Thinking about what I wanted to change in/for 2011, I thought of a lot of things: eating habits, exercise habits, daily habits, writing habits, etc. The usual New Years Resolutions stuff.
The one thing that kept popping up, however, was Honesty.
I want to be a more honest person. I'm not exactly a dishonest person now, I don't lie or cheat or steal. I do, however, partake in some gossip (something I'm not proud of), and I keep things to myself that hide the whole picture of how I feel about a person or a situation, the whole picture of who I am. I've been thinking on how I'd like to change these, and other, things.
Then, as always, Free Will Astrology decided to play with my head.
Can you finally escape the pain you got imprinted with during adolescence? Is it a realistic possibility that you could triumph over the conditioning you absorbed before you knew how to talk? Do you have the power to do what few of us have done, which is to get out from under the weight of the past, shed the inertia of your memories, and live brave and free in the raw truth of NOW? If there will ever in your life be a time when you can accomplish at least some of this noble quest, Gemini, it will be in 2011.
The raw truth of Now. That is exactly what I want, and what I need.
I'm going to spend the next month concentrating on purging myself of the Bad and Not Good For Me Secrets, on being upfront with people and not being fake, on telling the whole truth to the world and myself.
I won't give away all my secrets, because some are Good, or are secret for a reason, or aren't mine to give away. I won't stop being fake by brandishing when I'm unhappy or disapproving or downright cranky, but by highlighting the honest good moods and feelings instead of squashing them when I think it'd be more "popular" to do so.
I want to do what the horoscope suggests: get out from under the weight of my past and shed the inertia of my memories. I have spent most of my life hunched over under the burden of the guilt and shame I've either put on myself, or let others put on me. Neither is right. Neither has ever been okay, but I refuse to let it be okay anymore.
I want to say "I renounce it all from this moment!" but it's so much harder than that. Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. I know that many of you reading this can understand this feeling, understand the desire, the fear, and the difficulty of which I speak.
I want to live in the raw truth of now. The raw truth of now can be beautiful and ugly, can be easy and hard, can be exactly what I want and exactly what I fear. But it is not what the terrified 12-year-old that still hides in my brain thinks it is, nor is it what the anxious 18-year-old thinks it is, or even the mired 24-year-old. It is not what I've been taught by years of conditioning done by others and myself. It is not what has happened before, good or bad.
The raw truth of now is only what is in front of me. I can draw on experience, on what wisdom I've gained in my 25 years, on lessons I've been taught and told by the people in my life. But I need to learn that drawing on those things is not the same as looking into a crystal ball and knowing what will happen.
I can never know what will happen. That's terrifying and exhilarating.
Honesty, and the raw truth of now. That is what I want to grow in myself in the year 2011. I know I can do it.
Showing posts with label astrology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label astrology. Show all posts
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Not A Pretty Process, But Hopefully A Pretty Product.
My horoscope for this week, courtesy of Free Will Astrology:
Have you ever seen the edible fungi known as truffles? They are bulbous, warty clumps. Because they grow underground near trees, specially trained pigs and dogs are needed to sniff out their location. In parts of Europe their taste is so highly prized that they can sell for up to $6,000 per pound. In my opinion, the truffle should be your metaphor of the month this November. I expect that you will be in the hunt for an ugly but delectable treasure, or a homely but valuable resource, or some kind of lovable monster. Halloween costume suggestion: a Frankensteinian beauty queen or underwear model, a rhino in a prom dress, a birthday cake made of lunchmeat.
So, November will be spent in search of something both desirable and undesirable. All I can think about, in response to this, is NaNoWriMo.
What I love about NaNo is that it's basically a challenge to anyone who keeps saying that they want to write a book...someday. It's a combination of a calling out and an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. Writing a book, from what I've seen and heard, is ugly and hard and frustrating and painful...but if you're really meant for it, it's unavoidable, it's an addiction, it's a release.
One of my favorite quotes about writing (apparently said by Walter Wellesly "Red" Smith, whoever he may be) puts it better I can:
"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."
