Day Twenty-Two Is In Focus, 44 Seeing Double

Twenty-two days down, forty-four to go, sixty-six in all, and today is the 11th. A numerologist would have a field day with this!

Today was an interesting day. I woke up to rain, and quickly decided that I was not going to run in it. I decided instead to stay in my pajamas and work on cleaning the upstairs. The thought of Curves entered my brain, but I decided against that, also. Did I feel guilty? Not so much. I knew that if I could clean the upstairs of my house, the residual good feelings from doing that would greatly improve my state of mind. So I cleaned and organized, and the results make me very happy and content.

Sam brought lunch, which was a reasonable chicken taco salad. The unreasonable part was when I practically inhaled it, as I was running late and had a noon appointment with Rebekah. I still managed to arrive on time, and was greatly encouraged by the time spent talking.

The rest of the afternoon was spent finishing the upstairs, Target shopping with Molly, and preparing the family dinner to welcome my father-in-law for a visit. Having been widowed last Thanksgiving, he is coming to visit to our home for the first time in many years. He and Steve finally arrived, and we spent the rest of the evening visiting and showing him around.

So where were my goals in all this activity today? They were taking a breather. As I look at the numbers of days, I realize that I have twice as many left as I have spent to date on this project. If my life were only about this project, then I would be in a panic, relentlessly pursuing these goals with a ferocious passion.

But an unexpected gift is that having these goals has helped me put my life into perspective. Focusing on these goals has enabled me to focus on so many other things in my life. Even today when my goals were on hiatus, they weren't far from my mind. But I've been able to keep them in view, and not panic if I'm not working on them. I've been able to appreciate and enjoy all of my life, not just the immediate tasks that I want to accomplish.

Another gift I receive is that by taking a break, I find myself more enthusiastic about getting back to them, which makes me excited. It means my goals have become my friends to work with, not adversaries that I must overcome.

Everyday I have spent on this project has brought insights and pleasures that I never imagined. The best part is that I am seeing the joys in life that I previously overlooked. At this point, I am not as far in my goals as I thought I would have been. But I am happier than I could have envisioned. Instead of worrying about what each day will bring, I find myself thinking about what I will learn and live tomorrow. It's a great and blessed way to live.