Tag: NoCZ-12

No Comfort Zone in Step Motion

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge9 Comments

This week I plan to get take my hands of the keyboard, push away from my desk and find some stairs to walk.  I work in a building with 84 steps from my floor to the top of my building. Round trip is 168 step. So 3 flights = 504 stairs!

I'd much rather be on this beach in Cinnamon Bay than climbing stairs!
I'd much rather be back on this beach in Cinnamon Bay than climbing stairs!

How about 3 trips per day? Shall we?

Day 1 update: I did one flight up first thing in the morning and realized at 4:15 that I had better get moving and get my next 2 flights in. So I hauled my self out of my comfy work chair and trotted up the steps for a daily total of 504 stairs. The last landing is a burn zone for sure!

Day 2 update: The landing before the last 12 steps kills my thighs! Going down is easy enough but when I go back up — it’s that landing that does me in. Tuesday total 504 stairs. Yum!

Day 3 — I will let you know if the burn lessens today. And for the heck of it, I’ll do my 3 flights and add a building that has 5 floors. That should keep you in suspense! Until tomorrow…

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Things are happening here… NoCZ–12

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge16 Comments

Crying means you are aliveMy focus this week is to break my pattern of coming home from work and eating whatever happens to be within my reach. Instead I decided to spend the first hour in my basement.

Because of this decision the whole feel of my week has changed.

I’ll find more words and let you know what’s different when the week ends.

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Judgement and Perceptions: NoCZ-2012

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge14 Comments

No Comfort Zone 2012 Weekly Challenge badgeI found this wonderful video on Magsx2′s blog. Going to the movies turned out to be an amazing act of getting out of your comfort zone for these moviegoers.
What would you have done?

 

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No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge Updates

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge12 Comments

A new week filled with challenges and opportunities to do things differently is upon us. As for last week …

First of all I wore a dress again. Yes, I think it’s like breaking in new running shoes; it’s a slow process that becomes easier each time. My two dresses can be worn a few more times before anybody realizes that perhaps I only own two?

The toilet got fixed! You can call me Marge Katherine or you can call me Rosie the Riveter!

I resigned from my role as a board member but agreed to stay on and be the Fiddle Festival coordinator. This will be the 2nd year for the organization and for me. I’ll keep you tuned in.

As for my online and off-line friends:

Carol at Quillfyre got her hands dirty trying out a pottery class. Her descriptive poem sums it all up for us.

Anne at Heaven Sent made a phone call to ask for forgiveness for something that she didn’t do. This was totally out of her comfort zone but she did it anyhow.

Joss at Crowing Crone decided to call one person each day for a week. After reading her post I wrote down a list of people I want to call. They are all still on my list – I am expecting that she did much better than I did.

Jackie at A Heart’s Whispers stated for the whole world to read that she was going to 1) contact her chiropractor and 2) honor her commitment to Ahna.

At Diggingher the opportunity to volunteer and step up to work with Dress for Success was offered and received.

ChittleChattle will surely give an update on her TV appearance. To think we have a star in our mist!

More updates to come…

Now for this week:

When I come home from work, I usually open the fridge and grab something to eat, whether I’m hungry or not. This week I plan to come home and head to the basement for the first half hour. I can throw darts, jump on my trampoline, lift weights or read a book – but it will be in a brand new environment.

Ha!

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do more of what makes you happy

We are who we choose to be: NoCZ-2012

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge19 Comments

we are who we choose to beIn the No Comfort Zone Challenge for me anyhow, it seems the light is coming on. Simple actions… doing things a little differently are taking me to new places. Literally.

Last week I discovered a road that I had never seen before – but I can assure you it was there all along. I drove east and went up hills and down until I came to a dairy farm during breakfast. The girls were just chattering away, munching, laughing and having the best time. They noticed me, nodded and continued with their grain. Perhaps if I stopped by a bit later they might have more time for me…

This past week Pam and I replaced the fill valve and the other thingy in my toilet tank. If you know anything about this (which I did not) … it means the entire tank has to come off, turned upside down, the screw has to come off (righty tighty, lefty loosey) and after a few more visits to the hardware store – the entire process is reversed and put back on. Ta Da! No leaks, no spills and best of all – the toilet works fine for the final price of $35.47.

I also found myself stopping the car to get a photo or two instead of doing it ‘later’.

I found that wearing a dress this week was almost easy compared to my experiment last week.

And I am looking for new opportunities to get out of my comfort zone. I SO wanted to hand off the toilet repairs to someone else but if my friend was willing to help me then by golly, I wasn’t going to say no. In fact, now we are the neighborhood experts (not sure if that’s a good thing or not …)

Words of Wisdom from Starbear:

The Gift: If you are doing the NoCZ Challenge or not ~ Print it out if you wish. Carry it with you, put it on the fridge. Remember to be patient with and kind to yourself and others as we take Baby Steps or leap into new territory…. and remember to laugh at the water’s edge! Jumping in – the water feels great!

