MONDAY MILITIA!!

Oooooh!


I'm back and on time! (Thanks m.d. It was a big boost for me!)

This weeks mission (if you choose to accept it):

PATIENCE.

I've been reflecting on patience a lot this week. My own patience and lack thereof.

Other's patience and lack thereof.

And it led me to some pause for reflection.....

As an example, I drive like a complete granny. And my partner does as well. While we were out recently, a man started honking relentlessly behind us.

Eventually, he got the opportunity to pass us by and gave us the finger all the way past.

Which got me to reflecting:

What was his hurry? (we were going the speed limit)

Why should this even bother me?

but it did. and I stuck my tongue out at him as he passed. (with great restraint, I might add, instead of flipping the bird)

....I also realized that sticking your tongue out at someone is so much more fun and more offensive than flipping the bird!!!!

HOWEVER,

Why should this even happen? Why are we in such a hurry?

And I used this man as an example but I think we could all be used as an example as well. We've all been guilty of getting annoyed in a line or waiting, waiting, waiting....

and, really,

WHAT is our hurry?

I really don't think there is a hurry. EVER.

And if there is...please examine the cause....because LIFE is so, so

SHORT.

We're here a very, very short time.

Shouldn't we be enjoying each moment?

And not be worried about how many moments can be packed into each time frame?

PATIENCE.

Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one's character can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

MONDAY MILITIA!! on Wednesday!

Ooooooh.... So I totally dropped the ball this week, eh?

I had a good reason, I promise...

I'm on a tight deadline for all my posts...I post as I'm able and I post for Monday Militia basically on Sunday night and I had some {good} interferences so that is why I'm late....


I was doing this....

This is my much loved nephew whom I love with my whole heart!
ummm, and we got to spend time at the beach!!!!





hey, if that's not a reason to interfere with Monday Militia, what is?

So, that's my kindness for this week...

So, if you didn't fulfill your mission this week, what did you do? Did you have smiles at the beach? Did you enjoy a story with a small person? Did you live a joyous moment abundently? and share your joy?

Do tell...

How are you enjoying joy and SPREADING it???

OR, perhaps you had the most CRAPTASTIC week ever...did you?

Did you want to wallow in your own crap and just die?

Well, STOP!

SMILE!

YOU!

YES!

YOU!

are not alone....

and tomorrow....

will.

be.

better.

or. not.

but perhaps the day after.

and.

we always have....

HOPE!

LOVE YOU ALL!

MONDAY MILITIA!!

Sorry, for the late posting. I mean to have these up bright and early Monday morning so they give you a bit to chew on while you're digesting the monday morning coffee and facing your week!

So....how did you do this week??? I've already heard that some of you did well but I can't wait for you to dish in detail!

ME:

I SUCKED ROYALLY. Total fail on my part. Something was seriously off with my mojo this past week. I couldn't seem to get anything made in the jewelry realm and my horoscope completely blew....something about something affecting my natal planet transitioning through my 9th house.....or whatever. But seriously, I couldn't figure out what was my freaking problem and then I saw my giant horrible horoscope and that basically confirmed my suspicions.

If you have any doubt that I was in the wrong place, you only, ummm, have to look at my last post....that should tell you volumes...because in a good place I wouldn't have posted that....but I left it up to show you the foul, snarky mood that overtook me.

Soooo, try again I will this week.



Did you know that this week, sort of appropriate for V-day today is National Random Acts of Kindness week? No kidding, and while we're at it, why not make it INTERNATIONAL Random Acts of Kindness week since we're all friends here. I know some people get their panties all in a bunch about Valentine's Day. and yes, it probably is a totally made up holiday for selling roses and cards and jewelry (hey! i make jewelry!) but seriously, a day to celebrate LOVE is pretty cool in my book. Here, at our house, we don't get toooo over-the-top about any holiday...we like it that way. And since we're both creative souls, we try to incorporate handmade gifts wherever possible. So, above you see the handmade valentine I made for my valentine (inspired by this post, that I customized with a little handmade polymer clay heart/arrowhead), and as soon as I post this, I'll be off to the kitchen to prepare some brownies (from a box,as I don't bake)and a delicious (I hope) vegetarian indian dinner. Over the weekend, we went to our most favorite Indian restaurant ever! ...and although, for a white girl, I make some mean curry, this place is tops so I've devoted the last several days to seeing how I can improve my Indian cuisine skills. So if you like to cook and love Indian food, you have to see this website. I swears, I've been watching her cook all day!

All that aside! Here is this week's mission!

NEXT MISSION:
Perform one (OR MORE!) random act(s) of kindness this week! It can be very simple or very complex, depending on how you choose....

Pay for someone's coffee or food at a drive through or restaurant.....

Bake or cook something and randomly give it or show up at a friend or neighbor's house with it....(if you have a neighbor that you constantly annoy or who annoys you, all the better!)

Stop and pick up bagels or pastries and take them to work....for no reason at all.

