Do Work!

Honest question: Why is it so hard to stick with something like working out or eating better? I know I'll feel better and look better, so why is it so hard? Especially the eating better. It's not really that much more work, it's just picking different things and a tad less convenient.
It's such an interesting thing, I think, that our nature is so very self-destructive. We are automatically opposed to things that make us feel better in the long run because it's hard in the short run...especially if it happens to be a long run we're trying to go on! (Sorry, couldn't help it.)
I know that, if I start being regular in things such as eating well and exercise eventually my body will start to crave these things instead of a double chocolate doughnut. (But, honestly...double chocolate!) It's the getting over that hump of the bad cravings that is so very hard.
My goal for this year is to get off my butt and do things. This month is yoga, next month (in theory) is running. I'm also trying to be more intentional in my eating and not just stuffing food in my face. What are your fitness goals for the year?

Flipping Channels

Have you ever had so much going on in your head that you can't organize it enough to articulate what you are thinking? Like flipping channels so fast on the TV that you don't actually see anything but you take in a little of everything? That's the problem I'm having lately and why I didn't post the last three days. There's so much I'm thinking about that I couldn't find what I wanted to say. So, here's a bullet point list of what I'm thinking about and hopefully I'll be able to expand on the list later:

• Why is Fifty Shades of Grey such a worldwide phenomena when, first of all, it is terribly written and, secondly and more importantly, not romantic at all but a glorification of domestic violence? Why is Anastasia supposedly seen as an empowered woman when really she is a victim and a doormat?
• Why do we as consumers hold so little value for the people who create what we consume? I'm sure you've noticed that most people in retail and food service seem like they hate their lives. The reason for that is that they've totally lost faith in humanity.
• Why do so many people drive like they own the road and cause risk to my life and sanity?
• I honestly believe Batman could take Superman (and really any of the other heroes) in a fight and barely break a sweat.
• And why is it that, as a child, I fought bedtime so hard. What was my deal? Bedtime is the unsung hero of my life.

So, there are a few little snippets from my brain. I'll be back tomorrow with more cohesive thoughts. 

Not Always Right

Here's what I will never understand: rude customers. Especially the customers who come in and, after I greet them, order their "grande vanilla latte
as fast as you can. I'm running late." And then they proceed to be rude when they don't have it one minute later. Here's my question, well, four questions actually: 1. If you're running late, why did you put yourself on someone else's time? 2. Why do you think it's okay to be angry when someone else's time doesn't match yours? Did you not notice the line in front of you when you walked in? Do you not understand how lines work? The people in front of you get their drinks first. And, though we are working as fast as we can, we are still only human and only have two hands.
I understand that I work in customer service so, therefore, it is my job to serve people. But, personally, I don't think this gives anyone the right to be rude to me or my coworkers. I am not less important than you since I am on the other side of the counter. I didn't make your drink hot when you wanted it iced just to spite you, it was a mistake. This doesn't give you the right to yell at me or treat me like I am stupid. I respect your time, I'm not lollygagging. The real kicker is, if I treated my customers the way most of them treated me then I would get fired. How is that okay? I want to know how "the customer is always right" if the customer is being abusive of the people who are serving them?

Furry Friends

Every so often it occurs to me that there is a little animal that lives in my house. He has free reign to go anywhere and do almost anything. (Except sleep on the table...in theory) And that's kind of weird. I mean, have you ever really thought about it? There's this sentient little creature prowling around my apartment looking adorable and adding nothing to my life except fur everywhere and the occasional cuddle. He doesn't hunt for me, he's not for protection, he definitely doesn't do the dishes, and he's really bad at conversation. But I wouldn't get rid of him for anything in the world because, somehow, he makes me feel like I have purpose. Like I'm important. Sure, he's a cat, and sometimes he acts a little snobbishly cat-like, but then he comes up on the bed and cuddles with me. Or he cries if I don't pick him up right away when I get home and it makes my heart happy. I'm not sure why, he's never told me he loves me (and I'd be terrified if words came out of his mouth. And famous, I'd be famous with a talking cat.), but he fills a little space in my heart.
So, really...pets are kind of a weird thing. But, seriously, look at that face? How can we not keep them around?

