Late January Monte Report

Hello!

The Monte Report is now FIVE YEARS OLD! I am incredibly grateful to everyone who reads my blog -- whether I see or talk to you every day, or once a week, or just a couple times a year, I am certain that your support, good thoughts and positive vibes are doing me a world of good. And so, once again, I want to sincerely thank you.

As you may have noticed, there was no "Late December Monte Report" last month. I guess I'm doing so well that it just slipped my mind! A few months into The Monte Report's first year, I settled into a rhythm of three Reports per month. Eventually that evolved into two Reports per month, and finally just one Report per month. With things going as well as they are, I feel it is time to cut back again, to one Report every two months. It seems that not enough happens in just a month to warrant a post that simply says, "Everything is fine -- see ya next month." I think what I'd rather do is share my thoughts less often -- but share more of those thoughts on how I'm doing, and why I think I'm doing as well as I am. So, we'll see how that goes.

As for how I'm doing, it's not just that nothing "bad" has happened lately: I'm actually doing great! -- even better than I've been doing for the past 18 months. When coworkers or members that I help at work ask how I'm doing, I generally respond with "I'm doing great!" -- and I actually mean it! However, I don't think I have a good explanation as to "why" I'm doing so well. Not that an explanation is required, I'm simply quite curious. And, knowing why I'm doing so incredibly well could prove valuable in the future if things start slipping.

For now, though, I'm simply noting all the evidence that I'm doing "great." For example: I've been popping out of bed two or three hours earlier than necessary each day, feeling eager to get a start on my day. I've taken a greater interest in the birds around me, updating and maintaining my (gigantic!) bird sightings spreadsheet for the first time since 2007. I am NOT getting bent out of shape by the workplace "drama" that is going on -- the kind of drama that in the past would have me fuming and writing vitriolic emails and composing drafts of a letter of resignation. I actually look forward to going to work each day, and when the workday ends I look forward to going home and starting the cycle anew the next day. I engage in "TGIF" comments with everyone else on Fridays -- and I certainly enjoy and appreciate my weekends -- but come Sunday night I don't mind at all that my weekend is over and that I have to go back to work in the morning. Although I'm hoping/planning/resolving to lose weight this year, I have not yet begun to "try" to lose weight -- and yet I've lost about seven pounds so far this month simply, I guess, because I'm eating more "good" food and less "bad" food.

Those are the main bits of "evidence" that demonstrate to me that I'm really enjoying my life right now. Maybe this is all simply a result of sleeping less. Instead of sleeping 12-15 hours a night, I'm now sleeping just 7 or 8 hours. I attribute this in part to getting habituated to my CPAP machine, and in part to changes in my medication regimen -- which consists primarily of the elimination or reduction of certain medications. Maybe it's a result of a reduction in the environmental (ie social) "triggers" in my life. In the past I put a lot of effort into trying to identify those triggers, and then control my response to them. While my ability to respond to them has certainly increased, the fact of the matter is that there simply aren't as many of those trigger-ish situations in my life. The fact that I stopped eating wheat three months ago could also play a role -- who knows? (I'm back to eating wheat products again, at least temporarily, while my doctors decide what my latest blood test indicates.)

Anyway, I realize that things can change quickly, so I'm trying to enjoy this while it lasts. At the same time, though, I believe that the more I understand what's going on in my head, the more I'll be able to steer things in a positive direction as the circumstances around me change over time. So, thanks again for the support, and I'll check in with you later!