Motivational Mondays Week 12: Wear my rings on opposite fingers

12 weeks ago on a quest in 2014 to face some fears and mainly move out of my comfort zones I began Motivational Mondays.  I'm hoping to grow in many areas by embarking on this journey. I have heard that your amount of growth is directly related to how uncomfortable you are willing to get.  Join me this year as I get uncomfortable and get up off my duff.

So, on week 12 I decided to tackle #40. Wear my rings on opposite fingers

Now, again, this may not seem that big of a deal, but I am used to the way my hands and fingers feel w/ my rings just the way they are.  Switching all of them to the opposite hand was uncomfortable and nerve wracking.  I couldn't stand the way it felt.  I actually couldn't move my left thumb all week cuz the ring seemed to be soooo tight I actually had to cheat on this one and put it back on my right thumb as I couldn't stand not being able to bend my thumb any longer.  The rest withheld the test of time for the duration of the week, but as soon as it was over i didn't waste a second switching them back.

Next week... I should try for something a little tougher or I'm gonna get to the end of the year and be stuck w/ all the tuff stuff and be miserable.  =\

Level of uncomfortable-ness on a scale of 1-10, 1 being slightly uncomfortable and 10 being "I am only doing this for my readers and will never attempt this again" this weeks challenge rates a 10.

So, @ the end of the 12th week of Motivational Mondays I am proud to say I have achieved my goal and can cross it off the list.  

Just 41 more to go... Here's what's left:
1. Do not sit in the back row at church.
2. Do not sit alone in the back row at church.
3. Introduce myself to someone at church I don't know.
4. Audition for a stage show.
5. Go out to eat alone.
6. Do not eat in bed for one day.
7. Do not eat in bed for one week.
8. Go one day without getting on the internet.
9. Post NO STATUS UPDATES on Fb for a week.
10. Write a very personal song and share it with someone.
11. Use of the computer is restricted to the dining room downstairs for one week or if I move.. anywhere in the house except the bedroom.
12. Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for one week of therapy.
13. Spend one evening watching TV downstairs.
14. Spend one week watching TV downstairs.
15. Divulge something personal I have never told anyone before.
16. Eat lunch at work in front of my peers.
17. Go out to eat with someone (non family) and not ask to be hidden away in a booth somewhere.
18. Go w/o nail polish, even clear, for one week.
19. No texting (except my therapist) for one week.
20. Do not stay in bed past 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
21. Hug a stranger.
22. Invite someone over to my place and cook them dinner.
23. Make a dessert from scratch to share at work.
24. Go one week eating nothing from a can.
25. Go one week eating nothing purchased pre-prepared.
26. Try a new seafood.
27. Cook a meal for Mom and Mike.
28. Iron clothes for an hour straight
29. No FB for a week.
30. Go one week w/o eating leftovers
31. Wear something leg revealing
32. Go to work one day with no make-up on
33. Write left handed for a day
34. Give $20 to a stranger
35. Pay for the persons order behind me at the drive thru
36. Bless someone I know with at least $100
37. Cook dinner for my pastor and his wife
38. Go one day w/o using the microwave
39. Go 1 week w/o using the microwave
40. Wear my rings on opposite fingers
41. Get another piercing
42. Get another tattoo or get mine fixed
43. Dress up on dress down Friday
44. Use no emoticons for one week
45. Use no abbreviations or special characters when I journal for a day
46. No abbreviations or special characters when journaling for a week.
47. No use of color for one week
48. Have lunch in the cafeteria at work for 1 week
49. Take a local unfamiliar road and see where it leads
50. Have lunch with a co-worker
51. Consume 20 grams of protein everyday for a week
52. Eat fruit everyday for a week 

Alright, later gators!  And remember to get up off your duffs!

Motivational Mondays Week 11: Go one week w/o eating leftovers

11 weeks ago on a quest in 2014 to face some fears and mainly move out of my comfort zones I began Motivational Mondays.  I'm hoping to grow in many areas by embarking on this journey. I have heard that your amount of growth is directly related to how uncomfortable you are willing to be.  Join me this year as I get uncomfortable and get up off my duff.

