Due to the nature of my current job, I am away for long periods of time. I do not enjoy this situation. I love the town I live in. I love the people I have met here in my new home. While I am away, I feel envious of everyone at home when they get together for parties or go to a good show, or ski down the hill on the new fluffy white stuff that seems to fall more abundantly every time I drive back up North.
I will never do a job such as this one again, but sacrifice is to be made if I want to reach my dreams. This is a means to an end. I understand this, and I try to explain this to others. Some understand...... some do not. All that really matters is that I am okay with my decisions, that I feel strong in where I am leading my life. All that matters is that I understand what I am doing. I do.
My sacrifices are necessary for my beliefs and loves in life. I want to be free of money's ownership over me (in the form of debt). I want to open my art studio and make people happy with their own discovery and creation. I want to rent-to-own our silly little house and renovate it to be more sustainable and efficient. I want to grow my own food with a community full of like minded individuals. I want to travel this planet for a year. I want to re-register for Vancouver Film School and create beautiful documentaries that pull at minds and hearts. I can do these things. I have always reached my dreams. I always find a way. I always have found a way. For this winter only.... this is my way to reach for my dreams.
One sacrifice I will be making in the next few weeks is my promise to blog weekly about becoming ambidextrous. The job I leave for on Wednesday is in a camp without regular computer access. I will not be able to write my last two blog entries while I am away. I found a compromise that I feel is sufficient and fair. To make up for my disappearance from the blogging world for a few weeks, I will instead write in my journal about my feelings and experiences twice. When I return home I will transfer those verbal images to this blog.
During that time, I will also decide upon my next challenge. I have some unusual ideas brewing. Thinking up new ideas to teach myself something truly excites me. This ambidexterity challenge has taught me a lot and I feel grateful that I have learned these bits and pieces of valuable knowledge through this experience.
Writing with my left hand has taught me the most. I even seem to express my emotions in my journal in a different way when I use my lefty. Different thoughts come to mind and different writing patterns are released. It is unusual, interesting and exhilarating all at once. I really enjoy this challenge.
This challenge has definitely renewed my excitement for my conscious evolution. This challenge is exciting and also achievable. That combination makes all the difference. My attempts at getting up early (A Morning Rhythm and Try, Try Again) somewhat depleted some of my excitement for challenges. It was just too difficult, and too early on in my learning experience. Achievability and Excitability are key. My interest has come back with a vengeance, and it feels great!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Saturday, January 08, 2011
Learning One Paragraph at a Time
This week of renewed loyalty to my multi-hand challenge, has proven to be a lot of fun.
I now look forward to writing my daily paragraph using my left hand. The process has started to become relaxing rather than painful. Occasionally I have still forgotten my paragraph, but I made up for it each time by writing two paragraphs the next day instead of one. I notice a great difference in my writing from the challenge beginning compared to now. I wonder how tidy my words will look by the thirtieth day of this extended challenge?
This week has helped me to realize that before this challenge, I was already quite multi-handed. My ambidexterity level was higher than I thought. I needed this extension to help me realize that I already had this ability. Since I am now in tune with the use of my left hand, I notice more often when I use it. More often than not, the use feels natural rather than forced. There are only certain tasks that I actively have to remind myself of. My ambidextrous goal may be easier to reach than I originally hypothesized. This challenge has taught me that I may not give myself enough recognition for abilities and talents that I posses. This is a deep lesson that deserves some deep pondering.
Since my last post, I am also more aware of my troubling speech situation. I have been attempting to slow my speech down, in order to enunciate properly. This has also helped me to arrange my sentences together more fluidly. My estimate is that this works about one third of the time ;)
The interest in my Conscious Evolution seems to be very positive. When the conversation was appropriate, I have brought this idea up at several gatherings and parties. I wanted to see what others thought or felt about this concept. Friends, family and people I have just met have all responded with interest. Many people become excited by the idea and suggest future challenges for me. Some people have been inspired to do their own challenges.
I love that I may be inspiring others with these challenges. After all, this idea came about when I was inspired by another. I read a blog written by an artist in Nelson who had decided to take a vow of silence.... just to see if he could. He did not have a specified time period, but for each day of silence, he drew a picture to depict his feelings.
The idea of building mental, spiritual and physical strength through challenges, pulled at my soul. I knew I wanted my self to be a part of my own evolution (I know that sentence seems ridiculously obvious...... but there is a deeper meaning and a big difference between SELF and PERSON). So, I decided to make my own challenges and write about my inner journey.
All of my previous thoughts and interest in the concept of Conscious Evolution came together on the day that I was inspired by another. That stranger's blog is what I needed to launch my own journey. Maybe my blog can do the same for somebody else.
I now look forward to writing my daily paragraph using my left hand. The process has started to become relaxing rather than painful. Occasionally I have still forgotten my paragraph, but I made up for it each time by writing two paragraphs the next day instead of one. I notice a great difference in my writing from the challenge beginning compared to now. I wonder how tidy my words will look by the thirtieth day of this extended challenge?
