MONDAY - Chicken Cordon Bleu
TUESDAY - ? Koltin in charge
WEDNESDAY - Swiss Steak
THURSDAY - Potato Soup
FRIDAY - Ribs and Twice Baked Potatoes
SATURDAY - EMFH (Every Man For Himself)
SUNDAY - Mother's Day at Becky's

WORKOUTS this week:

MONDAY - Back Biceps and Thighs - DONE!
TUESDAY - Run - Week 5 day 2 of couch to 5 K - DONE!
WEDNESDAY - Core + Yoga
THURSDAY - Run - Week 5 day 3 -DONE!
FRIDAY - Legs and Shoulders
SATURDAY - RUn (optional)

I'll give a report on the workshop I attended on Saturday - it was based on the teachings of the Arbinger Institute and a book titled The Choice. Not being AT ALL familiar with any of the concepts I was going into it blind and while I enjoyed and learned I would have to give the facilitater a D+ MAYBE a C- if I was feeling generous. Here is a review from an Amazon reader: (Which is a lot clearer than the seminar I went to on Saturday!

People problems are at the root of most problems. Self deception affects every aspect of life; it is the central problem of leadership.

More than your external behavior, people respond to how you feel about them. Do you see them as full persons or as objects or problems? They can tell. When you see others as less than full persons, you are "in the box" toward them.

The box is a metaphor for our resistance to seeing and honoring others as full persons.

Self-deception is caused by:

1. Self-betrayal (an act contrary to what you feel you should do for another)
2. THEN self-justification of the self-betrayal. The fundamental self-betrayal at work is: failing to do what you are hired to do - failing to fully help your organization achieve results.

Self-deception causes us to be "in the box":
1. inflating others' faults
2. inflating my virtues
3. blaming others
4. being self-centered

Being in the box feeds self-deception making a vicious cycle.

How to get out of the box: You are out the moment you desire to be out of the box -- the moment you desire to see and treat others as full persons Nothing will get you out without real desire to be out. not trying to change others not coping with others not leaving not communicating not skills or techniques not new behaviors

Summary: 1. Be out of the box: desire to see and honor others as full persons 2. THEN stay out of the box: really DO what you feel you should do, doing the best you can in your circumstances. This must include: really focus on results, solutions and what you can do to help, be accountable and responsible, really be open to correction, really seek to learn, and actively seek to teach.

I learned that I am "in the box" way more than I thought and I can very much see how much happier and more joyful my life will be as I actively chose to do the things that will keep me living "out of the box". And I will probably look for the other books in this series to read. As for Saturday the best parts of the day were enjying my new friend Darci and getting to know her, lunch at Olive Garden, and talking about and discussing another life skills type of organization we are both involved in called Discovery Trainings - I'll post more about that another time.