Are Your Goals Suffering From Seasonal Confusion Disorder (SCD)?

“We are always “in progress.”‘ ~ Lara Casey

I am someone who likes order. I like predictability. So you can imagine my confusion recently when it was almost 70 degrees . . . in January.

Notice I said confusion, and not sadness.

While it was nothing like I’ve been used to, as a recent Birmingham transplant from the North Country, I loved that I could be outside playing with the boys in the middle of January. I may have even sent a few pictures of us outside to our friends back in Ohio, who, just this past weekend, got dumped on by snow. I know, I shouldn’t have. But these are the same people who also saw pictures of me sweating it out here during our first Southern summer. Honestly, I think these nice days in the middle of January are nature’s way of saying thank you to those of us down here in the South for dealing with her hot flashes in the summer . . . and fall.

Since moving to Birmingham in June, I’ve learned that the South, at times, suffers from Seasonal Confusion Disorder (SCD).

While we’re on the topic of SCD, did you know your goals could suffer from the same ailment? I didn’t either, until I met Lara Casey.

Now looking back, I realize SCD was a silent killer of my goals for so many years. I would set these lofty goals without taking into account the season of life I was in.  What has transformed my view on goal setting this year was realizing that my goals need to match my season.

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How are you progressing on your goals?  Feeling burnt out?  Overwhelmed?  If so, these may be signs of SCD.  But there is a cure.  For more on the importance of assessing the season your in, refreshing your goals, and matching your goals to your season, check out my latest post on the Birmingham Moms Blog.

Tough Conversations With Kids – Preparing Your Child with a Plan to Prevent Sexual Abuse

“…if you’re a parent, it doesn’t matter if your child is five or 50 – you still worry.” ~ Heather Small

The plus sign or double pink lines on pregnancy tests should really be accompanied by a little note that reads, “Welcome to parenthood – the world of worry.” Because that’s when it all starts . . .

While pregnant, you worry about the health and safety of your baby. You hold your breath while the ultrasound tech checks the strength of heart valves, counts ten tiny toes, and takes your sweet one’s measurements. You get butterflies as the doctor spends those first few seconds scanning the chart to check on the baby’s progress. But at that time, your worry appears to have an end point – birth.

You think, “Once my little one is in my arms and I can see him or her, those eyes, that mouth, and those little fingers wrapped around my thumb, everything will be all right – I won’t have to worry anymore.”

But then you learn that worrying about your child’s well-being doesn’t end at birth. It begins.

Unfortunately, sleepless nights don’t end when you’re out of the newborn phase. There’s just a different reason for them. What starts as worrying about feedings with a newborn changes to worrying about classmates in elementary school, which morphs into worrying about your teen texting while driving despite the million times you’ve told him or her not to. Worrying about the little ones we love is just part of parenting.

One worry many parents have as their little ones attend daycare or school, or are left with babysitters, is body safety and abuse. Unfortunately, there’s good reason to worry. The state of Alabama is in line with national statistics, which show that one in every 10 children will experience some form of sexual abuse before turning 18. That stat is staggering. But here’s the good news — we can do something. We can educate them and empower them.

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For tips on how to make body safety another part of your family’s safety plan, check out my latest post on the Birmingham Moms Blog where Executive Director of the Children’s Hospital Intervention and Prevention Services at Children’s of Alabama gives some tips on key components to include in your family’s plan.

Learning How to Enjoy the Moment

“Children are not a distraction from more important work.  They are the most important work.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I have a sneaking suspicion.

I suspect that if each of us thought back to the advice we received while pregnant, one of the top ten most-received tidbits would be, “Enjoy the moment.”

However, the problem is, while family, friends, co-workers, and even complete strangers are quick to offer this bit of advice, no one tells you how to do that.

No one tells you how to “enjoy the moment” when your newborn has day/night confusion and you are running on less than three hours of sleep.

No one tells you how to “enjoy the moment” when your potty-training toddler has his or her fifth accident that day and you’re up to your elbows in poop, laundry, and Clorox wipes.

No one tells you how to “enjoy the moment” when your patience (and nerves) are shot from dealing with a contrary toddler that just.won’t.listen.

Forget about enjoying the moment, we are just trying to survive it.

That’s where I found myself recently. Then, while having breakfast with the boys, I looked out the window and saw the school bus pass by. Inexplicably, my heart leapt.  I could feel a swelling deep in my gut.

These sweet, albeit chaotic, mornings with my two boys are numbered. All too soon they won’t want to sit down and tell me about the dragons they slayed in their dreams over toast.  They may not laugh at the silly faces I make, or ask me ten times to do the robot voice that makes them laugh so hard they get the hiccups.

