I've been a busy girl.
I've written this, about America's unhealthiest foods.
I've also written this, about how xylitol, a sugar substitute, prevents cavities....what? Yep, it's true. Although my holistic self wonders how long it'll be before we find out that scientifically twisting up a naturally occurring chemical, no matter how good-for-you it is on the vine, has a negative effect once it's all down to chemicals and compounds....
But anyway. Have you watched Home yet? It's amazing. And is available to watch online, for free, and legally too. And no, I have nothing to do with the movie, and they don't even know I'm advertising for them :) It's that good.
Check it out. Let me know what you think. Seriously. It'll be the best 93 minutes you spend all day. Okay, I can think of a couple of better ways to spend 93 minutes....but anyway.
On another note, today is Tuesday. Which means we're into the week, and busy, but not tired of it yet :) I hope. Because if you are, there's still a ton to go! So just don't think about it. Besides, it's summer! And it's beautiful outside! And if you don't get to go outside the same way that I don't, we can always be thankful that we don't have any awkward tan lines, right?
By the way, I have a 1920's party to attend this Saturday. Any of y'all have any tips for flappering it up? I tried on a few of those short and fringed flapper dresses, but none of them caught my fancy, so I'll be doing a homemade costume. I'm thinking about going for a more evening look, wearing that awesome dress I got for the January wedding, and doing it up with long beads, red lipstick and a flowered headband...thoughts? Suggestions? I'll take em!
Today's whiteboard quote:
"What we must realize is that we cannot see everything. We do not know everything. More important, we must understand that it's impossible for us to control anything."
~Iyanla Vanzant
(I'm not going to admit that this one is a challenge for me, the control freak of the century. Wait, I just did...oh well.)
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Pick Your Poison
On any given day, any one of us may feel a little doldrumy. No, that's not necessarily a word, but it is now as far as I'm concerned.
Anyway.
I'll go off of the assumption here that most of us would not rather be in a bad mood. And of course, those of us who would aren't consciously aware of it - why would anyone ever choose to be glum?
Er, it comes from habit, but that's for another post.
I'm also not talking about sweet melancholy - that emotion when, in a healthy balance combined with all of the other colors that make up our fluid states of being, creates a gorgeous, complex and ever-changing mandala of life experience.
There isn't a thing in the world wrong with some healthy melancholy. In my experience (I am very well versed from years of practice), when in a temporary context, it can be enjoyed as a way of slowing down. If it's really acknowledged and accepted as a valid emotion (rather than immediately suppressed, also from habit and a cultural belief that anything other that a smiling face is "bad"), it coats the world before your eyes in a sort of delicate veil, making the light burn differently and giving credence to the sensuousness of curling up in a warm blanket for a quiet contemplative time, just for yourself. Janet Luhrs even touches on this type of melancholy in relationships, mainly as a way of accepting your lover's moods using the lens of unconditional love rather that being stuck within the constraints of expectations, in her book Simple Loving - a must read for all of us who are pursuing the ever-elusive "perfect relationship".
But I've digressed again. The original point of this post was to talk about choosing to be joyful - or if that's too big a stretch, choosing to adopt a relaxed and accepting "go-with-the-flow" attitude.
Today's trick for doing that is to think back on some of your most proud achievements, or even just your ultimately lucky moments.
If you ever won a contest that you gave your all for, or created a truly beautiful piece of art, or aced the interview and got that perfect job you were wanting, or finally got up the courage to start a relationship with the person you'd been admiring from afar...
It doesn't matter if by now the contest winnings have come and gone, or if the art is sold or just doesn't hold that sparkle for you anymore, or if you've moved on from the job or the lover.
Do you remember how you felt when you got the news and you felt those mind-fireworks that, with their little explosions, brought waves of joy, satisfaction, and pride?
Do you remember how great you felt, knowing that you'd achieved something that you had been working for, whether the reward was expected or not? Remember that sense of self-confidence that surged within you because you'd proven that you could achieve that thing that you'd been reaching and grasping for?
Revel in that memory for a moment. Swim in the feeling, let it permeate your body and mind.
Now, return to the present. No matter how under-the-emotional-weather you're feeling, or how much that old goal has lost its luster once it was achieved, remember that you did it.
You still did that thing that made you so proud and happy - you still have all of those qualities that were affirmed to you by reaching your goal.
That's who you are.
All that has changed are your thoughts.
Just think - if you could monitor and choose the internal winds that drive you, what you'd be capable of....
Now, what are your goals for the day?