And that's what I'm looking forward to in just one week. Opening a vein, letting loose the flood that's been building up over the past month of heavy-duty story planning. This week will be lots of psyching up, stoking my excitement until I'm up at 3 AM Sunday night, typing away like a madwoman.
*grin*
Have you ever seen the edible fungi known as truffles? They are bulbous, warty clumps. Because they grow underground near trees, specially trained pigs and dogs are needed to sniff out their location. In parts of Europe their taste is so highly prized that they can sell for up to $6,000 per pound. In my opinion, the truffle should be your metaphor of the month this November. I expect that you will be in the hunt for an ugly but delectable treasure, or a homely but valuable resource, or some kind of lovable monster. Halloween costume suggestion: a Frankensteinian beauty queen or underwear model, a rhino in a prom dress, a birthday cake made of lunchmeat.
So, November will be spent in search of something both desirable and undesirable. All I can think about, in response to this, is NaNoWriMo.
What I love about NaNo is that it's basically a challenge to anyone who keeps saying that they want to write a book...someday. It's a combination of a calling out and an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. Writing a book, from what I've seen and heard, is ugly and hard and frustrating and painful...but if you're really meant for it, it's unavoidable, it's an addiction, it's a release.
One of my favorite quotes about writing (apparently said by Walter Wellesly "Red" Smith, whoever he may be) puts it better I can:
"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."
And that's what I'm looking forward to in just one week. Opening a vein, letting loose the flood that's been building up over the past month of heavy-duty story planning. This week will be lots of psyching up, stoking my excitement until I'm up at 3 AM Sunday night, typing away like a madwoman.
*grin*
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
I Love It When These Things Match My Life...
This week's horoscope from Free Will Astrology:
How well have you been attending to 2010's major themes, Gemini? Since we're midway through the year, let's do a check-in. I hope that by now you are at least 15 percent sturdier, stronger, and braver than you've ever been in your entire life, and at least 20 percent better organized and disciplined. I hope that you have outgrown one of your amateur approaches and claimed a new professional privilege. Now write the following questions on a slip of paper that you will leave taped to your mirror for the next six months. "1. How can I get closer to making my job and my vocation be the same thing? 2. What am I doing to become an even more robust and confident version of myself?"
Let's see:
[o] sturdier--check
[o] stronger--check
[o] braver--check
[o] better organized--check
[o] better disciplined--check
[o] outgrown one amateur approach--hmm...not sure about that one...
[o] claimed new professional privilege--I POUR COFFEE GOOD!
I was going to add little notes after each "check," but all but the last two ended up being one thing: out of necessity. Not only necessity because of the move, but necessity causing the move. If I hadn't been strong, brave, or well organized, I would not be doing as well as I am; I would still be working barely part-time, half-assing my education, not doing anything real with my life, and not trying out of fear.
I am indeed going to write those questions on a slip of paper, although they'll be going on my computer monitor instead of my mirror, as (a) I look at the former more often, and (b) the latter is shared with the house and it'd be...odd. They are good questions, and I think they'll help me focus on Diplomatic Solutions and my art, as well as being a good worker at Starbucks. :)
How well have you been attending to 2010's major themes, Gemini? Since we're midway through the year, let's do a check-in. I hope that by now you are at least 15 percent sturdier, stronger, and braver than you've ever been in your entire life, and at least 20 percent better organized and disciplined. I hope that you have outgrown one of your amateur approaches and claimed a new professional privilege. Now write the following questions on a slip of paper that you will leave taped to your mirror for the next six months. "1. How can I get closer to making my job and my vocation be the same thing? 2. What am I doing to become an even more robust and confident version of myself?"
Let's see:
[o] sturdier--check
[o] stronger--check
[o] braver--check
[o] better organized--check
[o] better disciplined--check
[o] outgrown one amateur approach--hmm...not sure about that one...
[o] claimed new professional privilege--I POUR COFFEE GOOD!
I was going to add little notes after each "check," but all but the last two ended up being one thing: out of necessity. Not only necessity because of the move, but necessity causing the move. If I hadn't been strong, brave, or well organized, I would not be doing as well as I am; I would still be working barely part-time, half-assing my education, not doing anything real with my life, and not trying out of fear.
