Today was a frustrating morning. I woke up, and before I even got out of bed, I decided that I was going to go to the gym.  I proceeded to get dressed and gather my things.  I grabbed a lightweight jacket since I am usually hot by the time I finish running and don’t need one coming back. As soon as I stepped outside the wind hit my ears and I shivered a bit. Despite that, I proceeded to walk over to the clubhouse. I was looking forward to going inside to escape the chill, but suddenly realized that I had grabbed the wrong key, and had my car key instead of the clubhouse fob.  So back home I went, trying not to think about how cold I was.

Once home, I exchanged keys and stopped to talk to M. He suggested that I treat myself to a warm drink from the food truck when I finished my run. That sounded really good, and I headed back out the door. As I neared the clubhouse, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to take some money for my post-workout treat. Ugghhh!  Back home I went, with the wind hitting my face the whole way. I grabbed some cash and decided that this time I was going to drive over. Finally, I walked into the gym. I wiped down the machine and started settling my things when I realized that at some point I had set down my water bottle and no longer had it with me. I told myself it would be okay as I wasn’t planning a long run and proceeded to start up a podcast on my phone. That’s when I also realized that my headphones weren’t pairing. At that moment, I thought, “This is ridiculous, I’m just going to go home.”

I have been running for approximately five  years now. I have had periods when I ran nearly every day, and I have had periods when my running was more sporadic. Time and time again I have  found is that my running becomes much easier and more enjoyable when I commit to doing it at least three times a week. Whenever I run less than that, I find myself with injuries or not able to maintain my fitness level.

Eliud Kipchoge, one of the greatest runners in the world, once said, “I’m confident in saying that consistency is key if you want to grow in a new profession. Be it sport. Be it law. Be it all sorts of professions. If you are not consistent you cannot go anywhere. Consistency makes you to grow.” Considering that Eliud has won 2 Olympic gold medals and can run a pace of 4:33 per mile, I think he knows what he’s talking about.

So even though I really wanted to just go home, and think about running another day, I didn’t. I knew that I had a busy week ahead and that I likely wouldn’t get back to the gym for several days. I knew that the feeling of going home at that moment wouldn’t feel nearly as good as going home after a workout. So I stayed.  I didn’t run as far as I originally planned, but I ran .  And I checked off another day of running for the week.  Sometimes it’s enough just to show up.

References:

Cathal Dennehey (10/29/21). Eliud Kipchoge: Inside the camp, and the mind, of the greatest marathon runner of all time. Retrieved from https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/othersport/arid-40732662.html

NN Running Team (n.d.). Meet Eliud. Retrieved from https://www.nnrunningteam.com/team/eliud-kipchoge/

Sweat Elite (n.d.). Eliud Kipchoge – 15 Motivational Quotes About Training and Life. Retrieved from http://sweatelite.co/eliud-kipchoge-motivational-quotes-about-training-and-life/

World Athletics (n.d.). Eliud Kipchoge. Retrieved from https://worldathletics.org/athletes/kenya/eliud-kipchoge-14208194

Photograph of feet running on treadmill (n.d.) Retrieved from’https://www.123rf.com/profile_pascalk’>pascalk</a>

Photograph of Eliud Kipchoge (2021) Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/08/sport/eliud-kipchoge-olympic-marathon-spt-intl/index.html

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About a week ago I decided to try making Bouchon Bakery‘s master recipe for Batardes.  It had taken me a few weeks to assemble the materials needed to generate oven steam but I was finally ready. I couldn’t wait to bite into a beautiful artisan loaf that had been baked by yours truly. Long story short —  my first endeavor was a big disappointment. Not only were my loaves much smaller than anticipated, but the bottoms did not brown up at all.  I felt extremely discouraged and quite honestly, I once again considered giving up on baking bread.

