Artificial Intelligence

At first I was afraid to use AI tools now I am embracing it. The best way to face ones fear is to look it straight in the AI and embrace it? Right now I am sitting in my newly revamped office space where its a little chilly but the plants and lights make it more inviting. I am typing on my cheap 1TB HP laptop that I bought from Costco mainly to store photos on since I take so damn many pictures all the time and don’t want to keep them in the cloud. I am typing this as the Photosync app just crashed with the transfer. Attempt #2.

As usual I am multi-tasking and I just had a spam call which is probably what crashed the photo transfer. I was in the middle of trying to use ChatGPT to create a new logo for my author website when I got frustrated because it wasn’t coming up with what I could see in my minds eye. So I will go to photoshop later and do it the hard way.

I spent the morning using ChatGPT the free version to help me write blurbs for the Greater Bellingham Running Club gazette that I assemble every month around the 15th as a volunteer for the club. AI is not perfect and it took more time but at the same time saved time while creating better content. It’s like having a really smart buddy who is always ready to brainstorm and give feedback on any topic. I am learning to love it and rely on it as a useful tool.

I also see it’s flaws and why humans, especially creative minded people are essential to using it properly. My brain often goes at high speeds and AI seems to easily exceed my normal processing mode. I read fast and type quickly but AI does it faster. All I have to do is edit which is often the trickiest part anyway.

Oh and I learned that I should be writing these blog posts in a different program and copying and pasting them into Squarespace instead so I always have a hard copy for the future. Squarespace doesn’t allow an easy download of all content. Today is not the day for me to switch over even though it should be. Next time I’ll remember and start there. For now I’ll copy and paste elsewhere after.

Offloading more photos via photosync now… making space on my iPhone11 so I can maybe download the latest update that I have been avoiding. What I really wanted to do before I started all of this was just to lay down and take a nap. I’m pushing thru… the other work I have to do is too physical so I decided computer and administrative work was the way to go. I sub-taught two yoga classes the last two mornings and I’ll be teaching my normal yin yoga class tonight- thank goodness it’s Yin! I’m not sure why I am so tired other than I have been trying to do too many things.

If only I had an AI duplicate of myself, with an airdrop feature for all my thoughts and to-do lists plus skills but without the emotional component. Maybe it’s Mercury in retrograde or just being an empath that makes it so challenging to function when my system feels overloaded? I do my best work when my mind is clear and writing helps to clean the mental and emotional clutter. Maybe I’ll be able to get some physical work done after this? No, because I’m still in my pajamas under my down pants at 3:30pm and I have to get dressed before I leave the house.

The time just keeps flying by. At least the photos are syncing so I’ll have more room on my device. DId I mention that today is a Monday which also often feels a bit Manic even though I work weekends. It’s probably the Yin yoga that makes me feel sane the rest of the week.

Back to the topic of this Diary entry er Blog post thing, I am building a new website and AI already gave me the layout, framework and suggestions for how to make it support my next career as an Author. I will keep sewing because apparently people and AI say that writers don’t make enough money to make a living. Sigh… but isn’t life a catch 22 and we have to believe it to see it? I just need a few viral videos, a viral book and some luck right? I still want to choose to think that anything is possible, especially with the new AI tools at hand.

Okay, I have rambled on long enough while transferring photos- it has to be babysat. I need many upgrades and organization in my life, I am working on them as I fight the overwhelm that has arrived due to not only overcommitting to too much sewing work and having author dreams but being in a marriage where my husband doesn’t trust me so I feel like I am walking on eggshells all the time trying to avoid triggering his insecurities. He would (will?) probably be horrified to read this as well. Is it going to trigger another mood swing? It’s exhausting to even think about it. He’d probably be happy that I mention having a husband but upset that I mention it’s so challenging to be married to someone for 7 years and have him still doubt my love and faithfulness. We’re working on it. And I need to go get dressed and ready to go.

If you read this leave a comment and tell me what you think? Sign up to my newsletter too please, I think I put it under my contact page. Or not. It’s okay. I’'ll keep doing this thing anyway. Hope you have a wonderfull week!

