Because it’s Friday AGAIN. And because traditions are important. In which I cover the good stuff and the hard stuff in my week, trying for the non-preachy, non-annoying side of self-reflection.
And you get to join in if you feel like it.
It was an odd little week. Don’t really know what to think of it yet.
So I’m going to go bake challah now.
On with the week.
The hard stuff
Eating frogs.
Who is that horrible, horrible ruin-er of my week author who came up with the idea of frog eating — the worst metaphor in the history of the world for getting stuff done?
Oh right, it’s Brian Tracy. Thanks Google.
Worse, it turns out that original seed of the idea came (completely accidentally, of course) from Mark Twain, who, upon finding out that he is now being used as an example for anything by — of all people — productivity experts decided to roll over in his grave and then vomit and then haunt the living daylights out of all of us.
But I digress.
I had a bunch of things to do this week that I really, really didn’t want to do.
Thinking about them as frogs made it worse. Thinking about them as frogs that needed to be eaten made it totally way especially worse.
It was gross and slimy and horrible. I don’t want to talk about it. Out, damned metaphor.
Massage.
I know it’s good for me, but ayiiiiiiiiiiiii.
The next day everything hurts more and it was really warm this week and I had to wear long sleeves to not scare people with all the bruises.
System changes in my business… always weird and hard.
My head hurts now too. Ow.
Guilt. Obligations.
See: frogs.
Alright. Good stuff?
The good stuff
Derby!
Even though my dear girls (Guns ‘n Rollers!) lost to the Heartless Heathers, they were still extremely bad-ass. They played hard, skated mean, and I love them.
Okay, fine. I love the Heathers too. But argh.
Bonus: I didn’t lose my voice and I didn’t get in any fights.
Also, I left Selma at home because she doesn’t like crowds. Which is too bad because duck derby would be the most awesome thing in the entire world.
I saw the most amazing film.
It’s called The Fall. And it blew my mind. To be honest, I was kind of expecting to hate it because my brother recommended it, so I was fully prepared for it to be boring and pretentious and arty and annoying.
Because I’m the worst sister in the world.
But it was incredible. And inspiring. And beautiful. You should see it.
Spring = Happy.
As if the lilacs and tulips weren’t reason enough to be frolicking around without a care in the world, it gets even better because everyone in Portland is all happy and frolicking too.
Also, my gentleman friend made me take Monday off and we went for a four hour walk in the sun, which we probably haven’t done since the last time we were in Berlin. No, that was a completely euphemism-free sentence, if you’re wondering.
Frogs?
As much as I hated some of the things I had uh … on my plate this week, we did get crazy amounts of stuff done this week.
Including – finally – putting up the new Events page and taking care of a bunch of other super important things like getting my airplane tickets to Taos and setting up a bunch of things that have been driving me crazy.
And … STUISMS of the week.
Stu is my paranoid McCarthy-ist voice-to-text software who delights in torturing me misunderstanding me. I can’t stand him.
Anyway, some of the gems from this week, including the occasional acetyl accidental Freudian slip.
- “I may have 2×2 of them” instead of I may have to buy two of them.
- “It’s remarkable that Seth Godin sends hats” instead of It’s remarkable, in the Seth Godin sense that…
- “making any decisions are ominous” instead of making decisions on this.
- “being a novice like that” instead of weren’t being goddess-like.
- “for your Church” instead of for your hurt (nice capitalizing, Stu).
- “These Gen-Xers are so here” instead of these insights are so huge.
Announcements!
- The Fluent Self Archives (for those of you who like to spend a quiet afternoon reading old posts) have moved. Not in the top navigation anymore.
- There is a big, happy blue starburst-ey sort of image in the sidebar right under the “free stuff” bit. It says Archives! That’s where they are.
- There is now an Events page thing (you can also find it in the navigation links at the top of any page on the website) where you can find out what I’m teaching when. (This includes both live events and online courses.) Yay.
- Speaking of which, if you are thinking about maybe signing up for the Stuff Havi Thinks You Should Know (about how to get really, really great testimonials and referrals) class, do it. This is the most affordable it’s ever going to be.*
*And if you don’t know the answers to the two questions that give you $100 off the course tuition, they’re actually in today’s post.
That’s it for me …
And yes yes yes, of course you can join in my Friday ritual right here in the comments bit if you feel like it.
Yeah? Anything hard and/or good happen in your week?
And, as always, have a glorrrrrrrrrrrrious weekend. And a happy week to come.
