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.
An odd-shaped little week.
Between Labour Day (which I forgot about, as usual) and Rosh HaShana, the week has been so far removed from its typical forms and structures to be almost unrecognizable as such.
But I suppose that’s kind of fitting for this whole Moon of New Beginnings thing. Yes, I name the moons. It is fun.
The hard stuff
Overwhelm again.
And of the annoying existential kind.
As in, how is it possibly September? It was only just May.
And all the things not done and undone and partially done. “Stupid taking account of things. Be less depressing!”
And that kind of thing. Not for too long, but not fun while it shows up.
Things taking so much longer than you estimate for.
Really.
So of course it turned out that decorating (what I call “editing”) the Processing the Process ebook took five hours longer than what I’d scheduled for it.
Oh yes.
It also turned out to be nearly two hundred pages.
Anyway. Five hours of high-concentration brain time that I hadn’t reckoned with.
Some other things had to go. It happens.
No, everything taking longer.
Even blog posts. Usually if I take forever to write a post, it’s because:
a) I’m stuckified related to some aspect of the topic and I need to work through it
b) I can’t find my notes
c) I’m getting distracted.
But I had no distractions, excellent notes and really wanted to write it. Plus I was in the zone. Nothing about it was a struggle. And still it took two hours.
Just this general slowness. Not foggy. Not tired. Not anything. Just slow.
But then impatience with the slowness. And then impatience with the impatience. And then impatience with the people telling me I shouldn’t be impatient.
Does that work?
Random nosy guy: “Oh, buying PMS Tea, huh? Does that stuff work?”
Me (out loud): “I don’t know. Let’s find out.”
Me: (in my head): “I don’t know. Let’s find out if I still want to grab you by your stupid shirt and bash your head into this wall after I’ve had some. Who knows. Maybe by that point I’ll also want to do more with my life than eat potato chips all day and hate people. Hey, anything’s possible, right?”
And, in case you’re wondering, no that stuff totally doesn’t work. Not on me, at least.
Interruptions.
Yes, I love the holidays.
And also I forgot how much they knock everything else over and make things impossible.
Time crunch. Argh.
Not being able to find things.
So many times this week I’d be messing around with a post or a piece of copy, remember that I’d already done a bunch of writing on this topic … nothing.
My system of where things go generally works great, but this week all sorts of things fell through the cracks.
Breaking the only rule I have.
This week I managed — not once but every single day — to break what’s really the only hard, fast “absolutely absolutely” rule in the giant Book of Me, otherwise known as the Book of Me Not Going Batshit Crazy.
And that is:
Eat lunch.
Preferably before you crash and burn, and turn into a completely nonfunctioning shell of a zombie podperson.
Not only did I break the rule, but then — immediately following the oh what the hell I can wait a little bit, chaos ensued, things went weird, unable to change course.
Completely screwed up each afternoon. Which might have something to do with all the other bits of hard this week.
The good stuff
Closing doors.
Getting rid of things.
Ending things.
Moving things.
It’s time. It’s good.
Shockingly, got all sorts of things done.
Including editing the nearly-two-hundred-pages of my Processing the Process ebook.
That wasn’t crazy.
Beginnings.
I really do love Rosh Hashana.
And tashlich is probably my favorite practice in the world. Still.
It’s nice watching everything you no longer need sink to the bottom of a river and dissolve.
And I made round raisin challah.
It it too gorgeous to eat but we’re eating it anyway.
Delicious.
More ideas than I know what to do with.
Including some ideas about where to put the ideas while they’re in percolation/gestation mode.
Some of them are really, really, really good.
Lots of anticipation and tingliness and peeking at what is possible through my fingers.
Ohmygod. The costumery! It is growing.
Remember a couple weeks ago when I had a Very Personal Ad asking for new costumes for the treasure room at the Playground?
Well. Lovely people offered lovely things. And among them was the fabulous and amazing Simone, fellow Friday Chickeneer and beautiful person.
Little did I suspect that “a few things” was to be a giant box stuffed with goodness and pirate booty.
A pirate cutlass! Wings and crowns and horns and boas and fans and shawls and chapeaux aplenty! Also what appears to be an enormous wreath made of bright yellow feathers.
The Playground is now significantly more full of weird than it was before, and this makes me exceedingly happy. Now cannot wait for the next Rally (Rally!).
Two exceedingly great Shivanautical epiphanies.
That of course make no sense when you write them down.
Because epiphanies are stupid.
But they felt like giant understandings deep in my body. So they were awesome:
- To be able to fly, you have to stop running first.
- Those aren’t barriers. Those are gates. All of them. Your perceived barriers are gates. Again, stop running. And just approach.
The Shiva Nata. It is the bomb.
This just made me laugh.
Maybe you had to be there.
My gentleman friend, with a surprising amount of affection: “I love you, you psychopath.”
(Unrelated but also amusing: He made me tweet my threat to open a shop across from Virginia Woof Doggy Care and call it James Juice — saying “come on, you’ll only lose like a hundred followers! Totally worth it.”).
And … playing live at the meme beach house!
Yes, that’s a Stuism too.
My brother and I have this thing where we come up with ridiculous band names and then say in this really pretentious, knowing tone, “Oh, well, you know, it’s just one guy.”
This week?
Babushka Chicken
Not related to the Friday Chicken. And they kick ass. They’re playing at the Portland music festival. Except of course that it’s really just one guy.
And lovely things I read or found this week.
Joy, who is @thoughtsofjoy on Twitter and one of my favorite people, has written some terrific stuff.
Right now just really enjoying her new page about her take on marketing sotto voce, which I find brilliant and perfect
Bas wrote about how identity shapes projects.
This? This is the guitar I would be buying right this second for my friend who is dead. You know, if he weren’t dead. He’d appreciate this.
And I just read this piece on Heidi Go Seek, one of the Portland roller derby all-star skaters on the Wheels of Justice. Even though she’s not on the team we sponsor, she is still completely amazing.
Someone get my gentleman friend (or anyone, really) to measure my fingers so they can get me this ring. (Kiss to @darxyanne)
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 day and a restful weekend-ing.
And a happy week to come. Shabbat shalom.
Follow
The hard:
– My health is going further downhill. Nothing to honestly worry about, just one of those bad bouts. And anxiety related to that, because – unsuprisingly – I’m good at throwing shoes at me for “getting nothing done”.