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take a chance

 

 

It came to me in a flash …(NoCZ-2012)

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge20 Comments

Sometimes the idea comes over time and sometimes it comes in a flash. Last night it came in a flash. I was entering a building where I had a monthly board meeting. This was one of my “sure, I’ll apply for the open position on the board.” And I was accepted. The flash was I was stepping down. I can accomplish more on a subcommittee.

This is not the right fit for me. I don’t know (or care) about which category turkeys are in (they need a different category for the larger (40+ lbs.). The Royalty were crowned, someone stepped down (she took my idea) but before she did she handed over a 6 page document (explained in detail) of everything she did and suggestions on how to make it bigger, better and more attractive to the unsuspecting public. This hard-working committee of 18 (Yes, 18) is a great group of people and have a vested iYour time is limited. Dont Waste it living someone elses lifenterest in the outcome of the yearly event. I have a small part that does not include lambs, turkeys, goats, weaving, painting, blueberry muffins or the price of beef. My focus is getting a FiddleFest up and running. See where I’m coming from?

Ok, back to me. I can assist this board but not by being bored. I can work on a subcommittee – get my part done (I’ll keep you posted on this as I ramp it up) and avoid meetings that make me cringe.

  • Discomfort – admitting I shouldn’t be on this board.
  • Discomfort- having to call the President and let him know he’s losing a board member but gaining a great worker bee.
  • Discomfort – realizing that saying ‘yes’ isn’t always good.

Growth – knowing I’m doing what’s best for me.
Stretching – wondering where else I need to assert myself and say ‘No’.

It’s about honoring me, my time commitments and my desires. Simple, right?

Words of wisdom are welcome!

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What makes you come alive?

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge15 Comments

dont ask what the world needs. ask what makes you come alive

What are those things that makes you come alive?

I adore spending one day a week with my grandson.

I look forward to letting myself be 3 years old again except this time I get to plan the activities. This week was a visit to a regional airport and a car wash. Last week was the library and playground. Trains, planes and trucks bring him happiness. It seems the most basic things thrill us!

I find that when I am writing in my blog I lose track of time. I sit down and perhaps an hour or more is gone before I realize it. I adore reading what others are doing in the No Comfort Zone 2012 Challenge, too. Whether they are making pie, parellel parking, sitting quietly in silence, wearing dresses to work or just learning a new word each day – I am enthalled with the steps we are taking. Baby steps, leaps, baby steps, lunges, baby steps.

Each step takes us closer to the authentic us. The alive and passionate us. The person we look forward to spending our time with!

Passion is what makes us smile.

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waterfalls

 

Candle Lighter Award Reaches Critical Mass

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge12 Comments

Candle lighter award imageA heartfelt thanks is sent to Jackie at A Heart Whispers for nominating me for the Candle Lighter’s Award. It was originally created by Kate Kresse as a tribute to writers who offer hope and light in the course of their writing. This award is received with warmth and appreciation and I will gladly pass it on!

I am meeting so many amazing people who are blazing new territory and writing about their experiences. Our stories are coming alive as we put a little bit more of ourselves out there. It’s scary and yet with each bold action, post or poem by one, we all gain momentum.

Long ago, I read about The Hundredth Monkey. It is a phenomenon about monkeys who learned to wash their potatoes before eating them. It happened slowly but once the number reached 100 the added energy burst through some magical wall and the entire population followed suit. Most important of all was across the seas on other islands and mainlands this was also happening. The underlying belief is when a certain critical number achieves awareness, this new awareness may be communicated from mind to mind.

The critical mass is working in our favor too. Slowly we are writing from the heart. We are showcasing our talents. We are expressing our desires. We are surrendering to sadness. We are becoming more alive.

I believe we are united in ways I can’t even conceive. Does this make any sense to you?

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Working at Discomfort

On By Margie.MercIn No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge13 Comments

I am loving the comments and phone calls and emails (nocomfortzone2012@gmail.com) I am receiving about the No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge. They are full of excitement and activity.

dress up for work outfit
Getting out of my comfort zone!

Personally, I am working on the overt process first. I came out of the blogging closet and told my world about the hugely successful me!

Yesterday (drum roll, please…) I wore a dress to work!  Why was that such an issue in my world?  It’s always amazing to me when the world doesn’t end when I break through another self-imposed barrier.

The inner work is on hold right now but I am following Jackie and Joss and learning from them. In fact, I read their blogs and thought that my challenges were so trivial but I also realise I have to do some outer work and be gentle with myself before I can go inside.

If you’re doing this challenge, please leave a comment so we can follow along with your activities too. You don’t need to have a blog – just post here on this blog or send an email to nocomfortzone2012@gmail.com and I’ll post it for you.

More to come!
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NoCZ-2012 Challenge
No Comfort Zone-2012 Challenge

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