Vivid Living

You know it’s been a good day when:

You wake before the 6 a.m. alarm, energized to trek to the gym.  You’ve just resurfaced from a voluntary hiatus; you’re not exactly eager but you give yourself an A for effort.

Surprise, this energy lasts throughout the morning, making your quadriceps tingle.  You’re alive.

The leftover orange beef with sesame seeds tastes even better today.

People are courteous, just because.

A pair of wild rabbits hop playfully outside your office window.  Where do they come from?

You catch nearly every green light on your long drive home.

While supposedly sleeping, your children giggle mischievously as you lean in close to admire them.

What small pleasures revealed themselves to you today?

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and celebrating the unexpectedly sweet things in life,  you might enjoy reading the poem “Butter” by Elizabeth Alexander.

Thanks and giving to all of you.

Recently I purchased a t-shirt from my children’s school that reads Operating at Full Potential.  Don’t you love this?

The message is particularly apt for me, because these days I’m only dreaming of peak performance.

And yet, some weeks are just like that.

Like many of you, I continue to struggle with juggling all on my plate.   I used to be an Olympic multitasker – I’m the gal who once boarded a bus from Hoboken, NJ to New York City with a bag of garbage because I was so lost in my to-do’s.

I was young and impatient back then so while the episode was funny, I didn’t really “learn my lesson.”  I’m learning it now.  At 43, my brain simply can’t process washing dishes, talking on the phone, supervising the twins’ homework, and answering my stepson’s questions about where he can find a spare roll of toilet paper.

Ample research exists about the perils of multitasking, most of which confirms that the supposed benefits are little more than an illusion.  We just think we’re getting more done, but in reality, we’re only switching tasks because the brain can’t really process multiple cognitive feats.   The garbage incident was harmless, but I confess to other times where multitasking could have led to a more damaging outcome.   Thank goodness for new laws about texting and driving.

Admit it, you multitask, too.  Who doesn’t? Especially working moms.  Perhaps it’s because of evolutionary reasons, or the fact we’re hard-wired differently (which we are!), but wow, we women are the Cirque du Soleil of multitasking.

Which is nothing to celebrate.

Tackling “it all” poses a real quandary. Ask yourself: “What can I let go of?”  “What’s my top priority today?”  Finally, “am I being realistic?”

For me, this means I can’t always blog as often as I’d like.   The world won’t end (but thank you to the few readers who have noticed the lapses).  It also means that I might not make it to the gym this week because I’ve got a cold and I’m tired and why the heck should I push myself? So what if my thighs feel flabbier.  I do enough.  And that is precisely my point.  If you want to operate at your full potential, try accepting “what is” instead of swimming upstream.

I’m beginning to see the rewards of doing less at once: more productivity, more energy, more quality time.  More, more, more.  It’s never too late.

If you have a funny multitasking story, or know someone who does, write me.

I’m back! No, I haven’t run off to Tahiti although the notion of a clean getaway from the crush of life does sound appealing.  In fact, I’m sitting at one of my favorite writing haunts, The St. Mark’s Coffeehouse, looking at the following anonymous message scribbled in pink chalk: Let’s runaway together. Just you and me. I haven’t even met you yet but I’m ready. Let’s go.

Hmmmmm.  That’s an enticing thought. Where would you like to go? Fantasize. If only in your mind, or beneath the soft weight of your comforter, dream, it’s healthy.

My spirit needs recharging, that’s for sure. Just the other night I said to Steve, “let’s go away for the night, let’s head to the mountains.” Past experience has taught me that  stepping away every so often is the best boost to my emotional and spiritual health.  It’s like meditation ; when I’m outside of my daily grind, I take time to slow my pacing, breathe deeper, and gain perspective.

Times are tight, and it’s hard to break away, I know.  Still, I’m a big advocate for physically shaking life up every few months, just like applying that fresh coat of paint I blogged about in my first entry. You don’t really need to hop on a plane or train – although the idea of doing so is sometimes enough of a release. Steve and I have a running joke that when the going gets rough we’ll meet one another aboard the flight to Italy.  He’ll text me, “hurry, the plane is leaving in a half hour.” Someday…

How about starting with small ideas? A restorative hike; dinner out with your partner or a special friend; a visit to that museum you can’t ever seem to make time for; or, a movie (my spirit was higher after armchair traveling with Mamma Mia.)

Maybe your ideal retreat is secluding yourself at home?

The point is to make time for yourself amidst the fullness of life. I’m a better wife, mother, daughter, friend, and writer when I do.

I leave you with ripe food for thought by Maya Angelou, whom I came to know through my experiences at UNICEF.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”