Photo by @MommaGoatPhotos

New Business Venture

https://www.purelyspirit.com/ This is so exciting for me! And my goodness it’s just another thing on my list of loves and to-dos but I have major help with this one thanks to my friend and new business partner Charles Crooks . Charles is super talented in energy work, tarot and much more and he is currently also the master of all the the Social Media for Purely Spirit! I have been blogging on the PS website and working on the details for our first in-person workshop. Please check him out and check out the new website then let me know in the comments what you think. Thank you!

Impulsive

My newest pair of Altra Running shoes, it was an impulse buy during a flash sale and I love them!

I can be a bit impulsive at times but I suppose that can be a good thing. For instance, the day Altra sent out an email about a Flash sale and I really didn't need another pair of running shoes. I just couldn't help myself after seeing these reflective beauties by my favorite brand.

If you don't know about Altra running shoes, they created the first zero-drop sole which basically means you're not running in heels. Traditional running shoes add thickness to the heels for some odd reason and it's just not natural. The other thing about Altra shoes are the nice wide toe box, it's actually shaped like a foot. A natural foot that is, a foot that hasn't been trained by high fashion uncomfortable shoes or traditional running shoes. I used to always have issues with hot spots on my toes because most darn running shoes don't leave enough room in the right places.

For a girl who used to wear flip-flops everywhere with toes that like freedom to move, this relatively new shoe brand was a dream come true. And my newest pair light up the night with reflective material that's oh so pretty in the daylight too. At the price I got them for I wish I would have bought two pair (guess I'm not that impulsive). I wore them on my run yesterday evening and as the sky darkened on my way home I felt safer knowing how quickly they flash with any light. Thanks Altra for these super awesome shoes!

Altra Impulse Flash with a flash from an iPhone 6. Pretty sweet eh?

11/11 2017

Another day, another dollar, another blog post, another holiday. Today is November 11th, it's also Veteran's day, originally know as Armistice day. Today and everyday I am Thankful for all the Veterans and for all the people in the world who continue to work for Peace. I pray for healing of all the hearts of humankind and believe that one day soon we will all live in a much more connected and Peaceful world.

We must just keep writing it in the sand, no matter how many times its washed away. We belong to each other, we are made of this earth and we are connected to everything in this universe. The almighty dollar is losing its reign as our hearts expand and our consciousness continues to evolve beyond material illusions. More of us are coming to realize what brings true happiness and how priceless that feeling is. Love is the answer without question and we are here to share and expand the love in these seemingly separate and disconnected times. Much love to all of you all over the planet today and always. We are family. Thank you.

Tunnel Vision

The tunnel from the Klipsun Trail that connects to Northridge Park.

Day 2 of my attempt to focus and write something on here every single day.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

Does the struggle ever really end while we are here on earth in these bodies?

These amazing manifestations of flesh and bone animated by our spirits on a journey through time and space in this place of duality. I believe heaven is here on earth so why is it so challenging for us to see it most of the time? This planet is absolutely incredible yet we take it for granted, like we take our bodies for granted, like teenagers take their parents unconditional love for granted.

Why do we continue to assume things are true without questioning them?

Why is it so easy for us to fail to properly appreciate the amazingness of this life we have been given?

I ask myself these questions and continue to wonder what the meaning of it all is. I see the potential in every single living thing yet when it comes to myself often I feel stuck. I get distracted and caught up in old patterns of thought. Just when I think I know better and have figured out a different way of getting work done there's something that manages to get in my way.

I'd love to have all of the answers all of the time. I'd love to be open, honest, kind and compassionate regardless of events that occur in my life but I get mad, I get frustrated, I feel the whole range of stinking emotions and I just have to accept them for now.

I want there to be a light at the end of the tunnel but I don't want to have tunnel vision either. I guess that's why I'm here again, reincarnated into another incredible creation, a body which is just a mass of flesh and bone, animated by this consciousness of spirit, struggling and learning as a separate being that I know is really connected to the whole.