I am indeed going to write those questions on a slip of paper, although they'll be going on my computer monitor instead of my mirror, as (a) I look at the former more often, and (b) the latter is shared with the house and it'd be...odd. They are good questions, and I think they'll help me focus on Diplomatic Solutions and my art, as well as being a good worker at Starbucks. :)
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Call Me Lover. Change-Lover.
The following is this week's horoscope from Free Will Astrology, the site the features Pronoia (the belief that the world is conspiring to shower you with blessings) and eerily accurate horoscopes:
Congrats, Gemini! You have not only weathered your recent phase of relentless novelty; you've thrived on the adjustments it demanded of you. I am hereby awarding you with the rare and prestigious title of Change-Lover, which I only bestow upon one of the signs of the zodiac every four years or so. So what's next on the schedule? The shock of the new will soon subside, giving you a chance to more fully integrate the fresh approaches you've been adopting. I suggest you relax your hyper-vigilance and slip into a slower, smoother, more reflective groove.
Well, this certainly feels true! It was one month yesterday that we arrived in Indiana, with only two cars and a trailer full of stuff. Relentless novelty is a perfect phrase for the past month--so perfect I feel the need to bold it. Everywhere I've looked, there's been a new store, a new restaurant, a new bird, a new habit, a new phrase, a new way of saying or doing things. And I have thrived on it, especially with the new environment of Starbucks.
I know I've been obsessively updating with every little thing about my new job, but I can't help it. I feel more competent and useful than I have in a long time. I wasn't bad at my job at Curves, this is evident from the card the members all signed for me, the presents they gave me before I left, the love and support they gave me. But I could have done more, and I will always regret the way I worked there--hiding in a corner, not striving to shine. I was always afraid of not being able to keep up a conversation, or relate enough with a member, or be motivating enough.
At Starbucks, all my tasks are concrete--pouring, pushing, pulling, mixing, washing, sweeping, mopping, moving. The only abstract element of the job is the attitude, and it's easy enough for me to be upbeat and bubbly, even if I don't feel it 100%. It is immediately evident if I'm doing something wrong, or if I need some improvement. That, along with the fantastic feedback from my superiors and co-workers, leads to feeling like I'm learning and improving, and not just getting by. Thriving, even.
My point is, if this horoscope speaks the truth, then I need to work at slipping into a "slower, smoother, more reflective groove." And not only do I feel that it speaks the truth, I feel like it screams it. Getting into that groove should be easier now than two weeks ago, as I'm getting a paycheck next week that will take off a lot of the stress I've been holding, and I'm feeling more comfortable and confident at my job.
For today, I have done the grocery shopping, and now I plan on grabbing my camera and going back out, to search for picture opportunities. I'll try to be slower, smoother, and reflective as I click away.
Congrats, Gemini! You have not only weathered your recent phase of relentless novelty; you've thrived on the adjustments it demanded of you. I am hereby awarding you with the rare and prestigious title of Change-Lover, which I only bestow upon one of the signs of the zodiac every four years or so. So what's next on the schedule? The shock of the new will soon subside, giving you a chance to more fully integrate the fresh approaches you've been adopting. I suggest you relax your hyper-vigilance and slip into a slower, smoother, more reflective groove.
Well, this certainly feels true! It was one month yesterday that we arrived in Indiana, with only two cars and a trailer full of stuff. Relentless novelty is a perfect phrase for the past month--so perfect I feel the need to bold it. Everywhere I've looked, there's been a new store, a new restaurant, a new bird, a new habit, a new phrase, a new way of saying or doing things. And I have thrived on it, especially with the new environment of Starbucks.
I know I've been obsessively updating with every little thing about my new job, but I can't help it. I feel more competent and useful than I have in a long time. I wasn't bad at my job at Curves, this is evident from the card the members all signed for me, the presents they gave me before I left, the love and support they gave me. But I could have done more, and I will always regret the way I worked there--hiding in a corner, not striving to shine. I was always afraid of not being able to keep up a conversation, or relate enough with a member, or be motivating enough.
