Wow, I've neglected my poor little blog for awhile! It's been a really busy time. I've recently become a partner in the yoga studio where I teach. While I created the website three years ago and have maintained it, I've also taken on creating all signs and flyers. Now that I've got my templates done, it's going much faster so I will be coming back to my blog!
I've missed being here and hope you enjoy my new entries.
Showing posts with label personal growth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label personal growth. Show all posts
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Finding my Joy (and Balance)....Again
I have great ideas. I am always thinking about how I am going to get in shape, lose weight, get off my diabetes meds, have muscles. It never happens. I can't get off the couch. I have spent a great deal of time trying to figure out why.
I set up these elaborate plans of doing my weightlifting Tuesday/Friday/Sunday (which workout will I do, how much weight should I use, will my shoulder be loose enough to hold the bar on my shoulders), followed by a mandatory 30 minutes of yoga. Cardio and yoga on the other days and karate every day for a mandatory 30 minutes. I spend a great deal of time trying to balance that out with teaching my yoga class and leading my karate class (don't want to be too tired!). Oh and which day will be my rest day. Blah, blah, blah.
I've spent countless hours in self-examination as to why I can't do this. Why don't I have the drive to make healthier choices? Low self esteem? Low deserve level? Laziness? Medication? High blood sugar? Low blood sugar? Blah, blah, blah.
Finally it hit me this morning like a ton of bricks (weights?). I have managed to suck the joy and fun out of the entire thing. I love going to karate class and yoga class (which I don't do because I've set up rules on how often I should go and get bogged down trying to decide which class and how shall I schedule my other stuff around it. More blah, blah, blah.
I've killed off all of the spontaneity, fun, joy and pleasure of moving my body and replaced it with rules and schedules and restrictions. No wonder this isn't working. So today I am working toward regaining that joy and balance. I have five workout options: weights, treadmill, stationery bicycle, karate and yoga.
I've recently discovered Spotify (it's a free music app where you can listen to all kinds of music and set up personal playlists and I'm sure there are other things but I've just gotten it and haven't investigated it fully (I was probably too busy setting up my workout plan).
I was watching the mens' portion of the Olympic team figure skating and Jason Brown was skating to music from Riverdance called 'Reel Around the Sun' which was amazing music for an even more amazing skater. I grabbed my iPod and found an album containing the piece of music on Spotify and I'm listening to it as I write this and it will be my workout music this morning (or at least until I decide I want something else).
But I digress. Back to the main point. My workout today will consist of any or all of my five workout elements in any order and in any duration. The point here is to rediscover the joy of movement and to, well, move. Earlier I was doing yoga which segued into karate punches and kicks, all spontaneous and joyful. I feel like my I've allowed my inner child to come out to play!
Now who wouldn't want to do something that makes one so happy? Find your joy in movement and give yourself over to it. Let your inner child out!
I set up these elaborate plans of doing my weightlifting Tuesday/Friday/Sunday (which workout will I do, how much weight should I use, will my shoulder be loose enough to hold the bar on my shoulders), followed by a mandatory 30 minutes of yoga. Cardio and yoga on the other days and karate every day for a mandatory 30 minutes. I spend a great deal of time trying to balance that out with teaching my yoga class and leading my karate class (don't want to be too tired!). Oh and which day will be my rest day. Blah, blah, blah.
I've spent countless hours in self-examination as to why I can't do this. Why don't I have the drive to make healthier choices? Low self esteem? Low deserve level? Laziness? Medication? High blood sugar? Low blood sugar? Blah, blah, blah.
Finally it hit me this morning like a ton of bricks (weights?). I have managed to suck the joy and fun out of the entire thing. I love going to karate class and yoga class (which I don't do because I've set up rules on how often I should go and get bogged down trying to decide which class and how shall I schedule my other stuff around it. More blah, blah, blah.
I've killed off all of the spontaneity, fun, joy and pleasure of moving my body and replaced it with rules and schedules and restrictions. No wonder this isn't working. So today I am working toward regaining that joy and balance. I have five workout options: weights, treadmill, stationery bicycle, karate and yoga.
I've recently discovered Spotify (it's a free music app where you can listen to all kinds of music and set up personal playlists and I'm sure there are other things but I've just gotten it and haven't investigated it fully (I was probably too busy setting up my workout plan).
