Showing posts with label charting progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label charting progress. Show all posts

9.27.2013

a 31-day challenge

Some weeks ago I heard a story on a radio show of a man trying to get rid of the weeds in his yard.  It plagued his mind and  made him all sorts of irritated to look out and see the unwelcomed flora taking over his lawn.  Armed with concentrated, heavy-duty, spray-on weed killer in hand, he took to the yard on a mission to beat back the unwanted overgrowth and return once again to a beautiful landscape.  This became his modus operandi for weeks as he diligently and vigilantly wreaked havoc on those pesky weed.  Within a short span of time, however, it became all too clear that he had not only destroyed the unwanted weeds, but entire sections of his lawn in the process.

Ain't that the way?  How many times have I found an unruly weed popping up in some area of my life and fought it back with some huge overcorrection that left the earth beneath my foot very nearly scorched?

When his wife finally convinced him to drop the bottle of liquid destruction, this gentleman realized he needed a new approach.  He asked a pal with deeper and wider knowledge on the topic to come over and help assess the damage and cipher a better equation to both be rid of weeds and have a healthy lawn.  Without much need for a tour of the very apparent damage the friend had only this to say: "If you want to get rid of weeds for the long haul, you plant more good grass."

There it is, folks.  That right there?  Profound.

I've got some lifelong and recent practice at all this, both the over-the-top ulitimately detrimental response, and the calculated casting of new seed to starve the unwanted of a life-supply.  Those weeds, I've definitely got them; in my yard, in my house, in my relationships, in my time, in my mind, in my spirit, in my person.  How I'm going to get rid of them, well, still remains to be seen.

For the month of October I am linking up with the nester and a slew of others as we accept the challenge to write for 31 consecutive days.  The site and comment section is abuzz as everyone works on deciding their 31-day focus and topics, themes and categories.  I could think of nothing more relevant to the me-of-right-now than a month of writing centered on "planting good grass".  As all things are - and few things aren't - it'll be a process.  Nothing would make me more content than you reading along in October.  And would you consider talking back in the comment section below?  Let's think this thing through and work it out together.

 My mind is swirling with ideas and inspiration.  We'll see where 31 days takes us.  Hopefully the grass will be truly greener and more plentiful on the other side.

here's my link image that will show up at thenester.com


6.13.2011

Using It Or Losing It One Year Ago

In February I decided I would try to take a look back at the past year while also looking ahead to the future and while trying to live in The Now.  All clear?  Great.  Let's move on.

Here's a reminder from twelve months ago and an update.  You can click on the red words for the links back.

- The bane of my existence: the telephone
Wow.  Still hate it.  Still working on it.  Trying to do better.  Sigh.

- Reflecting on mommydom last Mother's Day
This quote still rings as true to me today as it did one year ago: "Nothing else ever will make you as happy or as sad, as proud or as tired, for nothing is quite as hard as helping a person develop his own individuality especially while you struggle to keep your own."

- The Mother Lode of clean up jobs 
I have not gotten our new garage completely winnowed, and it STILL doesn't hold a candle to this beastly job.  I don't ever want to do that again.  We are already planning the final clean up and out of our current garage in the fall.  It makes absolutely no sense to try and do it anytime now in the sweltering heat, so when the weather starts to cool we will tackle the remaining boxes - most of which just need to move on out to the thrift store.  Use it or lose it, right?

- Some humor
I still chuckle looking at these ridiculous photos.


How about you?  Where were you a year ago?  Check your course; where'ya headed this time next year?

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