After a few days, I picked myself up and decided to figure out where I could make improvements. My husband had liked the flavor of the bread, so I felt like the recipe had hope. I googled a few things and discovered that too much water in the oven may have prevented the bottom of the bread from browning. The book had suggested using about a cup and a half of water for the steam. I had used two or more cups of water, thinking that more must be better. As far as the size of the loaves, I suspected that it had to do with my proofing time. Although the bread had proofed for the prescribed 60 minutes, it did not proof in a warm area, and it had not risen much. I had been rushing to get the bread baked in time for dinner, so I had gone against my better judgment and put it in the oven anyway. There is a small section in the book that talks about common mistakes people make when baking bread. It says that usually when people are unhappy with their bread, it is because one or more of the steps was not fully executed. As I think back on my bread baking, I can see that this is probably true.

For my second attempt at baking the master recipe, I decided to make demi-baguettes. The recipe uses the same ingredient ratio as the batarde recipe, but in smaller amounts (about a third of the master recipe). I mixed up the poolish the night before as it must sit for 12-15 hours prior to making the bread. A poolish is a type of preferment that is used for most french breads. A preferment is a small part of the recipe that is mixed ahead of time and allowed to ferment. This creates a better structure as well as a more complex flavor.  I added extra water to mine since the recipe describes it as having the consistency of pancake batter. I really appreciate the additional information provided in the recipe which helps me determine whether things are on track.

Due to running errands the next day, the poolish sat for a full 15 hours before I started the bread. I mixed the rest of the ingredients and after the 3-hour fermentation stage, I pre-shaped and shaped the dough as instructed. After proofing the dough, it again seemed like it had not risen much. This time, I decided to give the dough more time, and I moved it to a warmer location on top of the stove. After another 20 minutes, the dough had risen more and when I pushed a finger in it, it did not bounce right back. I used semolina flour on my bread peel which helped the loaves slide onto my new pizza stone. (For my first endeavor I had used a rimmed stoneware baking sheet but that proved problematic for the transfer.) Before closing the oven door, I threw 1-1/4 cups hot water into the hotel pan which was filled with lava rocks.

I baked the bread for the full 20 minutes at which point the demi-baguettes were nicely browned. I tested the internal temperature of the loaves and they were at 206 degrees so took them out and cooled them on a metal rack.

One the the loaves had cooled, I eagerly cut into one of the loaves. I was very pleased at the crunch of the knife slicing through the outer crust. It truly felt like a loaf that I would have purchased from a fancy bakery. The inside of the bread had a nice texture and was very soft yet maintained its shape. And finally, the flavor was exactly what I hoped for.  The only thing that I would change is I would like a slightly loftier shape that would be more round than oval.  Barring that, I was very happy with the results.  And considering that the loaf disappeared that night, I can say that my family heartily agreed.

References:

Jampel, Sarah (October 11, 2020). A preferment is your ticket to baking better bread. Bon Appetit. https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-a-preferment

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As I’ve said before, baking is my happy place! Over the years I have baked everything from brownies to cream puffs.  I started out baking small birthday cakes for family and before I knew it I was decorating large wedding cakes for the local bakery. I have always enjoyed developing my baking skills and rarely felt intimidated trying new recipes and techniques.

But I’m going to let you in on a little secret of mine. I am embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve never been good at baking bread. I’m not talking quick breads, I’m talking REAL bread. The kind that uses yeast, and bakes up with a beautiful crust, and tastes delicious. This confession is shocking, I know. It’s not that I’ve never tried, because over the years I actually have made several wholehearted attempts at baking bread. But inevitably, it just never works out.

Several years ago I took a fun little weekend getaway with my husband to Portland, Oregon. One of the things that we did while we were there was go to Powell’s book store, or more formally known as Powell’s City of Books. Now if you have never been to Powell’s, you have really missed out. Powell’s is the largest independently owned new and used book store in the WORLD and they have been in business for 50 years. The Burnside location covers an entire city block and is estimated to have approximately one million books. The books are a wonderful mix of both used and new books, all intermingled together in what must be thousands of shelves. The organized by subjects within nine color-coded rooms that are connected by odd stairways and passages. In fact, Powell’s even provides maps at the front counter so that you can figure out where to locate your book. It’s extremely easy to get lost in this book store, which is exactly why you need to go.

