Watching Your Back

If I’m sitting at our kitchen table, I try to watch my back and that’s not out of paranoia, but because our cat uses the opportunity to grab my attention with a friendly tap. Sometimes it’s a gentle, one-pawed tap that seems to say, “Hey, I’m here! Remember me?” Other times she uses a forceful, two-pawed push that causes me to think somebody’s not happy. A shoulder tap usually means someone wants something from us. The trick is to decode the request and decide whether we’re willing to respond. What’s the request here?

                                     https://youtu.be/P0-_AH5mxTM

 I discovered other cats give taps, but this video takes pet interaction to new heights. Apparently, it’s a nightly habit—one I would discourage. What’s this creature’s message to its owner anyhow? Who’s been tapping you on the shoulder and what their message to you?   

The Clean Up Campaign

Another week has passed and you know what that means. Everything you cleaned last week—your bedroom, your vehicle, eating areas, the bathroom—is dirty again. I don’t mind cleaning, it’s the awful repetition that drives me bonkers, and what’s worse is when you get something all shiny only to find it messy minutes later. As soon as someone invents a gadget that sucks dust from a room, I’ll be the first to buy it.    

Regardless of whether we’re cleaning the house or cleaning up irritating habits, thorough cleaning takes time and work. Here’s where housecleaning and habits merge:

                                     https://youtu.be/c0xXgEvukKM

 When we’re faced with serious situations that call for major cleaning, sometimes it’s best to rely on a certain level of expertise. Who helps you clean up your toughest situations?

Adventure of a Lifetime

When’s the last time you visited a library? If you’re a student, maybe it was yesterday, but for too many of us, the library is a forgotten resource. Nowadays the Internet rules. Anything you want to know, along with things you don’t want to know, await you on the web.

I smiled this week after one of our kids, complaining that websites for a school term paper were useless, asked for actual books. Finally, somebody wants to visit a library. Sometimes the library is the place to go, and other times…well, take a look:

                                     https://youtu.be/fxOjfHFe1xY

It’s unlikely you’ll experience that type of situation, unless you live on a college campus or in an alternate universe. But if you plan to do any type of serious research, expect a library visit in your future.

In college, I remember visiting the library’s “stacks.” These were multiple, unoccupied floors of shelved books accessed by an elevator, and thankfully, a student I.D because the stacks were—in a word—scary. If I recall correctly, the lights were on timers attached to the end of the bookshelves. That placement only added to the fun of hunting down an ancient resource, especially after you forgot to reset the timer and found yourself in near darkness. But after braving the stacks, locating a particular work of literature from among the nearly two million other books felt like finding a treasure. Library memories (sigh). J    

Which habit or tradition do you still do, even though most people may find it “old school” or old out-dated?

Uprooting the Weed

What’s the story with weeds? Why is it that the things we dislike the most become the hardest to eliminate? Regardless of how many times we forget to water or fertilize the flowerbeds, the weeds still thrive. Look around. They’re our sturdiest plants. They protect themselves with prickly leaves, so when we try to uproot them—ouch! They’re sneaky, too. As soon as they’re tall enough to be an eyesore, they sprout pretty flowers to blend in. In a last ditch effort to bug us before we yank them from the ground, they release fluffy, white seeds to birth future weeds. Face it. Weeds are tough to eliminate, but if we keep them around, we’ll be sorry.

                                              https://youtu.be/Vr-uYE1yR_k

Who knows what lurks behind your weed stalks? Given what that lady could face, she has to be prepared. Her leave blower is on-hand, and when normal weeding tools fail she gets serious. Did you hear about her back-up weeding weapon? Stay out of her way.     

 Weeds are like bad habits. Both can be dangerous to our well-being. If we don’t eradicate them, our lives can become a total mess. It might take extreme measures to uproot the firmly entrenched ones. What’s your best plan for eliminating the weediest parts of your life?               

It's all Illegal

Are you bored by routines?  When I’m bored, I find small ways to make changes. For instance, I usually eat a slice pizza by starting from the point and finishing at the crust. During a meal last week, I took a bite of the tip and then bit the side near the crust. You should have heard the protests from my family. “You can’t do that!” Who knew there were rules for eating a slice of pizza?

