Get Real with Lisa

This weekend, I realized I may very well be a perfectionist; and we all know that perfection is not attainable. I have always wanted to check the box on tasks so I could say I have accomplished them. However, it isn't always possible to "finish" a task. Most times, we need to do a little at a time and move forward toward our goal. If we do that, pretty soon we look around and we can see how much we have accomplished. Instead of being so overwhelmed by the end goal, let's start taking one little step at a time.

This episode is about not putting our expectations on others. Let them live their lives on their own terms and realize that you asking those questions is really about you and not about them. Life is hard enough without having to answer really uncomfortable questions about our personal lives. Let's accept others for who they are and where they are right now instead of expecting them to be someone else and somewhere else.

I had audio issues today but... teaser alert! Stop expecting people to live life on your terms! Episode up tomorrow!

I went back and listened to some of my older episodes and was struck by how inspired I was. I could feel the excitement I had when starting this little podcast and I wondered where that inspiration went. Through that reflection, I realized that that's just how life is. We aren't always having a party and feeling high on life. Sometimes life is full of obligation, responsibility and feels a bit (or a lot) heavy. And that is ok. To live is to have the ups and downs and know that things will come around. It is ok to not feel inspired all the time. That just makes us human!

Today I am talking about getting so comfortable with your routine, life, schedule that you don't step out and do anything uncomfortable and new. I talked earlier this year about making a 2026 to-do list and bam... summer is over and I didn't even do ONE of the things on my list. I was fairly busy with the house clean out and estate duties, but that stuff is zero fun! My goal this week is to do one new, different or uncomfortable thing. Just one. And maybe that will give me the added confidence boost to keep going on the list! I challenge you to do the same and let's reconvene next week and compare notes!

We are headed into the fall season and what is better in the fall than homemade soup? The other day I was wondering what to do with the various veggies in my fridge and remembered my mom's refrigerator soup. Every once in a while, Mom would say, "I need to clean out the fridge". This was great news since it meant we would be having refrigerator soup for dinner. The downside was she could never make the same soup twice. But that was part of its charm. It was one and done. As I made my soup today, standing in the same house where I cooked with my mom so many years ago, I was grateful for those memories. I thanked her for the skills she taught me in this very same place and for my delicious dinner that resulted from those skills. Take some time this fall to dig out an old recipe and make it. Better yet, make it with someone who will keep those past memories alive for future generations to come.

Today's episode is about being aware of others and including them when we can. So many times, we find ourselves teaching our kids to exclude others because either we are afraid of their influence on them or we just want them all to ourselves. This is doing our kids a disservice. We need to teach them not only to notice others and be aware when someone is struggling, but to invite them in and make them feel at home. Our exclusivity can sometimes stifle what might bring about the best friendship or a really great connection.

Today I wanted to talk to you about how great I think it is that people can do weddings, and other things, in their own way and on their own terms. When I got married, roughly 100 years ago, I did all that was expected of me. I got married in a church we didn't belong too, because you HAVE to get married in a church. I registered for tons of crystal, because that's what you HAVE to do. And in all the details, I am not sure I was focused on the importance of what was happening that day. I think it is so great that people now can do it however they want! It is important mostly to get to know each other and decide together what you really want for the joining of your two hearts for the rest of time. It is the most important decision of your life! You are each other's person and remembering that will help you let all the unimportant stuff fade away.

I was a teenager in the 80s and back then, we were all about how we looked. From the big hair to the piles of makeup, we were impressively done up every day. That "code", if you will, followed me into adulthood and, even though the 80s look went away, the concern about looking perfect all the time remained. I have finally come to the point in my life that I don't care what the scale says. That number doesn't define who I am or any important thing about me. It is just a number. It doesn't even indicate how healthy or unhealthy I am. Aging is a privilege not all of us are given. For the first time, I am doing healthy things for my health and not my looks... and it feels really great.

Today I am encouraging us all to go back to sending cards or notes to those we care about. I went to the store to buy some sympathy cards and was quickly reminded that the sentiments in them are really dumb. I am not sure who is making them, but I am a fan of buying blank cards and writing my own sentiment in them. The point of sending a card is it shows you care enough to make the effort. Because we have so many other ways of reaching out now, the written word is becoming a thing of the past. Let's get back to what our grandparents did and send the note or card letting our loved ones know we care enough to "send the very best".