Bored?

As if Life is at a crossroad, but you don’t know where the road is?

I read “The Artist’s Way” last Summer.  However, at the time I was having a very bad time of lack of energy.  I couldn’t continue the early rising throughout the end of the year.

BUT, after reading Bonnie’s   How To Clear Your Mind Gunk, I’ve received a fresh spark of inspiration to read the book again – and enjoy the full effect of the Morning Pages.

There may be many thoughts and ideas, but I was reminded this weekend of a very important gift.

It was a gift I discovered last year, and then let the business of life take it away.

But I am reclaiming that great gift this week.

I encourage you to visit Little Things Matter and discover a truly great gift.

You can give it to yourself today, and it will not cost you one cent!

The greatest gift you can give yourself

I can’t believe this journey is over?! For 3 months we have been discovering “ourselves” and my oh my what a journey it has been! This book forced me to ask myself questions I had never been asked, and to answer them! I am so thankful for the journey that has only BEGUN through the insight of this book! So, for our final Check -In:

1. How many days did you do your morning pages? Is this a practice you have accepted as a permanent part of your spiritual/personal practice? How was the experience for you?
I did my pages 4 days this week. The other 3 were more like sentences, BUT I did get something on the paper – in my NEW pretty journal! YES YES YES, this will be a part of my daily practice! This experience of journal writing first thing in the morning before my brain engages was very eye opening!

2. Did you do your artist’s date this week? Will you allow yourself these on a permanent basis as well? What did you do? How did it feel?
I splurged this week and did an artist’s date pedicure and manicure. This particular nail salon does “Spa” treatments with lots of scrubs, lotions, oils. The entire experience is very relaxing and the Espresso (coffee) treatment was very pleasing to the senses (smell). I just set back with my eyes closed and enjoyed the fragrance, the spa music, the water fountains splashing…..ahhhhhhh. And YES, I will continue an Artist Date every week.

3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
YES – earlier this week I was at a book store. I was trying to find a book about Yoga (which is something I have discovered that I LOVE, although I’m a beginner and my poses are not that “pretty” YET). I saw an older than me lady carrying a magazine that said “Beginner Yoga” and approached her to ask her about where she found it. We then got into a lengthy conversation about how Yoga had helped her in the past. She had not been doing Yoga for 10 years, and was going to get started again. Bingo – Synchronicity. Found the exact magazine/book I was looking for in less than 5 minutes!

4. Share one of your Tasks you did.
Number 8 – I AM going to write the story book which is actually a story line I would tell my son when he was about 6 or 7. I would make up a continuing story each night. Now, it’s time to delve into my memory and reconstruct/ create new and get them all onto paper!

Somehow, I accidentally got a week ahead. So I had to go back and work the REAL
Week 10!
We will be back on schedule, so this week you are reading Week 12 Recovering a Sense of Faith.

1. How many days this week did you do your morning pages? Have you recommended morning pages to anyone else? Why?
I did my pages every day this week I even bought a very pretty journal book to continue writing. I finally decided to ditch the spiral notebook! AND, yes, I was discussing these pages a few weeks ago with my son. He is going to start doing them (after finals) so I purchased him a new journal as one of his Christmas gifts.

2. Did you do your artist date this week?
I did an Artist Date – Home Spa Day (one of my vacation days). I actually did two days. Nothing but pure relaxation. It was absolutely the most WONDERFUL thing I have done for myself in months – heck, probably years. Spa music all day, eating fresh fruits and broths, learned Yoga, home facial, pedicure, candles, nap, rest and RELAXATION. I also spent time writing, journaling and started working on a book.

3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
YES, we had a catastrophe this week. Had to do some quick rearranging of furniture and I was frantic trying to find where to put my heirloom china – as I really didn’t want to put it in storage. I opened a kitchen cabinet I don’t use often, and found that 6 weeks ago ( I forgot I did this) I had cleaned it out -so I had the perfect space I needed!!!