So, on week 11 I decided to tackle #30. Go one week w/o eating leftovers

Single, or not, I am certain that I am not the only one who eats leftovers on a regular basis. Leftovers allow for me to eat more healthy (will explain that one in a minute) and cook less often. Now, let me explain for all you hunky dudes out there reading my blog looking for a babe to get hitched up to.  I LOVE TO COOK!  I just...........don't really care to cook for myself.  It seems like such a waste to cook for just myself.  It's so much easier to nuke an 80 cent pot pie when it comes right down to it.  However, when I do cook for myself, I am sure to make more than enough.  I have leftovers for a few days usually and any remaining gets frozen for a later date in time to be left-leftovers for an extremely lazy day.

Needless to say, going w/o leftovers was not an easy task.  I had to be a little innovative w/ my meals so as not to have any leftovers for 1 week.  What did I do?  Well, since 1/2 of my daily plate is supposed to be fruits and/or veggies I decided to have them in the evening and made sure that there weren't any left overs in the fridge or freezer and that I didn't make any so that I wouldn't be tempted.

Level of uncomfortable-ness on a scale of 1-10, 1 being slightly uncomfortable and 10 being "I am only doing this for my readers and will never attempt this again" this weeks challenge rates a 4.

So, @ the end of the 11th week of Motivational Mondays I am proud to say I have achieved my goal and can cross it off the list.  

Just 42 more to go... Here's what's left:
1. Do not sit in the back row at church.
2. Do not sit alone in the back row at church.
3. Introduce myself to someone at church I don't know.
4. Audition for a stage show.
5. Go out to eat alone.
6. Do not eat in bed for one day.
7. Do not eat in bed for one week.
8. Go one day without getting on the internet.
9. Post NO STATUS UPDATES on Fb for a week.
10. Write a very personal song and share it with someone.
11. Use of the computer is restricted to the dining room downstairs for one week or if I move.. anywhere in the house except the bedroom.
12. Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for one week of therapy.
13. Spend one evening watching TV downstairs.
14. Spend one week watching TV downstairs.
15. Divulge something personal I have never told anyone before.
16. Eat lunch at work in front of my peers.
17. Go out to eat with someone (non family) and not ask to be hidden away in a booth somewhere.
18. Go w/o nail polish, even clear, for one week.
19. No texting (except my therapist) for one week.
20. Do not stay in bed past 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
21. Hug a stranger.
22. Invite someone over to my place and cook them dinner.
23. Make a dessert from scratch to share at work.
24. Go one week eating nothing from a can.
25. Go one week eating nothing purchased pre-prepared.
26. Try a new seafood.
27. Cook a meal for Mom and Mike.
28. Iron clothes for an hour straight
29. No FB for a week.
30. Go one week w/o eating leftovers
31. Wear something leg revealing
32. Go to work one day with no make-up on
33. Write left handed for a day
34. Give $20 to a stranger
35. Pay for the persons order behind me at the drive thru
36. Bless someone I know with at least $100
37. Cook dinner for my pastor and his wife
38. Go one day w/o using the microwave
39. Go 1 week w/o using the microwave
40. Wear my rings on opposite fingers
41. Get another piercing
42. Get another tattoo or get mine fixed
43. Dress up on dress down Friday
44. Use no emoticons for one week
45. Use no abbreviations or special characters when I journal for a day
46. No abbreviations or special characters when journaling for a week.
47. No use of color for one week
48. Have lunch in the cafeteria at work for 1 week
49. Take a local unfamiliar road and see where it leads
50. Have lunch with a co-worker
51. Consume 20 grams of protein everyday for a week
52. Eat fruit everyday for a week 

Alright, later gators!  And remember to get up off your duffs!

Motivational Mondays Week 10: Eat fruit everyday for a week

Sorry for the font issues. trouble w/ the 'puter today!!

