Body of Work

Inspirational song: Where Have All the Flowers Gone? (Peter, Paul, and Mary)

I often wonder at my methods here. I go through an entire day, and then before bed, I digest it and find the lessons hidden in each day. I can't tell you how many times I sit in a daze for half an hour or so, wondering exactly what I did with my time, even when my life is a whirlwind of activity. When I got home at about 6:30 this evening, I stumbled around a little, putting away junk from my Costco run, and then I went face first into the pillows when I told myself I was just going to watch a few minutes of news. I remember waking for a split second at 7, and I spent the next 35 minutes trying to pull myself out of the shopping coma I'd fallen into. I managed to get up and make dinner, but it was hours later before I remembered what a big day I'd had. And even when those details clarified, I still struggled to find the threads of a lesson.

I didn't know on arriving at Rotary whether I had to work as the editarian this week. I brought a notebook, and even though I was told the job was covered, I have yet to meet this note-taker face to face, so I didn't confirm that she was actually on it. I got out a pen, and took backup notes, just in case. For this reason, I paid close attention to everything that was said. Our speaker was a Boulder based sports psychologist, whose message was meant for everyday people, not just the Olympic athletes whom he trains. Among his recommendations: keep an accomplishments journal. He said every night, write down something that you achieved. It could be huge, like "ran a marathon." It could be timely, "Filed my taxes today." It could be very small or personal, "Found something I really like about myself." He said it can seem minor, just a few sentences every night. But after a week you have seven achievements. After a month, you have thirty things you did that you can feel good about. And after a year, three hundred and sixty five individual things you can point to in your life to make you feel stronger and more accomplished.

So after nearly fifty-three months of reminding myself every single night that I am not wasting my life, I have 1609 amazing pages I can point to and say, I lived. This is a body of work few people have. Any one of you can (and can I say should?) do the exact same for yourselves. I highly recommend it.

Few pictures taken today. I snapped a picture to remind myself that this weekend is the next Honor Flight, and as usual, we will line up for the "mile of smiles" to send off the veterans on their special trip to D.C. My dear friend in Rotary has been volunteering with this group for years, leading the trips twice a year for northern Colorado vets. Talk about a body of work to make a person proud...