This week has helped me to realize that before this challenge, I was already quite multi-handed. My ambidexterity level was higher than I thought. I needed this extension to help me realize that I already had this ability. Since I am now in tune with the use of my left hand, I notice more often when I use it. More often than not, the use feels natural rather than forced. There are only certain tasks that I actively have to remind myself of. My ambidextrous goal may be easier to reach than I originally hypothesized. This challenge has taught me that I may not give myself enough recognition for abilities and talents that I posses. This is a deep lesson that deserves some deep pondering.
Since my last post, I am also more aware of my troubling speech situation. I have been attempting to slow my speech down, in order to enunciate properly. This has also helped me to arrange my sentences together more fluidly. My estimate is that this works about one third of the time ;)
The interest in my Conscious Evolution seems to be very positive. When the conversation was appropriate, I have brought this idea up at several gatherings and parties. I wanted to see what others thought or felt about this concept. Friends, family and people I have just met have all responded with interest. Many people become excited by the idea and suggest future challenges for me. Some people have been inspired to do their own challenges.
I love that I may be inspiring others with these challenges. After all, this idea came about when I was inspired by another. I read a blog written by an artist in Nelson who had decided to take a vow of silence.... just to see if he could. He did not have a specified time period, but for each day of silence, he drew a picture to depict his feelings.
The idea of building mental, spiritual and physical strength through challenges, pulled at my soul. I knew I wanted my self to be a part of my own evolution (I know that sentence seems ridiculously obvious...... but there is a deeper meaning and a big difference between SELF and PERSON). So, I decided to make my own challenges and write about my inner journey.
All of my previous thoughts and interest in the concept of Conscious Evolution came together on the day that I was inspired by another. That stranger's blog is what I needed to launch my own journey. Maybe my blog can do the same for somebody else.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Not Quite Grasping On
My month of ambidexterity is coming to a close. I am blogging about this experience for the very first time, despite my rule to write once per week. I mainly have not written due to lack of time in the busy holiday season. Another fair reason (for my lack of self control) is that I really did not have a lot to report. Excuses.... excuses. They don't really mean a lot, but they do ease my guilt slightly :)
I have already decided to extend my challenge for one more month. This challenge was a lot of fun. I truly enjoyed it. Despite the enjoyment, it was easily forgettable. Remembering to use my left hand for normal daily activities happened on a minimal basis, so this challenge will stay in effect until February tenth. I anticipated and predicted the actual use of my left hand to be my strongest challenge but I was wrong. Memory was actually my biggest nemesis during this challenge. I would only describe multiple hand use as feeling slightly awkward.
Writing in my journal daily (using my left hand) was the task I forgot most often. Actually, to be more accurate, I believe I subconsciously avoided and resisted this task. The few times I wrote a paragraph using my left hand, the process was painfully slow. Although, in only a few short days I did notice a drastic improvement. The readability and speed of my writing was distinguishably much better each time. Imagine if I had written for the full 30 days, like I was supposed to! I fully intend to do this from now on.
During this challenge, when I remembered to use my left hand, I felt a feeling of alertness. I swear I could almost feel my brain thinking each time I used my left hand to write in my journal, brush my teeth or use the computer. I also noticed a feeling of resistance towards myself each time I practiced, but tasks did became much easier as time went on. The feeling of resistance faded with each day. The regular multi-hand use became more and more natural as the month passed.
One task I attempted with my left hand surprised me. I used chopsticks! I expected this to be fairly difficult and humorous, but I was delighted to learn that I really had no difficulty at all. I believe my previous experiences of multi-hand use (when I worked at Kicking Horse) encouraged my mind to be more used to a slight level of ambidexterity. I would say this challenge seems more natural to my body than I expected.
Something troubling to note, is the changes in my speech pattern. I have always somewhat stuttered or mixed up my words. I tend to think much faster than words can escape my mouth, and sometimes my sentences get scattered all about. Many times, when I tell a story, I get so excited that gibberish comes out and the unlucky assailant of my verbal mess quickly loses interest in what I tried to say. This is the obvious reason why I like to write my words. Everything in my mind can be slowed down, reviewed and explained in the way that I intended it. To my dismay, I have noticed an increase in my frustrating verbal experiences since the beginning of this challenge.
The research I did before this challenge indicated that speech issues (such as dyslexia and stuttering) can be associated more often with ambidextrous people. Even though multi-hand use exercises the brain more evenly, the mind becomes confused when speech is involved. I am a little concerned about this, but I do not think another month of left hand use is really going to make a huge difference. I still believe the benefits of ambidexterity outweigh the negatives. Even if I do sound like a jabbering fool ;) In the future I may even learn to counteract my speech mishaps, using another challenge. Possibilities are endless!
On a general basis, I have learned that daily life interferes with my challenges. I allow all of the noise in my mind (and life) to overshadow these valuable learning experiences. Perhaps my next challenge should focus on this specific aspect? This intuitive and natural progression of my challenge choices is something I feel makes sense in my journey to consciously evolve.
Starting each challenge is the fun part.... following through with each challenge IS the challenge. I am determined to follow through with my multi-hand use for the next month, and to post my experiences regularly.
