Z

Zero

There are zero letters left.  The A-Z challenge is now done. 

I had zero preparation when I joined this challenge.  Just a couple of days before it started I was lucky enough to attend a seminar with Arlee Bird, the founder of this challenge, he encouraged the attendees to join so here I am.  

Zero preparation, zero idea what I was getting into and zero to lose.

I started with zero followers and zero blogs that I was following and zero idea how to blog. 

I have gained followers, found great blogs that I am following and have at least a little idea of what I am doing now. 

Even though we are done with the challenge I will continue to go back to the list and try and hit as many of the blogs as I can. 

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the A - Z challenge.  We did it.

Thank you all for stopping by and for your comments.

Y

Yearn

I always hear people talking about “someday” for items they yearn for.  When is this someday?

It is great to have something that you earn for.  Don’t just leave it at that.  Plan for a way to make it a reality.  Research what you want and set a goal to obtain it or to make it happen. 

Wishing for someday maybe fun but it does not ensure that day will ever come or that you will ever get to experience or get what you yearn for.

X

Xeric

This was a tough one.  There isn't even a whole page of X words in the dictionary. The only letter I had to look in the dictionary for inspiration.

I thought of discussing the X chromosome but then found a word that I could actually write something I cared about.

Xeric adj. low or deficient in moisture for the support of life.  

I honestly Love water.  My thirst is never as quenched as when I drink water.

However I am thought unusual and my penchant for drinking water is not catching with my family, friends and co-workers.  But it should be.  Our bodies need water and many people do not drink enough.  In fact, many people confuse being thirsty with being hungry.

Please pay attention, keep a log if that is what you need to do, to how much water you drink.  You will most likely find that you are not drinking near enough- soda and coffee do not count.

When you think you are hungry drink a glass of water first.  If you still feel hungry then by all means eat.  You may realize that in some cases you were just thirsty.

Swap out some of your other drinks for water to make sure you at least get in the recommended allotment of  64 oz a day.  That is not a lot.  A bottle of water is a little more than two 8 oz glasses.

I hope that you learned a new word today, as I did, and that you will increase you water intake.

Cheers!

W

Weakness

Everyone knows what their strengths are but few people examine their weaknesses.  Take time to work on the areas in which you are not confident.  Practice with friends, take a class, and join a group.  Most people have a fear of public speaking- join Toast Masters to gain this skill and make new friends.

Weaknesses are an opportunity for growth.   Why pass up an opportunity to challenge yourself?  The more you keep learning and growing the better off you are and the more interesting your life is.   Research shows this will help stave off Alzheimer’s as well.

What weakness are you going to work on?

I will be working on patience with my loved ones and organization.  

V

Validation

Validation is something we all crave.  Unfortunately it is not something that we get enough of.

I have found that if you enjoy what you are doing and it makes you happy that can be validation enough.  It is still great to be given praise for the things you do or have someone validate your choice.

Find ways to validate what you do so that you don't need the outside validation since you can't count on someone else validating you or your choices.

You have to do what you do because you know it is right for you, not for anyone else.

U

Uniqueness and Unity

Excuse the generalization but as a whole we humans are not very accepting of uniqueness.  We should be accepting of the differences in others and in ourselves.  What makes us unique is usually where our strengths lie.

Accepting differences makes it easier for everyone to get along and for the people of the world to unify.  The sooner we all realize that we are one planet and that all the individual countries cannot fix the environmental problems until we work together then no real progress can be made.

Scientist Ken Caldeira was recently interviewed on NPR.  I found this snippet so incredibly astonishing.

But here's how Caldeira visualizes it: "If you were to compress the entire atmosphere so it was the density of water, it would only be 30 feet deep, so all the stuff we're throwing into the atmosphere, it's like we're throwing it into an ocean that's only 30 feet deep."

In fact, when you look at the chemistry of the oceans, the carbon dioxide is already making a measurable change. It reacts with seawater and turns into carbonic acid, and has made the oceans 30 percent more acidic than they were before the industrial revolution.

Doesn’t this make you want to act?  It does for me but we cannot do it on an individual basis.  

We have to unify and act as one family sharing the same home. 

Here is the link to the whole article: http://www.npr.org/2013/04/22/176344300/this-scientist-aims-high-to-save-the-worlds-coral-reefs

Accept and embrace uniqueness and unify across cultures, countries, political parties and save our home.

T

Timid

I am a do it in a New York minute kind of gal.  I am always trying to move forward and get it done as quickly as possible.

