A Rainy Sunday

"Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe."

-Gail Devers

Today has turned into a rainy Sunday.

When I left for the gym at 6:45,the sun was just coming up.

By the time I finished my workout, the skies were surprisingly clear and it looked as if the predicted showershad missed us completely.

Looking out of my windows, maybe we weren't quite so lucky.

So far the rain has been sporadic,a few sprinkles, a short shower, and then some dry periods.

In general, or for the time being, I don't think I will plan for any outdoor activinties.

The cleaning people cancelled at the last minute so there goes that plan.

Rescheduling doesn't make sense at this point since my plan was to have them back in 2 weeks to help get the house in shape for Passover.

Yes,Passover (and Easter) are less than 3 weeks away.

It seems like only yesterday that Susan admonished me for bringing up the fact that the first Seder was 10 weeks away.

It is the last day of March.

I took a moment to ponder and think about the March word of the month,DISCIPLINE.

I have been acutely aware of the many disciplines that I try to incorporate into my daily routine.

Good eating habits.

Dressing for the party.

Staying active (or at the least being less sedentary!).

Smiling.

Starting each day with a positive outlook.

Hitting the reset button when that positive outlook escapes me during the day.

Nothing over the top.

Nothing obsessive in my behavior.

Just making the conscious effort to be a better version of me.

Tiny choices that make a huge difference.

All in all, not a bad thing to be aware of.

Shavua Tov!

I have no class

 "The beginning is always today."

~ Mary Shelley 

It's true.

I have no class.

At least that is for the time being.

On Thursday evening at 7 pm , I launched my inaugural offering of my adult education course" So you want to start a business......".

After 221 days since I came up with the idea to put this class together, it was showtime!

5 people signed up for the course.

4 actually showed up!

I got to Ridgewood High school about 15 minutes early to set up the room and lay out the materials I had prepared.

After arranging the desks in a more intimate set up, I was ready to go.

One by one, the eager participants began showing up.

At exactly 7:02 , I introduced myself and we were off and running.

To be honest, I was not nervous at all.

I had accomplished exactly what I had set out to do in August.

I had developed an introductory workshop for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The one concern I had was timing.

The course description said that this was to ba a 90 minute event.

Having never actually presented this,and never having practiced or done a mock presentation, I wasn't sure if I had a 90 minute or a 15 minute program.

With all of my attention focused on the 4 others in the room, I some how managed to keep an eye on the clock hanging above the doorway.

In preparing for the program, I had mentally allocated approximately 10 minute mile markers , moving from one bullet point to the next.

At the first time check, the clock said 7:20 and I was right about where I had hoped to be.

At 7:40, I was still on schedule, keeping pace with the workbook I had prepared for the class.

I rarely opened it ,as the words just seemed to flow freely for me.

It did serve me well as a road map , keeping my aware of the essence of what this course was based around, what I called the 5W's,Who,What ,When,Where ,and Why.

In my case that night:

Who was I talking to?

What is it that I wanted to share with them?

When did I need to be on which topic?

Where did I want go go next?

Most importantly Why was this event even taking place?

8:20 and I had just enough time to wrap things up.

At 8:34, I thanked everyone for attending and let them know that I couldn't wait to hear more from them and about their plans for the future.

So now, I have no class.

At least for the immediate future.

That is until the Fall curriculum brochure gets mailed out and I have the opportunity to

offer this course again.

Shabbat Shalom!

And there but for........................

“Life is a sum of all your choices.”

Albert Camus

As I walked through the hallway at the Senior Center, I passed the food donation bin .

It's always chock full which is a wonderful thing.

This particular time I happened to notice that sitting on top was a box of dog biscuits.

I thought to myself that there probably aren't a whole lot of dogs that show up at the food pantry.

Since I happen to live with a couple of underfed, underloved, underprivileged dogs, I plucked the box out of the bin to share with them.

Even if I don't give them to my dogs, I am sure Sara can bring them to the rescue shelter where she volunteers.

On my way out of the building , I shared with a few folks what I had found sitting in with the donated food stuffs.

One woman, in what can only be described as a sarcastically demeaning tone said "and why were you picking through the food bin".

Everyone else chuckled,at her comment and obviously at me.

So here's the embarrassing secret that I didn't share with them.

It was not all that long ago, when I did find myself rummaging through food donations to find something that I could use.

A found box of cereal meant breakfast for my kids without me having to lay out that extra $4.

$4 here and $4 there made a huge difference.

I felt the heat of embarrassment begin to well up in side of me.

These were all really nice people,

I am sure that they are all very charitable in their own way.

However,they were all completely ignorant to the notion that one of their colleagues and coworkers could ever have been in need of a helping hand.

This is not the first time I have brushed up this kind of ignorance.

I remember at board meeting from my synagogue,one prominent member ,an absolutely lovely and caring person, remarked"I don't understand these members who need....why don't they just come in and ask for help".

I turned to her and asked"have you ever had to beg?"

...."It's a painful experience".

She didn't get it.

Thankfully, and I hope permanently those days are gone,.

However,the pain and the sting will always be a part of me.

