Lisa M. Buske's Blog, page 20

An Unproductive & Restful Day

For years I have jumped out of bed when the "Snow Day" phone call came through. Once I finished the happy dance, I made way to the kitchen and started cinnamon roll dough so when my daughter woke up, warm cinnamon rolls were coming out of the oven and cooled just enough for the icing. Well, the daughter isn't five anymore and my need and ambition aren't as high either. This morning I read the "Show Day" text, shut off my alarms, and rolled over and returned to a deep slumber.

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If you had a snow day,
​how did you spend the day?

A Place to Run: Community Dog Park

"I am stressed!" 
Have you ever found yourself saying this? I know I have. In the past (and in past, I mean a year ago) I didn't have healthy habits  to handle stress or challenges. These unhealthy habits drove me to overeating, overworking, and insomnia. As you know, this combination develops into exhaustion, moodiness, and obesity. Well, at least for me it did. Maybe you've had more luck but I'm guessing if you're habits for dealing with the tough times are similar to mine then you understand all too well.

​Here's the deal, we NEED HEALTHY HABITS to deal with our stress. Last January when I started working with Dr. Jack Kunkel to adjust my eating habits, one of the first lessons I learned is how important our mental thoughts were to our success. This isn't just our mental health but also our physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. I started a daily affirmation statement and meditation, along with daily tapping. I shared links about each, these aren't the ones Dr. Jack Kunkel used yet I believe they will help you have a better understanding. My affirmation and meditation are Scripture. My connection and foundation lie in my faith so I spent time choosing verses to help me grow stronger on all levels. If Scripture isn't your thing, then there are many affirmations and meditations out there, ready to go, just use your search engine.

Another healthy habit I use now is to exercise instead of eat. This past December someone close to me had a health scare and spent days on the ventilator. This was a challenging time for all who care for her. I had to make a conscience decision each day to choose exercise, prayer, and healthier habits to combat my stress. It would have been easy to get soda from the vending machine and eat hospital cafeteria food each day but I chose to bring my water bottle, healthy snacks, and something to keep my fingers busy. My weight loss stalled BUT I didn't gain weight so I count this as a win. In life, we must celebrate the successes. On a bigger level, celebrate life in general because tomorrow may not come.

I share this with you today because we all, even our dogs, need to get rid of the excess or nervous energy. We may not use a "dog park" to deal with our stress BUT we need to have healthy options for when the need to burn off energy happens. What are you doing? 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."
1 Peter 5:-11 NIV

What do you do to relieve stress and unwind?

When was your last good sweat?

Before you start reading, go down and click on today's Youtube video so you have background music playing while you read. It's one of my favorite 80's hits, it'll make you sweat! Go hit the play button.

Welcome back, is your body moving to the music? Mine is jamming. One of my favorite ways to sweat it out in college was dancing. There used to be a couple bars in my hometown that played the best dance music and I looked forward to heading out on the weekends to burn some calories. My friends and I met and danced until the bars closed, over the past couple decades though, the city of Oswego has eliminated all the good dance places. It's a bummer.

Now if I want to dance, I go to a Zumba class. I'm so TERRIBLE at Zumba BUT I have a ton of fun while laughing and attempting to dance. Last week I went to a Zumba class with my daughter and a friend from work. My daughter can dance, she should look into becoming an instructor so she can earn some extra money while getting her workout in. My friend and I on the other hand, we laughed A LOT! Between the laughter and dancing, I logged over 7,000 steps and burned some calories.

Another way I like to sweat is doing a good cardio and weights workout. The sweat lets me know I'm working and making my heart, mind, and body happy. Sweat is a  good thing. According to an article in Men's Health, there are five reasons you'll want to get a good sweat on. Check them out below: 5 Benefits of Sweating
(Click here to read full article)
1. Boosts Immunity
2. Clears Your Skin
3. Body Detox
4. Releases Feel good Hormones
5.Boosts Sexual Attraction
How awesome is this? Just by doing something you love, you can boost your immunity, clear your skin, detox your body, release happy hormones, and boost your attraction! What are you waiting for? It's time for me to hit the gym, have fun getting your sweat on. What is your favorite SWEATING activity? Why?

Choose to be Thankful EVERY Month

Oh happy day! In November, do you share something you are thankful for each day during the month? As I think back to all the positive posts on social media as people shared the people, things, and places they were grateful for. Then comes December and the posts transition into memory making and gift giving. January is known for setting goals and making plans. I'm not sure what February is for, in Central New York, it's known for making babies. LOL Just kidding, it's cold and the weather tends to be nasty so most New Yorkers hunker down.

