Last week, I continued working on the little renovations in my house. I’d been putting off replacing my light switches, because, although I had watched someone do it and it seemed simple enough, I had really never done it. I know about things I have never done. They can be difficult, stressful, or just plain irritating. 

I’ve now replaced about 14 of my light switches, because I wanted them to be white instead of almond. Sure enough, absolutely nothing went exactly right. Oops… lost a screw down the sink. Great… the replacement screws on the next one aren’t quite long enough. Oh, brother… the new white switch plate isn’t as big as the almond one, and doesn’t cover the old paint. Really?... now the cordless drill needs re-charged.

Every switch I replaced came with its own new, little aggravation. Nothing really stopped me, but every little irritation came with some trip back downstairs or out to the shed. I couldn’t help but wonder
which of these little annoyances I might have avoided, if I had been an experienced electrician (or even a slightly experienced handyman, um… person).

For the things I do well every day, I know where to expect annoyances, and most of the time, I know how to avoid them. Leave the house at 6:15, because if you wait until 6:30 to leave, there’s too much traffic. Wear gloves when pulling weeds, or your fingernails won’t come clean for a week. Put your coffee cup on the right, front corner of your desk, not the left middle. For the things I do not do regularly, however, I have no such radar for knowing how to prepare, what to expect, or what to avoid, and so I am subject to irritation. 

That, I suppose, is one of the reasons we value experience. It’s why we are willing to hire people who have more experience, and why we tend to limit ourselves and our lives to what we know best. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, until it becomes our own version of a rut, limits our creativity, or hinders our ability to grow our own confidence.

Sure I was annoyed because I wasn’t perfectly efficient at replacing my  switches. However, now that it’s done, I kind of like the fact I did it myself. So now, I wonder what other little things I might be able to do that seem intimidating, or like they might be frustrating, or that I feel may be just beyond my current level of enthusiasm. I truly believe that, if I were to try them anyway, I would be rewarded with the joy of breaking out of my routine if nothing else, and quite possibly, I could discover a new skill, pastime, or
reason to be proud of my own tenacity.

So, what is it for you? Is there something you’ve been putting off? Something you’ve always wanted to try but just haven’t gotten that final push? Something you are certain you would not be at all good at doing but wish that you could be? I invite you to just go for it!

Yes, you may feel silly at first. Yes, you might be dreading it. Yes, you might feel annoyed, clumsy or frustrated. And yes, I am confident that, having gone through whatever it is, you will find pride in having braved something new, enlightenment from the learning, and joy. After all a full life, by definition, needs experiences. 

There was a Facebook Quiz, today, on my MSN homepage: 
“It’s nearly Spring.
What’s your favorite part of this time of year?" 
A. The change to warmer (hopefully drier) weather 
B. Seasonal foods like asparagus, peas and morels 
C. The colorful fashion updates
 
Is anyone shocked that choice “A” won out by 84%? I think we all know how much the weather influences our moods and how we feel, physically. What we may not know is why.


You may already know that vitamin D supports bone strength, but did you know it’s also critical to building and maintaining the neurotransmitters in our brains, as well as supporting immune function? Sunshine helps our bodies make vitamin D and a lack of sunshine may contribute to a shortage. We also get a surge of endorphins (the “feel good” hormones), just by being in natural settings, and in the winter, we’re not out in nature nearly as much as we’re likely to be in friendlier months. Without that nature boost, we may experience fewer “feel good” hormone surges. Lastly, because the weather doesn’t allow for as much physical activity and shorter days promote more lethargy (triggering a hibernation response), our bodies can lose energy and our moods can follow suit.   

What do we do about something over which we have absolutely no control having such a tremendous influence on the level of joy we may be able to access at any given time? Answer: We find other ways to feed ourselves the Vitamin D, release the endorphins, and maintain stable temperatures and comfort.

Here are my top 3 suggestions: 
 
1. Get your Vitamin D!
Although there’s some controversy about whether or not tanning beds are a good option for this, they
aren’t. They are now listed as a carcinogen in the same category as cigarettes! 400-1000 IU are recommended daily allowances, and in the winter, you should move toward the higher side of supplementation. Canned tuna or salmon have  anywhere from 200-800 IU so try to incorporate those into your diet. Not sure what you can stand to eat in the canned salmon category? Try recipes from the
experts: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/canned/recipes/appetizer.html  Another option? Swap your non-fat latte for a vanilla soy misto and save on calories while upping your intake by at least 50 IU per drink. 
 