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I loved the Fall – it was at an art house film place in Corvallis last year. It is visually the most spectacular film I ever saw. It brings childlike imagination to the next level. But of course, those who don’t like that kind of dreaming won’t like it.
If you like that sort of dreamlike state, I’d also recommend Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria. Not the video of the show, but the actual movie with plot. 1998? Staring Julie Cox. I’ve seen it like 10 times and it always brings passion to me.
Matthew | Polaris Risings last blog post..The story of the cat who did things differently
Havi,
Your euphemism-free (I had to go back three times to spell that right!) sentence made me smile … it is so rare to get double enjoyment out of a sentence on a couple levels! At first, I just thought, oh, how nice! Then, I just laughed. Loud and guffaw-y because your joke was awesome and unexpected!
Smiles, Sarah
WriterSarahs last blog post..Applause! Applause!
The Portland weather was beautiful, wasn’t it? Though I’m not minding the return to cooler. It feels more like spring. And I’m sure Seth Godin would totally send you a hat.
Bad: This week the excavator arrived in what was until recently my back yard; we sold it. Yesterday they cut down all the trees and our front hedge, including the tree we got married under. It’s the right thing to do–it opens up our house for all kinds of possibiities, and, of course, they had to cut the trees to build the house–but before I got sick 10 years ago, that was my garden. I haven’t been able to garden on that scale since. It just makes me really sad. I’ll feel better when there’s actually a house going up, not the wrecked remains of my garden.
Good: I’m back on my writing schedule more or less. About 2/3rds of the way through book 3, and when I finish I can get on to the edits/rewrite of book 1.
Frogs, eww. I never understood the appeal of that metaphor.
This has been a week of ups and downs for me.
Hard:
– I got a scary letter from a certain governmental agency that shall remain nameless but has the initials IRS. It’s more about my ex than me, but it’s still scary and upsetting. All those horrible feelings of helplessness and vulnerability that I thought I’d left behind after the divorce are all back, with a vengeance. After I got the letter I couldn’t paint.
Good:
– Got a lot of good painting done this week (until I got the scary letter).
– Prodded by the universe (in the form of some artist think-tank buddies and one Johnny B Truant) I finally signed up for a grown-up HTML email newsletter service. My newsletter is all pretty and arty now. I’m so proud of myself. I resisted this for a LONG time!
– My gentleman friend (love that phrase!) is giving me much-needed emotional support. He’s the best.
Barbara J Carters last blog post..The World’s Biggest Artist Colony
I had an awesome week, except that I kinda missed my kids. I got spoiled having them for nine days straight over spring break. It wasn’t a lot of fun to return to the shuffling to and fro that happens so much during a normal school week, but at least I got an infinity more done than I did during vacation. Have a glorious weekend yourself, Havi.
Writer Dads last blog post..Serial and Milk: Available Darkness – Chapter 1
Wow, the frogs metaphor causes one heck of a visceral reaction. I far prefer to think about those unpleasant tasks as dirty dishes. It makes them seem less vile and more every day.
Hard: Trying to work while my life is in turmoil and I’m packing all of my stuff into storage.
Good: Getting really excited about my upcoming trip, and wonderful times hanging out with my wife.
kballs last blog post..Bring me that horizon
Hooray for getting your stuff done! That’s pretty awesome, really.
The Hard: Got some ego-bruising feedback this week that I had been pretty sure was coming, and ended up being not only ego-bruising but just really baffling in a “wtf do I do about this?” sense. Have asked relevant third party for advice on aforementioned wtf.
Head wave earlier in the week melted my brains and slowed everything to a crawl.
Skipped painting due do aforementioned heat. Need (and want!) to paint this weekend.
Trying to finish up and launch a client project with very little help from the client, who seems to have gotten a Crackberry and forgotten how to think about email. Grah.
Feeling a bit like my dreams are not only awfully common, but involve the impossible questions everyone else is already asking.
The Good: Got a ton of stuff done despite the heat. Have been working in my golden times and guiltlessly taking the less-golden times off, which increases the overall productivity because I’m less tempted to goof off during the hours of productivity.
Done some of my marketing like a good girl, and reached out to some people I was nervous about talking to.
Treated myself to a bottle of honey bourbon that is just tasty and luscious and a very me-ish sort of drink. Given my drinking habits, this should be a treat that lasts for about a year, haha.
Edited two more chapters. Four to go before the Revised Draft can go off to my guinea pigs! Had lots of feline cuddles while this was happening, which is really the best of all.
