#onesmallchange Week 5 - Being Nice to Difficult People

I am linking up to Marcia's #onesmallchange post today.  If you haven't been following her LAST QUARTER challenge, you really should check it out.  Making  #onesmallchange each week is a great way to help us make significant gains in meeting our goals by the end of the year.

This past week my #onesmallchange was to do a good deed every day for another woman... to pay a compliment, do a favor, show gratitude, offer to help, share a smile... with at least one other woman every day.

This week, I am taking it one step further.  I so very much enjoyed this #onesmallchange because I can see how it impacts the woman I am engaging, and it often encourages other people to follow suit.  I have seen the ripple effect and it is uplifting for me as well as the other people involved.

But it is so easy to be nice, to be kind, to go the extra mile for someone with whom I am having a positive engagement.  It is much harder, in fact almost impossible sometimes, to be extra kind or generous to someone who is being difficult or contrary in our dealings.  But I do think, that this is where it can have the most positive effect; where it can make the most difference.

I think that people who are just plain miserable, or being bitchy or even mean, are sometimes feeling defensive, or perhaps guilyt about something, or incapable, or even under-valued in some way, and that is what is making them act offensively.  I am finding that my biggest smile, or my unexpected compliment or kind gesture is often just the impetus they need to turn their attitude around, at least for a few minutes.

Smiling and being kind to someone who is treating you with disdain or contempt, can be be very disarming.   And I know at least once it has made the person stop and reflect, and continue our discourse with a softer, kinder tone.  For me it is a worthwhile effort, even when it is just plain hard to do!

Here is how the LAST QUARTER challenge has gone for me:

• Week 1 - no snacks after 8 p.m.
• Week 2 - drink at least 64 ounces of water
• Week 3 - take supplements
• Week 4 - uplift at least one woman

And so far, so good... oh I have still had the VERY occasional snack at night, but I can honestly say I am getting my water in each day (and more most days) and faithfully taking my supplements.  This challenge has really helped me focus, especially knowing I am holding myself publicly accountable.

If you are interested, do check out Marcia's post and join in... it's not too late!

What is #onesmallchange you could make this week?

Do you find it hard to be nice to people who are being difficult?

Marvelous Monday

I was excited to wake up and jump up and get up and get my day started!

You see, when we were away last week, shopping and visiting friends in WA, I was on the hunt for a pair of 12-lb dumbbells and also a 15-lb kettlebell… and was fortunate to come home them in tow.

Most of the stores we checked are not carrying 12-lb dumbbells anymore so I was thrilled when The Captain found some at Target in Silverdale.  And also surprised because I don’t usually find anything I like in this particular store… and was not even going to bother going there this trip, but decided to give it a try at the last minute when nothing else was panning out.

They had 2 different kinds of 12-lb dumbbells so I opted for the ones with a neoprene cover because I can use them with bare hands.  The other set were all metal and didn’t feel comfy in my hands. I would have had to purchase a pair of workout gloves to use them I am sure.

So this morning, I did my scheduled strength workout with the new 12-lb dumbells, instead of my usual 8-lb dumbbells, reducing the reps in the exercises to 6 or 8 instead of the normal 12.  I could really feel the difference.  Hurray!  I am glad I made the decision to be tenacious and keep looking for the 12-lb set instead of settling for 10-lb ( I am not ready for 15-lb at this point ) .

Then, after lunch, we headed out to spend a couple of hours with our golf clubs.

One of courses in our area is located on a high hill that overlooks Haro Strait and San Juan Island, WA, to the East. It is a beautiful location and a wonderul place to be on a sunny day… Mount Baker was spendid today against the blue sky... so we headed up there and bought ourselves each a short game pass for the Winter season… they are good till the end of February 2014 and gives us every day, all day access to their great little practice facility.  There is an 18-hole putting course, a  large chipping green and a large pitching green that also has 2 sand bunkers.

We had these passes a couple of years ago during a mild winter and used them a lot so let’s keep our fingers crossed for another mild and sunny winter, here on the South end of the Island… so we can golf and play tennis to our hearts’ content!

Just a few pictures of our outing to share…

Are you a golfer? 

What is your favorite way to enjoy a beautiful sunny Fall afternoon?

Running Again

Wahooo!  We got out for a run this morning.

It wasn’t a very long one… only 3.35 km (that's 2.1 miles)

and it was a very slow one…. 26 minutes flat.

