Diving in enthusiastically

Flowers to plantA passionate person, there’s rarely a middle road with me.  Once I get an idea for a project or commit to something, I am full steam ahead.  Let’s say I decide to plant a lovely little geranium on my windowsill to enjoy every day.  By the time I go to the garden center, I’ve decided to revamp the front and backyard beds completely.  Or clothes… I don’t simply donate a couple of shirts.  I’d rather completely empty the closet, vacuum it, try on all the clothes, and then put them back in some newly organized method.  I tend to dive in enthusiastically or not at all.

I’ve always been like this.  I remember that as a child, thinking about inviting a set of grandparents to visit for the afternoon was not nearly as exciting as planning to invite lots of family and having a party! Anything that entails brainstorming, making lists, decorating, and trips to the store gets me excited.

I exhaust myself completely.

Why am I thinking of this? I am catching myself committing to new things and I don’t want to do too much.  I must remember that the reason I feel so joyful is that I’m living from a place of overflow right now.  I am getting enough sleep, exercising, and taking care of myself, and so I am more than happy to smile, talk, uplift, and care for others.  I most definitely do not want to exhaust myself because I’m having such fun!

I seem to have designed a new life for myself all of a sudden.  What was I doing last year? I honestly can’t remember… I know I was super busy.  I will still be reading (hello, that’s like breathing), blogging, and “art”ing, but I am adding these new things.

Little brownie

That’s me in 1981.  I have wonderful memories of being a Brownie in the girl scouts for three years, with my own mother as the troop leader.  We made sit-upons, we went camping, we sang songs, we helped our communities, and of course we sold lots of cookies.  I’ve been looking forward to being able to introduce my own daughter to the empowering world of Girl Scouts.  Last week I signed her up at her school to be a Daisy Scout and also volunteered to be a Troop Leader.  There are a couple of training classes I need to take and then I’m sure I will be busy planning our year.

class books

I have already been plenty busy planning the curriculum for teaching religious school, which begins in just a little over a week.  I’ll be teaching 24 fifth graders.  We will be examining the lives of specific Jewish heroes as a way to model how to internalize Jewish values and make good choices by actually living those values.  We have a fun and busy year planned and I’m nervous and excited about getting started.

Markers

I am super excited to get involved in the elementary school where my sweet girl just started kindergarten.  I believe I am going to be helping with the book fair that the school has each fall.  I will most likely be a class parent as well, helping the teacher with communications and projects.

Treadmill

Until recently, this is about all our treadmill has been used for.  Now that school has begun, I am going to be exercising every day.  I mentioned a couple years ago, in writing about my Life List, that I’d like to try tap dancing again.  I can’t remember when I stopped my dancing… sometime in high school I guess.  From age 3 to 15, ballet/tap/jazz was a weekly activity.  So I went ahead and signed up for an adult intermediate tap class that meets once a week at our community center.  What the heck.  This is part of an effort to be much more physically active.

Yoga

I also signed up for a hatha yoga class there.  Mindful stretching and breathing can only benefit.

Flamingos

I will soon begin a local Mindful Parenting group soon as well.

And our synagogue’s congregational singing group is stepping it up a bit this year.  This will be the third year for us and it is such a fun spiritual release for me.  I’ve met wonderful people doing this.  Rather than meeting on Sunday mornings here and there, we will be meeting the first three Tuesday evenings of each month.  I’ve already got some teenagers lined up to babysit.  A regular schedule will help us be much more involved in participating in congregational events and celebrations.

So you see that I am unintentionally embarking on a completely new way of using my time and being more social.  I glanced at my e-course schedule and realized that almost all of my classes have ended.  Woo hoo! Check out the page for updates and reviews of what I’ve just finished.  I’ve decided to simplify big-time here as well.  So nobody is allowed to tell me about any new classes you think I’d like, ok?

Because of all this, I decided to make permanent this summer schedule of posting on Mondays and Thursdays.  Two blog posts a week seems like a good amount to me.

Tell me what you’ve been up to!

