jeni starfish

Things to enjoy today

The Place Mat Game (see April 11th posting) is still working its magic. I find that things on the right hand side are either getting done without much - and in some cases, any - effort by me, or I am discovering that they don't really need to be done anyway. So I'm a convert and I invite you to have a go too.

This morning I wrote my morning pages and focused on things I am grateful for. This is another basic premise of the Law of Attraction and the effect of writing down, for 30 solid minutes, everything in your life that currently makes you feel grateful and happy is beyond words to describe. And words are my thing, so that's saying something, or rather not saying something. I can only suggest you try that too and find your own silly grin to start the day with.

And to bring it back to that blessed TODO list issue...I then found myself heading up today's list rather differently - THINGS TO ENJOY TODAY. There is a blog posting on my "must enjoy" list, and a lunch appointment, and a coaching session and a call with a potential associate about a fun new venture and - well, what do you know, I found myself sneaking on a rather difficult and challenging call that I hadn't exactly been looking forward to. I don't know if it was the effect of the gratitude exercise, or simply that my brain had now got pleasantly confused by my "must enjoy" list and was now framing everything as eternal sweetness and light but I'm not complaining, oh, no, I'm ENJOYING...

What things are you going to enjoy today?

Things I don't have to do today

I've been absent for a week or so and regular readers have been kind enough to miss me and encourage me back onto the keyboard. Some said they would have left a comment to that effect but there was no new post to comment on. I retorted that in that case they wouldn't have had to leave a comment, would they? That shut them up. And probably sent them running for the "unsubscribe" facility...   

So my bend in the road, the one I have just had to put my full, undisctracted attention onto charting out, has left me with a TODO list that is creaking and groaning with its own weight. Help is at hand, for me and for anyone else who is carrying around the mental burden of JUST TOO MANY Things To Do Today.

Keep moving on

Energy is a big thing for me this year. When life is hectic and exciting you don't want to miss out for a minute and I've learned that burning the candle at both ends is a particularly inelegant way to light up a life. So that means self care - getting enough sleep, reducing toxins and eating good, healthy food for starters. I can't say I've perfected all of that but I am making the right kind of progress and it is already paying dividends. And I have become a runner...yes, that's right, I'm running up to be counted. My goal (if I get through the ballot) is the Great North Run in September. That's a half marathon. If I say it like that it seems all glorious and laurel wreathed, rather than the 13 miles and two and a half hours of sheer hard work and endurance it actually is. There's a way to go, literally, since so far in my training I can barely manage 10 minutes of a light jog on the treadmill. But that's better than the 5 minutes I did in the session before that. So I'm winning already.

The running isn't just about physical energy though, and I remembered that when I was faced with an Attack of the Killer TODO List yesterday afternoon.    

101 great questions to ask yourself - No 4

What project, task or goal needs to spend some time in the waiting room?

Life is pretty hectic for me at the moment and as usual I have taken on way too much for the time I actually have available. There are so many pretty, shiny things out there to enjoy that I want it all now. I'm just a girl who can't say no, and were it not for the fact that I have been happily married for two decades (child bride, you see) this endearing trait might well have got me into trouble on more than just the time management front over the years.

Letting go isn't something that comes naturally and nor does giving in. But I do know that energy spread too thinly turns into hot air, so this morning I did a brave thing. I consigned something to the Waiting Room.

The balance that's right now

A big thing for me at the moment is being in the moment. It all started a few years ago with the revelation that is Eckhart Tolle's life changing book The Power of Now and it just escalated from there. Being present, living from right Here and Now (and not in the done and dusty past or the uncertain future) has become so important to me that it is now an essential part of my value of authenticity. I only really tune into the real and genuine me when I am fully focused on the glory, pain and general wondrous messiness of the present moment. Things are more sharply focused; the lessons of the past seem clearer and the goals of the future more compelling. So it's much more than carpe diem - it's how I get a sense of being rooted in the dynamic of my whole life, as with a familiar movie that remains endlessly fascinitating and reveals itself anew with each viewing. And it's the key thing that helps me get balance in my life, because as sure as eggs is eggs, balance changes its meaning for me more often than I changed outfits the other day on my frenzied shopping jamboree.

101 great questions to ask yourself - No 3

Who are you when no one is looking?

Integrity, like all values, is open to interpretation. Think of honour amongst thieves, or the slippery scale of honesty in the political world. You might have been shocked by a friend's definition of integrity displayed in their actions. You might yourself balk at telling even a little white lie where you will cheerfully take an extra five minutes on a lunch break at work. The point is, it's your value and you know the rules. Your inner coach keeps you on track and helps you get with the programme. But it's odd how easy it can be to break your own rules when you think no-one is looking. What on earth is that about then?

101 great questions to ask yourself - No 2

Here's one to keep daydreamers on track:

What am I doing right now that's moving me towards my goals?

Actually, I'm a bit of a daydreamer myself and sometimes that's exactly what is required to move me forward. I get quite a lot of inspiration from staring at clouds on a frequent basis. But I do need to catch myself before the cloud watching turns into an aimless, meandering reverie when there are also exciting, goal-oriented actions to be taken. Knowing I'm getting the balance right for me helps me to enjoy the cloud watching all the more, and appreciate how it provides me with energy to tackle the TODO list. Try asking yourself this question several times a day, and if you don't like the answer, take one tiny and significant action that does move you closer to the results you want. The clouds will still be there for you...