And tonight, Arkham Horror! *g*
Amy Crooks last blog post..TV is Someone’s Dream, Too
Havi, hooray for your new Events page, and all the luscious goodies on it! I’m so looking forward to your classes.
And yay for all that you’ve managed to accomplish this week, Stu notwithstanding.
Hard this week:
Feeling tired, needing rest.
Good this week:
The weather. Sunny, warm, utterly gorgeous. Opens my heart wide to look across all that clear blue water to an even bluer sky. 🙂
I’m writing again! Two blog posts. A newsletter. The manuscript of my new book.
Lots of lovely, appreciative emails from my newsletter loves.
Almost-finished preview of my new website from the amazing Richard Miller. 🙂
Thanks so much for all the ways in which the Good leans on your support . . .
Love, Hiro
Hiro Bogas last blog post..Grace Descending
@Hiro – Yay! You’re writing again! Love to you my dear.
@Amy & @MeiLin – wow, quite a week. And you both got writing done too. I don’t know what’s going on, but there must be something in the air. 🙂
@kball – thanks for the dirty dishes thing! I’m teaching a class on metaphors this weekend, so it will be a good opportunity for me to invent a new one.
@Writer Dad – Sounds like things are pretty good. Thanks for the sweet wishes!
@Matthew – thanks for the recommendation, will take a look!
@Barbara – That’s great about the painting. Sorry you had so much hard with the institution that shall not be named. That’s really scary and not fun.
I love it when you guys do the chicken with me. So great.
Ugh, the image of all those frogs on your plate…
For me, this week, the hard:
– Overwhelming overload. Lots and lots and lots to get done before I take off for my cousin’s wedding next weekend, and I’ve not been able to make as big of a dent in the list as I had hoped. That means another rough week ahead.
– This snow on Wednesday, 82° Friday weather has given me the world’s worst sinus headache. Not that I don’t love 82°. Because I do.
The good:
– Other than the headache, this is a perfect day, and the work I’m working on today allows me to get out of the confines of the office and enjoy some of it.
– I *am* making progress on my list, even if it’s not as quickly as I would like.
– I broke down and hired a lawn service, and I don’t feel too guilty about it if I think of it as doing my part to keep lawnpeople employed.
Lori Paximadiss last blog post..quick & dirty art
Ugh, I hate the frog metaphor, too. With a firey burning passion. Ugh, ugh.
My week was mixed. We’re working really super hard on a project that’s currently a secret, so we don’t even have anyone other than each other to talk to about it, which makes it harder. So we worked really hard.
And our kiddo was sick. We think he might be allergic to our new house, so we’ve shipped him off to Dallas to stay with my mom and brother long enough to get better and see if it sticks; he’s had a recurring cold for most of the year. Hopefully, it’ll be an easy fix, but a sick kid is one of the scariest things in the world.
Our kitten found our altar and almost destroyed a sacred feather, but we implemented a hilarious and effective solution (a harmless can of compressed air coupled with a motion detector), so he’s likely to stay off it now. And I rescued the feather before it was trashed, bonus!
I’ve been feeling crappy and I think my hormones are out of wack. I spent days searching for a doctor we can afford, gave up, then found one. (Isn’t that the way it works?!) It’s been making me grouchy and foggy-brained, which is no good when you’re working hard toward the launch of a Big New Thing. d:
And I just found out my grandparents’ home is about to be demolished. I grew up in that house; I can’t believe it’s about to be gone. My heart hurts from it. I can’t stop thinking about it. Urgh.
But since my boy was sick, he also slept a lot, and I got mad amounts of stuff done this week! I got caught up in a lot of places I’d let slip because of a lack of time. I made some hard – but very good – decisions and made time to implement them. I’m planning out a huge, 13-day ritual of release and forward motion. We’re having dinner with my formerly accidentally estranged sister after we reconnected and hit it off and wondered why we’d gone so long without talking. And I’m planning a huge Beltane surprise for Pace, which is fun to do and will be fun to experience.
Gah. Apparently, I really fucking needed a chicken this week. Thank you. <3
Kyelis last blog post..Getting Things Done + witchcraft = this blog post
Hola chickeners! Tis Saturday in Leonie-land so that is wooop-wooooooop in my books 😀
Boo:
I’m going through, clearing out and healing some big stucknesses about a big big project of mine. Blark, but good, but Blark!