My inner 13 year old remembers, well, things I’ll not say here because I don’t want to trigger people, but circumstances where doing the washing up promptly and correctly was quite literally a survival issue. I’m trying to teach him that dude, the plates can wait, it’s safe now. But it’s hard. He’s a smart kid but he has experience on his side. So that’s hard.
– Realising that a lot of my health issues are exacerbated by stress. And that I *need* to learn to relax. Which I am so, so bad at – see above.
The good:
+ My friends. I love my friends. They’re reminding me that it’s OK if I don’t get stuff done right now, and that they don’t think less of me for having an untidy room or being too exhausted to write with them.
+ Dragons! Long story short, I collected a certain brand of dragons as a child. Had to leave them behind when I escaped my family. Found them on eBay for a reasonable price *while* I had just enough play money available in PayPal (from knitting someone a lucky hat) to be able to afford four. They’re not my original dragons, but they’re the same type, and I’m kind of surprised how much of a big deal it is to me – I didn’t think I was sentimental.
+ Banananas. Seriously. Best food this week.
Eee. This week. Our first week living upstairs from my Mother-in-law (who, let’s be clear, I adore).
** Hard **
~ Not living in my own place – it’s all too small and too crowded in the converted attic.
~ Sharing a kitchen – do we *separate* food, or put it all together and where do we put all of *our* stuff…
~ S and I have very different ways of arriving – mine is sitting on the sofa knitting, and S’s is clearingsortingthrowingcleaning.
~ Standing on the new digital scales which are obviously BROKEN.
~ Doing the snail and noticing my stomach. Ow. Ew. Howwhen did THAT happen?
~ Panicsadness that we’ve made the wrong decision. (We haven’t but eee, it feels like it sometimes.)
** Good **
~ English food. Baking ginger nuts. Buying western food and being able to afford it. Welsh rarebit and chips and pots of tea.
~ Realising what I value (by noticing its absence, often!).
~ Getting back into meditating *properly*, doing yoga. And Weight watchers points. Phew.
~ Walking. Walking! Without sweating! Who knew?
~ Clients booking work. Yay.
~ Kate who runs the local yarn store. A local yarn store! Or wool shop as we say in England. And a Knit and Natter to go to every other week.
~ My people. Turning up. Helps beyond MEASURE.
~ Time with S. 11 years. Never gets old.
****
Halloooo to you chickeneeeers.
Wishin you strength for the harrrd and openness for the goooood.
x
.-= Andrew Lightheart´s last post … Letting it all go =-.
Finally! A week with more good than hard!
The good:
+ research project data collection phase officially over
+ fixed the data collection gizmo that I thought I had broken. Just needed to sleep on the pro lem.
+ student to help me organize the mounds of data collected
+ another student who helped me on project landing a contract
job doing scientific lab research. I’m so happy i was the link to this opportunity!
+ much progress on dissertation prospectus. My topic is finally solidifying.
+ mentor from another institution agreeng to be a sounding board for my dissertation even though he can’t commit the time to be on my committee.
+ getiing home before dark twice this week!
+ great session in lab utilizing new software and hardware. I am a computer geek. That is why my nickname is gadgetgirl.
+ misdirected package has made it’s way back home and now is on the way to the right company
+ another self-sufficent intern started this week
+ riding my mini-bike to campus to do my share to alleviate massive
parking crunch caused by construction
+ field trips for my students coming together!
The hard
– not enough sleep and waking up at 2am two nights in a row despite
going to bed late. Exhausting.
– long to do list combined with feelings of overwhelm
have a great weekend everyone!!!
–
whoa, the hard. seeing my most loved one in terrible agonies of anguish of psychological pain. losing my compassion and getting angry, then finding it again and praying to god. god. who i didn’t think i believed in, but who made perfect sense for me right then.
the good. talking to a lovely friend about it all, talking to the lovely lady on the emergency hotline about it all, talking to the loved one’s doctor about it all. doing a fabulous tarot reading that gave me all new cards, ones that i never get, making me think that change is in the air. feeling calm and ok and getting my sense of self back together. understanding more and more and more and more how this is life, and life is crazy hard and beautiful all rolled up together.
thanks havi
thanks chicken ears
The hard… nothing really. Last week’s hard faded.
The Good:
Amazing hired helpers for my move. Big strong Helper Mice to move my things; little dainty Helper Mouse to help me put them all in the right place; Interior Design Mouse to say where they all go.
New space! With enough faint noise of other human’s to make me feel in the world. And lots of things within walking distance like the ocean, the wine, the cupcakes, the farmer’s market, the coffee.
Work! Post-labor day clients calling like crazy.
Ideas! And places to put them.
Breezes! Flowing through my house, and birds chirping outside and being away from the people I wanted to be away from. (And wishing them all the best happiness.)
Oh, this week! What happened?
I had a weekend this week. (Don’t look at me like that, I’m a freelancer, it’s special!) I planned a book. I got an e-mail from someone who is absolutely delighted with some work I did for her. Delighted! I watched a movie about Gandhi.
What about hard stuff?
You know that thing that wasn’t happening like three chickens ago? Eventually I did it but now it’s not happening again. Guh!
I cut up some chilies with my bare hands, and then couldn’t do anything but sit and watch a movie about Gandhi with my burning fingers in a bowl of milk in my lap. Now I associate the life of Gandhi with burning hand pain. Nice. And then the chili infused oil I made turned out to be far too hot and overpowering to actually use in dishes. Sadface.
Jack, hugs to your hard. That’s really hard. Hope you can find a way to practice relaxing.
Andrew, hugs to your belly. I like bellies. It’s OK you’re doing weight watchers to get rid of it though, I don’t mind.
Hugs to everyone!
.-= Willie Hewes´s last post … The Mechanics of Monster Whispering =-.
*hugs to Willie* Thank you very much. I’ve found a couple of little things that while they might not actively help (I wanted to say “make” – bad sign, but telling!) me relax, they will eliminate some other stress, and make relaxing potentially easier.
In short: I am on a mission to find Cuppa Soup!
(I love this place. Being able to get encouragement from people I don’t know, and people who’ve dealt with similar… I feel a little “Eek, it’s Havi’s place, you shouldn’t be drawing attention here”, but… it’s a *nice* place. I like it.)
Those aren’t barriers. Those are gates. All of them. Your perceived barriers are gates. Again, stop running. And just approach.
Oh, that is good. That is really, really good. That… yes.
