Surf the change

While Forest Gump may have thought life is like a box of chocolates, I think it is more like the ocean:

* the currents are constantly changing

* there are many different levels of activity

* you can only see part of what is happening

* it's important to be aware of what's going on around you

* when you get knocked down, get back up, or you'll stay under

Life is full of change. We can choose to float along and see where change takes us, fight against the current, or surf the change!

Experienced surfers, kayakers and rafters know how to read the water and detect currents others might not notice.

Life works that way, too. The more you know about who you are and where you want to go the more easily you can take advantage of opportunities and and avoid possible dangers.

Instead of being tossed about by the changing tides and currents of life, it really is empowering to "ride the waves".

SURF THE CHANGE!

Ebb and flow

While I don't live very near the ocean, I do notice the ebb and flow of life. I frequently see it in the garden. Sometimes it's brimming with flowers, other times with weeds, and if it's very cold or very dry, then there's not much growing at all.


Nasturtiums that were in my garden a couple of months ago have taken their leave of the garden. If all goes well, there will be a few volunteers to welcome the new seeds I plant next year.

As the nasturtiums departed, morning glories and cosmos brought their contrast of color as cool purples and blues mingled with warm, rich orange.

Now the morning glories are gone and marigolds, zinnias and daylilies have begun their summer show.

Life tends to be like that. Activities that take priority at one point fade into the background at another time. Sometimes you return to them, other times you don't. While it may be sad to say goodbye to something that was once part of your life, that's the way of the cycle of life.

When you learn to recognize your personal ebb and flow, you will find that you are better able to plan your activities to match your strengths, interests and energy levels as they occur. It gives a whole new meaning to "go with the flow"!

What to do?

When I walked into the living room the other day I saw a flash of movement in the tree by the front door. As I sat and looked out the window, I realized it was a tiny bird.

It hopped from branch to branch and then flew to the archway leading to our front porch and clung to the stucco wall. After it left I went to the front porch to see what attracted the bird there.


To my delight and horror, I found a lovely little nest the bird had built in one of my pots. The nest is a work of art and represents hours and hours of labor from this little creature. Unfortunately, the location is very, very bad. The pot is on a stand that is only a couple of feet high, and it's right by the main entrance to our house.

While we wouldn't touch the nest, others might. We don't have many human visitors, but we do have frequent visits from raccoons, as evidenced by their muddy footprints left on the concrete walk after they dig in my water garden. Raccoons are omnivores and will eat anything.

There are also two large Cuban treefrogs who live on our porch light. They also will eat anything that will fit in their mouth!

What to do? I looked at birdhouses and thought of ways to hang the pot so the bird could still reach it, but I came to the unhappy conclusion that they would not return to the nest if I touched it, and they and their babies would be at risk if I left the nest there.

I had to move the nest.

While not a solution I would have gladly chosen, I took the nest out of the pot and put it at the edge of the woods. I know the bird won't use the nest, but I hope someone will use the materials to build a home for themselves.

A false sense of security

As I took my morning walk today I saw a bunny. It is not uncommon to see at least one bunny when I walk, but this particular bunny caught my eye because he (she?) didn't run as I approached. It continued to munch away on the vegetation as I walked past.

Why? Because the bunny was on the other side of a chain link fence and beyond my reach.

The bunny felt safe because the fence provided a barrier of protection. What the bunny didn't know was that the fence surrounded our neighbor's dog run - and he was on the inside!

Blackjack, the dog, wasn't in the area - he's too old to bother chasing a bunny anyway, so the bunny really was safe. (Maybe it wasn't such a "dumb bunny" after all.)

This made me think about the times I've felt safe when I really shouldn't and the times when I've not felt safe when I should have.

I have chosen to place my self in "danger" by, among other things, going whitewater rafting and flying with $5 Frank.

Then there were the times when I have felt fearful when there was no need, usually in situations when I was "on stage", either figuratively, or literally.

In both cases my reaction was a choice. So, what did I learn from my bunny buddy? Examine your situation and remember to choose your reaction wisely.

Oh, and the bunny? I saw it again this afternoon. This time it was outside of the fence, and it still didn't run from me!

Taking steps . . . or not

Have you ever found yourself sailing through a project only to suddenly find yourself flummoxed by the next step you need to take?

There are times when I'm happily progressing toward a goal and suddenly happen upon something that, for one reason or another, stumps me and stops me in my tracks. Recently I've become aware that it is usually okay to avoid a step that is holding me back from accomplishing something I want.

I am learning to recognize when a step is vital, and when it would be nice, but not crucial to the success of a project. If the step that is holding me back is not truly important to the completion of my task, I skip it.

If the step can't be avoided, I re-examine it and see if it can be approached from another angle, or if a similar action can be substituted.

It seems to be working for me. I'm learning how to complete half-finished projects, or how to pass them on to someone who will enjoy finishing them.

The ghosts of unfinished projects past are slowly leaving my life.

How do I want to spend my time?

If I could spend all of my time doing anything I wanted to do, what would I do?

Good question.

What do I do with the "free" time I have now?

I may not have 24/7 to myself, but I do have at least 2 hours a day of "discretionary time". If I really considered what I wanted to do and used that time to focus and aim toward my goals I would eventually get there.

Back to my original question: what do I want to do?

I enjoy reading, learning, and being with green, growing things. Most days I do spend at least some time doing all of the above, so I am doing what I want to do for a portion of each day.

What else? I like to work with clay and would like to fuse glass. I also have several ideas for the piles of fabric in my guest room. What's the roadblock there? Space. Stuff from previous projects (that will not be finished -- ever!) needs to be removed so there is room for new experiences.

I have read numerous books about simplifying and organizing and have gleaned helpful information from most of them. The book I am currently reading, It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh, has been most helpful. He gets to the heart of the matter by asking you to imagine your home the way you want it. This makes it easier to remove the parts you don't need.

I can verify from personal experience that enormous amount of time, energy and money can be spent trying to organize too much stuff (clutter).

The FlyLady also shares numerous helpful techniques for removing the chaos from your life.

Right now, the best use of my time is to spend at least an hour per day "freeing" myself of things that no longer belong in my life. It's time to send them on to people who will appreciate and use them, not just have them stacked up and collecting dust around the house.

Yesterday I pared down 3 boxes of stuff into 1 box. I feel lighter already!

Choices

As I was taking my morning walk I reflected on the interesting things happening in the lives of my friends and began comparing them to what is happening in my life.

I know, comparison is rarely a good thing -- you tend to become smug or dejected.

This time I think it was a positive experience.

My friend, Monette, has just published a book -- Knit & Crochet Combined: Best of Both Worlds. It is a terrific book and just one of many amazing things she has accomplished. Here's her website and her blog.

Other friends are in Scotland right now. Their daughter is competing in the 2007 World Irish Dance Championship - Oireachtas Rince na Cruinne. She dreamed of this from the moment she discovered Irish Dance, and now she's there!

Ok, yes, my first reaction was to hold a gigantic pity party and whine that everyone else gets to do fun stuff while I stay at home and do the same old things.

When my brain resumed functioning properly, I had to admit that I have chosen not to do what they are doing. The life I am living is a result of the choices I have made.

They both chose what they wanted to do, focused on it, and achieved it.

So . . .if I want to do "fun stuff", it's up to me to decide what I want to do and take the steps to get there.

Excuse me while I start my list . . .