Fabulous five focus factors

Magical Moment

Without real planning, I ended up realizing all five focus factors today. The ease with which they played out was precipitated by the work that I have been doing to take action.

I ran 3 miles outside before picking up cleaning for my mom and then watching my son’s soccer game, after which I had a date with my husband and son. We ice skated outside in the city, enjoyed a lovely dinner out (partaking in restaurant week), browsed and bought at Borders (using a discount coupon and borders bucks), and then I used my birthday coupon at Ann Taylor to get a lovely cashmere sweater for $44.88.

The absolute monumental moment was when my son and I were on the ice. I had to hold him pretty tightly because it was only his second time on skates. He asked me, “is this fun for you?” I easily responded that it was tons of fun for me because I was spending time with my son while he was learning something new. He smiled, and hugged me. That was it!!! I am grateful that I was able to be in such a good place that I was able to lavish in this luxury that cost all of $8.00 (for the skate rental because my son’s Feinstein Junior Scholar Club card covered the rink time).

Today's treats were chosen luxuries in that I had lots of work, chores, and errands to do (which of course I fit in earlier and will again turn my attention to later).  Instead of laboring with those all day, however, I took time to reward myself.   

What wonderful wanderings….

Walnuts | The 30 Healthiest Foods | Real Simple

This will be a fun exercise for the food factor. During February, I will make sure I have all of these items in my pantry. I then will include at least one item in each day's selections. I have a few days to make the list and purchase the items....

Walnuts The 30 Healthiest Foods Real Simple

Chosen luxuries



chosen luxuries

 Miscellaneous mind murmurs regarding my mantra include: making choices is personal; I am exerting control and power over my existence; the precious time that is my own must be filled with luxuries; a luxury can cost little or no money; and I deserve luxury.

My mantra can’t have any negative connotation or aspect of deprivation or cutting back. That’s not to say that I don’t deprive myself and cut back everyday. Such often are the results of my choices. However, when deprivation and cutting back are the results of my choice, then I can accept them.

Making choices about luxuries necessarily includes prioritizing. I often make choices about luxuries based on my priorities. For example, last year, I chose a luxury vacation over a new car because my priority was to focus on getting away to relax and enjoy family fun. That choice proved to be one of the best ones that I made in 2010. Everyone enjoyed our time at The Balsams, from which we took so many memories, and my 2003 Jeep Liberty that has over 225,000 miles still is running just fine.

This picture displays a few of my favorite current luxury choices, specifically:

A new Starbucks mug
The New York Times Sunday edition,
     with first focus on the Book Review section
My iPod touch
My Amazon Kindle

These items are the epitome of my mantra. I have chosen these luxuries with thoughtful care and enjoy them daily!

My Mantra -- Choose Luxury

One of the many benefits of remaking is deciding how adjustments to life’s changes will unfold. Remaking for me typically requires a mantra. Currently, I am developing the following mantra,

choose luxury.

Development of this mantra raises thoughts of past mantras. They certainly reflect where I am in my life.

Right now, choices are such a huge part of my life. I have to make so many choices, and I am trying to teach my son to make good choices. Also, I feel strongly that I need to pursue what works for me. Making choices is paramount to this personal pursuit.

The word luxury is proving to be a critical part of my mantra because it evokes a positive mental state, which is critical. I need luxuries in my life. The definition of luxury supports my decision to use this word in my mantra. Included in the Merriam-Webster definition is, “something adding to pleasure or comfort but not absolutely necessary” and “an indulgence in something that provides pleasure, satisfaction, or ease.”

I am having buckets of fun developing my mantra!

Mind Murmur - notable quote

I subscribe to the Runner's World quote of the day, which appears daily in my email inbox. I look forward to this email and often end up printing the quotes for continued inspiration. Today's quote totally resonates with me:

It's the one thing that's mine. My runs everyday are my thing. It's my therapy, my hour to myself. Nobody can really take it away from me... It's such a huge part of me. I love to say that I'm a runner.