At Starbucks, all my tasks are concrete--pouring, pushing, pulling, mixing, washing, sweeping, mopping, moving. The only abstract element of the job is the attitude, and it's easy enough for me to be upbeat and bubbly, even if I don't feel it 100%. It is immediately evident if I'm doing something wrong, or if I need some improvement. That, along with the fantastic feedback from my superiors and co-workers, leads to feeling like I'm learning and improving, and not just getting by. Thriving, even.
My point is, if this horoscope speaks the truth, then I need to work at slipping into a "slower, smoother, more reflective groove." And not only do I feel that it speaks the truth, I feel like it screams it. Getting into that groove should be easier now than two weeks ago, as I'm getting a paycheck next week that will take off a lot of the stress I've been holding, and I'm feeling more comfortable and confident at my job.
For today, I have done the grocery shopping, and now I plan on grabbing my camera and going back out, to search for picture opportunities. I'll try to be slower, smoother, and reflective as I click away.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Achtung!
Again with the freaky horoscope.
This is what Free Will Astrology gave to Geminis for this week:
During this phase of your cycle, you'll generate good fortune if you brainstorm and meditate about your relationship with work. I urge you to empty your mind of everything you think you know about the subject. Adopt a fresh and innocent perspective. Here are some questions to prime your investigations. 1. What's the quality of the experience you want to have as you earn a living? 2. What gifts do you want to give to life as you toil at challenging tasks that are interesting to you? 3. What capacities do you want to develop in yourself while doing your work? (P.S. For your Halloween costume, why not pretend you're doing your dream job?)
...BUH.
The biggest Identity Crisis I've been dealing with lately is figuring out What The Furk I Want To Do. Just today I was thinking about it. For a friend's Halloween party this past weekend, I was tempted to dress up as a Marketing Executive, so that last line is especially Buh-Worthy. I read that and pointed a finger at the screen, all "Oh, I see what you're doing there, and it is NOT COOL."
The thing is, I love Marketing. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was an Accounting major when I took a Principles of Marketing class, and just fell head over heels for it. True, I was already falling out of love with Accounting, and, yeah, maybe I was looking for a way out, keeping my eyes open, and yeah, maybe I could have been clearer about what I wanted out of the relationship from the beginning, but that's not what this is about, so let's not get into the past, okay?
The point is, from my first day of Marketing, I was hooked. The analysis, the creativity, the strategy, my GOD it was exhilarating. Principles of Management was also a favorite class, for basically the same reason: all the reasoning behind all the decisions. The psychology, the emotional intelligence, the behavior analysis, etc etc. Finally, Advertising, which was analyzing existing commercials and campaigns and making up our own. Those homework assignments were some of my favorites in my entire school career, from kindergarten till now, and I could that from now till I was 500 years old.
(Doesn't hurt that all three classes were taught by the same teacher, who could make Tax Accounting interesting, I'm quite sure.)
But all my other business classes made me twitch. The classes on economics, the legal sides of things (torts, libel, etc), business basics, etc. And Sales may have been the worst class experience of my life, if only because the idea of being a sales person makes me nauseous with terror.
I am not a salesperson. I am not a leader. I am not a manager. What I love about Marketing is not the sales, the manipulation, the idea of being better than the other team. I love the analysis, the strategy, the psychology behind it all--I love the creativity. If I could just analyze commercials or campaigns for the rest of my life and be paid for it, that would be hunky fucking dory. Seriously.
But being a team member in an agency where it's Pressure and Crunch Time and Stress and Throwing Together A Campaign Fix At The Eleventh Hour? Count me out. Please. I'll ruin your carpet.
So there's that.
As I had mentioned in another previous post, I'm a writer. Except I hate to say that. Because I don't write...not nearly as much as I want to, need to. When the feeling hits me, when I get in the groove, when the celestial beings get together in a conga line, I can write for hours, and well.
When the juice isn't flowing, when the celestial beings have had too much to drink and couldn't stand up let alone conga, nothing comes out. And then it's work. Hard, horrible, frustrating, debilitating work that I just can't force myself to do. I'll gaze at the page, I'll pull my hair, I'll stare into space, waiting for SOMETHING. ANYTHING. PLEASE.