I have already decided to extend my challenge for one more month. This challenge was a lot of fun. I truly enjoyed it. Despite the enjoyment, it was easily forgettable. Remembering to use my left hand for normal daily activities happened on a minimal basis, so this challenge will stay in effect until February tenth. I anticipated and predicted the actual use of my left hand to be my strongest challenge but I was wrong. Memory was actually my biggest nemesis during this challenge. I would only describe multiple hand use as feeling slightly awkward.
Writing in my journal daily (using my left hand) was the task I forgot most often. Actually, to be more accurate, I believe I subconsciously avoided and resisted this task. The few times I wrote a paragraph using my left hand, the process was painfully slow. Although, in only a few short days I did notice a drastic improvement. The readability and speed of my writing was distinguishably much better each time. Imagine if I had written for the full 30 days, like I was supposed to! I fully intend to do this from now on.
During this challenge, when I remembered to use my left hand, I felt a feeling of alertness. I swear I could almost feel my brain thinking each time I used my left hand to write in my journal, brush my teeth or use the computer. I also noticed a feeling of resistance towards myself each time I practiced, but tasks did became much easier as time went on. The feeling of resistance faded with each day. The regular multi-hand use became more and more natural as the month passed.
One task I attempted with my left hand surprised me. I used chopsticks! I expected this to be fairly difficult and humorous, but I was delighted to learn that I really had no difficulty at all. I believe my previous experiences of multi-hand use (when I worked at Kicking Horse) encouraged my mind to be more used to a slight level of ambidexterity. I would say this challenge seems more natural to my body than I expected.
Something troubling to note, is the changes in my speech pattern. I have always somewhat stuttered or mixed up my words. I tend to think much faster than words can escape my mouth, and sometimes my sentences get scattered all about. Many times, when I tell a story, I get so excited that gibberish comes out and the unlucky assailant of my verbal mess quickly loses interest in what I tried to say. This is the obvious reason why I like to write my words. Everything in my mind can be slowed down, reviewed and explained in the way that I intended it. To my dismay, I have noticed an increase in my frustrating verbal experiences since the beginning of this challenge.
The research I did before this challenge indicated that speech issues (such as dyslexia and stuttering) can be associated more often with ambidextrous people. Even though multi-hand use exercises the brain more evenly, the mind becomes confused when speech is involved. I am a little concerned about this, but I do not think another month of left hand use is really going to make a huge difference. I still believe the benefits of ambidexterity outweigh the negatives. Even if I do sound like a jabbering fool ;) In the future I may even learn to counteract my speech mishaps, using another challenge. Possibilities are endless!
On a general basis, I have learned that daily life interferes with my challenges. I allow all of the noise in my mind (and life) to overshadow these valuable learning experiences. Perhaps my next challenge should focus on this specific aspect? This intuitive and natural progression of my challenge choices is something I feel makes sense in my journey to consciously evolve.
Starting each challenge is the fun part.... following through with each challenge IS the challenge. I am determined to follow through with my multi-hand use for the next month, and to post my experiences regularly.
Saturday, December 04, 2010
CHALLENGE #4: I Am Blessed With Two Hands
I see with two eyes. I listen with two ears. I walk with both legs. I write with only one hand.
To me, this unbalance indicates that there is a part of my brain that could be exercised more. I am going to learn to become more multi-handed, with an ultimate goal to become ambidextrous. My right hand is dominant to my left hand. This challenge will require me to increase my left hand usage.
A quick Google on the subject listed some very famous people who were thought to be ambidextrous or extremely multi-handed. Michelangelo created his genius inventions and art with both hands. Leonardo Da Vinci created his masterpieces' with two mitts. Ludwig Van Beethoven predictably played the piano with both hands. Hippocrates, Plato and Einstein were all reported to exercise both brain hemispheres by the use of their upper limbs. If you research ambidextrous athletes, many more known names are listed too.
I learned that only one percent of the world's population are naturally ambidextrous. This small percentage of people were born with both hands equally dominant. However, it is possible to learn ambidexterity even if you were not born with the gift.
Yes, in my opinion, I feel that being ambidextrous is a gift. It is an unique skill that I would like to gain. I believe it can be very beneficial.
Some benefits I found were:
I take ALL the studies with a grain of salt. I do not know the details of those studies, like: whether there was an adequate control group, or how long the people were studied, or if there were multiple or singular studies conducted. I do not take ANYTHING from Google as fact. To me, it is all theory, and anyone can put information on the Internet, whether they have credentials and proven knowledge..... or not.
I personally would like to become ambidextrous because it intrigues me. I know humans do not use the full potential of their brain. I feel it is obvious here to state: if I begin using my left hand nearly as much as my right hand, new pathways and connections in my brain will be created. I can not see a true disadvantage to using more of my brain. I hope it will help me to become more evolved and maybe bestow some of the benefits I listed (and others I do not know about).
I mentioned some very admirable creators, philosophers and artists as being reportedly ambidextrous. All of them were highly intelligent and talented. Is it conceivable that their ambidexterity was an aid in their genius? Can I potentially increase my intelligence by learning to become multi-handed? Hey, I might as well try. If anything, it will be a fun challenge.