The Wall

Let's take a moment and consider the wall. Not just "a" wall. Not "that" wall. But "the" wall. You know which wall I'm talking about. It's the one you run into right as you're really starting to make progress. That devastating thought: "What's the point in trying, I'm just going to fail anyway."
I think we've all faced that wall at some point, or run face first into it. Maybe you even feel like you've smacked into that wall so hard you've caused it to fall on top of you and now you're hopelessly buried underneath it. How do you climb out? It feels insurmountable. We're waving our arm through the bricks asking for a helping hand to pull us out.
So, how do we overcome this? I don't really know. I have fought with this wall for most of my life and I am fighting with it right now. But I am having an easier time this go round. Why, you may ask? Because I am surrounding myself with people who understand the wall and are calling to me from the other side, encouraging me to knock it down and keep running. Be careful who you choose to fill your life. Not everyone cheers for you. Some people will pick up the crumbling bricks and throw them at you. So, who are your people? And, more importantly, which kind of person are you?

Find Your Niche

I would like to take a minute and highly encourage you to stop what you're doing and create something. I don't care what you make, it could be a doodle, a poem, an awesome sandwich, a cup of coffee, or even just braiding your hair. Okay, stop reading, and do it right now. Ready? Go.
Did you do it? How do you feel? Like a little of your stress left through your fingertips? Like you did something worthwhile, even though it did nothing to progress your day? Like this really is the best sandwich you've ever eaten? Good. Now do it every day. Start with something small, find your niche and keep going. I promise it won't slow you down and make you miss an important meeting or keep you from that sink full of dishes. It'll just make you a lot happier while you fulfill those obligations. It'll let your mind breathe. We were made in the image of the One who created everything, so of course we have the drive to create something.
I forgot this for a long time. It wasn't letting my soul out to breathe. That's what writing is for me and I am so glad that I found my voice again. This last week has been amazing and I am so excited to keep pressing forward in this. The world looks a lot more inviting now that I'm brushing out the cobwebs in my head. I highly recommend finding your outlet. I promise you won't regret it.

Slow Your Roll

Why does everything have to be so fast-paced? Working at Starbucks, everything is about speed. We try to keep our drive-thru window time below 45 seconds and the we want to get our customers through our line in 3 minutes or less. When you're on bar, you're always working on two drinks at a time and leveraging the time your espresso machine takes to do things so that there is never wait time, you're always working.
These are good things in this industry, and I'm not knocking it, but I've realized that it is starting to affect the rest of my life. It's become incredibly hard to slow down. If you could see my browser right now I have six tabs open and I've flipped through all of them at least 5 times. This post isn't the only project I'm working on at this moment. When I need a second to think about what I'm going to write here, I switch to another tab and work on something else. I almost always have music playing or a movie on when I'm at home. I'm usually not really watching the movie, but I like the background noise. I can't handle silence anymore. The store were I work gets so loud and I'm there in the noise for eight hours everyday, so when I leave my brain freaks out if it's quiet.
I know I'm not the only one who feels this way, if you glance around in any coffee shop, on the bus, or even on the street you'll see most people with their faces in their phones. We are a multitasking nation and no one has, or really wants, time to breath. Even in our down time we need something occupying our minds. And, honestly, I'm not sure how to fix this problem. Everyone is tied up in their calendar through their various commitments, requirements, and obligations. In this fast paced society, how do we carve out time to really live? I highly recommend taking some time to slow down. Turn off your phone, pick up a book, and fall off the grid. Give your mind space to settle in. Because, as I've said before, life is beautiful and we're missing it.

Uncommon Courtesy

What happened to common courtesy?
I work in the food service/retail industry and it's always so surprising to me how entitled and rude people can. If the line is a little too long, I need them to repeat something more than once, or there is even a touch of foam on their no foam latte people go through the roof. They are rude and insensitive to the people who are still learning and treat them like their stupid. There is a lot to learn working in this industry and it's hard to keep up at first. But why is that a legitimate reason to talk down to someone and treat them like they aren't your peer?
Also, between the last two stores in which I have worked, I have become very familiar with no-call-no-shows. What is that? Or quitting with no notice. I just don't understand. It makes sure you won't get a favorable referral from your manager, hurts people who have come to be your friend, and makes you non-rehirable with the company on which you bailed.
There are nice, respectful customers, too. They are the ones for which I stay in this industry. The ones who become your friends, who ask about your life and are actually interested, and who don't care that the drink they wanted iced was accidentally made hot. If there were more people like them in a the world, it would be a better place.