Hard:
1 Stuck feeling. Can’t yet identify it, which is frustrating. Sense of being trapped in gel
2 Knowing I can just talk with the stuck feeling and let it tell me. Damn. Actual work must be done
3 Feeling grumpy about personal growth
4 Fear of being openly woo-woo with new government-sponsored small business adviser
5 (see 2 & 3)
6 Time is flying past me at a ridiculous pace. I feel like I’m in HG Wells’ time machine, static whilst other things move
7 Free-floating anxiety
Good:
1 Weekly yoga classes have been bought me for my birthday. Huzzah for family!
2 Weekly craft classes I have been desperate for begin next week, less than 5 mins walk away
3 Sister’s Bolivians. They rock. They really do
4 Havi’s containers post. Lots of chewy
5 Realisation that ritual does not set certain days or times or places aside as Holier than others, but is about reminding us that everything is Sacred
6 A long-term chronic condition has gone away after lots of emotional excavation. Could be a coincidence. I don’t believe in coincidences
7 Free-floating anxiety seems like it’s free-floating because I’ve pared away a lot of the stuff it had been attached to, so it seems likely I’m closer to the core of it. This means I can contact it and work with it on making my life better
That ring is stupendous. Though I would probably end up poking myself and others with it. Clearly best for me to stick with circle-shaped rings.
The hard: Oy. Things ending. Last day of work. So much to do. So much that will never be done. Missing my girlfriend, who was away for work this week. Lack of sleep due to that. Somehow thought there were way more hours in the day than there actually were this week.
The good: Things ending! For the first time, being able to realize that transitions are big and I can let myself be scared and excited and generally ruffled about them. Lots of Dance of Shiva. Lots of body movement in general. The cool weather (oh; so lovely)! Wrote a blog post. Super excited to have friends here. Reading a great book; cannot put it down. Feel like I learned so much this week, mostly from myself.
.-= Kylie´s last post … a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils =-.
Random nosy guy sure was stupid. Sorry the PMS tea didn’t help. 🙁
Hard:
New quarter brings new schedule and I’m still finding my footing.
DD wants to work for the new bakery in town. As their vegan person. Not sure how much of my stuff she could end up making for the competition. I’m not quite ready to stop that stream of income yet.
Dog barf. Just when the llamas are old enough to know what to do when they get tummy issues, the dog gets old enough to have random acts of barf. Oh, yay.
“Big Anniversary” anxiety, which pops up now for every special occasion which the world marks with parties and gifts, etc. The last one was in April, for my birthday. It went so well (NOT) that I am cringing at the upcoming 25th anniversary on Monday. Also, how the heck did we get to 25 years together?!?!?!
Hard with the transition already. Needing to clear space of the old so that I can get on with the new and paralysis because I could do neither due to overwhelm.(cont in “Good”)
Good:
Then sleeping on it, realizing what needed to be done, and finding that you had written a blog post on that very thing yesterday. Serendipitious confirmation.
The Wade Davis documentary series “The Light at the End of the World” from Netflix. Then seeing that an interview in the current issue of Tricycle was with the same French monk who was in the Buddhism piece.
Vegetarian Times and Yoga Journal arrived, so many recipes, so much help with the poses.
Dipping my toe back into writing practice.
Finding my sovereignty when it comes to certain “prestigious” shows and deliberately choosing to not enter this year.
Finally being ready for that big yard sale. It’s going to happen the first weekend in October. Things which are no longer serving me are going to find new homes. Yay!
.-= Andi´s last post … The Sketchbook Project- Week Two =-.
Approaching gates — that is an incredibly useful image. Thank you.
This week’s hard:
– Overwhelm. And realizing how deep the overwhelm is, and how it extends off into the distance, as far as I can see.
– A couple of things this week taking much, much longer than I had planned for. Good things, it ends up, but they played havoc with my neatly scheduled week.
– Recognizing that I’m just not going to have time to go through as much as I wanted to go through before the MIL’s garage sale tomorrow, where I had hoped to dispose of some of the stuff that’s been hiding in the cupboards.
This week’s good:
– Building a raft that floats nicely on the overwhelm and plotting a course to traverse it that avoids alligators and sunken logs.
– A nice custom order that turned into a *very* nice custom order, and the news that I sold a bunch more than I was expecting in one of my galleries.
– The universe giving me a nudge and a peek at how I can change my business focus to take some stress out of things.
– Deadbeat, shoe-throwing editing client finally paid up most of what he owes — two months late, but more than I expected him to, really. The discount is totally worth being able to slam the door on that nightmare.
– A couple of new projects from my favorite clients — really interesting stuff at good pay rates.
Happy Friday, chickeneers!
.-= Lori Paximadis´s last post … Friday Really =-.
The chicken of endings and beginnings…
The good and hard all swirled together.
– In-between time. Suspension. Slow, subterranean movement. An eddy in the flow. Patience. Gestation.
– This sometimes feels hard and sometimes good, depending on how much I trust the process.
– Long talk with my sister, who sent me photos of my aunt on her 95th birthday. Magical to see her spirit bloom so brightly as she begins the separation from her body.
– Early mornings at the pool, stretching, playing, floating.
– Preparing to teach Become Your Own Business Adviser, starting next week. Feel the energy building, the powers and qualities gathering.
– Preparing for my birthday next week too. Dinner party at my house with many old friends. Ending and beginning.
Love to you all for this new week, new year. Hugs for the hard, and celebrating the good with you.
Hiro
.-= Hiro Boga´s last post … This business of chakras… =-.
Yay for Friday Chicken! This may be a times two chicken since I missed last week.
We shall see…
The Hard:
Being in La Palma was icky, way too commercial/touristy. Just ick.
Knowing I need more structure, but not how or what. Feeling unsure about everything about this except that it needs to happen.
Mudslides. Knowing that it was so awful for so many people, and feeling guilty over impatience with my delays.
Traveling with one of my not-right-people. Kept having to remind myself to be patient and calm, because cranky wouldn’t make anything better.
The Good:
Being in El Salvador. Beautiful place, really beautiful. I will be returning to San Salvador and Suchitoto both. Muah. Lovely.
Getting back from El Salvador. I missed my bed and we were delayed a day because of the mudslides. Feels really good to be back at my home base for a bit.
I discovered the book I want to write: How traveling the world helps me pay off my debt. I even started it already.
Learning to make pupusas from a woman with a stand in front of her house.
Seeing a wheelbarrow full of chickens (live, but remarkably calm) being pushed down the highway.
