Café Topics

 Its that time of the month again. I notice new things periodically and this month I am noticing that my monthly posts like this one may be what a group of girlfriends (or boyfriends...) talk about in a place such as a café. (Maybe that is partially what sustained this habit...) Thinking out loud (or on a spree through a post) here, but perhaps if you have something pent up that you could use saying to or with a friend, please feel free. As far as I know even those early morning café conversations require the conversation to have at least two participants, and as you may know, I am all ears. Whether you happen to have a cup of coffee or tea with you, or perhaps a simple blueberry cinnamon scone, here are my October goals:

1) Do something that scares you--in a good way! Suggestions include riding a roller coaster, reading a Stephen King novel, and asking for a raise. Okay, okay, admittedly I may have bitten off more than I can chew here because of the little list that I made of all the different ways I tend on achieving this goal. Here is what I say to that, if you are going to dream, dream big! You aren't doing anyone any favors just sitting there doing nothing. The roller coaster perspective may be a bit too big since I don't know of any county fairs near my current home (though Rexburg had them often (let's just say that I'm not used to living in Colorado again)). There is an Elitch Gardens in Denver, but who lame would it be to visit the park for just a single scary roller coaster (like Mind Eraser you have to see it to truly know the terror that I am referencing)? I also have already visited my city's library to search for a terrifying read by some of the masters of frightening tales, such as Stephen King. The size of his novels was enough to make me shiver. He is an author that surely believes that if you are going to tell a story, tell a story and make it painstakingly long. I am a writer who spends her time dreaming up stories of my own myself, and though I plan to never venture into topics or genres like King myself, I respect his advice of the author always being their own worst critic and his sources of inspiration for some stories are inspirational. Like how Stephen King's book, "It" was started and told as a retelling/remix of the old folk tale, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff." Currently, I am working on a retelling of a classic tale myself. Though I plan and hardly have to try to avoid a King-like story myself, he still can be an inspiration to me as a young writer. As far as anything goes where my job is concerned, like asking for a raise (there is a reason why that is a potential October goal), I am a bit timid, but I have told one of my supervisors that I would gladly accept a promotion, because I know that I could handle it.

2) To be in bed 7 hours a night. I don't know if I am making this goal out of will-power, or maybe it is that I got a bad night's sleep last night. My eyes are dropping as I'm writing this-zzzzz...This goal is also causing me to feel a hint of dejavu. Have I made and attempted at this particular goal before? Well, if you don't succeed at a goal the first time, try and then try again. However many times is necessary for you to create the habit. Like I said before, I had a really bad night's sleep last night and I also have a piece of guidance if any of you out there tend to have this unhealthy issue too. If it is a sound that is keeping you awake on those long, greedy for sleep nights, don't throw the thin layer of a soft pillow over your head and expect that to solely solve the problem, because it won't. My personal suggestion would be that of ear plugs or perhaps prepare your mind for sleep more and perhaps read one more chapter of your book (although Stephen King isn't a suggested author for this activity. You want to eventually fall asleep, don't you?). Oh no, that introduces a whole new series of possible issues, or problems with falling asleep. What helps you in your common, or uncommon cases of apnea? Maybe they could work for me too. 

 

3) Get back into yoga. My personal reason for this particular goal, your guess is as good as mine. I have just been stressed for unexplainable reasons. I am not even in school this semester...maybe that is it. Maybe that is the reason why I am so stressed. That may not make any sense to you, but it makes sense to me. My mind likes to be busy, and remain busy. I have a job that does keep me busy, but where I work isn't open near as often since the COVID-19 pandemic which the world is currently going through. Just tell me when it is over. I know that the quarantine pace is intended to relax me, but it doesn't do that in the least. (How much time do you have?) I think that the way that government is choosing to deal with this is not intended to comfort any of us. Think about it. Do you personally think that this quarantine or this bad news, bad news, bad news pattern that we all are mercilessly falling into is helping you relax at all? (If it is could you please tell me how because I am always up for suggestions.) Aww...I wish I could be as young as my smiley nieces once more. 

4) Start a gratitude journal. I do admittedly already have one of these, although it also has admittedly been a great long time since I last wrote in here, or maybe my prompts have changed. When I was young, and always in the middle of a bad day, I found that I just needed to make a list of 20 things that I was thankful for and then I would start smiling again. Nowadays, with my much more educated mind (grumble grumble), I don't even need a journal, I just need a scratch of paper that I can scribble a little doodle on. It doesn't even have to be the happiest doodle, it can just be something to get me to focus on anything other than my seem-always constant troubles. I remember when I was early in this doodle phase I drew a picture of a boy that was always screaming (no, not Munich) because he could see everything, and that was not a good thing because along with all the good, he also saw all the bad. It made me realize how grateful I was for my own perspective, and always notice the sunshine squeezing it's way through the clouds. I may choose to focus on the clouds at times, but the sunshine is always there, offering to brighten my perspective, or viewpoint. 

5) Take a "me" day. Maybe I am being much too selfish with this one, but I invite others always. It isn't very much of a "me" day at all if I don't get the chance to spend it with friends. Whether we are just goofing around, laughing until I can't breath (possibly not every part of this goal is considered good on a wide spectrum), maybe a night together in a hotel room playing the games we used to play at parties as a tween, a spa day (maybe this one is an extension of goal #3), or anything random that we can think of. I think this need for some personal time was one of the reasons why I started a book club (I love books...so much that it can be considered a problem) (at least they aren't drugs!) with my friends Amber and Chris. Seeing the pandemic that we are currently in, we had to edit our rules too. Most of our meetings currently are online, through Zoom or Discord (I assume by Amber's recent suggestion). Speaking on this love of books, plus spending time with people, makes me wonder, how did you find this blog, reader? Was it through Blogger, or perhaps Instagram or Facebook, because on those mediums, I also post often about my book club, and the books we are all reading together? If you are like me and prefer actually meeting with people, ignoring the internet (seriously, how did you find out about my blog?), we also meet for snacks and movies as often as we can, ot just is more difficult in this particular time. It can't last forever, can it? Here I go again. 

6) 30-day squat challenge. As I hope that you know by now, I like to do whatever I can to remain moving. I walk with a little limp and it is pretty difficult to move the right side of my body at all (it is just for looks, I like to think) since my nervous system got injured near ten years ago as I was sitting at the point of impact in a car accident and received a Tramoutic Brain Injury (TBI) but since then I discovered how much will-power I have in that I will not give up on anything, period. I am near-always trying to improve myself and I recently discovered Jillian Michaels 30-day squat challenge to improve yourself and your abilities. Now, when Jillian Michael's was one of the trainers on "The Biggest Loser" helping people learn how to lose weight properly and healthily, it was probably my favorite TV show (how many years ago was that again?). Although, if I'm being honest, she wasn't my favorite trainer and I never was on her team (it was kind of like a sport, but I digress) but she still had a good heart in this, helping others learn how to live more healthy than they were previously so when I discovered this challenge that she supported, I thought, "sign me up!" We are all just trying to make a better self constantly, after all, I think. 

So, those are my October goals. What are your own? (Sorry, I can't help but be curious.) I don't care if you happen to be slurping up a cup of coffee or tea while you read this (or eating a chocolate chip scone, if you happen to be more like me), I am willing to hear it all. Or if you aren't doing anything with consuming drink or food, you may just be reading this to relax (wait...you do this to relax? We must have very different minds) I'm ready to hear anything. Do you plan on going to any haunted houses by the end of this month, seeing the holiday (if reading happens to be too scary for you), or maybe perhaps you will start your Christmas shopping early this month (smart, personally, I haven't even started knitting anything yet). I'm up for anything.