Me & My Quite Contrary Life

Well, this week did not go as planned. It was a busy week for me with work and preparations to be out of town, then I was at a conference for the rest of the week on the other side of the state. I returned late Friday evening and planned to sit for 30 minutes in beautiful weather at a local park on Saturday to complete this nudge. I was looking forward to that quiet time after a busy, crazy week...but then the weather changed my plans! I got up Saturday morning and discovered it was cold, snowing, and windy. I would not be sitting in a park today or even leaving the house. It was a good day to hibernate! This means, for the first time, I was not able to complete my nudge for the week (gasp!). But, I am giving myself grace due to the timing of my trip and a weather system. Instead, I decided to take some quiet time at home (under a blanket with a warm drink!) to review my nudges challenge so far. How am I doing? What changes has it made in my life? What nudges have stuck long-term a...

NUDGED: "Try a new food from a menu" BACKSTORY: I am not known to be adventurous with what I eat. My tendency is to find foods that I like on menus and continue to select the same thing each time we go to that restaurant. I play it safe. The goal behind this whole nudging challenge is to get me out of my comfort zone. This week, I want to try a new food item from a menu at a restaurant - something out of my normal selections.   QUOTE: "Use everything as an opportunity to understand, grow, and expand." - Unknown HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: For over two years now, my husband and I have been trying new restaurants in our city. We made a list of all the places we haven't eaten at until that point, and included restaurants that recently opened. We intend to try all of them! We want to support new businesses and find new favorite places to eat. It is a slow process though as we usually only go out to a new place once a week, and so many places close/open that our...

NUDGED: "Do something I am bad at" BACKSTORY: Last year, I read " The Road Back to You " and learned about the Enneagram. I discovered that I am a One - The Perfectionist. The author, Ian Morgan Cron, listed 10 Paths to Transformation for each number and I knew the items on the list would be beneficial for me to work on. This nudge comes from #7 on his list - "Pick up a hobby you enjoy but are not especially good at doing, and just do it for the love of it." QUOTE: "We don't have time for perfect. In any event, perfection is unachievable: It's a myth and a trap and a hamster wheel that will run you to death. The writer Rebecca Solnit puts it well: 'So many of us believe in perfection, which ruins everything else, because the perfect is not only the enemy of the good; it's also the enemy of the realistic, the possible, and the fun...'" - Elizabeth Gilbert in " Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear "  HIGHLIGHTS...

NUDGED: "Take a photo each day of a thing I love" BACKSTORY: Each night, I have been writing down a few moments of joy that happened that day. This daily habit has been re-training my brain to look for and remember good moments that happened each day. It's too easy for me to dwell on the negative things otherwise! My intention for this nudge has a similar purpose - to focus on everyday things around me that bring me joy. For 7 days, I want to focus on the things I love. Minimum requirement: 7 photos for 7 days. QUOTE: "The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness." - Jon Kabat-Zinn HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: What a fun week! The challenge was to take ONE photo a day, but I found myself taking several photos each day of things I love. The first day (Sunday), I captured books on my bookshelf (LOVE!), "Becoming" book by Michelle Obama that I am currently reading after being on the library's waiting list...

NUDGED:  "Watch my shoulds " BACKSTORY: The nudge this week came from a friend's suggestion. We were chatting over coffee, and she noticed I often said I "should" do things but it sounded like I really didn't want to. She suggested this nudge as a way to assess my true feelings. Does my "should" actually mean "have to" or was it optional?  QUOTE: "Our greatest danger in life is in permitting the urgent things to crowd out the important." - Charles E. Hummel HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I was very aware of my words again this week, and paid careful attention to every time I used the word "should". I didn't use it as often as I initially thought I would, but that may be because I was careful to use a different word instead! I made a list of my commitments (obligations) and a list of my wants (optional). Seeing it all listed out on paper made it so easy to clearly see what should be the priorities in my life. I re...

NUDGED:  "Write my own story" BACKSTORY:  I have loved to write all my life. I would tell my mom stories when I was three years old and insist that she write them down. My love of writing continued with taking advanced English classes in school, then earning a degree in Journalism in college. I wrote for my high school and college newspapers, and loved writing feature stories. Today, I still write life stories for hospice patients, something I really enjoy doing. But, it has been easy for me to hide behind the pen and paper and let MY story go untold. My challenge this week was to tell my story. QUOTE:  "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  I was excited for the challenge this week but also nervous. I wanted to get it right and didn't know where to start. I decided to trust the timing of this nudge and pursue the obvious personal story. This nudge was drawn on "Pivot Day", th...

NUDGED:  "No complaining for 5 days" BACKSTORY: I read the book "A Complaint Free World" by Will Bowen and was really convicted by how much complaining negatively affects our world. Bowen states in the book,"We are obsessed with what is wrong. We complain about anything and everything, and as a result we keep focusing on our problems. Contrary to popular belief, complaining does not lead to solving our problems. Rather it concretizes our challenges and justifies our inaction in doing anything to make things better." The book opened my eyes (and ears!) to how much negativity and complaining happens every day, especially statements that come out of my mouth. I worked on the author's challenge of having 21 consecutive days without complaining to live a happier life, but never made it more than a few days at a time (so hard!!). This nudge was yet another opportunity for me to try: no complaining for 5 days (Monday-Friday)!  QUOTE:  "If you don...