I was watching the mens' portion of the Olympic team figure skating and Jason Brown was skating to music from Riverdance called 'Reel Around the Sun' which was amazing music for an even more amazing skater. I grabbed my iPod and found an album containing the piece of music on Spotify and I'm listening to it as I write this and it will be my workout music this morning (or at least until I decide I want something else).
But I digress. Back to the main point. My workout today will consist of any or all of my five workout elements in any order and in any duration. The point here is to rediscover the joy of movement and to, well, move. Earlier I was doing yoga which segued into karate punches and kicks, all spontaneous and joyful. I feel like my I've allowed my inner child to come out to play!
Now who wouldn't want to do something that makes one so happy? Find your joy in movement and give yourself over to it. Let your inner child out!
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Television vs. Meditation
Yesterday I had a tough day. As we move into fiscal responsibility, my husband and I have a great deal of anxiety. We worry about the unknown; those expenses we forgot about or the unexpected repair bill, blah, blah, blah.
I was having so much anxiety yesterday that I could not focus. I knew I had quite a few things to do but I found myself flitting both in body and mind from one task to another. I really needed to center myself with yoga and meditation but I could not settle enough to do either. What I really wanted to do was to grab another cup of coffee and plop down in front of the television and veg out, neither of which would have been constructive.
So what did I do? Posted on FaceBook, of course! This prompted a great conversation with a dear friend of mine where I was encouraged to not feel guilty about sitting in front of the television to relax. Now there is nothing wrong with this, in fact I do so frequently but it got me to thinking about the difference between meditation and plopping on the couch in front of the television. Those who meditate, understand the difference but I feel it is a good point of personal inquiry.
Relaxation in front of the television is mindless. We may think about what we are watching and have an opinion about what we are watching, but this is an externally-focused activity. It gives us an opportunity to get out of ourselves and escape into a different place. To unplug from whatever is going on inside.
Meditation, on the other hand, allows us to unplug from the external and delve into the internal. It is an opportunity to still the body as well as to quiet the monkey-mind of all those thoughts that the ego tells us are important. This allows the spirit, the center of our being, to be the star.
When I am in the throes of personal growth, be it working through an issue from the past, a conflict in the present, anything that causes me to be in turmoil, I find it very difficult to sit and be still and turn inward. I also find it difficult to be on my yoga mat because yoga also directs one to turn inward. One tool that I do utilize is my breath. Breathing in and out through the nose, deeply and fully is very calming to the body and I employ this tactic as much as possible.
So, what did I do? I cleaned out a drawer and made my to-do list which I tackled with a great deal of energy and intentional breathing and, gradually, I found my focus. I expended a good deal of energy as well as accomplished some of the things that were concerning me and I was finally able to bring myself to my yoga mat and then, finally sit and be still.
As I gain more understanding of myself, I realize that I cannot force myself to meditate or do yoga. I must listen to what I need, breathe and figure out what I have to do to enable myself to come to my mat and my meditation cushion and, most of all, give myself permission to do these things with compassion and without judgement or guilt, including plopping down on the couch and watching television for awhile.
What do you do when you are stressed? Do you give yourself time to just sit and be?
I was having so much anxiety yesterday that I could not focus. I knew I had quite a few things to do but I found myself flitting both in body and mind from one task to another. I really needed to center myself with yoga and meditation but I could not settle enough to do either. What I really wanted to do was to grab another cup of coffee and plop down in front of the television and veg out, neither of which would have been constructive.
So what did I do? Posted on FaceBook, of course! This prompted a great conversation with a dear friend of mine where I was encouraged to not feel guilty about sitting in front of the television to relax. Now there is nothing wrong with this, in fact I do so frequently but it got me to thinking about the difference between meditation and plopping on the couch in front of the television. Those who meditate, understand the difference but I feel it is a good point of personal inquiry.
Relaxation in front of the television is mindless. We may think about what we are watching and have an opinion about what we are watching, but this is an externally-focused activity. It gives us an opportunity to get out of ourselves and escape into a different place. To unplug from whatever is going on inside.
Meditation, on the other hand, allows us to unplug from the external and delve into the internal. It is an opportunity to still the body as well as to quiet the monkey-mind of all those thoughts that the ego tells us are important. This allows the spirit, the center of our being, to be the star.
When I am in the throes of personal growth, be it working through an issue from the past, a conflict in the present, anything that causes me to be in turmoil, I find it very difficult to sit and be still and turn inward. I also find it difficult to be on my yoga mat because yoga also directs one to turn inward. One tool that I do utilize is my breath. Breathing in and out through the nose, deeply and fully is very calming to the body and I employ this tactic as much as possible.