10 weeks ago on a quest in 2014 to face some fears and mainly move out of my comfort zones I began Motivational Mondays.  I'm hoping to grow in many areas by embarking on this journey. I have heard that your amount of growth is directly related to how uncomfortable you are willing to be.  Join me this year as I get uncomfortable and get up off my duff.

So, on week 10 I decided to tackle #52: Eat fruit everyday for a week.

And... on week 10 as I have been slowly chipping away at my list of items that cause me to be anywhere from merely uncomfortable to actually being mortified.  In any case, I am getting uncomfortable so that I can grow as a person and live life more than I have been living life in years of recent. 

Well guys and dolls, I am real sorry that I am getting this issue of Motivational Mondays out so late to you.  I somehow forgot what yesterday was.    This week I decided to eat fruit everyday.  The reason that this is on the list is because I rarely have had fruit in the house w/ the exception of the occasional canned fruit in the cupboard or the wooden box of clementines that my therapist and I share during sessions.  Fruit is REALLY yummy, but REALLY expensive.  I went shopping and got fruit I felt sure that I could consume daily and before it went bad.  I found that when I got the snack packs for my lunch it was a guarantee that I would get some sort of fruit everyday and then that turned into fresh fruit and I began to eat more and more.  And with my Dr. supervised diet this is a good thing since I learned today from my dietitian that everyday as I eat 3 meals a day my total at the end of the day needs to be 1/2 of my plate (for the day) equal to fruits and/or veggies and the other 1/2 everything else.. hey I can do that.. now if I can just do it only 3 times a day and nothing in between.. I'll be on a roll!

This did not make me very uncomfortable, except as it applies to the $ I spent leaving my account and going to Wally World.  It did take me out of a comfort zone tho that I have had of just not having fitting this into my life.

So, @ the end of the 10th week of Motivational Mondays I am proud to say I have achieved my goal and can cross it off the list.  

Just 43 more to go... Here's what's left:
1. Do not sit in the back row at church.
2. Do not sit alone in the back row at church.
3. Introduce myself to someone at church I don't know.
4. Audition for a stage show.
5. Go out to eat alone.
6. Do not eat in bed for one day.
7. Do not eat in bed for one week.
8. Go one day without getting on the internet.
9. Post NO STATUS UPDATES on Fb for a week.
10. Write a very personal song and share it with someone.
11. Use of the computer is restricted to the dining room downstairs for one week or if I move.. anywhere in the house except the bedroom.
12. Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for one week of therapy.
13. Spend one evening watching TV downstairs.
14. Spend one week watching TV downstairs.
15. Divulge something personal I have never told anyone before.
16. Eat lunch at work in front of my peers.
17. Go out to eat with someone (non family) and not ask to be hidden away in a booth somewhere.
18. Go w/o nail polish, even clear, for one week.
19. No texting (except my therapist) for one week.
20. Do not stay in bed past 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
21. Hug a stranger.
22. Invite someone over to my place and cook them dinner.
23. Make a dessert from scratch to share at work.
24. Go one week eating nothing from a can.
25. Go one week eating nothing purchased pre-prepared.
26. Try a new seafood.
27. Cook a meal for Mom and Mike.
28. Iron clothes for an hour straight
29. No FB for a week.
30. Go one week w/o eating leftovers
31. Wear something leg revealing
32. Go to work one day with no make-up on
33. Write left handed for a day
34. Give $20 to a stranger
35. Pay for the persons order behind me at the drive thru
36. Bless someone I know with at least $100
37. Cook dinner for my pastor and his wife
38. Go one day w/o using the microwave
39. Go 1 week w/o using the microwave
40. Wear my rings on opposite fingers
41. Get another piercing
42. Get another tattoo or get mine fixed
43. Dress up on dress down Friday
44. Use no emoticons for one week
45. Use no abbreviations or special characters when I journal for a day
46. No abbreviations or special characters when journaling for a week.
47. No use of color for one week
48. Have lunch in the cafeteria at work for 1 week
49. Take a local unfamiliar road and see where it leads
50. Have lunch with a co-worker
51. Consume 20 grams of protein everyday for a week
52. Eat fruit everyday for a week 

Alright, later gators!  And remember to get up off your duffs!

