Archive for November, 2011

Permission

Friday, November 25th, 2011

It’s okay to be overwhelmed.

It’s okay to need a nap or a ‘nap’. Either one.

It’s okay to go for a walk to get away.

It’s okay to go home early.

It’s okay to take care of yourself, however that needs to happen.

*Hugs*

If you’ve got things that work for you and you want to share them, please do, but no pressure.

Want to receive small comfort zone stretches and resource recommendations every couple of weeks? Sign up for Inching Along and I’ll send you one small (possibly even fun) challenge that you can easily accomplish plus other nuggets that I find.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

3
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Intention |

My Emergency Survival Kit

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

I came across this post by Annie from Pajama Productivity a couple of weeks ago and I love it. The most difficult thing about getting out of a crazy stressful time is that it’s crazy stressful and you can’t think straight. Preemptive Self Care!

I’m sharing mine here so that you can steal what you want from it and then build on it. Here we go:

  • A note reminding me that I have a library card, books are available
  • A one month bus pass
  • A box of peppermint tea
  • A gift certificate for the Mexican place down the street
  • A reminder note that I have airline miles, and permission to use them
  • A list of people I’d invite to a potluck and a reminder that being around people can help, depending on what’s going on
  • A reminder that I have a Spotify account
  • A reminder that I have a hula hoop and a park within walking distance
  • A gift certificate to the grocery store
  • Unscented bath salts, I can add essential oils to the tub

How about you? What do you need in order to feel taken care of?

Have you been thinking about adding a few comfort zone stretching challenges to your life? Get those plus resources and other fun nuggets of info in your inbox every other week, sign up for Inching Along today.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

 

4
Tags: , ,
Posted in Processing |

Review: Crash Course in Mediation

Monday, November 21st, 2011
Title: Crash Course in Mediation or The Healthful, Spiritual Exercise You Didn’t Know You Were Already Doing
Author: Shanna Mann

Meditation is awesome. And for many people, terrifying. Not in the standing-at-the-edge-of-a-cliff way, but in the there-is-no-way-I-am-capable-of-this-way. Meditation can seem esoteric and daunting… like only monks and super-moms are capable and the super-moms are really faking it.

These thoughts seep in:

  • I can’t sit still for that long.
  • I don’t have that kind of focus.
  • There is no way *my* brain is going to become still.
The thing is, that’s one view of meditation. And if it works for you, that’s great, but if it doesn’t then there are other types. In Crash Course in Meditation Shanna gives you options and shows you what behaviors you’re already engaging in, so that you can give them more attention.
Things to know:
  • 24 pages and two 30 guided meditations (audio)
  • On sale for $19 until Friday November 25
  • If you don’t like it, you get your money back
  • You can go here to read more, go ahead, it will open in another tab
I have three copies to give away to commentors, and I’d like to hear your stories and experiences with meditation, good or bad. I’ll have a random selection at Midnight Central Time on Wednesday, November 23. Make sure to enter your email address where it asks for it in the comment form, so I can send you a copy if you win.

The give away has ended. We had three commentors so it worked out perfectly, each will receive a copy of Crash Course in Meditation. 
Have you been thinking about adding a few comfort zone stretching challenges to your life? Get those plus resources and other fun nuggets of info in your inbox every other week, sign up for Inching Along today.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

6
Tags:
Posted in Learning & Awareness |

Underwhelmed by Overwhelm

Sunday, November 20th, 2011

Danielle LaPorte recently wrote about removing the word “overwhelm” from our vocabularies, and as much as I love Danielle’s work and as much as I agree with every point she made in her post, I’m keeping the word. I’m continuing to acknowledge my overwhelm.

Because, that powerful, truthful piece of work is only part of the story. It’s the piece about the things we choose to work on, the things we want to bring into our lives. The passions, the devotions, the learning and truths of our beings.

The Flip Side 

It’s not about the other side. The side that you and I share, but not every one does. The side to overwhelm that tells of so much noise you can’t think, of too many people wanting your attention at once, of all the buzzing little things that make it so you can’t focus on the now.

I’m keeping the Overwhelm for that, because I need a way to say that sometimes, what’s going on is too much. That I am overwhelmed and need to stop, for self care. That I can acknowledge that it’s too much and it’s okay that it’s too much, it’s just overwhelming. And then, once I’ve named what’s wrong, I can figure out what will make it better.

Heads or Tails?

Because there’s riding the crest of my power, creativity, and incredible ability to take on too much and still get it done. And then there’s being bombarded with ideas, sounds, and shoulds. And they’re not the same. Not at all.

How about you, how does Overwhelm work for you?

Want to receive small comfort zone stretches and resource recommendations every couple of weeks? Sign up for Inching Along and I’ll send you one small (possibly even fun) challenge that you can easily accomplish plus other nuggets that I find.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

 

3
Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Learning & Awareness |

Open Home, Open Heart

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Recently, I’ve been working under the theory that my mind is clearer when my home is less cluttered. But, what about the heart?

