Inspiration from Electronic Basketball

Before my son Michael got taller than me, he challenged me to a game on this electronic basketball court. It automatically counts the baskets made by each player, which helps a lot when all you're really after is aiming and shooting and making more baskets than the person next to you. After our first round, Michael had beaten me by more than DOUBLE my points. But he was so much younger, shorter, and less experienced than me! "How did you do that?" I asked in amazement.

"I kept my eye on the basket," he replied.

"What about picking up the basketballs?" I asked. "I have to look down and pick them up."

"Just reach down and grab them without looking."

"How can you do that? Doesn't it take more time?"

 He grinned knowingly and glanced at the score board. "Not really. You know they're there. You just reach down and grab one while you keep on looking at the basket."

He had won the game handily, which proved the worth of his counsel, so I tried it. AFter the second round, we nearly had the same score, but he still won. Of course, he'd had more practice, practice, practice!

This impressed on me the age-old point that if you keep your eye on your goal, you'll accomplish it much more easily and better than if you keep letting yourself get distracted. Get your tools lined up where they're near at hand and keep your eye on what you want.

With this technique in mind, what amazing things are you doing this New Year?

It's not just what he says, it's HOW HE SAYS IT!

THIS GUY AMAZED ME! He made me laugh when I was so depressed I didn't want to leave my room (yeah, I get that way sometimes)...it's not just what he says, it's how he says it! And he made me think, "Do I want to be like him when I'm 93?" (Answer: Oh, yeah!) I challenge you to take 15 minutes to see if a 93 year old man can inspire you. (I don't necessarily mean the first couple of minutes when he tells about getting squished against a tall lady in a crowded room. It began for me with him rowing a boat at the age of 91) but you should hear him tell it!

Never Too Old...You Might Be Amazed To See What I Learned To Do In Time For My Birthday!

I woke up happy today because it's my birthday!

For the very first time in my life, I learned how to HULA HOOP! Check out this clip from last week! (I know you're jealous of my headband. Just go get a scarf and tie one on!)

Oh, just a suggestion-you don't have to watch to the end...it's a little embarrassing... just stop at the 30 second mark where I applaud... really... don't watch to the end.)

 I never could do this hula hoop thing as a kid, so thanks to my family for their adjust-your-method, Shirley feedback!

But that's not all! I am also working on typing speed with the Dvorak (say that 5 times real fast) keyboard method. (Why I would attempt to change at this stage of life? See why here: https://www.facebook.com/ShirleyBahlmannAuthor?fref=ts)

But wait...there's one MORE thing!

See what Merrill Osmond and I recorded a couple of weeks ago in Salt Lake City! http://www.radiogoldproductions.com/thegoodword/merrill-osmond-and-shirley-bahlmann-interview-episode-135/#.UabJLbU3uM4

And now on to the next adventure in my life! (I'll keep you posted.)

The Hare in Me

When Ephraim City offered employees a fitness challenge with a cash prize, I walked and stepped and swam and biked and raked and houseworked toward the month-long goal of walking around Utah with zeal. After moving so much in three weeks that my legs and feet hurt, and learning that my mileage was way ahead of everyone else, I decided to slow down for Thanksgiving week.

Big mistake.

My very own personal trainer son, 13-year-old Michael, urged me to keep going. When I told him I didn't need to, he asked, "But what if someone else is exercising while you're not?" In my best grown-up voice, I assured him that I was so far ahead that no one could catch up to me.

Oh, the smugness of my Hare-like attitude!

After turning in my final mileage, I was astonished to discover that I'd won the contest by a scant 7.88 miles. Now that may sound like a lot to you, but it's not much when considering that my total mileage for four weeks was 522 miles. The tortoise nearly overtook me! That would have felt terrible because I'd slacked off that last week. (I feel like I almost deserved to lose for not keeping up the pace!)

LESSON LEARNED - If you want something badly enough, never give up until the goal is reached. I plan to never slack off again. I will stay true to my determined path of action until my goal is reached or I see fit to change it.

This is not a New Year's goal, as I tend to set goals whenever they're needed. This is a lifestyle change.

What do wish to change about your life?  