Today's whiteboard quote:
"In life, you can never do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Anyway.
I'll go off of the assumption here that most of us would not rather be in a bad mood. And of course, those of us who would aren't consciously aware of it - why would anyone ever choose to be glum?
Er, it comes from habit, but that's for another post.
I'm also not talking about sweet melancholy - that emotion when, in a healthy balance combined with all of the other colors that make up our fluid states of being, creates a gorgeous, complex and ever-changing mandala of life experience.
There isn't a thing in the world wrong with some healthy melancholy. In my experience (I am very well versed from years of practice), when in a temporary context, it can be enjoyed as a way of slowing down. If it's really acknowledged and accepted as a valid emotion (rather than immediately suppressed, also from habit and a cultural belief that anything other that a smiling face is "bad"), it coats the world before your eyes in a sort of delicate veil, making the light burn differently and giving credence to the sensuousness of curling up in a warm blanket for a quiet contemplative time, just for yourself. Janet Luhrs even touches on this type of melancholy in relationships, mainly as a way of accepting your lover's moods using the lens of unconditional love rather that being stuck within the constraints of expectations, in her book Simple Loving - a must read for all of us who are pursuing the ever-elusive "perfect relationship".
But I've digressed again. The original point of this post was to talk about choosing to be joyful - or if that's too big a stretch, choosing to adopt a relaxed and accepting "go-with-the-flow" attitude.
Today's trick for doing that is to think back on some of your most proud achievements, or even just your ultimately lucky moments.
If you ever won a contest that you gave your all for, or created a truly beautiful piece of art, or aced the interview and got that perfect job you were wanting, or finally got up the courage to start a relationship with the person you'd been admiring from afar...
It doesn't matter if by now the contest winnings have come and gone, or if the art is sold or just doesn't hold that sparkle for you anymore, or if you've moved on from the job or the lover.
Do you remember how you felt when you got the news and you felt those mind-fireworks that, with their little explosions, brought waves of joy, satisfaction, and pride?
Do you remember how great you felt, knowing that you'd achieved something that you had been working for, whether the reward was expected or not? Remember that sense of self-confidence that surged within you because you'd proven that you could achieve that thing that you'd been reaching and grasping for?
Revel in that memory for a moment. Swim in the feeling, let it permeate your body and mind.
Now, return to the present. No matter how under-the-emotional-weather you're feeling, or how much that old goal has lost its luster once it was achieved, remember that you did it.
You still did that thing that made you so proud and happy - you still have all of those qualities that were affirmed to you by reaching your goal.
That's who you are.
All that has changed are your thoughts.
Just think - if you could monitor and choose the internal winds that drive you, what you'd be capable of....
Now, what are your goals for the day?
Today's whiteboard quote:
"In life, you can never do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, June 26, 2009
Shore
It's been a rough week. TGIF has never been more heartfelt as it echoed through my mind this morning, just as an unladylike four-letter word echoed through my quiet room right after the alarm began to sound...
At times like these, when there's an internal conflict involving trepidation and stress, and when thinking about the problem doesn't make it better, but only attacking it proactively would, but you're too exhausted and confused to even formulate a plan, much less do anything about it, I have a practice that always helps.
It's simple, but more difficult than you may automatically think.
The effect is also simple - it's as if you've placed your mind and your point of perceiving (your Self with a capital S) into a stream. It's almost as if your mind is washed with cool, clear, moving water and you begin to feel refreshed and renewed. It's subtle though, and usually takes a couple of hours to take effect.
For me, it takes less than an hour to start to make me feel better. It takes longer to finish. Roughly a day.
The trick I use is to stretch out to the edges of my skin.
It sounds funny, I know.
And it also doesn't work well at all if I'm in physical pain of any kind.
But, when the pain and fatigue is mental (it also works nicely if you're a bit physically tired), this does the job nicely.
I put all of my attention on two of my five senses. The main one is touch. I really feel everything that I touch. My fingertips tingle with aliveness. My spine straightens and becomes stronger and more graceful with the attention I'm giving it. My jaw relaxes and my eyes become more alert. That's when the second sense kicks in - sight. And not just everything, but how colors and shapes and light are in the world around me.
This is more subtle, again, I envision it as stretching out within myself and inhabiting only the edges of my body. I think most of us usually feel buried in here somewhere. Spending time noticing things you don't ordinarily take account of is freeing. For instance, I'm typing right now. How often do I notice what these keys feel like under my fingers? Not as often as I should.