For years I’ve been really good a building walls between myself and other people. Not letting them in emotionally… and physically. Very few people get invited in to my home. It’s not that I don’t like them, but… more that I’m not letting them see the *real* me.

Behind the Curtain?

The real me and my lack of perfection. My dining area that has a rug mat and no rug, a folding table and two director’s chairs. And before, in my old house, the, well, the dining room was unfinished there too.

Hmmm. I leave the one room in the house that is primarily used for entertaining as the last room to be finished. I finished the studio, that I never used, before I got half way through the dining room in my old house. Wow, okay, I started with one metaphor and ran smack into another one, which still fits with the first one.

Mine, All Mine

I’m keeping my life and my self to me. Not sharing, not inviting people in. I mean, I know more people and I’m more social, than I was, but still. I keep people at a distance. And maybe I need that, but maybe not. It’s a pattern to watch, at this point.

The excuse of clutter, the excuse of unfinished rooms, that’s what they are. Excuses. Reasons to keep people at a distance. And I’ve been wondering, if I’m spending all this energy keeping people out, how do I start letting people in?

All of the people who I’ve invited into my home, they are people who have seen me in my jammies and with sleep hair. I know them that well.

Opening Up

What about having acquaintances over for tea, or a few new friends over for supper? These ideas don’t seem particularly out of the ordinary, and yet, I don’t do it.

So, this was supposed to be about softening my walls and creating an inviting home, opening my heart and mind to finding someone new, someone special, and instead, I ended up at a much more general version of the same idea. Which is maybe where I need to start any way…

Now, I’m curious. How do you handle your boundaries for your home? Where do you draw your line?

Have you been thinking about adding a few comfort zone stretching challenges to your life? Get those plus resources and other fun nuggets of info in your inbox every other week, sign up for Inching Along today.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

1
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Processing |

One Tiny Thing Thursday #25, Speak Up

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

Welcome to One Tiny Thing Thursday, where we choose to do one lil bit of a part of the scary, instead of trying to tackle the whole overwhelm all at once. Because, starting small is usually better than not starting at all. Join us?

I want to start doing some Speaking, with a capital S. I think. At least I want to try. Still, I’m crazy-nervous about it. This weekend I’m going to a workshop for people who want to speak at Ignite Austin, but are shy or otherwise unsure.

I’m also submitting an proposal for the 140 Conference call for speakers. Both Ignite and 140 Conference are five to ten minute slots. There’s also Pecha Kucha, but I’m not sure I’ve got a topic I want to work with for them, it’s mostly arts focused.

 

So, I’ve got ideas, and events, and vague plans, even. Now, for the armature, because I’ll need loads of practice. Standing on a stage is a huge thought. Talking while being up there, even bigger.

I want to join Toastmasters. I think. I want to try them out, anyway. There are several groups in Austin, and four or five that are reasonably close.

So, today’s one tiny thing is to find the meeting dates and times for the ones I’m considering and get one for each on my calendar, a week at a time, so I can find the one that works for me.

Update from last time: Didn’t make it to dance class last week and I’m not sure I will this week either. There’s something not quite right with the way I’m scheduling my days. If I feel like I’ve got too much on that day, I won’t go to class. Sitting with this one for now. 

If you want to play along, then just tell us in the comments what you’re One Tiny Thing is. And if you like, you can always come back and let us know how it went too.

Looking to stretch your comfort zone in tiny ways and pick up some resource recommendations? Sign up for Inching Along, and every other week I’ll send you one small (possibly even fun) challenge that you can easily accomplish plus other nuggets that I find.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

2
Posted in Uncategorized |

Heat Mapping Your Energy

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Charlie Gilkey has a post about using heat maps to organize your day. And I never did it because I could never understand *how* it was supposed to work. Until I worked with Kirsten Simmons from Personalized Productivity and she made it make sense.

It’s a Pie Chart, Mmmm Pie

This is how it worked for me:

  1. Download Charlie’s template (it’s in the beginning of the post linked above)
  2. Print out a week’s worth or import the image into a new file in your drawing program.
  3. Every few hours color code the previous hours into categories. Mine are Creative, Meh, Useless, Sleep
  4. Make notes about anything odd about that day or relationships you notice between what you’re doing and how you’re feeling
  5. Repeat for a week

Once you’ve got the sheets in front of you see what your patterns are. Adjust your schedule accordingly and in a few months, do it again to see if it’s making a difference.

Doing What, When

For me, my least creative time is from 3-6 pm. So, I do my least creative activities then. Because if I try to create during that time frame, I get frustrated, tired and then go play sudoku.

My most creative times are right after breakfast and just before bed. So that’s when I work on creating and learning. I’m starting a reading practice at night and writing in the morning, but I haven’t gotten to the point where it’s part of my armature yet.

Do you know your energy flow? How do you use that knowledge to your advantage?

