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Year Three, Day 19: Everyday...

My housemate is studying guitar. She is having trouble with a strumming pattern and is most frustrated. She asked my advice. I told her the best way to learn is small segments of practice, frequently.

I have proven this method to myself time and time again. But I often forget.

I have been frustrated with my lack of motivation.  So this week I have been practicing what I preach.

  • Everyday, I am practicing the difficult sections of the music our choir is preparing. We have a concert in two weeks.
  • Everyday, I get up and walk and try to increase my running steps. Whether I feel like it or not!
  • Everyday, I start with prayer. And I am beginning to end each day with prayer too.
  • Everyday, I practice my knitting.
  • Everyday, I stop eating at 8:00 p.m. My new eating regimen is to eat my largest meal about 2:30 and then not eat anything after that, other than an apple, carrot sticks and water or tea.  Definitely no food after 8:00 p.m.
  • Everyday, I drink black coffee with no cream or sugar.
  • Everyday, I practice thinking good loving thoughts.

Years ago, I decided I wanted to start exercising with a hula hoop.  I read on the internet it was good exercise. And fun!

Not fun for me! I never could get that blasted hip to keep go around and around!

But I remembered what I told my students about frequent, mindful practice. So I used myself as an experiment. One summer, I think it was in 2012, I went out to the backyard every morning with my hoop. At first, I could only get the dang hoop to go around once or twice, before dropping to the ground.  But I was a woman on a mission. Every morning that summer, I marched out to the backyard with my hoop. I imagine my neighbors thought I was crazy.  Maybe it was temporary insanity, or more precisely, temporary obsession.

By the end of that summer, I made it to 2,000 rotations! 

I never hooped again.  Perhaps I should. But I prove my theory!

I have so many more thoughts. But it is already almost 10:00 p.m.  I am still having trouble waking up early. But I did do my 3/4 mile walk-run to the corner gas station this morning.  And I am still drinking my coffee black!

But I have a confession to make. Part of the reason I have not been able to wake up at 5:30, like I plan EVERY NIGHT, is that I have a new binge-watch t.v. show addiction: "Homeland". With Damian Lewis.  Where did no one tell me what an incredibly talented, (and most handsome actor) he is?! 

I love the female lead too. She is bipolar.  And driven.  It is intense. And very timely with the state of our world. I am hooked. But in keeping with my goal of transparency, I needed to admit it openly.  And commit to only watching one episode a night.

Amazingly, it has not given me disturbing dreams.  (Only romantic ones about Damian Lewis! - yikes - did I type that out loud?!)

But I do need to get to bed earlier.

So off to bed I go - with Damian Lewis!

Happy Wednesday.

Talk to you tomorrow!


Love,

Zita




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