I have thought about meditation a lot this month. My sister-in-law wants us to take a class/workshop together on how to properly meditate. So far, we haven’t found anything short-term.
Why do I feel I need meditation? Well, don’t we all need it to stay centered in our lives? I’ve researched online programs for meditation and…well, just need another outlet for my emotions. I’ve read in articles how meditation and prayer have a subtle difference; I wish to discover this difference for myself.
There’s much to look forward to this year, because I’d already established from the end of 2010 that 2011 is going to be momentous.
A few things I’m looking forward to:
– Moving (again) to Colorado for business school
– Spending more time with my family
– Running my first races (5K/10K)
– Submitting writing to more lit mags and contests
– Refreshing my memory with Spanish and Japanese
– Reading all my Kindle books and my business-school prep books
And so much more…a year of learning, a year of growth.
There’s never really a moment of rest, it seems. In this past month, I’ve seen myself go on quite a roller-coaster ride:
– Feeling stuck and unsure of the next step
– The next step is revealed to me through my graduate admission
– Finances and interim location are discussed and cause for me to over-think
– The dust settles and I’m still pondering.
That’s just how it always goes. And at times the pace goes so quickly that I forget to post during the week. My weekends again fall on Mondays and Tuesdays, so I’m usually away from the computer on those two days. Or, if I am at the computer, I am highly distracted by my Twitter feed.
At least in this past week I have been back to writing again. I’m currently working on a short historical fiction piece for a client; not exactly a genre I dabble in normally, but it’s good to try something different. I met with a fellow writing friend today and felt empowered/motivated just sitting next to her, typing away on my AlphaSmart. I really should be more mobile with my writing sessions–after all, it’s good to change the scenery a bit.
I’ve also been working on a new 101 list to start on October 1; I had started my first 101 list on January 1, 2008, and although I lost interest in my list at the end of that year, as I near the 1,001st day of that list I see that I still managed to achieve many of the goals I initially listed on that first day. So, October 1 will mark a new cycle of 1,001 days for me. So far, these goals are more focused than my first list, and it pleases me to see how I have matured over the past 2.75 years.
I wonder if I should make a new blog to write about my new goals or if I should just mention them all on this blog. I have a tendency to get too distracted if I have too many projects to work on. I suppose blogs aren’t too hard to keep up, but the frequency of updates sometimes gets me.
Well, onward towards another weekend for the rest of the world.
This week, I’ve heard the phrase “be happy but be practical” a few times. I am supposed to take a day off from my thoughts somehow, but of course, the question is: How do I shut off my brain?
I’ve been writing goals for the next few years and I feel a tug from both sides of myself: one side saying “You can and you will achieve these goals!” Then, the other side says, “Sigh, didn’t you have these goals down awhile ago? And you still haven’t achieved them. You never will.”
Yes, there’s that saying that says we’re our own worst critic. The Inner Critic in me is not just for my writing–it likes to criticize everything about my life. That I’m not good enough for the things that I really want. It’s tiring to have to battle this all the time.
Of course I know I could just shut the Inner Critic up and just go with the flow. I have done that before. But during times of immense change, all I hear are the nagging words within me.
I suppose for the weekend I shall retreat from these thoughts and just go about my daily deeds with no concern.
I was unable to meet the deadlines for a few contests and literary magazines last month. Oh well, try again next time. However, I have discovered a few others that I am sure to enter these next two months. More time now due to less travels.
Did some goal setting yesterday. Realized a few things about myself that I was afraid of addressing before. It helps to address my values and really think hard about concrete goals. I was using lululemon’s Goal Tender website and it talked about long-term goals (10 years in advance) as well. It was frightening for me to think that far in advance, but I suppose I should prepare nonetheless. The future comes rather quickly anyway.
So far, September has been off to a healthy, fit start. I hope to have more walks and gym time this month. The summertime was rather erratic with scheduling time for friends and walks since I was working on classes all summer. My priorities must shift now since there aren’t any classes to fret about.
Also, NaNoWriMo is less than two months away now. This year I will participate again and I will make it a point to complete my draft. I still have two unfinished novel drafts to work on; 2009 was a good year for writing, but spurts of time messed up the rhythm. This year I’ve focused more on short stories, which is probably a good thing for me so I’m at least writing and not stuck.