Yay:
I have one of my besties and her husby living with us at the moment. And I’ve kinda remembered just how much I love living with a bajillion people. It’s friendly and happy 🙂
Goddess Leonie | GoddessGuidebook.coms last blog post..Ask Goddess Leonie: How to create your own website for your big dream
Havi,
I just discovered you a week or so ago thanks to Chris at The Art of Nonconformity. I’m still working through your archives, but I wanted to tell you how much I’m enjoying your amazing knack for teaching and and your gift for sharing your life in vivid ways. Keep it up!
PS: And I’m going to adopt this Friday ritual too.
Daniels last blog post..CK Food Links–Friday April 24, 2009
Hi:
So much good this week – the biggest good is that my son is better and back in Maryland!!!! The biggest sense of gratitude that I’ve ever known other than giving birth to these two boys of mind. Seriously, I’m so so glad that he’s better – everything else pales in comparison.
Also good was noticing alot of stories in my head about relationships with others that are coloring my vision with others. Releasing those stories by sharing them with relevant people and clearing baggage out of my system by the tons. Feels great.
Other good was releasing my deadlines for my business and getting more done spontaneously than I’d ever imagined. Also, my computer guy is starting to take control over his life and is coming through for me in surprisingly wonderful ways with great excel worksheets for my ebook.
More good is that I’m partaking in Jen Louden’s retreat tomorrow and have actually decided that beginning last Thursday, I would not make any commitments to anyone other than myself and doing whatever feels good in the moment.
Tonight, I decided to extend my retreat to Tuesday of next week. Yeah.
The hard is just cleaning my house after getting rid of my very contagious son – and I’d like it cleaned and decluttered like yesterday. But, I’m taking it a step at a time – just hard when everywhere I look, I see stuff that needs to be put away, furniture that needs to be seriously disinfected with this enzyme-whatever I got instead of disinfectant that is supposed to do the job (but there’s a learning curve there and I hate learning curves on cleaning things!)
Also my health insurance company is a huge pain in the but and processing my claims wrong on a consistent basis which is a huge exercise in compassion and patience with the stupid system that kicks things out that should be properly processed. Argh.
But that hard is such a small small hard compared to how overjoyed I am that my son is okay that it’s almost not worth mentioning.
Have a great week.
That eating frogs metaphor is horrible. And surely just adds to the resistance about doing things. It has been a week when I probably should have eaten some though (unfortunately there are some I can’t not do or leave until I feel ready for them, much as I’d like to).
The good – yay I have a job again.
The bad – Lots of change coming up due to the job and finding somewhere to live, so all a bit unsettling in the short term. I still procrastinate way too much.
I love the “making decisions are ominous”. That would definitely be a Freudian slip for me.
Hope next week has less frogs.
Ewww… I’ll stick with ‘big rocks’, thanks.
Why the hell would you have to eat a frog every day, anyway?
The Bad: had a major, major blow up with someone over the internet. Don’t even know the guy. It’s not a good thing to dread your inbox.
Had no focus as a result and didn’t do much drawing.
The Good: My printer can get me more books after all! My itty biz is selling books, so not having the books is, uh, bad.
I’m doing the chicken! Yay! It’s, uh, weird. Hi guys.
Willie Hewess last blog post..Leek and Sushi not currently in stock
The not so good – started the week off by killing the printer/fax/scanner gizmo in our office simply by changing the ink cartridge. Am still without a working fax, but a new one should arrive in the next couple of days. Then the next day, a gizmo we use to do on the spot blood tests freaked out. ARGH – damn technology. Got that resolved finally thanks to a really terrific guy in technical support.
The good – stood up to my boss when he proposed doing my annual review via video conferencing in a non-private office. WTF? I politely but firmly sent an email (and BCC: the department chair) that the performance review process should be private. He is in another part of the country doing a crazy endurance event all summer (all play, no work BTW) while I’m stuck covering things for very little additional compensation.
Next week starts off with a 2 hour meeting on Monday morning with committee investigating my boss. I’ve heard from the department chair that it will be uncomfortable. BIG SLIMY FROGS! Pray for me as I have a lot of fear of retaliation for just being honest.
I LOVE massages! I would lie on a massage table daily if possible especially when she does head/scalp and hands.
Bruising sounds very unbliss-like.
Our lilacs aren’t for 2 more weeks, but our New England weather has been sparkling and beautiful and I live for the green coming back onto our land. Spring makes winter sooo worth it.
cannot even speak about the frogs- ever see that scene in the movie Magnolia?
xox
Lisa
Lisa Claudia Briggs, LICSWs last blog post..Comfort For Your 1st Chakra
Oh my god, I loved The Fall, stunning in every sense and all senses were stunned, have to revisit!