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29 Responses to Diving in enthusiastically

  1. SKJAM! says:

    I love book fairs! I hope it is not too oriented to selling books from one publisher, though. that can really narrow the range of books available.
    SKJAM! recently posted…Book Review: The Cloak Society #3: Fall of HeroesMy Profile

  2. Amy Putkonen says:

    Hi Naomi!

    Wow. I had no idea you were a teacher! and Fifth Grade! Same as me. Well, not right now, but I used to teach fifth grade. I wish that we were neighbors. It would be so fun to pop out and share a coffee now and again! We are also similar in that we take on too much. Life just isn’t big enough to fit all the things we want to learn and do!

    Looking forward to hearing about your teaching adventures.
    Amy Putkonen recently posted…I Ching Hexagram #12: MisfortuneMy Profile

    • Naomi says:

      I haven’t taught before, though I’ve thought about getting my teaching certification on and off for a few years. I started getting these inklings that I might be good at it about a year ago. I’ve been thinking about it since then. Someone recently told me that I’m nurturing and a good and gentle guide and I should share my enthusiasm with other people. Then a friend asked me to teach this class and it felt right. So we shall see. I am hugely nervous but also excited.
      Yes, I SO wish we were neighbors! You are so right in that we want to do it all. I’ll definitely keep you posted after the first couple of classes and let you know how it goes. This week is more of an open house and next week I teach my first lesson. Eek!

  3. You are at a really exciting time in your life Naomi. I loved the school experience. Just a heads up that this time will fly by. Before you know it you’ll be sitting in the audience, watching her graduate. Enjoy it all and soak it all up! I know you will.
    Now that my two are back at college I am going to try and tackle my arms length list. Not daunting though. I’m looking forward to it. Mostly involves writing and exploring the various options that are out there.
    Kelly Mckenzie recently posted…Seasoned Advice For Middle School ParentsMy Profile

    • Naomi says:

      Fly by… hmm. I’m doing my best to capture it all and remember her cuteness. There are days I wish were done with though! I can’t wait to see what you do with yourself now. Fun!

  4. Kathy Anne says:

    You are one busy woman but in the good kind of way! I can relate with you so much. I’m PTO president at my kids school but started out in the copy room and book fair. I also love ecourses and decided to take a break from those. Great work on exercising and self care too! As I write I’m going to try and post once a week. That seems to be the last thing I ever get to. Thanks so much for sharing!
    Kathy

    • Naomi says:

      Ooh I just volunteered for the copy room once a month! You must be kept busy with the president job! I’m taking an ecourse break too and it feels very good. Every time I see one, I just delete and move on. So freeing! Thanks for your comment!

  5. Linda Watson says:

    It is wonderful how devoted and excited you are about your daughter and your faith and art. What a great life. Those truly are the things worth spending time on
    Linda Watson recently posted…The Necessary Routine of WeavingMy Profile

  6. Love that you’re feeling in a state of overflow now Naomi – that’s delightful and precious. I smiled a bit at your upcoming schedule as well – it feels rich and exciting and very full to me. No one indeed would ever accuse you of doing things half measure!
    Deborah Weber recently posted…In the Counting House Adding Up August 2014My Profile

  7. Oh my! I looked just like you in 1981. I was probably a bit shorter, though. My mom called me the World’s Smallest Brownie. 🙂

    Your life and pursuits are an inspiration. Glad to hear you’re working from a place of overflow right now with your energy. I was doing that a few months ago, but now am needing more rest and retreat again. But I’m looking forward to returning to that state you’re enjoying right now.
    Harmony Harrison recently posted…It’s Benign! It’s Benign!My Profile

    • Naomi says:

      I was very short too… definitely smaller than everyone else in the group shots. Too funny! I hope you give yourself the space and time to rest. I am constantly working on that too!