So, what did I do? I cleaned out a drawer and made my to-do list which I tackled with a great deal of energy and intentional breathing and, gradually, I found my focus. I expended a good deal of energy as well as accomplished some of the things that were concerning me and I was finally able to bring myself to my yoga mat and then, finally sit and be still.
As I gain more understanding of myself, I realize that I cannot force myself to meditate or do yoga. I must listen to what I need, breathe and figure out what I have to do to enable myself to come to my mat and my meditation cushion and, most of all, give myself permission to do these things with compassion and without judgement or guilt, including plopping down on the couch and watching television for awhile.
What do you do when you are stressed? Do you give yourself time to just sit and be?
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Change is Hard and Transitions are Even Harder
When I am making big changes in my life, either by choice or by circumstance, I want to make them all at once. I've come to realize that I feel that way because I don't like the transition period of change. It's uncomfortable! I want my New Normal and I want it yesterday. I don't like having to stop and think about implementing the new procedure. It disrupts my flow. I want to move from one thing to another smoothly and easily and I can't do that during transition. I have to stop and, well, think.
I want all of my routines to flow smoothly like a river but, really, rivers don't flow smoothly, do they? They are always bumping into something, be it the shore, rocks, plants, logs, fish, people, animals, etc.
What does the river do when it bumps into something? Two things: 1) It flows around the obstacle, sometimes slowly, sometimes crashing through with great energy and 2) it slowly works at wearing away those obstacles that are immovable.
As my path is impeded by obstacles, I must flow around them, I must crash through them and I must slowly whittle away at them. The wisdom comes when one knows which tactic to employ for each obstacle. This comes from being present and mindful, accepting and peaceful.
I want all of my routines to flow smoothly like a river but, really, rivers don't flow smoothly, do they? They are always bumping into something, be it the shore, rocks, plants, logs, fish, people, animals, etc.
What does the river do when it bumps into something? Two things: 1) It flows around the obstacle, sometimes slowly, sometimes crashing through with great energy and 2) it slowly works at wearing away those obstacles that are immovable.
As my path is impeded by obstacles, I must flow around them, I must crash through them and I must slowly whittle away at them. The wisdom comes when one knows which tactic to employ for each obstacle. This comes from being present and mindful, accepting and peaceful.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Going Green to Save Green
One thing I learned in 2013 is that if you don't pay attention, one's credit card debt can get out of control. We were doing ok until 2008.
On July 13, 2008, my husband's mother passed away at the age of 84, two month's later my husband failed a stress test and was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and sleep apnea. He underwent a cardioversion where they anesthetized him briefly and used paddles to zap his heart which reset it to normal rhythm. He underwent a sleep study and brought home a c-pap machine to wear at night. At the same time I was dealing with extreme anemia...my iron got down to 7 due to fibroid tumors in my uterus. In November, 2009, I underwent a complete hysterectomy where they removed a ten-pound, benign fibroid tumor...instant menopause. I was 49 years old.
In June of 2010 my husband was bitten in the genital area by an insect...perhaps a spider. This resulted in his testicles swelling to the size of grapefruit, ten days in the hospital, surgery to drain the infection, a visiting nurse to change the dressing. A trip to the urologist to have the wound drained. This 2-3 month ordeal was, obviously, very stressful.
2011 was fairly quiet as was the beginning of 2012. My husband's brother passed away suddenly from a heart attack the beginning of April. He was 58 years old. This was a huge blow to our little family and we were overwhelmed with grief.
In June of 2013 we had to put our 13-year-old Shepherd/collie Zelda down due to ill health and four months and $1,500 later we had to put down our 3-year-old cat. He had a chronic cystitis issue where he would develop crystals in his bladder and be unable to empty his bladder. We had done everything we could to no avail and the next step was surgery. Sadly, we could no longer afford to treat him.
An emotional five years. Throughout that time we were eating out a lot, traveling, spending, spending, spending and building up a lot of credit card debt. We have finally reached the point where our cards are maxed out and we are just making the minimum payments. In other words...something must be done and done now. We have the assets to pay it off immediately but we would take a huge hit. If we wait two years and eight months, we can withdraw from an annuity without penalty because my husband will be 59-1/2.
