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A New Name: Realize Your Dreams

March 15, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

The new name “Realize Your Dreams” refers to all of us and our best aspirations—who we are and what we want to accomplish with our lives.  Consider this to be an extension of the previous title, “Midlife Transformation”. 

I want to use this site to explore how we each define ourselves.  Do we know what our purpose is, and are we fulfilling it?  If not, what is stopping us, and how can we do it better?

Beyond that, I want to discuss our individual “Life Experience Lists” (some may call them “Bucket Lists”).  These are the actions and events that allow us to enjoy life to the fullest.  What is on your list – the things you have done and the things you want to do?  Are you taking actions to realize your dreams?

I changed the photograph at the head of this blog to one of my personal favorites.  Yes, that is me, standing on Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsunday Islands in Australia.  It has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.  I asked my husband to take my picture because “This is what happiness looks like!”  I hope you and I both have future adventures and experiences that can bring the look of happiness to our faces.

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Energy Connections

March 8, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

Don’t you just love it when you come across something that just makes you smile and say “Yes!” ?  That happened to me just a few days ago when I read the following:

“A major principle in Traditional Chinese Medicine is the idea of meridians, along which qi (or ch’i) flows. As carriers of our vital energy, lifeforce or lifebreath, our meridians supply nourishment and connection for our internal organs, and can have a noticeable impact on our health.

I find it interesting to extend the idea of meridians to areas of my outer life, too. I wonder: How is my energy connected to the individuals and community around me? Which of my energetic channels are open and free-flowing? Which channels seem to experience more congestion or contraction? What blocks my energetic self?

So this month, I invite you to notice and explore the multitude of meridians in your life. Creativity. Friendship. Prosperity. Gratitude. Kindness. Health. Service. Love. How might you reduce or eliminate any obstructions, and open to the fully-realized, incredible life you deserve?”

 That piece was written by Elke of Harbin Hot Springs.

I am very familiar with the concept of Qi, and I love Elke’s perspective on applying the concept of energy flow to other areas of our lives.

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Be a Peace Corps Volunteer?

March 5, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

Tonight NBC News featured a “Making a Difference” segment about midlife women serving in the Peace Corps.  As youngsters in 1961, many of them felt the call when President John Kennedy announced the formation of the Peace Corps.  At the time life led them in other directions, but now they are ready and able to fulfill the dreams of their youth.

 At age fifty-plus they bring their professional and life experience to their new positions, according to reporter Chris Jansing.  She concluded the report by noting that these volunteers, working with families to fight malaria and other diseases, are “helping children live to be adults – not bad for a second career.”

I briefly had the Peace Corps dream as a teenager – I thought it would fulfill a desire to see the world while helping others.  But the idea was too big — it scared me — and I never seriously considered it.  I admire those who did serve – then and now. I am inspired by women my age who are willing to trade a comfortable life for one of working to improve conditions in poor areas. 

The Peace Corps is looking for more middle-aged volunteers.  Was that your dream in the 1960’s? How about in 2012?

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Revved Up and Ready to Go!

February 27, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef

Working out – we all know we should have exercise in our lives, but it can be a challenge to make it happen consistently.  When I make the effort to work out often, my body is revved up to help burn extra calories – even between the sessions — bonus!!  Since I am always struggling with my weight, I have to make sure exercise fits into my life.

I enjoyed reading this online article about revving up metabolism (eating, exercise, more). Overall, I think the optimal arrangement is to discover what kind of healthy activities we enjoy doing – then integrate them into our lives wherever and whenever we can do so.

“I would be happy if I could go hiking in a National Park every day!” I told my husband when we toured Glacier National Park several years ago.  Unfortunately, that is not an option in my every day world.

Perhaps the closest I ever came to that goal (so far) was four months ago when my husband and I spent three weeks in Australia, which has 516 National Parks… many more than we could handle!  During our time there, we visited at least seven areas that were designated as World Heritage sites, National Parks or both. 

We spent hours walking: in the Daintree Rain Forest, in the outback at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and checking out the Sydney Opera House and other sites around the Sydney Harbour area.  In the gorgeously scenic Blue Mountain National Park we hiked along a steep, rocky path. I thought the occasional signs that said “Landslide” referred to the trail’s name —  until we came to an actual landslide area! We scrambled over it, and I felt as nimble as a mountain goat. We also went snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef several times.  In Australia the natural world surrounded us and we cherished every moment we could fully experience it.

Unfortunately, I can’t integrate snorkeling into my everyday life. *SIGH*.  But I think my regular workout of choice helped me get to the place where I have enough agility and stamina to handle those kind of more extreme activities when the opportunity arises. That workout program is called Silver Sneakers®.  I specifically like that the routine focuses on Muscular Strength andRange of Motion. 

