The art of blending

I sometimes like to make smoothies. I'll get on a health kick and throw some things together, blend it up, and drink it on the way to work. The other day I put WAY to many ingredients in the blender. Not only was it too thick, the items I blended were not complimentary of each other. It tasted awful. But rather than throwing it out, I drank it, not wanting to waste the healthy ingredients. Later I got a bit nauseous, which lead to, uh, let's just say the bathroom. This smootie experience was the inspiration for this post. Think about your day; how many people did you come in contact with, at work, school, the grocery store? Now consider each of these people, or groups of people, as ingredients in your smoothie of life. If you had to "blend" everyone you met today into your "smoothie", would you enjoy it? Or, would it be a nauseating disappointment as mine was? Sometimes we can choose who we belnd with and sometimes we can't. On those days we have a choice, make the most of your "ingredients". Pick the people that give you strength, and joy. On the days you can't pick your "people" ingredients you still have to get by. Sometimes this means "ingesting" comments or personalities you would never had picked for your smoothie. Well, let's think of it like my grandma "at least try it, if you don't like it you don't have to eat it again." Sometimes I liked it and wanted more, other times, it was awful and I scooped it off my plate. In the life smoothie it would go something like this. "it's not the person you would have chosen, but do the work and if you don't hit it off, don't accept a lunch invitation". In other words, don't throw them into you life blender. This happens everyday at work. I am in a 12 ingredient office. In the beginning, nothing blended well. I wondered how I would be able to mix this smoothie and make it good. Well, a couple assignments and desk moves, brought me to a GREAT mixture of people. I will say there are still a couple of people I don't want in my work smoothie, but there is nothing I can do about it. So, I name them Kale - I HATE Kale! However, it can be tolerated with certain other ingredients. Thus that "Kale" at work is the same; the other ingredients drowned it out and my life smoothie is ingestible. The actual smoothie I made in the beginning of this post had too many uncomplimentary items. I have found this true in some groups that I USED to hang out with. Those ingredients were not healthy and so I dropped them from my smoothie all together. I am still experimenting with my actual smoothie, and my life smoothie. Soon, they will both be the perfect blend of health, enjoyment, and comfort. May you find the right "ingredients" for your life smoothie.

If Clarity were a restaurant

How awesome would it be to hit a drive through and order a value basket of clarity.  The scenario would go something like this.  "Hi welcome to Clarity how may I help you?"  You reply, "I'd like a large order of 'should I change jobs' and a side of 'my next hairstyle.'"  You pull forward and pay then open your bag to find a beautifully wrapped "not a good time for a career change," and a picture of the perfect haircut.   You carry on with your scheduled day without a worry.

So many times in my life I would've been thrilled to have this drive through option.  I'm a second guesser.  I get a great job offer and accept it on the spot, tell everyone about it, then start to wonder if I made the right decision.   I send an email that I have read at least 3 times, debating clicking that button of no return.  It's done, I nod my head with accomplishment, and then wonder if I should have put my opinion in writing.

I am in awe and envy those people who announce to the world they KNEW without a doubt "that" was the thing to do.  Many of them believe they are "spoken to".  These people make the decision that was so clearly given to them AND life DOES turn out great.

Without all the ugly details, I will tell you I was raised in a very unpredictable environment.  Promises were made and broken.  Others unreliable decisions clouded my own development of healthy choices. I truly believe this has a lot to do with my distrust of my own decisions.  Not making an excuse, just self examining. Too many times, I got excited, made a decision and was disappointed.  It just didn't work out how I thought it would.  So then there should be a restaurant named "Consequence Rewind".  "Hi, how may I help you today?"  "Um yes, can I please have the 'Oops I Was Wrong Meal' and an 'I Regret That Decision Shake?'"  I devour my order and wake up the next day as if no decision had been made.

On my way to work later that week I stop at "What Iffy's" for a coffee.  The menu reads 'pick your size 1, 2, 3.'    I choose 3;  I drive up and am handed a drink carrier with three cups.  Hmmm?  I lift the first one to find it labeled 'this is what you could have had.  The second cup reads, 'look what you passed up' and the  third one is my drink that's labeled 'but you settled for this.'.  I hate "What Iffy's", I don't know why I go there.
  

Sometimes I go to " Modern Genie" for lunch.  Now the service there is hit and miss.   I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "be careful what you wish for, it might come true." Here's how things go there.   "Welcome to Modern Genie how may I help you?"  "I'd like to have the daily special of 'Finally I got the job I want, with a raise on the side."  I pull up to the window and race away with my order.  Later when I'm writing the transaction in my checkbook I read on the receipt, "This order expires in 6 months."  What? Wait! That's not what I wanted!

I'm getting a bit overwhelmed just thinking about these options.  What if they truly existed?  If I had the answer to everything, would I truly be happy?  I could quickly answer "heck yes!"  But then I think about the decisions that require heart.  Questions like "should I marry him/her"?  I grab the daily special  "Yes" and walk down the aisle with no feeling, or I get the "expires by divorce in four years" on the side.

I have had decisions blow up in my face and thought life was over.  Years later I see how those decisions actually took me to a great place.  As much as I struggle with my wants and my decisions, I don't think the "decision menu" is a good idea.  I married for love, changed jobs for money and crashed, and live with the decision to get up everyday and step out knowing today could change my whole life for the good or bad.  It's super hard for me to say that out loud, because that's not how it feels.  It feels like work, and I'm tired, but to examine it through this writing has begun to open doors in my mind I didn't know were there.  It seems to actually be true that we "live and learn.".

Today I will stop at "Freewill Freemind" coop and slowly walk the aisles picking the ingredients to make my own decisions.  I'm done with the drive through.