The rules of this challenge are as follows:
1. I will write at least one paragraph per day in my journal using my left hand.
2. I will be aware of daily tasks (ex: brushing my teeth) and attempt to use my left hand for everything I normally do with my right hand (exception: work paperwork..... I don't think my boss would be impressed if my reports looked like they were written by a first grader).
3. I will blog about this experience once per week.
4. As a start, I will maintain this challenge for one month (until January 5th, 2011). After one month I will re-evaluate whether I would like to go further with this challenge.
To me, this unbalance indicates that there is a part of my brain that could be exercised more. I am going to learn to become more multi-handed, with an ultimate goal to become ambidextrous. My right hand is dominant to my left hand. This challenge will require me to increase my left hand usage.
A quick Google on the subject listed some very famous people who were thought to be ambidextrous or extremely multi-handed. Michelangelo created his genius inventions and art with both hands. Leonardo Da Vinci created his masterpieces' with two mitts. Ludwig Van Beethoven predictably played the piano with both hands. Hippocrates, Plato and Einstein were all reported to exercise both brain hemispheres by the use of their upper limbs. If you research ambidextrous athletes, many more known names are listed too.
I learned that only one percent of the world's population are naturally ambidextrous. This small percentage of people were born with both hands equally dominant. However, it is possible to learn ambidexterity even if you were not born with the gift.
Yes, in my opinion, I feel that being ambidextrous is a gift. It is an unique skill that I would like to gain. I believe it can be very beneficial.
Some benefits I found were:
- increased athletic ability
- an easier ability to recall the content of an event
- improved left brain and right brain integration
- tasks can be done more efficiently
- a reduced risk of carpal tunnel syndrome
- an increased ability to read other people
- a better ability to see both sides of a situation
I take ALL the studies with a grain of salt. I do not know the details of those studies, like: whether there was an adequate control group, or how long the people were studied, or if there were multiple or singular studies conducted. I do not take ANYTHING from Google as fact. To me, it is all theory, and anyone can put information on the Internet, whether they have credentials and proven knowledge..... or not.
I personally would like to become ambidextrous because it intrigues me. I know humans do not use the full potential of their brain. I feel it is obvious here to state: if I begin using my left hand nearly as much as my right hand, new pathways and connections in my brain will be created. I can not see a true disadvantage to using more of my brain. I hope it will help me to become more evolved and maybe bestow some of the benefits I listed (and others I do not know about).
I mentioned some very admirable creators, philosophers and artists as being reportedly ambidextrous. All of them were highly intelligent and talented. Is it conceivable that their ambidexterity was an aid in their genius? Can I potentially increase my intelligence by learning to become multi-handed? Hey, I might as well try. If anything, it will be a fun challenge.
The rules of this challenge are as follows:
1. I will write at least one paragraph per day in my journal using my left hand.
2. I will be aware of daily tasks (ex: brushing my teeth) and attempt to use my left hand for everything I normally do with my right hand (exception: work paperwork..... I don't think my boss would be impressed if my reports looked like they were written by a first grader).
3. I will blog about this experience once per week.
4. As a start, I will maintain this challenge for one month (until January 5th, 2011). After one month I will re-evaluate whether I would like to go further with this challenge.
Try, try, one day.....
So my challenge "Try, try, again" just never happened.
I literally did not even attempt it. Here is my excuse:
I began night shifts as soon as I started my job in Northern, B.C. Night shift was expected, but not the length of time. I have now been on night shifts for almost an entire month. Being a vampire has messed with my body schedule and any attempt at this challenge seemed like too much effort. I admit it... it was too much, particularly with so little proper rest.
One day I will once again attempt this challenge, but for now it will be left waiting.
Before I re-attempt this challenge I am going to drastically reduce the amount of tasks listed and review the entire challenge. I do not want to keep setting myself up for failure. Although, I do not feel that failure is necessarily a bad thing, this challenge has become my nemesis and I would love to conquer it. Proving to myself that I can do it has become the evolution of this challenge. Third time's the charm right?
Recently, I have been doing something rather interesting here in camp. I have started using my left hand to do more day-to-day tasks. It seems to help my brain stay more alert.
This is something I did years ago when I worked as a day-lodge cashier at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. I was utterly bored to pieces standing there ringing people through the register.... so I began to use my left hand to do all of the transactions. I did this experiment for about 2 months of the season. Ever since, I have noticed that I use my left hand much more often than before. It took a very short amount of time for my brain to build pathways for left hand usage.
I have decided that becoming ambidextrous will be my next challenge.
I literally did not even attempt it. Here is my excuse:
I began night shifts as soon as I started my job in Northern, B.C. Night shift was expected, but not the length of time. I have now been on night shifts for almost an entire month. Being a vampire has messed with my body schedule and any attempt at this challenge seemed like too much effort. I admit it... it was too much, particularly with so little proper rest.
One day I will once again attempt this challenge, but for now it will be left waiting.
Before I re-attempt this challenge I am going to drastically reduce the amount of tasks listed and review the entire challenge. I do not want to keep setting myself up for failure. Although, I do not feel that failure is necessarily a bad thing, this challenge has become my nemesis and I would love to conquer it. Proving to myself that I can do it has become the evolution of this challenge. Third time's the charm right?