So we are looking at our options and will rectify the situation. In the meantime, we are looking at ways to cut back on our spending. I have been very interested in becoming greener and we have been eating as much organic food as possible. I recently switched my skin care to a more natural product (and more expensive one) and I have taken to baking my own bread and using a lot of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar to clean with.
Follow me as I move into more DIY cleaning products, , beauty and body products, go green, save green and discover they joys of this journey.
In June of 2010 my husband was bitten in the genital area by an insect...perhaps a spider. This resulted in his testicles swelling to the size of grapefruit, ten days in the hospital, surgery to drain the infection, a visiting nurse to change the dressing. A trip to the urologist to have the wound drained. This 2-3 month ordeal was, obviously, very stressful.
2011 was fairly quiet as was the beginning of 2012. My husband's brother passed away suddenly from a heart attack the beginning of April. He was 58 years old. This was a huge blow to our little family and we were overwhelmed with grief.
In June of 2013 we had to put our 13-year-old Shepherd/collie Zelda down due to ill health and four months and $1,500 later we had to put down our 3-year-old cat. He had a chronic cystitis issue where he would develop crystals in his bladder and be unable to empty his bladder. We had done everything we could to no avail and the next step was surgery. Sadly, we could no longer afford to treat him.
An emotional five years. Throughout that time we were eating out a lot, traveling, spending, spending, spending and building up a lot of credit card debt. We have finally reached the point where our cards are maxed out and we are just making the minimum payments. In other words...something must be done and done now. We have the assets to pay it off immediately but we would take a huge hit. If we wait two years and eight months, we can withdraw from an annuity without penalty because my husband will be 59-1/2.
So we are looking at our options and will rectify the situation. In the meantime, we are looking at ways to cut back on our spending. I have been very interested in becoming greener and we have been eating as much organic food as possible. I recently switched my skin care to a more natural product (and more expensive one) and I have taken to baking my own bread and using a lot of hydrogen peroxide and white vinegar to clean with.
Follow me as I move into more DIY cleaning products, , beauty and body products, go green, save green and discover they joys of this journey.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
In Search of President Lincoln
I just came back from a week in Washington, D.C. and I have to say that I am happy to be home. D.C. is an amazing city and I did not begin to make a dent in seeing everything there was to see. I did, however, get to see some amazing things. My husband was tied up in two conventions for the Project Management Institute so I was on my own much of the time...a rather daunting idea for a small-town girl like me.
My first full day on my own I caught the shuttle bus from our hotel and after a twenty-minute (or so) ride, there I was at the corner of 12th and Pennsylvania Avenue standing in front of the Old Post Office and a life-sized (if not larger) statue of Benjamin Franklin.
After being pointed in the right direction by our very helpful bus driver, I set off down Pennsylvania Avenue, turned right at 15th Street (I think) and found myself in front of the White House (well actually it was the BACK of the White House but it's the part we usually see on TV). After a few minutes of camera duty, off I went to the George Washington Monument. At 550 feet, it is a great landmark if you are kind of lost or at least a little unsure that you remember the directions correctly (trust me on that one!).
After a short walk on this beautiful sunny day, I found myself standing in front of the ticket office where I secured a free ticket to go inside the monument and take the elevator up to the top. I asked for directions (I seemed to have done a LOT of that this past week) to the restroom and, after successfully locating them and taking care of business, I turned my attention to the very large stone structure in front of me. I followed the sidewalk and slowly wound my way closer and closer and as I did so, I unexpectedly became aware of the fact that there were tears in my eyes. I blinked them away and realized that a part of me wanted to cry.
Filing that part of me away for future reference, I took my place in line, and as I waited my turn, struck up a conversation with a very nice retired couple from Massachusetts. The time passed quickly as we shared our stories about how we came to be where we were and we parted ways when their small group went up into the monument ahead of me. My turn came at last and up I went to see some pretty spectacular views of the city.
Upon returning to ground level, I set off down (up?) the mall to pay my respects to President Lincoln, not realizing that the object of my desire was further away than it appeared. I walked along in the bright sunshine and found myself at the World War II Memorial, an amazing creation, indeed!
Being a woman on a mission, I spent little time there as I could see my goal getting closer. However, I was there long enough to see the old men standing in small groups quietly talking, laughing, sharing their stories and having their pictures taken under the wreaths with their state's name engraved below them. I quietly said a prayer and a thank you for the sacrifices these men and women made so that I could live in freedom and I pushed onward.