2. Keep indoor plants and pictures of nature at the ready. Research shows that the brain responds to only seeing pictures of the sun, the beach, trees, and flowers, in the very same way it responds to taking a walk through the real thing. In addition, cut flowers are available all year, and a small bouquet by your bed table has been shown to help you get up on the right side of the bed. Fill your house with these visuals and take a minute to enjoy them. (Get Art Here)

3. Let there be light. When sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depressive disorder triggered by dreary days and a lack of summer light, relief can be found with some simple home
solutions. Don’t be a scrooge about turning on your lights; use full spectrum light bulbs, too, at least in the rooms you spend the most time; keep your rooms bright when you are awake, and dark when you sleep. Keep windows uncovered; eat tryptophan rich foods which are not as likely to add to your middle as, say, the donut you are craving. Turkey, bullion, and whole grains are good options; exercise daily, even if it’s just a walk on the treadmill. If you haven’t yet discovered Planet Fitness, at $10/month with no contract, it’s the perfect commitment to make to yourself and enhancing own best mood.

Take heart. Summer is coming, days are getting longer, spring bulbs are sprouting. Get yourself ready to peel off those winter layers and become active, again. Hibernation season is over, regardless of what
color the sky is today. Enjoy yourself, wherever you are, as you see the world, and yourself, come alive again!

I am sitting here with a tube that goes into my nostril and down the back of my throat. It’s not great. It’s not as horrible as it sounds, but it’s not great. Nonetheless, I am only suffering this for 24 hours, in the name of science. A research project in which I volunteered to participate is going to be checking my acid levels all night.
 
I know that research finds ways to help most people, most of the time, in most average circumstances, so I never mind participating in studies. I also know that almost no situation is average, and “most” means, by definition, that some are left out. Sometimes, this lack of consideration for the some who are left out gets so frustrating to me that I spout out things like, “Numbers lie!” and “Live by the people in front of you, not by the research you’ve read in some book!” as if I give no credence whatsoever to research findings. I do, of course, as evidenced by the fact that I’m willing to have a tube up my nose for 24 hours, but I also believe that once you’ve determined through research what to most often expect, you should still expect anything at all.  

I could say the same thing about living your dreams. Sometimes we get so stuck in what “usually” happens, or what “has happened 1000 times before,” or what we’ve seen happen to everyone else, that we stop imagining what our own, most joyful life could be. Or, we’re so concerned about
the side-effects that have been proven “might” befall us that we resist the impetus to move. 

If we stop looking at our lives as much like researchers and start looking at our lives more like discoverers, joy will naturally follow. The difference? Researchers start with a premise, something they believe to be true based on what they already know… “I know that I cannot fly.” Then they set
about to prove it, by dropping things that do not fly and saying, “I have the evidence that flight is impossible. All the times I tried, nothing flew.” 
  
Discoverers start with a dream… “I would love to fly.” Then they set about brainstorming methods, and imagining and studying things that do fly, and making models, and learning as they go about what not to do, and one day they announce, “Look! I’ve discovered a way for man to fly!”

It’s an important distinction. And in our lives, it’s important for us to know what we’ve set out to prove versus what we’ve set out to discover, if we are to live joyfully. Are you proving that your job is horrible, by recounting  everything that is difficult or every person you dislike? Or are you discovering
all of the incredible ways you get to contribute and experience yourself… as compassionate, team-spirited, creative, or whatever…

Are you proving that the economy is bad, by focusing on what you’ve lost or are losing? Or are you discovering exciting ways to enjoy your life with less money… enjoying your inner-chef by cooking at home, marveling at your own discipline in paying off your smallest credit card balance…

I don’t actually know if the scientist who required this tube to be placed in a subject’s nose is researching (“… I already believe healthy people have this much acid production, now I need to prove it…”) or if
he is discovering (“… I dream to find a cure for acid reflux, and to do that, I am studying acid…”). I hope it’s the latter. And I hope that you and I will always start with the dream of what can be, instead of the
premise of whatever evidence we see around us, and joyfully set about discovering that dream.