Cloud 9 World

Lately I have been struggling.  A lot.  The Big Three I thought I conquered simultaneously back in March have come back to haunt me.  Well, one and a half of the Big Three.  I did my 30 days of Paleo and felt better than ever.  Then I crashed and burned.  Hard.  And I haven't been able to pick myself back up.  The exercise element of my trifecta has been hit and miss but the food thing has been horrible.  Every morning I wake up with renewed optimism, and by middle of the day I have wrecked it, and by end of the day I am berating myself for being so stupid.  Rinse and repeat.

But yesterday I got a visual reminder that I can do better.

I saw a beaver swimming in the Swan River.

...

My beautiful cousin Maria Candelaria is one of the founders of a fabulous company called Cloud 9 World.  Please visit their website at http://www.cloud9world.com/.  In a nutshell, in their own words:

Over the last half-century, our fast-paced culture has radically altered the nature of the American family. Our children are required to grow faster and in doing so are faced with challenges in life that can be very difficult to over come. Unfortunately now a day their self esteem is exposed to a number of situations at school and in their everyday activities.

Cloud9World™ was created by mothers who developed a common language that helped them aid their own children during challenging times. The messages were simple, but results were incredible.

Thus, the Cloud9Kids™ collection was born. By instilling good thoughts, engendering good behavior and boosting the wearer’s self-esteem, Cloud9Kids™ products empower both children and parents to become better human beings.

...

I saw a beaver swimming in the Swan River.

Perseverance is being committed in your heart and persistent in your effort. You commit to your goals and overcome obstacles, no matter how long it takes. Like a strong ship in a storm that doesn’t let wind blow it off course. You ride with the current instead. When the going gets rough and you figure out a way to hang in there and reach your goals, you are showing perseverance.

The beaver represents the importance of setting goals, the value of hard work, and the rewards of perseverance.

I am tackling my life with renewed perseverance (and yes, I pilfered that image directly from Cloud 9 World).  Here is my normal morning routine:  poodle wakes up sometime between 6:30 and 8:00; we get up and pee; I feed her breakfast; we both go back to bed until it is no longer possible to get to work on time.  This morning, however, I changed it up a bit.  In the spirit of setting goals, recognizing the value of hard work and desperately wanting to realize the rewards of perseverance, Rox and I got up at 6:30, peed, she ate breakfast and went back to bed while I ...

wait for it ...

STAYED UP!  I finished a painting and worked on another one, read a chapter in my book, and by ten after eight I was lacing up my running shoes.  There were a lot of people heading to work so it was a slower four miles than usual.  All of our runs are training events for Rox -- every time a car comes towards us I say "car" and "wait."  Sometimes the wait is kinda long.  Even though her release is a verbal cue, she has to look at me before I give it.

So today is going to be a much longer day for me than usual, but getting four miles out of the way before I normally get out of bed is a huge accomplishment.  I have set a new goal and will work hard to achieve it because being proud of myself is a fantastic reward.  I feel great today.  I haven't hit my usual mid-afternoon slump that triggers the word "PEPSI" in my brain, which is the beginning of the end for me, and I won't because I have a new word.  PERSEVERANCE.  I need to paint that one for myself.

I am so glad I saw a beaver swimming in the Swan River.