As I walked along the reflecting pool, I began to realize just how far apart the Washington monument and Lincoln memorial really are. As I walked, I met up with the couple from Massachusetts again and, after making jokes about stalking, I propelled myself forward finally leaving the reflecting pool behind and standing at the bottom of the 58 steps leading to what I can only describe as the GINORMOUS Lincoln Memorial building.
One by one, I made my way up the steps, finding my pace slowing as I neared the summit; partially from fatigue but mostly from awe. I stepped into the building, made my way around the cool stone columns and there HE was. I stepped closer, tears filling my eyes and, perhaps, one or two sliding down my cheeks. I blinked and stepped up to the velvet ropes oblivious to those around me taking pictures and talking. I had no time for them. I was standing at the feet of Abraham Lincoln.
After just BEING in that moment of being awestruck and overwhelmed, I slowly made my way back down the steps and made my way to the Vietnam memorial. Again, I took in this famous landmark saying a prayer for all those names on the wall and their friends and families.
I have seen pictures of these places but nothing prepared me for seeing these things in person with my own eyes. Touching the cool stone, feeling the hush in these quiet places (even with people milling around them). I was actually HERE. This was REAL. These things were put here for ME and for every citizen of this great country. They were not created on a sound stage in Hollywood. This was not a work of fiction.
They exist not only as a way for us to honor those that they represent but to connect us to them. To give us a tangible THING to hold onto. We are physical beings, we need to use our senses to make things real. We need to see and touch and smell and hear (maybe not taste in this instance...) these things. I am beginning to realize the importance of preserving our past and perhaps, one day, I will be more inclined to actually set foot into a museum (not one of my favorite things to do) but until then, I certainly have a deeper understanding of why we have them and for that I am grateful.
Finding Joy in this (long-walked) Journey,
Susan
My first full day on my own I caught the shuttle bus from our hotel and after a twenty-minute (or so) ride, there I was at the corner of 12th and Pennsylvania Avenue standing in front of the Old Post Office and a life-sized (if not larger) statue of Benjamin Franklin.
After being pointed in the right direction by our very helpful bus driver, I set off down Pennsylvania Avenue, turned right at 15th Street (I think) and found myself in front of the White House (well actually it was the BACK of the White House but it's the part we usually see on TV). After a few minutes of camera duty, off I went to the George Washington Monument. At 550 feet, it is a great landmark if you are kind of lost or at least a little unsure that you remember the directions correctly (trust me on that one!).
After a short walk on this beautiful sunny day, I found myself standing in front of the ticket office where I secured a free ticket to go inside the monument and take the elevator up to the top. I asked for directions (I seemed to have done a LOT of that this past week) to the restroom and, after successfully locating them and taking care of business, I turned my attention to the very large stone structure in front of me. I followed the sidewalk and slowly wound my way closer and closer and as I did so, I unexpectedly became aware of the fact that there were tears in my eyes. I blinked them away and realized that a part of me wanted to cry.
Filing that part of me away for future reference, I took my place in line, and as I waited my turn, struck up a conversation with a very nice retired couple from Massachusetts. The time passed quickly as we shared our stories about how we came to be where we were and we parted ways when their small group went up into the monument ahead of me. My turn came at last and up I went to see some pretty spectacular views of the city.
Upon returning to ground level, I set off down (up?) the mall to pay my respects to President Lincoln, not realizing that the object of my desire was further away than it appeared. I walked along in the bright sunshine and found myself at the World War II Memorial, an amazing creation, indeed!
Being a woman on a mission, I spent little time there as I could see my goal getting closer. However, I was there long enough to see the old men standing in small groups quietly talking, laughing, sharing their stories and having their pictures taken under the wreaths with their state's name engraved below them. I quietly said a prayer and a thank you for the sacrifices these men and women made so that I could live in freedom and I pushed onward.
As I walked along the reflecting pool, I began to realize just how far apart the Washington monument and Lincoln memorial really are. As I walked, I met up with the couple from Massachusetts again and, after making jokes about stalking, I propelled myself forward finally leaving the reflecting pool behind and standing at the bottom of the 58 steps leading to what I can only describe as the GINORMOUS Lincoln Memorial building.
One by one, I made my way up the steps, finding my pace slowing as I neared the summit; partially from fatigue but mostly from awe. I stepped into the building, made my way around the cool stone columns and there HE was. I stepped closer, tears filling my eyes and, perhaps, one or two sliding down my cheeks. I blinked and stepped up to the velvet ropes oblivious to those around me taking pictures and talking. I had no time for them. I was standing at the feet of Abraham Lincoln.
