"...You know what I'm craving?
A little perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective." -Anton Ego (Ratatouille).
When trying to come up with a title or what to even write in this months blog post I wasn't sure what to do. We don't have many military or life updates but a few and also I'm not sure what I even learned this past month!
Then I went to the calendar to see what we did this past month to see if I could jog any memories which brings me to the very few updates I have:
Military
- Da Beast is still in processing, in a way, because he's done some more specific training and briefings for his job. This is pretty much going to be the only "updates" given from here on out as far as his job and the military goes so unless there is something more "newsy" to report on we'll just leave it at that.
- As far as our life as a military family has gone so far, it's still surreal. I was just washing Da Beasts uniforms today in disbelief that this is our life now. We're still our overall selves with the military as our life training and current growing experiences. I guess it feels surreal because we do the relatively normal things we've done before. We go to the grocery store, we go to church, we spend time at home, Da Beast goes to work, we clean, and so on. The only differences we've seen are those more internal. We have more drive, more direction, more ambition, more goals, more appreciation, more teamwork, and more courage than we had before. Da Beast and I have been reflecting more on what we've been taught through these experiences as the anniversary of Da Beast taking his oath approaches. We are grateful for the direction our life has taken us these past eleven months because it's what we needed to get the fresh perspective we have now.
The only updates I have is that:
Bubba lost his first tooth
and both my kids are "in" school now. Baby is a preschooler and Bubba is now a first grader.
Other than that I've been challenging myself with a few different things such as baking, making tortillas, and exercising.
I've never seen myself as much of a baker. I can make a pretty good banana bread but other than that my cookies are biscuits (and I'm not just trying to be British...they are like chocolate chip southern biscuits), my yeast breads are dense, and my tortillas are firm and brittle. Being in a city where a farmers market wasn't too far away I was HAPPY to be the consumer and support the small businesses that made those things rather than take up the challenge. It wasn't my thing and I didn't need it to be my thing. Since moving to a Air Force base where the nearest town is so tiny it only owns a small market I haven't even been to and a fruit stand that I also haven't been to; AND the nearest "real" town is twenty minutes away, we've stuck to mostly just shopping at the commissary on base.
This means the fresh foods I've been buying have reduced to overpriced and/or under quality brand tortillas, bread, and sometimes complete shortages of food items. 😂
I said enough was enough and while in California I was going to do as the Californians do and make some sourdough bread. While I was at that I was also going to make some fresh tortillas as well.
Going from a non-baker to these beauties....
...had my eyes tear up with joy and I'm very proud of taking the challenges.
Exercising has also always been a bit of a challenge. It's never stuck because it's never been naturally in my life, nor has it activated my imagination and I've discovered that I really do need both of those for me to tackle anything in front of me. It was Walt Disney who said, "We keep moving forward, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths." And I believe our curiosity stems from our imaginations. We wonder how, why, or what if? It challenges us to move past where we originally thought we were stuck. It can bring us out of complacent consumerism and into a creator mindset.
It moves the clouds and cobwebs away from out thoughts and leaves us with a more clear perspective.
Going back a bit to Da Beast and I reflecting more on what we've been taught these past eleven months since joining the Air Force: we had a really good conversation on when life has felt more stagnate and when it has seemed to flow more. We concluded that it came down to this creator mindset. Instead of walking down the path and meeting a roadblock only to wait for it to open we've been training ourselves to get more curious. What if there was another way around it?
What if instead of thinking the meeting was an inconvenience and messing with our national fajitas day plans we got in the car, ordered dinner at Chili's, saw wild chickens as we waited...
ate our dinner at the church, and then explore this new building we come to ever week now?
What if that hour and a half is worth more than we give it credit?
Why not try the DFAC when all the base restaurants were mysteriously closed and the smoke lay heavy in the air?
Why not imagine you are in a galaxy far, far away when the smoke from the fires keeps you indoors but the also turns the sun red?
In all these situations there can be so many reasons for why we shouldn't, couldn't, can't, won't...but we chose to think of at least one reason why we should, could, can, and will. Sometimes we are asked to wait for the road to be opened. We are asked to wait at the gate for permission to proceed, but how many times are we waiting at the gate, demanding it to be opened when it blocks our path when there are so many other paths we could take but we just don't notice them because of where our focus is or we don't want to take that direction.
It is perfectly fine to be the consumer. Just make sure you know you are and it's where you're supposed to be at this time so it doesn't become complacency. A few questions you can ask yourself to dictate where you are as a consumer or a creator is to make a list about the things you enjoy in your life and place them either in the "consumer" category or the "creator" category.
Consumer or Creator
- A consumer is someone who has a passion for supporting another in their craft. They are perfectly fine not being the creator and are comfortable with where they are in their own capabilities. They understand that should they have more desire to learn the craft they could but it's not where they want their attention to be focused right now. Questions to ask: What do you like that you'd rather purchase than make? What craft do you appreciate that others do? Where do you like to put your support to other creators? What is most important for you in your life right now and what can you "hire out" to others?
- A Creator is someone who has a passion that they want to pursue. They have the drive to learn and act upon their dream because they believe it is the best idea and they want to share it. The creator wants to back up their work with experience and knowledge and look for opportunities to expand in both. They understand that their time is important to them and this is what they choose to focus on and if needed they will seek and support others in another area of their life that they are not spending their time on currently. Questions to ask: what would you rather make yourself verses purchase? What crafts would you like to learn and experience more of? What do you educate yourself with or want to educate yourself with? Where do you want to be taught instead of given? What gets you excited?
A few ways we've done this at home is when our kids say they don't like something we say, "maybe you just haven't found out how you enjoy it."
So you don't like church. Instead of thinking about all the reasons you shouldn't or don't want to be there toy with the idea of what you DO enjoy about it or what would make you enjoy it and go and seek it out or make it yourself if you're ready.
So you don't like broccoli. Have you tried it boiled, mashed, baked, roasted, fried, raw, pickled, with a dipping sauce, steamed, seasoned, shredded, and so forth?
So you don't like so-n-so. You two are complete opposites in the world. What if instead of focusing on what you don't have in common or what bothers you make it your secret mission to find one thing you have in common or what purpose they have in your life. Maybe they don't make good conversationalists but when you need someone to sit there in silence with you they are perfect. Maybe they don't make could travel partners but they can make you laugh till your stomach hurts. Maybe they are no longer in your life but they still play a role in where you are today. What have they taught you? How are you stronger because of the challenge they gave to you whether you wanted it or not (chances are it was not)? How have they still blessed you even if they've hurt you? This isn't to say we have to have every single person in our life. This isn't to say we have to keep every single person we've ever met in our contact list. This is simply a mind exercise for you to test out your perceptive. Is it a basic salt and pepper perspective or is it well seasoned and layered with thoughts that challenge one another?
Oh and one more thing,
Can you suggest a wine to go with this fresh, clean, and seasoned perspective? 😉
XOXO
