more than anything i want to get out of my comfort zone. but i don’t try too hard to do so. a while ago i mentioned liking airplane turbulence because it jolts me out of that zone and there is a bit of unknowing, uncertainty and immediacy about it. notice i said that airplane turbulence gets me out of my comfort zone. not bungee jumping or sky diving but air pockets. that’s what i mean by “i don’t try too hard to do so”.
sometimes – you can be transported outside your mental comfort zoneby just watching a video or reading a book and that is where reggie watts comes in. right now, i’m on a flight from dallas to minneapolis – a small regional jet. i put in my headphones and started in on catching up on some TED videos. most if not all – can be transporting. but these in particular i want to share with you.
reggie watts
is a brooklyn based artist – comedian and musician. i’d love to see him live. he improvises much of his act. i love him because he is completely OUT THERE. but in a good way! what went through my head while watching the TED video was this:
what the hell is he talking about?
people are laughing and i don’t get it
i may be stupid
rewind
watch again
really pay attention (note: we’ll talk about that later…)
laugh
watch some more
bob my head and jive
laugh
come to realize he is poking fun at the pseudo intellelectualism
i feared i didn’t have
at the beginning of me watching this
i love it
check his video out and google him. way to make me thing differently, reggie.
jane fonda
was next. blown away at how she is giving the “third act” (or aging) a whole new outlook. she talks about breaking down this curve - you know the curve – you are born, you peak at mid-age then deteriorate as you age – the third act. jane is challenging “that’s the way we’ve always thought” and i would say winning, if you ask me. she has a lot to say and some wonderfully deep thoughts like:
when you get older, you review and re-evaluate what you’ve been told throughout your life by loved ones – or not- and now being of age to challenge those truths or at least come to the realization that those words or actions probably weren’t directed at you but at themselves. aging lets you heal and see who you really are, maybe.
she also talks about being a girl and then a woman. how we’re born all authentically true to ourselves and then we grow up and get hit with wanting to be popular and fitting in and being loved and it beats out of us who we really are. jane says that in the third act,that authentic spirit can come back full force if it is recognized and cherished.
i’ll tell you one thing, jane and reggie are two thinkers that knocked me out of my mind’s comfort zone on my little plane to minneapolis today.
and here i am still thinking about resolutions. luckily, i watched this short TED video that lent a new spin on it all for me. it’s about trying something new for 30 days. i dig it because it’s a fresh thought on a resolution. first watch this before we discuss more:
ok, so now the challenge.
30 days are going to go by no matter what. why not feel real good about the end of those 30 days? before we talk about our own ideas, i went to matt’s website to get an idea of what he has done for 30 days. here is what he has done:
because i always have great ideas but follow-through is a problem with me. being somewhat fairly newly married – the fact that i’m actually accountable to someone else has revealed a certain vulnerability in me in regards to follow-through. there has been several examples of this but most recently and notably the groupon example. i bought a groupon last october for the YMCA in dallas for a low rate of $29 to use through December 31st. what a deal. right? wrong. i might as well just flung $29 out the window of my car in the direction of the Y. didn’t go once. now, sweet ROF, does not ever call these things to my attention. which i appreciate (it’s not just a blog…) but now i’m very uber conscience about following through.
what should I do for 30 days? for february?
i’ve given it some thought. not asking for a vote here. i am going to drink 5 glasses of water a day AND i’m going to finish a book. yes, i know that you are supposed to have 8 glasses of water a day. thank you oprah for reminding me. but i barely get in an ounce with my vitamins in the morning.
the big question here is… WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR 30 DAYS??
i’ve seen a lot of them, but this one was simply awesome. please click on the highlighted links to watch. she addresses in a very scientific, researched way our most important and fundamental need to connect.
that is what life is all about.
our connection with other people. from there she talks about being vulnerable is our best way to connect but how people don’t let themselves be less than “perfect” or open themselves up to their shortcomings such as the fear of not being loved or reaching out to connect and not connecting. but this is based on years (6) of stories and common threads.
this is my gift to you – this video. watch it. i really got a lot out of it.