After just BEING in that moment of being awestruck and overwhelmed, I slowly made my way back down the steps and made my way to the Vietnam memorial. Again, I took in this famous landmark saying a prayer for all those names on the wall and their friends and families.
I have seen pictures of these places but nothing prepared me for seeing these things in person with my own eyes. Touching the cool stone, feeling the hush in these quiet places (even with people milling around them). I was actually HERE. This was REAL. These things were put here for ME and for every citizen of this great country. They were not created on a sound stage in Hollywood. This was not a work of fiction.
They exist not only as a way for us to honor those that they represent but to connect us to them. To give us a tangible THING to hold onto. We are physical beings, we need to use our senses to make things real. We need to see and touch and smell and hear (maybe not taste in this instance...) these things. I am beginning to realize the importance of preserving our past and perhaps, one day, I will be more inclined to actually set foot into a museum (not one of my favorite things to do) but until then, I certainly have a deeper understanding of why we have them and for that I am grateful.
Finding Joy in this (long-walked) Journey,
Susan
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Montreal: An Adventure in Communication
Montreal is a very vibrant, lively city! We spent five days there at the end of July and really enjoyed just walking the streets, shopping, eating, riding their fabulous Metro system and just hanging out.
The biggest challenge was that the only one who spoke French in our group was our son who had four years in high school. What was wonderful was how willing people were to speak English with us, especially when they could see that we were really trying to speak French...perhaps they took pity upon us!
Along with having a lovely break from home and some quality time with my family, I found a much deeper level of compassion for those who come to the United States with very little English. Just reading a sign or a menu or buying a cup of coffee can become a major project. It is exhausting!
Had we been there longer than a week, the immersion in the culture and the language would have really started to turn things around for me and it would have gotten easier. As it was, we were willing to try and I found my vocabulary growing. Our son did a fabulous job but even he found his limitations of knowledge. I think that's the key: trying. I know I probably looked silly and my accent was atrocious, but I checked my ego at the door and chose to laugh at myself which gave the person I was attempting to talk to permission to laugh, too.
I hear a lot of people saying "This is America...we speak English here!" and I have to confess that I've felt that way on occasion but I've come to realize that it goes beyond language. We are all human. We are all in this together. We all have common ground and common bonds and we need to connect on the human level.
We need to try to meet halfway. If someone is here in the U.S. who speaks little or no English, we can still communicate. Willingness to try, laughter and a smile go a long way. It's challenging and exhausting but isn't it all about the connection?
My daughter is studying Japanese and we had the opportunity to host an exchange student from our school's sister school in Chiba, Japan (in fact, my daughter spent a week with her and her family this summer). Our house guest, a lovely sixteen-year-old girl, would light up when I would try to speak a word or two in Japanese. We spoke from the heart with smiles and hugs and mangled English and Japanese and we connected. We hugged each other and cried when our visit was over.
I made a suggestion to my family. I'm not sure it will happen, but they all liked the idea. We pick a language and get a computer program, such as Rosetta Stone, and we study the language and speak it in our home. The hardest part may be getting us to agree on a language...I'm willing to try.
Enjoy the Journey!
Susan
The biggest challenge was that the only one who spoke French in our group was our son who had four years in high school. What was wonderful was how willing people were to speak English with us, especially when they could see that we were really trying to speak French...perhaps they took pity upon us!
Along with having a lovely break from home and some quality time with my family, I found a much deeper level of compassion for those who come to the United States with very little English. Just reading a sign or a menu or buying a cup of coffee can become a major project. It is exhausting!
Had we been there longer than a week, the immersion in the culture and the language would have really started to turn things around for me and it would have gotten easier. As it was, we were willing to try and I found my vocabulary growing. Our son did a fabulous job but even he found his limitations of knowledge. I think that's the key: trying. I know I probably looked silly and my accent was atrocious, but I checked my ego at the door and chose to laugh at myself which gave the person I was attempting to talk to permission to laugh, too.
I hear a lot of people saying "This is America...we speak English here!" and I have to confess that I've felt that way on occasion but I've come to realize that it goes beyond language. We are all human. We are all in this together. We all have common ground and common bonds and we need to connect on the human level.
We need to try to meet halfway. If someone is here in the U.S. who speaks little or no English, we can still communicate. Willingness to try, laughter and a smile go a long way. It's challenging and exhausting but isn't it all about the connection?
