Month: February 2017

Sassy Saturday Six

Ah, back to my old irregular posting schedule! 😉  The past two weeks have been tough, given the snowfall amounts that have slammed us and the soggy, ongoing cleanup afterward.  I’m sure a lot of people who might read this have spent a little time hurting from all the shoveling.  (We don’t have a snowblower, so please know that I was out there on the front-lines with you!)  Some reflections from the past couple of weeks:

  1. Physical labour can be intense meditation.  I was reminded of what has always attracted me to jobs with some element of physical challenge; I value the spiritual and mental effects of real, hard work.  It genuinely helps me feel better, clearer and more “myself” when I have had to come through some kind of physical challenge.  
  2. Being really physically tired is awesome for my insomnia.  This is obvious, but…it’s also kind of…not? I didn’t think that I was all that lacking in exercise. In fact, I usually get some physical exercise every day.  However, even if I lift weights in the morning, walk at lunch, and stay pretty much on my feet around the house in the evening, it’s not usually enough to make me just fall into bed early and sleep like a baby.  Chipping away at an ice wall for an hour or more every day? I briefly relearned what it was like to fall asleep easily. I started getting tired more early, and it helped my schedule.  I want to hang on to a little of this change. I think I have kind of…gotten better at mornings because of it.
  3. “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a  habit.” -Aristotle  I like this.  I can say I’m any number of things, but the proof is in the pudding!  We are what we actually devote all of our time to doing.
  4. Gotta love a new-to-me band that keeps putting a smile on my face...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAVTo9YCRsE
  5. “Growth only occurs in a state of discomfort” -Bill Eckstrom.  Here’s Bill’s TedX talk about how comfort will ruin your life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBvHI1awWaI
  6. I’m almost ready to get my tree-of-life tattoo!  I had my last consult yesterday.  This means that I will be doing my first sitting on March 7th!  Finally!  I am very excited, and I fully intend to post progress pics!

Here’s to spring…it’s just around the corner!

Fabulous Friday Five (On a Saturday!)

(Er…succulent Saturday Six?)

Just a collection of 5 cool things I’m mulling around in my head right now, or currently having an impact on my life…

 

  • A Re-dedication.  Let me start by saying that the return of the “Fabulous Friday Five” was inspired by my spiritual return to my coven-group generally, and by one member in particular.  Hey, I’m happy if anyone cares or is reading this at all, and I am glad beyond measure to feel like I can be of service.  I’m back.

 

  • Book Progress.  Book progress.  Book progress!  It seems that my spiritual life and my writing life are deeply intertwined, and that both have to be up and running properly for either of them to function at all.  I don’t know.  All I know is…I can write again, and I’m hopeful about it, and that’s good.

 

  • A re-examination of gender. I suppose that I never really “got” the importance of drag to some boys.  I like to think that I am up on gender and gender issues, but I RuPaul’s Drag Race has taught me even more.  A  couple of people at work got me into watching it, and I am hooked! It’s a lot more than fantastic wigs, fabulous outfits and impeccable runway walking though.  Some of the contestants are strictly performers.  But for some, this has been a defining part of who they are for most of their lives.                    The show highlights the very constructed nature of gender roles, and how much of one’s appearance is determined by the wearer.  Seemingly ordinary-looking men can morph into the most stunning women.  (Quite often with enviable legs!)  Heck, it even forces me to reconcile the fact that there’s a huge difference between me with no makeup on, and any old outfit, and me when I’ve taken 2 hours to get ready.  It’s a performance.  It’s all a performance.  As RuPaul says, “You’re born naked.  Everything else is drag.”

 

  • Re-discovering silence.  I like to have noise around me almost all the time.  There is usually something playing in the background. I have been guilty of using it to soothe me and keep me company.  But, noise is not where creativity comes from, and as much as it pains me to admit it, I do sometimes have to force myself to turn the music off and let my mind wander.  I making more of an effort to reclaim silence when I can.  The results have been reminding me of why it’s so valuable to the creative process.

 

  • Learning to be a better listener.  I’m lucky.  I may not have a perfect life, but it’s pretty darn great, and emotionally, I think that I’m doing ok.  I have no need to sit around and wallow in my “problems.”  They’re not that bad.  That’s good, because that frees me up my mental real estate to take in what others are saying, and to consciously avoid making the conversation all about me.  It’s all about knowing when to shut up.  I am not the best at doing this, but I HAVE noticed that I’ve been a sounding board for a couple of people lately, and that’s awesome, because I really felt that in those cases the person felt better afterward.  I don’t mind if people vent to me, especially if it makes them feel better. I just have to be sure to not hang on to the energy afterward!

 

  • Bonus quote, since I really did mean to have this out yesterday:  

 

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious”

-Einstein