.-= Kathryn´s last post … Bubble wrap and other baggage =-.
Good to know on the PMS tea. I won’t bother. Even though I totally could have used some two days ago. Or, you know, some sort of magic wand to wave away the complete annoyance at every. little. thing.
Speaking of which…
The hard:
-The annoyance. I wish it were just me, but it’s like there’s a construction team following me around, building sh!t in my wake. Right now, I can hear at least 3 things making that awful beep-beep backup noise, and one of them has been going for at least 20 minutes without a break.
-Deadlines, blah blah blah. I like to write, but I don’t have time to write because I also need to be the Editor in Chief. Blah. It’s an old story.
The good:
-The hard isn’t as hard as it was a couple of months ago. Summer is pretty much over. For me, that is an absolute blessing.
-I have a skein of lovely purplish tweedy yarn sitting in front of me on my desk. If the beep-beep becomes too much, perhaps I can strangle someone with it….no, no. That won’t do. What I mean is…I’m carrying inspiration yarn around with me. Is that strange? It makes me happy, so who cares if it is?
-Jazz Fest last weekend in Chicago. Brian Blade! Nomo! Wonderful…
-In the midst of that funk where every tiny thing is annoying, I was able to recognize that This Is Not Me. Imagined it as a wave that I was riding on that would soon pass. And it did. (except for the noisy bits…not sure how to make that part go away…)
-Lots of cooking this week. Lasagna! Mmmmm. I have the last piece for lunch today. Cheesy, veggie goodness.
.-= Emily´s last post … When One Abyss Is Simply Not Enough… =-.
It has been a weird little week. But it’s Friday. So let’s chicken…
This week’s hard:
-Not taking care of myself as much as I probably should have, which inevitably results in ick. Tiredness. Running around crazy because I’m behind -ness. Etc.
-Breaking things. Apparently I am a huge hazard to things made of glass.
-Flail. Feeling off-kilter. The not taking care of self probably didn’t help. Hoping to use this weekend to fix it.
This week’s good:
-My laptop is back! I love you, laptop. I also love that you cost nothing to fix. Mwah.
-Some cooking successes. (And some cooking fails, but I’m ignoring them… @Willie, oh man I’m sorry.) Scallops. Yum.
-I almost have a finished bedroom. Excitement. Progress feels good.
-Deciding that today is going to be spent cleaning, doing errands, doing all the little puttery projects that have been put on the back burner, and so on. Bliss. Work can wait a few hours until the household is ready for work!
Hugs for everybody and wonderful weekends!
I’ve missed a few chickens due to seeming nonstop travel, so I fear this might be long, since it’s several weeks’ worth.
The Hard:
-There was more than I’d like to admit.
-Major anxiety issues popping up. Old anxieties that I’ve worked really hard to kick. Very painful. And embarassing.
-Stressed about work. I really dislike it. And the people. I have never been in a situation so out of sync with who I am. It’s like it’s fundamentally in opposition with myself. Very out of sorts over this.
-Feeling kind of stupid, like I don’t know what to do with myself, don’t know what I contribute to the world. Major imposter syndrome issues.
-Major meltdown over massive student loan debt. Holy crap, I’m feeling screwed.
-Wishing I had more of my people around – geographically, mosly.
-Frustrated with likely stress-induced weight gain.
The Good:
+Signed up for volunteer training doing something I think will be enriching to me.
+Brainstorming strategies for coping with shitty job.
+Getting more in control of my finances and facing the scariest number I’ve ever owed anybody (let alone the federal government).
+Praise from big boss lady about my work performance. At least they’re happy with me. That makes one of us!
+Some wonderful vacation time, including fun trips to Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine. 🙂
+Continuing to work out regularly, and to take walks now that it’s not 100 degrees every day. This helps stress (and likely weight) greatly.
+Plan on starting hiking and generally being outdoors more.
I am a huge fan of Babushka Chicken.
Hard:
-Came down with a cold. I already appear to have passed it along to one member of my household, and fear that everyone else may get it eventually. I feel drained, achy, and shaky. Yet, I’m also having a hard time giving myself permission to rest, and I’m feeling guilty even when I do.
-Long distance friends going through drama-filled difficulties. Feeling sad for them, but also frustrated and helpless, and subtly pressured to help them in ways that we really can’t/shouldn’t. Also feeling uncomfortably guilty for my own good fortune. Bleah. Too much guilt this week!
-Daughter got a couple of low quiz grades this week. To be expected, as she’s adjusting to a new school and new expectations, and usually the first month or two of a new school year is a bit bumpy for her in any case. Even so, it’s troubling. And yes, you guessed it, again with the guilt!
Good:
+Spent a gorgeous day at Mount Storm Lake with family and visiting friends.
+Cuddled some Inowanna Iguanas, and put a few to bed.
+Writing daily, in one way or another — and I have a pretty journal that makes me smile inside whenever I see it.
+Playing with yoga a bit this week, Old Turkish Lady style. I’m noticing how it simply brings me more mindfully into my body, and how that makes me feel more centered in myself.
+Feeling very much loved.
Happy Chicken to all, and to all a good weekend!
.-= Kathleen Avins´s last post … Feeling the good kind of tired… =-.
Yay! I had so much fun putting together that box for the Playground. It is wonderful to watch this tiny sweet thing grow into something fabulous, it gives me hope for my tiny sweet things.
The hard has been quite the hard this week.
Panic attack/weeping fit at the gym on Monday left me exhausted and puffy. Couldn’t even finish workout, embarrassing, bleah.
More weeping and the facing of a Hard Thing that is very scary and hard and scary.
Traded words inadvertently with a friend who is going through lots of hard. Did not mean to throw a shoe but apparently I did and they threw one back. Everybody has their own back pn the correct feet now though.
Starting of church gig and last minute singer losses (somehow I knew!) and general heaving of sighs even though I do love choral music and churchiness in general; another Thing I have to think about letting go of perhaps? O, hai guilt!
The good has been good too, though:
Awesome score of kickass vintage hattiness, 26 fab pieces that will become even more amazingness. Sold my first chapeau online. (WOOOOOT!) Posted lots more on my finally up and running site. Hats FTW!!!!
The Facing of the Hard Thing is actually a good, it is something that has needed to be addressed for a long time and everybody is all scared and resisting and hiding about it. No more!
Two singers miraculously appeared at Pilates class and they are so cute and enthusiastic, actually WANT to take music home and learn it! That’s what I’m talking about.