But a run it was, and I am so happy about it.  I didn’t want to run last week when I was trying to keep from catching The Captain’s cold germs… so this morning, because he is feeling much better,  we headed out together. I promised him, as he was wiping his runny nose while tying up his shoes, that I would keep it short. And I did.  And he was glad we went out too… I think he was happy to be feeling really active again, after laying low for almost 2 weeks!

And don’t ya love the neon yellow shirt?  It is my ‘volunteer crew’ shirt from working for the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon a couple of weeks ago, handing out race shirts to the entrants as they came in to the expo on Friday evening.

I really didn’t think I would ever really use it cause it is that color and kinda large and shapeless cause it is a man's style I am sure, but it fits easily and loosely over a running tee and was perfect for the gloomy and dull light that we had this morning.  No one would miss me coming, that is for sure.  I have decided I kinda like it!

Do you run when you have the sniffles?

What do you think of neon yellow?

Friday 'Fession

I have a little confession to make.  Shhhhh...

I did NOT work out while we were off on our little vacation to WA state this past week. Even though I did take along a printed workout that I found online and really thought I would do in the hotel room…

I packed my Gymboss interval timer, just so I wouldn’t have any excuses… but darn!  I just never did it.  Between getting up very early to shop so we could spend evenings visiting with our elderly friend… fighting off cold symptoms and being over-stimulated with the whirlwind… I just didn’t do it.

I am not sure how many miles I might have walked on Monday while we shopped till I almost dropped. And then we did some serious walking on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a bit more shopping thrown in, just for good measure and to make sure that we gave the American economy a good boost!

 

So, this morning, after working 2 shifts yesterday and still not doing any exercise, I was really eager to get my sweat on.  But, I decided that since I had already missed 2 of my strength routines this week, I might just as well miss today’s scheduled routine as well… call it a ‘week off’ and get out the new 15-lb kettlebell I bought on this trip.

I had been looking for one everywhere we shopped but wasn’t finding anything at a great price, until The Captain spotted this little baby at the last store we looked in before heading to board the ferry that would bring us back to Canada on Wednesday afternoon.

I wasn’t really sure about the shape of it until I picked it up and did some double arm swings and hip thrusts in the aisle of the store… well, wouldn’t you have done that too?  Anyway, it felt just fine, and is comfortable to hold in my hands so I snapped it up and happily paid just under $18 for it!

You can see that it is quite different from my 10-lb kettlebell which is the traditional shape.  That may be why it was so inexpensive.

First thing this morning, I got out my Reebok Kettlebell workout DVD and did the warm up and basic workout and cool down.  I could really feel the difference from my 10-lb kettlebell.  Hurray!  It is just what I wanted and I am happy I made the decision to try it.  I am sure I will be using both of them a lot.

I intend to continue my 3 strength workouts per week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings, and add a kettlebell workout on either Saturdays or Sundays… we’ll see.

Are you a kettlebell fan?

Do you get in  your workouts when you leave home for a few days?

#onesmallchange Positive Encounters

Yes, we got back on Wednesday afternoon from our little jaunt to WA state and I will tell ya all about that, but today I want to link up to Marcia’s '#onesmallchange post for this week.

If you aren’t in the know, Marcia has started a LAST QUARTER challenge to help us ensure we meet some of our goals by the end of the year.  She asks that you make a commitment each week to make #onesmallchange and then build on them, week by week.

My list so far:

1. No eats after 8 p.m.
2. Drink 64 ounces water
3. Take supplements

and I am doing pretty well… even with the disruptions that travelling recently brought, I did manage to get my supplements in each day… and fell flat on my face with the snacks and the water one day.  But, hey, 1 out of 7 is not a huge fail, in my books.

This week I have decided to change things up a little. I love an idea I saw on a Facebook post this morning about being nicer to the women in our lives; to compliment them, and uplift them, rather than being competitive or judgmental.  And it really struck a chord with me.  Women can be so mean to each other.  I don’t see much of this in my personal life, thank Goodness, but I do run into it occasionally at work, and I see it on social media.

So, my #onesmallchange this week is going to be to MAKE SURE I go out of my way to be especially kind to AT LEAST one woman every day.  Looking back over my week, I realize I have already been doing this when shopping recently, and also when interacting with the attendants at the long term care facility where we visited our friend in Port Townsend, WA.   

We never really know how our comments or actions impact other people, and I always want to leave others with a positive impression, and a good feeling for having had an encounter with me. 

It doesn't cost anything to be nice.  It makes you feel good. It makes the other person feel good.  And my Momma always said 'you catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar'.  She was right.

And on another note, here is the view out my window this morning... so nice to be home!

How about you?  Are you kind and supportive of the women you interact with each day?