The faculty of contact is a true talent – like musical, literary or athletic talent. Some people are talented jugglers or mathematicians. Some are talented in making contact with each other…Knowing the right way to engage, a comment that breaks the ice, body language that expresses openness and spontaneity, a look that, without invading, touches you deeply.

It took me a long time to realize that what comes so easily to me are my talents.  The ability to ‘work the room’, meet new people, speak in public, lead an effort, write a blog, design a newsletter, and put others at ease … is where I shine.

Since the art of contact, communication and interaction come so naturally I used to think 1) anybody can do this, 2) it’s no big deal 3) it’s not really a talent.  Since I didn’t play an instrument, win awards, create a sculpture, win an Oscar, or design a building, I figured I was hopeless.

But here I am … talented beyond measure. I read, write, learn, share, teach, train, engage, inspire, include, and blog.  I’ve come out of the closet and shared a little bit more about me. Here I am, stepping out of my zone, strutting my stuff and smiling the whole time.

‘What now,’ she wonders…

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I had no idea that spending time in my basement away from my regular routine would lead to hot baths, quiet mornings and a more organized basement!

Last week, I challenged myself to read a book out of my comfort zone and … and boy oh boy did I pick a doozy.  The nonfiction book called The Imperial Life in the Emerald City is an expose about the misadventures of the US occupation in Iraq after Saddam’s fall. As I read, my heart dropped and my disgust grew. The arrogance and deceit were evident everywhere you looked. My heart hurt to read it. So, good-bye book… I gave it a good try (6+ Chapters) but the leadership, greed and disregard for the citizens was too demoralizing.

A second book I have open and am reading is called The Happiness Project and it’s a study about …yes, you got it right — Happiness. Talk about two sides of a coin! Whew…

This week will be 30 minutes walking per day – outside. NO treadmill, track or elliptical machine. Out in the fresh air under the sky I love so much. I’ll let you know how it goes.

What do you plan to do?

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This past week I decided to head to the basement within the first hour of returning from work. Normally I scarf down some food and read while I’m eating. This deviation from my normal routine was actually quite nice.

• Monday was spend jumping on my trampoline, cleaning things up, stretching and doing some laundry. When I returned upstairs it was after 7 pm. I was ready to settle down, read, eat and relax. Most important of all, I did something I haven’t done in a VERY long time – I took a long hot soak. After reading Joss commit to a week of  taking baths and how it affected her, I wanted to be in that place again. I used to take baths all the time but now it’s an afterthought and one I usually skip. This week I committed to myself…

• Tuesday morning, I awoke and sat in the dark morning silence for a bit. That quiet time gave me time to remember my dreams and I took time to write them down. I’ve noticed that I’m having more dreams lately and by writing them down, I am inviting more into my world.
• Tuesday night was book club night, 7 women, wine, hot tea, lots of food, book discussion, life sharing, laughter… no need to go to the basement!
• Wednesday morning I was up early and sat in silence – then spent some time reading before I began my day. What an amazing effect that stillness has on my day. It transforms what lies ahead into the here and now. Oh so sweet!
• Wednesday evening was back in the basement, stretching and throwing darts.
• Thursday evening back in the basement, playing darts, jumping up and down, more darts, singing, lalala… That evening was another soak in the bathtub. The bath water scented with Hawaiian Coconut Sea Salt helped to slow me, ground me and calm me.
• Friday morning started off with a bit of reading in my quiet house.
• Friday night is group therapy at the local pub with 3 other girlfriends. It’s a fun way to end the week – sharing, connecting and getting caught up with each other over a beer and wings.
• Saturday morning was a solo hike up Rabbit Mountain. The changing sky kept my eyes facing up and the appreciation I felt toward the landscape multiplied.  You all know how much I adore Colorado with so much sky, sun, mountain views and tons of reasons to be outside. Love, love, love!
• Sunday morning the wind was blowing like crazy but I don’t cancel a hike when it was I who suggested it! The sky was a blanket of gray clouds and we were dressed for the weather and off we went. It was a glorious hike filled with conversation, laughter, ideas, book suggestions and friendship it was an amazing way to begin a Sunday.

It was a great week for me and I especially loved the disruption I caused which helped change everything up. Taking baths was the best, followed by morning quiet time.

Spending so much time with me kept me from blogging and visiting you. I’ll work on that this week, ok?

Did you do something out of your comfort zone?

If you have a minute, I learned that we two others who’ve joined our NoCZ-12 Challenge. Take a moment to visit Nimi’s Musings and Allen Jambalaya.

More to come …

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Because of this decision the whole feel of my week has changed.

I’ll find more words and let you know what’s different when the week ends.

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Every time, without fail when Blessed by Joan Armatrading plays … I stop in my tracks. It’s powerful and sweet and a reminder of all the wonderful things I already have in my world. I couldn’t find her singing it so I am including a YouTube video so you can hear the lyrics and music. It’s less than 2 minutes long and leaves you wanting more.

