This was my first blog and I am so grateful you chose to follow me and read what I shared.
I am in the process of merging these posts into my current blog where I've been writing. I would love to have you continue with us along the journey.
Please find us at:
https://thatresonates.blogspot.com/
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2. You will receive an email notification immediately - click confirm and that's it!
Don't panic when you see the words about receiving an email daily - you will only get an email on days I have a new post.
I hope to see you at That Resonates.
In the meantime, this one might get really weird looking as I try to maneuver things and merge the two.
Lois
Lois Lynn: Living, Laughing, and Learning
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
Monday, August 8, 2016
Lessons Learned
32 days ago an innocent post crossed my Facebook timeline...30
Day Blog Your Brand Challenge.
I have been at the fork in the road of closing my business
or renewing the lease, trying to upgrade the website but running into software
and host issues that I cannot resolve until September. I was trying to decide
if these were signs against continuing on. It suddenly dawned on me that while
Red Tennies is a business, I have two blogs and one is about my own creative
writing thoughts so at the last minute I went for it.
Most of the other members will post these eloquent and
useful blogs today sharing their wisdom in what they have learned. Well, here's
my biggest personal takeaway...I'm not normal.
There it is, in black and white and on the internet to be
seen forever. I admit it, I'm not normal. I'm beginning to be okay with that, however.
See, here are my wise aha moments:
1. 30 Days is an insanely long time if you are committed to
writing a blog each day or you are waiting for a vacation.
2. I have a short attention span. Even writing, I lost
myself at about 200 words but the goal was 300.
3. I have too much time on my hands - I now have about a
dozen new blogs to follow regularly.
4. I don't have enough time on my hands - I need to go back
and catch up on all of the ones I've bookmarked and post encouraging replies.
5. It does work to sit down and write when you think you
have nothing to say.
6. If you are a writer, it is incredibly important to write.
It doesn't matter what, it doesn't matter what format, but write!
7. If I ever unblock the friend who got me here (just
kidding Kayla), I will plan ahead instead of living in the moment. Oh, and I'll
move to the east coast for 30 days so I can write until midnight's deadline...9
pm is the beginning of the creative time for us west coasters.
8. I CAN do what I set my mind to do, I had only forgotten that I could.
8. I CAN do what I set my mind to do, I had only forgotten that I could.
9. Yes, I would do this again.
10. You should join me.
Sunday, August 7, 2016
Inside or Outside the Box?
I am at my best when I am working from home, a coffee shop, a beachside table or any other form of telecommuting. It's not that I don't enjoy
the physical location of my office and the people aren't any bother either. I
am completely adequate and efficient in all of my tasks but my soul feels a tad
empty when I am confined to normal things. Take me out of the office and you'll
see me thrive - my mind is free and unburdened, my dog will likely be with me
which does amazing things for the quality of your day. It takes a lot more to
ruffle my feathers when I'm hanging out with the pup in a grand spot. We have a
new deadline for a project? Not a problem if I'm offsite where I can take in the
news, breathe deeply, get a puppy kiss and make the new task schedule to get it
done. Give me that same situation at work and there's a bit of a sit and stare
time necessary to shift gears because the innovative side gets trapped.
Perhaps that is the root below this firmly planted ability
to thrive outside the office - innovators don't like routine and do not perform
with passion if stifled. We need to feel and be independent, trusted and
empowered. Most people I've worked with have done this but I still feel the
diminished effects of a few that didn't lead that way.
Having a particular space you connect with is so important if you are
wired this way. For those who are not craving this, it would be nearly torture
to work outside of the office. It truly takes all kinds to keep businesses
going, but an understanding of allowing your employees to work in their best
situation can build a solid team of efficient, happy and thriving individuals.
Is the office your comfort zone or do you need to be
released?
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Anticipating Autumn
We have had a remarkably pleasant summer this year, and
while I am by no means rushing ahead and wishing it away, I find myself
yearning for the autumn season already. I have nobody to blame but myself for
this. It began with cleaning out the kitchen cupboards for a yard sale and I
discovered the eclectic collection I have of mugs. I am not a coffee or hot tea
drinker and feel that a mug should only be used for hot beverages. This leaves
only hot chocolate for me and I typically only sip on that about 6 times per
year...in the fall and maybe winter. So my mugs are organized and I am ready
for fall.
We have also had some unseasonably cool evenings that leave
you wanting more of those cool breezes drifting over you while you nestle down
into a blanket to stay warm not quite ready to go inside. If you factor in the
gas fireplace and my favorite shoe item of boots, fall is easily my favored
season.