Anyway, while wandering through stacks and stacks of books, I happened upon a beautiful book by the name of Bouchon Bakery, written by Thomas Keller and Sebastien Rouxe. Bouchon Bakery was founded in 2003 by renowned chef Thomas Keller in Yountville, California. It was originally opened to provide artisanal breads for Chef Keller’s nearby restaurants. However, the bakery became a popular location to visit in it’s own right. This is absolutely no surprise given the exquisite breads and desserts shown in the many gorgeous photographs in the book.

I had every intention to start baking my way through that book right away, but one commitment after another kept taking priority. Before I knew it the book was being packed away for a long-distance move and then it remained in storage for nearly a year. I kept thinking about improving my bread baking, and of course the Bouchon Bakery book is what I knew I needed to use. I’m happy to say that I have finally managed to procure my book. I have begun my bread baking journey and I’m excited to start sharing my adventures with you.

References:

Powell’s City of Books. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.travelportland.com/attractions/powells/

About Bouchon Bakery, Yountville, CA. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.thomaskeller.com/bouchonbakeryyountville

Powell’s City of Books. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.powells.com/locations/powells-city-of-books

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Last night I told myself that I was going to get in a quick run before my mid-day appointment today. I prepared myself for the fact that it might be a bit rainy or gray, but told myself that I was going to get out there and run anyway. As soon as my eyes opened, I heard the sound of the rain on the roof of the house. It wasn’t a pitter patter — the rain was literally pounding the shingles as it came down in torrents. The motivation that I had felt the night before slowly slipped away. I got out of bed and began to get ready for the day but was overcome with disappointment. I knew that due to my schedule, if I didn’t get a run in this morning, I wouldn’t have another chance for several days. 

As I did a few dishes and straightened the house, I maintained some optimism that perhaps the rain would let up just a bit. But as I looked out the sliding glass door, it was clear that the rain was here to stay.  That’s when I felt it — a determination rising from deep within me that moved upward through my entire body. I suddenly found myself getting dressed, and I felt impassioned that rain or no rain — I was going to go running.

As I headed out the door I threw on my water-resistant jacket. I thought that perhaps it would keep me dry for at least a little while, but found that the large raindrops soaked through the thin fabric almost immediately. There was no question that I was going to get soaked, but I pressed on. And the great thing was that it wasn’t long before I started to feel my rhythm. One mile, two miles, then three. The longer I ran, the happier I felt. I started out just hoping to get through the run no matter how miserable I would be. But what I found was that the euphoric effect of running was actually stronger than the cold and wet effects of the weather. I thought about all those runs I had missed out on all winter, just because it was raining, and realized that the hardest part of running in the rain is just making myself get ready and get out the door. But even being armed with this knowledge, I know that getting out the door when it is cold and wet is HARD. So I am writing this down, for your benefit and mine — so that we can read it and remember the passion that I felt today.  It may be gray, and cold and wet, but we are runners, and we will run!

Image: Stocksnap.io/Reza Shayestehpour

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I have found that it really keeps me motivated to run when I have an upcoming running event on my calendar. If you’ve never participated in a formal running event, you should really try it. I probably never would have signed up for one myself except that when I first began to run, my health insurance offered reimbursement for participation in an event. I certainly wasn’t trying to compete for a medal, but I figured that since it wasn’t going to cost me anything, it could be fun to try it.  After my first event I was hooked. Now I try to keep something on my calendar every two to three months just so I have something that I’m working towards.