  8. I love the way you think
    and do life, friend…..stirs my joy:)
    thanks for sharing your beautiful perspective,
    Jennifer
    Jennifer Richardson recently posted…letting wonder woo you…My Profile

  9. Janet says:

    Wow! I am most impressed by this statement: I am getting enough sleep, exercising, and taking care of myself. (Sleep is an issue for me recently, and it is so key.) Your coming schedule looks overwhelming to me (though it might be perfect for you) . . . but I sure know the excitement of signing up for new things in the Fall . . . and there’s always a choice of what to keep on the schedule as life unfolds.
    Janet recently posted…What is High-Coo?My Profile

  10. Tat says:

    I love that you’re managing to do all this and still look after yourself and feel great. It gives me hope. I’m mostly doing well with that, but getting enough sleep is still a big challenge.
    Tat recently posted…Spring is just around the cornerMy Profile

    • Naomi says:

      It’s a huge issue for so many people. I am more of a morning person, and come dinner time, I’m usually spent. I love going to sleep at night, but that’s also when I have time for reading or catching up with Mr. B, so it’s often a tradeoff.

  11. I am delighted that you’ve decided to exercise more! It’s so important, to your long run health and strength. Now that you’ve gotten much better at pruning that shrub of commitments, you can fit in more of the important things, like more exercise and teaching the Jewish heros class. How exciting! Reading is interesting but sharing what you’ve read really makes it come alive. Yoga is something I want to do too. Hopefully I can be inspired by your example and fit in in sometime. I’ll be sure to catch your bi-weekly blog posts, and respond when I have something to say. The ALS ice bucket challenge infection is spreading across my social network and I am liable to get very cold and wet soon. 🙂

  12. I love the way you approach it all with such an enthusiasm and joyousness. I’m not Jewish, but my husband is – so I’d be interested in the Jewish hero books – as I’m learning! I’ve had friends that took tap dancing as adults and really loved it – I took tango – but it does take two! I’ve vowed to turn on the music when at home alone and dance around the house like I used to when I was younger! I always look forward to your monthly reading – I’ve slowed down of late – I limited myself to one book a week –
    but that doesn’t count for books I read for learning – one fiction book a week I guess I should say!

    • Naomi says:

      Dancing around the house is a great idea. I’ll have to do that more often too. Dancing/music is a huge motivation for me to get moving… otherwise I just don’t feel like it. My August reading post is sort of long… maybe I’ll split it into two posts. I think one fiction book a week is good. At the moment, I’m reading a book on the importance of sleep and I can’t seem to stay awake to read it. It must be the beginning of school and getting up early, mixed in with exercising on the treadmill every day, that’s sabotaging me!

    • Naomi says:

      P.S. My goal with the fifth graders is to get them interested in the “hero” as a way of teaching them about ethics/values. We’ll be talking about some modern heroes too, like Natalie Portman, who is a huge advocate for Kiva loans and microlending, among other things. I hope to share my excitement about being Jewish as well as show them ways to be better people by making good choices. I have an extra teacher’s guide to one of our books if you want me to send it to ya. 🙂

  13. You have certainly created for yourself a beautiful, full and exciting life Naomi. It was so inspiring reading your post. Love that you are going to take tap dancing class. My husband is showing an interest in doing that too. But locally here they only teach little kids. It’s something he’s wanted to do for a long time. Have fun!!
    Suzanne McRae recently posted…Advocating… and the results!My Profile

    • Naomi says:

      I had trouble finding an adult class too. Tell him to keep looking! I think it’ll be great fun as long as I remember to bring along my sense of humor. 🙂

  14. Becky says:

    You have a lot of fun projects/events/activities coming up, Naomi! I love the idea of Daisy Scouts but am worried about all the cookie selling!

    I love that you are going to be a Room Parent this year! I was an unofficial Room Parent last year and loved being so involved. This year I am the Room Parent Chair at the school so I get to be even more involved.

    Enjoy your tap dancing class! I would love to do a dance class.

    • Naomi says:

      I always enjoyed selling the cookies, and I’m ok with not selling as many as I did as a kid too. I’m not going to pressure anyone! Yes, getting involved at school is wonderful. 🙂

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