Summer Sanders, Olympic gold-medalist in swimming

Mind Murmur - parenting position

You only can do what works for you, and that applies to parenting as well as to pretty much anything with which you are tasked. I spend what often is too much time trying to figure out was works for me as my parenting position.

This week, I am contemplating two books in the context of my parenting position. I admit that I have not read either of these books, though I have added them both to my way too long reading list.

The first book is, Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle. I listened, in podcast form, to an interview Faith Middleton conducted with co-author Dan Senor. I found this to be extremely intriguing, particularly in light of just having finished listening to The Intelligent Entrepreneur.

The second book is, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I do not intend to purchase this book out of principle, but perhaps I will borrow it from the library. In the meantime, I am enjoying my current exposure to it through Internet print and podcast listening, including one in which Amy Chua read an excerpt from her book. Today, my dog walk included listening to a podcast from The New Yorker during which this book was discussed in light of the parenting issues now being widely discussed. It makes me wonder what my parenting style is. I would not define myself as falling within the characteristics of either a Chinese or Western mother.

I strive to apply characteristics of those styles to my attempt at raising what one day will be an intelligent, confident, and successful man.

Weekly Wanderings - week 3

This week was productive, and for that I am truly grateful. I fit in each of the five factors and am realizing that they are quite intertwined for me. Their overlapping makes it easier for me to fit them in, work them well, and move forward with an awesome attitude.

I am learning (for probably the tenth time) to live in the moment, focusing on what then is happening (rather than on the so many other things that I often feel I should be doing). Such focus included fitting in the five factors with success, and as follows:

Fit – I worked out 3 times. Though I wish I had fit in one more workout, I am comforted by the fact that the 3 I had were high quality, with no junk miles or wasted weights. My 2 runs were different (one outside and one at the gym), but each had such value! In addition to those workouts, my dog and I had many walks that provided pure pleasure. Our Sunday morning walk by the reservoir was so beautiful; the trees were coated in ice and the bright sun made them glisten! Thankfully, I was able to truly appreciate this sight.

Family – I began and ended the week with Mummy. I enjoyed my time with her and my son. Generally, our time together can be challenging. Right now, I know that because I am in a good place personally, I am able to be present for these two important people in my life, the 90 year-old and the 7 year-old. On Saturday, I joined 3 sisters and 2 sisters-in-law for a spa and lunch outing in celebration of my third sister’s 60th birthday. This outing was fun and fulfilling on so many levels. Having left my husband and son behind for much of the day, I focused on them for the remainder of the day. Everyone got a bit of what they wanted, and, therefore, the day overall was a success! Dinner ended up being pizza that we brought in so that we would have time to make cookies. So many things include giving and taking, and finding a balance that works.

Fun -- The realization that fun does not have to mean what it did in the past is huge. I am finding I have fun in ways that I did not previously define as fun events/activities. During this week, I had tons of fun with my son after supper when we sat together and worked on activity pages from workbooks that I have been moving from one location to another for too long. Being productive in my work and home organizing has brought pleasure to me so I am thinking that such productivity is fun for me. In the end, remaking what fun means to me and looks like for me is proving to be invaluable.

Finance - My stocks are holding their own. I completed 2 months of ownership with an overall 8.5% gain. That is encouraging. Presently, as the dust still settles from year-end expenditures, I am trying simply not to spend money, which actually is going well.

Food – Dinnertime was relaxing and enjoyable, which made it fun for me. My son ate quite well without complaints. Generally, the menu was basic. On Friday (knowing that I was going to be gone most of the next day) I made a fancier dinner than usual. We ate our steak and shrimp leisurely, while the candles burned and Zac Brown Band played in the background.

Because this week was busy, and I wasn’t able to work within the schedule that I had set, I ended up making some poor snack selections. I will learn from that, taking more time this week to make smarter snack selections.