Vision Boards

I had mentioned in an earlier posting that I was going to work on a vision board. I have done many variations over the years. I've had a hard time setting this one up. Oh, you could go to www.oprah.com or my favourite - www.tut.com - and sign up and create nifty vision boards. I have a marvelous one at tut.com. I've taken what I did there and created a small one for my daytimer....all to what seems like little effect ... which is why I think that I am having a hard time setting up a new one in my office.
I did something like a vision board over a decade ago and found it a few years ago. Wow....it was amazing what had actually come to be. What I had done was to take a cheap picture album and as I went though magazines, catalogs, newspapers, etc., I would cut out the pictures and articles that really appealed to me and put them in the album. I must have worked on it for a month, maybe a little longer, I can't quite remember. My life got interesting right around then and the album got filed away. That worked! Years later when I found it again, lo and behold, a lot of the items I had acquired versions of what I had picked. I didn't have the motorcycle though ... it still is lovely to look at and who knows what will happen in the future.
It's so easy to focus on things - a white volvo s60 with a sun roof would be fabulous - but I know that to create the 'things' you need to know what you really 'want' (not necessarily things). I guess that I need to go back and clear up my wants - the deep down ones - make my vision board accordingly, tuck it away and see what happens.
I think that what I am trying to say is to work on finding what it is that you truly want, write it down or use pictures, articles, whatever way you can express you wants and desires .... then let them go (hide/put them away assuming that they will come to be). Hunh! Let me know what happens.

Less than 7 months to go

March has been hard .... I've lost weight and my eating habits are coming around to mostly healthy choices but keeping a positive outlook had been difficult. There are things that I had wanted to do with my free time and somehow I have frittered it all away - like most of my life to this point (told you March was hard!) I'm easily distracted by television, Facebook games, anything really ... part of this is due to the change at my job with the naturopath - hours worked are sketchy and I'm used more as a babysitter than a housekeeper. Very disappointing but it is making me face what it is that I truly want to do with my life....slowly but surely it's coming into focus. I'm not quite ready to share the specifics yet but it won't be long before I'll reveal all.

March isn't a complete write off - my physical went well - no call back for high blood sugar or cholesterol and I have an appointment with a gastroenterologist in early April to set up my colonoscopy and to monitor my colitis. Income tax is done and money is already in the bank so I have some breathing room to start looking for more work for which I am very grateful. A plan, idea, vision for my future is slowly solidifying and an 'onward and upward' attitude is creeping into my being.

For now I will do what I know will get me to where I need to be - eat well, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, increase my daily meditation and expand my social contacts here in Cambridge (time to join something). Phew! April is almost upon us...

8 Months To Go

Last 4 weeks update - things are changing for me ever so slowly but the momentum is forward. I have managed to do 30 minutes of treadmill work 6 days a week for the past 4 weeks and I am starting to feel better. I just finished a "21 days of meditation" challenge and enjoyed it and will continue to explore it's benefits....I'll let you know how it goes next month. I'm much more determined to change my eating patterns. I have removed gluten from my diet for most days - when I do have wheat I notice the difference - I'm mucousy and lethargic. I've switched to goat milk products when I need a dairy fix and it's not as hard on my digestive system as cow's milk .... I'll still have the odd pat of butter(margarine just isn't the same). Next will be sugar - I registered high in candida on my food sensitivity test and when I did the home spit test it confirmed that this is something that I had better deal with. It also explains the constant cravings that I have for sweet things and a ravenous appetite. I will be working with my naturopath on a 60 day cleanse - sugar is my monster and my weight issues will no longer be a problem if I return my digestive system to a healthy balance.
Later this week I'm at my family doctor for my physical and will be sent for all the tests that need to be done - blood work, mammogram, colonoscopy and whatever else she can come up with. I'll be able to check off another box in life's things to do to take care of yourself list.
I've started work on my vision board - I'm using the closet doors that I look at when I'm sitting at my desk - hey... it works. They are the sliding doors kind and one door has the vision board and the other door has my "intentions" - to be healthy; to attract money with little effort; to fill each day with joy and a sense of accomplishment; and to start doing the impossible. It will be interesting to see what comes out of this over the next 8 months.
I've been working part time only and I will have to get more work soon but I feel that I need to take a little longer. January was for resting and deep healing. February seems to be more of the same but "changes" - they are a happenin' and in a profound manner....transformation has begun!

Haunting Melodies

Have you ever been haunted by music? Not in a happy way? I am .... by three of the silliest tunes - Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, I saw three ships, and for she's a jolly good fellow? Give me a break from these songs, please. They pop into my head daily with no reason for being there. I have absolutely no idea why and I'm not sure that I want to know. I'll be taking a shower and find myself midway though "Rudolph". Clean a toilet to the tune of "she's a jolly good fellow"! Make supper while humming "I saw three ships"......help!!! Worse part of all of this is that I don't know how long I've been humming along before I catch myself. The beginnings of insanity? Maybe - I used to say that when I grow up I want to be a bag lady ..... scary n'est pas?
I always have had music running through my head. Normally just background instrumental stuff - melodies with no lyrics. I know when I've been thinking about my mother because I'll start humming something from Carmen - her favourite opera -happy feelings surround me when that starts. No music for Dad - just comfy warm feelings. Maybe I should put a digital piano on my vision board - that might help release some of what's playing in my head.
What to do about my haunting? Really at a loss but I get a feeling that there is a message that my subconscious is sending me. I did find out that Rudolph is the all time favourite song of Ophelia - my new boss's daughter. I am for the most part a jolly good person. Those three ships .... could they be symbolizing my journey? I have divided my quest into three parts - health, wealth and spiritually .... hmmmm. Something to ponder.