And I'm doing my best not to take it for granted while attempting to change my conditioned mind. Hoping to figure out ways to create more peace and harmony in the world. Doing all I can manage, every single day, by trying to remember to make the choice to believe in something without being able to see it.

In spite of my personal struggle & regardless of the pain I have felt, in spite of what ever social programming I have had. I know there is something more, something better, some way to live this life like it is truly a gift. A gift that all of us are meant to share and enjoy equally. 

So much for writing something short... and something not-so-amusing (but yet it is still a musing of mine;). 

Changing Choices

Just before the start of Round the County out of Roche Harbor on Sunday last year.

I chose this picture for this post today because Round The County is coming up this weekend. The annual party at Anacortes Yacht Club is tomorrow night beginning a tradition that takes place every year. Orcas Island yacht club hosts this two day event that has an overnight stop in Roche Harbor on San Juan Island. I won't be sailing this year because I'm making the choice to change.

One of the changes I'm making today, is to this website as I have now made my A-musing Blog my homepage so the first thing you see when you visit will be the last thing I have shared online. I'm making the choice to write more and to work on a lot of my projects I have had good intentions of finishing before now. I've suffered from a lot of distractions and a bad habit of procrastination coupled with some healthy excuses. The time has come however to choose to change and part of that involves sailing less and writing more. My goal is to attempt to write something on my blog every day followed by a good amount of time writing other things after on the computer. I need to get my books finished and published so now is the time to push. I hope you enjoy my daily musings in the meantime and I hope all my friends have a safe and fun time sailing around San Juan County this weekend with out me.

Halloween & Snapchat

Halloween is one of those holidays that has morphed into a strange tradition, especially in America, where most people associate it with dressing up and going trick or treating. How on earth did the evening before a day of honoring the saints, "All Hallows Eve" turn into such a ritual as it is today? A celebration where most people are candy crazed and ingest enough sugar to send themselves on an emotional roller coaster ride as their insulin levels spike thru the roof. It's insane to think most of us condone this behavior when we know the detrimental health effects even if it is "just once a year". Sugar is extremely addictive, it has been considered close to crack cocaine on the addictive scale yet we take our kids out all dressed up at night and the goal is to get as much candy as possible! 

Then we have to try and regulate the consumption of the sugar-crack in the days following halloween when the sugar is sitting there, when it's everywhere, all dressed up in different ways and begging us to put it in our mouths. Our brains pleasure center making us crave more with each bite, so much so that most of us can't help but make an excuse to have just one more piece. I know that personally I often lack the self control to moderate when it comes to sweets. Like a lot of addictive substances abstinence is often the best remedy for those who lack the willpower to have just one... or two... or three and then stop. There are plenty of good reasons why we all need to know how to moderate or abstain from sugar and why it may be a good time to think twice about what this holiday is all about. Diabetes is a huge problem in the united states because sugar is so readily available and completely acceptable to consume. There's not much regulation on how much sugar we can consume and not nearly enough education about the detrimental effects of it either ;(unfortunately). Just look at the picture for this post and imagine it's me on sugar.

The crazed crack bear selfie created using a snapchat filter is how I feel on too much sugar, like a deranged animal that needs a muzzle to stop it from putting more candy in it's mouth. I fully admit that I am already a sugar addict, I do my best to moderate but it's a challenge when the temptation is everywhere. Especially when it's celebrated and acceptable to gorge on (even if only for some people just this one time per year). And the dressing up thing? It's fun but it's also one of those things where you wonder how it came to be and where to draw the line. There are some super scary snapchat filters I wish I could get out of my head after swiping left to see what was available for today. I don't use snap chat that much and my discovery of those filters during this time of year may have been a mistake. I still have creepy images superimposed on my own face that I am trying to shake off. It really makes me wonder what happened to the original meaning behind All Hallows Eve.

