The Vacation is Over

Post Number: 83

Review of Yesterday's Progress

     Daily Points Left: 53 of 71 (Goal: 31)

     Weekly Points Left: 49 of 49 (Goal: 49)

     Pedometer Reading: 1572

     Meetings Attended: None Scheduled

     Exercise Completed: Missed Swimming Laps at the Y for a Family Holiday Project

There was a point in time that came and went this morning without me recognizing its significance until much later. This was the point of no return along the path of inactivity. It happened very early this morning. And it even came with something of an announcement. I had told Jaguar that I would take her and Lemur to the pool at the Y first thing this morning if they were up before I was. Well, they were up well before I was. And Jaguar came in to ask if it would be okay to get ready to go to the Y. That was at 6:37 yesterday morning. I then rolled over and went back to sleep. I thought it didn't really matter when I chose to get out of bed. But I was wrong. By 8:21 am, it was too late. That decision started me along a series of decisions that included preparing for home school (which restarts on Monday), working on a family holiday project to deliver goodies to friends and neighbors, trying desperately to locate a taxi service that will take appointments on New Years for the New Year's Party Asian Red Fox will be attending, and other important activities that are unrelated to significance of my health - my diet, exercise, and meetings.

This outcome informed me that my vacation was over. I missed a little here and there during the week. And suddenly, the week is over with too little accomplished. And there is so very much coming on the horizon: job searching, home schooling, MBWM's consignment sewing, and so much more. But this means that I need to take to heart (again) the lesson of the big rocks (included in the P.P.S.). It's not that the things I did today were particularly lazy. It's more a matter of the fact that my health was not one of the big rocks in my schedule. Going to the Y didn't come first today or this week. The vacation is over, starting with the placement of the big rocks - Activity to be active with my kids, healthier food selection to be able to live longer, and spiritual check-ins to make the mental, emotional, and spiritual changes necessary for lifelong health.

Today was a chance to bond with MBWM through several projects and spend time with my kids. And those are big rocks, too. There's no reason why I cannot put all of the rocks of today into my day along with the ones associated with my health. I do feel most fortunate that I didn't nibble from that about four or five grains of rice worth of the dipping chocolate we worked on during part of the goody making. I didn't eat a single crumb from any of the cookies. Of course, that is because we didn't have time to make them yet. But I'm not worried. I'm am on my way.

Yours in the chance of redemption that starts tomorrow,

Eliot

P.S.: According to my cough drop that has "A pep talk in every drop" -

You've survived tougher.
Get back in there, Champ!
Don't waste a precious minute.
Go for it.
You can do it and you know it.
Be resilient.
Flex your "can do" muscle.
Elicit a few "wows" today.
Hi five yourself.
Put a little strut in it.
Turn "can do" into "can did!"
Don't wait to get started.
Be resilient.
Conquer today.
It's yours for the taking.
Dust off and get up.

P.P.S.:

Put in the Big Rocks First

One day an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high powered overachievers he said, "Okay, time for a quiz." Then he pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on the table in front of him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, "Is this jar full?"

Everyone in the class said, "Yes."

Then he said, "Really?" He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. Then he dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the space between the big rocks. Then he asked the group once more, "Is the jar full?"

By this time the class was on to him. "Probably not," one of them answered. "Good!" he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, "Is this jar full?"

"No!" the class shouted.

Once again he said, "Good." Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. Then he looked at the class and asked, "What is the point of this illustration?"

One eager beaver raised his hand and said, "The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!"

"No," the speaker replied, "That's not the point. The truth this illustration teaches us is: If you don't put the big rocks in first, you'll never get them in at all."

"What are the 'big rocks' in your life? Your children; Your loved ones; Your education; Your dreams; A worthy cause; Teaching or mentoring others; Doing things that you love; Time for yourself; Your health; Your significant other? Remember to put these BIG ROCKS in first or you'll never get them in at all. If you sweat the little stuff (the gravel, the sand) then you'll fill your life with little things you worry about that don't really matter, and you'll never have the real quality time you need to spend on the big, important stuff (the big rocks). So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question: What are the 'big rocks' in my life? Then, put those in your jar first."