When it comes to running events, there are so many options available. You can run in the city, country, or even mountain trails. Personally I love it when they close the city streets to car traffic and I get to run on an overpass or bridge that I wouldn’t otherwise get to run on. I love the Rock’n’Roll Marathon races for this reason. Another thing to consider when choosing an event is whether there is a goodie bag or medal included in your entrance fee. The goodie bag can include anything from treats, coupons, and toiletries to t-shirts and sweatshirts. Some of the races give very nice tech shirts that I enjoy wearing for long after the event. The medals are kind of fun to get and to collect as well. There’s something about having someone put a medal around your neck right after you cross that finish line that is very rewarding. It’s also fun to collect the medals as a memory of each event. Then there’s the food or beverages that are served after an event as well. One triathlon that my daughter participated in offered a full-fledged barbecue for participants and friends at a very reasonable cost.

One of my favorite events is the Hot Chocolate Run. This is one of my favorites for multiple reasons. First, it’s offered at a time that is really key for me. In Seattle, the run is on the first weekend in March, when very few events are happening. It’s a great motivator to keep me running all winter long. Second, you get a really nice sweatshirt that I love to wear all summer.  Third, and best of all, is that after you cross that finish line, you are showered with chocolate, and I LOVE chocolate. Not only do you get a mug of hot chocolate to drink, but you also get a large bowl filled with treats to dip into your own personal cup of chocolate fondue. After I have run 9 miles in the cold and rain, it is heavenly to sit down and devour warm, gooey chocolate!

So if you’ve never participated in a running event, you should consider giving it a try. It is really exciting to run with hundreds of other runners. It’s also fun to challenge the clock to see if you can lock down a personal best. Look for an event that speaks to you — something that will motivate you to run on those days that you just don’t feel like running. Let me know if you give it a shot. If you’re already participating events, which ones are your favorites?

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Several months ago I tried to figure out what I could do to solve this problem. The more I thought about it, I realized that what I was doing at work would help me in this situation as well. I work as a phlebotomist (I draw blood for lab tests) and we have to make sure that we do specific things to identify each patient and prevent germs from being spread. The first hospital that I worked at trained us to follow a very specific routine so that we wouldn’t forget to do anything. What was great about it was that once I had the routine down, I never had to worry whether I had forgotten to do any of the numerous things that I was required to do. And if I got interrupted mid-process, I was able to go back to the point where I had left off, and I knew immediately that I had completed everything up to that point.

Now obviously the routine I follow at work has nothing to do with the routine I now follow at the gym other than the fact that it’s a predesigned routine that helps me remember to do everything. But I am being totally honest when I tell you that since I started following a routine at the gym, I haven’t left anything behind. The specifics of a routine are less important than the concept of being organized and doing things in a specific order. The routine that works for you might be completely different than what works for me, but consistency is the key.

I realize this may be a bit tedious for some of you, but for those of you who want the details of what works for me, keep reading. My routine is dependent on having an organized gym bag with “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” I use a large backpack designed for swimming which I would highly recommend. The outside has two zippered pockets and two net pockets, and there are two compartments inside. I also have a toiletry bag that I store inside the backpack. In the toiletry bag I keep full-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel (so that I don’t have to constantly refill small bottles). I store my swim cap and goggles in the toiletry bag as well. In the front zippered pocket, I keep some makeup (mascara, eyeshadow, lip gloss), makeup remover pads, deodorant, and a small hairbrush. Finally, I keep my locker padlock in the left net pocket

When I want to go to the gym, all I have to worry about is a towel and whatever I am going to wear to and from the gym. Since I generally wear my swimsuit to the gym (underneath my clothing), I just put my underwear in the backpack and throw in a towel. Once I get to the gym, everything is removed and replaced in a very specific order. First, I find an empty locker. I hang up my jacket, put my clothes in the backpack, and put my phone and keys in the upper zipped pocket. I remove the towel and toiletry bag. The padlock is in the outer pocket so I remove it and lock the locker. I go to the mirror and put on my swim cap and goggles (remember that they are in the toiletry bag that I have with me). I walk out to the pool and hang up my toiletry bag and hang my towel on top of it. Once I’m finished swimming, I head to the showers with my towels and toiletry bag. I remove my cap, goggles and hair elastic, and put them in the toiletry bag. I remove the shampoo, conditioner and soap from the bag and put them in the shower. After the shower I put the toiletries back in the bag. I wrap up in a towel and head to my locker. On the way there, I spin-dry my swimsuit. After I open the locker, I immediately put my padlock in the left net pocket, my swimsuit in the right net pocket, and my toiletry bag back in the pack. After I get dressed I put my towel in the back inside section of the pack. I dry my hair and put on a little makeup. As I walk out to my car, I know exactly where to find my phone and keys. When I get home I throw my clothes and towels in the washer so that they will be ready to go next time.