What were the original rituals performed on the eve of a day to honor Saints and martyrs? Who really knows what the true story is of our rich and varied history with all the different religious ideas of how to act accordingly? I was reading that some people abstained from certain foods to prepare for an celebratory feast on November 1st, which make makes more sense to me and sounds healthier... Therefore I hereby announce that on this Hallow 'een I'm going to do a fast of sorts. I will abstain from consuming sugar to prepare for the following day where I will honor the souls who have passed away by consuming healthy harvest foods (I smell roasted pumpkin coming;). I will also be abstaining from snapchat until the holiday is over to avoid more creepy halloween filter damage to my brain. The images I see in general don't easily leave my photographic memory and I need to be more careful this time of the year.

Regardless of your opinion on how to best celebrate this Halloween, I hope you have fun, stay safe and that you also have the ability to moderate as well as make good choices for your body and for your families too. My goal with this post is simply to offer my thoughts in order to raise awareness of a different perspective on a ritual that we usually don't think twice about because it's socially acceptable and commercially viable. It's actually often that the Treats are kind of forced on us and it's always good to look at the other side recognizing that we have a choice. Maybe that's the Trick part of the whole darn thing?

I wish you a healthy & happy Hallow's Eve!

Magnificent

Today is a magnificent Monday, especially because I'm getting caught up with some writing. Thanks to my partner, who is outside right now working on his trees (which are quite lovely with the autumn colors). He had insisted after breakfast today that we both focus (avoid distractions) and make time for the things we love. He was up and out the door early as usual this morning so I even managed to get up and go for a run first thing. I love to run and I've been saying this for weeks... "I should get up and go for a run in the morning..." only to wake up at first light, pull the covers up and roll over. I still run, just usually not in the morning, even though I love mornings too.

Today is different. Its been a productive day as you can probably tell because this is the 2nd post for today! I actually had already written something intended for this blog on my phone when I didn't have reception last Wednesday. I was just going to copy and paste it here and call it good but when I opened up the website editor I saw a saved draft from the total eclipse that I never really started but really wanted to finish (all I had was the picture and the title). Being the magnificent being that I am on this magnificent Monday I was motivated to write a little more here. Which leads me to the copy and paste part about a recent trip to the wild Washington coast that I wrote while sitting in super soft slightly sulfury Sol Duc hotspring waters.

Crouched over the super heated water bubbling up from the bottom of the big round pool at Sol Duc hot springs I hold my phone in its old no-longer waterproof lifeproof case just above the surface as I write. The sun is streaming in low above the tree line to the east on this early October day highlighting the steam rising off the hot water in the cold air. There are white fluffy clouds contrasting the clear blue sky high above and the heat has already penetrated deep into my bones after three days of camping near the coast and in the woods.

We woke up in the tall ancient moss covered fern laden grove about 2 miles down from the famous Sol Duc waterfalls and gateway to a wilderness wonderland in the central Olympic peninsula. Green is abundant and fortunately this attempt to visit these sacred waters yielded success as the Canadian thanksgiving weekend has passed and less people are still here. We tried to visit on our way out to the coast but after a full day of travel and a memorial service our tensions were high and crowds were not on the agenda. We passed the soak and proceeded to find solitude amongst the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean sooner than later. We set up camp in the dark and chose a non ideal spot on the grass- there were still plenty of people on the most Northwest point of Washington who were also camping before the days become even shorter and the winds blow all the colors off the trees. 

We awoke to the hot sun and took our chairs, coffee and cold bacon quiche to the beach to watch the earth rotate as the salty h20 drummed its rhythm upon the sand and found its way into our hearts. Healing within as just the sound of the ocean washes away layers of emotion that are held within compounded by frustrations somewhat unknown. As clarity came into our beings we hashed out the details within the layers and left them as a trail on the sand with our footprints to be cleansed completely away with the rising tide later that day.

It often times takes such clean beautiful spaces to unearth uneasiness and anger that is so easily hidden within in the concrete jungles of time and space. The clusters of similar energy are conducive to hiding it away for a later day unknowingly harming our bodies that are designed to heal when we allow how we feel to emerge and be expressed. The combination of lack of nature hides the truth from ourselves as our mental filters are constantly overloaded. It takes the simplicity of nature to clear away the smog and begin to see clearly again that which has been eating away at our hearts.

