Sandy’s Blog

Saturday morning, drinking coffee and catching up with a dear friend, out of state.  She was telling me about her birthday celebration at the casinos a few weeks ago.

She shared how she was very contently was playing a Willy Wonka Slots machine. She was enjoying the fun sounds of the machine and was totally content putting in a modest amount for each handle pull…and then proceeded to tell me how her machine hit the JACKPOT!!!

The Ultimate TOP winning prize – worth $609K – yes that’s right, $609,000 dollars!!!!

For “FULL PLAY” mode.
She was not in full play mode.
Her winnings $120 instead of $609,000.

Truly a coulda, shoulda, woulda moment.
What a way to remember a birthday for “what mighta been”.

After our call it made me think about the term FULL PLAY as it relates to life…

How many people live their lives in FULL PLAY mode?

What does FULL PLAY really mean?

Is it living life right to edge or even over the edge?

Is it saying “yes” to everything without restraint?

Is it non-stop action with no rest?

My friend had a wonderful perspective on the entire situation.  She was totally content to play in less than “full play mode” on the machine.  She was in FULL PLAY mode according to her.  She was enjoying her time, enjoying the sounds and feeling comfortable, not anxious about the money she was pouring into the machine.

I see many people say “yes” to every invite with no down time, no rest, no time to enjoy what they are really doing.   I would not call this FULL PLAY, I would call this exhausting.

Instead FULL PLAY to me is being “ALL IN”.  What ever it is you are going to do, be “all in” so that you know you can move forward, win or lose, knowing you were present, and ALL IN.

I totally connected this to weight loss and how exhausting it can be to be on the fence, falling in or out daily, hourly.

Counting, measuring, tracking, only to say – “to heck with it” at the end of the day and overeat, once again, and start the same insanity the next day.

This cycle can play over and over and over – for years on end.

Stop the insanity.

Get “ALL IN” if you are going to do it and be true to yourself.  If you want to lose weight – then do it.  Stop deciding and planning and preparing and just put your head and your body, ALL IN.

Get in FULL PLAY mode with getting your life and your body where you want to be and don’t look back.

The blessing with being in FULL PLAY mode with your body is it costs less to be in FULL PLAY mode than on the fence and dipping in and out of weight loss programs.

If you want to do it – you can – you just need to be ALL IN, in FULL PLAY mode.

Are you ready to be ALL IN?

Then let’s go!

Commit to FULL PLAY now!

Loved ones should be LOVED

I witnessed domestic violence in process last night to the point of me calling the police.

When I heard “I’ll count to five, you call police and I will kill you” I called 911.

This was after 11 pm on a Sunday night – when ideally people should be resting – getting ready for the week ahead.  Instead there was violence erupting which appeared to be between a mother and her adult son, in his 20s or 30s.

The level of shouting was alarming – as was the violent slamming of doors.  I heard this noise from down the street, behind my closed windows and doors, above the sound of my own TV.

I didn’t get to sleep until after 3:30 am – as a result of the anxiety and adrenaline running through my body, after witnessing this violence.

My life is so void of any of this type of activity. I don’t shout.  I don’t argue. I don’t create problems for others and I don’t allow others to create problems like this in my life.   My doors are closed with care – all of them.  I don’t have broken doors or broken hearts in my life.

I have healthy boundaries with my loved ones and my loved ones are truly that – LOVED.

I was blessed to have my oldest granddaughter fall asleep in my arms 3 times in a single day.  There is nothing better than to have a child sink to sleep in your arms – feeling safe, secure and loved…I know how blessed I am and I know others can live a blessed life too – if they choose that direction for themselves.

If I wanted chaos in my life, I could easily have that.  I do not.
If I wanted violence in my life, I am sure it would find me.  I do not.
If I wanted drama in my life, it would appear.  I do not.

I want love and kindness and treasured relationships.  I have that.
I want laughter, side splitting, catch your breath fun.  I have that.
I want supportive, nurturing experiences.  I have that.

I smile with compassion and care when I hear the kids in Costco say “Oh no, please hurry mom I only have shorts on” as the mom pushes the cart into the refrigerated section at Costco.  I agree with them – I cringe when I walk into that refrigerator box too and I move very quickly in and out of that ice box.  I have always thought Costco should sell coats and blankets just before you walk into this area.

I want my heart to be one of kindness, understanding, compassion and a light for those who want the same.

I want my smile, my expression, to be one of understanding and I want my hands to reach out to all those who want the same.

Recently, I have witnessed 3 extreme cases of violence and abuse between loved ones.

Between an estranged husband and wife

Between a grandparent and a very young grandchild

Between a mother and an adult son

All three incidents happened just outside my doors, in my beautiful community.

I only became aware of these issues because of the loud and unavoidable sounds that poured through my closed windows and doors.

This is so unacceptable at every level.

I have reached out in all three cases to stop this insane behavior between loved ones.

Loved ones should be LOVED.

Commitment or Decision.

What is most important?  What comes first?  What is most powerful?

After reading this you might just be able to answer the Chicken and Egg question.

Decisions are the things we make with our heads.  Commitment is the passion in our hearts to follow through on the decisions we make.  Decisions and commitments do not stand alone.  They are nothing without each other.  Just like in the Jerry Maguire movie you might say they really do “complete each other”.  

If you “undecide” to do something, any previous commitment becomes a moot point.  

If you “uncommit” to something, your previous decision becomes meaningless. 

Without commitment there is no drive to move a decision forward.   All forward motion stops.  

For example…

How many people have “decided” to start a weight loss program the first day of year, first day of the month, first day of the week, the first thing in the morning – only to have the plan crumble by noon the very same day?  Most. So what went wrong?  Was the problem with the decision or the commitment.   Or are they so tightly entwined they really cannot stand on their own?  Are decisions and commitments completely dependent on each other, in order to be whole and end with a completed result?

Can a Decision or a Commitment every truly be separate – all on it’s own?

If not, then maybe nothing went wrong with the 6000 weight loss efforts you have started and stopped in the very same day.  Maybe EVERYTHING was right with the decision you made to start.   Or maybe EVERYTHING was right with your commitment. Maybe the issue was you only had 1/2 of what you truly needed all those 6000 times.  Maybe, just maybe, a weight loss program be only be successful when you DECIDE what you are going to do and COMMIT to your decision. 

I invite you to decide what you want for yourself – and commit to your decision.

Consider weight loss to be equal parts decision and commitment and so entwined that the two shall be as one…   We will call this a conscious coupling of decision and commitment.   

Once you embrace merging a decision with your commitment, a profound peace can finally be reached,  You can end the struggle and let the two elements work together to serve you more solidly and more completely.  Your base will be solidified and a euphoric calm can comfort you as you embrace the challenges ahead. Decide and Commit – it will be the best gift you ever give yourself.