Lately I have noticed that this rush towards a goal attitude may not always be the best path forward.   I have always negatively associated slow with old so have mindlessly rallied against slowing down.

Children are timid while they are learning new things and entering new situations.  They instinctively know this is the safest way to move forward.

Working with my safety department they have taught me the importance of progressing forward timidly and only when we are sure that it is safe.

I recently interviewed someone who gave me the best answer ever about stopping work if it seemed unsafe.  Everyone else (30+ interviewees) quickly said, “I would stop the work immediately.”   My star interviewee stated that he would assess the situation and only stop the work if stopping it would not put someone in immediate danger.  Again, the thoughtful, timid approach was the smartest option.

While this is counter intuitive for me I have learned that the best path forward may be the take the time to observe and thoughtfully choose what is best.

With ages comes wisdom, but only if you seek it.  I am constantly seeking growth.  I can’t help the getting older part.  I am just waiting to be old enough to say whatever I want and get away with it.

S

Sleep

It is amazing how many negative effects lack of sleep has on your body.

We all know we do not perform our best when we are tired but aside from the obvious side effects we observe there are side effects that you may not be aware of.

Short term effects include forgetfulness, slow reaction time, lack of sex drive, and impaired judgment.

Long term effects include aging skin, symptoms of depression, increased risk of death, increased obesity and serious health problems.

The article in the link below describes 10 side effects due to lack of sleep; a few of which I have listed here.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/10-results-sleep-loss

R

It is Friday night and I have spent all day listening to the events in Boston unfold and I am so happy that
the people of Boston can rest comfortably tonight and that they will hopefully get answers soon. Not
that there is any explanation that will make the horrible tragedy and senseless deaths any easier to
understand.

R is for rest, re-group and recover.

Boston is strong and a wonderful city that is very near and dear to my heart. I know that Bostonians will
pull together and recover and be stronger than ever. New Englanders are so proud of who they are and
this tragedy will not shake their strong roots and beliefs. All my thoughts and prayers are with everyone
in my beloved home.

Q

Quell

Quell the negative thoughts in your brain.  We are our own worst critics. 

Take the time to pay attention to how often you are negative about yourself in your thoughts and make a concerted effort to stop the negative thoughts.  Consciously replace them with positive thoughts.

You will be more productive and definitely happier when you quell the negative thoughts that sabotage you.

P

Patience

I struggle with patience all the time.  Sadly I find that I am least patient with the people closest to me, the people who deserve it most.  I seem to save my best behavior for strangers and not for the people I love.  Does anyone else have this same issue?

Being patient with someone, especially your children, shows them that you care and that they are important to you.

I find it helpful to try and be on company behavior even when there is no company around.  I also remember the wonderful patience my grandmother had and try and model that behavior.

It is easier to do the right thing first than it is to apologize later. 

O

Observation


Most of our communication is non-verbal.  (Hard to admit for a writer in love with the spoken and written word.)  We all know how important it is to listen to others, although we probably don't practice that skill as much as we should.  It is equally important to observe others non-verbal cues.

For instance, my husband doesn't usually pick up on the cold tone in my voice but when I sit on the other couch he knows that I am upset with him.

I know that there are many times I hold my tongue and what I am not saying is far more telling than what I did.  For instance, I can't ignore that my girlfriend died her hair or got a new tattoo but when I don't gush over it and try to avoid eye contact or looking at it then you have plenty of non-verbal cues that tell you how I really feel but that I am keeping my opinion to myself.

Taking a moment to learn non-verbal cues can help avoid misunderstandings and sometimes putting your foot in your mouth.  I know it has helped me plenty with a previous boss.


[11 letters left fellow A-Z challengers!  We are doing great.  Keep it up.  Almost there.]

N

New

Most people are excited by new, new phone, new car, new clothes.  When it comes to trying something new, new route home, new food, new skill, the excitement is replaced by resistance and sometimes anxiety.

Trying something new is a great way to expand your skill set, discover something you may wonder how you lived without, and it is also shown to help ward off Alzheimer’s and memory loss.

Try something new today.  Keep an open mind and go for it.


UPDATE:
So you know I am taking my own advice.  I got two people at work to try my seaweed salad at lunch!  Yeah for them for being adventurous and trying something new.

M

McDonalds- well all fast food

McDonalds is singled out because they are the original fast food and start with the letter of the day but this post applies to all fast food. 