How often do I notice, really notice, the cool breeze against my cheeks as I walk outside? Or feel my keys as they jangle in my hand? We're used to the meaning of it all (I pay attention to WHAT I'm typing, not just the ACT of typing), rather than the feel of doing it. Once you learn how to wield a fork and knife as a child it's as if your hand disappears. You're not aware of its action, only of what you want to happen because of it - you darned well know where those fork prongs are, but where is your pinkie finger? As I sit and type this, I honestly can't tell you where the heck it lies when I use silverware.
And on and on.
After awhile what I've found is that my body takes over and feels the pure joy in just living that tends to get buried under the 'in-your-head'ness of it all....and that visceral joy commandeers your attention and emotion, so you can't help dancing just a little too.
On the inside, of course.
And like I said, it's subtle.
But just for kicks, try it. Give it a go. Tell me what happens.
Today's whiteboard quote:
"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."
~Andre Gide
At times like these, when there's an internal conflict involving trepidation and stress, and when thinking about the problem doesn't make it better, but only attacking it proactively would, but you're too exhausted and confused to even formulate a plan, much less do anything about it, I have a practice that always helps.
It's simple, but more difficult than you may automatically think.
The effect is also simple - it's as if you've placed your mind and your point of perceiving (your Self with a capital S) into a stream. It's almost as if your mind is washed with cool, clear, moving water and you begin to feel refreshed and renewed. It's subtle though, and usually takes a couple of hours to take effect.
For me, it takes less than an hour to start to make me feel better. It takes longer to finish. Roughly a day.
The trick I use is to stretch out to the edges of my skin.
It sounds funny, I know.
And it also doesn't work well at all if I'm in physical pain of any kind.
But, when the pain and fatigue is mental (it also works nicely if you're a bit physically tired), this does the job nicely.
I put all of my attention on two of my five senses. The main one is touch. I really feel everything that I touch. My fingertips tingle with aliveness. My spine straightens and becomes stronger and more graceful with the attention I'm giving it. My jaw relaxes and my eyes become more alert. That's when the second sense kicks in - sight. And not just everything, but how colors and shapes and light are in the world around me.
This is more subtle, again, I envision it as stretching out within myself and inhabiting only the edges of my body. I think most of us usually feel buried in here somewhere. Spending time noticing things you don't ordinarily take account of is freeing. For instance, I'm typing right now. How often do I notice what these keys feel like under my fingers? Not as often as I should.
How often do I notice, really notice, the cool breeze against my cheeks as I walk outside? Or feel my keys as they jangle in my hand? We're used to the meaning of it all (I pay attention to WHAT I'm typing, not just the ACT of typing), rather than the feel of doing it. Once you learn how to wield a fork and knife as a child it's as if your hand disappears. You're not aware of its action, only of what you want to happen because of it - you darned well know where those fork prongs are, but where is your pinkie finger? As I sit and type this, I honestly can't tell you where the heck it lies when I use silverware.
And on and on.
After awhile what I've found is that my body takes over and feels the pure joy in just living that tends to get buried under the 'in-your-head'ness of it all....and that visceral joy commandeers your attention and emotion, so you can't help dancing just a little too.
On the inside, of course.
And like I said, it's subtle.
But just for kicks, try it. Give it a go. Tell me what happens.
Today's whiteboard quote:
"One doesn't discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time."
~Andre Gide
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Rekindle
"Sometimes our light goes out but is blown into flame by another human being. Each of us owes deepest thanks to those who have rekindled this light."
~Albert Sweitzer
Last night I was thrown into a completely unforeseen, unexpected, and exciting situation because of which I now have the opportunity to really help another person. I won't post much more about it until I get their permission to blog about something that's pretty personal (kinda rude not to), but if you have a spare prayer, send one to Pasadena!
(don't worry, it's not a physical life or death matter - could be a spiritual/psychological one though!)
~Albert Sweitzer
Last night I was thrown into a completely unforeseen, unexpected, and exciting situation because of which I now have the opportunity to really help another person. I won't post much more about it until I get their permission to blog about something that's pretty personal (kinda rude not to), but if you have a spare prayer, send one to Pasadena!
(don't worry, it's not a physical life or death matter - could be a spiritual/psychological one though!)