Two or three times a week I go to my local fitness center where the leader takes a group through a wide variety of activities that provides a good overall body, mind balanced workout.  This program is offered to older adults at 11,000 participating centers nationwide.  It is an enjoyable and valuable exercise program, and it helps keep my body revved up to burn calories.  This is my regular routine, but I still love to go hiking in National Parks (and snorkeling!) as often as I can manage to do so!

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Developing my Artistic Style

January 29, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

A few months ago I began keeping an (almost) daily journal – in part to help me develop my creative aspirations. (I was influenced by Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path the Higher Creativity – see my Resources page).  One of the statements I regularly write in my journal – as an affirmation – is, “I believe if I do the quantity, the quality will come and my personal style will develop.”  

By taking a watercolor painting class at White Bear Center for the Arts, I am beginning to see how my style is unique to me.  This painting is my version of the original created by our instructor Lisa Fertig, which she demonstrated painting in class a couple of weeks ago.  Like the water lily picture I posted a couple of days ago, one element of my version is a very bold use of color.  I am still learning how to finesse the color and work with the attributes of watercolor paint! 

I am satisfied with the strong sense of color in my paintings, though.  When I took a watercolor workshop instructed by Jeanne Carbonetti last May, I was wowed by her use of color.  I felt my eyes were open to the possibility that I could move into a more expressionistic style in my own painting.  I am learning that I still have a lot more to learn, but I am moving in that direction!  See “My Artwork” page on this site for my original paintings.

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Watercolor Painting Class

January 27, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

I’m at home – inside looking out at fluffy white snow – the perfect way to spend a January day.  I am enjoying this opportunity to work on my own projects and develop my artistic interests. 

On Monday evenings, I take a watercolor class at White Bear Center for the Arts.  Here is my version of this week’s class project: a painting of a water lily. Our instructor Lisa Fertig creates the original painting, demonstrating how to do it in segments for the class. When she gets to each stopping point, we paint it on our own paper.  I am amazed that although everybody in the class sees the same original, each of us creates our own version which is very different from the others. All are beautiful in their own way!

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Character or Charisma – or Both?

January 8, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

There was an interesting segment on the CBS Sunday Morning show today about charisma.  Reported by Susan Spencer,  it was mostly about charisma in the context of assessing modern day presidents and presidential candidates.  Somebody who is charismatic can be defined as one with charm or personal appeal.  I’d rather have a strong sense of character than something so superficial. But I realize that charisma goes deeper than what we see on the surface.

The program introduced us to Joseph Nye, professor at the Harvard Kennedy School.  He describes certain people with charisma as having a “personal connection”, and ability to “project warmth and personality.”  Aha, so it is a communication thing, and I am all in favor of clear and positive interpersonal communication.

But I wonder if charisma something genuine if it can be quantified and taught?  Professor Alex Pentland from MIT and his team say the have found a way to measure charisma. (Why didn’t I become an academic researcher of charisma? It sounds like fun and probably pays well, too!)  What their device actually measures is whether a person is energetic. The show also features John Neffinger who runs workshops to teach people how to have charisma. He says the key factors are “strength and warmth”, as projected by a smile and body language.

What does this all mean to me?  I believe it all starts with what is inside, so it is up to each of us to let the energy and love of the universe into ourselves – and develop our own qualities such as humor, adventure, and integrity that define our character.  Then, when we use that energy from within to smile, look somebody in the eye, to listen and react to what they have to say, we are doing so from an authentic center.  It is essential to make this kind of connection with other people.  Character or charisma? My vote: have both, but the character comes first.

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A New Chapter in 2012

January 1, 2012 by Shelley Odendahl

2012 comes to us with opportunities and probably some baggage.  What will the year ahead bring? Or, maybe a better question is: what will each of us bring to 2012?  How will we navigate the highs, lows, waves, sunny skies and whirlpools?

I have taken the first step to write my life’s next chapter:  I resigned my job this week.  Am I crazy? In this economy?  At my age?  I am not ready to retire.  But I have enough self-awareness to know when I am in a situation that is not right for me.  I am ready to change direction.  And I am well aware that I am more fortunate than many because I have a partner (my wonderful husband) who supports this move.