Recently, I have been doing something rather interesting here in camp. I have started using my left hand to do more day-to-day tasks. It seems to help my brain stay more alert.
This is something I did years ago when I worked as a day-lodge cashier at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort. I was utterly bored to pieces standing there ringing people through the register.... so I began to use my left hand to do all of the transactions. I did this experiment for about 2 months of the season. Ever since, I have noticed that I use my left hand much more often than before. It took a very short amount of time for my brain to build pathways for left hand usage.
I have decided that becoming ambidextrous will be my next challenge.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Challenge #3: Try Try Again.
I am leaving on the 7th of November for my new job in Northern, BC. Long hours, boring days and less that ideal circumstances are what I expect. I know this, because I have done this job before. I am not exactly excited, but I feel this is necessary.
I must stay positive. This small winter sacrifice could make all the difference in my dream to become a business owner. Jordan and I may be able to buy a home once this is finished. Much of our gear will be bought, and a large chunk of our dreaded student loans will be payed back. Jordan and I are working together to make these dreams happen. We are a team in this, and I know we can do it.
All rules of the challenge will remain the same, minus the morning part. I will not always have access to a computer at my job..... but I will be sure to write in my journal and eventually transfer that to my blog space.
This new challenge commences on my first day of work (probably around November 10th). I will "Try Try Again" and see what happens. Wish me luck :)
I must stay positive. This small winter sacrifice could make all the difference in my dream to become a business owner. Jordan and I may be able to buy a home once this is finished. Much of our gear will be bought, and a large chunk of our dreaded student loans will be payed back. Jordan and I are working together to make these dreams happen. We are a team in this, and I know we can do it.
I have re-assessing my last challenge ("A Morning Rhythm"). I tried to do everything in a short amount of time before I left for work. Considering the fact that I was attempting to build a vast amount of new habits in coorelation with getting up early..... I have realized that challenge was unrealistic. I needed more time to allow my self to learn the rhythm, before I could gain momentum in it. Once I have a bit of a routine going I am sure that I would be able to get everything done quicker and smoother. However, I never actually got to that stage of the challenge.
At my new job, I know that I will be working for 12 hours straight. During those 12 hours, I will basically just be sitting around waiting for anyone to get injured. I have decided that I may as well attempt my "morning routine" challenge again.... minus the morning part. I believe that I will be able to finish the tasks throughout the entire day. This way, I won't feel the pressure of time constraints. No time constraints will make my adaptation to the habits much easier. I believe it will benefit me greatly. Eventually I would still like to do the routine in my morning, but allowing myself to slowly work up to that, will help me be more successful. Rather than jumping in to new territory with my eyes closed, I will have glimpsed what is in front of me.
All rules of the challenge will remain the same, minus the morning part. I will not always have access to a computer at my job..... but I will be sure to write in my journal and eventually transfer that to my blog space.
This new challenge commences on my first day of work (probably around November 10th). I will "Try Try Again" and see what happens. Wish me luck :)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Balance
I am quitting my latest challenge. Well, more realistically, I am putting it on hold.
I recently got a new job up in Northern British Columbia. I will be gone for most of the winter, but of course we are keeping our place here in Kimberley. Kimberley, my literal namesake, is my home. My mother must have had a vision of the future when she decided to name me after the little bavarian town that she liked.
I will be working with Jordan. This is the opportunity that Jordan and I have been visualizing and hoping for since we graduated from the ATBO program. It is going to allow us to pay off our student loans, save for a home/business and buy the rest of our needed outdoor gear for our chosen eventual professions (guiding). The gear is essential to the outdoor skills we need to practice in order to succeed in the adventure tourism industry. The rest is freedom. I feel really happy and blessed to have this opportunity!
Unfortunately, I have had a massive list of things that I need to get in order before I leave on November 7th. I have been trying to juggle working almost every day (at my two jobs) with preparing my home, pets and life for this change. To attempt to keep this challenge up while I am doing everything else, has been quite literally exhausting. I just do not have the extra energy.
I am okay with this choice. I know I will attempt this challenge again and I will succeed. I knew this challenge would be difficult for me, but with the added stress of this big lifestyle change I am facing, it feels nearly impossible. I have chosen to fail.
I recently read a great analogy about failure. It described that failure is just as perfect as success, because everything is equal. Everything needs balance. I am looking at my failure in this challenge as an important part of my learning process. My quest to consciously evolve will include both failure and success. Both will teach me something great. Both failure and success are important and necessary.
I recently got a new job up in Northern British Columbia. I will be gone for most of the winter, but of course we are keeping our place here in Kimberley. Kimberley, my literal namesake, is my home. My mother must have had a vision of the future when she decided to name me after the little bavarian town that she liked.
I will be working with Jordan. This is the opportunity that Jordan and I have been visualizing and hoping for since we graduated from the ATBO program. It is going to allow us to pay off our student loans, save for a home/business and buy the rest of our needed outdoor gear for our chosen eventual professions (guiding). The gear is essential to the outdoor skills we need to practice in order to succeed in the adventure tourism industry. The rest is freedom. I feel really happy and blessed to have this opportunity!