if you’re not familiar with TED, then read about it here. if you travel a lot (or not) just download the TED podcasts on itunes and watch when on the plane. that is what i do. some of them i’ve watched 10 times. here are some of my favorites. watch out – you’ll get addicted! Just click on the underlined link to watch:
one of my favorite things to do, ever is stay home on a friday night with ROF. it’s my blog and i can go on and on about my awesome husband if i want. you see, i didn’t get married until i was 40 years old. and i don’t regret it one bit at all. […]
i appreciate my sister-in-law, Susan, for being so honest: every one of us has something that we hide, something that we are ashamed of. and every once in a while that thing becomes exposed and we either lose something that is precious to us, or our self esteem takes a serious blow or we hurt […]
the holiday season while i was growing up was always a lot of fun for my family. we had many traditions and the sense of family was so strong that if i ever wanted to feel warm and fuzzy, i thought to this time of year. it’s why 4Q (or 4th quarter) is my favorite […]
today’s guest recipe blogger is my mom. if you don’t know her already, you can read about her here. Or click the “wednesday story” to the right! i’m joan krause, mom of “the appreciator”. she invited me to supply a favorite recipe and story. my absolutely favorite thing to make and to eat is spaghetti. […]
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we’re planning on going to paris in december. i’ve been wanting to go to paris for over 25 years. i just really wanted to go with someone i loved. like romantically (sorry mom.) so now, ROF is using his one week of vacation to take me there! december may seem like an odd time to […]
i travel a lot for business. like, a lot. and i have to share with you one of my favorite things. it’s the people that drive the rental car buses and the hotel shuttles. it’s a wide range of people that do this but i typically run into older, retired folks and for the […]
Ne’er had I found on earth a spot that had such power to please, Such shadows from the summer sun, such odors on the breeze; I threw my mantle on the ground, that I might rest at ease, And stretched upon the greensward lay in the shadow of the trees. There soft reclining in the […]
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i don’t know too many people who have the meal thing all together. i always want to make time to do dinner right, but end up working all day and going out. i think there does come a time of diminishing returns for always going to restaurants to eat. it isn’t a treat anymore, not […]
this week i’m heading to beautiful new york state and i get the opportunity to pop in to spend some QT (quality time) with some of my very favorite people in the world. that would be the prendevilles! in honor of that, i’m going to repost susan’s awesome chicken recipe from last year. you […]
we were blessed to be able to spend some quality time with some very good friends of ours this weekend at their beautiful lake house and with their beautiful daughter. kelly made her killer guacamole… in which i deeply regretted only having a few scoops before taking a lazy nap and waking up to it […]
breakfast for dinner – the ultimate comfort food by kathrine glass – friend of the appreciator and wanna-be mayor of her house! ever have one of those days when you want something for dinner that is really satisfying but not too high in calories; something quick and easy to make with an equally easy clean […]
when my awesome cousin, the appreciator, asked me for a recipe/drink post for her blog, i said “sure! sounds like fun.” It then took me about two seconds to realize there was one small problem – i don’t cook. i weighed my options: my “plan a” was to write about the one “recipe” i do […]
there’s a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a while now. my family once considered writing a book but that’s just damn daunting. this blog –while it’s new and just getting started – is the perfect place to tell “the story”. I’m going to tell it on thursdays wednesdays because I like wednesdays thursdays. […]
last week, i started a weekly series in telling “the story”. You can find that story here if you missed it or feel so inclined to read it again. as a reminder, we spoke about my dad, our relationship and hopefully i gave you a pretty good idea of what he was like. now, the […]
this weekend holds two momentous occasions for me. saturday, is my one year anniversary to my wonderful husband ROF. i’m going to give that it’s own post. on the 25th it will be the anniversary of my dad’s death. it will be 6 years on sunday. it’s not sad, just i remember back to everything […]
welcome back wednesday story readers. if you’ve missed the past few weeks of the krause family drama, please click here to see past stories. i’ve decided that next week will be the end of my side of the story. as you read this, remember there are a lot of interesting viewpoints that would probably like […]
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bawling like a baby at midway airport is where we left off last week. dad had just left mom for another woman after 34 years. if you’re new to the story, you’re going to want to get caught up here. do it quick…we’re moving on.
good day! if you’re joining in the “the story” for the first time today, then, please read part 1 and then part 2 and you’ll be all caught up and ready for part 3. which is right here. won’t take long. so where does this find you on this downright balmy wednesday morning …at the […]
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we’re planning on going to paris in december. i’ve been wanting to go to paris for over 25 years. i just really wanted to go with someone i loved. like romantically (sorry mom.) so now, ROF is using his one week of vacation to take me there! december may seem like an odd time to […]
ask my mom. ever since i was in high school, i felt the need to be surrounded by creativity. not mine, but others. there is something about having it all around me – where i can see the details from wherever i am in the room. what do i deem creative? where he’s a short […]
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this past week i was fortunate to be forced out of my comfort zone. if you remember, i like turbulence on a flight because it shakes me out of my thoughts and forces me to be present. well, that is kind of how this past week was for me. i’ve worked in the automotive advertising […]
