What, If Anything, Did I Learn Yesterday?

On Sunday night, I started this little segment on daily learning.  I wanted to make this post last night, but I was too tired to write.  Interestingly, fatigue is a theme to one of the lessons I learned yesterday:  I need more sleep.

Yesterday, January 25, 2010, was a day full of strong lessons about life and about me.  I learned...

...according to Dr. Oz, I need a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night to fully repair myself.  I've been one to boast about needing less sleep than others; but I've been rationalizing.  To quote Ed Young, Jr., "when we rationalize, we are telling ourselves 'rational lies.'"  I like to stay up late, but I feel more productive when I get up early.  So the compromise over the years has been to cut short my sleep time. The problem that has been created over my life is significantly less productivity and abbreviated impact on my world.  I'm finally now tired of being tired.  I covet your encouragement as I try to re-habituate my sleep patterns.

...  1 out of 5 children in the USA have elevated cholesterol levels (according to Dr. Oz).  This is a startling statistic to me.  I, like most people, recognize we Americans are overweight.  We revel in so many excesses, why not wallow in excess body fat?  But knowing that 20% of our children have elevated cholesterol levels due to lack of exercise and an over-consumption of high fat foods is alarming.  And I'm one of the problems!  I'm sitting here today nearly 60 pounds over my ideal body weight.  My Body Mass Index (BMI) is high enough that it's literally costing me an additional $100 per month in health insurance premiums.  I'm vowing to change that.  I want to model and then encourage/inspire those in my circle of influence to get serious about their health.  My situation is a good example of how to reduce health care costs:  If I can get my BMI down, I'll save $1,200 a year just on the premiums!  And this is before any of the other benefits of good nutrition and physical fitness.  But to achieve my health goals, I know I have to change my thinking from "diet" to "lifestyle." Back to habituating!

...To be a thought leader, I have to think less about what other people think...about me.  I desire to be a thought leader; but I too often worry about perceptions.  Remember a couple of weeks ago I posted about "Mrs. Yabuts?"  She's still a dancing queen in my world, but I'm determined to de-list her from my dance card.  Now!

...I can be “P-brain."  I too often Procrastinate.  I can be Perfectionist, which slows or stops me from initiating action because I can't yet do it perfectly.  I can be Pusillanimous.  This is a hoity-toity word for being fearful or week.  I hate being a "P-Brain."

...I must leave “elbow room” for God.  Oswald Chambers showed me that, in our zeal to pursue our God-purpose, we pack our lives so tightly with so much "stuff" that God can't even squeeze in. We must allow God room to interject into our lives at the time and in the way of His choosing.  I must remember, as Rick Warren wrote, "It's not about me!"

So, what, if anything, did you learn yesterday?  What about today?