smiletrial

"Wain....'nuff in two"

Me and my awesome novice team
Originally uploaded by meredithhendricks

In rowing, "wain...'nuff-in-two" is what the coxswain says when we get to take a break after two more strokes. Let me tell you, after a 15 minute piece of three-quarter-power rowing, these words are music to the muscles!

This term along with several others have been finding themselves, repeating like a chant, in my dreams.

For ten years I have literally been sittin' on the dock of the bay" (in Newport Beach) when we visit my in-laws four times a year. Each morning during our stay, I sit out on the docks with my coffee and I watch the crews row by. I find myself fighting hard against the urge to jump in, swim over and join them. I find myself feeling stranded on that dock. A few years ago I saw this photo in a magazine. It inspired me.

Prior to seeing this photo, I guess I thought only college jocks could row. When I read this woman's story I realized that rowing was not just for the young-buff-ones. So, I tore the page out and hung it on my bulletin board for inspiration. It took over two years for me to finally sign-up for the novice rowing class at Station L. In September, I started my first class and last weekend, I competed in my first event and we got a bronze medal! Woohoo! 

The whole rowing experience has been different (and better) than I expected:

1. You have to get-up really early in the morning to be at the rowing club for practice by 5! It is very dark at 5am! But, boy is the river beautiful with the city lights reflecting off the smooth water.

2. I have a whole new group of interesting, fun, and kind friends.

3. Rowing is so technical and mentally challenging...."arms, back, legs, legs, back, arms, feather your blade, stay together, don't rush the slide, power ten, row on the square, don't catch a crab, push with your legs, cut the cake, tap the oars, sit at the catch, don't row over the rainbow, etc.

4. Rowing is a great work-out; I am always sore in just the right places (gluteus maximus).

5. Learning something new really engages one in life. It wakes up the senses. I love it! 

My purpose for this post was to say that it has really been rewarding to have had a vision, to set the goal, to engage in the activity, and then of course, to win. I'm definitely smiling. Get inspired! Find something new to try and give it your all. Try it. 

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The Geography of Bliss

"The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World" is funny, entertaining, adventurous, and informative. 

Like Indiana Jones searching for the Ark of the Covenant, this traveler is on a quest to find out what makes people happy in the happiest places in the world.

This travelogue weaves in humor and stories of interactions with the locals at each destination. Using science as his compass, Weiner searches to discover the Grail we call happiness.

Written by Eric Weiner, a correspondent for National Public Radio. Try it! 

Also: visit the author's website at:

Eric Weiner Books

Smile

Good morning and happy Saturday. 

Like a squirrel, packing away her chestnuts, I have been busy readying my home, work, garden, and attitude for winter. Getting things done always makes me smile. But this morning as I contemplated today's chores and a blog topic, I found that I just wanted to enjoy a bit of goof-off time before getting on with the day. So, I poured a cup of coffee and began surfing the web. Which is how I stumbled upon the YouTube video on today's post. 

I watched "The Bucket List" last evening and it made me smile. It also made me laugh, and cry. I'm a sucker for sappy stories that include the most important parts of our lives: family, friends, and bucket lists. As I watched the Chaplin video I felt inspired to think about my own bucket list. Aside from having not yet sailed the Greek Isles, the Italian coastline, or the BVI's....I'm pretty much living the best possible life. I've got the greatest husband in the world, an amazing clan of kids, a loving (and funny) family, a loyal and super cute dog and some very special "forever" friends. I have a good (great!) life, I am happy, I am healthy, and I feel connected to the ones I love and to my community. Still, there are always new dreams, wishes, and goals on the horizon. As I do chores today, I'm sure I'll come up with some items to add to my bucket list. Try It!

"Happiness"

By: Goldfrapp

Daily Happiness

Are you ever curious about how your daily mood, happiness, or stress compares to that of others? The Gallup Organization has released a research program that assesses Americans each day on these issues. 

It's quite fascinating to see these results and to compare them with our own lives. One index has shown that Americans are happiest when they spend at least six hours a day socializing with friends and family. The research also indicates that we are happiest on weekends. No surprise there! 

Check out the results here: The Gallup Organization

Happy New Year!

 

Since Kindergarten I have been conditioned to the idea that September 2nd is the beginning of a new year. The end of August marks the end of a year. As a kid, I recall the excitement I felt at the thought of a fresh start. I'd ponder all the possibilities of the coming year: the reconnections with old friends and the meeting of new ones. I'd proclaim the upcoming year will be better than the last. I'd promise better grades. 

Back to school marks a time of excitement and anticipation. This year, it marks a sense of sadness as I prepare to deliver my baby girl (okay, she's not such a baby anymore) to her first year of college. As my friends will attest, the slightest mention of the topic has me tearing-up.

Along with the sadness of 07-08 coming to an end, I feel a sense of pride, gratitude, and hope for 08-09. Our kids will be experiencing all sorts of new endeavors: college, marriage, new careers, and hopefully some dreams come true. Me, well, I've got plans for new endeavors too. 

