The way you do the things you do

There’s a thin line between having things just as you like them and falling into a rut. One certain way to shake things up is travel. The farther the better. 

This summer’s return trip to Paris did the trick. After an absence of eight years, I noticed many changes in the City of Light...and appreciated how easy planning had become, thanks to the Internet. 

Websites and Twitter feeds provided a wealth of suggestions about current schedules, best ideas, things to avoid, and places to visit, along with online reservations for restaurants and advisories about closures that could affect the day's plans. 

Some sites I found most helpful include the following:

• AngloINFO Paris, on the Web and Twitter. While the site is geared toward expats, it works well for visitors, too. "Comprehensive, accurate and up-to-date info" on everyday life in Paris. 

• Girls Guide to Paris isn't just for girls. This "all-encompassing online city guide" features a Travel Club and downloadable walking tours. On the Web and Twitter.

• Elodie's Paris focuses on "what's hot, what's hip, what's happening -- from an insider at the Tourist Office." On Twitter...and the official tourist site.

• Paris Walks offers daily two-hour walking tours, in English, of popular areas in Paris. No reservation needed; just show up at the designated meeting place at the posted time, pay your 12 euros, and off you go. An informative and entertaining way to hear history's backstory and peek into otherwise hidden courtyards and alleys. 

• The Fork, an easy way to discover restaurants based on location or cuisine, with online booking and discounts from participating restaurants. 

For two weeks, I soaked up the sights, the culture, and the tastes of Paris. What made it even more special was attempting to live like a Parisian -- renting an apartment in a residential district, grocery shopping in the local market, riding the metro, and watching the neighborhood parents walk their kids to school. 

It was very much like the way I do things at home, only with a decidely French twist.

Sorry, I'm already in a relationship

Not to brag, but there are numerous people pursuing me. They call. They email. They offer enticements to stay in touch.

My response is always the same. Blacklist the phone numbers. Delete emails unopened. Unsubscribe to all offers.

I never explain why, even when pleaded with to give a reason. 

But I'll tell you. 

I don't want a relationship with...

• The manufacturer of my toothbrush
• The online store where I buy running gear
• The contractor who replaced my roof
• The station where I buy gas
• The store where I buy paint

All I want from these -- and all the others who beg me to like, follow, subscribe, complete surveys, or become a member -- is their product. To me, the transaction is finished when products or services are delivered and payment is made.

I don't even call my mother as often as some marketers call me.

Yes, I'm fully aware of the value of repeat customers to a healthy business. And I do consider myself a loyal customer. 

My continued patronage can be assured by quality, service, and value, not constant contacts via digital channels. 

My marriage is the only relationship I want nurtured. I can do without all the marketing-based ones.

Lazy yoga

My favorite yoga poses are the lazy ones. I'm sure I'm not the only one to call them that, but the more sensitive term would be restorative poses.

Forget about going animal with all those down dog poses, up dogs, and cat-cow breaths. Restorative poses are the ones you relax into, with the objective being, well, no objective really. Just rest.

Take legs-up-the-wall pose. Of course there's a more technical name for it: Viparita Karani. But legs-up-the-wall pose is what my yoga teacher calls it, and that's exactly what you do: Lie on your back, butt up against the wall, with legs at a 90-degree angle resting on the vertical surface. There's nothing better after a long run. I can almost hear my legs sigh, "Thank  you."

Another favorite: supported butterfly (a.k.a. Supta Baddha Konasana). Again, you lie on your back. Here, your knees are open and the soles of your feet together. Bolsters or other props are used to support your thighs. Even better is adding more bolsters, a vertical one along your spine and maybe another to support your head and neck. Then just let yourself sink into the pose. Ahhhhh.

This next pose is done at the conclusion of every yoga class I've ever been to, and it's the one I look forward to the most: corpse pose, or Savasana. Basically, you lie on your back (see the pattern?). Your legs are slightly apart and feet turned out, arms resting on the floor and slightly angled out from the body with palms up. Quiet the mind, let your muscles relax, and let the floor support you. Some call this the hardest pose of all, because it's all about doing nothing. No fidgeting. No movement. Just rest.

Don't get me wrong. I love the more active yoga sequences, the flow of asana to asana.

But sometimes, a little bit of support and intentional rest is the best exercise.

Now trending

There seems to be a trend for trends these days.

People want to know: What’s hot? What are other people reading, watching, doing? What’s the latest style, thinking, innovation?

Who are the trendsetters...and, maybe more important, who are the ones deciding what is or isn’t a trend?

Here are just a few of the many trendy places to help answer these questions:

• TrendHunter.com – It's a TV series, a magazine, a website, and “the world's largest, most popular trend community.” It bills itself as “source of inspiration for industry professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and the insatiably curious.”
• Trendwatching.com, “an independent and opinionated trend firm, scanning the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights and related hands-on business ideas.” It offers free monthly trend briefings and also a premium service that includes a trend database, annual trend report, and industry trend reports.
• Deloitte offers its free annual technology report – Tech Trends 2013: Elements of Postdigital – examining the “ever-evolving landscape of technology put to practical business use.” Ten trends were selected that Deloitte believes can have an impact on business over the next 18 to 24 months.

This short list doesn’t even begin to touch on all the trends in fashion, music, home improvement, paint colors, baby names, health care, or vacation spots. But those trend spotters are out there, too.

It's your choice whether to go with the flow...or to set your own path. Who knows? Maybe you've got some great ideas worth emulating. Maybe you will be the next trendsetter...or the next trend spotter.