Unfortunately, I have had a massive list of things that I need to get in order before I leave on November 7th. I have been trying to juggle working almost every day (at my two jobs) with preparing my home, pets and life for this change. To attempt to keep this challenge up while I am doing everything else, has been quite literally exhausting. I just do not have the extra energy.
I am okay with this choice. I know I will attempt this challenge again and I will succeed. I knew this challenge would be difficult for me, but with the added stress of this big lifestyle change I am facing, it feels nearly impossible. I have chosen to fail.
I recently read a great analogy about failure. It described that failure is just as perfect as success, because everything is equal. Everything needs balance. I am looking at my failure in this challenge as an important part of my learning process. My quest to consciously evolve will include both failure and success. Both will teach me something great. Both failure and success are important and necessary.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Coming Along Slowly
My challenge has not went as expected. I knew this challenge would be more difficult than the last, but I did not realize to the extent that it would be.
On the first morning, I initially woke up early enough to achieve the challenge, however... I pressed the snooze button three times. Of course, I ended up being rushed and did not finish all of the challenge segments. That morning I pretty much half-assed the challenge. I also tried to do the challenge by memory, without double checking everything on the list. It did not work well.
I learned not to break my first rule of the challenge. Getting up with sufficient time to do all of my tasks is key. I also found out that attempting two tasks at once is close to impossible for my concentration. I learned that trying to list off what I feel grateful for while at the same time that I am washing the dishes, does not allow me to truly feel each thought. I can not put energy into each thought unless I am focused strictly on that one idea. From now on, I am going to do each task individually. As well, I am going to write what I am grateful for in my journal as an alternative to just thinking it.
I found meditation extremely difficult. I tried to focus on my heart (based on a specific meditation I am attempting). I could stay focused for a few seconds at most... and then my mind would wander to the noises happening all over the house, to random thoughts, or to what I had to do that day. Hopefully, by the end of this challenge I will have improved on the skill of meditation. I want to gain insight into meditation practice. By the end of this challenge my goal is to stay focused for at least one minute. This lesson in concentration is huge and I feel it is important to my conscious evolution.
The second morning of my challenge, I was awoken at three am by a very distressed and upset man. Jordan needed to talk. He was feeling lonely, homesick, and his job situation was not as he expected. We talked for about and hour. It was good to talk to him, despite the very early morning call... and I was able to calm him down and help him to feel more positive. After the phone call I tried to get back to sleep for what seemed like ages. My mind kept racing about different environmental issues and some of my beliefs and values surrounding those. Jordan and I frequently discuss these topics and we talked about them that morning. Once I finally fell back asleep, there was no way that I was going to drag myself out of bed to do my routine! I felt slightly guilty during that day, but I was too tired to really care.
My third morning was much more of a success. It was helpful that I did not have to work until one in the afternoon. I was able to get everything on my list finished, minus the meditation and daily kindness... which I completely forgot. I put more effort into each task than I did on the first day and I did not feel rushed at all.
Important to note is that on the third morning, I learned that I need to give myself more leniency regarding how my schedule is laid out. I do not feel that I have to follow it step-by-step, as long as I still do each task. Rhythm is important, but obsession just adds unnecessary stress. I am still learning what rhythm will help me most in my life, and what schedule order I feel most successful....... and happy. More happiness is the ultimate goal here. A morning rhythm to help keep my mind and body healthy is one part on the road to a more spiritual life.
Today is my day off. I am going rock-climbing during the day and then to a rave party with twelve dj's playing tonight. Last night I went to see some live music and then some friends and I headed to the bar to dance. I do not drink alcohol often, and this occasion was not special... so there was no indulgence; but I am a little groggy from the late night. I expect to be tired tomorrow morning after two late nights in a row, but I am determined to do every task on my morning rhythm list regardless.
On the first morning, I initially woke up early enough to achieve the challenge, however... I pressed the snooze button three times. Of course, I ended up being rushed and did not finish all of the challenge segments. That morning I pretty much half-assed the challenge. I also tried to do the challenge by memory, without double checking everything on the list. It did not work well.
I learned not to break my first rule of the challenge. Getting up with sufficient time to do all of my tasks is key. I also found out that attempting two tasks at once is close to impossible for my concentration. I learned that trying to list off what I feel grateful for while at the same time that I am washing the dishes, does not allow me to truly feel each thought. I can not put energy into each thought unless I am focused strictly on that one idea. From now on, I am going to do each task individually. As well, I am going to write what I am grateful for in my journal as an alternative to just thinking it.
I found meditation extremely difficult. I tried to focus on my heart (based on a specific meditation I am attempting). I could stay focused for a few seconds at most... and then my mind would wander to the noises happening all over the house, to random thoughts, or to what I had to do that day. Hopefully, by the end of this challenge I will have improved on the skill of meditation. I want to gain insight into meditation practice. By the end of this challenge my goal is to stay focused for at least one minute. This lesson in concentration is huge and I feel it is important to my conscious evolution.