Friday, December 19, 2008
30-Minute Day
Yesterday, as I was wrapping up to brave the cold after the workday was through-
-by the way, the Winter is finally here in SoCal! Yaaay! I was missing those gloves of mine-
-I had kids on the brain. Not that I want them yet or anything, but I was thinking about my future with them, one day. I want to be a very hands-on mom when the time comes, and even am in favor of homeschooling (I have a background in education and see how horrible our public schools are. Lots of my friends are teachers. Don't get me started about what I know...Oh, also, just my decision. I know homeschooling definitely isn't a good fit for everyone...) Anyway, I thought about how I get lost in things, and can go hours without even looking around the room when I'm wrapped up in a task that I'm interested in.
This just won't do. When I have little 'uns, their attention spans aren't more that 15 minutes long!
Then, that got me to thinking. One reason why I'm in favor of, more or less, treating (as in, talking to) kids like they're adults is that, I remember being 4, and 7, and 10 years old. I was the same 'me' that I am now. The voice in my head hasn't changed because I've gotten taller, or because I have a driver's license or a rent payment. Why are attention spans necessarily different?
I think it's probably natural for our attention spans to be "short" like that. Goodness knows that mine is when I'm doing something that I don't want to be doing. And add to that the fact that I'm not a huge fan of my days flying by, good or bad (bad=I feel like I've lost a day completely; good=I wish I had enjoyed it more, moment-to-moment), and I came up with the 30-Minute Day.
I've decided to change what I'm doing each half hour. At work, that's easy to do - my desk is full - and at home, I'll make it easy. Exercise for a half hour (that's all you need with some good Pilates, trust me). Meditate and write about what you experienced, both in the half hour. Unpack one room for that long (or in my case, one box), then move on to another.
I think it'll help space my day. And by staying aware of the time, I'll experience my time, rather than having it slip through my fingers.
I only have 7 minutes left to post this, a desk full of work, and a paper to finish tonight. Wish me luck!
-by the way, the Winter is finally here in SoCal! Yaaay! I was missing those gloves of mine-
-I had kids on the brain. Not that I want them yet or anything, but I was thinking about my future with them, one day. I want to be a very hands-on mom when the time comes, and even am in favor of homeschooling (I have a background in education and see how horrible our public schools are. Lots of my friends are teachers. Don't get me started about what I know...Oh, also, just my decision. I know homeschooling definitely isn't a good fit for everyone...) Anyway, I thought about how I get lost in things, and can go hours without even looking around the room when I'm wrapped up in a task that I'm interested in.
This just won't do. When I have little 'uns, their attention spans aren't more that 15 minutes long!
Then, that got me to thinking. One reason why I'm in favor of, more or less, treating (as in, talking to) kids like they're adults is that, I remember being 4, and 7, and 10 years old. I was the same 'me' that I am now. The voice in my head hasn't changed because I've gotten taller, or because I have a driver's license or a rent payment. Why are attention spans necessarily different?
I think it's probably natural for our attention spans to be "short" like that. Goodness knows that mine is when I'm doing something that I don't want to be doing. And add to that the fact that I'm not a huge fan of my days flying by, good or bad (bad=I feel like I've lost a day completely; good=I wish I had enjoyed it more, moment-to-moment), and I came up with the 30-Minute Day.
I've decided to change what I'm doing each half hour. At work, that's easy to do - my desk is full - and at home, I'll make it easy. Exercise for a half hour (that's all you need with some good Pilates, trust me). Meditate and write about what you experienced, both in the half hour. Unpack one room for that long (or in my case, one box), then move on to another.
I think it'll help space my day. And by staying aware of the time, I'll experience my time, rather than having it slip through my fingers.
I only have 7 minutes left to post this, a desk full of work, and a paper to finish tonight. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Baseball Bat aka Frying Pan (cast iron, of course) Theory
My whiteboard quote for today was:
Undertake something that is difficult: it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
~Ronald E. Osborn
It makes me groan with annoyance at the knowledge of it, but is so true! Why would we ever grow if the place we were sitting in was comfortable? I'm a true-to-the-marrow Taurus, and when I'm comfy I dig my heels in and don't want to move. So, the only way for me to get the message that it's time for a change is when I'm feeling discomfort about it. Which leads me to my baseball bat theory (otherwise entitled frying pan theory)...
Here's how it goes. It's my belief that we are always directed. If we ask consciously for direction, we're directed even more clearly, but on an everyday basis, we get outward (external signs or coincidences) or inward (gut feelings, "random" thoughts and ideas) nudges to tell us what the next, best step to take on our path is.
If you're not familiar with this, first think back on times in your life when a big change surprised you, especially if it was painful. This isn't something happening to someone else (illness of a family member for example), but something happening to YOU. Now, think back to earlier. In retrospect, were there signs? Were there things that told you, albeit quietly, that perhaps you should make the changes you were forced to make, in the end? I'd wager that, now that it's all said and done, you had signals about what was going to happen.
