The Final Analysis

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone may destroy overnight; Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is all between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

- -Mother Theresa-

Another TUT Message

People who do all they can, with what they've got, from where they are, Sue, no matter how puny their actions, how tiny their steps, or how futile it may seem, simply have more fun.

Way.

Of course, to the uninitiated it doesn't appear that way. To them it appears as if only those taking gigantic leaps, who drive cars with fancy wheels, have loads of friends, perfect bodies, and fly around the world in First Class Sleeper Seats, are having fun. But what they don't realize is that we're often talking about the very same folks, just at different points in their journey.

Coffee, tea, or a brand new Bentley?

The Universe

Lighten Up!

One of my goals for my life is to be more mindful...meaning being in the present moment more.

At age 25, I was diagnosed with a disabling, chronic pain syndrome called Fibromyalgia. There has been a ton of new research, and there is a lot more information out there about this disease than there used to be. Before that, I never really understood what was wrong with me. I just knew that if I did certain activities, I would hurt...and I hurt if I didn't do anything at all...or I just knew that I was afraid to participate in certain activities for fear of hurting...or rather that I could not do certain things at all. I felt like a 25 year old women trapped inside of an eighty something's body...except that body looked 25!


I'm sure other chronic pain sufferers know what I'm talking about...regardless of what causes your chronic pain...fortunately, mine is non-degenerative.



I never really got answers for my pain. I thought I was going crazy at times. Why do I hurt like this when there is nothing 'wrong' (according to x-rays and blood tests)? So I kind of let it take over my being.......it was my past and present and going to be my future! Pain was who I was...pain kept me on the couch...a lot. I never knew back then what I could be capable of doing today!

I've never really been a quitter though either.

All of these years, I did my own research on FMS (Fibromyalgia). I learned a lot. I have met others who have it. Talking about it with others who have it helps. I have made certain changes in my lifestyle too. And now my doc has found out I have a low thyroid. I'm excited to see how my new thyroid medicine will help me. Even though the symptoms of low thyroid mimic those of FMS, I still don't think I'm completely out of the woods on Fibromyalgia just yet. It will take some time to really adjust to the thyroid meds and see if they are working.

Anyway, I'm just writing about this I guess, to say that I can still do anything i want, even with chronic pain. If I just live in the present moment....all I have to get through is that moment...I don't have get through to that night or to the next morning yet...just that one moment.

Does this make sense?

I read an article about being mindful and in the present moment for chronic pain sufferers and how it helps with chronic pain. It made sense to me. Instead of being afraid or giving up...now, i just keep pushing on...all i have to make it through is this present moment. I'll just do my best. I know it will be different each day, but I will always try and give it my best.

"Come on Sue, you got this....you can do this!"

Excited!!!

So my blog here is finally up to date now.

My new year is getting pretty exciting already! :)

I really want to get into bouldering now. Its the only way I will get stronger, develop better technique and move past this plateau!!!

So last night, I drove up to REI near Charlotte, at the spur of a moment, and bought a crash pad.

I'm running the Bridge Run again in Charleston this year. I hope I beat my last year's time! :)

I have already registered for another race in May as well. It's called the Warrior Dash. It's crazy! It's a 3 mile+ race with crazy obstacles. I absolutely cannot wait. I'm a little nervous, but I've already started running, etc. It's gonna be great. A ton of my friends have registered too from Raleigh and from Columbia.

I've registered for the John Friend's Anusara Yoga Workshop this year too in March. I did his workshop he held here back in 2008. It was pretty awesome.

Spring is just around the corner, and that means more climbing trips again! :)
Super Stoked!

And there are a few other possible trips coming up. There is a yoga retreat in Turkey on the Mediterranean hosted by City Yoga here in Columbia. The retreat is in July. I'm not sure if I can afford it yet, but we'll see. I already put in a leave request at work for some vacation time for it. And a friend of mine is kayaking for 4 days to Charleston one weekend coming up soon in the spring. I really want to go.

And I am refinancing my home...less bills! I meet with my appraiser next week!

I hope 2010 brings me adventure and more friends!!!

Time heals and distance makes a heart grow fonder!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. "

I needed to read this again...

Desiderata:

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the the world is full of trickery. But let not this blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all it's sham drudgery and broken dreams; it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

-- Max Ehrmann

January 12, 2010 - A great link

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/mindfulness/2009/09/mondays-mindful-quote-pema-chodron-on-being-fully-alive/

January 11, 2010

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2009/01/your-happiness-project-dont-let-the-perfect-be-the-enemy-of-the-good.html

Awesome link folks! You should read it.

My favorite part:
"Satisficers are those who make a decision or take action once their criteria are met. That doesn’t mean they’ll settle for mediocrity; their criteria can be very high, but as soon as they find the pasta sauce or the business card that has the qualities they want, they’re satisfied. Maximizers want to make the optimal decision. Even if they see a bicycle or a backpack that meets their requirements, they can’t make a decision until after they’ve examined every option, to make the best possible choice. Studies suggest that satisficers tend to be happier than maximizers; maximizers spend a lot more time and energy to reach a decision, and they’re often anxious about whether they did, in fact, make the best choice."

Please "don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good."

January 10, 2010 - a cool quote

"You are educated when you have the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or self-confidence."

-Robert Frost

January 9, 2010 - Change is the Essence of Life

"Be willing to surrender who you are for who you could become!"

I often have to come back to this quote a lot in my life...

Learning and evolution take constant practice.

January 8, 2010

I've got a feeling, Sue, that 2010 is going to be your kind of year. That you'll be happier than you've ever been, laughing harder, smiling wider, standing taller, walking lighter, dancing crazier, hugging longer, living grander, loving louder, and if you want, selling the pictures to a tabloid to raise money for your new charity.

Can you feel it, too?

The Universe :)

January 7, 2010 - a short poem

With the good comes the bad
the happy, the sad
with the end there was a beginning
with losing the winning
smiling and tears
hopes and fears
through times of doubt,
you can sort things out
to pass the test,
just try your best
life's a journey
succeed in the quest!

- unknown

January 7, 2010 - Why not?

"It's not a bad thing for a person to ask 'why'.

'Why' is the ultimate question of learning.

However, there comes a time in every man's life when he must put aside all of the unanswered 'why' questions and believe in something. This faith could be placed in something he does not completely understand, and it may even be something that does not appear worthy of his faith. But the important thing is that the faith is placed.

It is fruitless to sit and ask questions your whole life, waiting for the perfect answers before you make a single move. I tell you, even if those answers were right in front of your face, you would not have the capacity to understand them."

- Chris Strake

January 2010 - Tested

"Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and give up. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be."

January 2010

2010 will be my year for leading some trad!!! At least, that is my goal.