Starfish Sambas + Marathon Streaks

Life lessons from starfish?

Here's a new hyperbolic crochet piece, "Starfish Samba," that was accepted into a gallery exhibit opening this week, "Hidden Treasures, Local Talent."

Craft projects don't pay my bills.

Even so, it's a fun challenge to see if I can get them into a public exhibit occasionally.

👉 👉 👉 It's also a fun challenge to derive lessons from the unlikeliest of sources.

Because that's how my curly, twisted little mind works.

Starfish: do these humble creatures hold Life Lessons?

This is what I could come up with:

1️⃣ Be Adaptable and Regenerate: Starfish can regrow their limbs should one be severed.

The Lesson: Bounce back from setbacks and continuously evolve to meet changing demands.

2️⃣ Learn to Juggle: Each arm of a starfish functions independently.

The Lesson: Become comfortable juggling tasks when necessary, with each arm doing its own thing.

3️⃣ Master the Art of Sticking Around: Starfish are experts at holding on.

The Lesson: Stay persistent in the face of challenges. Sometimes, the solution is to stick to your rock and hang on for dear life.

That's all I've got for today's challenge.

👉 👉 👉 What would you add?

Is maintaining a streak a welcome challenge or a dreaded obligation?

For nearly 25 years, Chris Farley has run a marathon in under 3 hours every year.

He ran November’s NYC Marathon in just over 3 hours and was ready to call it quits and concede his streak was over.

Then, his friends did something incredible: they organized a marathon for him in late 2023, using a USA Track & Field-certified course.

As you can see in the photo, the streak is alive (and I love that his friends made bib #1 for him) 👍

Whether large or small, maintaining a streak can be a powerful motivator to continue doing whatever it is…

Until it isn’t.

For almost two years, I posted on LinkedIn daily, and then, at some point last year, the time and energy started to feel like an obligation.

Breaking the streak was momentarily distressing until I realized that a more realistic streak for me to maintain is posting ~3 times per week.

I do better with low-pressure streaks related to my well-being and general enjoyment:

✅ Taking a walk outside every day – going back to early September, when Audrey Hipburn and I started with a lap around the culdesac with a walker.

✅ Doing the NY Times Spelling Bee puzzle daily – going back almost two years now.

✅ Attending every production (2 per year) of the local youth musical theatre group I have volunteered with since they launched 28 years ago.

I hope to maintain these for the next year (tix for The Little Mermaid this month already in hand).

👉 👉 👉 Have you got a streak you’re working to maintain?

Be a starfish and stick with whatever streak you've got going...
--lisa

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