I have two children, work full time, and my kids have homework and sports.  I know how challenging it can be to get food on the table at night.   

To stay away for the unhealthy choice of fast food I try to plan ahead.  I will make a large meal on the night we don’t have a sports event so we will have leftovers for the night we do.   If that fails then I always have a frozen meal available just in case I need something quick.  I also have soup and sandwich ingredients on hand at all times.  These packaged products are not the best options, due to sodium content, but I can pair them with healthy sides, not French fries, when we are at home. 

The kids can also get their homework out and started while I make dinner- time that would have been lost at a fast food restaurant.

I don’t ban fast food because I don’t want my kids to crave it and we don’t go there on special occasions so they won’t think of it as a treat.  We will go once a month but as they have outgrown the happy meal so have they stopped asking to go.  We still go to In-N-Out but I feel better about their food quality. 

Think about the food choices you are making and the habits you are instilling in your children.  The less you eat fast food the better for your health.

I realize that K has gone by and I already posted one but it was not the original K I had planned to post so I am posting the original K on our day off.

Kudos

Why do we focus on the negative?  Make a concerted effort to find the positive and give kudos to the people around you.  

We all know how great it feels to be recognized so why don’t we make the effort to recognize others? 

If you have children encourage them positively by giving them kudos for a job well done, for their efforts on a new our difficult task.  Don’t forget about your spouse; you know they would appreciate your positive praise as well.

Friends, co-workers, service staff…spread the kudos and make someone’s day better.

Great job taking a minute for yourself and reading today's affirmation.  Keep it up!

L

Levity

 I have so much daily responsibility, work, writing, raising my children, feeding my family, cleaning the house, washing clothes…the list could go on for pages, I tend to be focused on accomplishing all the tasks.  When I do this no one in our house is happy, least of all me.

I have to focus on relaxing and actually being in the moment with my children.  Asking how their day was and listening to their stories, not just asking if homework is done perfectly.  If the dishes don’t get done one day they will be there tomorrow.  Decide what is important and give that your precious attention.

For my family it is levity.  Making sure we have fun together makes my children more open with me when it comes to sharing their feelings and information about their friends and their days.  Having that open line of communication will be very important as we reach their teen years.  Which are careening toward me at warp speed!

Have fun today!

K

Kismet or Karma

Fate or Free will.   Kismet is fate.  Karma is how your actions set in motion a cycle of cause and effect.

I have a hard time with fate.  Then why agonize over decisions if it is already fated?

I choose Karma.  I want to weigh the decisions I make and know that I am responsible for the events that follow.  I also believe that humans need something more to believe in.  A moral compass to guide them.  Many people ignore laws because they don’t see how they apply to them but with Karma everything you do has a direct impact on you.  You, the most important person in your world.  People pay a little more attention when they know that it will somehow affect them.  If the threat of Karma coming back to you in a bad way keeps someone from hurting others that is wonderful.   

Karma, in the common usage, also has a little more immediacy than waiting until your dead with the potential of Hell for eternity.  I think the fact that you could suffer now gives it a little more weight in day to day decisions.

Spread some good Karma today; even if you believe in Kismet.

J

Justification

If you have to justify what you are doing then you should listen to your conscience.  You know, that little voice pulling at the corners of your brain for your attention.

I had an employee tell me that they would never act that way, while admitting that they did.  They would never behave like that ever.  Yet they did at work no less.  They then proceeded to blame everyone else involved for the incident.

The only thing you can control is your actions.  If you have to justify why you did something to yourself than maybe it is not something you should not be doing.

I justified the second chocolate with the sad excuse of my rough day.  I knew better the whole time I was doing it and didn’t take the time to stop myself.  Okay that is not a situation with serious ramifications but it is something we do every day.  If you get used to tuning out your little voice you may ignore it when you need it most.

By the way- that employee really lost me when others were blamed for their actions and they are in trouble.  I am trying not to divulge sex so this reads a bit weird but please understand my need for anonymity.

I

Innocence

Innocence gets a bad rap. It is usually associated with ignorance or naiveté. I believe this is something
to be held on to. Children today are exposed to so many things before they should be. Take the time
and effort to protect your children from violence and sex. The ratings on movies and video games are
there for a reason. Limit the time kids spend watching and playing something that is violent or has adult
themes that you allow.

During an animated Easter special televised at 8 PM on ABC Family the commercials they showed were
completely inappropriate. They were scenes of a sexual nature. I recorded the show and told my
children we would watch it tomorrow. This way I was able to fast forward through the commercials that
I felt were not okay for them to watch- which is a real problem on ABC Family.