Some people use January 1st as a kind of reset but I am
recharged by fall and I am ready for a recharge this year. The kids will be
back in school, clearing the way for the rest of us to finally go to the beach
or the zoo without the summer crowds. Last year we headed to the coast on a
Tuesday in October and found it busier than any other time we've visited and
everybody had the same shock and the same expectation. Crowds and all, it was a
peaceful experience of the older generation.
What is your favorite season and why? Has it always been
that way or did it change with your seasons of life or as you got older? If you
have lived in a variety of climates, did that affect your favorite season?
Friday, August 5, 2016
On Target
I have heard it said when teaching somebody to ride a
bicycle you should teach them to look where they want to go, yet so many warn
people to not run into the tree, pole, bench, pothole, etc. Focusing on the
obstacles and hazards draw you directly to them but if you set your sights on
the target you will succeed.
The same can be said for target shooting on the range,
whether with handgun, rifle or bow and arrow. How successful would a hunter be
if they were busy focusing on the beautiful trees or the path through the
woods? It is necessary to focus on the target if you want to meet your goal.
When you set goals for yourself or your business do you keep
your eyes focused on the target goal or do you tend to glance sideways at the
task list or the obstacles that make it more difficult? Have you noticed that
it slows you down or derails you when you do that? Many people create a list of
resolutions each January, only to lose complete sight of any target within days.
There are a number of ways to keep your focus and I
encourage you to try several to see what works best for you and I'd love to
hear your ideas. Some people may be so diligent and disciplined that they live
and breathe their goals...wow! For the rest of us, we can set micro-steps that
are completely attainable and not overwhelming but consistent and the next
thing you know you're at your target. What about the Post-It note approach
where they are scattered on your mirror and office to remind you? Sometimes I
will force myself to get up during commercials to take steps towards goals.
It doesn't have to be complicated, but it needs to be something you can achieve
and it needs to be consistent. What do you have in your sights right now?
Thursday, August 4, 2016
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
This is one of my favorite pictures from my personal collection
because I find such joy in the beauty of this without the frustration that I
associate with dandelions in my yard. When they are growing in my yard, they
only serve to remind me how much it's going to cost in weed killer and time to
remove them or the frustration that my neighbor upwind of us won't kill their
weeds.
Children have the ability to see these differently though. They
have no comprehension of what a weed is. To them, they are a beautiful and
lovely little tiny kid-sized yellow flower they pick and give to mom and dad or
their friends. Then complete delight sets in when it turns to that magical puff
to wish upon with eyes closed and head tilted upward as you inhale with
everything in you before you release that slow deliberate exhale to send it
scattering up into the wind. Oh, what a joy that was...when I was little.
Life is kind of like this at times. We may be surrounded by bad
things or negative people, struggles and burdens. I dare say there is a beauty
within each if we promise to look for it along the way and not focus only on
the negative aspects. Perhaps a broken arm becomes an early discovery of
something worse. It was terrible to break the arm but had that not happened the
other illness would have become fatal due to lack of treatment. Instead, that
broken arm saved a life. The good showed up through the bad and we should try
to find that value. It may be more difficult when it involves toxic people, but
I still think we can find at least one good thing in each person.
If we try really hard, maybe we can even find the joy from
struggles and pretend it is the beauty of the dandelion puff...breathe in,
breathe out slowly and giggle!
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Time Out
If your schedule is in a high season like mine right now,
I'm putting you in a necessary time out. That's right, I'll be right there with
you. We are in the early phase of an exterior house painting project and there
are about 6 electrical items sanding or heating paint at any given time
beginning long before my usual waking hour. The house is covered in dust and the
yard is dotted with scraped paint chips and used sanding pads. I'm cooking
meals for the friends who have come to help out and the dog is not getting his
all-day naps in. These are not complaints, they are celebrations, but they are
time stealers.
This is on top of about 8 very significant life events and
an overwhelming sense of responsibility to spend every waking moment working on
this project. Fill in your own projects and burdens and I'm guessing most of
you will be in the same position. You sacrifice all the fun things you want to
do for the necessary ones. I say we put ourselves in time out...starting now!
Well, at least starting soon.
We have several concerts in a variety of parks all summer
and we have not made it to one due to these responsibilities. Tonight is
responsibility time out! The Barn Door Slammers are playing tonight at a
location near to home and we already have a great picnic of leftovers so we are
ready to go. I want to stay home and work on the house, we're almost at a
significant progress point and it would be so grand to finish that section up
tonight.
However, we did promise ourselves we would not cancel this
event so we're going. There is a balance we forget about, a need to renew
ourselves and take moments to breathe and recover from the daily thinking and
demands of us. Join me?
Check these guys out here: The Barn Door Slammers
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Road Trip
Hi, my name is Lois and I am an addict. I am addicted to
road trips. Sure, you can fly to great destinations and see wonderful things
and I am not opposed to that by any means. However, there is something about
road travel that I connect with. You can start with a guideline for your
journey but the options are almost limitless. If you see something of interest,
you can stop...you don't have to wait for another trip. You are there...stop
the car! You can set your own agenda and your own pace. The rhythm of the wheels
and the beat of the music is your only guide to discovery.
