Friday, October 30, 2009

The Joy diet: week 7

The process this week:

1) TGIF!!! I was so eager to leave the risk week behind that I started the "Chapter # 6: Treats" a day early. I started reading it on the train on the way to my mom´s. I got through half a chapter but got the gist of the treats idea right away. ;) By the time we arrived at the destination and with 30ºC I treated the kids and MYSELF to the first icecream of the season. (Background note: I treat the kids to icecream from time to time in the hot months but me? Almost never!) Oh, this is going to be good! *grin*

Fast forward five hours. The temperature has dropped from 30ºC to 10ºC and it is pouring.
Hubbie suggested my buying myself something with long sleeves to wear on top of my T shirt. While breathing in to say "No, thanks, I´ll endure the cold" I changed my mind and said "Yes, please". Oh, my! This is big. Two treats in a day.

Now, the jury is still out on the third treat. Is it a treat or a trick? A treat or a torture? Why? Because I found an exercises dvd. (Background note 2: it seems we are a gym going folks so this type of dvds is almost impossible to find). It is one of my "should"s as in I should exercise but I don´t like it.

2) Finished the chapter on Saturday and realized I had got it slightly wrong: I was supposed to do something scary BEFORE the treat. *shrug* Oh, well, that candy I had while reading was a real treat. ;)

3) Scan the vecinity for treats on Sunday, find none available.

4) Another big step on Monday. For the first time in a very long time (so long I can´t really remember doing this before) ... I cooked for myself. (Background note 3: I cook for my family three times a day every day but grab whatever is at hand when I´m alone)


5) Tuesday I go on my merry way. :) I take the risk of going to that unknown place I mentioned
to buy that strange oven accesory. A personal success story. ;) I go window shopping as a treat but I feel the anxiety beginning to build up. "Hurry!", I think, "you still need to do this, that and the other".

6) Wednesday is melt down day

Fast forward to the evening. Feel thanksful for all the caring messages. Thanks to Toni´s heads up message I discovered that the new UKScrappers cyber crop is about The
Wizard of Oz so I enroled. Before doing so I asked for the best possibility for me to be my team. I got the Tin Man.
No HEART? I could understand no courage, but no ... HEART?
I grumble and pout for a while.

7) On Thursday I see thing differently. May be the lack of heart means that lack of desires I have been struggling with since item # 3. If that is correct it means that by the end of the crop I WILL HAVE a heart!

Week 7 check in: not much of Nothing, keeping an eye on Truth, still without a clear vision on desires, irritated by the creativity exercises, taking a calculated risk here and there, aware of the treats or lack of them.

15 comments:

GraceGal said...

What a delight your post is! I laughed out loud. By the way, I got the treat thing wrong too but it was so much fun :) And Ms. Tin Man, I see heart written all over your blog. I wouldn't fret too much about it.

Ginny said...

I am so glad you are taking the time to treat yourself. It will be so much fun finding things that make us smile and then actually doing them.

valli said...

Oh Paula...this is a great post. I was laughing so hard especially abou the exercise tape. Here's to you and your discoveries through treats and tortures. You have a heart. Even the tinman discovered that he had a heart and so do you.
Take care and have fun with our week of play.

Nadya said...

I loved your post, too - also chuckling about some of the similarities! Yea on treating yourself as well as the kids, & saying 'yes' to a new shirt!

& laughing over the exercise video 'saga!' It took me awhile to realize I LOVE dance, & my dau & I found some fun hula tapes - Kili 'island girl' (we ordered on-line, & pretty inexpensive)
- yea on cooking for YOURSELF for a change! I have also been cooking more, too:)
On to 'laughter!'

becky nielsen said...

Terrific discoveries for you this week! Maybe the treat thing will actually begin to grow on you. I think the big step is when you realized you really would like to have a warmer shirt and didn't let your pride get in the way since you'd already said no, and were free to say "Yes!" We do trip our selves up a lot.

Unknown said...

I loved the details of your post. So hilarious and so true for so many of us.

Thank you for reminding us to keeping our thoughts on the other ingredients in the Joy Diet.

Lisa @sacred circle said...

Wonderful to read your week's unfolding... as your desires speak to you, it'll become easier... but no heart? You have an enormous heart~ filled with compassion and hope!

WrightStuff said...

It's great to follow your story through the week. Keep treating yourself - remember this is the JOY diet - and we know you are ready to take risks too. As you know I took a huge one this week!! Eek!

Lexington said...

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I really love the way you approach the book with honesty and humour.

Pink Heels said...

Too funny! Thanks for making me laugh. May your life be filled with other fun treats!

peppylady (Dora) said...

Treats are wonderful. I spend the day to what I want mainly and it sure was a nice treat for me.

Coffee is on.

Helen said...

Indeed what a humorous post! It's about time we had our treats. I enjoy reading your treatment of this book -- there's a touch of lightness about it all. I tend to take things too seriously, so I'd like to borrow some of your ingredients, if I may!

Kathryn Costa said...

Oh my your wrap up is pretty funny. I have to say that the Joy Diet can be overwhelming. When I saw you tin man my thoughts went immediately to the part when he rusts up -- I've felt like that when I haven't taken care of myself and I get all stiff. In these cases I'll say, "I feel rusted up like the tin man." Could it be an early sign of arthritis? I hope not! The tin man could be a message that reminds you to take care of your heart -- to treat yourself well so you fill your heart and know that you have it. The tin man really always had heart -- he just didn't know it. I hope you have a great week and remember that you do ALWAYS have heart and a big one too!

Anonymous said...

Cool post..thanks for sharing!

Melita said...

loving your treats :)

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