My daughter is studying Japanese and we had the opportunity to host an exchange student from our school's sister school in Chiba, Japan (in fact, my daughter spent a week with her and her family this summer). Our house guest, a lovely sixteen-year-old girl, would light up when I would try to speak a word or two in Japanese. We spoke from the heart with smiles and hugs and mangled English and Japanese and we connected. We hugged each other and cried when our visit was over.
I made a suggestion to my family. I'm not sure it will happen, but they all liked the idea. We pick a language and get a computer program, such as Rosetta Stone, and we study the language and speak it in our home. The hardest part may be getting us to agree on a language...I'm willing to try.
Enjoy the Journey!
Susan
Monday, July 12, 2010
I've lost my mind(fulness) again!
The other day I misplaced my phone three times, lost my keys, stubbed my toes more than once and only half listened to something my husband said to me. Oh, and I almost left the house without letting the dog back inside.
Sound familiar? How much time do we spend not being present to the, well, the present? We're always thinking about something else; what we need to do next, don't forget ____, I can't believe what so-and-so said the other day blah blah blah. That's an awful lot of noise being created inside our heads! It's no wonder we misplace stuff, have accidents and relationship issues! Not to mention the amount of over-the-counter pain reliever we're taking for headaches!
This is our life and we spend hours/days/weeks/months/years mentally checked out from it! What would happen if we actually made the effort to focus on the task at hand? Even something as simple/boring/tedious as washing the dishes?
Try it. The next time you notice you are not present to what you are doing, pause for a moment, take a slow deep breath and focus on what you are doing. Let all the other thoughts come and go and focus on your task. Notice your breathing, slow it down. Nothing matters but that very moment and the task at hand. Notice what is going on in your head. Is it quieter? Calmer? More peaceful? Notice the stillness.
Notice how you feel when you are finished with your task. Take a moment to observe yourself. No need to rush into the next task. It will still be there after you have taken this time to pause.
Congratulations! You just meditated! You don't have to go sit in a quiet place with candles and complete silence or weird music. You can find the time and space to meditate anywhere, at any time!
Being mindful also has other bonuses: less time spent looking for phones, car keys, whatever because you actually notice where you put them as well as better relationships because you focus on the person you are with and believe me, they will notice!
Try it and let me know what happens!
Enjoy the journey!
Susan
Sound familiar? How much time do we spend not being present to the, well, the present? We're always thinking about something else; what we need to do next, don't forget ____, I can't believe what so-and-so said the other day blah blah blah. That's an awful lot of noise being created inside our heads! It's no wonder we misplace stuff, have accidents and relationship issues! Not to mention the amount of over-the-counter pain reliever we're taking for headaches!
This is our life and we spend hours/days/weeks/months/years mentally checked out from it! What would happen if we actually made the effort to focus on the task at hand? Even something as simple/boring/tedious as washing the dishes?
Try it. The next time you notice you are not present to what you are doing, pause for a moment, take a slow deep breath and focus on what you are doing. Let all the other thoughts come and go and focus on your task. Notice your breathing, slow it down. Nothing matters but that very moment and the task at hand. Notice what is going on in your head. Is it quieter? Calmer? More peaceful? Notice the stillness.
Notice how you feel when you are finished with your task. Take a moment to observe yourself. No need to rush into the next task. It will still be there after you have taken this time to pause.
Congratulations! You just meditated! You don't have to go sit in a quiet place with candles and complete silence or weird music. You can find the time and space to meditate anywhere, at any time!
Being mindful also has other bonuses: less time spent looking for phones, car keys, whatever because you actually notice where you put them as well as better relationships because you focus on the person you are with and believe me, they will notice!
Try it and let me know what happens!
Enjoy the journey!
Susan
Sunday, July 11, 2010
I'll Post...Later.
I am such a procrastinator! Why is it that we put things off? Even those things that we enjoy doing or are important to us get put off. I think one reason is that we get so bogged down with the little things in life: the paperwork, the errands, the housework (well ok, I can't really be accused of that one because my house is trashed 90% of the time!). We get caught up playing computer or video games for hours (After a year I gave up my FarmVille, Cafe World and, finally, Mafia Wars because I wasn't getting anything done).
It occurred to me today that it is possible that all of those mundane, 'safe' things are just excuses not to step out of our comfort zones and maybe, just maybe, really accomplish something amazing.