As I said before, sticking to this routine has solved my problem of forgetting things at the gym. I would really encourage you to try this. You can follow my routine or make up one that works for you. Just remember to make a place for everything and remove and replace things in a specific order. Give it a try and let me know if this works for you.

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I just finished baking my first assigned recipe from an awesome cookbook called Rose’s Heavenly Cakes.  I have joined a group of internet bakers who are all baking the same recipe each week and blogging about their experience.  The recipe this week was Chocolate Butter Cupcakes.  I was grateful that I was starting out on a somewhat easier recipe because this week has turned into a bit of a challenge for me which resulted in having to cook in a kitchen that is not my own. My husband has Alpha One and needs a liver transplant.  This week he was unexpectedly hospitalized for an infection and I have been staying at the Transplant House near the hospital since it is several hours from our home.  I was a little worried about having everything I needed and since I left home rather hurriedly, I didn’t have time to bring baking things.  I was so happy to see that they had a KitchenAid and they also had muffin pans.  The kitchen actually was beautiful and more spacious than my own, but I felt like a fish out of water not being able to find things when I wanted them.

So there were a few “firsts” in cooking this recipe.  I don’t know if I am strange or what, but I have never sprayed and floured my cupcake liners before.  Most of the time they come right off without a problem but I have had a few times that they didn’t so I figured I’d better follow the instructions  and sprayed and floured the liners.  I noticed when I was icing the cupcakes later on that the papers pulled away very easily.  Another first was using King Arthur cake flour.  When I was in the grocery store I saw the King Arthur flour and since I had never used it before I thought I would give it a try (after all, it cost more than the other brand so it must be better, right?)  Lastly, since I wasn’t at home with all my decorating equipment, I ended up decorating with some products I have never used before.

I was very impressed with how detailed Rose was about each step of the recipe.  I mixed the cocoa in the hot water and let it cool.  I mixed the liquid ingredients.  Then  I combined it all for the batter.  The recipe was really quite easy to make.  Unfortunately I didn’t have my usual scoop for filling the cupcake liners so I just scooped them in using a regular spoon.  Into the oven they went.  The first time I checked them they weren’t quite done.  You will see a big dent in one of the cupcakes in the photo where I pressed in a little heavily when I checked.  I gave them a few more minutes and they were done and looked beautiful.

For the icing I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to do so I used one of the recipes recommended by Rose in the introduction  to the cupcake section.  I started out thinking I would make the Egg White Chocolate Buttercream but somehow got confused and did the shopping for the  Golden Neoclassic Buttercream and didn’t realize until I was in the midst of making it that I had switched.  I was intrigued with the golden syrup that Rose talks about but wasn’t sure what it was.  I’m not sure if it is karo syrup that is golden versus the light or dark syrup or of it is some other brand of syrup, but I couldn’t find any so I went with the light karo.  The Golden Neoclassic was very different than any icing I had made before.  The only thing that went a bit different than the instructions was that when I had the corn syrup and sugar in the pan over medium high heat, I was supposed to watch for bubbles at the edge of the pan and let it cook a few more minutes until there were bubbles all over.  Mine went from bubbles on the outer edge to bubbling all over and bubbling out of control in a matter of seconds so I pulled it off right away.  I think this was probably due to the fact that I was working on a stove that I wasn’t familiar with and it was probably cooking a little hotter than indicated.  I was a little worried that it wasn’t going to be the right consistency since we didn’t use a thermometer,  but I went ahead and added it to the eggs.  I whipped it until the bowl had cooled, about 7 minutes, and then added the butter and vanilla.  I then added some chocolate.    Normally I would pipe the frosting onto the cupcake with a large tip, but I didn’t have my equipment and I’m not sure that this icing would have held up well with that.  It seems to be an icing that does better for just spreading .  The cupcakes would have been fine without any decoration but I decided that as long as I had all these cupcakes made I would take them to the hospital to give to the nurses as a thank you.  So I tried some nifty little squeeze bottles of Wilton icing I got from the grocery store and some plastic decorating tips. (This made me laugh because only a few months ago I got mad at a friend of mine for using these instead of the regular bags and tips.)   I was much more limited on what I could do, but for a little bit of quick decorating they were fine.

