I went to bed early last night and actually woke up without having to force myself out of bed. I was a little creaky and sore this morning (from the gym yesterday) but once I got moving I limbered up quickly enough.
I’ve been thinking about how easy it is to slip into a state of vegetativeness and how hard it can be to motivate yourself to get out of that slump. It’s hard. It takes effort. But time and time again I realize that the small bit of effort is worth it.
Would I rather (a) feel tired and crabby, or (b) spend some focused energy on feeling good?
I’m going with the latter.
One good breakfast (huge bowl of oatmeal), a mini-workout on the Wii Fit, and one latte later I’m sitting here in front of my LiteBook (yes, it works!) thinking about how the rest of my day is going to unfold.
I’m doubling today’s task. It’s a two-fer:
- help someone out (i.e. volunteer, or do a good deed)
- do something out of my comfort zone
As it happens I was asked to do participate in something today, something that embodies both points. I will describe it later today. There is a mightily shameful confession involved in this one too. Gah. But I will say this: volunteering does make me feel good. The kind of volunteering I’ve been doing lately is fairly low-key. I’m on the board of our community association and I maintain their website. I also volunteer at Sarah’s school from time to time. It’s about all the volunteering I can muster. (There is such a thing as volunteer burn out!)
I think the trick is to find a cause you connect with and find the right balance for you.
Volunteering makes me feel good in many ways. I’m getting out of the house, meeting people, helping people, and using my brain. All good things, right?
Do you volunteer? Do share! If not, what kind of volunteering would you consider doing?
(Will update this post later today with the results of my two tasks.)
Update: 9:15 p.m.
Well, this day sure did not turn out like I had expected.
A couple of weeks ago a friend asked me if I would come help out for one afternoon in a food kitchen for the homeless. Here’s where my unpleasant confession comes in. My first reaction: no thanks. I hate even admitting that. How awful. But then I gave myself as a swift kick in the pants. I was asked. I had nothing booked. I had to help, even if it was out of my comfort zone.
I was all set to go (and strangely nervous!) but then my friend called to tell me her kids (all three, I think!) were down with chicken pox. It was a no-go. I had no way to get there. (Fortunately the kitchen had lots of people coming out to volunteer so we weren’t leaving anyone in the lurch. Phew.)
But this left me without a good deed to do. I thought about my friend at home with her children and the idea came to me. I got out my recipe book and made a couple loaves of oatmeal molasses bread. The girls brought thr prettiest one over, (the other was a bit of a dud), along with a get-well card Sarah made.
Not exactly what I had planned, but I think it worked out okay. Good deed done!
And now, I just want to lie on the couch and drink tea. I’m zonked.