Reasons why you WOULDN'T say "I love you" to someone that you love...

Now, you might see the title and think "WTH?", why would you NOT say those 3 words all of us long to hear at one time or another, ESPECIALLY to someone that you love?  That is ACTUALLY the viewpoint that I am approaching this from...let me explain...

I, by nature, am fairly insecure and most definitely when I am wrapped up in a new relationship my insecurities show their colors more than ever no matter how hard I try to keep them hidden away.  It doesn't matter how well we seem to "know" each other or how much time we have spent together or how secure we feel or know that we "should" feel, the truth is that at one time or another we have all felt a sense of insecurity whether it be in marriage, w/ parents, siblings, friends (old and new), co-workers, and so on.

So, how many of you have been in a situation where you have said "I love you" to someone who has ALWAYS told you that they loved you too only in this instance they didn't reply.. at all...?  How did you feel?  Did you think anything of it?  Did you call them out then and there and say something to the effect of "Ahem... did you hear me.. I said I love you?" or did it stay w/ you and you wonder if they heard you or not?  Did your insecurities get the better of you?  Or did you trust that when they had told you in the past that they loved you that that was the truth and whether or not they say it every time you say it shouldn't matter.  Then, not long after that you tell the same person that you love them or that you missed them, as was the case w/ me and there again is that awkward nothingness.  Now, it's happened twice.  For me, the first time I could kind of shrug it off as I wasn't heard, but the next time, over the phone and I said I had missed them and there was no response.. left me wondering.  Did they not hear me AGAIN?  Did they just decide NOT to respond?  They have ALWAYS responded in the same fashion, what was different now?

Deep down, I KNEW, if there was a gun held to my head and I had to answer if this person REALLY did love me and miss me even tho they were not responding to me saying so to them I would definitely say "Yes, I know they love me and they missed me."  But there was this tiny, tiny bit inside that wouldn't let this drop and just move forward with what I know to be true and so I had decided to bring it up next discussion. 

When I brought it up I said "Did you hear me when I said over the phone on Friday that I missed you?"  "What about when I helped carry stuff out to your car at the office?  When you hugged me goodbye I said I love you and you didn't say anything.  I've been telling myself that you just didn't hear me, but my insecurities have gotten the better of me and so I'm asking you to find out. I realize that neither of us HAVE to say it ever, but you always have and now twice you haven't and I just want to know so that I know what to expect."  They asked me if when I said "I love you" was I giving it as a gift or was I giving it to get it in return?  My answer was a little of both.  I mean I am not saying to myself "I need someone to tell me they love me so I'm going to go tell someone I'm close to that I love them so that they say it back and I feel better"  but on the other hand, depending on the circumstances and the person for me there is an expectation that when said it is going to be said in return.. just as a given... just as it always had been.  To me it's very black and white.  If someone tells me they love me and I love them I will say it back and if I don't then I didn't hear or I was preoccupied somehow.  I don't think there is ever a reason when someone you love tells you that they love you for you NOT to say that you love them back.

What do you think it means if someone who loves you, PURPOSELY doesn't return the "I love you" when you give it to them?  Does it mean anything?  Is it something that should be confronted?  Is it something that the insecure person, in this instance me, just has to work out in themselves?  To me, there is a sense of rejection when I say "I love you" and it is not returned, especially if it's on purpose!

What are your thoughts people?  I don't want to continue to have this struggle w/ people that I really need not have this struggle with because I know, that I know, that I know that they love me.  So how do I keep from feeling rejected or from even noticing that they didn't reply when I say "I love you" and it's not returned?

Your thoughts inquiring minds?

Motivational Mondays Week 9: Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for one week of therapy PLUS a BONUS!

