Friday, February 25, 2011

did you go with the flow today?

Life has it's own plans for us at times, and I have learned it's best to go with the flow.

I was scheduled for a meeting with the other birth assistants-to-be at the Puget Sound Birth Center.  I always love these meetings, and find the time spent there to be inspiring.  I was all set to go this morning, and since my kids are on mid-winter break, I had a baby sitter all lined up as well.  Turns out the babysitter was sick.  I found out 15 minutes before I had to be at the meeting.  My gut was telling me to stay home and not leave my kids with a sick babysitter, whose fever just broke less than an hour before he showed up.  My heart and mind wanted to speed across Lake Washington and get to the meeting.

no water, so go with the flow
Life brought me a sick babysitter, and the responsibility to stay home and miss my meeting.  As I sat in my running minivan outside my building, calling the birth assistant coordinator to tell her I couldn't make it, I felt like a grown-up.  There was something empowering about making that choice.


When I came back in and took a long, deep look at my apartment, I started to feel less empowered and more overwhelmed.  And as messy as my kitchen was, the water was turned off in our building today, so I couldn't do the dishes.  I decided to go with the flow on that one too.  The hidden silver lining was that I got to spend today catching up on my to do list.

  • I made several call to schools about the RN programs.  The first lead was a dead end, and was quite disappointing.  The second lead was more promising, but time will tell, as I never did talk to a real person but left plenty of messages.  
  • I called a dentist for my kids, she doesn't take the state funded insurance that we have for the kids, but I felt good about starting that process.  I have dental care blocks, and calling Dr. Tweety was one brick out of that illusory wall.  
  • I spent a good bit of time on the business plan.
  • I put (some) laundry away.
  • I finished up the "Background of the Blog" story for our business plan.

But best of all:

I researched blogs.  Blog tips.  Blog monetizing, the good and the bad of it.  Blog indexes.  Blog conferences.  Blog feeds.  I found a website, ProBlogger, and it is filled with great information about blogs.    I ordered a book from Amazon just the other day and it turns out to be written by the guy that runs this website, Darren Rowse.  Coincidence.  I love that.

One of the challenges I have come up against when it comes to signing "Good Luck With That!" up on blog indexes is what category to put it in.  It seems to fit most into "lifestyle", but then there are lots of other categories it could fall into depending on what month we are in.  One one hand it makes me happy that we are perhaps unique in our approach to the blog world.  On the other, how can I get people to understand in these limited boxes to mark, just what it is we are up to over here?

The other thing that has come up when I read about blogs is interacting with the readers.  I can tell from the stats (in no way do I check these obsessively) that people are out there reading our blog.  You are out there, right?  I would love to hear from you more.  It is super simple.  You just click on comment, found at the end of the post, and type your thoughts in the box that pops up.  And then you can use your google account to attach your name to it, or click the name option and write in your fist name, or just do it by clicking the anonymous option.

Just heard form Amy that she got lost in Renton, and is not going to make it to our meeting that was to be happening right now.  No biggie, I am going with the flow today.  Life has it's own plans.

ciao.
melissa

4 comments:

jamie said...

Going with the flow can be hard but it really is the way. Surrender to what is. Good stuff.

jamie said...

Btw, I did those dishes ya'll. (Is that how one spells ya'll?)

Matt said...

Life is life and one must live it as each moment presents what is....and what is not. You are right on the money honey.

Melissa said...

Jamie - it is the way of the warrior. go through the fire and come out transformed. Not that a dirty kitchen is like a fire, but I was thinking big just now. And thanks for doing the dishes :)
Matt - Don't you know it brother. You are an inspiration to attest to going with what life brings. Here's to staying in the moment.
Cheers,