SOLUTIONS & IDEAS

Like every human being, I have problems. Sometimes there are things that keep my mind in a whirl - when I can't calm my mind or determine what I should do in a particular situation. You know the old expression, "sleep on it" when one is trying to work out a dilemma.

I have found that my mind solves a lot of problems when I'm walking and not even consciously thinking about solutions. While my mind is occupied with the music I'm listening to and the path I'm walking, some other part of my brain is winding its way through the dilemma. Often, a short time after I return from a walk, I 'suddenly' know the 'right' answer to my problem.

This goes for getting ideas too! When I was approaching a landmark birthday some months ago, I had been thinking about how some of my friends celebrated their birthdays. One paid for her kids and grandkids to join her and her husband at a condo on Maui. Another took a cruise. Kathy G held herself a birthday bash at a community center with good food and the music of our generation. Lots of fun ideas, but none suited me.

One day while I was walking, I got the great idea to ask my friends to create a scrapbook for me. I became really excited about how this might turn out. I scoured the craft stores and the internet for scrapbook pages, made a list of women who had been important in my life over the past 10 or so years, worked up a cover letter explaining my request for each woman to put on paper, in her own way, how our life paths had crossed. I mailed out my scrapbook sheets and cover letters several weeks before my birthday. I didn't really give everyone enough time but I was excited about receiving the scrapbook pages whenever they arrived.

Only a few pages arrived in time for my birthday. But, they were wonderful. Over the next few weeks and, now, months, more have arrived. Crafting isn't everyone's cup of tea. Some people took this as a very serious task and wanted to get it just right. Others took a more relaxed approach and decided to have fun with it. If I had written down a list of what I expected next to each woman's name, my batting average would have been pretty good.

The pages are all wonderful. Each is unique. Each is a perfect reflection of the relationship I have with the woman who created it. There are words and pictures about our children, our hobbies, our milestones, our loves, our shared experiences. How cool is that? I'll have these forever. At some point, I'll try to get all these women together so everyone can see all the pages. It's not a competition - some are lavish while others are fairly sparse. But, they are just perfect. And, it was the perfect gift for my birthday as I didn't want a big party, a lavish trip, or expensive gifts. I never take a camera anywhere with me and my friends do. Now, I have their photos AND their take on all the events we've shared.

So, walk and give your mind time to process what you've been doing. Walk and let your mind and body synchronize so that you can live your best life. It really works!


***************************
Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.