life |

The first day of spring was a while back. But I have to admit, for me spring starts with Easter. This is a time of year where I yearn for renewal. I tend to take a look at my life, see what seems to be working, and figure out how to strengthen those things. I also take a look at what isn’t working and throw those things out. Oh, and this is the time of year that I start cleaning like a wild, rabid banshee. But that’s a different story.

But I think this time of evaluation is so important. I tend to get really busy and get really focused on finishing the next task on the list. So it’s really easy for me to lose track of whether or not things should even be on the list. The older I get, the better I understand that I just can’t do everything I want to do. I have to prioritize. I have to choose.

So while I sweep and polish and scrub and throw stuff out, I’m also spending time spring cleaning my life. A few of this year’s revelations:

1. Envy can help me figure out what I really want in my life that I am not getting. But it can also sap me of my strength. This year, I’d like to hold onto envy just long enough to give me a kick in the pants and help me revise my priorities to focus on getting what I want and then show envy the door.

2. I also spend more time angry than is really useful. This year, I’d like to hold onto anger just long enough figure out if it can attach to meaningful action. If there is an action to take I will take it. Then I will take that anger and just dump it.

3. I spend way too much time Plants vs. Zombies and Burger Shop 2. I won’t link to these games because they are like crack cocaine for casual gamers. Seriously. This year, I’d like to figure out what scary things in my life I’m avoiding while making virtual burgers and blowing up the undead and then go do those things.

I think you can see, that this year, I feel I need to focus more on action. I have so many ideas in my head that seem super cool. But I’ll never really know if they are super cool or kinda stupid until I just go do them.

So how about you? Got some “spring cleaning” you need to do in your life? Wanna share? I’d love to hear from you! Because sharing time with you is one of my big priorities for 2013 as well.

Love,

The Fat Chick

The Fat Chick performing at a Taiko Drum Demonstration

This morning I was dreaming about drumming. I know, it’s weird. But I was pounding away on a little tom tom and feeling so very happy. And I woke up feeling even happier, because I finally knew what I was going to blog about this morning.

I think I was dreaming of drumming because I felt such a strong need to get back to a rhythm in my life. On my recent trip to New York, I had a red-eye on one end and an extremely late flight on the other. And with the time change, and all the stress, my body never quite figured out when it was bed time and when it was time to get up. Truthfully, since I’ve been back, I’ve struggled some as well. Finally last night, after a late dinner, I announced, I’m going to bed! I staggered off at my regular bedtime and dropped off to sleep. So, yay! I woke up this morning at my regular time feeling ready to face the world at last!

All this got me thinking about the rhythm of our lives. Our bodies yearn to make us creatures of habit. They want to go to bed at bedtime, wake up at about the same time every morning, eat at regular times and do virtually everything else at regular times. There are times that our body likes to work, and rest, and have sex, and go out dancing. There are daily rhythms, weekly rhythms and even annual seasonal rhythms. As I musician, I understand that the rhythm of any opera will shift from time to time. There will be fast patter songs, more lyrical love songs and slower and sadder laments. Not every song will have the same beat. But most of the measures within the song have the same beat. Because if you change the rhythm with every measure or every note, you don’t have a song, you have chaos.

Sure my body can function with erratic timing, but it sure does seem to make things more difficult. So I am going to try to get my “inner conductor” back to work at getting my body back on a reasonable schedule. How about you my little Chicklettes? Would you benefit from a regular breakfast time, bath time or bed time? How about trying it out for a week and see how you feel? Just have a little talk with your inner maestro, “One, two–one, two, three, four…”

Love,

The Fat Chick