What Brothers Do

My kindergartener grandson has a little 3-year-old brother named Landon. One day, he decided to do a service for his brother and write his name on his wiggle car so no one would take it. But he didn't know how to spell Landon's name. So he sent Landon inside to look at the wooden letters of his name hanging on the bedroom wall. Landon told him the first letter, then ran in to check on the second letter. After reporting that one, he ran in to see what the third one was. After enough cooperation, Landon's name was spelled out in bold black marker.
It was a laborious process for two little boys, but neither one gave up until their goal was accomplished. Could it have been done better? Not at their age.
What is it that you want to do that seems too hard, or that you don't believe you can do well enough? How about doing it just as well as you can right now? What's stopping you?
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(Check out the Chicken Story at Skylee Fair by clicking here! It's a fast read, and you won't believe the picture I found!)

Walking

When I last saw my doctor and proudly reported that I walked my dog 10-15 minutes a day, old Doc Nay raised his eyebrows and said, "If you upped that to 45 minutes a day, you'd get greater benefits."
(What, was he calling me FAT?)
Obedient girl that I am, I experimented with using my walky thing that sits in the living room (I don't know it's official name...see teeny tiny photo below)

or walking on the streets of my town. What I have learned is that if you walk on a walky thing in your living room, it's very easy to step off "just for a minute" to go get something to cool you down... say, a dish of ice cream... and then answer the phone and run to the post office before it closes and deal with a child's emergency and ultimately fall into bed without getting back on the walky thing.
On the other hand, when you walk on the street a certain distance from home, there is no alternative but to walk that same distance back in order to reach the freezer and bowl and spoon, thus getting in the desired walking time.
This means something profound. It could be that you've just got to get yourself far away and then write yourself home.
What do you dedicate yourself to completing? How do you reach your goal?

The Incredible Power of Persistence

This is my mother, Ruth, who found to her great surprise last spring that she could no longer walk on her own. When I watched my tall strong son and nephew practically carrying her down the sidewalk for "walking practice," all I could think was, "She's headed for a wheelchair."
You'd think I'd know by now that Mother does not take anything like this lying down.
She forced herself to take baby steps around the house while leaning heavily on her walker. Then she became a regular on the cemetary's smooth roads, laughing off the sextant's challenge to a race. She put in her time, step by step, until two weeks ago she could stand without help. She's graduated to using a cane or two, except on the day she got an adrenaline rush and dashed from the computer to retreive her purse without thinking. When she looked around for her canes to return to her computer, they weren't there. She'd left them behind, walking without any help at all! She is living proof of the value of determination and consistency, whether you want to write a book or race the sextant around the cemetary. Let's all stand as tall as straight as my mother and step out to meet whatever it is that brings joy into your life!

They go potty in heaven, don't they?

We're in the middle of "The Mormon Miracle Pageant" here in little old Sanpete County, Utah. The outdoor spectacle of volunteer actors in period costumes is in its 42nd year on lovely Manti, Utah Temple Hill.
One thing that pageant goers probably don't know is that before each performance is a devotional for cast members. It takes place on Temple Hill behind the costume building. There are some wonderful speakers at those meetings, interspersed with those who do the best they can with the talents they've been blessed with.
During one meeting, my 8-year-old came to me with a frown on his face and said, "The man wouldn't let me use the bathroom."
"What man?" I asked, my protective Mommy hackles rising.
"The one who says when we can go get our costumes."
So I went to talk to the bathroom-maximum-security guard. With a voice that could freeze watermelons, I said, "My son told me you wouldn't let him use the bathroom."
"Oh, I'm sorry, when was this?"
"During cast devotional."
"Oh. Well, you see, if I leave the bathrooms open, then all the teenagers go in there and won't come out."
"My son is eight," I said, smoke coming out of my ears.
"Oh, I'm really sorry. Look, if you could come with him next time, then that would really help with crowd control. I really apologize," the man said, looking very apologetic.
"Okay," I said, my hackles smoothing down. I was glad, too, because raised hackles is not a good look for me.
I walked away, reflecting on the lesson that if you really want to reach your goal, it helps to take a parent with you. And there is One who can get through any barrier, from writing block to basic mortal needs. And if I, as an imperfect mortal, love my son enough to push aside my non-confrontational fun-loving yellow personality to confront Bathroom Security, how much more does Father in Heaven love us? I'll bet he even has a bathroom key right there in his pocket.