A Fish Called Suzie

Shoepants!

I am absolutely convinced that everyone needs a pair of these.

Life is in the Details

Here are some pictures I’ve taken over the past week.  I thought these were interesting, as to me, things are neater when you take a closer look. Click the pic for a closer look.

Tequila!

I thought I’d share this with everyone. I’m not much of a drinker, but I still thought it was pretty darn funny. Check out the disclaimer.

8 Ways to “Chill”

Ever feel yourself getting stressed?  I’m not promising any super-awesome results, but I know what works for me.  With little more than time as a requirement, try some of these:

1.  Go for a walk. Bring your mp3 player with some easier tunes, and head for the park.  Walk, not briskly at all, for about 10 minutes (or longer, if you wish).  The time in the sun and outside — simply put:  away from everything, will give your mind enough time to refresh itself from the hectic confines of life. It can and will give your brain the rest it needs to return to whatever is stressing you with more umph.

2.  Take a power nap…sitting up.  I call this the meditative nap.  Get a plate or something metal, like a cookie sheet, and set it at your side.  Grab a spoon and hold it in your hand on the same side.  While sitting (in a chair), just turn monitors and noise off and close your eyes.  Let yourself fall asleep.  The instant you hit that good sleep, you’ll drop the spoon and the clatter of the spoon on the plate or cookie sheet will wake you up.  Typically it takes about 15 minutes, and it’s a really nice to rejuvenate in the middle of the day.

3.  Tweak the diet by declining junk food and soda for fruits and ice water.  A variety of fruits in your diet in lieu of sugary foods will boost your mood and feeling of wellbeing over time.  With me, when I switch from junk to good stuff, I start feeling it in about three days.

4.  Watch the clouds. It’s one of the most mundane things you can do, to go to the park and lay on the grass and just watch the clouds.  I may almost be 30, but I still enjoy making shapes out of them.

5.  Learn a hobby that requires little exertion, like knitting or word puzzles.  I like to knit just to do it.  I don’t necessarily make things, but I love to put the threads together and make squares or whatever tickles my fancy.  One day, I may even quit frogging them and turning them into something useful.  In addition, I use sudoku to both fire up my mind while on bus rides to work and chill myself out on the way home.  The successful completion of the puzzles is very satisfying.

6.  Make a super-easy to do list, maybe 5 or 6 items long, and complete them.  This will help ease your mind, now that you’ve accomplished something, and will help you to relax later.

7.  Drink a cup of peppermint hot tea. Peppermint has been known to soothe muscle pain, headaches, nausea, and a torn-up gut.  Its calming nature is a nobrainer for chill time.

8.  Take a hot bath. Forget the quick shower, just fill the tub with hot water and your favorite smelling stuff, be it essential oils or bath soap, and relax.

Pollyannaism

Today was a strange day, for me, as for the first time in as long as I can remember, I got yelled at in front of my peers for being too “Pollyanna.” ([1] [2]) I hate to admit this, but I had to ask someone what that meant. After letting the rude comments set on my mind for a bit, I decided that being referred to as Pollyanna isn’t such a bad thing. For one, I get along with everyone, and I believe that if someone has a problem with me, it’s their problem, because I would never do anything to intentionally get on someone’s bad side, unless of course what they’re doing is just not right. I see a lot of this optimism in the people I choose to be around, and I find it refreshing that there are other people out there who dare to bear such a positive outlook. Unfortunately, these days, this attitude comes few and far between.

I dare to be different, this way, because it’s needed. If I am to lead or to serve, I know from miles and years of experience that it’s always best to be optimistic. Everyone feels better in the end. I will not change my philosophy because a few people don’t like it. I will not become mediocre because a random bitter soul thinks that their position in life is to earn money and go home. Life is too precious to be rote, though in business, the tasks tend to be that way. If you can’t have fun doing what you do, then why the heck are you doing it? I’ve learned what optimism does because I see the results I get in my own life. Go eat at a CiCi’s Pizza — watch the employees there — they have fun.