You’ve probably heard that ignorance of the law is no excuse.  To avoid trouble as you travel, you’ll want to know this:

                                         https://youtu.be/fgafqTTMtC4

This rule probably originated because somebody in Florida ignored the parking meter, tethered their animal like a dog, and thought it was okay. Not so. Next time, if they want to use the space, they’ll need to feed the meter, too. The smallest, oddest disputes can become law. Most laws are passed with general agreement, but when opinions vary, the debates seem endless. Which law do you wish everyone supported?

Practicing Fobulous Habits

Our mechanic recently installed a new battery in my vehicle’s key fob, so why does it take  about five clicks to unlock the door?  I click and click until I’m standing alongside my vehicle, waiting to get in. Opening a car door with a faulty key fob is frustrating. I stopped using the key a few years ago and I guess I forgot that the key still works!

Habits develop faster than we realize, but they can take a long time to break. Nearly everything we do on a frequent basis could evolve into a habit. I wonder how long it took to form these tendencies:  

                                              https://youtu.be/heJBXz0kNDM

If we believe our performances hinge on how we put on socks or the number of times we tap  the ground, we’ve crossed over into the realm of ritualistic habits. They’re entertaining and raise our comfort levels, but I’m not sure they’re dependable. What habits give you confidence to do your best? 

Lifting the Shade on You

Celebrities often complain about living their lives in a fish bowl, with photographers tracking their every move. For average people, social media allows us to live the fish bowl life. We broadcast what we had for breakfast, where we ate it, and post pictures for proof. I’m always surprised about the type of things people share.

For instance, driving through neighborhoods, you’ll see a number of people who don’t mind giving drivers access to what’s going on inside. Fortunately for them, you can’t stop and stare. It’s illegal.  Given some of the sights you see, you’d think people want you to drop by for a visit. Maybe you’ll stop and watch this, if you can wait at least sixteen seconds:

                                         http://youtu.be/3O97eJcSsUE

Did you catch the expression on that face? There’s something intriguing in that room. lf you enjoy attention, here’s how to get it. Draw the curtains and close the shades, then focus on developing the positive attributes in you. Be a role model. Regardless of whether you enjoy the spotlight or prefer being behind the scenes, somebody’s watching you. What traits, habits, and behaviors do you want them to see?             

Greater is Coming

Did you leave behind unfinished business in 2014? Maybe the year began with promise and plans of a new job, a new relationship, with starting a new hobby or establishing a good habit, and somewhere along the way things stalled.

If 2014 didn’t end the way you expected, perhaps you were knocking on the wrong doors in the first place. It’s similar to when our cat explores the house. She’ll stand and meow at a closed door until we finally open it. You’d think she’d be pleased about being able to walk through it but no, she looks into the room and decides that it’s not where she wanted to go after all. Before we know it, she’s pursuing a whole new adventure.

The point is if you’re waiting on doors that haven’t opened up, don’t be too quick to run through those doors when they do open. Maybe a closed door was to give you time to think   about adopting better plans. Interesting things can happen when you don’t look before you leap:

                                         http://youtu.be/aIdIjMa4Z54   

If last year’s circumstances felt uncomfortable, maybe it’s time to stop, regroup, and make a new plan. By keeping your eye on the big picture, you can begin again. What’s your greater plan for this year?                            

Lazy Or Not, Here We Go

It’s time! We’ve heard the commercials and purchased the school supplies. Students, tired of lounging around, want a change of pace. I can see the summer slipping away. I think I saw brown leaves the other day. Regardless of whether you or someone you know plans to attend classes in the fall, September feels like a time for new beginnings. It will require a change in schedule, habits, and/or mindset. Here’s a little insight on the days to come:   

                                   http://youtu.be/RpiDWeRN4UA

 Changing habits can be challenging. No wonder we plod around like zombies during those first few weeks of September. I’m considering joining a gym, which should increase my exercise schedule from zilch to healthier. I’m not eager to start, but it’s time. During this next season what habit do you plan to add or subtract from your life?