As I pursue job openings that look like a good fit for me and my qualifications, I will spend my time working on my own projects:

  • Develop myself as an artist, doing the coursework in Julia Cameron’s book: The Artist’s Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (see Resources section).
  • Research what is needed to self-publish a Kindle book.  I am writing a guide encouraging midlife women to live with pizzazz!  I’ll provide more information as this project grows.
  • Revitalize and rework this blog to become the platform for my new thoughts and endeavors.  I’ll remove some old blog entries and write some new ones.  Some of my previous posts will be revised to become part of my book – along with a whole lot of new material I’ve been working on.
  • Tackle some home projects that have been put aside for too long – organize and declutter my home, cook healthy meals, commit to financial planning, and more.
  • Lest this become too much of a “To Do” list, let me add the more unstructured ways I want to spend my days: painting, dreaming, writing poetry, making connections with other people – in person and online, and learning – always learning.

What will you bring to your 2012?

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Soup Today!

January 24, 2010 by Shelley Odendahl

Ahh, Sunday!  I started the day watching one of my favorite shows: CBS Sunday Morning.  If you watch this show, chances are you love it (per my highly unscientific survey method of talking to other fans). If you don’t know what I am talking about, check it out sometime.

When Bill Geist came on the air, I saw the frozen ice and snow surrounding him and said, “He’s in Minnesota.” I was right. It turns out he was reporting about the feud between Embarrass, Tower, and International Falls over which Minnesota town gets the coldest weather. They all get VERY cold – the official state record is -60 degrees F.!

Believe it or not, some of us Minnesotans wish this weekend would have been a little colder (but not record cold, please!) We are currently having a January thaw, complete with rain and freezing rain. Yesterday as I drove home from a neighboring town my car was pelted with slush balls falling from the sky. The roads were very icy. I would have much preferred colder temperatures and precipitation in the form of soft, lovely snow.

This is a round-about way of saying that this is perfect soup weather! I have vegetables on hand to help me eat healthy in 2010. Putting them together in soup is a delicious way to get a nice variety of flavors.

Today I cooked a Southwestern-style chicken and bean soup. When my husband ate it his eyes lit up and he told me to write it down. I did, and I’m sharing it with you (recipe below). One of the best things about a throw-together soup like that is, other than a few of the basic ingredients, you can put in whatever is on hand. I could have added corn or various other ingredients. But it turned out good just as it was.

In fact, I’m making soup again tonight. We’re having supper on TV trays as we watch the Vikings play (and hopefully beat) the Saints in the playoff game. This time I am adding leeks, tri-colored mini-peppers, and grated cheese to last night’s potato soup for a new take on it.  I’m baking bread, too; using one of the recipes from one of my favorite books Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Is there such a thing as too much soup? I haven’t reached that point yet! Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken & Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts – cut into about 1” cubes

About 3-4 cups total fresh vegetables: chopped onion,  thinly sliced tri-colored mini-peppers, minced garlic, cut pieces of sugar snap pea pods

2 cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 small can tomato paste

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

Dehydrated chopped onion

1-2 packages taco seasoning

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (hot; season to taste)

Fresh spinach (optional)

Sauté the chicken pieces in olive oil in a large pan for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is opaque and nearly cooked through. Add the chopped vegetables and cook a few more minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked and vegetables soften. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for about 15-20 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Optional: While soup is cooking, wash & shake in a colander to dry: 2-3 handfuls fresh baby spinach. Break up coarsely into soup bowls. Spoon the hot soup mixture into the bowls over the spinach; let it set for a minute, then stir. This cooks the spinach without losing the nutrients. I learned to pour any kind of soup over spinach from a friend of mine who does it all the time.

Garnish soup with grated cheddar cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

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Farewell to a Brave Woman

January 12, 2010 by Shelley Odendahl

I read “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” many times. I took the story to heart and hoped to someday visit the secret annex where Anne spent two years of her life before she perished in a Nazi concentration camp. A few years ago my wish came true when my husband and I visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. As we stood in line to enter we spoke quietly with others from various countries; our lives had all been touched by Anne’s story.

Do young girls still read this book and feel the connection to her? Do teachers assign it and librarians recommend it? I hope so. Through this book, young people get a sense of what it was like to be persecuted for being Jewish in Europe during World War II.

Another person in the book who made a big impression on me was Miep Gies. She was one of a few people who brought food and sustenance to the group in hiding, choosing to risk their own lives by doing so. Miep was Anne’s friend and lifeline.  A few years ago, I was excited to see that an elderly woman being interviewed on television was Miep Gies, still alive and telling the story of what happened so many years ago.  Miep said she was not a hero, but I respectfully disagree. She helped to show the world what an individual could do; her life influenced young people who read about her actions and her kindness. She was a role model above and beyond the usual meaning of the term.

Sometimes we get reminders that the horrors of World War II are not that far away in time or place. Miep Gies passed away yesterday. Farewell to Anne’s extraordinary friend, a brave woman.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-11/miep-gies-dutch-woman-who-found-anne-frank-diary-dies-at-100.html

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