The road trip is my excuse for the Costco bag of peanut
M&Ms and fun drinks for the ice chest I wouldn't normally treat myself to.
Sometimes I even throw in a magazine I wouldn't spend money or time on but
would thoroughly enjoy. Grab the dog, camera, husband, music, snacks, ice chest, and suitcases and I am good...to...go. (Side note: not necessarily listed in the order of importance.)
The things we've seen tend to be the images and memories
most etched into my mind. Sure, I experienced cruises, San Diego and Hawaii via
airplane travel and there were wonderful things. But, the ones I recall in
conversation came from road trips. My family took a 2-month road trip across
the country the year I graduated from high school. We saw Daniel Webster's memorial,
which let me tell you was a pretty exciting rock at the end of a horribly long
and slow gravel road placed there just to tell us he once spoke to the Whigs
there. Memorable place...no? Memorable event? Oh yeah...still talk and laugh
about it 30 years later.
Here's a link to one of my favorite stops we stumbled onto in Dover, Ohio.
Definitely take a look...this was amazing!
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/10049
What is your essential item for a road trip? What's the best
place you discovered that you would have missed by plane, train or direct
freeway driving?
Monday, August 1, 2016
Procrastination Anyone?
This is a new thing to me and I still can't quite decide if
I embrace it or if it sets me into a panic. I was always the planner, the one
with a checklist and made steps towards the end goal and almost always
completed the project or task ahead of schedule. This last year or two has
brought the opposite behavior and internal conflict. While I have never been
one to relax well, I have made great strides in allowing some downtime. The
problem is that this creates less time to plan and work ahead and I often find
myself nearing a deadline without any progress. This is difficult and I'm not
having fun living under the mental burden of the invisible to-do list.
I don't know why procrastination is so rampant in our
society. For me, I know these last years have added many more responsibilities
and roles and my inner juggler is getting a little older and slower. My brain
is weary and I put off the thinking tasks more these days. For some, it's pure
laziness and a live in the moment mentality while others are so readily
distracted and lose focus instantly.
Perhaps, like this photo, we only procrastinate the work we really aren't called to be doing. Or is that too idealistic and we all face tasks we don't want to do even in the job of our passion? Hmmmm....
Are you a planner or a procrastinator? Did it change
throughout your life or were you always one or the other? If you are a planner,
what are your tips for the others? If you are a procrastinator, I'd love to
hear if you are content with that and why. Do you enjoy the frantic rush the
last-minute deadline brings or are you simply one to not get around to it?
My 8th-grade math teacher had these great buttons printed
with the word "tuit" printed on it and of course, yes, the button was
round. The man was ahead of his time as this was a few decades ago...would
probably have made a fortune now.
Talk to me folks...let me hear what side you're on and what
your stories are.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Fitness Decisions
I have four brand new pairs of running shoes lined up along
my dining table, three of which are waiting to be returned. About a year ago, I
made the decision and I was ready to start regaining my physical strength and
fitness after letting all things slide for almost 25 years. This apparently was
the cue for all aches and pains that had been dormant to rise up again - the
twisted hips, the almost plantar fasciitis heel pain, the lower back, etc.
I continued to live with the pain, too proud to limp in
front of friends or not do all the activities I needed to do on a regular basis
for work and home. September brings an annual event that I remember being in
pain at last year, even losing a week of work afterward for recovery. That
trigger, realizing that it's been a year or more has led me to take this next
step. I simply MUST find a pair of shoes to wear that doesn't cause heel pain
every single day. No pain, I can finally start to be mobile again - pain each
day and it's all you can do to survive. It's time to thrive again.
I can go for 20 visits shopping and find nothing to work for
me; we're looking for low budget, heel pain (need cushioning) and flatter than
flat feet (need firm arches). You should try finding support and cushion at the
same time! So, I skipped the affordable route and finally decided I was worth
$150 and went to the pros. Now I have 4 perfect pairs of shoes here. One is
super perfect and cute, but the most money while one is almost super perfect, one model
year older, not as cute but $40 cheaper. Logic says to take that one, heart says to get the cool one.
Then there's the best value...2 pairs are about 75% off the
ridiculous original price! I would never be able to buy this brand again so my
brain says to get the best deal.
The irony is that this simple decision about a pair of shoes
has held up progress for my decision to start taking care of my body by 2 weeks
now!
Who out there will join me in making the decision to start taking care of
our own well-being so we can keep taking care of others?
Challenge on? I'm in...right after I decide which shoes to
keep.
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