As 08-09 kicks off, I hope you will take some time to reflect on the year that has passed. Set some goals for the new year, maybe even some resolutions. Even if you don't go to school anymore, go out and do some "back to school" shopping. Buy some new shoes, some lined paper and a box of pencils. While you are picking them out, notice the excitement you feel, the anticipation of what might fill the ruled lines. Notice the anticipation of a fresh start.

Use your new supplies to write goals and plans for the coming year. Use your supplies to reflect on the past. Write a book report, a letter, or a vocab list. Contemplate what you have learned in the last year and what you hope to learn this year. Use your new shoes to walk on a new path. 

Try it! 

Happy New Year!

Laugh like a rat

I just learned of an exciting new scientific discovery: rats laugh. According to Dr. Jaak Panksepp of Washington State University, rats laugh when they are tickled! Rat laughter is so high-pitched that the sound is undetectable by humans. So Dr. Panksepp uses a special instrument called a Bat Detector to pick-up high frequency sounds.

Witness laughing rats by visiting this site: Radio Lab

On the surface, this research may not seem that important. But have you ever wondered why we laugh? Is there a purpose for laughter? That is exactly what Dr. Panksepp and other laughter researchers are attempting to answer. Aristotle thought that humans were the only species that had the ability to laugh. In fact, he thought that a baby recieves its soul when it first laughs at age 40 days.

Now we know that many species engage in laughter. Chimps, orangutans, dogs, and now rats have been found to laugh. We also know that laughing is good for us. It decreases stress, improves our social interactions, and represents positive emotional health.

Dr. William Fry at Stanford Medical Center has conducted research on laughing and has found that we laugh less as we age. This is true for rats too. According to Fry's research, kindergarteners laugh 300 times a day, whereas adults laugh just 17 times a day. This is sad news for us adults. Seems like it should be the other way around. Seems like laughing could ease the pains of aging. Let's try it. See if you can laugh 20 or even 30 times a day. That's my goal for the week: 30 laughs a day.

Enjoy the day!

Take control and let go!

My husband always says that life is like a sailboat race. He's right. With sailing, you never really know which tack you should be on, where the next wind shift will come from, or how the surrounding boats will react. Sometimes, things get so rough out there that you don't even know where the next mark is.

In life, as in sailing, there are many things that we can't control. There are a few things we can.

One way to improve a sense of well-being is to learn the difference between what is and isn't controllable. Psychological research has shown that feeling a loss of control over one's circumstances creates all kinds of problems: depression, helplessness, anxiety, and even physical illness.

Well, with a career, six kids, aging parents, a 91 pound Newfoundland, and a sizable garden, there is little about my life that is in my control.

I can't control the weeds that grow, the pests that populate, or the chipmonks that hide their sunflower seeds in my otherwise perfectly cultivated cilantro pot. I'm surely not able to control the rate at which my parents age, or the successes and happiness of each of our kids.

I have found two things in life that I can control. Taking control of these two things gives me a sense of well-being, life satisfaction, and contentment:

1. My shoes
When everything around me seems broken down, chaotic, and out-of-control, I find satisfaction in knowing that my shoes are in order. My friends make fun of me for this, but it works!

2. My attitude
Acknowledging that life can be difficult and often times out-of-control helps me to realize that this is normal and that I'm not the only one having challenges. We all have challenges. I remind myself that I do in fact have control of some things (my shoes) and that the rest of my life will play out as it will. I try to accept those parts of life that are indeed out of my control.

This approach is effective for both work and home life. Find something in your external world to organize. You will be amazed at the internal sense of well-being you feel.

Try it!

Make time for playtime

A few years ago, as a young girl (okay, so it was more than a few years ago) I spent the long, warm days of summer frolicking around the farm. I'd talk to the chickens in the morning, and I'd ride my horse through the forested trails all afternoon. At the end of the day, I would sit around in the mud with the pigs (a farm girl's spa treatment). I'd pick berries as they came into season; strawberries, then raspberries, cherries, blueberries, and lastly, my favorite: blackberries. Riding atop a horse is an excellent way to pick cherries by the way. Life was good back then.

It's good now too. Only, as the sun rises high in the bright blue skies of summer, I find myself longing for those days of innocent play.

So what is it to play as an adult? I suppose we each have our own ideas of that.

The formal definition is: "an exercise or activity for amusement or recreation."

Well, I don't live around pigs anymore. At least not in the formal sense of the word (Zac, clean your room!). So, I've discovered some new ways to play. For me, playtime includes gardening, sailing, cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

As I write this, it just occurred to me that when I'm going out to the garden I say "I'm going to go work in the garden." Yet I don't consider activities in the garden as work. From now on, I'll have to start saying "I'm going to go play in the garden."

In honor of Bastille Day, I've posted a photo of me sailing (definitely playing) on a beautiful French yacht in Roses, Spain. If you don't know what Bastille Day is, check-out this website: Bastille Day

And, here is another picture showing "The Desperate Laser Wives" in Terrigal, Australia. The DLWs, as we're called, travel around the world with our husbands as they compete in World Championships on Laser sailboats. My DLW girlfriends here are: Maria, Marilyn, LauraLee, Nancy, and Christy. Clearly, we are playing. This summer, I hope you make time for playtime. Try it!

See this link to learn more about Laser sailing: Laser Class Association-North America