Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
I know, I know... I am quoting Oprah, but...
"Energy is the essence of life. Every day
you decide how you're going to use it by
knowing what you want and what it
takes to reach that goal, and by
maintaining focus." - Oprah
Before I realized this is an Oprah quote, it spoke to me for several reasons. First, I have been listing to an online series by Beth Moore called "Wising Up" (check it out: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Living_Proof_with_Beth_Moore/archives.asp?bcd=3/1/2010). It is a study out of the book of Proverbs for women (and men, Ryan has been known to eavesdrop) who want wisdom. I have been most encouraged by the three sessions on Wising Up at Work where Beth Moore encourages listeners to change our thoughts towards work. To help her listeners change their thoughts towards work she applies a word to each day of the week to focus on during that workday.
Monday-Attitude
Tuesday-ENERGY
Wednesday-Ethics
Thursday- Advice
Friday-Influence
Despite finding her study encouraging, I feel it is inspired. Energy is the perfect word for Tuesday, it is the slump day right before hump day (Wednesday). Not as dreadful as Monday (but I am working on my attitude), not the middle of the week, and certainly not the end of the week which includes Thursday and Friday. It is Tuesday when I often ask myself how I will get through another 3 days!
I have began doing longer workouts Tuesday mornings to pump the endorphins through my body, sweat, and energize my day. I do kickboxing and punches to work out anxiety and frustration. For the last two Tuesdays I have felt a noticeable difference in my energy level. I have also focused on exuding energy in my teaching so that my students experience and thrive off of my energy and enthusiasm.
That is the first reason this Oprahism spoke to me on this Tuesday evening. The second reason is deeper. In the last several weeks I have felt a tugging at my sleeve and heart strings to find focus for my energies. To settle down my thoughts and put my research and faculties to use, to create something, to accomplish a goal.
Last night, I shared with my bible study, that my fear of failure is crippling and that it is married to a fear of the unknown. I don't know exactly which one of the toxic couple prevents me from stepping out and setting goals to do things I have never done and don't know exactly how to do, but I need to throw these fears out the window to live for the now.
What Oprah says to me is that I need to focus my energy in what I do in every moment, not in what I want to do in the future, or what I think I might want to do. I live for now. Right now. And I trust God to take care of the future.
you decide how you're going to use it by
knowing what you want and what it
takes to reach that goal, and by
maintaining focus." - Oprah
Before I realized this is an Oprah quote, it spoke to me for several reasons. First, I have been listing to an online series by Beth Moore called "Wising Up" (check it out: http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Living_Proof_with_Beth_Moore/archives.asp?bcd=3/1/2010). It is a study out of the book of Proverbs for women (and men, Ryan has been known to eavesdrop) who want wisdom. I have been most encouraged by the three sessions on Wising Up at Work where Beth Moore encourages listeners to change our thoughts towards work. To help her listeners change their thoughts towards work she applies a word to each day of the week to focus on during that workday.
Monday-Attitude
Tuesday-ENERGY
Wednesday-Ethics
Thursday- Advice
Friday-Influence
Despite finding her study encouraging, I feel it is inspired. Energy is the perfect word for Tuesday, it is the slump day right before hump day (Wednesday). Not as dreadful as Monday (but I am working on my attitude), not the middle of the week, and certainly not the end of the week which includes Thursday and Friday. It is Tuesday when I often ask myself how I will get through another 3 days!
I have began doing longer workouts Tuesday mornings to pump the endorphins through my body, sweat, and energize my day. I do kickboxing and punches to work out anxiety and frustration. For the last two Tuesdays I have felt a noticeable difference in my energy level. I have also focused on exuding energy in my teaching so that my students experience and thrive off of my energy and enthusiasm.
That is the first reason this Oprahism spoke to me on this Tuesday evening. The second reason is deeper. In the last several weeks I have felt a tugging at my sleeve and heart strings to find focus for my energies. To settle down my thoughts and put my research and faculties to use, to create something, to accomplish a goal.
Last night, I shared with my bible study, that my fear of failure is crippling and that it is married to a fear of the unknown. I don't know exactly which one of the toxic couple prevents me from stepping out and setting goals to do things I have never done and don't know exactly how to do, but I need to throw these fears out the window to live for the now.
What Oprah says to me is that I need to focus my energy in what I do in every moment, not in what I want to do in the future, or what I think I might want to do. I live for now. Right now. And I trust God to take care of the future.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Dreamline
1. Write a novel (write everyday for that matter)
2. Learn how to hold a headstand for a very long time
3. Become more flexible
4. Remove refined sugar, and dare I say, caffeine, from my diet for at least 6 weeks
5. Learn contemplative prayer
6. Start a business
7. Write an article
8. Work on a farm in France or Italy
9. Learn to speak French fluently
10. Start a compost pile in my backyard
11. Become an expert at green (non-toxic) living
12. Run in a marathon
13. Become certified to teach yoga
14. Create a website
15. Host a dinner party
16. Clean out my closets and the garage (recycling the non-essentials)
2. Learn how to hold a headstand for a very long time
3. Become more flexible
4. Remove refined sugar, and dare I say, caffeine, from my diet for at least 6 weeks
5. Learn contemplative prayer
6. Start a business
7. Write an article
8. Work on a farm in France or Italy
9. Learn to speak French fluently
10. Start a compost pile in my backyard
11. Become an expert at green (non-toxic) living
12. Run in a marathon
13. Become certified to teach yoga
14. Create a website
15. Host a dinner party
16. Clean out my closets and the garage (recycling the non-essentials)
Listlessness...