So, I think that we get "nudges" first. We all have various paths that we can walk in our lives, some subjectively better to us, andwe choose where to go by the decisions we make. I think that God wants us to walk on our best and happiest path, and so we get nudges, like little coincidences, messages and suggestions from other people, and gut feelings that, if we pay attention to, can help us to stay on our path. Even if our path is about to take a turn that we did not forsee.
Now, sometimes we can ignore them and be fine, and walk on the slightly-less-awesome path. However, sometimes there is a turn that we MUST make. And so we get the nudges. If it's non-negotiable, the nudges will turn to pushes and our discomfort with our current situation will grow. If we still ignore it, it'll keep growing and growing and getting worse and worse until we HAVE to make the change.
Examples of this are the ending of a relationship that could've ended amicably, but if it didn't end early when the nudges or pushes were there, it ends in fire and ruin, metaphorically (I've been through both), or, if you're life is too busy, you're then getting stressed, but you keep busy, then getting so sick that your life HAS to slow down, and on and on.
Now, the fire and ruin or the sickness is the frying pan, or baseball bat, upside the head.
Never pleasant.
So, in closing, pay attention to those gut feelings! And, if you need direction, ask for it, then LISTEN. It may be a whisper, but you'll recognize that pure-as-a-bell resonance within yourself that you'll feel to whatever the whispered idea is.
You'll know you're right when the discomfort eases. But a mistake can be made if that easing makes you cancel your decision to change whatever you were being directed to change. The pain stopped because you're headed on the right path - if you go back to the first (wrong) one, then it'll come back with a vengeance. So be careful.
That's my soapbox of the day. What are your gut feelings telling you?
Undertake something that is difficult: it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.
~Ronald E. Osborn
It makes me groan with annoyance at the knowledge of it, but is so true! Why would we ever grow if the place we were sitting in was comfortable? I'm a true-to-the-marrow Taurus, and when I'm comfy I dig my heels in and don't want to move. So, the only way for me to get the message that it's time for a change is when I'm feeling discomfort about it. Which leads me to my baseball bat theory (otherwise entitled frying pan theory)...
Here's how it goes. It's my belief that we are always directed. If we ask consciously for direction, we're directed even more clearly, but on an everyday basis, we get outward (external signs or coincidences) or inward (gut feelings, "random" thoughts and ideas) nudges to tell us what the next, best step to take on our path is.
If you're not familiar with this, first think back on times in your life when a big change surprised you, especially if it was painful. This isn't something happening to someone else (illness of a family member for example), but something happening to YOU. Now, think back to earlier. In retrospect, were there signs? Were there things that told you, albeit quietly, that perhaps you should make the changes you were forced to make, in the end? I'd wager that, now that it's all said and done, you had signals about what was going to happen.
So, I think that we get "nudges" first. We all have various paths that we can walk in our lives, some subjectively better to us, andwe choose where to go by the decisions we make. I think that God wants us to walk on our best and happiest path, and so we get nudges, like little coincidences, messages and suggestions from other people, and gut feelings that, if we pay attention to, can help us to stay on our path. Even if our path is about to take a turn that we did not forsee.
Now, sometimes we can ignore them and be fine, and walk on the slightly-less-awesome path. However, sometimes there is a turn that we MUST make. And so we get the nudges. If it's non-negotiable, the nudges will turn to pushes and our discomfort with our current situation will grow. If we still ignore it, it'll keep growing and growing and getting worse and worse until we HAVE to make the change.
Examples of this are the ending of a relationship that could've ended amicably, but if it didn't end early when the nudges or pushes were there, it ends in fire and ruin, metaphorically (I've been through both), or, if you're life is too busy, you're then getting stressed, but you keep busy, then getting so sick that your life HAS to slow down, and on and on.
Now, the fire and ruin or the sickness is the frying pan, or baseball bat, upside the head.
Never pleasant.
So, in closing, pay attention to those gut feelings! And, if you need direction, ask for it, then LISTEN. It may be a whisper, but you'll recognize that pure-as-a-bell resonance within yourself that you'll feel to whatever the whispered idea is.
You'll know you're right when the discomfort eases. But a mistake can be made if that easing makes you cancel your decision to change whatever you were being directed to change. The pain stopped because you're headed on the right path - if you go back to the first (wrong) one, then it'll come back with a vengeance. So be careful.
That's my soapbox of the day. What are your gut feelings telling you?
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