I would love to be a writer, the way I see it in my mind. Working at home, tapping away for hours in an office. No, not the Perfect Life, a mansion earned with my best sellers, only working eight hours a week and doing cross-country book tours. Just a small room, messy but well-lit, with a computer, being able to sit or sprawl or whatever and work out the stories in my head. Maybe go down to the local coffee place for a change of scenery. Not rich from it, by any means, but Doing Well Enough, thank you very much.
Except I hit these blocks, and they stop my in my tracks, and it takes me months to recover. And I can't discipline myself to save my own life, can't say "Okay, x time on x day every week, I go to this spot, and I write, and I don't care what comes out, but by god, something will be written." I suck at it.
I don't have the flow, and I don't have the will power.
So there's that.
As I have mentioned in no previous posts, I love to edit. This stems from the same sapling as my love for writing, but was realized because of my boyfriend, Ryan. He finished up his Bachelors in Psychology in December 2008, and let me tell you, he's brilliant at Psychology. He is both articulate and passionate when it comes to this subject.
However, he's not the greatest when it comes to English. His grammar and spelling can leave something to be desired, and that's where I stepped in for the last year of his degree. After he slammed out another research paper--and, in case you didn't know, Psychology students write A LOT OF FUCKING RESEARCH PAPERS--I would lovingly attack it with a red pen, marking up the errors and inconsistencies. I ate it up, I would hand him back the first draft and eagerly await the second draft, or the next paper that was due.
That Halloween party I went to? I ended up going as a Grammar Nazi. Suit, red arm band with a "G" on it, ruler, red pens, copy of Strunk & White in my pocket. There you go.
This past spring, I got a little more serious about this fairly-newfound love for editing, and looked into what might happen so I could earn a living doing it. From what I found, it seemed there are two avenues for such a thing: find a job at a publishing house, or freelance. The second option brought to mind the same image as being a writer--namely, that of being able to work from home, doing what I loved from the place I love.
Except there's one thing freelancers lack: structure. There is no office, there is no time clock, there is no payroll department, there is no manager to give you work to do. There is just you, and your talent, and your willingness to promote yourself up the wazoo. If Real Estate is about location, location, location, then freelancing is about promotion, promotion, promotion.
Here's the part where you scroll back up and read about what I am not: a salesperson. I couldn't sell someone else's products, how am I supposed to sell my own? When it's not even tangible and all anyone has is my word that I don't suck?
So there's that.
Marketing. Writing. Editing. Three areas that make me happy, that I could do for days on end and be quite content. Three areas that have a list of cons just as long, if not longer, than the pros.
Reading that horoscope was like receiving a slap in the face. I know that all I've just written doesn't exactly address the horoscope. What all these many paragraphs are is background to what's going on in my head before I even start thinking about those three questions:
1. What is the quality of experience I want to have as I earn a living?
2. What gifts do I want to give to life as I toil at challenging tasks that are interesting to me?
3. What capacities do I want to develop in myself while doing my work?
I'll get back to you.
This is what Free Will Astrology gave to Geminis for this week:
During this phase of your cycle, you'll generate good fortune if you brainstorm and meditate about your relationship with work. I urge you to empty your mind of everything you think you know about the subject. Adopt a fresh and innocent perspective. Here are some questions to prime your investigations. 1. What's the quality of the experience you want to have as you earn a living? 2. What gifts do you want to give to life as you toil at challenging tasks that are interesting to you? 3. What capacities do you want to develop in yourself while doing your work? (P.S. For your Halloween costume, why not pretend you're doing your dream job?)
...BUH.
The biggest Identity Crisis I've been dealing with lately is figuring out What The Furk I Want To Do. Just today I was thinking about it. For a friend's Halloween party this past weekend, I was tempted to dress up as a Marketing Executive, so that last line is especially Buh-Worthy. I read that and pointed a finger at the screen, all "Oh, I see what you're doing there, and it is NOT COOL."
