking to my interesting children and seeing them as adults.
5.  My funny little dog.
6.  Spending time with family.
7.  A really good yoga session.
8.  Taking pride in a job well done.
9.  Doing active things outdoors: hiking, horseback riding, skating, running, etc.
10.When I cook and it comes out good.

What makes you happy?

STOP.  BREATHE.

STOP. BREATHE. Enough already!

Welcome to Clarity in a Fogged Up World, an interactive blog to help us navigate confidently through the muddled sea of information that prevents us from seeing things clearly and living life to the fullest!

As you may or may not know, I am a yoga teacher.  I started practicing yoga when I was 16 years old and I was fortunate to transition to an instructor role many years ago.  If you practice yoga, you know that you have to stop and breathe.

If you don't practice yoga -- try this:  STOP.  Now BREATHE.

Do it for a full MINUTE!!  Just STOP what you're doing, and breathe for a minute.
.........

Well?  Imagine doing this for a whole hour while going through beautiful stretch movements.  THAT is yoga.  Like that song, "Free your mind, and the rest will follow," by 90's group En Vogue (and the following line... "be color blind, don't be so shallow" is pretty good too) yoga forces you to take a step back, retreat, and let the mind be free.

Is your mind free?

This blog will is designed to help you (and hence, me) to free your mind to the point where new things will come to you to get you out of any rut that you might find yourself stuck in.  Mind exercises will help us connect, form a community, help each other get through in a positive way.  It will be like a little party in every blog!

There is no road to happiness because happiness is not a destination.  Today may be the last day of your life. Sorry to put it that way, but you know what -- it's true!  Spend every day with happiness in your heart and it won't matter.

Tune in, invite your friends!  Here are the rules (yes, rules!):

1.  Read the entire blog entry before commenting.
2.  Comment and participate early and often!  Discussion and debate are what make life interesting.
3.  Rudeness and profanity will get you kicked out  and I mean it.
4.  Set aside your troubles and welcome to the fun!!