Optimists display excellent character. Their attitude toward life is almost innate, as they take pride in whatever it is they represent, and they almost always do the best they can because they don’t mind being held accountable for their actions. When people get angry, optimists don’t take it personal, as they see that it’s not them causing the issue, because they are able to (joyfully) respect another person’s differences. They are open to changes and ensure the weight of the tasks is divvied out evenly. Optimists will go the extra mile without a second thought. And above all, and what probably ticks the pessimists off, is that they enjoy doing these things.

Another thing optimistic people like to do is use their knowledge for good. They authentically enjoy helping others in need. I’ve been called OCD because of my keen attention to detail. I want to know everything about what I do, because I know in the long run, it will help me in the future, but I also know it will be of great advantage to me, because I can use it when someone needs my assistance. I will have the tools needed to get the job done. People won’t be afraid to say “hey, Suzie, can you help me with this?” They are already doing that, now. I don’t mind a bit. It can be as simple as filling out a form or as complex as doing a demonstration. If I know it and you need me to do it, I sure will. The gratitude at the end is enough for me.

Optimists are also not afraid of peers, subordinates, and management. If they have an issue or a question, they just ask! There’s no reason to fear the superiors for an optimist. They know that even the president has to put his pants on one leg at a time. It’s refreshing when the president knows that as well. Optimists are able to form long-term bonds with just about everyone, and this is beneficial to all involved.

On the flip-side, optimists also know when to let things go. If I’m dealing with negatives that I cannot control, I remember that I can change three things: the person I’m dealing with, the situation, or myself. I have enough faith in myself to understand I’m usually not at fault, so I’m not going to change. It is extremely rare to change the person, so I usually write that option off. The situation? I consider if it’s worth it to change, and if it is, I figure out a way to do so. If it’s not, I just blow the whole negative influence off, and I’m on my way to more productive things.

All in all, to be called Pollyannistic is stretching it a bit, but devoutly optimistic, yes. I don’t mind displaying good character. I don’t mind having fun doing what I do. I don’t care if I have to work harder to get the job done. I don’t mind if people have bad attitudes — that’s their thing. But I’ll gladly take the former term as a compliment, even if I was chewed out for being so.

Options

I have options.

I’ve had options, before, and occasionally, I’ve chosen the better of them. For example, I graduated as a junior. But I graduated in the summer after my fourth year in high school, since I didn’t have enough core credits to graduate due to a combination of opting to slack off and opting for more electives. In my professional life, I opted to transfer out of a less opportune environment in favor of a more fertile area, and thus have reaped benefits. I’ve earned a second stripe, if you will, and hopefully will add more to what I have already achieved. I’ve opted to try moving to a big city, a place where I’d never been before, on inspiration from the most distant of people, dedication to my job, and desire for personal benefit. And I’ve succeeded at acquiring the latter.

Ah, to have options.

It is the same with my blog, which, after nearly 8 months of continuous writing, I lost it all to a series of events I will only refer to as the “Oops of the Century.” Thus, after stumbling and fumbling, and trying to figure out exactly how to pick up and start over again, I decided maybe I can just start fresh, with a long-as-forever (or close) commentary on options. I could have given up, but I’ve had this site since 2002, posting a bit and deleting, and erasing, and starting over again, never satisfied with what I had on here, primarily due to the fact that I knew my inspirations and tried to appease them. But no more. I’ve opted to tap inspirations that I will likely never make contact with, though I have definitely tried with no less than three of them.

But in addition to inspiration, I’ve opted for drive and motivation that comes from within. These intangibles have only surfaced since my move to the big city, and with them, I will only keep moving forward. Nothing, I feel, will ever hold me down, again, except for myself. I will keep taking aim at the big goal, but I will be content with what I have, so long as I know I have options to move up and make myself better, and so long as I keep exercising those options.

It is great to have options. But it is better to take advantage of them.