The cupcakes were very good.  The texture was more dense than a typical cupcake and they were very chocolatey.  My husband really liked the buttercream as it had a little bit of caramel undertone to the flavor.   I enjoyed the unique flavor of the buttercream as well.  All in all I consider this project a success.

I’m really exited about next week’s assignment – Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake.  And I’m really looking forward to being home in my own kitchen.

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In the early days, one of my favorite running routes took me to the edge of town where I would run on a nice little country road. It was a wooded area and the houses were on large parcels of land and set way back from the road. I would hear the birds singing in the trees and would see squirrels, bunnies, and even the occasional deer.

One beautiful fall day I ran down that country road in much the same way that I ran it most days – with my headphones in and my mind zoned out. Suddenly, I stopped dead in my tracks. My heart pounded as my gaze fixed on a black bear no less than 30 feet from me. He was eating wild blackberries in the grassy ditch next to the road. As the bear looked up, our eyes met. I felt sheer terror. I wanted to run but my mind told me not to move. Thoughts raced through my head as I considered various escape scenarios. In that moment I realized how absolutely defenseless I was. I desperately hoped that a car would come along to distract the bear or to take me to safety. But no car came. I was all alone. After what seemed like eternity but was likely only minutes, I backed away slowly but kept my eye on the bear. He watched me intently. I was fully aware that the bear could easily outrun me if he decided to charge. Eventually I turned and ran, and the bear did not follow. But that day was a turning point for me.

I decided not to run in the country anymore. I found some new routes in town, and things were different, but good. I got used to running next to traffic, and found a slightly different zen. But once again, my blissful state was shattered. Over the course of just a few weeks, three women were murdered while they ran. I imagined that they too ran for peace and clarity. But for them, the unthinkable happened. I began to realize that bears were not the biggest danger to me. The threat of being attacked by another human became very real to me.

I enrolled in a self defense class at the Y.  It was empowering, but also sobering. I had never considered that someone might grab me from behind, or throw me to the ground. I hadn’t considered that running by myself was not a good idea. I learned some self-defense moves, but wondered if I could truly protect myself if needed. My ignorance was definitely bliss, and I wish I could go back.

My husband says that I can’t let my fears stop me from living and doing the things I want to do. I know that in my heart, but my mind tells me otherwise. These days I am constantly trying to balance my love of running with my fear of running. I do everything I can to protect myself, but wonder if it will be enough. Will I get distracted at the wrong moment? Will I remember how to react if needed? Some days are definitely better than others, but the fear is real. Nevertheless, I choose to run.

Image: SebastienMarchand/StockSnap.io

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Okay — so I admit that my new running shoes are not going to miraculously transform me into the perfect runner. So what is it about brand-spanking-new shoes that seems so exciting and wonderful? For me at least, I love that they are sparkling clean. There’s absolutely no evidence of a puddle that I ran through, or dust that I kicked up on my last run. New shoes smell wonderful too. I mean, that just can’t be said of my shoes once I’ve worn them even just a few times. Then there’s also the new “look” that they give me. I generally try to buy my shoes at the best price I can find, which means that I don’t always get first pick on the color combination. It’s kind of fun to see how different each pair of shoes makes me feel. Once I bought some bright pink and orange shoes, which seemed almost a little too bright for me at the time. Surprisingly, those shoes ended up being my favorite shoes to date, because their bright color seemed to exude energy into my feet. My new shoes are silver, and I am sure that there must be something magical about them.