Lots of fun and frivolity on blogs(present company INCLUDED), Twitter and FB: #cussystarwars, anyone? SO thankful for instant community at a time when I’m a bit isolated and scaredy.
Kisses for hard and good alike. THAT’S WHAT SHE…oh. wait.
.-= chicsinger simone´s last post … Saks Fifth Avenue That is all =-.
Yo Ho Ho, Chickeneers of the High Seas and apologies for my looooong absence.
There haven’t been many Fridays where I’ve had the chance to write recently but here I am on my way back from a meeting in Sheffield, sitting in the nice, quiet and expensive part of the train to make this very long journey a bit easier.
@havi sorry about all that rough stuff, dood. On the lunch thing, will you *please* have a word with my wife? Despite my protestations she fails to eat lunch far too often and ends up slumped in a heap by the time she gets home. Actually, it looks like the both of you need a very big talking to…
@alightheart hey I am already thinking about how I can sneak down to the seaside to see you, I’ll keep you posted. I fancy a nice walk on the Bournemouth prom.
The Hard
So this week’s been okay but I’ve been travelling way too much and it makes me very tired and not a little bit cranky. Work is really weird right now, like almost everyone in the public and voluntary sector in this country I am waiting for the axe to fall. So many of us are looking at the very real prospect of losing our jobs. All my meetings are laced with a gallows humour as we contemplate our fate.
The Good
Despite all the hoo hah, wife and I pobble along trying to keep each other cheerful and giggling like insane people at thoughts of double-redundancy. We make each other laugh and that makes me feel very good. Also, despite their agedness, chronic illnesses and continuing veterinary expense our cats, Holly and Loaf, troop on with flagrant disregard for our bank balances and a willingness to purr loudly in our ears and clamber on our heads at breakfast time. I am immensely grateful to the vets, nurses and staff at our local practice who keep the silly buggers alive.
In other news the UK Labour Party, now in opposition, is electing its new leader. Last night we went to the hustings and it pleased me enormously to hear all the candidates talking my kind of talk: equality, social justice, democratic and enabling government. Yes indeedy!
Have wonderful weekends, be good to yourselves.
Lucy xx
.-= Lucy´s last post … Arriving at Sheffield =-.
Shabbot Shalom and Happy New Year Havi!
This was not a good week. My time of recovery morphed into a time of procrastination and sloth. I have been one big lump like The Cat (who’s been a really bad influence on me) this week.
The Hard
Stuck. Stuck. Stuck.
I started writing a book review on Monday that I still haven’t finished. And it was a good book!
I haven’t worked on The Book Proposal. I’m almost finished! And I didn’t even touch it this week.
I haven’t blogged.
I haven’t been exercising or practicing yoga.
No motivation or ambition to do anything.
My house is a mess.
The Good
Had a great writing appointment with a friend Monday morning, and I got part of the book review written.
I decided if I was going to break this slothful routine, I had to do something different: I went for a beautiful walk yesterday. We are having perfect fall weather.
I also went to a reception at an art gallery where a friend was displaying her work and had a great time.
I’m getting back to my morning and night rituals.
It doesn’t take me as long to come back to myself and start being mindful as it use to.
Re-reading Dissolving Procrastination. I forgot so much of the goodness!
Lots of baking happening in the house because of glorious fall weather.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
.-= Shawna R. B. Atteberry´s last post … The surgery went well and I’m doing fine =-.
This was a glorious week. Focus. Lots of early morning Dance of Shiva, and I actually discovered that I can do things fast! After months of flailing, slow is too slow. That was big news.
Focus and epiphanies all over the place. Started a group, then renamed it something completely ridiculous. Learned that the group members love the ridiculous new name. Started doing all kinds of unexpected things, which is great.
Made it to day 9 in my podcast. It’s taken a totally different direction than I expected, and is now a thing-that-feels-good rather than a thing-that-feels-awkward.
The hard? A Friday that seems like a Monday after yesterday’s holiday. But that’s okay, because it really is Friday. Yay!
All my best to you and Selma!
.-= Liz´s last post … Lemon pies- do-overs- and a red velvet rope =-.
@Kathryn:
Thank you x1000 for the mention of pupusas. Being insatiably curious, I had to look up what they were and ohmygosh newest gotta-make-that might-be-my-favorite-food ever. Ever! How wonderful! Thank you!
Chicken:
The hard:
– Not much, touch wood. There have been and continue to be some physical difficulties, both mine and husband’s, but they are manageable and will resolve. Or be resolved, with minimum intervention.
The good:
+ New website to do that fell into my lap this week. Yay! Unexpected work!
+ Arranging to meet a never-met-in-real-life Twitter friend yesterday at a fairly tony place for lunch, only to get there and find out they closed down last month. Oops. Then her arrival, my suggesting that my favorite little Mexican place was right around the corner and would she like to try that, and finding out that she absolutely adores Mexican and her husband doesn’t so she never gets to have it. Win!
+ Spending two hours talking each others’ ears off and having an absolute blast.
+ pupusas! Finding out about them! Realizing that I have all the ingredients already in house and can actually make them this afternoon!
+ Having an unlimited supply of !!!!! in my box pf punctuations. 🙂
Happy weekend to all.
.-= Carol Logan Newbill´s last post … Pete’s Famous Hot Dogs =-.
I have more things to do than there is time to do it, but dammit this is important, so i have snuck off into the back room with my computer to get a quick chicken out!
The hard:
-the bazillions of things that supposedly ‘need’ to be done for the wedding. I’m feeling very “FUCK IT” about most of them because they do not have any impact on the actual saying I Do part. BUT, I do want it to look pretty and feel magical and blah blah blah… *sigh*
-writing vows. scary, big, important. EEP!
-the financial burden of all this nonsense. ugh.
The Good:
– I get to see Nick in FIVE days!!!! its been a LONG two months without him.
-after less than an inch of rain since July 17th, we got tropical storm Hermine to dump 5 inches in 3 days. The grass is green again, the pond has water in it again, the trees are less droopy. YAY! now if only it won’t rain again until after the big day…..
– writing vows. wow. big good amazing stuff.
-getting to really spoil myself with hair and makeup and girly things I’ve never really indulged in to this extent. it feels strange, but fun.
okay, back to it. mom is home.
This week = significantly less horrible than last week!
The Hard:
Still dealing with some of the hurt from last week’s relationship explosion. Wednesday was kind of a slow-burning panic, with no big attacks but just a persistent sense of uneasiness.
