One more night...

I'm glad I decided to give myself a day "off" to chill before heading over to Structure House. I arrived in Raleigh Durham on Friday evening, feeling extremely tired. So, opted to order room service and watch a bit of TV. The weather has been fabulous - I was surprised at how warm it was when I stepped out of the airport - the young guy that picked me up from the Embassy Suites was very nice - he's studying computer programming in college and has plans to study law next. He's from Chapel Hill and had lots of recommendations for places to visit and explore.

Today, I explored the mall (5 min walk from the hotel), had a manicure and read "Day 1 - There is a Better Way" of the book "How Did I get So Busy? The 28-day plan to free your time, reclaim your schedule, and reconnect with what matters most" by Valorie Burton. So far it's seems as if the book was written for me - so much of her story is mine - she has a quiz in the introduction that asks - How Busy Are you? - When I started, I knew that I would score high - and as I made my way through the list, I found it unnerving - as just about every box had a tick - I only missed 2 out of 25 - (in all honesty - if I had done this a few months ago - then I could have easily scored 100%) - not that it would have changed the end result - my score determined that my 'busyness" level was "Out of Control" ...so no matter how I look at it ...out of control is ...out of control - argh!!! The sad thing is ....is that I can't remember a time where I wasn't busy - I see that I thrive on being busy - when the weekend comes ...and I have some time for me - I am too tired to actually do anything much - except for the essentials.
For the last while I've felt sleep deprived - never really catching up on sleep - and even when I had an opportunity to catch up or sleep in - I don't.

As much as I am looking forward to getting started, I am most afraid of having so much time to focus on me - life is so much easier when it is filled with "stuff" - as this makes it easier to avoid taking care of me ...and as I am learning - I am worth it!

I think that's one of the reasons why I was attracted to this book - Ms. Burton focus is to help me develop an understanding of the shifts that I need to make to move forward. She writes "Many of the shifts I will encourage you to make are ones you've probably been longing to make for some time. Your journey through these pages will be a practical, but also soul-nourishing, one. It is not enough to talk about what you need to do differently; you must also take a deeper look at who you really are and the motivating forces and fears that drive you. Without assessing our internal battles, it is impossible to make a permanent change. My goal is not only to help you become less busy, but also more fruitful, well rounded and productive. My hope is that when you have finished this 28-day program, you will be inspire to adopt these changes as an ongoing way of life."

So today - I walked over to the mall - picked up a US pay as you go phone - got a great deal with AT&T - had a manicure, wandered around the shops. This evening I went to the movies - the only thing that was playing when I arrived was BabyMama - very light comedy - with some good lines and funny moments. I have to say, the folks here are all very friendly - you do need a car to get around though - especially if you're not in the city. All in all, it's been a great day. I'm looking forward to tomorrow - getting settled and getting started!

Until then ...pleasant dreams!

Hugs to all,

Norma