I want my life and my challenges to be simple and straightforward – like a fairy tale or a 50’s sitcom. It would be wonderful if a fairy godmother or a handsome prince could step up and solve all my problems. Or at least I’d love to find the answer in a 30-minute timeslot. I want there to be a simple solution to what seems like a simple problem. It would be so nice if life was a series of simple math equations: a + b = c or d + f = g. If I want “c” to happen, I just do a and b and I get “c”. However, most really important things in life are more like one of those complicated physics problems that take up an entire board. I’ve been thinking that wishing for simple answers to the complicated problems in my life keeps me from doing the difficult work necessary to really change.
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| My life's challenges aren't always easy to solve! |
For example, I want to lose weight and get healthier. It’s simple math, right? (Fewer Calories In) – (More Calories Burned) = Weight Loss. We know people lose weight all the time – they tell us on all those commercials trying to sell us something. I have lost weight before – more than once. And I want it to be simple but it’s not. It’s complicated. I’ve never been able to lose all the weight I needed or keep the weight off. Insecurities, bad habits, time commitments, and LIFE make losing weight more than a simple math problem for me. And no matter what all those happy people say in the commercials, there is that grim statistic that says most people will gain all the weight they lose within 5 years. Pretending weight loss is simple isn’t going to help me beat those odds.
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| Is weight loss a simple math problem or a complicated life challenge? |
A second example: I want a more fulfilled, happy, peaceful life. There are a lot of “experts” who want me to believe there is a simple answer to this goal. The self-help gurus, religious leaders, new agers, spiritualists, and life coaches all have the answers if I just buy their books, or pay their fees, or confine myself to their religious rules. But, if it is so easy, why isn’t everyone joyful and why do they keep writing new books and inventing new rules. I want my fulfilled, happy, peaceful life without guilt, superstitions, silliness or the confinement of religion. And that’s not simple. It’s complicated. I know because I have been a member of a very conservative, rule-based religion for over 30 years and have a bookshelf filled with self-help books. And maybe those things worked for other people, but for me, I need more.
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| As I was walking in the garden, I looked up and saw these tangled branches. They reminded me of my life - beautiful but complicated! |
Final example, I want to be a good teacher with some time to live my own life. They, (I’m not sure who they are – politicians? journalists? administrators?) want me to believe that if I work hard, use current, approved teaching practices (which seem to change yearly), and concentrate on the standards, my students will do well on “THE TEST” and I will be a good teacher. Somewhere in “their” formula, they forgot to include the classrooms full of preteens and teens that are dealing with hormones, poverty, second-languages, texting addiction, anger, ADHD, first love, discouragement, and so much more things than I can even imagine. They’ve also seemed to have forgotten, that being able to complete a “bubble test”, isn’t all there is to learning science. As their science teacher, I also need to prepare them to think critically, deal with complicated issues, and hopefully, compete in a very real and modern science-based world. I believe in being held accountable but I am responsible for more than a state test. I am responsible for my students and their futures. I’m also realizing that I am responsible for myself, and sacrificing my health or my whole life for my students can’t be the answer. Figuring out how to do this isn’t simple. It’s complicated!
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| Is this science? |
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| Or is this science? |
Understanding the complications of my goals doesn’t mean I think they’re impossible. It’s just the opposite. I think that if I can figure out my many complicated issues and face them, I have a greater chance of solving the problems and reaching my goals. The answers are out there. I just have to find my own answers, the ones that fit me. Even if this journey is complicated and difficult, I still think it’s worth all the work I need to do to find my answers.
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| I saw these little flowers - not quite in full bloom. They still have some work to do and so do I. |
So how did I do this week?
Goal 1: I’ve prepared delicious food and exercised everyday. Which was good and bad. As of Monday, I’ve lost 4 more pounds reaching a total of 20 pounds lost. That’s good. But in my enthusiasm, I might have over done it just a bit. I was very sore! I need to remember balance.
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| My blog is anonymous but I want to make a commitment to it. So in the interest of honesty and a sincere desire to improve, here I am stepping on the scales. |
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| Soy Curl Fajitas Topped with Cabbage Salad & Pico de Gallo A Tomato & Avocado Salad with Chives |
Chicken (Soy Curls) Fajitas for 2
Ingredients:
Soy Curls (2 handfuls – or a heaping cup)
Colorful Peppers (1/2 red, green & yellow pepper)
1 small onion
1 small Carrot (optional)
1 small Zucchini (optional)
Cooking Spray or Canola Oil
Cabbage Salad: 2 cups Shredded Cabbage, 3 Green Onions, ¼ - ½ cup Cilantro, Lime Juice from 1 or 2 limes, 2 TB Vegan Mayo (or more to taste) & Seasonings (I use them all) to taste
Pico De Gallo or Salsa
4 corn tortillas
Seasonings: Chili Powder, Cumin, Smoked Paprika (Mild) or Chipotle Powder (Hot), Onion & Garlic Powder, Mrs. Dash’s Table Blend (or salt and pepper to taste), Bill’s Chik-nish Seasoning (or other vegan “chicken” flavoring), Lime Juice
Step 1: Prepare Soy Curls – Soak curls in very hot water until soft. Drain and squeeze out most of the water. Sprinkle with Seasonings and limejuice. Allow soy curls to marinate.
Step 2: Prepare Topping: Mix shredded cabbage with chopped green onions and cilantro. Mix Limejuice, Vegan Mayo, Chili Powder, salt & pepper to taste. Combine cabbage mixture with dressing. Allow salad to marinate.
Step 3: While soy curls & salad marinate, cut all desired vegetables into julienne strips (or buy prepared fajita vegetables). Peppers and onions are essential. If I have a lot of colorful peppers, I use mostly peppers. But if peppers are expensive and I can only afford green peppers, I cut up carrots and zucchini into julienne strips to add a little color. Sauté the vegetables in a little oil or cooking spray until tender. Sprinkle with seasonings to taste. (I am cutting back on salt, which is why I use the Table Blend instead of salt and pepper but that’s a personal preference.) Add the soy curls and continue cooking until soy curls are hot and slightly browned. (You can deglaze the pan with a little water, wine, or beer and add another layer of flavor.)
Step 4: Assemble. Heat corn tortillas. Top with the fajita mix, cabbage salad, & Pico de Gallo (or salsa). Enjoy!
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| Cottage 8-22 |
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| Cottage 8-29 |
Goal 2: As I was walking in the gardens Sunday morning, I felt one of the “should bullies” trying to interrupt. “I should hurry because I have so much to do.” I stopped myself. I drew a line in the sand.
Walking in the gardens is my time to find peace and beauty and to think and figure things out. I can’t do that if I hurry. I don’t want my time here to become something I just check off on my list. I want these experiences to help me find a greater fulfillment in my life. When I stopped thinking about what had to be done and concentrated on what I was seeing, I felt such happiness and such a connection to the world. If I can hold onto those feelings when life gets complicated, I imagine I can deal with the complications much more successfully.
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| My favorite picture this week. How can you look at something so beautiful and not feel happy? |
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| Lamp Post 8/22 |
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| Lamp Post 8/29 |
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