The thing is, I love Marketing. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was an Accounting major when I took a Principles of Marketing class, and just fell head over heels for it. True, I was already falling out of love with Accounting, and, yeah, maybe I was looking for a way out, keeping my eyes open, and yeah, maybe I could have been clearer about what I wanted out of the relationship from the beginning, but that's not what this is about, so let's not get into the past, okay?
The point is, from my first day of Marketing, I was hooked. The analysis, the creativity, the strategy, my GOD it was exhilarating. Principles of Management was also a favorite class, for basically the same reason: all the reasoning behind all the decisions. The psychology, the emotional intelligence, the behavior analysis, etc etc. Finally, Advertising, which was analyzing existing commercials and campaigns and making up our own. Those homework assignments were some of my favorites in my entire school career, from kindergarten till now, and I could that from now till I was 500 years old.
(Doesn't hurt that all three classes were taught by the same teacher, who could make Tax Accounting interesting, I'm quite sure.)
But all my other business classes made me twitch. The classes on economics, the legal sides of things (torts, libel, etc), business basics, etc. And Sales may have been the worst class experience of my life, if only because the idea of being a sales person makes me nauseous with terror.
I am not a salesperson. I am not a leader. I am not a manager. What I love about Marketing is not the sales, the manipulation, the idea of being better than the other team. I love the analysis, the strategy, the psychology behind it all--I love the creativity. If I could just analyze commercials or campaigns for the rest of my life and be paid for it, that would be hunky fucking dory. Seriously.
But being a team member in an agency where it's Pressure and Crunch Time and Stress and Throwing Together A Campaign Fix At The Eleventh Hour? Count me out. Please. I'll ruin your carpet.
So there's that.
As I had mentioned in another previous post, I'm a writer. Except I hate to say that. Because I don't write...not nearly as much as I want to, need to. When the feeling hits me, when I get in the groove, when the celestial beings get together in a conga line, I can write for hours, and well.
When the juice isn't flowing, when the celestial beings have had too much to drink and couldn't stand up let alone conga, nothing comes out. And then it's work. Hard, horrible, frustrating, debilitating work that I just can't force myself to do. I'll gaze at the page, I'll pull my hair, I'll stare into space, waiting for SOMETHING. ANYTHING. PLEASE.
I would love to be a writer, the way I see it in my mind. Working at home, tapping away for hours in an office. No, not the Perfect Life, a mansion earned with my best sellers, only working eight hours a week and doing cross-country book tours. Just a small room, messy but well-lit, with a computer, being able to sit or sprawl or whatever and work out the stories in my head. Maybe go down to the local coffee place for a change of scenery. Not rich from it, by any means, but Doing Well Enough, thank you very much.
Except I hit these blocks, and they stop my in my tracks, and it takes me months to recover. And I can't discipline myself to save my own life, can't say "Okay, x time on x day every week, I go to this spot, and I write, and I don't care what comes out, but by god, something will be written." I suck at it.
I don't have the flow, and I don't have the will power.
So there's that.
As I have mentioned in no previous posts, I love to edit. This stems from the same sapling as my love for writing, but was realized because of my boyfriend, Ryan. He finished up his Bachelors in Psychology in December 2008, and let me tell you, he's brilliant at Psychology. He is both articulate and passionate when it comes to this subject.
However, he's not the greatest when it comes to English. His grammar and spelling can leave something to be desired, and that's where I stepped in for the last year of his degree. After he slammed out another research paper--and, in case you didn't know, Psychology students write A LOT OF FUCKING RESEARCH PAPERS--I would lovingly attack it with a red pen, marking up the errors and inconsistencies. I ate it up, I would hand him back the first draft and eagerly await the second draft, or the next paper that was due.
That Halloween party I went to? I ended up going as a Grammar Nazi. Suit, red arm band with a "G" on it, ruler, red pens, copy of Strunk & White in my pocket. There you go.
This past spring, I got a little more serious about this fairly-newfound love for editing, and looked into what might happen so I could earn a living doing it. From what I found, it seemed there are two avenues for such a thing: find a job at a publishing house, or freelance. The second option brought to mind the same image as being a writer--namely, that of being able to work from home, doing what I loved from the place I love.