Always find a way to make time to be in nature no matter how many excuses are available. You will find the clarity like agates glowing amongst the millions of opaque stones in places where you need it most. Then take the time to heal your body no matter how many people you see… afterall they're seeking the same thing in these healing waters called Sol Duc. Water is life, being mostly water we seek the waters that are the most pure, that hold the key elements to health and wellness. It's more than the minerals and sulfur, it the strait heated waters holding the energy of this sacred earth in every molecule. Water like our bodies like this planetary body has memory. Let's remember how Beautiful this life truly is in its most simple form. 

Totality Awesome!

I totally meant to finish this blog post and publish it over a month ago. Here it is now instead. If you've seen my YouTube channel you already know I had the opportunity to experience the total eclipse with a group of friends at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon. Honestly I didn't expect it to be nearly as amazing as it was. There was a bit of concern over all the hype in the news about crowds and traffic and there was some personal family drama before we even left Bellingham that made it even more tempting to bail on the whole trip. The VRBO place was already booked in Portland and we had financially committed to my friend who planned the trip so we went anyway. And I'm really glad that we did.

It was totality awesome! We found waterfall paradise and a deluxe place to watch the moon pass in front of the sun with a gathering of friends and beautiful strangers who had some sweet set-ups for viewing that they were happy to share with us. The sense of community was heart-warming as we all witnessed this rare occurrence. There was even a couple with their child visiting from France who had planned their trip so that they would be in the right place at the right time.  We walked around, visited with each other and made new friends, looked through other peoples telescopes with solar filters and different homemade viewers, we even played music and hula hooped as well as took lots of photos and video during this time spent in this wide open field. A field which had recently been cleared and purchased by the state to become park land which just so happened to be the best spot in the area for watching the total eclipse. Serendipitous indeed.

We are blessed to be living in such a time and place that is evolving rapidly no matter how chaotic or backwards regressing it seems at times. Think about it this way, just to be able to predict the time and place to witness the moon pass in front of the sun during broad daylight is incredible. With all the knowledge and technology we all have access to, that we not only get to drive to a far away place to see this astronomical event, but to have a vacation rental house to stay in with devices to capture and share it with the world in an instant. It is amazing and I'm grateful to be alive in this time period of life on earth. I do believe this eclipse marked the beginning of a new era so to speak. Or at least a layer of it which is hard to define and explain with the confines of conventional belief systems. Nevertheless, the collective energy feels different since the eclipse and I think it's the start of a shift in the right direction for all of humanity. The big picture is challenging to see when we are puzzle pieces that have yet to find the exact place where we fit but it is actually happening. And I do believe that soon it will all make more sense.

"Soon", now thats a whole other subject/word I've been thinking about too. Soon is defined as in or after a short time. But what is a short time? Isn't it all relative to the scale we are looking at? I thought about this because I listed on my website that my books are "coming soon", it has not happened as quick as I'd hoped for but does that mean I was wrong to list it as soon? What time frame am I looking at for completing these amazing projects I have on my list? It seems I have so much time but not enough time to make time to call it sooner than later but still soon enough in relative terms. Life's too short relatively speaking to sacrifice living life to it's fullest in the moment for short term accomplishments, right? I know, and these projects will be done soon. I promise. It's the rainy season in the northwest and I'm ready to buckle down to get my books done.  Thanks for reading my blog and for being yourselves. You are totally awesome!

Under the red sun

I wrote this on August 8th, 2017 and saved it as a draft with the intention of getting back to it later that day. Swept up in the flow of life I haven't even looked at it until today, 15 days later. I was reminded of this especially yesterday morning as I was walking with Mark to go get coffee at 7:30 am in south eastern Portland. The day after seeing the totality eclipse the smoky haze was obscuring the sun again just on the eastern horizon and I was thankful we were going to be heading back north into clear blue skies again shortly. Just another reminder of how important it is to have gratitude for the things we often take for granted every single day. Who knew after almost two weeks of hazy grey smoke in the sky that every day since I would be awestruck and grateful for every bit of blue sky and clouds I see. And grateful for so many things even I had started to take for granted. So here's my draft below and I'm not going to edit it for fear that I may not post it if I overthink it.