A dear friend is going through something very similar to what I’m coming out of, and she’s in a lot of pain and it’s hard to find ways to help.
Screwed up in what I perceive to be a pretty minor way, and got yelled at in a major way by my husband. Needing to work on NVC more, obviously.
Hard stuff at work. Software that doesn’t cooperate.
The Good:
Moving past some of the hard relationship stuff. Finding the sovereignty and badassness to actually confront issues that bother me. Standing up for what I’m worth, and facing surprisingly little resistance to that.
Taking time with my best friends to relax, hang out and celebrate the good stuff. Feeling understood and accepted, blessedly, after having to work through so much of my own shame and distrust of myself.
Getting some work done at work that has needed to be done. Slowly figuring out how to use a lot of the systems and programs. Starting to make friends with co-workers.
Lots of flirting. Always makes me feel better.
Lots to think about. Which is better than not knowing what to think about. And a lot of ideas for work that I can do to make sure that things keep getting better.
Chicken ears, oh chicken ears — how I love the chicken ears (sing-song in my head)!
The Hard
– Feels like I am fighting with my job
– Pain and writing about hard stuff is…hard
The Good
+ Writing about hard stuff is also good!
+ Big possibilities opening up ahead
+ Massages
+ Bright red toenails make me happy 🙂
+ A connection with a fellow Rallyite
+ Trying harder Shiva Nata stuff!
LOTS of love and hugs to all the hard and the stuck and big big rounds of applause for all the good here. I especially made the “awwww” sound to @Carrie writing about reuniting with her sweetie.
.-= Jesse´s last post … Part II of the Interrupted Interview =-.
I had a dream about Friday Chicken last night, so I guess I should break the ice and join in the fun 🙂
The good:
Prayers answered! Yaah! Joy of joys! When we get there so many many things will be so much much better.
The hard:
Between here and there is a WHOLE LOTTA WORK. Turns out answered prayers aren’t like granted wishes.
The good:
The weather is awesome. My dog has been sleeping under the covers again because its cool at night. Rosehips and hawthornes and purple flowers, oh my!
The hard:
My tomatoes aren’t liking the rain.
The good:
All the Eid celebrants in their Friday finery outside my work this morning.
The hard:
Still feeling overwhelmed with The State of the World. It breaks my heart that We the People are so ignorant and fearful->hurtful. All we need is love, maaan. Right.
More hard:
So, so overwhelmed. Self hatred and loathing type, deer in the headlights, bunny frozen still so the fox doesn’t get her kind of overwhelmed. About life, school, work, everything.
The good:
Real, concrete processes that help me out of my hole. Where the hell has this been the last 30 years of my life? It really works!
More good:
Leaving tomorrow to visit sisters! A whole week of work! Yaaah!
I’ve not commented on a Friday. Hello.
I didn’t eat lunch for the first part of the week. I have no idea what makes me (not) do this as I become ill and grumpy and worth nothing for the rest of the day, even when I do eat.
On Thursday and Friday, I cooked the same rather large lunch of pasta with articholes and creme fraiche. A bit too much the other way but at least I could think.
The hard:
Facing up to disorganisation and timewasting
Sleeping two nights with my sleeptalking daughter
The good
A long, long conversation about possibilities, skills and styles
Zumba class
Getting the laundry to zero for the first time in 5 months (major achievement!)
Lots and lots of thoughts about the future swirling around and beginning to be hopeful.
Have a great weekend everyone.
.-= Ali Macleod´s last post … Does your survey reflect reality- or is it just wishful thinking- Lessons from the Mirror of Erised =-.
The first week of my new year has been – *mixed*.
The hard:
– the nightmares, waking up and allergies can stop now I feel. I look like a panda that’s taken up needle drugs.
– floopy mood – didn’t know whether I was coming, going or stuck in the door
– feeling strangely apathetic towards my course and writing. Strange.
– also not feeling like I wanted to shiva nata or yoga
– feeling that ‘nothing will ever change…waaaah!’
– something weird and unsettling that might actually have power for good
The good:
– see above (it’s Friday night people…)
– having a self photo session using polished metal mirror in a ladies toilet cubicle at lunchtime resutling in possibly my favourite photo of myself ever.
– feeling ok with being the person who can spend an hour taking photos of myself in a ‘mirror’ in a public toilet
– going out for a delicious meal with my mummy
– a great post work yoga session today
– kitteh snuggles
– finally remembering to order a book from the library and now I have it to read over the weekend.
Have a yummy weekend…
.-= Jane´s last post … Bodies =-.
Andrew Lightheart: You may be thinking, “Ow. Ew. Howwhen did THAT happen?” in regards to your stomach while doing the snail, but my thought was, “Wow, you can *do* the snail? Rock on!”
As for me,
The hard:
Another low/no Thing momentum week.
Struggling with what to get/do for people who don’t do/want much to mark occasions on their 50th anniversary (and yet keep telling me about soirees their peers are having).
The good:
Photographed a lot.
More hibiscus blooms.
Figured out what to do for my parents’ anniversary and wrote a card devoid of any phrases which could be misconstrued. I.e., zero use of the words accomplishment, achievement, milestone.
Feel a bit of a mood bounce so I’m hoping to find my Thing momentum again soon.
.-= claire´s last post … Trillium and self-portrait =-.
Oh, the Friday chicken is such a comforting ritual, especially as this week has left me feel not centred in many ways.
The hard:
– Preparing to leave home for a mimimum of 6 months.
– Packing and actually leaving.
– Not having a new place yet, being at my in-laws’ place.
– Two messy suitcases and nowhere to store stuff and the stuff I feel like wearing is exactly the stuff I didn’t bring yet.
– Feeling uprooted.
– Blocked s/i joint for the first time in months.
The good:
– Starting a new job that is at the same time my old job and hence it makes things so much easier.
– Reunion with ex-colleagues, have I ever been away?
– People seem happy to have me back.
– One part of the job I was dreading because of the extra work load was assigned to someone else.
– Spent money on myself which I am often not good at. A cosy cardigan, cosmetics… More shopping planned for tomorrow.
– Getting on my yoga mat every day.
Have a beautiful weekend everyone!
Haven’t chickened in a few weeks, mostly due to playing internet hookie. This week has been… challenging.
The good:
* Arranged to return to an old Day Job, which will give me SO MUCH MORE free time to work on my own things!