I know too well how awful this feeling is.

And there but for.......

How can I explain this............

“Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.”

~ Denis Waitley

I was having a conversation with a friend the other day. Eventually we came around to my weight loss Journey .

He seemed perplexed and confused by the fact that I seem to be constantly jumping back into a cycle.

I was confused by what exactly seemed so confusing to him.

He said "well,it never seems like you're done."

"It's as if you are constantly dieting."

This kind of caught me off guard for a second.

I waited a few minutes before I responded and then offered up 2 anecdotal scenarios.

Scenario #1:

I explained to him that even though I clean up after myself on a daily basis,put my clothes in the hamper,wipe down the counters after I cook and empty my garbage can when it gets full,I still have the cleaning people come in ever 2-3 weeks to get things back to really clean.

No matter how "on top" of cleaning up after myself I stay on a daily basis, every now and then, before things get out of control, the cleaning people get things back in shape.

He kind of got it but not really.

So I offered up scenario #2:

I said to him"You're a man of faith correct?

(He's kind of born again)

He said yes.

I pointed out that even though he lives a life committed to his religious beliefs, 2 or 3 or more times a year, I know he goes away on a retreat .

When he returns, he is inspired and his commitment has been elevated to a higher level.

So why does he feel he needs these getaways to reconnect?

Did he lose something along the way?

Did his commitment decrease during the interim periods?

Is he less devout the other 350 plus days a year and only reminded of his commitment and connection during those retreats?

(Okay now he was not happy with me!)

The point is whether it's doing a cycle to reign myself back in or going on a retreat to reconnect, or having the cleaning people in now and then to spruce things up,we need these activities to bring us back to the apex , the pinnacle.

We, or should I say I,can't live on the razor's edge 24 hours a day , 365 days a year.

I do the best I can, but I'm not obsessed.

I am not a machine.

Then again ,even machines need routine maintenance.

For me , that routine maintenance is doing a cycle.

Kind of like a retreat for fat people!

I'm still not sure he gets it.

That's okay....I do!

The Best Version of Me

"There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them."

Denis Waitley

I have no idea why they happen .

Nor can I predict when they will happen.

I only know that every once in a while, I find myself in the midst of a day where the best version of David shows up.

And when they do, I feel awesome!

I walk taller.

I show up differently.

I smile more.

I greet people more.

I engage with others in a much more animated fashion.

I feel invincible.

I feel unstoppable.

Mostly I feel alive.

I wish I could tell you that this was more the norm than the exception for me.

I haven't quite made it to that place ....yet.

However, the fact that I recognize this better version of myself and just how good it makes me feel is a great place to begin.

Now the task at hand is to make this a daily priority.

My challenge to myself is to start each day connecting to that energy and carrying it with me on a consistent basis.

Sounds like a challenge I want to take head on!

A How Am I Doin Friday Update.

"If you want to have more, you have to become more.

For things to change, you have to change.

For things to get better, you have to become better."

~ Jim Rohn

It's been quite some time since I have shared an update with you on a How Am I Doin' Friday.

I am actually great!

Susan, Max and I are just finishing up a cycle on the Why Weight program.

It has by all measurable metrics been a successful endeavour.

Now we have 3 weeks of maintenance, before the holiday season hits.

There will be another cycle for Max and myself after Passover.

We will see how things go after that.

(Susan is skinny as hell!)

I am sure there will be another cycle late summer,just before Sara's wedding.

The time crunch from the Halloween ordering season has eased up quite a bit.

The frenetic chasing of people for orders has now shifted to the grind of contacting customers who have been dragging their feet.

I am putting the finishing touches on my adult education class,So You Want To Start a Business..., which will debut this Thursday.

(If you are in the area , you can still sign up!)

I am both excited and apprehensive at the same time.

This is a new experience for me.

I have never taught a course like this and quite honestly, I have no idea or expectations of what it will be like.

Fridays are normally my catch up day.

This is not the case this week as I am filling in for the other driver today.

While I really could have used the day for myself, the extra day's pay will certainly come in handy when the paycheck hits just before Passover.

On a scale from 1-10 , I would have to say that I am clocking in at great.

(I know that doesn't make sense!)

It just is.

Time to grab a quick bite before heading back to work.

I hope you have an awesome weekend

Shabbat Shalom!

Furthermore.............

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

John F. Kennedy

Responding to my email from yesterday, a friend reminded me that Springtime is a season for rebirth.

I say he is actually making my argument for me.

Re- Birth, or for that matter,any birth comes with labor.

Labor ,as in work as in raking,mowing,cleaning,trimming etc etc.

'Nuff said about that!

All kidding aside, I understand the excitement everyone around me feels as the new season approaches.

I feel that way with each season as they all bring their own special gifts.

I think my resistance towards the joy that has been bombarding me regarding Spring's arrival is the fact that those around me act as if the season itself is the driving factor in happiness not their own approach to life.

No one, no thing, no time can make me happy.

Over and over, day by day, I work with the knowledge that happiness is a choice, a choice that is mine and mine alone to make.

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night....." will keep me from being happy!

My life, my choice!.

No matter what the season!