Once kids are exposed to things that are too mature for them it cannot be undone. If they are exposed
to something too mature for them make sure you discuss it with them and be understanding and
supportive if they have nightmares or ask questions that are tough to answer.

H

Health

You thought I was going to go with Happy didn’t you? Well, without good health happiness is tough to
come by. Take time to go for your annual physicals. Make sure your family members do as well.

Preventative measures are important to good health. If you are a woman do breast self-exams regularly
and encourage your friends and family to do the same. Check out any unusual moles instead of
ignoring them.

G

Grateful

It is important to be happy with what you have but many people don’t even realize how much they
have. We have been trained to focus on what we want, which is usually something you don’t have.
Once you acquire it you move on to the next thing you want and don’t appreciate the items you were
yearning for before.

Take time to think about all you have to be grateful for. If you actually write it down it will be a very
long list. Be amazed at how much you have and be grateful. Many of us have enough to share with
others who are in need and would be very grateful for the gifts they receive.

F

Fun

Have fun every day.  Take time to relax and unwind.  Look for humor and enjoy it.  Find a person who makes you happy and spend a time with them.  Find an activity that makes you happy and carve out time for it. 

This sounds stupid, right?    I bet if you pay attention to your day you will realize you have a lot of days when you are so busy that you do not have fun.  

I came to this realization yesterday when my difficult work week came to a close and I had not had lunch with any of my friends or even had  a conversation with anyone that did not pertain to work.  I feel drained and depressed.  If I had actively taken time for fun I know I would not be in this state.

Enjoy your weekend! 

E

Everyone

My favorite life movie is Harold and Maude. This movie has so many great quotes about life and living it to the fullest.    

Here is my favorite:

Scene set up:  Harold and Maude are in a field of flowers and Harold says he wants to be like the daisies that are all around them because they are all the same.

Maude: “Oooh, but they're not.  Look.  See, some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have lost some petals.  All kinds of observable differences.  You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who are this, [she points to a daisy] yet allow themselves be treated as that [she gestures to a field of daisies].”

We live in a world of mass marketing where we are always told to conform.  Don’t listen.  Be you, not everyone else. 

D

Doubts

Examine any doubts you have.  Consider if they are justified.  If they are not, dismiss them.  If they are, here is your opportunity to find a solution before they become an obstacle.

Dreams- Your goals not the ones you have while you sleep.

Dreams are not idle folly.  Dreams give me something to shoot for.  They are inspiring.
My dream to write and share all the stories running around in my head brought me to CBW-LA, an amazing writing group for Children, Middle Grade and Young Adult authors; and to their seminar with Arlee Bird.  That seminar led me here.  In the A-Z Challenge where I am learning a lot about the steps I need to achieve my goals to bring me closer to my inspiring dream of getting my manuscript published!

Reach for your dreams and enjoy every step along the path to achieving them. 

C

Confidence

Confidence is tough to have.  We all have a little voice in our head that strikes when we need it least  which eats away at our confidence.  It is important to focus on your achievements and cultivate your confidence.

B

Believe

Believe that you have the tools to accomplish what you want.  Having belief in yourself allows you to start the tasks you need to accomplish to reach your goals.

A – Z Daily Affirmations

Welcome to the A-Z challenge!

I was so excited by the A-Z challenge and tried to come up with a cohesive theme for the challenge before I started writing.   Arlee Bird said that there were, of course, letters that are a challenge like Q.  As soon as he said that I knew instantly what I wanted to write for Q.   (You’ll have to wait and see.) 

Once I wrote Q  I started working on the other letters I thought would be tough and once I started writing  a surprising theme emerged…Affirmations.

This was very surprising for me because if you said the word affirmations to me I would scoff at it and dismiss you as someone who needs a crutch.  But the more I wrote the more I realized that maybe I just have the wrong (Stuart Smalley, self-help book aisle) association with the word.  Everyone I know gets down on themselves and forgets how wonderful they are. 

I hope these 26 shots of encouragement and reminders will be helpful to everyone who reads them and the people around you; especially if you share them and put them into practice.

Cheers!

Kate

A

Applause

Applaud yourself for the efforts you make.  Not everything works out as planned but acknowledge the effort you put in and give yourself the praise you deserve.  Then evaluate the situation and try again.

Applaud others for their efforts as well to keep them engaged and positive.