* Got to give my Final Notice at the current Day Job, which was fabulous!
The hardest of hard:
* Hearing my significant other tell me, out of the blue, that he just doesn’t love me…
* Wondering what the hell I’m going to do…
* Totally lost and hurt and scared and angry
Working through so much, wondering why he couldn’t have waited and let me have at least one week of enjoying my good before tearing me apart… getting through it, barely, with the help of amazing friends and loving family. Wishing for things I can’t have, and trying to be strong enough to ask for things I don’t want, but know I need. /sigh
At least it’s sunny outside…
.-= Heidi´s last post … Sometimes you have to step back to move forward =-.
Happy apples-and-honey and breadcrumbs-upon-the-water and dressing-up-for-whatever-reason to all.
@hiro: Happy week that includes your birthday, too!
@Jesse: my toenails are bright red as well. Definitely a happy thing.
My hard:
* scared stiff of letting people down
* that everything-taking-longer-than-I-expect thang
* that needing-more-sleep-than-I-feel-I-can-afford thang
* feeling I’m not giving various things/people enough attention and time
* if it’s not asthma, it’s yeast. If it’s not yeast, it’s cramps. It’s minor, it’s manage-able, but holy vitamins on a popsicle stick, I am tired of it always being something.
My good:
* feeling desired / loved / helpful / amusing / useful
* the Apricot Old Fashioned at Sunset Grill (Nashville)
* a friend telling me about using the siddur I gave her years ago to say kaddish for her parents
* apples, honey, and Kaltbach Gruyere. Mmmmmm.
* the asthma went away in time for me to sing soprano in Ernest Bloch’s “Sacred Service: Meditation.” Its cadences thrill me.
With strength and encouragement and feathery pompom cheers to all ~~~~
.-= Mechaieh´s last post … year 5771- day 1 =-.
Hiya!
Gonna jump right in:
The hard:
-visiting/meeting P’s extended family in New York state. Intense busy-ness, no self-care. Plus, staying at the house of his super nice, ultra-conservative uncle where we had to sleep in separate rooms – bc *we’re not married.* So, no time to snuggle, decompress, process the events of the days. And, totally unused to being around people who have the need to impose their beliefs regarding marriage on me. Hated it.
-no sleep for over a week.
-coming home to a horrible head-cold. I don’t generally get colds so am the world’s biggest baby when I do.
The good:
+being home. Home. Home. Home. I love you, Home.
+spending time with all the feelings of being judged (by super nice people) and making all sorts of connections with my childhood. Realizing that I have no need to voluntarily place myself in situations where I’m not accepted as I am. Sure, I can and will continue to work with the hurt and anger (and the guilt for feeling angry at nice people) that are triggered in me. AND, I can make other choices.
+giving myself permission to do nothing for a couple of days. Much, much needed recovery time.
Thanks for the chicken… Love to all.
.-= Larisa´s last post … Raccoons- Relaxation- and the Absolute Rightness of Being YOU =-.
Strange week indeed…
The Hard:
– Needy, pushy people coming out of the woodwork to test my boundaries
– Feeling weirdly conflicted about asserting said boundaries, even though I know it is necessary
– My mother is visiting. We have very different worldviews. She is not used to people having different worldviews. Enough said.
The Good:
– A friend and I have named the upcoming season “Boundary Fall”. It is a good thing. I have a feeling we’re going to get plenty of practice…
– While downright strange and not particularly fun, this week was also rather productive
– A new crop of good ideas and fun things to try in the coming weeks (compliments of Shiva Nata, mais bien sur!)
.-= Emmanuelle Archer´s last post … Getting known- a couple more tips =-.
I have a grumpy/stressed Hippie and a ton of work, so I’m taking a few minutes out to chicken – because I deserve it, dammit! And after this I’m hopping (literally) over to the bar for a beer.
The hard:
– Doctor visit today revealed broken foot still broken. New cast installed. *sigh* It is what it is…
– Project blew into a thousand pieces and I had to send the “this isn’t going to launch” email to the producer and her boss. Though my job is to be the bearer of bad news, this kind is especially hard. Plus I probably won’t see a day off for another week. That will make something like 15 days without a break.
– My Hippie is sad and stressed and I can’t do anything to help but be quiet and acknowledge the suck.
– One of the fish that moved with us from CA died. Sure, he was just a fish, but he was a member of our little clan.
– I looked down yesterday and noticed that my office chair has been carving scratches into our floor.
The good:
+ Work is still work and it pays. Money is good.
+ One set of friends from SF unexpectedly visited for drinks last weekend, and another set is coming for this weekend. It’s so awesome to host people in our house.
+ Got a shiny new phone. Dumping AT&T and the iPhone and all the BS feels really good.
+ Had two really awesome shivanata mornings
+ Hopping around on crutches is doing wonders for my upper body strength.
+ My Hippie spent last weekend painting our den and installing shelves. It looks beautiful and I never tire of the smile of satisfaction he gets when he does home-improvement.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Finally getting over my cold.
I see my nieces tomorrow!
I formed my first copper bowl.
More boxes are getting unpacked.
It’s been my perfect weather.
.-= Erin´s last post … ROOTS – Hand-cut copper pendant with oxidized sterling silver chain -Made to Order- =-.
Yays and hugs and yellow-feathered wreaths for all the yays and boos to the hard.
The Good
+ I found Steve a new car, and helped him negotiate a good price that included some repairs, and he picked me up today in it and it’s awesome!
+ Launched! The Big Work Blog and am getting great feedback on it. So much work, but I love it. Check it out: http://coloradocancerblogs.org.
+Two media stories I pitched are appearing during tonight’s Stand Up to Cancer broadcast in Denver markets.
+Lots of feel-good appreciations from Steve, who is showing up in our relationship for the first time in months. So happy.
+Really good, hard work in therapy on a PSYCH-K relationship balance.
+NO charge by Frontier to change our flight home from Oregon so we can be here for a brief visit with my birthmother, who I haven’t seen in 6 years.
+Only 2 more days of the f-ing Mercury retrograde.
+Re-hired to shoot event photos by my writing workshop=more free classes.
+Physical and mental health are really good right now.
+Enjoyable week with my kiddo.
+Rearranged our master bedroom with Steve, and the energy changed for the +++.
The Hard
-New expensive camera lens is malfunctioning big time. I’m waiting out the retrograde to see if it clears up.