Mystery of Mysteries

I have a question for all my fellow women: Why does being small automatically make something adorable? A woman just brought the tiniest puppy into my store and every female I work with almost literally died for sheer, squealing joy. I think the only thing that saved the puppies owner from being incredibly freaked out was that she, too, was female and had just purchased the puppy. Her joy was on par with ours.
And puppies aren't the only thing that are adorable. Obviously, there's babies, kittens, and other baby animals. But what about dollhouse furniture? There is nothing so cute as a tiny sofa with an minuscule end table and lamp smaller than my pinky finger. Or how about when you open a Barbie fridge and see all the tiny food? The other day I was shopping with a friend and we were both surprised to discover that even mini bagels are adorable.
Personally, I think it feeds the maternal side of every woman. We see small things and they are automatically connected to babies or small children. Our internal clocks tick faster and we melt into girlish joy. Because, let's be real, this is a female thing. I've seen a guy be fascinated by the handiwork that went into a tiny piano that actually works, but I've never seen him squeal about it being cute.

But, for real...

I don't know about you guys, but I am really tired of this whole "Disney is giving us unrealistic expectations for my body and love life" and "Barbie sets an unrealistic body image for young girls" stuff. Guys...it's not real. Barbie also has underwear printed directly on her body and no one gets upset about the unrealistic expectations she sets for having to do laundry. I think we should be more concerned about how we apparently aren't teaching our children to distinguish between reality and fantasy. No one is upset that Tim Burton's characters all have super pointy cheek bones and really sharp angles. Talk about unrealistic...
Joking aside I think that, instead of getting up in arms about how these dolls and cartoons are teaching our impressionable children the wrong things, we should be maintaining an open dialogue with them about their bodies. Just because they've made the princesses skinny doesn't mean that's what we're supposed to think she has the "ideal" body. It's just how the animator imagined her. And, seriously, all the Disney princes are super ripped and way more charming than humanly possible, but you don't see guys getting upset about their unrealistic body image.

Even if the princesses start having more realistic bodies, hair, and skin
that won't change the fact that it's what's on the inside that really makes a person beautiful. I've known so many beautiful women and handsome men who became ugly in my mind as I've gotten to know their personality and very plain people who became incredibly gorgeous the more I got to know their hearts. The cover of the book may make you want to pick it up, but it's not what makes you keep reading.

Greek and Roman gods

I have recently been playing Injustice: God's Among Us on my phone. A lot. It's really fun! I get to be a superhero or villain who fights and is awesome. Then I noticed that Marvel has a similar game, so I got it, too. Then I realized: Marvel and DC are kind of like the Greek and Roman gods: the names change and so do some details, but they are astonishingly similar character. For example:

• Iron Man vs. Batman: both billionaire, playboy philanthropists for their day jobs, but really they are amazing heroes who use awesome gadgets they invented to beat down the baddies and save the day. 
• Thor vs. Wonder Woman: Now, hear me out. Thor is the Norse god of thunder who is totally a fish out of water, doesn't quite understand the mortal world, but really wants to do the right thing and is maybe a little proud. (Who wouldn't be, have you seen his hair?) And he has battle armor that is totally not up to date fashion-wise (though very awesome). Wonder Woman is an Amazon who can be a fish out of water, doesn't always understand the mortal world (especially men...sheesh...), but really wants to do the right thing. Also, her wardrobe (though strangely Americana for an Amazonian princess) is also a little behind the times. And they both fly (granted, Thor uses his hammer for that), are super strong, and can take a major beating.
• Captain America vs. Superman: Both boyscouts. Both decked in major Americana. They both have a moral code that drives their co-heroes a little crazy sometimes. Both super strong. Granted: Superman is an alien and Captain America is a science project. But...still.
• Hawkeye vs. the Green Arrow: They both have an aim that would make Legolas and Katniss jealous. Need I say more?
• Quicksilver vs. The Flash: Yes, Quicksilver is usually a villain. But...supersupersupersuper inhuman speed. Just saying.
• Banshee vs. Black Canary: Vocal chords of doom. Just saying.

So, this has been my lighthearted thought of the week. I hope you enjoyed.