Paddling under the red sun it was a smoke & mirrors kind of feeling, the lighting at twilight was just not right. Pretty in a way, yes, but reminiscent of the fires that created the smoke it smelled eerie and forlorn. I hesitate to give too much attention to it because of the way it makes me feel, sad and introspective. Why all the wildfires and how can we put them out? Has it just been too hot and too dry? What can we do to prevent them in the future? How can we make it rain and extinguish them? I want clean air and blue skies again.

How do I shift my focus from what is to what I want? I look outside and all I see is haze. I look inside my imagination and dream of lush green forests with huge puffy fifth dimensional clouds delivering life giving water to the land, and clearing the air. The mountains rinsed clean, purified & restored the sky is blue again and the sun shines with the freshness of summer rain. It's so vivid in my mind I can almost taste it and then I walk outside back into reality. My nose wrinkles as I gaze back up into the haze. 

Out of desperation to do something I posted on Facebook a request for all my friends to Imagine rain. If believing is seeing than I thought that if only I could get enough people on board we could make it happen. Maybe we all need to do the Rain dance too. I even thought maybe we needed a visual demonstration of what I was imagining so I  had my help from my Goodman to create a video clip of what I was visualizing. Rain sounds so soothing and lovely right now. It's August in Washington, some people call it Fogust and I long for the salty sea foggy air instead of this thick gray haze of smoke choking the mountains and obscuring them from view. I'm seeing red in my head because my heart knows something just isn't right.

Under the red sun the time has come to change the way we think. We really oughta recognize that humanity is on the brink of either a breakthrough or something unfathomable. Under the red sun the spirits have warned us that this time would come, that we need to either recognize that we are all one and work together or continue to face this extreme weather affecting all places and all of our faces. We can no longer choose to look the other way, I know it's hard, I've heard us all say but what is the alternative? Under the red sun the time has come to wake up and smell the smoke of the natives who are speaking from the spirit world. Our current way of life is not sustainable and it's going to take every ounce of creative hope & desire to change the path we find ourselves on. Mother earth is wise and we must learn to respect her ways. I can not really see beyond what I feel is a calling to say something out loud in spite of the fear that you may not want to hear.

I'm guilty too, as guilty as you, this is not a game of blame, this is our life and the time to wake up to the truth. We have so much more power individually than we know and if we use that individual power collectively we can choose to direct our future faster better stronger and thrive on this planet longer. The latent power of our minds must be utilized, the infinite power of our hearts will move us in the right direction and under the red sun the smoke will clear as we walk with intention & gratitude in each moment.

Up to Eleven

A week ago I completed my second ever Olympic Distance Triathlon. In case you're unfamiliar with triathlon lingo, it means, 0.9 miles swimming, 24.8 miles of cycling followed by 6.2 miles of running. Bellingham has had the very popular Lake Padden Triathlon (shorter distance) for years but this was the first annual Lake Whatcom Triathlon. So of course I had to participate and I was even more stoked that I got to choose my bib number. I'm sure you know what number I chose, especially if you looked at the picture already too. 

Yes, there in that photo are all of my ribbons and medals from all the 5k's, 10k's, 25k, Half's & a Full Marathon, Sprint & Olympic Distance Triathlons along with my most recent Bib, #11. I don't normally care too much about race bibs but this one is special. This one has my number. I can't tell you how great it was to hear strangers and friends alike calling me Eleven during the race. People who didn't know my name saying things like, "way to go Eleven!" made me smile. Yes, I am an Eleven, my business is called Eleven northwest and my life path number is 11. I've always loved that number as it's repeatedly appeared at distinct moments throughout my lifetime. I was even sailing against a boat named "Goes to Eleven" last Thursday in Bellingham bay. What are the odds? So I'm attempting to figure out how turn the dial up all the way, cranking the volume up to Eleven. Who says we have to stop at 10?