9 weeks ago on a quest in 2014 to face some fears and mainly move out of my comfort zones I began Motivational Mondays.  I'm hoping to grow in many areas by embarking on this journey. I have heard that your amount of growth is directly related to how uncomfortable you are willing to be.  Join me this year as I get uncomfortable and get up off my duff.

So, on week 9 I decided to tackle #12: Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for 1 week of therapy.

So... on week 9 as I have been slowly chipping away at my list of items that cause me to be anywhere from merely uncomfortable to actually being mortified.  In any case, I am getting uncomfortable so that I can grow as a person and live life more than I have been in years of recent.  

I decided to do something this week that to most you might not even think about, but for me it's a matter of breaking a habit and choosing to be uncomfortable whether on a scale of 1-10 it's a 4 or a 14, it still requires effort on my part.  This week was difficult because my therapist had been out of town and I hadn't seen her for 3 weeks so when I headed into therapy I was torn because I really, REALLY want to be comfy on the big, red sectional AND I really, REALLY want to sit close to her, which requires me sitting in the chair.  Is the chair uncomfortable?  No, not really, but when you compare it to the sofa, for me the sofa wins hands down.. there is just no comparison when it comes to comfort.  I decided to let her make the decision and asked "So, where are we sitting?"  She said she was sitting in the chair and so I decided to join her there.  I, of course, would have much rathered that we were slightly more relaxed on the sofa, but as it turned out this ended up being quite beneficial.

I had some difficult things to express.  We are very good at keeping eye contact during session and being closer helped me to do that.  Being further away on the sofa has its advantages of comfort, but when discussing things that can be uncomfortable or difficult to express I tend to trail off looking elsewhere, or staring off into wherever thru the ceiling; having A.D.D. doesn't help either.  So, I was closer which helped to maintain eye contact and relay the things on my mind that I needed to discuss.  I was glad that I sat in the chair for those reasons and think that I just might do it more often.

Now, I mentioned a BONUS to this weeks blog as it pertains to being uncomfortable.  I wrote a parody about a week and half ago and it has to do w/ life issues when you're overweight.  I have sung for my therapist before and it has always been nerve-wracking and w/ my nervous, warbly voice I have made mediocre attempts at sharing songs that I have written.  I have always been able to rely on a crutch to get through those moments by usually having the song in hand on paper so that I can look at it and avoid looking at my therapist.  For me, singing to small groups or one on one are the most nerve wracking moments.  I am much more comfortable in the midst of hundreds, even thousands than I am one on one or small groups.  Well, I had memorized my parody so, no crutch.  No paper to look at, no avoiding eye contact unless I close my eyes or look around the room.. but how obvious is that?  So, when it came time to share my parody I told my therapist that since I was already uncomfortable I might as well just take it all the way and be as uncomfortable as possible so,  not only was I going to sing to her one on one, acapela, but also since I had it memorized I was going to give her compete eye contact throughout the whole song.................AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  What was I thinking??????

So, after a couple of deep breaths, I exhaled and began the song.  I looked into her gorgeous, green eyes and went for it.  As I began I noticed how awkward and uncomfortable it was to sing and stare into the eyes of just one person, but I was determined NOT to back down and not to give into the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach.  

As it turned out and I proceeded thru the rest of the song the empty knot in the pit of my stomach slowly dissipated and what was very uncomfortable ended up being very warm and welcoming and supportive and sweet.  When I finished I wondered what I had been so afraid of all this time.  I wondered how much more at ease I might have been if I had given this a try so much sooner.  I realized when it was all over, that for the first time my voice wasn't nervous and warbly.  I was calm and my vocals were strong and I felt like I was in a very special space where I felt supported, encouraged and most of all, comfortable..a feeling I NEVER thought I would feel in this situation.  I was whisked away for a minute and I was in a really neat space that I intend to return to in the future.

It just goes to show that the things that we see as scary or uncomfortable may just end up being the total opposite and instead of being something we avoid they end up being something that we choose willingly and are pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

I just want to challenge you today to find something no matter how small or simple it may be and decide that when faced w/ it again you are going to change your approach and see what happens.  I can't guarantee the same success that I have had, but I can guarantee that you will never know until you throw comfort to the wind and try.