Photo sources:
Avengers
Justice League 

All Grown Up

I have been very jealous of children lately. The other day I was watching a little girl skip through the park singing to herself and chasing squirrels. It was the cutest thing ever. But it occurred to me that if I saw an adult doing the same thing, I would probably move myself to another part of the park because, clearly, this person is insane. And that makes me sad. Why does growing up have to mean leaving our imaginations and the sheer joy of being alive behind? Not to say that we should all run around singing and chasing squirrels, but why do we make fun of adults that are creative or enjoy playing pretend? Like people who cosplay (short of "costume play" for those who don't know)? Or those people who meet up in parks and dress up like knights and play with foam swords (LARPing? I think that's what it's called.)? Why is this looked down on? But, on the flip side, it's totally normal to paint yourself head-to-toe in a body paint and scream yourself hoarse cheering for you favorite sports team...
In my personal opinion, I think it's because life becomes so bleak when you become an adult. It's all bills, hard work, and falling into bed exhausted at the end of the day. Who has time to have fun? So, when we see someone who makes time to feel alive, we are jealous and a little bitter. So we all learn to call it childish and write them off to feel better about our own lives. But...I think that's sad. I think we should all find time to let our inner child out. Just for a moment to let the joy of being alive be all we worry about. I saw a great quote online years ago: "Maturity is knowing when it's okay to act like a child." And, if that's true, I hope that I am very mature.
Life is beautiful, and we're missing it.

Sunday Best

I had a thought yesterday morning as I was sitting in church and I looked around and saw all the different styles represented by the church body: why does the church traditionally put pressure on wearing "Sunday best?" My church is rather casual. Not sloppy, everyone looks presentable but jeans are a very common factor. My church is also in Eagle Rock which is a neighborhood of LA. I don't think I ever would have had these thoughts except that there are so many homeless people in LA. Part of our mission as the body of Christ is to reach the "least of these." But, I wonder, how can we do that when on Sundays as we gather and try to invite those people in we're always dressing as the "best of these?" I know, for myself, if I had only two shirts and one pair of pants I hadn't been able to clean for weeks I wouldn't want to enter into a community where everyone was in business dress. I would stick out like a very dirty, sore thumb!
Now, this isn't to be condemning of churches that do dress up and it's not to say that we shouldn't care about our appearance and go to church looking sloppy. But I do wonder, who are we trying to impress? Why do we need to trot out our best clothes and look perfectly groomed when we're trying to reach the people who can't afford a hairbrush and we're all just broken people anyway? We want to create a community that is open and welcoming to both the wealthy and the unshowered; the put together and the chronically depressed; the nuclear family and the harried single mother. How much stress would it relieve from that single mother if her kids could be in whatever they decided that day's fashion was and not children's business casual? How much more willing would she be to go and be welcomed into a church family that didn't judge on outward appearance?
By wearing our best, we create (consciously or not) a socioeconomic divide between the classes. I am not condemning a person's desire to wear cashmere or silk to church. If you have it, and you want to wear it to church, then go for it! I think church should be a beautiful patchwork of all the colors and classes that make up this broken mess we call humanity.

Here we go...

I have decided as a writing exercise to write one post about something that's on my mind every day. Today the thought is Hollywood and how we get mad at them for corrupting our minds and the minds of our children.

The upcoming debut of Fifty Shades of Grey is what's making me think about this. Personally, I think that movie is disgusting. I think it's ridiculous that people have been begging for a silver screen porn flick and I can't believe Hollywood was actually making it. But then it hit me: people have been begging for it. Hollywood isn't just full of artists and actors, it's full of business people. If there isn't a ton of money in it, they won't do it. So why are we so shocked at what they put out? We're the ones who buy what they create. "But," you may say, "I plan to boycott this movie and any like it." Good for you! Are your friends? Is your city? Is that mom down the street taking her kids to see an R-rated action flick? Are those kids going to grow up demanding more of what they loved as kids? Yes. Yes, they are. The only thing that is going to change what Hollywood produces is if their audience changes what they want to see.
Another point I'd like to make is that it's not Hollywood's job to monitor what you and your children watch. That's your job. It's Hollywood's job to create pictures that are pretty, move, and entertain. You can't tumble a pyramid by knocking off the top, you have to crack the foundation. And that's what we are, friends. We're the foundation of the pyramid that is the entertainment industry. When we as consumers stop downing trash and start demanding better things, then that's what we'll be given. Stop worrying about how the movie industry is corrupting the world, start worrying more about the world that is begging to be corrupted. Worry about the part of the cycle you can change.