Except there's one thing freelancers lack: structure. There is no office, there is no time clock, there is no payroll department, there is no manager to give you work to do. There is just you, and your talent, and your willingness to promote yourself up the wazoo. If Real Estate is about location, location, location, then freelancing is about promotion, promotion, promotion.
Here's the part where you scroll back up and read about what I am not: a salesperson. I couldn't sell someone else's products, how am I supposed to sell my own? When it's not even tangible and all anyone has is my word that I don't suck?
So there's that.
Marketing. Writing. Editing. Three areas that make me happy, that I could do for days on end and be quite content. Three areas that have a list of cons just as long, if not longer, than the pros.
Reading that horoscope was like receiving a slap in the face. I know that all I've just written doesn't exactly address the horoscope. What all these many paragraphs are is background to what's going on in my head before I even start thinking about those three questions:
1. What is the quality of experience I want to have as I earn a living?
2. What gifts do I want to give to life as I toil at challenging tasks that are interesting to me?
3. What capacities do I want to develop in myself while doing my work?
I'll get back to you.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Good ol' Seth.
As a response to this post about emotions and refusing to hide the mega-crush I have on my boyfriend, my father sent me this quote (underlines original, bolding mine):
Dogmas or systems of thought that tell you to rise above your emotions can be misleading -- even, in your terms, somewhat dangerous. Such theories are based upon the concept that there is something innately disruptive, base, or wrong in man’s emotional nature, while the soul is always depicted as being calm, perfect, passive and unfeeling. Only the most lofty, blissful awareness is allowed. Yet the soul is above all a fountain of energy, creativity, and action that shows its characteristics in life precisely through the ever-changing emotions. Trusted, your feelings will lead you to psychological and spiritual states of mystic understanding, calm, and peacefulness. Followed, your emotions will lead you to deep understandings...
(Quote from one of the Conversations with Seth books. Dad's a big fan.)
[UPDATE: Thursday, October 22, ~7 PM.]
Another response, another e-mail from my Dad. This is a horoscope for this week.
"He who loves 50 people has 50 woes," said Buddha. "He who loves no one has no woes." Even if you agree with this sour observation, I urge you to override the warning it implies. Now, more than ever, you can and should attract rich benefits into your life by expanding the frontiers of your empathy -- even if it means you will feel the hurts of others more deeply. And what exactly are those rich benefits? Here's one: Getting close-up views of the ways people suffer will help you avoid suffering like that yourself in the future.
(Link.)
Dad sends me this site's horoscopes from time to time, and they're always as FREAKILY RELEVANT as this one. Maybe I should start subscribing, so I'll know what I'll be thinking ahead of time...
Dogmas or systems of thought that tell you to rise above your emotions can be misleading -- even, in your terms, somewhat dangerous. Such theories are based upon the concept that there is something innately disruptive, base, or wrong in man’s emotional nature, while the soul is always depicted as being calm, perfect, passive and unfeeling. Only the most lofty, blissful awareness is allowed. Yet the soul is above all a fountain of energy, creativity, and action that shows its characteristics in life precisely through the ever-changing emotions. Trusted, your feelings will lead you to psychological and spiritual states of mystic understanding, calm, and peacefulness. Followed, your emotions will lead you to deep understandings...
(Quote from one of the Conversations with Seth books. Dad's a big fan.)
[UPDATE: Thursday, October 22, ~7 PM.]
Another response, another e-mail from my Dad. This is a horoscope for this week.
"He who loves 50 people has 50 woes," said Buddha. "He who loves no one has no woes." Even if you agree with this sour observation, I urge you to override the warning it implies. Now, more than ever, you can and should attract rich benefits into your life by expanding the frontiers of your empathy -- even if it means you will feel the hurts of others more deeply. And what exactly are those rich benefits? Here's one: Getting close-up views of the ways people suffer will help you avoid suffering like that yourself in the future.
(Link.)
Dad sends me this site's horoscopes from time to time, and they're always as FREAKILY RELEVANT as this one. Maybe I should start subscribing, so I'll know what I'll be thinking ahead of time...
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