Sunday, September 19, 2010

Be A Better Me (You) Weekend Challenges-Day 17- 19

Sorry to those of you who have been following along. The weekend has once again gotten away from me. It's really hard for me to spend time on the computer when I have my husband home with me. Our time is few and far between , so I have to make it count. Please forgive me. I know that you all understand! But here are the challenges that I issued for the weekend.

Be A Better Me (You)  Challenge - Day 17 ~ Cook what you want for dinner
Sounds simple right? I'm not sure about you but I spend a lot of time making what every body else wants, will eat or prefers. My choices usually are not even considered. I mean, I don't cook food that I hate(I'm not trying to punish myself) but I also don't ever say "Tonight, I'm going to make exactly what I like!" I can't because, its not usually what the rest of the family wants. But my challenge for you is a simple exercise in remembering that you count and what you like. Pick a night and cook whatever it is that YOU like. How many times have you made what your husband likes to make dinner special? How many times have you choked down your kids favorites so they'd be happy? Probably always, right? Tonight, make what you want. If you didn't have to consider picky eaters palettes,what would you eat? Me, well, I love sushi, eggplant and green peppers. All things that are very much unappreciated by the rest of my family. Maybe a little eggplant parm is exactly what this situation calls for in my house. What would be your dream meal?

Be A Better Me ( You) Challenge- Day 18 ~ Get rid of a bad habit
We all have something we do that we don't want to do or is not necessarily good for us.  These things serve as crutches to us. I don't want crutches anymore. I am tired of being hobbled and want to stand straight on my own two feet.Bad habits are developed over time and serve no good purpose in our lives. The bad habit I have that I'd like to kick to the curb is needing the validation of asking " Does this make me look fat?" Seriously, how is that question helpful? It means I am obsessing over my looks and expending my energy in a very negative way. It's also liable to make me a bad Mommy if my girls hear this slip out of my mouth. I don't want to pass on my weight issues. Why am I asking? If I am or I am not, or it does or does not make me look fat..is irrelevant. Even feeling like I need to ask the question, needing that validation is crippling me from being the best me I can be. If it bothers me then I should just work on it. I am my own worst critic and really no matter what the Big Guy answers, I am never satisfied. I need to stop asking that damn question; more importantly stop needing that validation from others. I need to just work on the problem and fix it rather than questioning myself and others. So,I am going to stop asking "Does this make me look fat?" To do this, I must work to make sure that I know that I am not. If I am not, then it stands to reason that I can not look like what I am not! End the end, ending this habit will be the catalyst to making me be a better me for me.What is your bad habit that's keeping you down or holding you back?

Be A Better Me ( You) Challenge- Day 19 ~ Breathe; Relax
Stop snickering. It's very simple but sometimes we need to be reminded. Life has a tendency to snowball and overwhelm us. It's really a miracle what  difference having the forethought to stop, breathe deeply, exhale and relax. My Mom has told me this since I was a child and I never believed or fully understood. Quite frankly I thought she was a little crazy. It seems with having children I am gaining great wisdom and insight into the world around me. For example, one more thing I learned to understand fully, why parents would ever think of sending a teen aged daughter away to boarding school and pay all that money for virtually a baby sitter. Believe me, if these young emotionally charged years are any indication of what may be to come, I may be putting a kidney for sale for some peace and sanity. But lately, I have been trying to breathe. I will admit it has been a last resort, but it was the only way I could come to it. It's making me a better person because its giving me the control to be in charge of my emotions and not fly of the handle, which, lets face, seldom works and usually just leads to guilt. I just feel like a better person being able to control my reactions to the world and situations that it seems to keep hurling at my head. Breathing make me feel in control and control is what winds my clock people.I can't imagine how awesome I'd be if I could make myself meditate. Something I may have to make some time for. So, breathe and relax is your challenge. Just try it! I promise, you'll like it.


Just a challenge update, my friends, I am sitting here with my hair fixed, and a dress on. I feel pretty cute. A little effort went a long way this morning! Also, I am sitting here in peace and quiet because the Big Guy has taken the girls shopping leaving me with some quiet , alone time. God bless him. And next week, BIG Guy and I have date night for my birthday. I can not wait. So be warned, there will be no posts next weekend! But I will be living the challenge..and the dream! Happy Mothering!

4 comments:

  1. You are right about the "Does this make me look fat?" question. It is a lose/lose question. It puts anyone you ask in a bad spot and you really aren't happy with the answer if you're asking the question. You are right to chuck that one. If you put on something and you can see that it is unflattering, change your clothes and put on something that makes you look and feel good.

    I love the breathe/relax thing. Meditation is a wonderful thing. When your girls are old enough to go to school, I suggest yoga. It will tone your muscles, focus your mind, and is excellent for breathing and relaxation. It works on a person in so many ways. I think it is the best form of exercise b/c it is a mind/body experience. Of course, you can always offset it with something cardio like an elliptical machine or aerobics class. There are so many choices these days. For now, just taking a few minutes to stop, breathe, and relax can make a huge difference in how you see things.

    Happy early birthday. So glad you and the hubs are getting some play time together to celebrate it. For some reason the word sparkle is coming to me and I cannot figure out how to put it into a sentence. Saying something like sparkle bright on your birthday sounds really corny. Anyway, have tons of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love cook what you want for dinner... I generally end up cooking three meals - one for the kids, one for me, and one for my husband. And now they all expect it. My pediatrician told me early on "don't run a restaurant...!" She was so right, and yet I do. But I'm gonna work on it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have an award for you on my site. Stop by when you get a chance!

    (if you dont happen to see it right away, don't worry.. I'm still finishing the post up!)

    http://www.carriescache.blogspot.com

    Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What is this "breathing" thing you speak of? I don't think I've focused on my breath since my son was born. Thanks for the reminder!

    ReplyDelete

Love to hear your thoughts on my truth! Please leave some love, insight , or even disagreement with mine. I believe in free thought and speech. Happy Mothering!!