“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.” ― Colette

Welcome, Spring! If I’m totally honest, which I try to be, Spring has always brought great tension into my life. I love to be outdoors. Yet, I am red-headed, fair skinned and blue-eyed. Which translates into “great possibility of burning one’s skin and therefore, at great risk for skin cancer.” When I was a young woman, Spring meant girls started wearing shorts and while in college, it meant girls started putting on their bikinis, lathering on the baby oil, suntanning on the quad, and celebrating the fine art of “laying out.” Sunscreen? Skin Cancer? Wasn’t even on the radar. Only Sea ‘n Ski’s famed Nose Kote and that horrid orange Bain de Soleil. (Go ahead, try to Google these products….they can’t be found!)

Oh, the foolishness of youth.

So, in order to fit in, be part of the group, etc., I followed the crowd. Much to the sorrow of my poor skin. Burn after burn after burn. Sure, I had a thought or two that all this burning couldn’t be good for me, but then a lot of things weren’t good for me and yet I still did them.

Stupid girl. I really took Collette’s words to heart, “You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”

I didn’t consider the effects of such enthusiasm.

I guess that is why, at age 54, I am so enthusiastic about spending time and teaching the girls of today. I want to help them curb their enthusiasm for foolish things that they will regret later in life.

Oh, I know. You think I should just let girls be girls. Let them make their own mistakes. Let them come to their senses, all on their own.

Call me crazy, but I can’t.

The Price of Spring Fever

There seems to always be two sides to everything. Two sides to a story. Two sides to a conflict. Two sides of the coin.

A tension exists between something being good for you and yet too much of a good thing is harmful. Without time in the sun, I developed a Vitamin-D deficiency, which has its own set of consequences. So, I need at least 15 minutes in the sun a day. Too much time in the sun, I develop more skin cancers.

Summer 2013, An infiltrative basal cell that required Mohs Surgery and a one-week feud with being a human craft project.

Spring 2014, Picato Cream, a topical chemotherapy treatment used for actinic keratosis, a precancerous skin condition.

Spring Tune Up

Life, you see, is all about striking the balance.

While Spring is one fabulous season (and I love it!), it can also lead to Spring Fever, which leads to loss of focus and momentum (especially in the life of a student).

I’ll wrestle with the Sun for the rest of my life. I’m not going to stay indoors. That wouldn’t be “a life” to me. But, I will faithfully lather on every ounce of sunscreen I can, so I can go outdoors. That is a small price to pay to enjoy my life.

Maybe you find yourself wrestling with something today. Maybe you, too, have too much enthusiasm for something foolish. You can’t seem to strike the balance. It might be an unhealthy behavior pattern or communication skill? An unhealthy sense of self (identity)? A repetitive habit, like worrying or anger or sarcasm or _____________________. Maybe you’d like to tune up a relationship in your life. A marriage? Mother-daughter? Family?

Spring is a great time for spending some time with yourself and spending time with significant relationships. And, if you need a little extra help, I’m here for you.

Schedule you Spring Tune Up today. Right this minute. Don’t waste another second of your precious life. I’ve got a toolbox full of great ways to tune up your spirit, soul, mind, and even, your body!

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Spring Tune Up 2014

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