9 Months Left

Wow! Where did the time go? I'm midway through the challenge. It doesn't feel like I've accomplished much of anything but I do know better. Amazing things have happened over the past nine months that I could never have dream up .... now I must get ready for the second half which I expect to be outstandingly entertaining.

Has my weight changed? Don't really know but my mindset concerning the food I'm putting in my mouth has. I still have many days where my appetite is voracious but I now know that I need to feed other parts of my life if I want to permanently lessen my appetite for food. Have just about removed all gluten from my diet and will remove cow's milk next. When you start reading labels life starts to get really interesting. Did you know that there is wheat in tomato soup? That threw me for a loop .... got to watch seasonings too (soya sauce - yes -really - I know - some are okay and others are not) .... my bifocals are getting quite the workout trying to read all that tiny print.

Financially I've taken a big step and left my job of 10+ years. I work 2 days a week right now which I really enjoy - I'm also enjoying the rest of the week with nothing on the schedule. I've decided that January will be a resting/healing month for me. It means using some of my savings to meet my financial obligations but the end result will be worth it. I've wanted time for reflection/meditation for a long time and now is the chance for me to do so.

Spiritually I feel at a crossroads .... not sure if I am looking for a more social practice of what I believe or if inner reflection is all that I need. I have the time this month to explore both.

What to do in the next four weeks:
- time to set up a new personal schedule
- finish setting up my office
- start new vision board
- work on short and long term goals
With more time on my hands, I should be checking in more often and posting updates.

Hang on, it's going to be a bumpy ride .... but lots of fun. In peace ....

2010 Review

Well, didn't the year end sneak up on me. It's been a year full of surprises and endings. Changes have been seemingly insignificant but with huge ramifications. I no longer allow myself to hide from the inner game that I have been playing concerning my health. Our scale has finally stopped working which is what I needed to happen since I was so focused on the numbers instead of slowly, daily doing what I know to be healthy for me. I've come to realize that it's not just food and exercise but enjoy the day - every day .... where is my joy coming from? .... time to stop planning to enjoy a future that will never arrive and finding joy and happiness in everyday moments. I am thoroughly bored with my life and it's time to change that. Leaving a job that drains the life out of me is a big step. I have slowly come to a certain understanding about the power of attraction and plan on following up with more direct actions in the coming year. I've been up, down and all around with my finances this year but over all I've tried to keep a positive mind set reminding myself daily that I have more than enough money and it's true - there's even a bit of extra left over these days.
Can't wait for the start of 2011 ..... it's going to be a year of miracles .... I can just feel it! :)

Less than 11 months to go

It's been a month since my last posting and I missed my regular date to update my progress. I can't say that it's because all these interesting things have been happening. It's more the case of lack of focus - letting things slide - maybe even a slight case of apathy. In other words - I've lost my focus. Why? I don't really know. I've had to go back to the beginning of this challenge and go over my notes as to what it is that I truly want. Some how, some way I've let things get out of hand. For example ... a few weeks ago there was this house in the local real estate section. Absolutely stunning - a Queen Anne built in the 1890's - updated and move in ready - 5 bedrooms - under $600,000 - well worth the money. Why not try the using the law of attraction to get that for me and Lynne? I just read "the Power" - sequel to the Secret. I'm pumped - why not me? .....

I can answer that today - because it's not what I truly want. I saw the house that I would like a few years ago when I started checking the local market - it shares a lot of similar features to the Queen Anne but in smaller scale - and it has an in ground pool :) - for half the price (still out of our price range for now). Lynne and I would be happy in the smaller house while I'm not too sure about the Queen Anne. What do I truly want? -to not work for anyone, to have money flowing into my bank account with little effort on my part, to have a home that Lynne and I can make ours and use as a healing space/sanctuary, to be healthy in mind, body and spirit.

I just read what I wrote ... I already have most of what I want. Time to get back to being grateful for what I have because my true wants are being covered .... I just have to keep doing what I'm doing and I know that everything will go from good to great without much effort. The power of gratitude, optimism and love will get me everything that I truly want ... just keep focused on what's important - surround myself with people who love and respect me; keep saying the only prayer that I know "thank you"; keep a positive attitude; and focus on my true wants and needs.

I stopped stepping on the weigh scale because the focus was on whether I gained or lost that week instead of how healthy I was treating myself. It's time to stop looking at the real estate pages and other flyer's that show me what I don't have but should get so that 'my life would be soo much better if I had them'....I've dabbled with vision boards - maybe I should focus on creating one that I can see every day. Will let you know how that goes...