4. Discuss one of this week’s Tasks.
#7 Plan a week of nurturing yourself ( I used THIS WEEK!) This actually happened in perfect synchronicity with a blog post I read about
“using the guest towels”. A women expressed how she used her worn out, holey towels for herself, when perfectly beautiful guest towels were in the guest bathroom. That was only used maybe once a year.
I thought about that, and thought about how many things of my possession were saved for “special” occasions – and how I should treat myself.
1. We use an eclectic supply of plastic cups around our house – this started back when our son was small, so that if a glass was knocked off or over, it wouldn’t break. Here he is NOW in college, and we STILL use the cups. SO, I threw them all away except for a couple (for when working outside) and pulled down all the glassware I haven’t used in years.
2. Remember the heirloom china? Well, It’s getting USED because every day of living life and BREATHING is SPECIAL!
3. I threw away all my holey “foundation” wear and Santa bought me an early present.
4. I let myself have 2 days of doing nothing but things for MYSELF. It was all about ME. Not to sound greedy, but it was the first time in probably 20 years, lol.
5. The 2nd day of Home Spa Day
6. I spent 30 minutes of listening to relaxing music and watching my fish. All quiet except for music and the serenity of just watching. NO THINKING ALLOWED. Just WATCH. It was …WONDERFUL.
7. Tonight, I pull out a box of yarn I bought last year – and I am going to learn to CROCHET! The plan is a scarf!!

2. Did you do your artist date this week? Have you considered scheduling an Artist’s Day?
I bought a little artist’s kit and am going to doodle around with some artistic abstract creations today.

3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
We pass a building every day driving in to work. We pass this orange Texas University Longhorn car every day driving in to work. We have seen that this car pulls in to that building every day. My husband assisted at a funeral this week, and low and behold if the man who drives the car wasn’t at the funeral (a neighbor of the deceased). He took me to meet the man at the building – who happens to be the VP of the company. A VERY creative company! We are going back later this month for a tour of the facility.
I thought it was a pretty cool synch =) (the company is Wooten Metals in Dallas TX http://www.wootenmetal.com/ )

1. How many days did you do your morning pages?

5 mornings!

AND, the Weekly tasks this week were GREAT! Imagine my surprise when she finally gave us permission to read our morning pages! What was your impression with yours? I noticed that I started out being very whiny, lol. I complained alot about getting up so early – and the pages were disjointed. Then something clicked about the 4 or 5th week. CREATIVITY started pouring out. Business ideas, personal breakthroughs. THIS was the week that I really realized how far I had come in the 9 weeks and truly realized THIS book has brought about changes in my life!!!

2. Did you do your artist date this week? Have you kept your emphasis on fun?

YES, Last night – Thanksgiving night. I went on a walk with my son’s dog and could hear the roar of the crowd as the A&M and u.t. game was going on! The air was clear and crisp, the stars were bright and the dog and I had a wonderful time romping and running along! It was WONDERFUL.

3. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
Artist Date has still been a struggle for me – PLANNING something has not worked and it’s been impromptu events that ended up being my Artist Date. WELL, I was looking on my son’s bookshelf this morning and came across a book called PLAY. I’m borrowing it from him and will return in December. WONDERFUL book that explains from a Psychological and Medical reason why we need FUN and PLAY in our life, even as adults!!!!!

THEN, the new guy started on Monday – which is part of a reorganization at the work place. I have been struggling with this – as it means relinquishing some control I have had for 10 years. THEN, today when I got home from our trip I found this email from Dale Carnegie website in my Inbox!

http://www.dalecarnegie.com/lead_nurturing/tips/tips.jsp?tipid=230&keycode=LNTipCal11.09&franchisee=912260

LIFE IS WONDERFUL ~!!~

1. Name ONE of the tasks you did – and share WHAT you did!
This week’s tasks were FUN! Number 5 was “different” for me.
I came home from work, and put on my favorite silky white blouse that I usually
save for other times that wearing AT HOME. I then put on a funky necklace then…
I did my Artist’s date (see question 3)

2. How many days did you do your artist’s pages? Have you daydreamed some creative risks.?
I missed 2 mornings. One was beyond my control (awakened by husband at 4a with the announcement that a snake was in the house)

3. Did you do your artist’s date this week?
I tried my hand at Youtube and created a little intro piece for my website – stepping WAY out side of my box! It was FUN!!!!