Then that advice came echoing back, “Enjoy the moment.”

Sitting at the table that morning, I resolved not to squander these moments. However, then I had to come up with a game plan to actually follow the advice I had been given.

Read the rest of this post on the Birmingham Moms Blog.

Advice Well Lived (TPFL)

“I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that I’ve written for myself, and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my part.”  ~Shirley MacLaine

Dear Class O’ 2K10,

I have to start out by apologizing. I have struggled with this blog. I really have.

I love to write and can often pull from my natural sarcasm to evoke some humor but for some reason I have not been able to start this one. That is part of the reason that it is 8:25 p.m. on the night before it will be posted and my sweet friend Jacklyn still hasn’t received it. I have been thinking about this for over a week and I am still not sure where to start. I have thought about several different directions to go with it…

White girl can jump. CBrown kickin' a$ at the high jump.

I thought about telling you about how much I loved my high school experience and somehow tying in how my Captain of the sports teams/Student Council/Most School Spirit/HC Queen coolness related to who I am today. But if I am honest, it really didn’t…

I thought about giving you some tips on how to figure out who you are. I think there are like 9.4 million books written on that topic but the reality is – you figure it out as you go.

I thought about copying and pasting the words from Dr. Seuss’s book, “Oh! The Places You’ll Go.” That, in fact, is true.

I thought about encouraging you to LIVE it up during these years….live every moment, take nothing for granted…you know, that kind of inspirational, overused, and 100% true stuff…

I thought about writing about what is cool. Because you are going to college and you are going to need to know. And because I am the obvious expert. No, seriously.

I thought about copying the entire famous Sunscreen Speech as my entry. It was read by our Valedictorian at our graduation ceremony, seemed like good advice and would be fast. (Plagairized, but fast nonetheless.)  Then I remembered that I never wear sunscreen so that just didn’t seem right.

I thought about telling you what to expect in the coming years and then telling you that these next few years are the best years of your life like everyone told me. But seriously, they aren’t. College was great, but each year of my life has gotten even better since then.

I thought about sharing my journey with you of the God that has pursued me relentlessly since my Sophmore year in high school when I met Him for the first time at a Young Life camp as a lost 15 year old. My story is really His story anyway.

But of all the things that I considered, I came to the conclusion that any stories that I could write, inspirational or humorous though they may be, would probably not be remembered by you in the long run.

So instead, I am going to leave you with a few bits of advice that I have come to live by.

This is YOUR journey…And I pray that you make it exactly what you want it to be.

Congratulations Class of 2010!

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Don’t worry about being right, just about being kind.

Help people.

Hang out with funny people so you laugh often.

Work hard.

Fight for what you want and who you are.

Always give good hugs and good handshakes.

Believe in yourself.

Save money. Seriously. Seriously-Seriously.

Dance. Even if it’s just the Step-Touch-Snap…Dance.

You are worth it – don’t settle.

Try new things.

Be weird. Life is so much more enjoyable when you are weird.

Find God.

Love people. Love them well. All of them.

Be someone that you like.

Forgive.

High-Five people for no reason. It’s fun.

Be ballsy.

Always do what is right.

Call people by name.

Don’t ever give up.

Travel.

Find excuses to wear costumes.

Compliment people often.

Be thankful.

Play.

Learn a foreign language.

Say “Boo Yea” daily. It will make you feel better.

Push yourself to do things that you don’t think you can do.

Look for the good in everything and everyone.

Volunteer.

Chillax – things are never as bad as they seem.

Sing.

Wear jeans that make your butt look good.

And lastly, and most importantly…

Make life what you want it to be.

…

Congratulations Class of 2010!

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Lovely Lady

I. Will. Miss. This. Lady. So. Much.

Well, I’ll miss our regular long runs together but I’ll be back.  Not only do I have a training partner but a friend for life.

I mean, read what this girl wrote…can you understand why we’re friends?!

This girl is a self-proclaimed intense friend.  She’s caring, selfless, adventurous, witty and insanely determined and talented.  If Rod is the welcome committee, Christy is the one who makes sure no one is left behind.

I’m honestly having a hard time with her bio because I just think what she wrote captures her so well.  With Christy, what you see is what you get and I love that about her.  Not many people live honestly you know.  Christy does and I love being a part of that.  Head over to Mermaids and Motorcycles and see for yourself.

About this series: This is one of  a series of guest posts in May that will run every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.