Our days are numbered. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We need to have a sense of urgency about us. A sense that we need to be amazing RIGHT NOW, at THIS MOMENT. There are opportunities out there: people we need to connect with in a meaningful way, passions that need to be followed, differences we need to make in this world.
I began Yoga Teacher Training in February of this year. My assignment from last Monday was to create a new sequence for this Monday. Well, it's Sunday and I'm just getting to it today, Sunday. Why? I don't know! I did not feel creative and then I felt the weight of the assignment upon my shoulders which made me feel even MORE uncreative which made me avoid the exercise...on and on and on, 'round and 'round and 'round. Once I started it, I was having fun and the creativity returned as did my energy and sense of lightness.
We spend our time putting off the important things and then we feel bad about it which makes us put it off even more and the next thing we know we're paralyzed, our energy is drained and we spend more time doing the mundane things we hate or hiding out playing video games or on the computer.
So, I close this post and go back to my mat to finish my sequence so that I can move forward in my passion: Teaching yoga. After that, some time with my karate, another passion of mine. After that...mundane stuff, here I come!
Susan
It occurred to me today that it is possible that all of those mundane, 'safe' things are just excuses not to step out of our comfort zones and maybe, just maybe, really accomplish something amazing.
Our days are numbered. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. We need to have a sense of urgency about us. A sense that we need to be amazing RIGHT NOW, at THIS MOMENT. There are opportunities out there: people we need to connect with in a meaningful way, passions that need to be followed, differences we need to make in this world.
I began Yoga Teacher Training in February of this year. My assignment from last Monday was to create a new sequence for this Monday. Well, it's Sunday and I'm just getting to it today, Sunday. Why? I don't know! I did not feel creative and then I felt the weight of the assignment upon my shoulders which made me feel even MORE uncreative which made me avoid the exercise...on and on and on, 'round and 'round and 'round. Once I started it, I was having fun and the creativity returned as did my energy and sense of lightness.
We spend our time putting off the important things and then we feel bad about it which makes us put it off even more and the next thing we know we're paralyzed, our energy is drained and we spend more time doing the mundane things we hate or hiding out playing video games or on the computer.
So, I close this post and go back to my mat to finish my sequence so that I can move forward in my passion: Teaching yoga. After that, some time with my karate, another passion of mine. After that...mundane stuff, here I come!
Susan
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Happy Birthday, Dad!
Today is my dad's birthday. That is always a challenge. Finding a card that doesn't sound fake, not too much sentiment, stuff I don't mean or, more likely, am afraid to say. It's hard with my dad, even at 50 years old, my inner child is still afraid to step out there for fear of getting hurt.
It's been a long road and, I'm grateful to say that we have a good relationship these past 20 years or so. We each know that we only have each other, I am his only child by birth, the only living link to my mother, his wife, who passed away in 1973.
He is a troubled man with hurts reaching back to his childhood still haunting him. I asked him once if he thought he could ever be at peace with his past and he told me no, it was too big. I think that's true sometimes. Our history seems just too big, too hard to tackle and so we go on, carrying our past with us as if long-ago pain happened just yesterday.
Making peace with the past is not easy and not a task to be undertaken lightly but let me tell you from experience that the hard work is worth the effort. Going through that dark forest and finally stepping out into the sunny meadow is worth all the work. The lightening of the spirit brings about deep peace and joy.
As you journey into the past, don't forget your supplies: a compass so you always know you are going in the right direction, a box of tissues to dry your eyes and a soft place to fall when you are too weary to walk any further.
S.
It's been a long road and, I'm grateful to say that we have a good relationship these past 20 years or so. We each know that we only have each other, I am his only child by birth, the only living link to my mother, his wife, who passed away in 1973.
He is a troubled man with hurts reaching back to his childhood still haunting him. I asked him once if he thought he could ever be at peace with his past and he told me no, it was too big. I think that's true sometimes. Our history seems just too big, too hard to tackle and so we go on, carrying our past with us as if long-ago pain happened just yesterday.
Making peace with the past is not easy and not a task to be undertaken lightly but let me tell you from experience that the hard work is worth the effort. Going through that dark forest and finally stepping out into the sunny meadow is worth all the work. The lightening of the spirit brings about deep peace and joy.
As you journey into the past, don't forget your supplies: a compass so you always know you are going in the right direction, a box of tissues to dry your eyes and a soft place to fall when you are too weary to walk any further.
S.
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