4. Did you experience any synchronicity this week? What was it?
Yes Yes YES!!!!!!!! I was going to call a meeting with my job boss on this coming Monday – to explain to him that i could no longer function under the work load that I had endured for the past 2 years. He was going to be out of town all this week and then in meetings all day Thursday and Friday. BUT, Thursday he popped in my office to tell me that he had HIRED A PERSON to take over one of my major tasks so that I could begin concentrating MORE on the job that I was suppose to be doing some my promotion in March. SNOOPY DANCE SNOOPY DANCE HIGH – FIVE!

1. How many days did you do your morning pages? How is this experience going for you?
This was my worst week and I feel I cheated myself. I only did pages 3 times. There are excuses, but that’s all they are – EXCUSES. The main thing is the realization that these pages have become very important to me. They have helped me to work through issues, have realizations, and progress in self development.

2. What did you do for your Artist’s Date? Have you considered doing two ?
Again – EXCUSES. This week was at times did not appear to be in my control. I suppose if you count sitting alone for 45 minutes today and enjoying a show that I DVR. It was not creative in any way- except to try to sit in a way that was not painful to my sore muscles, lol.

3. Did you experience Synchronicity this week? What was it?
Yes – but it’s hard to explain. So I’ll just say , YES.

2. What did you do for your Artist’s Date?
Hubby was so sweet. He let me explore shops and galleries. I was able to have a quiet weekend with HIM, but he let me have several alone times with myself.

3. Did you experience Synchronicity this week? What was it?
I had several moments while we were on this trip. Folks just opened up to me out of no where – sharing with me their problems (bored job, needing extra money, enjoying little home businesses, etc) I was doing lots of talking, and wasn’t even trying to “find” folks – they seemed to be just coming to me.

4. Were there any issues this week that you consider significant for your recovery?
I had an “aha” moment while we were walking the trail up The Enchanted Rock (outside of Fredericksburg, TX) . Well, we were actually hiking up the rock like mountain goats. I paused long enough to catch my breath- and had this overwhelming sense of glee and happiness that “I AM going to achieve my goals (business and personal) and that ME ME ME WILL do it. I AM taking daily steps EVERY day and it WILL happen. I then had big tears well up, but then broke out in a HUGE grin … I then continued ahead to catch up to Hubby…and suggested that maybe only half way would be a good trip this time…the group of college kids passed out up ahead on the slope acted as an indicator that 2 40-somethings that haven’t hiked up such a HUGE rock/mountain, without proper footwear may want to reconsider. We had fun walking back down and seeing the different perspectives of the rock. Everything looked different coming down the mountain – and we passed a growth of grasses that had HUGE amounts of butterflies fluttering around! I LOVE BUTTERFLIES so I attempted to take some pictures.

2. What did you do for your Artist’s Date? Well, I ended up not watching Dead Poet’s Society LAST week, so I watched it this week! It was very inspirational! CARPE DIEM!

3. Did you experience Synchronicity this week? What was it? Actually…YES. I had a task removed from my job , out of the BLUE, no warning, they are giving it to another department/area. FINALLY, some things are coming off my overloaded and stressful plate at the JOB! Last night, hubby and I went out to eat…and when they brought us our meal “compliments of the chef and the house, here is a platter of Mongolian Beef”. Lunch is served for today, lol!

4. Which Task did you do? Time Travel – number 2 and number 3. These were “hard” emotionally…made me do some soul searching .

5. Did you Deprive yourself from Reading this week? How long? None? SHARE!:)
This was HARD. Some tasks of my job, well, a LOT of my job entails reading – and there was no way around it. BUT, my personal life – I reduced it by 50%. I didn’t read any of the various forums I read. I ONLY ready FTR Forum. I ONLY read this book. I think I STILL have twitches from reaching to grab something to read, and then slapping my hand, lol.