-New brakes + rotors for car=$700, two weeks before honeymoon. Crap. I guess we’ll eat Ramen noodles.
-Violet the Ferret, who has lymphoma, has stopped eating. We may put her down on Sunday.
-This week, so many traffic lights, a car crash on the way to work, other delays, so I was late everywhere.
-Didn’t make it to a single yoga class this week. Sigh.
-Could not get out of work on time as planned.
-Got a “no thanks” letter on a job I really would have been good at. Disappointment.
.-= lynn @ human, being´s last post … Cooking is not a chore … most nights =-.
Today I’ve spent a lot of time accomplishing the things that aren’t on my to do list. Oh, brain.
The Hard:
– Had a surge of rejection dejection, just a bunch of stuff from the past few months all rising up together to make me feel bitter and small, blech
– Accomplished less than I might have liked
– Feeling meh and distracty all week
– Allergies = lack of energy, postnasal drip, tummy oogies, and general extra meh
– Been wanting to paint but lacking the oomph
The Good:
+ I did get some things done, including some illustration
+ Got paid for illustrations and then got a check I totally forgot was coming on top of that
+ Got a lovely compliment in my email out of the blue
+ Have printed about half the cards for Love Notes to date, and have a coupon to buy more printer ink next week
+ Had a lovely long weekend with much hanging out with friends, and did some pre-birthday treat stuff on Sunday
+ Went to high tea, Egyptian museum, the Expendables, game store x2, and generally had lots of awesome outings+ I bought a parasol! It is black and has lace edging and I’m very pleased
+ Took & shared hilarious pic of Pod with his face in a yogurt cup
+ Had a lovely nap yesterday with both cats cuddled right up
+ Had a spontaneous dinner date with a guy who manages to ask me out about once a year — as always, had much fun, not holding breath
+ Finding my new stick-on whiteboard very useful and fun, both for doodling and for list-making
Bella says it’s time to stop now, so I shall. Despite the lingering meh, apparently it was a pretty good week!
.-= Amy Crook´s last post … Red =-.
I know it is very, very wrong of me to laugh at the PMS tea thing. And yet, I’m afraid I did.
My hard/good seems to look the same every week. Hard: So many valuable things that I didn’t get to, important things left undone, fun things I wanted to do and yet couldn’t make the time for. Good: So many valuable things to work on, important things that are also fun and help people and generally hooray.
.-= Sonia Simone´s last post … Mud on my Face- and a Marketing Revelation =-.
Yay for New Year’s and fresh starts. I was laughing my butt off at the PMS tea internal retort, too.
@Jack: hugs and more hugs. And yes, I’m the strange person now following you on Twitter. 🙂
The Hard:
Startling realization that we must bite bullet and move. Like, NOW. To save money.
Sense of general disorientation as I try to schedule ghostwriting, revisions, and new secret project. Sneaking miasma of doubt.
The good:
Delegating move choice to husband, who is handling it SOOO much better than I have.
Trusting & having faith that things will work out.
Love you, Chickeneers. 🙂
.-= Cathy´s last post … No More Muse Potato =-.
Totally was a weird broken up week.
The Hard:
The weird broken up week meant starting from zero after two days of orienting my new very young students and then a day off.
forgot how much eating wheat and dairy effects my energy and mood and then wondering why I am cranky and head-achy.
Not being able to turn off thoughts about work and then being impatient with myself about not being able to.
Not enough sleep…..
The Good:
Amazing dream about discovering loads of room in my closets, these closets connected to each other and to all the rooms in my house – full of possibilities – and one that is still occupied by me as a little girl. Me wondering how much room in that closet she should be allowed. Message loud and clear as my dreams usually are – I feel thankful for that.
Spending time with my mentor, observing an entirely new way to approach leadership and a whole life.
Celebrating 28 years of married to punmaster and father of my children.
hugs for the hard and Yay for the good.
havi – the reaction you had to random guy about the pms tea almost killed me. dude, exactly.
ps – i’m sorry the tea didn’t work.
@alightheart – moving is super hard. big hugs.
the hard:
ill-behaved kid in my class pushing my buttons
short week, too much work
no yoga
tired
the good:
really productive parent/teacher/principal meeting where we all (including the student) left feeling hopeful and like we’re all on the same team.
decided to not do all the work. we can always do it later. or not.
went to the gym and met a friend there
eyebrows and haircut – basic grooming is a good thing
receieved feedback at work on an issue i’d like to work on and didn’t freak out.
.-= Tami´s last post … Saturday Senses =-.
Today was an interesting day. I started Shiva Nata for the very first time and was a little bit scared by all the epiphanies.
And now I’m chiding myself for being so presumptious to even ASSUME I could have had epiphanies after only the first time of doing Shiva Nata. And then I’m seeing that these are my monsters asking me WHO I THINK I AM, and laughing at all the patterny-ness.
Anyway, my epiphanies were so very big that I’m convinced I’ll be having more, so I started a blog about them.
I asked myself before starting flailing for a little bit of clarity on my business. Instead I got relationship advice. But then I suppose it’s linked, as part of my stuckness on biggifying my business has to do with my emotional stuckness in my relationship.
Wow this Shiva Nata stuff is amazing.
Oh, and that PMS tea? Doesn’t work. Oil of evening primrose capsules (but you have to take them in VAST quantities – we’re talking like 6 capsules PER DAY) are totally the way forward.
.-= TheIntlWriter´s last post … Shivapiphanies! =-.
This and the previous 4 posts have come together to make a big Epiphany around metaphors, archetypes, boundaries, obstacles as gates with guardians, and seasonal shifting.
All of it is stuff I knew, and stuff that had skittered around in my brain over the years, yet it never came together in this way until this past week.
Just… wow. I have a whole unfolding metaphor becoming itself. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Also, yoga for the win: I spent all last week feeling stuckified in gel (“tasteless, colourless, und oooooderless”*). I didn’t know what it was and felt like I was flailing helplessly.
I turned up to my kundalini yoga class, and the teacher had us do kirtan kriya and surya kriya “to clear out unhealthy patterns and replace them with healthy ones. They really move you out of feeling stuck and let you see what you think of as obstacles in perspective.” I’d known about these kriyas, and done them in the past, and yet not utilised them. Oh! Hello, Living Universe! You mean I have tools in the toolbox that I’ve been building up for years?! My teacher grinned and said, “Trust the process! It may seem freaky, but it always works!”
Yes, it does, in its own peculiar, unexpected way 🙂