What does any of this have to do with today's blog? Thank you for asking. What if we chose to have a thankful heart and share something we are thankful for EVERY MONTH, EVERY DAY, AND EVERY YEAR?! How could this change our outlook on life? How would this change your daily attitude? I think it would have a positive impact on us personally and those around us and as people read and watched our grateful posts, then started doing the same thing...do you think you have the ability to change the mood of others? I think you can. 

Give it a try, for the next few months, only post positive an gratitude posts and comments with the people you interact with. What is the worst thing that could happen...you have a positive and grateful attitude? I think it's a win-win! Give it a try.

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving,
turn routine jobs into joy,
and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
William Arthur Ward

What are you thankful for today?

T.O.P.'s Tuesday: Have You Set your 1st Goal yet?

It's been a week, how are you doing? I noticed a few have taken advantage of ordering my goal setting book, Goal Setting for a Renewed You: Because You Deserve It. As you work through it, I hope you'll take a few minutes to leave a review on Amazon.com. More importantly, I pray you are setting goals and making a plan to achieve them.

I work in an elementary school in Central New York, we are also a Leader In Me School. Part of being a Leader In Me school is the focus on goals, goal setting, and our plan to achieve our goals. This year, our principal encouraged us to set a WIG, a Wildly Important Goal, we can share with our students and each other. She also encouraged us to share our goal with someone else to hold us accountable. An accountability partner is vital to your success, we all need someone asking, "How are you doing today?" 

I thought about a goal I could set and am comfortable sharing with elementary age students, and one they could understand. I decided to set me goal with the number of hours of sleep I'm getting each night. My sleep has been hit or miss, and my lack of quality sleep is creeping into my overall health and mood. So my WIG for school is, "I will get at least 7 hours of sleep 5 nights a week."

I haven't made my tracking chart yet but so far, at-a-glance, I'm doing better than I was, but without my monitor log, I can't share particulars. So, I know what I'll be doing after finishing this blog, it's time to create my monitor log so I can document how successful my WIG is. I also have to set a few things in place to help me achieve my goal. I have other goals to set in different areas of my life: spiritual, physical, emotional, speaking, writing, and publishing.

​Yikes, I'm exhausted looking at the work ahead BUT I know it is worth every minute spent. This process helps keep me focused on track throughout the year. Good things don't come to those who sit back and watch the grass grow, they come to those who take the time to keep the lawn mowed, weeds pulled, and landscaping in tip-top shape. If you, or I, want to achieve our goals then it's time to do the work by writing and following the plan. 
What is the first goal you wrote down?
​What are the steps in place to reach this goal?

Do You like going to the Gym & Exercising?

I. Do. Not! My daughter will tell you I like going to the gym in spite of my declaration above that I do not like going to the gym. My daughter said I was turning into a gym rat before the school year started. I don't agree with her but there is probably more truth to her statements than mine.

Here's ​the deal, I feel my best when I make it to the gym at least four to five times a week and when I don't, I get so lazy. Once in the habit of going to the gym, my body craves it and my energy level increases. On the weeks when I can't get there at least three times, I get such a case of the lazies and my sleep is crummy. This quote struck me because of the powerful truth, "Success trains. Failure complains."

I have a choice each day, to exercise, eat healthy, and make healthy choices OR I can complain about how crummy I feel, my lack of sleep, and let the negativity get me down.I choose to strive for success. Success requires training. Whether you are looking for a physically fit body, to write the next best seller, or produce a movie or theatrical performance....you must choose to train!

The training for the activity you are striving for is different from one person to the next yet the ONE THING THAT IS THE SAME..SUCCESS TRAINS! Get training...you can do this.
What are you "training" for?
What goal are you striving to achieve?
What are you doing to reach this goal?

Setting Goals for Physical Health

*Note: I don't earn anything from sharing this Asic photo. It is one from the gallery and illustrates the message I share with you today. One area I set goals in each year is for my physical health each year. This past year I focused on eating cleaner and limiting my sugar and carb intake. I'll continue this goal for 2020 but going to add more specifics. I need to lose weight to have my BMI out of the obese range. My celebration is that in January 2019 I was "severely obese", now I'm only "obese".