The second morning of my challenge, I was awoken at three am by a very distressed and upset man. Jordan needed to talk. He was feeling lonely, homesick, and his job situation was not as he expected. We talked for about and hour. It was good to talk to him, despite the very early morning call... and I was able to calm him down and help him to feel more positive. After the phone call I tried to get back to sleep for what seemed like ages. My mind kept racing about different environmental issues and some of my beliefs and values surrounding those. Jordan and I frequently discuss these topics and we talked about them that morning. Once I finally fell back asleep, there was no way that I was going to drag myself out of bed to do my routine! I felt slightly guilty during that day, but I was too tired to really care.
My third morning was much more of a success. It was helpful that I did not have to work until one in the afternoon. I was able to get everything on my list finished, minus the meditation and daily kindness... which I completely forgot. I put more effort into each task than I did on the first day and I did not feel rushed at all.
Important to note is that on the third morning, I learned that I need to give myself more leniency regarding how my schedule is laid out. I do not feel that I have to follow it step-by-step, as long as I still do each task. Rhythm is important, but obsession just adds unnecessary stress. I am still learning what rhythm will help me most in my life, and what schedule order I feel most successful....... and happy. More happiness is the ultimate goal here. A morning rhythm to help keep my mind and body healthy is one part on the road to a more spiritual life.
Today is my day off. I am going rock-climbing during the day and then to a rave party with twelve dj's playing tonight. Last night I went to see some live music and then some friends and I headed to the bar to dance. I do not drink alcohol often, and this occasion was not special... so there was no indulgence; but I am a little groggy from the late night. I expect to be tired tomorrow morning after two late nights in a row, but I am determined to do every task on my morning rhythm list regardless.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Challenge # 2: A Morning Rhythm
For a long time now I have felt that I needed more rhythm in my life. Currently I lack a stable morning routine to start my day off on the right foot. To combat this, I originally toyed with the idea of a challenge based on "becoming a morning person". After much deliberation, discussion and well.... procrastination, I have realized I have been seeking the schedule more than the early morning wake-up call.
At a later date, I still feel that I would like to learn to get up early in the morning. In the present though, I am going to focus on gaining some morning stability with a concrete habit of rhythm. This morning rhythm will be a great prelude if I ever do decide to go ahead with an early morning wake-up time.
The perfect time for this schedule plan has just presented itself. Jordan, my sweetheart, has left for work up in Northern British Columbia. He left early this morning and will be gone for an entire month. I will miss him dearly. While I am not excited about him leaving, I do feel that I will be more successful in this new challenge with only myself to focus on. By the time Jordan returns, I hope to have this morning routine ingrained as a new habit. I would like to keep adding to this schedule once I have a basic rhythm established
This challenge is going to be difficult. I know this, as attempting to gain a morning routine is something I have tried and failed at many times before. I believe this is my time to prove to myself that I can do it. I hope to not only gain confidence and more willpower, but health benefits also. I have incorporated both mind and body exercises into this challenge to strengthen my person.
Due to the nature of this challenge, I am still required to get up earlier than my usual allotted time to get ready for work.... but I will not have to get up so early that my body schedule is completely upside down. I am not going to require myself to get up at any specific time each day, but I will require that I give myself sufficient time to complete my morning routine, without feeling rushed.
Morning Schedule:
- get up with sufficient time
- make my bed, make a fire, open blinds, drink a glass of water
- do push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups
- stretch or practice some yoga
- meditate
- shower, get dressed, hygiene, etc.
- make breakfast and lunch
- while I am eating, write my day to do list and decide on my "daily kindness"
- brush teeth, drink a glass of water
- wash dishes and while I do this, think/feel what I am grateful for in my relationship, in my life and also something special that I truly appreciate about Jordan
- take care of my pets and plants needs
- visualize my day and my life
- write in my journal, track my cycle and emotions
- leave for work
Specific Details About the Routine:
* I am guessing to allow for sufficient time for this schedule I must wake up about two to three hours before I have to be at work
* The push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups serve the purpose of improving my climbing ability as well as warming up and waking up my body for stretching
* I may stretch, meditate and do yoga using any tools that I feel are necessary (ex: books, cd, video, etc.)
* A daily kindness is as it sounds. I want to fit in the ability to do something kind for someone else daily. The idea is a "pay-it-forward" philosophy.
Week 1: October 13th to 19th
- 10 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, 3 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 10 minutes
- meditate for 5 minutes
Week 2: October 20th - 26th
- 15 push-ups, 25 sit-ups, 6 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 15 minutes
- meditate for 5 minutes
Week 3: October 27th - November 2nd
- 22 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, 9 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 20 minutes
- meditate for 10 minutes
Week 4: October 3rd - November 9th
- 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, 12 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 25 minutes
- meditate for 10 minutes
Challenge Rules:
1. I will write about my experiences, thoughts and feelings of this challenge at least once per week.
2. I will compile a list of the "daily kindness'" that I do and publish them at the end of the challenge.
3. This challenge will be completed every day that I work. I am not required to do this routine on my days off. However, this only applies to two days off per week. For any reason that I have more than two days off per week, I must still only take two days off from this routine.