I think that the most exciting thing about new shoes is the anticipation of the places that those new shoes are going to take me. I’ve had my last shoes for quite a while now, and I have had many adventures in them. I participated in my first out-of-state triathlon in them, and ran a last-minute half marathon in them too. I even wore them when I trained for a marathon that I never ran. Regardless, I don’t regret the experience of logging those miles and taking those long runs. I learned a lot in those shoes. It’s time to move on though, and my new shoes await. I’ll enjoy these new shoes, their new smell, their new look. But mostly I’ll love the adventures I’ll take.

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I didn’t give the virtue of patience much more thought until this week, but these last few days have been rough. It all started with having to work two extra days. All of the things that I had planned for my days off were instantly wiped off the schedule. No running. No lunch with my friend. No art projects. I wasn’t happy about it. And because getting called in to work is a constant problem, I was tired of it. And I lost it. For the rest of the day I was grumpy and unhappy. I managed to ruin my only day off and I ruined the day for my family and friends as well. As I lay in bed that night, I realized that I needed to do something to get out of the funk that I was in. I pondered what I should do. I wondered if I had an anger problem. But the more I thought about it, I realized that it boiled down to my lack of patience. I looked up the definition just to make sure I was on the right track. According to the dictionary, patience is “the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation, or the like.” Yes, I definitely needed patience.

I found an interesting article called “The Power of Patience” by Judith Orloff, M.D. (You can read The Power of Patience here.  According to Dr. Orloff, there are a myriad of things that happen every single day that result in frustration. We often react to that frustration by being irritable, alienating others, feeling victimized or just plain driving ourselves nuts. That was definitely true for me — I had managed to do all of those things in just one day. Dr. Orloff believes that when we learn how to transform frustration into patience, we can become empowered. Patience reduces stress by helping us take control of our response so that we can resolve situations effectively. Rather than thinking of patience as being a passive state, we should think of it as an active state of waiting to make a move when the time is right. Dr. Orloff says that we should put ourselves in situations where we can practice patience, such as a long line at the grocery store or the DMV. I didn’t want to go quite that far, but I was open to practice patience if the need arose. Well, as my week wore on I found plenty of frustrating situations that I allowed me to practice patience.

The day after I read the article, I had a repairman that was supposed to arrive sometime between 8:00 a.m. and noon. I had to be to work by 1:00 in the afternoon, but I was hoping that I would have enough time to go for a run after the repairman finished his work. Long story short, the repairman showed up at 11:45 and there was no time for a quick run or anything else. I was very frustrated, but this time I kept things in check. I expressed my displeasure at the situation, but I didn’t take it out on my family, and I ended up having a pretty decent day. Just like Dr. Orloff described, I felt empowered and was happy with my success.

The week was winding down, but the challenges kept coming. There were the art supplies that got stuck in Portland due to snow. There were the running shoes that were still MIA after ten days. And there were was the email that I hadn’t received a response to in over a week. I chose to be patient in each case. I purchased the art supplies from the store and planned to return the other items when they arrived. I went on my run in my old shoes and tried to feel optimistic that my new ones would arrive soon. And as for that unanswered email, I made a pleasant phone call and was promised a response to my request within a few days. I felt really good about my choices to be patient. I couldn’t change the situations, but at least I didn’t ruin my day or make any enemies. So far I am feeling good about the power of patience.

It’s a new week now, and unfortunately I am still having to practice patience. I have to work an extra day again this week. My shoes are still not here. And I still don’t have that response to my email. I sure with that patience was my superpower. But at least for today, I will keep practicing patience.

Image: stocksnap.io/Aphiwat Chuangchoem

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