My goal for December 2020 is to be in the "overweight" range. You might be shaking your head because "healthy" should be my goal yet I understand realistic goals. In order to be "overweight", I need to lose 20 pounds. Yikes! On the flip side, if I could wear a size 10/12 and have muscles instead of fat, I'd be happy with a lower weight loss number.

​When I look at the "healthy" weight according to the BMI, I think I'd look sick rather than healthy so a better goal is to be tone and wearing a size 10/12 , rather than a number. This is the inner conversation and trouble with setting a reasonable goal. My goal might not be good for you but for me, a reasonable goal would be to drop down in the BMI chart but my ultimate goal is to be healthy and feel better. What is your health and physical goal for 2020?

T.O.P.'s Tuesday: Time to Put Goals in Writing

Thus far on the blog I haven't talked about goal setting. Instead, we've looked at choosing a word for the year and a Bible verse. I haven't shared my Bible verse yet, it's coming by the end of the week. As I sit here typing, I recognize I need to put my goals into writing because at this moment, I'm getting nothing done because of the lack of things in writing.

I learned at a conference many years ago about the importance, and difference, between a dream and a goal. They use this analogy, it's a dream when all you do is "talk" about it but don't have a plan and aren't really making forward motion to accomplish all your talking about. When you "write" it down, then you can see what you are striving for and make a detailed plan to achieve it. This is where I'm at. I keep "saying" I'm going to do this or that but have been LAZY, yes it's plain laziness, I've been lazy about taking the time to write down my goals and set a plan and schedule to achieve them. 

This week is a week to focus and get SMART. I have many lists but none with my end goal and the plan, and timeline to reach it. As January starts its downward slide, I'm stepping up and making plans. If you want to see how I organize to write my goals, I released a book in 2016 to help others, like you. Goal Setting for a Renewed You: Because You Deserve It, is available on Amazon.com. You could order it today and have it in a couple days.

Don't wait, take the first step and start making your goals for this new year and a new and renewed you. This book is a springboard and leaves you room to explore who you are and where you see yourself in 1, 5, 10, and 25 years before you set immediate goals. It also has space for you to journal and brainstorm, working through some of the what-if thinking when you start setting goals.

After you receive your book and start writing down your goals, and achieving them, take three minutes to write a review on Amazon.com to help others know how much my book helped you. Reviews are priceless gifts to an author and a priceless help to future readers and goal setters. Thank you in advance. What goals will you put in writing today?
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Order a book for yourself and a friend, 
you are more likely to succeed when 
you have an accountability partner.

What are you Creating on Your Day off?

Maya Angelou encourages you with these words, "You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." One of my favorite things to do before starting to write is either go for walk outdoors or walk through a fabric store. There is something about the variety of smells, textures, and sights that stimulates my brain. I don't start with an idea in my mind (usually) but instead I go with emptiness. I ask God to speak to me through my senses so I will hear, see, touch, taste, and smell the world around me with His senses, not my own.

When we let go of our ideas, notions, and expectations, God can, and will do amazing things through you to encourage and uplift others. If you aren't feeling creative, then create! The more you create, the more your mind will seek it. If you doubt Maya Angelou or myself, prove me wrong. On the days when you don't think you can't write, paint, or crochet another thing. Put it aside and head to the local bookstore to smell and touch books, walk through the fabric store, or put on a jacket and go outside. Clear your  mind and let God in, He won't disappoint.
What are you creating today?

What are you MIssing?

Wayne Gretzky is known for this quote, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." You may have heard it while playing sports, in a business meeting, at school, or listening to talk radio BUT have you thought about the importance of this message?

When we don't try or when we let fear control our actions, we don't take the chances, "shots", to succeed. If I didn't accept my first speaking engagement then I may have missed meeting some amazing people (some of you reading this for instance) and missed the encouragement, inspiration, and hope my listeners, readers, and family have showered me with over the past decades. If I said no then I may have never realized God called me to speak and share His word and how He works in my life. God has gifted us each differently and when we don't use those gifts, you'll grow stagnant.

I don't know about you but I don't want to stink, I want to be an aroma for Christ.

​Yet I am so thankful to God, who always marches us to victory under the banner of the Anointed One; and through us He spreads the beautiful fragrance of His knowledge to every corner of the earth. In a turbulent world where people are either dying or being rescued, we are the sweet smell of the Anointed to God our Father."
2 Corinthians 2:14-15

What are you waiting for?