Tag: honeybee gardens

STOP OBSESSING!!!

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Oprah Winfrey turned 60 this year.  When asked if she had any regrets, this is what she had to say,

“I think the hardest part of aging really is recognizing the time that you wasted and the things that you worried about that really didn’t matter. That’s really the hardest part, that’s really the only regret that I have.”

How right she is.

Her statement made me think about all the time I waste daily on stupid, ultimately pointless things.  Example:  I have friends from out of town coming to stay with me in about two weeks.  Well, you would think the Queen of England was popping by for a spot of tea.  I instantly made a list:  1) rip up carpet in unused bedroom and replace with hardwood, 2) get all of the spring landscaping clean up done NOW, 3) mulch everything (70+ bags of mulch), 4) replace kitchen screen door, 5) fix windowsill on left garage window, 6) buy a new throw blanket for the chair in the living room because the one I have now attracts too much cat hair….the list went on, but you get the picture.  I OBSESSED about this list every spare moment I had, working outside to near exhaustion because I HAVE to get everything done in time.  Will these people actually notice that every square inch of gardening bed is completely weed free and evenly mulched?  Probably not.  Will they notice the new $30 red throw blanket on the back of the chair which seems to attract less cat hair than the other perfectly good throw?  Doubtful.  But I do this to myself every day!  Not just in this one situation.  Gotta pluck that single eye brow hair because it’s clearly out of place.  I am totally out of groceries but refuse to go to the grocery store until the zit on my forehead goes away.  Because people will hone right in on that baby and stare at it like I have three heads.  Best to starve for now.  I don’t need that humiliation.

I think about how much physical stress I put on my body needlessly.  When I occasionally do catch myself fretting, I stop and take note of my body.  My abs are tight.  My teeth are clenched (I actually broke part of a molar last year from clenching me teeth too hard – no lie – and I have healthy teeth!).  My face is in a scowl (can you say ‘wrinkles’?).  My head aches.  And who knows what else is going on internally.  We all know that too much stress is NOT good for you.  And I’m wasting it on STUPID things.  I’m cutting my life short over wondering if that vague Facebook post was about me, and feeling incredibly guilty because I ate a cupcake.

The madness must end.  We ALL need to listen to Oprah on this one.  Stop worrying about that five pounds you put on over the winter.  Stop obsessing about every single tiny physical imperfection.  Stop wondering what she REALLY meant by that statement.  Stop fretting over what others think, especially those who honestly don’t matter.  Instead, practice mindfulness.  Practice gratitude.  Be YOU unapologetically.  Laugh, be thankful and believe in yourself.  Be kind to others whether or not they deserve it.  Live with purpose.  Let go of anger and fear.  You’ll live longer and you’ll be happier.  Now excuse me while I go shopping for a new pillow case because it clearly doesn’t match the other one…..

I Can’t Believe You Posted THAT Picture!

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On my birthday, a funny picture was taken of me. I was holding up my birthday cake, and pretending to take a bite out of the entire cake. It wasn’t a flattering picture at all. And the lighting was terrible. But it wasn’t supposed to be a glamour shot. It was a silly spontaneous picture taken at home with family. My boyfriend posted it on Facebook. The first person who commented said, “I can’t believe you let him post that!” Why? Because I didn’t have any makeup on? Because my hair wasn’t perfect? Because it looks like I have huge bags under my eyes? So what?! In an airbrushed world, I wanted to be real.

The reaction to my unflattering picture left me a bit unnerved. Like we aren’t already under enough pressure by the media who tells us what perfect is, how to achieve it and what a failure you are if you don’t look a certain way, now we’re doing it to each other. To friends? Am I really supposed to believe that the picture you posted of your two year old exquisitely dressed, quietly playing with her doll in a posh, spotless living room is really what your everyday life looks like? If it is, good for you. But a more accurate picture might be that same two year old with food stuck in her hair, stains on her little t-shirt, holding her doll by the hair as she tumbles through a living room littered with toys, tissues and plastic cups. We would never post THAT picture though because heaven forbid our friends think our lives are ordinary.

As Spring approaches, we are bombarded with magazines, emails, web articles and TV ads telling us what we MUST do to be ‘bikini ready’. Unless you’re a supermodel, how many of your friends look amazing in a bikini? I went to California for a week in February and actually considered NOT bringing a bathing suit because I was winter pale and didn’t consider my body tone enough to even be seen in shorts. It was 85 degrees out there! We fought a hard winter here in the Northeast. I couldn’t wait to see the sunshine and palm trees. Luckily I grabbed my suit at the last minute. Reluctantly I wore it to the hotel pool. And guess what? There wasn’t a perfect person in sight. Everyone has “flaws”! Did I sit on the lounge chair and mentally bash myself for not looking the way I wanted to? Of course I did. And what a waste of time when I could have been doing something healthier like meditating under the palm fronds.

I’m so sick of skinny girls picking on fat girls, and fat girls picking on skinny girls. There is no perfect size! Just drop that stupid argument already, please?! If you don’t like how you look, change it. But make sure you’re changing what YOU don’t like, not other’s perceptions of what is good or bad. Be healthy. Be silly. Look beautiful. Look awful. Stop worrying about the outward appearance and instead spend your time living in the moment and enjoying the experience. Share those memories no matter how imperfect they may be. Because right now is all we have. And how sad it would be to waste that time worrying about how it looks.

Facebook Has Changed Our Lives, For Better or Worse

I wanted to write a blog post this week, but a sprained wrist is making it difficult to type.  So I’m reposting an article from CNN about Facebook which turns 10 this week.

CNN, January 30, 2014 –

Ten years and 1.2 billion users into its existence, there’s no question that Facebook has changed our lives.

Whether it was an inspired vision, deft execution, a bit of dumb luck or a combination of all three, Mark Zuckerberg’s social juggernaut has ingrained itself into the daily lives of digital-age users in a way that forebears like MySpace and contemporaries like Twitter could only imagine.
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Lemon Water Really is THAT Good

I know I talked about this last year, but I’ve been doing the lemon water thing for several months now and I can honestly say I see benefits. I find that it aids in digestion, wakes me up in the morning and somehow encourages me to make healthier choices throughout my day. The proven health benefits are numerous. This is an article by Jim Dillan for Healthy Ambition which spells it all out.

The Many Health Benefits of Lemon Water 11/13/2013

Lemon water is a simple and surprisingly healthy internal cleanser to start your day with. I certainly noticed a difference myself when I first started having the juice of a whole lemon in water first thing in the morning. I really like the way the sharp taste wakes you up and gets you going.

Some resources say that it’s good to have it in warm or even hot water. I suppose in this way you could use it as a healthier replacement for your morning coffee, but I personally prefer it in room temperature filtered water.
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My Take on New Year’s Resolutions

You’re going about it all wrong.

First, I’m not big on the idea of waiting until January 1 to start anything.  You have to be mentally prepared to make changes, and the calendar should not be dictating that.  BUT if you are truly ready and you need a convenient start date, then go for it.

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