So, @ the end of the 9th week of Motivational Mondays I am proud to say I have achieved my goal and can cross it off the list.  

Just 44 more to go... Here's what's left:
1. Do not sit in the back row at church.
2. Do not sit alone in the back row at church.
3. Introduce myself to someone at church I don't know.
4. Audition for a stage show.
5. Go out to eat alone.
6. Do not eat in bed for one day.
7. Do not eat in bed for one week.
8. Go one day without getting on the internet.
9. Post NO STATUS UPDATES on Fb for a week.
10. Write a very personal song and share it with someone.
11. Use of the computer is restricted to the dining room downstairs for one week or if I move.. anywhere in the house except the bedroom.
12. Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for one week of therapy.
13. Spend one evening watching TV downstairs.
14. Spend one week watching TV downstairs.
15. Divulge something personal I have never told anyone before.
16. Eat lunch at work in front of my peers.
17. Go out to eat with someone (non family) and not ask to be hidden away in a booth somewhere.
18. Go w/o nail polish, even clear, for one week.
19. No texting (except my therapist) for one week.
20. Do not stay in bed past 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
21. Hug a stranger.
22. Invite someone over to my place and cook them dinner.
23. Make a dessert from scratch to share at work.
24. Go one week eating nothing from a can.
25. Go one week eating nothing purchased pre-prepared.
26. Try a new seafood.
27. Cook a meal for Mom and Mike.
28. Iron clothes for an hour straight
29. No FB for a week.
30. Go one week w/o eating leftovers
31. Wear something leg revealing
32. Go to work one day with no make-up on
33. Write left handed for a day
34. Give $20 to a stranger
35. Pay for the persons order behind me at the drive thru
36. Bless someone I know with at least $100
37. Cook dinner for my pastor and his wife
38. Go one day w/o using the microwave
39. Go 1 week w/o using the microwave
40. Wear my rings on opposite fingers
41. Get another piercing
42. Get another tattoo or get mine fixed
43. Dress up on dress down Friday
44. Use no emoticons for one week
45. Use no abbreviations or special characters when I journal for a day
46. No abbreviations or special characters when journaling for a week.
47. No use of color for one week
48. Have lunch in the cafeteria at work for 1 week
49. Take a local unfamiliar road and see where it leads
50. Have lunch with a co-worker
51. Consume 20 grams of protein everyday for a week
52. Eat fruit everyday for a week 

Alright, later gators!  And remember to get up off your duffs!

Motivational Mondays Week 8: Go one week eating nothing from a can

8 weeks ago on a quest in 2014 to face some fears and mainly move out of my comfort zones I began Motivational Mondays.  I'm hoping to grow in many areas by embarking on this journey.  If I'm ever going to be a Reality TV Star I can't be a bore so I've decided to get up off my duff.  =)

So, on week 8 I decided to tackle #24:  Go one week eating nothing from a can

Amidst this crazy journey to get out of my comfort zone and get up off my duff many transitions are happening around me making Motivational Mondays far more challenging than I could've even imagined.  

Over the course of the last 8 weeks I have had to get acclimated to not only being back to work, but having to be there at 7 a.m. and commuting thru the city and anyone who knows me can tell you.. I hate, loathe and despise the buttcrack of dawn.  I have had to go from having therapy nearly everyday to once a week and twice if I'm lucky and that is usually a phone session. This has been an especially difficult transition because it was really great to have someone concentrate on you for one full hour a day w/o interruption.. how many people get that?  No phone, no email, no nothing.. all attention focused on me.  Being single and being alone a lot made this a wonderful luxury for me.  I have also moved from a beautiful 3 bedroom home to a small, 2 bedroom apt.  I have gone from quiet and serene to hearing other peoples voices and hearing other people walking and running and... it's nuts.. it's tough.. my peace and quiet is essential  to my well being and this is an awful transition to say the least.. but certainly better than being homeless.  So, just in my regular daily life I have been stepping out of my comfort zone and being pushed past my limits by things that are out of my control and necessities to my daily life.