And thanks for the eating frogs visual that is now running amok in my brain, yuck ;o)
have a good weekend!
Maarten Elouts last blog post..The Cookie Dough Theory of Happy Living
Havi, great to see you have an event site now. I was wondering about it, when I first came to your website a few days ago. I am excited to see that you will be in Germany this summer. Will that be a Yoga-only thing (I never tried Yoga so that wouldn‘t probably be the right thing for me)?
So, let‘s see … the week. Well, I am new here. I‘ve never kept a diary and I don‘t have a blog. But, Havi, what you wrote about reviewing the week and rituals and „having a more conscious interaction with time and how it passes”, convinced me to give it a try. So maybe I am just jumping on here … well, maybe I shoudn‘t … but I feel, it could be a good thin … no, better wait a bit, don’t hurry … better do it right … maybe I shouldn‘t … [closes eyes] – one, two, three … jump!
The hard stuff:
It was a constant fight with myself, fight, tiredness, avoidance, fear, stuckiness – the whole repertoire. I am the empress of procrastination, I am sure. Plus: bad mood and loads of causeless sadness. … the week was very, very mühsam (I don‘t know a word for it; maybe it‘s something like tedious) … Some things took me forever to get them done (and they were getting done only because of existing deadlines and not in time), ridiculously forever.
Same pattern, always. Happy about one little thing I got done (just because there is a deadline!) and already forgetting about (or rather procrastinating) the next one. So the story is continuing itself endlessly.
So ego-centered, all this bulky luggagge procrastination stuff. I am circling around myself while schlepping around my bulky luggage. And I am circling around myself while I try to solve my stuckiness. Doof.
The good:
Yeah for spring! Exploding nature! Cherry blossoms also here. Lots of them.
Discovering Havi and Selma, working my way through the archives, ordering and trying some of the free stuff: awesome. Ordering the Dissolve-o-Matic (uhh, that‘s work to be done, …). There‘s hope.
Comforting a friend who is going through a crisis with her husband (I was so surprised to hear that!) and being able to help her a little. Knowing that she talked to him and is better now.
Luxurious hair-do, very relaxing with sculp massages etcetera.
Got at least some tiny little bits of my work done (thanks, Havi; thanks, deadlines), but … (see the hard stuff).
My husband just brought me a little cute flower to cheer me up. He is great, I am very, very fortunate to have him! And, while I am looking at this cute little flower, I remember a very important positive thing happening in the beginning of this week, I already had forgotten about it:
I invited some friends and clients to a little event – and am surprised that I actually had the guts to really do it (and was procrastinating it until the last minute). Did it! Yeah! And they like it! A small event for them, but one giant leap for me. [worrying mode on] Hope the event itself will go well [/worrying mode off]
Okay, I tried to see also the good things of this week, and – in review – I acknowledge, there have been good things. But. I still feel the bad feeling (feels a bit like undigested slimy … – no, no such horrible visuals, please NOT! How could this author do this to his readers?).
Bad feelings, go away, please! Yeah for the good stuff! And a good week to everyone!!!
Uhm, Selma might like this derby better. It’s more her element. Snort. I’ve been snickering about this since I saw the giant duck on the side of the road. That’s six hours of snickering. My friends already think I’m weird so no worries.
http://rubberduckderby.com.
and here’s a list of other places that have Great American Duck Races http://www.duckrace.com/OurRaces/tabid/1046/Default.aspx
That up there makes up for all the bad I had this week. I’m ready for Monday – bring it on. No wait . . . after I sleep for 8 hours then Bring it on.
Minervas last blog post..The Apple That Changed Everything
@Christine – oh you should definitely come to one of the berlin workshops! No yoga background necessary. We do fun, creative stuff and you don’t have to be all yoga-ey at all.
Loved your jumping in … and also your description of being about to jump. Beautiful!
@GadgetGirl – nice Standing Up! Fabulous.
Seriously, guys. I read about your week and it amazes me that we’re all here. So so great that you check in with me too. It’s my favorite part of the week. Yay. THANK you.
You being the worst sister in the world? Considering how many times “My brother is living with us!” made it to your Friday Chickens, I just had to laugh! 🙂 I’m glad you liked the movie he suggested, and that you shared the recommendation here: it sounds like something I’d love.
After a week-long trip I’m only now catching up on my blog reading, and seeing as it’s Wednesday already, it doesn’t make much sense for me to check-in… I’ll be back on Friday!