Day number 66. Interesting that it is on this very day, I’m inspired to write about the stopwatch.
First click, I was born in 1966 and my birthday is October 6 of 66. Six has always been my lucky number. As of today, February 3rd, 2021, I’ve been walking outside for 66 consecutive days in the winter. I have never done this before; even when I was a ‘walker’ in high school, I managed to find a ride once in awhile either to or from school. My goal? To walk outside for 365 days and make note of what I learn about myself; my habits, my thoughts, my health and what I see outside along my repetitive easy path.
About ten years ago, when I was in my early forties, I decided to change what I was ingesting (into my mind) I recognized that the perpetual news in the background and the non-stop barking in the foreground weren’t doing me any good. So, I decided to become an Olympian of positivity. The second click happened in the spring of 2009, when I attended a ‘mindset’ class for real estate agents. This class was the catalyst for the rest (daily dose of positive) and, almost immediately, I decided to use my social media platforms for this message. The message was this: there is always something to be positive about. The truth is, these posts were intended for me; I needed these words that I strung from day to day, like the silvery threads that appear from morning to morning above a still body of water.
I did it for me, and soon others were watching, listening, commenting, and reading. It started with quotes from memory and in the beginning, I really had to search for things that resonated with me on any given day. There wasn’t a continual swirl of memes and life coaches on social media as there is now. I lived in a small town and on a few occasions, a virtual follower would show up in the ‘real’ usually at Big Boy’s diner and tap me on the shoulder and say, “Hey, aren’t you that positive lady?” Yeah, that’s me! Once I struggled with depression and impasse (no longer) and my outward positive intentions and contributions began to create new grooves in my brain; I rewired my brain.
The next stopwatch click happened on December 13th, 2016. This is the day my internal clock went into a spiral. On this day, my first Grandchild was born. Nothing jerks you into the reality like the understanding of the scarcity of time. Suddenly, brightly, and blaringly, it all came into focus; I will be passing the baton sooner rather than later. It was as if I was ordered to compete in the ultimate scavenger hunt, but the hunting was not for things, but rather for my own centeredness. I always knew my mission as a Mom, but I had never even pondered the position of Nana. I was still recovering from the decade before which can only be described as a battle royal with teenagers (2003 – 2019) that nearly took me down. And do I mean down. Down. Down. This was no false start.
Ready, set, go! Click. On January 11th, 2017 I married my best friend. By now, I was proudly and openly swinging my stopwatch like the clock that Flava Flav wears around his neck. I frequently (several times a day) published my intentions. To the world I began to say, I will pull together a life by design. I’ll pull it so tightly that the scrunchy will lose its shape around the ponytail. I’ll define it so clearly that it would take only one brief glance at my life to see what I truly value. Our marriage ceremony happened just shy of four weeks after our Grand Daughter was born and I could feel the pace quickening; the hunt for whole was growing more intense. Its interesting how you really start to savor things when you realize you might be getting to the bottom, of the ice cream carton, of the chip bag, the last day of swimming in the ocean on a tropical vacation.
Click, message: let this positive messaging make a difference in the world our grandchildren will inherit.