That being said, it is sometimes quite difficult to add more to my plate as it comes to getting uncomfortable to grow.  

I don't know how many of you single readers out there are like me, but if you are you probably look at cooking gourmet or full course meals as being pointless for one person.  Fast, on the go meals are best and easiest.  Veggies out of a can rate highest in taste and texture for me not frozen.  I'd rather pour chili out of a can and throw it in the microwave for 3 minutes than spend the time making it in the crockpot.  Soup is another easy canned good when I don't feel like putting any effort into a meal.  Fruit in a can just gets poured in a bowl and it stays "fresher" longer so none usually gets wasted as is usually the case w/ fresh fruit.  I also usually have to prep fresh fruit in some way , shape or form and well.. that's just a pain in the you-know-what.  So going a week w/o eating anything from a can was quite the challenge and I think I only made it because I had all my cans boxed up for the move and have not felt like dealing w/ unpacking them and putting them to place.

So, what then did I resort to?  Well... lets just say it ended up being a rough week at work.. like meltdown tears rough and the 3 most nutritious things (if fast food has any nutritional value to it) that I had all week were: a clementine orange, grilled onion, cheddar burger and water.. and that was when I ate.  We'll just leave it at that.  I like my canned goods.  Fruit, veggies, soups, and let's not forget the famous Chef Boyardee, but I made it a week w/o any of them.


So, @ the end of the 8th week of Motivational Mondays I am proud to say I have achieved my goal and can cross it off the list.  

Just 45 more to go... Here's what's left:
1. Do not sit in the back row at church.
2. Do not sit alone in the back row at church.
3. Introduce myself to someone at church I don't know.
4. Audition for a stage show.
5. Go out to eat alone.
6. Do not eat in bed for one day.
7. Do not eat in bed for one week.
8. Go one day without getting on the internet.
9. Post NO STATUS UPDATES on Fb for a week.
10. Write a very personal song and share it with someone.
11. Use of the computer is restricted to the dining room downstairs for one week or if I move.. anywhere in the house except the bedroom.
12. Sit in a chair instead of being on the comfy sofa for one week of therapy.
13. Spend one evening watching TV downstairs.
14. Spend one week watching TV downstairs.
15. Divulge something personal I have never told anyone before.
16. Eat lunch at work in front of my peers.
17. Go out to eat with someone (non family) and not ask to be hidden away in a booth somewhere.
18. Go w/o nail polish, even clear, for one week.
19. No texting (except my therapist) for one week.
20. Do not stay in bed past 9 a.m. on a Saturday.
21. Hug a stranger.
22. Invite someone over to my place and cook them dinner.
23. Make a dessert from scratch to share at work.
24. Go one week eating nothing from a can.
25. Go one week eating nothing purchased pre-prepared.
26. Try a new seafood.
27. Cook a meal for Mom and Mike.
28. Iron clothes for an hour straight
29. No FB for a week.
30. Go one week w/o eating leftovers
31. Wear something leg revealing
32. Go to work one day with no make-up on
33. Write left handed for a day
34. Give $20 to a stranger
35. Pay for the persons order behind me at the drive thru
36. Bless someone I know with at least $100
37. Cook dinner for my pastor and his wife
38. Go one day w/o using the microwave
39. Go 1 week w/o using the microwave
40. Wear my rings on opposite fingers
41. Get another piercing
42. Get another tattoo or get mine fixed
43. Dress up on dress down Friday
44. Use no emoticons for one week
45. Use no abbreviations or special characters when I journal for a day
46. No abbreviations or special characters when journaling for a week.
47. No use of color for one week
48. Have lunch in the cafeteria at work for 1 week
49. Take a local unfamiliar road and see where it leads
50. Have lunch with a co-worker
51. Consume 20 grams of protein everyday for a week
52. Eat fruit everyday for a week 

Alright, later gators!  And remember to get up off your duffs!