Living in Sync with the Seasons
Oct 30, 2006
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Living in Sync with the Seasons
- African-American Spiritual
- Free Ecourse: Sit and Get Fit
Do you find yourself feeling sad…
…that the summer is over and that the days are getting shorter and colder? Are you resisting turning on your heat?
If you are, you’re not alone. While I prefer cooler weather, I don’t prefer cold, dark days. It’s easy to feel a little disappointed. But resisting what is just causes pain, so I try not to go there. We can’t change what is . . . though we’d really like to try!
It’s funny how often I hear conversations about preferences for weather…as if we could choose the kind we like. I’ve done this myself. We also make requests for when we’d like to get rain and what time of day.
When I stop fighting a change in seasons and get in sync with it, a whole new kind of energy and enjoyment comes over me. I’d like to share that with you if your mood is starting to sink in anticipation of the short, cold days ahead.
Getting in sync with what is doesn’t take as much energy as we think. Stop and think about what changes we’re experiencing now:
* It gets dark earlier (so we should go to bed earlier)
* It gets light later (so we should sleep in when possible)
* It gets colder (so we should eat warming foods like soups, casseroles, and roasts … and fewer cold, raw foods like salads.)
And because it’s colder, we pack away our warm weather clothes and bring out the gloves and sweaters. We also spend more time indoors. And when it looks like the cold is here to stay, we turn on our furnaces.
Here are some more things you can do to get in sync with the seasons. I’ve written a tip for each of the cherylmillerville clubs.
Healthy Fast Food Kitchen
In Kansas we’re about at the end of the growing season. At the farmers’ markets there’s a fabulous fall harvest of pumpkins, squashes of all kinds, sweet potatoes, jalapenos, and hardy greens.
Go to www.allrecipes.com and look for a tasty recipe for something you’ve bought in spades. I have four butternut squash (yes I’m a bargain shopper). I already know what to do with them . . . but if I didn’t, I’d type “butternut squash” into the recipe search engine and a bunch of fab recipes with that ingredient would be presented. You can also tell the search feature what you absolutely hate or are allergic to so it will avoid recipes with those ingredients. This is an awesome resource folks. Go there and reap the bounty.
Simple Clean Green Living
Let’s imitate fall. You know how the trees shed their leaves and the wind blows them away? Let’s do that with something in life that needs to be simplified. What’s complex in your life? Let it go as naturally as the tree let’s go of its leaves. Whee! Free!
Move More
What better season to get out and walk than fall? Jasmine, my 9.5 year-old German Shepherd and I just got back from a beautiful walk along the levee of the Kansas River. The trees are beautiful, the sky majestic, and the wind was kicking up to bring the colder weather forecast for tomorrow. Temperatures are expected to drop by 30 degrees or more. Burrrrr. But that means good, hot soup ahead and for the carnivores among us – pot roast!
So wrap a scarf around your neck and get out there for a brisk walk in nature. What could be better balm for the soul? Kick through a pile of leaves, pause to admire the sun or the sunset, and choose a word or two to describe the sky. This is good for the soul too.
Perfect Environments for Healthy, Happy Living
In the Harmonious Home group, we’re working to clear out, clean up, and spiff up our environments. Group members are painting bedrooms, hanging bathroom mirrors, getting rid of papers, setting up efficient office space in the kitchen, perfecting their bedrooms, and cleaning out cluttered closets, porches, and garages. Imagine how happy they’ll be to come home to a cleaner, more perfect environment at the end of the day.
Think of something that would make your little nest a more perfect place to come home to at the end of a hectic day . . . and do it!
Packrats, Paper Hounds & Procrastinators
You know the expression to “squirrel it away?” Well, on my walk tonight I thought about squirrels. I confess I’m not a biologist and haven’t examined their nests (I can’t climb that high!). But from what I gather, they have some pretty basic needs to prepare for colder weather–they build their nests and stash or store food.
So this season, how can you be more like the squirrels and deal with just the basics? Can you go through your bookcases and thin out books you’ve already read or don’t ever plan to read? Can you recycle your stash of newspapers and magazines? Can you think of your home as your comfy cozy nest to keep you warm and well fed and get rid of the excess? Is it time to get back to basics and keep just what you really need? What can you clear out easily . . . so you can rest more peacefully in your nest this winter?
Smoke Now, Quit Later
When I used to smoke, I took great care to keep from stinking up my house and car with cigarette smoke. I hung my cigarette out the window of my car, stood at the door, and generally made myself miserable smoking outside in the cold (or heat). I didn’t do it for myself. I did it for everybody who bugged me about how much my smoking stunk.
Are you tired of getting flack for smoking? Yes? Think about it. You’ll be closed up with the heater burning. Not only will you be inhaling the smoke from your cigarette, but you’ll be inhaling all that second hand smoke that (surprise-surprise) the Surgeon General recently confirmed is a major health hazard. And you may be feeling guilty about subjecting others in your household to the health hazards of your smoking habit.
How about gearing up to do the Great American Smoke Out Thursday, November 16, 2006, and clean up the air in your home and office? Isn’t it time? Your body will bless you for it.
A Personal Note
I get sentimental with the changing seasons. I think the wind blows a little melancholy and introspection into my life. I feel my heart open to everybody who feels lonely, hungry, sad, or left out. When the days get cold and dark, we need to pull together to support each other.
If you’re feeling challenged at times by living on this planet, know that there are many of us out there sending you blessings and prayers for comfort and connection. And that includes me. May all experience the bounty that the earth provides.
This African American Spiritual always opens my heart:
There is a Balm in Gilead
Refrain
There is a balm in Gilead
To make the wounded whole;
There is a balm in Gilead
To heal the sin sick soul.Some times I feel discouraged,
And think my work’s in vain,
But then the Holy Spirit
Revives my soul again.If you can’t preach like Peter,
If you can’t pray like Paul,
Just tell the love of Jesus,
And say He died for all.
Another Resource - The Daily OM
A friend and subscriber of this list recently sent me a link to check out the Daily OM, an online newsletter. I loved it and subscribed immediately. Here’s a lovely article on living in sync with the seasons See it here.
Free E-course - Sit and Get Fit
I’m thoroughly enjoying your Sit and Get Fit e-course challenge. I don’t know what’s more fun – the sitting & getting fit or clicking away on all the little links. They are a crack up! I’m passing this along to all my friends before you decide to charge what the program is really worth. Very cleverly done! Rita Wespi, www.mathmatinee.com
Want to be more physically active at work? Need a little energy boost? Need a laugh?
~ Sign up for the free 21-Day Sit and Get Fit Ecourse ~
For 21 days, you’ll get an email picturing 4 simple energizing exercises that take about 5 minutes to do. And you can also start the session off with a laugh. Each message begins with a link to something funny to read, see, or hear. It might be a funny photo, mini video, photo, cartoon, song, or game. I think you’ll enjoy it. I had a great time producing it. People often ask how I came up so many cool links. Even though I love the stretches and other aspects of the program, this funny link is really my favorite part of the program.
To see a sample day and sign up, go here.
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As Cheryl's technology and business strategist, I've learned a new meaning to the word "sticktoitiveness." Far from being an ivory-tower, health primadonna prancing around in a leotard, Cheryl is a real, approachable person who doesn't hestitate to share her own life experiences and challenges. 