By elizabeth patch, on January 21st, 2012
  I often find myself dreaming
of the perfect, simple, quiet, beautiful life
free of drama and stress…
It involves long, unbroken stretches of quiet time where I can write and draw and paint and garden.
In this dream world, I take long walks in picturesque and unspoiled countryside.
I am in great physical condition from time spent practicing yoga and dance.
I eat slow, leisurely home-cooked meals,
and linger over glasses of wine with friends.
My home is clean and organized,
and I never, ever have to take care of anyone else.
I travel, I take French lessons or learn how to…
In reality, however,
my life is a jumble of multi-tasking events
as I run from job to home to chore to obligation.
It consists of a zillion little things that seem incredibly important to accomplish,
but actually add up to a chronic feeling of
exhaustion and stress.
Not a very inspiring truth from someone who is trying to inspire and encourage others!
Everyone always says “follow your dreams”
but the comparison between my actual life and my dream life sometimes seems hopeless…
In one of my stress-induced, melodramatic rants
I heard myself whining:
I’ll never have the time or money
to live the life of my dreams!
How can I possibly add more unstructured creative time, increase my physical activity,
enjoy leisure and beauty in my life when I can barely find 15 free minutes to myself?
And then it struck me: I can find 15 minutes!
I can give myself the gift of 15 minutes.
15 minutes in the shower to just feel the calming heat of the water,
instead of making lists for the day ahead (or feeling irritated by the dirty, out-of-date bathroom).
15 minutes to stretch my neck and shoulders during my lunch break.
15 minutes to walk around my suburban backyard before I go inside and take care of my family.
15 minutes to cut up some fruit, or make myself a sandwich or scramble some eggs,
rather than mindlessly eat from a bag of chips while wondering what to eat.
15 minutes to write in a journal, even if I have to stop mid-sentence.
15 minutes to doodle in a sketchpad, even if I have to stop mid-drawing.
15 minutes to actually start following my dreams, even if it is a very pared down version of the dream!
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
But perhaps, a journey to a healthier, happier life simply begins with the baby steps of 15 minutes to yourself.
a related post on finding small bites of pleasure in life
(or why the diet mindset can prevent you from enjoying everything, not just food.)
When can you find 15 minutes to yourself?
What will you do with those 15 minutes?
PS: I love these 5 minute “yoga breaks” that talk you gently through some simple stress-relieving stretches.
By elizabeth patch, on January 8th, 2012
It can be very inspiring to admire and emulate those who are the best in their fields:
athletes, artists, masters of anything from
cooking to dancing to fashion design.
But it can also be very disheartening:
No matter how much I try,
or how how I work at it
I’ll never be as good as (name of star ).
If I know I’ll never be perfect,
why should I practice at all?
Teachers, coaches, and moms love to share
this little bit of wisdom:
“Practice makes perfect.”
But what if it doesn’t?
What if all the practice in the world
leads to merely OK?
What if a dedicated practice means I’ll always be
imperfect, an amateur, a wanna-be?
Is it even worth trying
if I will never be in a Broadway play,
have a painting in a museum
or write a novel on the best seller list?
Why bother if I will never make the Olympics,
win American Idol or achieve a black belt?
What’s the use if I am already too old, too fat,
too average to be exceptional?
If the most I can hope to be is a part-time dilettante, why even make an effort?
. . .
A dilettante is someone who merely dabbles in an activity,
someone who is not a an expert, an authority
or a professional.
It is often used as an insult: She is not a real artist, she is just a weekend dilettante.
But the origin of DILETTANTE is Italian,
from the present participle of dilettare to delight, from the Latin dilectare.
Being an amateur is not a failure, it is delightful!
Practice Makes Perfect Progress
Merely getting better at something is a noble goal!
Practice for the joy of learning and the satisfaction of improving,
practice for delight.
Doing something imperfectly is better than not trying!
Yes, it’s nice that the girl on the cover of the yoga magazine can get into that position,
but with my very imperfect practice, I’m happy to be just a bit more flexible than I used to be.
No, I am not training for a marathon,
but I am proud of myself for walking around the block several times a week.
Yes, it’s kind of an ugly scarf but I am learning how to knit.
No, I haven’t given up junk food completely,
but I am eating more fruits and vegetables than I used to.
Honestly, I am not very good at ______________, but you know what?
I’m having a great time playing with it!
No matter what size, shape, age or level of ability you have:
Baby steps are better than standing still.
Imperfect is better than not at all.
Being a dilettante is delightful!
What do you love to do that you aren’t quite perfect at?
What have you never tried because you were afraid to look like a beginner?
What delightful activity can you add to your life even if you never become an expert?
(or what did you give up but would love to add back?)
By elizabeth patch, on December 27th, 2011
 In 2012:
Live a large life,
whatever
size you wear!
The interwebs are full of good ideas for New Year’s Resolutions
(and lots of reasons why they fail!)
so I’ll just give you one simple sentence to start the New Year off on a positive note:
I live a large life whatever size I wear!
2011 New Year’s Post
2010 New Year’s Post
By elizabeth patch, on December 18th, 2011
I have a terrible head cold and all I can do is think of tissues and sleeping…
not very inspiring!
So this weekend’s post is one from the archives,
about the media messages surrounding the holidays and our bodies,
and what lessons there are to be learned from those messages.
http://elizabethpatch.com/2010/12/holiday-and-everyday-lessons.html
Smiles!
elizabeth
By elizabeth patch, on December 11th, 2011
If you share this image, it's for personal non-commercial use only!
So very much of our lives as women
are colored by feelings that
everything must be “perfect”:
the perfect body,
the perfect face,
the perfect hair,
the perfect home,
the perfect clothes and
the perfect holidays.
Must buy the perfect gift!
Must bake the perfect cookies!
Must have the
continue reading to see the illustration!
By elizabeth patch, on December 2nd, 2011
I never let my size
determine the shape
of my dreams!
Go get a piece of paper.
Make a list of every single thing that you wanted to be when you were a kid.
Yes, even rockstar!
Get another piece of paper.
Make a list of every single thing that you would love to be now, as
continue reading to see the illustration!
By elizabeth patch, on November 25th, 2011
I ate like a pig.
Now I feel like a whale.
Or maybe a hippo,
or an elephant or a blubbery walrus.
I am a disgusting, worthless big fat ugly cow…
A “food hangover” is a very real
physical feeling:
Your belly is bloated and your clothes feel
uncomfortably tight around the waist.
Maybe you are also gassy,
continue reading to see the illustration!
By elizabeth patch, on November 20th, 2011
© elizabeth patch, all rights reserved
Thanksgiving brings it’s own unique stresses.
whether you are cooking at home
or traveling as a guest.
Preparing for a feast with dozens of traditional dishes
and a houseful of guests requires major planning
and hours of work.
Being stuck in traffic for hours,
or delayed/overbooked flights is no
continue reading to see the illustration!
By elizabeth patch, on November 12th, 2011
I just Googled “real woman”
and got over 4,000,000 results.
Sometimes “real woman” is a scientific description of chromosomes and hormonal levels,
sometimes it refers to religious or cultural ideas about how women should behave,
sometimes its about being trans-gender.
But more often than not the term “real woman”
is a reference to a women whose
body
continue reading to see the illustration!
By elizabeth patch, on November 5th, 2011
The 3rd Annual Lady Land Holiday Insanity illustration is here!
The holidays can be an enormously stressful
time of year.
There’s pressure to spend money you may not have,
pressure to shop for gifts out of obligation rather than need,
and the added pressure to bake, decorate and entertain around your already busy life.
And
continue reading to see the illustration!
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