That in itself can be interpreted in so many ways. How do I mean it you say? In all the ways. I'm striving to be the best that I can be. I want to move beyond my fears and reach for the furthest stars I can only imagine in my dreams. That's what I mean. I want to access the untapped potential and really live by my motto, "You have to believe it to see it." I'm working on the believing part, it certainly doesn't happen overnight to change 34 years worth of beliefs built from my life's experiences. But I want to believe that there's more to it and I want to choose what to believe from here forward. More and more science is proving the biology of belief, experiments in the quantum field are demonstrating the power of intention and expectations. Matter follows energy, we are the creators (albeit haphazardly most of the time) because most of us don't realize we are the source of our creations. The creations that show up as "reality" in our lives.

Most of us live our lives on autopilot. We have been trained to think that we don't have as many choices as we do on a lot of very basic levels. And there's lots of reasons for that as well, some good, some not so good, and though I hate to admit, some very very bad reasons. The point is we have to wake up to the fact that no matter how conditioned we have been, no matter where we are at in our lives, we can always choose to believe something different. We can choose to become more aware of how we are living our lives, how our auto-pilot programming is operating and if we decide we don't like the direction "auto" is taking us we can turn it off and take the helm. (Sailor speak taking over, ahem...) In other words we can decide to drive our own car instead of just being the passenger, we can take a right instead of a left more easily when we have our hands on the wheel. 

All of it starts with being present enough with ourselves to take responsibility for the lives we are living. If you're happy and life is good, great, keep going, get happier, keep making life better. But if you're not, look deep inside your home computer system and consider upgrading your software that is keeping you locked into the same box doing the same thing. And remember you always have a choice, you have a lot of choices, moment by moment, day by day. The things you think affect the way you feel which affects the way you act and the actions you take and the things you create in your life. Take a moment to really consider this. Life is full of distractions for a reason. A lot of things in life happen for a reason and we always love to prove ourselves right even when we wish we were wrong about something. I know I do, especially when I find myself creating what I don't want, like running down the trail thinking about how much it would suck to step in dog poop and then squish. Aw, shit, why was I thinking about that? Same thing different day, different thing same day... anyway.... the point is to be vigilant and focus on what we do actually want in our lives. Like completing this race in a better place than I did previously.

The first olympic triathlon I competed in I just wanted to be able to finish, so I took it relatively easy and paced myself. I've been taught, "Better safe than sorry". I finished and I wasn't even sore the next day! This triathlon, I really just wanted to finish as well, but I wanted to finish faster than I did last time so I pushed a little harder and I finished faster but I still wasn't even sore the next day. I didn't turn the dial all the way up, I played it safe again. I was still really happy with my finish time and of course I loved not getting hurt from it but I know I can do better. I know I have the potential in me to keep improving in so many ways, if only I can get past my unreasonable fear of getting hurt. If only I can push past my current comfort level, beyond the usual "better safe than sorry" conditioning. Life is about more than comfort and safety. I think often times our capacity for greatness is severely hindered by our inherent biological craving for safety. It's time to push that boundary even if only slightly and a little more each time. That's what I'm working on anyway, if it goes to eleven, I want to see what it's like to turn it up all the way.

Although I do think I'm turning it up more and more all the time, stepping beyond what I used to think was possible. Did I mention that when I went to pick up my race-packet the day before the start, an Ironwoman named Mary told another lady who was wo-manning the booth that I was going to hula hoop during the entire run portion. I'm sure the look of shock & surprise on my face was funny as I was thinking, yeah right, hooping is enough of a workout standing still. I smiled and said "that would be cool but I'm not planning on it". However the seed was planted and with little reminder/suggestion and help from my man Mark, I did hoop and run the last little bit. Apparently I had plenty left in the tank... swim, bike, run, then run while hula hooping across the finish. Uh huh, crazy right? And oh so much fun.

Life is supposed to be fun! 

Anyway, I could spend all day writing but I have a painting I want to start working on so I better get to it. Thanks for sharing this beautiful planet with me. I hope you all have a wonderful day.