You're Late, You're Late...

...For a very important date!

I've always interpreted being late as being disrespectful to the person you've made plans with.  I always say "my time isn't less important than anyone else's!" yet when someone makes me wait I feel as if they believe that statement. 

It's true - EVERYONE is busy, everyone has places to be, people to see, and things to do.  The key is staying organizing and making priorities.

Being late (even if it's not to a very important date) frustrates your friends!  I try not to cancel or postpone my plans with friends unless I feel I have a valid reason.  But if I'm left waiting... and waiting... and waiting... it's just not fair!  I really appreciate the article Do You Have a Punctuality Disorder? by Max Strom via Whole Living Daily. 

What he says is true:  chronically running late causes stress, and sometimes distress to others and is a process of habitually creating chaos and self-induced anxiety.

So check your watch, plan ahead, and chances are you won't be late for your very important date!

Smart Dogs

Yes, I'm the dog owner that converses with my pet as if she could answer (well, she does with those expressive eyes!).  I'm the dog owner that treats my pet like she's a small child (who doesn't?).  I'm the dog owner that knows, no, swears, that my pet can understand me and what's going on in her surroundings.

YES.  My dog is smarter than your honor student!  Ok, not quite - but I had to poke fun of those obnoxious bumper stickers.  Nick Dodman, D.V.M. via Whole Living comments on just how smart our little pups really are in his article The Intelligence of Dogs.  This explains why Piper gets visibly excited and giddy when we're a few blocks from my house, or when she sees I'm reaching down to the lower shelf in the pantry to retrieve her biscuits.


Maybe she can't understand exactly what I'm saying, but at least she listens!  And she always knows the mood I'm in and responds accordingly.  Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from our furry friends!

Dream... and then DO!

There are a few places I'd like to visit before this summer is through.  My excuse?  I don't have enough time!  Weekends seem to be swallowed up months in advance.  True, wedding preparations are time consuming and often need to be completed on the weekends.  Not to mention the weekly errands and chores that need to get done.  All of this combined with working full-time often leaves us "too tired" to do the fun things.


Pmmmfff.


What works for me is scheduling in advance.  I have about six calendars I use to organize my time.  Anal?  OCD?  Impersonal?  Perhaps.  But also comforting.  When I schedule something I can stop worrying about wanting to do do that thing - all I have to do is await the day!


The article Don't Think; Do: Your Dreams Will Thank You by Tammy Wise courtesy of Whole Living Daily inspired me to think about this subject in depth.


We may be "too tired" or "too busy" at this second but we are likely to regret not choosing to accomplish something in the future because of these excuses.

Forgive Me

"Forgiving someone or something that hurt you is really an act of kindness for yourself."


While I've always known I tend to hold grudges (which isn't the healthiest of habits), I've only recently uncovered that perhaps the real issue is the inability to forgive.  To say the least, I struggle with forgiveness.  It sounds silly but I feel like if I forgive someone then it makes the hurt they caused me to never have existed.  This, of course, isn't true.  But I find that the act of forgiveness is something that needs to be practiced.


"...forgiving does not mean you will let yourself make the same mistakes twice..."


Whole Living Daily is Whole Living's blog and everyday multiple articles are posted on a variety of topics.  It seems I am literally learning (or discovering) something new everyday.  One of yesterday's articles, Forgiveness Isn't a Feeling, It's an Act, really hit home for me.  As obvious as it is, I never thought of forgiveness in this way but I look forward to releasing some of my pent up hurt.  After all, keeping it with me isn't helping me live a better life!


[Photo is of Washington Park, Portland, OR.  July 2009.]

Choose Gratitude

I stumbled across this article from Whole Living (one of my favorite magazines) and I felt it worth sharing here.  I will admit I struggle with choosing gratitude instead of dwelling on those daily annoyances but I feel it is totally worth it to keep trying to make the right mental choices.  This is so much easier said than done - especially when it's comfortable to slip back into old habits (I'm guilty of this, who isn't?) and to cozy up with old friends Self Pity and Negativity. 


But that is no way to live a happy, healthy life.  I'm grateful for this article:


Gratitude is a Choice--Perhaps the Most Important One