Looking to stretch your comfort zone in tiny ways and pick up some resource recommendations? Sign up for Inching Along, and every other week I’ll send you one small (possibly even fun) challenge that you can easily accomplish plus other nuggets that I find.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

1
Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Learning & Awareness |

Bookworm Reviews: Swept, Love with a Chance of Drowning

Saturday, November 12th, 2011

Title: Swept, Love with a Chance of Drowning
Author: Torre DeRoche
ISBN: 0615521118
Pages: 320
Release: August 27, 2011
Publisher: Gauguin Media
Rating: 5/5

Swept, Love with a Chance of Drowning is a memoir, a story of walking away from the security and into the unknown, all for love. It’s also a story of sailing, adventure, meeting new people and being horrendously sea sick. Torre DeRoche meets an intriguing man (Ivan), falls for him and facing her greatest fear, she sets sail with him, only to find out, again and again, what ‘adventure’ really means.

When I got my review copy of Swept, I was a bit nervous to start reading it. I know Torre on Twitter and being in a position to judge the art of people I know, it makes me a bit twitchy. I started reading, thinking I would get in half an hour before supper, and I did. Then I read through supper, through my bath, and straight through my bed time.

While I enjoyed Torre’s tale of developing love and the way she came to commit to the trip, her descriptions of the sailing itself, each new destination and the people they encountered were what kept me from being able to put the book down.

I spent my teen years avoiding our sail boat. I think I set foot on it twice, ever. But now… The destinations as Torre describes them, they sound fresh and beautiful, like something I have to see for myself, and places that *need* to be experienced by boat. Even when that means plugging a leak with duct tape and eating canned food for weeks on end.

If you’re at all interested in adventure travel, facing your fears, or sailing, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of Swept.

Update: Torre has had some great news since I posted this. Congratulations Torre!

0
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Bookworm Reviews |

One Tiny Thing Thursday #24, Give it Away

Thursday, November 10th, 2011

Welcome to One Tiny Thing Thursday, where we choose to do one lil bit of a part of the scary, instead of trying to tackle the whole overwhelm all at once. Because, starting small is usually better than not starting at all. Join us?

I have a bag of stuff ready to go to Goodwill. It’s been ready for several months now, but I haven’t made the time to go out there.

Mostly, I think it’s a matter of having things I’d rather do than take the time out to grab a bus for just one thing. Now, Goodwill is just about a mile south of the dance studio I joined, so, there’s hope.

My one tiny thing for today is to take the bag with me to the dance studio. I can take it the rest of the way after class, or bring it home. I can also incentivize myself with gingerbread pancakes. Or macarons. Since both of those options are between the studio and Goodwill.

Update from last time: I’m signed up with the studio and I’ve got a class on my schedule for Thursday. 

If you want to play along, then just tell us in the comments what you’re One Tiny Thing is. And if you like, you can always come back and let us know how it went too.

Looking to stretch your comfort zone in tiny ways and pick up some resource recommendations? Sign up for Inching Along, and every other week I’ll send you one small (possibly even fun) challenge that you can easily accomplish plus other nuggets that I find.
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

0
Posted in Uncategorized |

Making Friends with the Calendar, Mostly

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

I’ve had a long running battle with my calendar. I fill in all the things I *want* to become a part of my routine and then, when it’s full and I’m not doing *any* of them, I concede defeat and clear the calendar, only to try again a few months later.

Notes to Self

Things I know:

  • I need to be able to clearly and quickly see what my week looks like.
  • Too many things on the calendar, and I won’t do any of them.

Things that help:

  • Color coded categories
  • Spacing, visual spacing, if it looks too full, I’ll just close the calendar program.
  • Totally ignoring the time slots
  • Putting in spots to account for travel and self care
  • Being able to easily move stuff around. I like digital, stickies would probably work too.
  • Being able to see what I’ve done at the end of a week, that’s part of why lists bother me, no sense of accomplishment, since I just delete items as I go.
  • Making sure to account for the approximate time needed.

Things that make it worse:

  • Daily stuff taking up space.
  • Things I’d like to start doing, this is not a motivational device

Ta-Da

So, my calendar looks like this:

And, it’s working, I’m getting things done that I’ve been putting off for months. Also, I know how much I’m taking on, since I can *see* the amount of time it takes. So much better.

Do you have a system that works for you? Or, one you want to try?

Annnnnnnnnd we stretch Two Three Four. Sign up for Inching Along and you’ll get small comfort zone stretches sent to your inbox ever other week, plus resources and other fun nuggets of info. 
You know, you can get updates by email or RSS. Yay, updates!

In the comments:

We’re being open here, sharing and saying things we don’t always say out loud. What helps: Sharing your stories and Ideas. Cheering and telling what works/worked for you. What hurts: shoulds, harshness, and such. (I used to teach first grade, I can’t help it.)

2
Tags: , , ,
Posted in Processing |
« Older Entries