Thursday, July 30, 2009

I did it again!

I have been going for walks the past few weeks on my days off of work. I have been exploring my still relatively new-to-me neighborhood. Last week I went for a walk to learn where the 'nearby' park and lake were located. My 20 minute walk turned into about 40+ minutes as I came out of the path somewhere and had to walk around a bit until I figured out where I was.


And, I did it again today!


Today I walked for close to an hour, which is ok and what I ultimately had wanted to do. It was also alright in the fact that I brought a small bottle of water with me today. I knew the general direction of my house, but there a lots of small short and windy roads that I don't yet know how they fully connect to one another. (Lots of roads ending in Ct, Trl, Dr, Ln, stuff like that which indicates a mess of spaghetti for roads.)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Stereotypes...really?

I got talking with another woman at my gym today. It was nice to share our experiences of how we each came to realize that we don't need to be self-conscious while we're there. It took me a few times at the gym before it dawned on me--'No one cares what I am doing. They each have their own goals, and I've got mine. There is no need to compare myself to anyone.' It was very freeing to realize this.

This woman shared a similar view, and stated she was attracted to this particular gym because it doesn't have an 'intimidating' environment. I agreed!

I find this funny because yesterday I was sharing with a co-worker about my workout on Saturday, which was my last appointment with a personal trainer. This co-worked commented he never really got into weight lifting because it seemed like a thing 'jocks' do. (I understood him completely. This type of thinking would lead to an intimidating environment.)

After my conversation with the woman at the gym, and reflecting on my co-workers comment, I realized that stereotypes are just that, stereotypical, and they will never change unless you challenge them.

Perhaps in high school you may have thought only 'jocks' worked out on weight machines. Now that I am 10+ years beyond high school, I realize I have a lot in common with the people at my gym who use the weight-lifting machines. We all want to be healthy and feel in good shape. Some may really be into building muscle. I see guys like that. I don't focus on them. I see a lot more men and women who are committed to their health and perhaps are looking to lose some weight. That is why I go-I want to feel healthy and get my body in shape. It just feels good.

So, don't be afraid. Take a bold step and challenge your stereotypes. Especially if they were formed years ago. Life changes a lot!

Things I saw on the drive to work yesterday...

-A gorgeous huge rainbow! When I stopped at the light to get a better look at it, it was already gone.

-A man who was texting on a cell phone in the middle of bumper-to-bumper stop and go traffic. This is my assumption, because he kept looking up and then back down, I presume texting or fiddling somehow with his phone or some device in his lap. I live in a state where is it illegal to text while driving.

-A woman applying mascara while driving her car. This was in the 50+mph part of the highway.

-A gorgeous silver Audi A4.

At least the start and finish of my commute were beautiful and inspiring!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Letting go of more

So, after attending The Unstoppable Power of Intention retreat, (and being reduced to working 3 days a week) I've gone on a decluttering spree again. It feels great!

I've cleared out 2 closets and turned them into storage spaces for items only to do with the specific intent of that room. (i.e. craft stuff is now in my crafting room closet, officey things are now in my office closet.)

I've also been working on decluttering the storage room in our basement. It is a disaster and it smells stank (like clutter) too! I got rid of several things. Old blankets and valences I would never use, my wedding dress, books, old dishes and more.

When I cleared out my crafting things, I realized I could part with all my construction paper--I donated it to the nearby elementary school. I called to see if they could use it, (along with a few other supplies) and the lady welcomed the donation!

I took books over to Half Price Books to see if I could get any money for them, and dropped a collection off at "iSoldit" an ebay selling facility. (It saves me the time and trouble of submitting it on ebay).

I've gotten rid of more than 50 lbs. of stuff, a little money for some books, a great feeling for donating to the school, and lots more SPACE and mental clarity for getting rid of things I no longer love or need! Yay!

Brushing your teeth with intention

Today's post is about something very personal--the dentist.


A few weeks ago I noticed I was having some temperature sensitivites on a few of my teeth. I knew I needed to see a dentist. I knew that even before my teeth were acting up. It took that fear factor to motivate me to actually go visit one. It has probably been a few years since I last visited a dentist. I have moved, and had to find a 'new' one.


I called to schedule an appointment, and the were able to get me in the very next day--ideal! Less time for my anxiety to build.

I went for a routine cleaning and brought a small beany baby stuffed animal along. I know my anxiety at the dentist's office, and have found it helpful to have a small furry/beany/fluffy object/toy for my hands to focus on. I set an intention before I headed in the office as well. I intended to be relaxed and keep returning to my body.

I did well. I kept focusing on the beans in my beanie baby toy, and I kept noticing by body tensed up, so I would consciously relax. (How many times? I didn't keep count). All went well until the dentist found a tiny cavity! My heart sank.

I got to watch an instructional video on how to brush your teeth. It was nice. Of course I knew many of the points it mentioned, but it was still nice to get a refresher. It also pointed out one or two things that I wasn't aware of, one of which probably was directly related to my tiny cavity.


I now brush my teeth with intention. I pay attention to how and where I brush, trying to make sure I cover all areas. And you know what? I don't do this out of fear of getting more cavities. I do it because I realized, brushing my teeth leaves me with a feeling of luxury. Not on a grandious scale, but it feels luxurious nevertheless.

I even floss occasionally now. The lady cleaning my teeth said that soft plaque starts calcifying or hardening in about 48 hours. Thus, if I could floss every other day, that would be great. So that's about what I do. (Trust me, I'm not going to over do it on the flossing!)

Last night I was trying to hurry and get to bed. I decided to floss anyway. Not perfectly. But still sortof floss. It really doesn't have to take that much time. An imperfect attempt at flossing is better than doing nothing at all! And it left me with a feeling of luxury.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

I'm a 9!

No, not on a scale of one to ten. Of the Enneagram personality types, I am a 9. I have historically been operating from the unhealthy realm of 9 so much that I scored myself higher on 6 than I did on 9! (When 9's are unhealthy and/or stressed they act like 6's.)

The Enneagram is a personality type profile that does MUCH more than tell you 'you're like this and that's it'. It is very flexible yet very thorough. I am amazed at what I am learning, and realizing "ok, that makes sense. Allright, that explains a LOT" (about how I have been living my life up to this point).

It explains the identity crisis I went through when I got married, the identity crisis I had when I left the LDS church, the identity crisis that I am no longer in. I'm not in crisis. I am on a quest to uncover the deeper true me that as a 9, often was buried for the sake of peace and not rocking the boat.

Not only does the Enneagram talk about your personality traits, but it also talks about ways to uncover and move beyond your ego talking and grow to a more powerful and spiritual you. I highly reccommend that you check out this book about it:

The Wisdom of the Enneagram: The Complete Guide to Psychological and Spiritual Growth for the Nine Personality Types, by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson

I learned about this at Christine Kane's retreat. I'm still learning from it, so the retreat must have been a success! I'm still in touch with several of the women from the retreat, and enjoying their encouragement as well as sharing it.