Take a small thing you handmade (almost like a valentine) and give it to someone at the grocer or bank or doctor's office or wherever! maybe it just says... I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDEFUL DAY! or YOU DO A GREAT JOB! or just THANK YOU! (but for a no reason whatsoever thank you, get it?)

So, let's get on with this! I can already imagine my neighbors sniffing my cookies and wondering if they are laced with arsenic....my neighborhood is just that strange that they would probably be concerned.

MONDAY MILITIA!!

Thank you for all of your positive comments and feedback for the Monday Miltia. It really helped reinforce my feelings that I need to do this thing.

I really started this as an exercise for myself and thought it would fun personally to document my progress, even if just for myself. I am really shy by nature. I'm extremely uncomfortable in groups of people I don't know and I think nice thoughts all the time that I think maybe I should share because it seems like they might have the power to change the world in a better way...and what happens if I just DO THAT?


Soooo....how did you do with your mission? Did you complete it? Did you fail and forget?

No matter, try again!

Here's my story for the mission this week:

It took me until...Thursday?....to find the right opportunity to fulfill my mission....

I went out to do some errands and needed gas. I took our second car, which is rarely driven and has been on empty the last 3 times I've driven it.

So I pulled into the first gas station, which happens to be outside a members-only gas station (like Costco, Sam's)of which, I am not a member but I'm thinking "hey, I'll just have to pay the non-member price, right?"

and there's a line.

and I hear my car idling. wasting gas.

nope. no go-go juice.

A large sign says MEMBERS ONLY and you have to insert your member card to pump.

DAMN. and I'm really getting worried that I might run out of gas!

So, off I go to the next station. I pulled into the Sunoco and inserted my card. And I got the "see attendant" bleeep.

CRAP! now I'm really concerned because I have no cash and I just spent several precious vapors of gas idling in the BJ's parking lot.

...and I'm getting mad and anxious and very nervous. and I go inside, and there was the most lovely lady. She was super tall and graceful. She looked to be of some African-Caribbean descent. She was wearing cute cowry shell earrings and I mumbled grumpily that my card wouldn't work, could she try it in here?

"Of course, baby." was her reply.

And then, after I swiped my card, she started humming and singing to herself in a sort of reggae fashion, "AUTH-oooorrrr-RIZING!!!" because my card was authorizing.

Then she handed me my receipt and gave me the biggest, most gorgeous smile! You know the smile! Gorgeous white teeth and just HUGE!

and then...I seized my opportunity!

I half-whispered (because I am shy) YOU HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE.

and her smile got even bigger!

and she said:

"You are so nice, baby! You have a beautiful day, lovely! in her thick accent...

And then, I did! I went down the road, singing to my Pandora Ingrid Michaelson channel and pulled into the store parking lot and the woman next to me unloading her cart saw me and SMILED. And said,

"It looks like you're having a great day!"

and I said,

"I am! I hope you have a GREAT DAY too!"

and then she smiled.

Then I was still smiling as I walked into the store and several more people started smiling when I smiled at them!

WOW! my whole paradigm has just shifted....IT IS JUST. THAT. EASY.

I would love to hear your experiences from your mission this week!

NEXT MISSION: Take one negative thought you have this week and make it positive.

It can be as simple as "SCREW this LAUNDRY!" and then you do the laundry and put it away.

OR it can be negative words that you think and try to repurpose your thinking. For instance, Why does so&so do this???? Surely they do it to P*ss me OFF!

Maybe think of WHY they are doing what they are doing and see it from a different point of view!

OR, perhaps you say something unkind and you need to make the situation right. Perhaps an apology is in order, or a phone call, or a small token of friendship.

MONDAY MILITIA!!

I've been thinking about ways to focus my energy in a positive way and how, by focusing those energies, they might impact the greater good....So, I've decided to start a weekly focus called:

THE MONDAY MILITIA


YOUR MISSION: (if you choose to accept it)

To positively impact the world by simply following the prompt each week.


SPREAD THE WORD:

Post the badge on your website. And link here.

Or don't and simply follow the prompts and join in the joy.


My goal is just to spread a bit of positivity each week. To pass it on. To make the world a better place. one time. this week. I don't think that is too much to ask, is it?

None of us are perfect. Me, the least of all. But, if we put a little button in our brains each week to consciously do something good, maybe, just maybe we can impact the world for the better. It doesn't have to do with politics, or anything else in the world, JUST BEING NICE.

That being said, your mission for the week is:

TELL ONE PERSON THAT THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL (OR HANDSOME!)

Just the way they are. Maybe their inward beauty strikes you in the supermarket, drugstore, or at the gas station. Maybe it's a friend who is feeling particularly ugly that day, maybe it is the woman at the diner who is ringing you up and her hair looks nice. Maybe a friend smiles at you in the broadest most gracious way. Just say it! YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL TODAY!

There is also a badge on the sidebar. I'll be tweeking it in the next couple days so you can grab the code easily.

Will you link the badge here?