Shaka Shaka

My geometry teacher had this deal for choosing lucky contestants to come to the board and write out proofs from our homework assignments. She called it "shaka shaka." Every student's name was on a tiny slip of paper in a can on her desk. She'd give that can the ole "shaka shaka" and pull out a name. If she picked you, it was your lucky day for putting your geometry skills on display. Everybody loved/hated shaka shaka. It broke up the routine of the same kids always solving proofs, but breaking up the routine meant you could be the one put in the geometry hot seat.

I'm hoping to shaka shaka my life, by breaking up my routine. I'm so craving excitement and fun. I've felt stuck in a rut for a while now. Perhaps that's why I've been a little more quiet than normal around these parts, there's been nothing terribly noteworthy to blog about.

Shake It Up, Hand Painted Giclee Print on Canvas

by Russell D'Allessio

Instead of waiting for something exciting to happen that I can be a part of, I need to make my own excitement. This could take on many forms. Mainly, I can't keep waiting for the good stuff to happen. I need to make it happen. It's so easy for me to get trapped in the daily grind of work, run, eat & sleep that I forget there's so much more to life. I'm not in the thick of training for a race right now, so now is a perfect time to shake things up, to do things a little differently, to do things I've been thinking about doing, but haven't.

I've already changed things up a bit today. I got my running miles in this morning. I actually got out of bed at 5:00 a.m. and was running by 5:15 a.m., which when you consider my previous snooze button abuse, this is a big deal. I'm already so into the morning run, I'm looking forward to getting up tomorrow and doing it again. Tomorrow isn't even a day I'd usually run! There's something very cool about being up before the sun. The streets were mine and I was home before I would normally even be out of bed! With the heat we're experiencing here in Michigan, the morning run will probably save me from heat stroke.

So that's just one example of me giving my routine the old shaka shaka. I've got to keep the momentum going so I'm continually looking forward to something. I'll try to keep you posted. What do you do to break out of a rut?