4. I will write about my visualizations at least twice during this challenge, but I do not feel that I am obligated to list them all for everyone to see. Being honest does not require me to publish my deepest wishes and dreams. I may decide to, but this decision will be at my own discretion.
5. Today I must write myself a list of my life visualizations today to prepare for the start of this challenge tomorrow morning.
6. Establishing this routine will be required for the next four weeks.
At a later date, I still feel that I would like to learn to get up early in the morning. In the present though, I am going to focus on gaining some morning stability with a concrete habit of rhythm. This morning rhythm will be a great prelude if I ever do decide to go ahead with an early morning wake-up time.
The perfect time for this schedule plan has just presented itself. Jordan, my sweetheart, has left for work up in Northern British Columbia. He left early this morning and will be gone for an entire month. I will miss him dearly. While I am not excited about him leaving, I do feel that I will be more successful in this new challenge with only myself to focus on. By the time Jordan returns, I hope to have this morning routine ingrained as a new habit. I would like to keep adding to this schedule once I have a basic rhythm established
This challenge is going to be difficult. I know this, as attempting to gain a morning routine is something I have tried and failed at many times before. I believe this is my time to prove to myself that I can do it. I hope to not only gain confidence and more willpower, but health benefits also. I have incorporated both mind and body exercises into this challenge to strengthen my person.
Due to the nature of this challenge, I am still required to get up earlier than my usual allotted time to get ready for work.... but I will not have to get up so early that my body schedule is completely upside down. I am not going to require myself to get up at any specific time each day, but I will require that I give myself sufficient time to complete my morning routine, without feeling rushed.
Morning Schedule:
- get up with sufficient time
- make my bed, make a fire, open blinds, drink a glass of water
- do push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups
- stretch or practice some yoga
- meditate
- shower, get dressed, hygiene, etc.
- make breakfast and lunch
- while I am eating, write my day to do list and decide on my "daily kindness"
- brush teeth, drink a glass of water
- wash dishes and while I do this, think/feel what I am grateful for in my relationship, in my life and also something special that I truly appreciate about Jordan
- take care of my pets and plants needs
- visualize my day and my life
- write in my journal, track my cycle and emotions
- leave for work
Specific Details About the Routine:
* I am guessing to allow for sufficient time for this schedule I must wake up about two to three hours before I have to be at work
* The push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups serve the purpose of improving my climbing ability as well as warming up and waking up my body for stretching
* I may stretch, meditate and do yoga using any tools that I feel are necessary (ex: books, cd, video, etc.)
* A daily kindness is as it sounds. I want to fit in the ability to do something kind for someone else daily. The idea is a "pay-it-forward" philosophy.
Week 1: October 13th to 19th
- 10 push-ups, 20 sit-ups, 3 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 10 minutes
- meditate for 5 minutes
Week 2: October 20th - 26th
- 15 push-ups, 25 sit-ups, 6 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 15 minutes
- meditate for 5 minutes
Week 3: October 27th - November 2nd
- 22 push-ups, 30 sit-ups, 9 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 20 minutes
- meditate for 10 minutes
Week 4: October 3rd - November 9th
- 30 push-ups, 40 sit-ups, 12 pull-ups
- stretch/yoga 25 minutes
- meditate for 10 minutes
Challenge Rules:
1. I will write about my experiences, thoughts and feelings of this challenge at least once per week.
2. I will compile a list of the "daily kindness'" that I do and publish them at the end of the challenge.
3. This challenge will be completed every day that I work. I am not required to do this routine on my days off. However, this only applies to two days off per week. For any reason that I have more than two days off per week, I must still only take two days off from this routine.
4. I will write about my visualizations at least twice during this challenge, but I do not feel that I am obligated to list them all for everyone to see. Being honest does not require me to publish my deepest wishes and dreams. I may decide to, but this decision will be at my own discretion.
5. Today I must write myself a list of my life visualizations today to prepare for the start of this challenge tomorrow morning.
6. Establishing this routine will be required for the next four weeks.
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Decisions Decisions
I have been trying to decide how to attack my new challenge idea. I was originally going to start waking up at 5am. I have always envied morning people.
My idea was to ease my body into a morning schedule through a 4-6 week period. Each week I would rise and shine early for more days during that week than the one before, to eventually be waking up 5 days per week.
I discussed this idea with some friends of mine, and all of them think I need to re-think this challenge. One friend, who is very health conscious and well read in this subject told me that from a health stand-point, between 6 and 7 am is the best time to get up in the morning for a happy body. She believes this challenge could do more harm than good.
I may choose an easier and different challenge within the next couple of days and then move onto becoming a morning person at a later date, once I have researched this subject fully.
My idea was to ease my body into a morning schedule through a 4-6 week period. Each week I would rise and shine early for more days during that week than the one before, to eventually be waking up 5 days per week.
I discussed this idea with some friends of mine, and all of them think I need to re-think this challenge. One friend, who is very health conscious and well read in this subject told me that from a health stand-point, between 6 and 7 am is the best time to get up in the morning for a happy body. She believes this challenge could do more harm than good.
I may choose an easier and different challenge within the next couple of days and then move onto becoming a morning person at a later date, once I have researched this subject fully.
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