Blessed

Life is hard
Work is dirty
Friends plead poverty
Fame and fortune
Keeps it’s own time
So don’t wait up

But if you can feel the sun
If you can feel the rain
Life can’t be bad
If you’ve got food to eat
And all your dreams to dream
Life can’t be bad
If you can walk away
and fight another day
Life can’t be that bad

For all the things that I can do
How could I complain
I’ve got no broken wings
I’ve got a heart that sings
And I feel blessed

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• Maxs2′s Blog

First of all I wore a dress again. Yes, I think it’s like breaking in new running shoes; it’s a slow process that becomes easier each time. My two dresses can be worn a few more times before anybody realizes that perhaps I only own two?

The toilet got fixed! You can call me Marge Katherine or you can call me Rosie the Riveter!

I resigned from my role as a board member but agreed to stay on and be the Fiddle Festival coordinator. This will be the 2^nd year for the organization and for me. I’ll keep you tuned in.

As for my online and off-line friends:

Carol at Quillfyre got her hands dirty trying out a pottery class. Her descriptive poem sums it all up for us.

Anne at Heaven Sent made a phone call to ask for forgiveness for something that she didn’t do. This was totally out of her comfort zone but she did it anyhow.

Joss at Crowing Crone decided to call one person each day for a week. After reading her post I wrote down a list of people I want to call. They are all still on my list – I am expecting that she did much better than I did.

Jackie at A Heart’s Whispers stated for the whole world to read that she was going to 1) contact her chiropractor and 2) honor her commitment to Ahna.

At Diggingher the opportunity to volunteer and step up to work with Dress for Success was offered and received.

ChittleChattle will surely give an update on her TV appearance. To think we have a star in our mist!

More updates to come…

Now for this week:

When I come home from work, I usually open the fridge and grab something to eat, whether I’m hungry or not. This week I plan to come home and head to the basement for the first half hour. I can throw darts, jump on my trampoline, lift weights or read a book – but it will be in a brand new environment.

Ha!

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Sometimes it’s hard to step away from a role that we do so well. In my family, I was always the peacemaker and I hated conflict. I was close to all my siblings but not anymore. There’s been dis-ease between a sister and myself for over 5 years and it’s sad.

Now this sister is recovering from surgery and I get to read emails that others have received about her health and progress. I hear about her pain and I am in pain.

Yet, my role as friend and confident has changed to that of observer offering love, prayers, hope and healing. It’s not a place I’d ever imagine I would be and yet … it’s where I am.

Something tells me that I need to put these words on paper and share them with you. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar or know of someone who has. Maybe you shut someone out and don’t know how to let them back in? Maybe you’re on the outside looking in …

Maybe…

What if …

If only…

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No Comfort Zone 2012 Challenge
NoCZ-2012

Last week I discovered a road that I had never seen before – but I can assure you it was there all along. I drove east and went up hills and down until I came to a dairy farm during breakfast. The girls were just chattering away, munching, laughing and having the best time. They noticed me, nodded and continued with their grain. Perhaps if I stopped by a bit later they might have more time for me…

This past week Pam and I replaced the fill valve and the other thingy in my toilet tank. If you know anything about this (which I did not) … it means the entire tank has to come off, turned upside down, the screw has to come off (righty tighty, lefty loosey) and after a few more visits to the hardware store – the entire process is reversed and put back on. Ta Da! No leaks, no spills and best of all – the toilet works fine for the final price of $35.47.

I also found myself stopping the car to get a photo or two instead of doing it ‘later’.

I found that wearing a dress this week was almost easy compared to my experiment last week.

And I am looking for new opportunities to get out of my comfort zone. I SO wanted to hand off the toilet repairs to someone else but if my friend was willing to help me then by golly, I wasn’t going to say no. In fact, now we are the neighborhood experts (not sure if that’s a good thing or not …)

Words of Wisdom from Starbear:

The Gift: If you are doing the NoCZ Challenge or not ~ Print it out if you wish. Carry it with you, put it on the fridge. Remember to be patient with and kind to yourself and others as we take Baby Steps or leap into new territory…. and remember to laugh at the water’s edge! Jumping in – the water feels great!

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This is not the right fit for me. I don’t know (or care) about which category turkeys are in (they need a different category for the larger (40+ lbs.). The Royalty were crowned, someone stepped down (she took my idea) but before she did she handed over a 6 page document (explained in detail) of everything she did and suggestions on how to make it bigger, better and more attractive to the unsuspecting public. This hard-working committee of 18 (Yes, 18) is a great group of people and have a vested interest in the outcome of the yearly event. I have a small part that does not include lambs, turkeys, goats, weaving, painting, blueberry muffins or the price of beef. My focus is getting a FiddleFest up and running. See where I’m coming from?

Ok, back to me. I can assist this board but not by being bored. I can work on a subcommittee – get my part done (I’ll keep you posted on this as I ramp it up) and avoid meetings that make me cringe.

• Discomfort – admitting I shouldn’t be on this board.
• Discomfort- having to call the President and let him know he’s losing a board member but gaining a great worker bee.
• Discomfort – realizing that saying ‘yes’ isn’t always good.

Growth – knowing I’m doing what’s best for me.
Stretching – wondering where else I need to assert myself and say ‘No’.

It’s about honoring me, my time commitments and my desires. Simple, right?

Words of wisdom are welcome!

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