A list of what I am reading right now:
Eat More Dirt by the fabulous Ellen Sandbeck
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris
Never Work Harder Than Your Students by Robyn Jackson
Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
True Faced by John Lynch
Yes, I know I have 7 books off the shelf at once, and I keep looking for more to ingest. I feel a little out of control right now in a lot of ways. I am full of ideas, full of information, and full on food. I am having difficulty zoning in on one thing and taking it to completion, except for 20 minute workouts and house work. I find myself eating all the time. Probably partly because I am working out a lot, but also because I am listless. I feel myself drawn in many directions and it frustrates/depresses me that I do not know where to focus my energy, my free time, and my brain power. God, what am I doing? What are you doing in me?
I discovered the other day that I stress eat and I usually go for the chocolate or gooey sugar rush stuff. When this became clear to me, I made a declaration to myself to relieve my stress through prayer, worship, meditation, or exercise. This commitment has been unsuccessful. Probably because it is so much easier and instantly gratifying to grab a rich chocolate bar or make a bowl of yogurt with strawberries and agave nectar than to sit down and face myself and God after a long day of facing off with students.
Two reasons why I believe my commitment has failed are lack of discipline and motivation. I am blessed with a healthy figure, so constant indulgence (at this point in my life) does not wreck much havoc on my physique and the sugar high offers almost immediate stress relief.
Aaaaahhhh! But I want balance, strength, flexibility. I want to be toxic free on the inside and outside. I want my bodily systems to work just as hard as they need to and recover quickly from life's many stresses. The stress foods I eat, actually end up putting more stress on my body and I am caught in a vicious cycle of eat to relief stress, work out, eat to relief stress, work out... I am always on the losing end.
I want to eat for nourishment and pleasure not to self-medicate. I want to find discipline, self-control, and balance. Any suggestions?
Eat More Dirt by the fabulous Ellen Sandbeck
French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano
The Four Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferris
Never Work Harder Than Your Students by Robyn Jackson
Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
True Faced by John Lynch
Yes, I know I have 7 books off the shelf at once, and I keep looking for more to ingest. I feel a little out of control right now in a lot of ways. I am full of ideas, full of information, and full on food. I am having difficulty zoning in on one thing and taking it to completion, except for 20 minute workouts and house work. I find myself eating all the time. Probably partly because I am working out a lot, but also because I am listless. I feel myself drawn in many directions and it frustrates/depresses me that I do not know where to focus my energy, my free time, and my brain power. God, what am I doing? What are you doing in me?
I discovered the other day that I stress eat and I usually go for the chocolate or gooey sugar rush stuff. When this became clear to me, I made a declaration to myself to relieve my stress through prayer, worship, meditation, or exercise. This commitment has been unsuccessful. Probably because it is so much easier and instantly gratifying to grab a rich chocolate bar or make a bowl of yogurt with strawberries and agave nectar than to sit down and face myself and God after a long day of facing off with students.
Two reasons why I believe my commitment has failed are lack of discipline and motivation. I am blessed with a healthy figure, so constant indulgence (at this point in my life) does not wreck much havoc on my physique and the sugar high offers almost immediate stress relief.
Aaaaahhhh! But I want balance, strength, flexibility. I want to be toxic free on the inside and outside. I want my bodily systems to work just as hard as they need to and recover quickly from life's many stresses. The stress foods I eat, actually end up putting more stress on my body and I am caught in a vicious cycle of eat to relief stress, work out, eat to relief stress, work out... I am always on the losing end.
I want to eat for nourishment and pleasure not to self-medicate. I want to find discipline, self-control, and balance. Any suggestions?
Action
I took a spinning class in South Pasadena and now have a business idea. I am inspired today.
Next, on my list of things to do. Make a compost pile in the backyard.
Next, on my list of things to do. Make a compost pile in the backyard.
Listing
Listing can be a helpful way to organize your thoughts. Lately, I have been feeling full of ideas and plans but frustrated because I do not know how to execute most of them. I am going to list out some of the things that have been on my mind lately.
-baking a tart
-writing a novel
-writing a new teacher survival guide
-writing a screenplay
-reading authors who wrote from 1916-1930
-taking a yoga class
-taking a cycling class
-practicing French
-making a compost pile
-meditating
-praying for restored vision
The list is short but there are a lot of ideas wrapped up in it. A lot of output. I have been taking a lot of ideas in and it is time to let them out.
-baking a tart
-writing a novel
-writing a new teacher survival guide
-writing a screenplay
-reading authors who wrote from 1916-1930
-taking a yoga class
-taking a cycling class
-practicing French
-making a compost pile
-meditating
-praying for restored vision
The list is short but there are a lot of ideas wrapped up in it. A lot of output. I have been taking a lot of ideas in and it is time to let them out.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
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