S-T-R-E-T-C-H

I haven't written here in days. Though I'd like to write here more often, sometimes other things take precedence over blogging. I don't have anything in particular to say though much is on my mind. I thought, for a change, why not just let it flow. I tend to be a perfectionist...and sometimes that gets me in trouble, that is, it often limits me. How so, you might ask. Well, perfectionists gotta do it "right", whatever right means to their perfectionist minds. That can create problems especially when you're doing something for the first time. What's right anyway? It's one thing to desire to do a thing well but quite another to say it must be done "right." Right according to who anyway?

Of course every "curse" has it's benefits because perfectionism means I have high standards. What I'm working on is not having impossible standards. Standards that are unrealistic under the circumstances. Why so much about perfectionism? Well, I hadn't written here because all that I had on my plate wouldn't allow me, or so my perfectionism insisted, to write the perfect blog so why bother writing anything at all.

But if you're a friend of mine on Facebook, then you may have read my post re: S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G. My experience tells me this: if you're not scared from time to time, then chances are you're not s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g enough. Not taking enough risk. Not daring. Not doing the things that scares you means you're comfortable. If you're comfortable, you're not growing. If you're not growing, you're regressing. Nothing is static. Either we're expanding or we're shrinking.

So even though I haven't blogged since Monday, Monday was a big deal for me. You see, yesterday I did an ethics training for a health organization. I've never done such a training. I was scared. The best defense against fear is preparation. Oh yeah, and faith is good. But you know what they say about faith and works, one without the other is like a three legged chair. In meditation Spirit told me to "Be with it. Make friends with it." I took Spirit's advice. Rather than let my fear immobilize me I immersed myself in everything I could re: ethics and social work. Here's where I STRETCHED myself. Monday I "flexed and juggled." I cook but I'm no gourmet. But Monday I took a page from my guy's book and out did myself. I cooked a fresh pot of kale, sauteed some garlic and Swiss chard, grilled some salmon on my infamous (yeah, I meant infamous) George Foreman grill, and made a slammin' pot of 16 bean soup. I took some risks, too. From the Asian market I'd STRETCHED by buying fresh produce that I normally just stroll by on my way to my familiar green peppers, cucumbers, broccoli. Not this time. This time I added some produce that I can't even name right now. I put it all in the pot, along with some kale. Experimenting is STRETCHING. I did all that cooking AND blogged AND put together my power point presentation, which by the way, is the first time I've ever used such a visual.

Thank you Ms. Perfectinism for the high standards you push me to attain. I do appreciate you. However, I need more space to create, experiment, stretch, fumble and stumble, mess up, and even fail. Move over because I'm determined to learn how to say to myself (and others) "that's good" and "that's fine" and "that's good enough"...and mean it. Why? Because I want to do more, see more, be more.

Okay, that's enough. Good enough, right? The Baltimore Marathon is today. I'm not running in it but I know one or two people who are; people who know they don't have to come in first place to be a winner. I'm happy that God provided them with exquisite weather to run through Charm City. I, however, am headed to Druid Hill park with Michael...if we can get in there. I got on his scale last evening; at 141 lbs I'm thicker than I've ever been. I'm willing to let go of perfectionism about some things, but when it comes to my weight and wellness, er well, that's an animal of a different breed. C'mon now, let's not go too far here. LOL