Days 6-7 Collection

Day 6: Your plans should reflect your values.

This memoir was given to me by my supervisor, Nola. We were meeting in her office, and discussing the leadership retreat she had attended this past weekend. And she asked me: do your plans reflect your values? 

And then she counted the words and realized she had said a six-word memoir. It was cute and she said she enjoyed reading mine. We talked about the process of creating one, and then journaling about them as I'm doing now. She and I are very much alike in how we live our lives spiritually; in how we mean to be intentional and lead meaningful lives day by day. 

So to answer her question- do my plans reflect my values? I think they do. I value equity and equality. I value compassion and love to and for others. I value kind words, thoughtful messages, and genuine smiles. I want to work in student affairs and/or mentoring. It all relates. I want to see a happier and more equitable world. I am living and working towards doing my part. That's my passion. That's my work's mission. 

What's yours?

Day 7: It's like vacation in a cup!

Definitely more light-hearted than my other memoirs but this was said by one of my lovely board members last night. We were having dinner with President Freund and she mentioned her favorite mixed drink and described it as "vacation in a cup!" How exciting!

Vacation in a cup! What a thought.. it made we wonder.. how could you bottle up your best vacation and place it in a cup to take with you to work each day? What would that look like? Is it a memorabilia? Is it a note? Is it a six-word memoir like these posted on your bulletin board? Is it a picture? How do you take the happiness you experienced in one area of your life and translate it to all?

When you find out, let me know.

Days 4-5 Collection

Well.. life got busy and I wasn't able to update this as I would like, so here's the compilation over the past few days.

Day 4: Weekends are no longer my own.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory. I had great dreams of taking the weekend off. Doing nothing all day Saturday and Sunday, the only plans were making pizza with Diana. All that changed in a matter of 20 minutes on Friday. Two meetings were scheduled; one from 8-11am and another from 12pm- until. We lasted till 7pm. And then we had a follow-up meeting the next morning (yes, I work on Sundays now) at 9am. What happened to rest on weekends? There is no such thing anymore. I have to be incredibly intentional about how I spend my time, and when I say yes or no. I have taken on a lot of responsibilities, which I'm quite positive I can handle.. but man if it doesn't scare me. 

On Friday, I think my body just gave out. I had operated at 95-100% all week that when it came to Friday, I just gave out. I had no motivation and no energy. I had an evening meeting on Friday, that I was just a mess. A silly, entertaining mess because I was sooo tired. I was falling asleep by 9am. I woke up the next day at 8am still tired.. I can't be like this this year. Luckily, this Friday I had no major projects to complete. However, if I don't pace myself and pay attention to my body, I may have the unfortunate outcome of being too tired on a day when I need to be performing at 100%. God help me.

Day 5: Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.

I went to church this morning....

For the first time in months. I had a 9am meeting that ended around 11am and I passed a church that started at 1130am. I had been a couple times to this ministry and probably won't go back, but it was nice. Not feeling like a wretch... while I was there.

I do need to find a church home. If I'm not careful, CGU will be just like NCSSM.. a bubble that I can't get away from.

Day 3: Lessen the Excess Chatter in Life

Early August, I noticed on my car rides to work that I was continuously changing radio stations, not satisfied with any of the music playing. Occasionally a song would come on that I'd jam to (90s-00s hip hop, Carly Rae Jepson, Beibs As Long As You Love Me- judge me not), but for the most part, I was never satisfied. One day, I was so fed up that I did the unthinkable.. I turned off the radio. I've done it before for lent (gave up listening to music) but that was years ago. This seemed different. It was a quiet ride home but I realized I wasn't annoyed. Score one for me!

Jump to the following week- it's two weeks until move-in day, and the Chaplains Office is offering RA Orientations. Rabbi Daveen begins talking about the meditation sessions offered on Wednesdays and I'm intrigued. I've come to think of my silent car rides as something similar to meditation. Calming.

Last week, I challenged myself (I'm all about challenges) to take a break from all the noise, and just listen. Granted I was on day 2 or 3 of no music in the car, and my tv hadn't been turned on since the weekend but this time I wanted to be intentional about it. I was intentionally lessening all the excess noise and chatter that clouded my mind. I had/have enough going on from a day to day basis, why add more? Especially when it annoys and frustrates me?

So now I'm on week two. It's been an interesting. A couple times this week, on the last five minutes of the drive, I'll turn on the radio to see what's on and it's still the same thing. Me flipping through stations. So off it goes. I suppose I could put in my ipod, but even that's used rarely. When I run, I go solo. No ipod. No headphones. It's safer that way.. but it makes me listen to my breathing, take notice of my surroundings. I feel like my senses are on overload because for once.. I'm not closing myself off to the outside world. I'm allowing every part of me to really listen to every part of me.

This is my meditation.

Day 2: I'm Where I'm Supposed To Be

It took me awhile to think of one today. I actually woke up trying to figure out what would be my six-word memoir for the day. A bit obsessive? I think so. I typically do this though.. when I'm starting on something new, I'm in it 100%. It's after the shine has dulled that I lose my intensity. Anyway, I thought of this memoir at work while I was at the Chaplains Office. It just came to me. It wasn't that I was particularly happy to be doing what I was doing.. I just felt content. I do remember waking up thinking, I'm the most content I've been in years. But I didn't quite know how to phrase that in six words. And then it came to me.

I'm where I'm supposed to be. Exactly where I'm supposed to be.

I can't describe how comforting it is to know that I'm in the right place. In the right space. I've always felt like I was just passing time, going back as far as high school. Nothing felt right. Nothing felt soothing or foundational. But I move to California... it's in the air (minus the smog). I just feel like the me that's always wanted to be, finally has the room to be. It's like finding the perfect size slipper or eating the right temperature porridge. Finally, my happy ending is in sight!

I say in sight, because I'm not there yet. A happy ending would be a happy and blessed marriage, children, a career that I love, friends I adore near and far, pets, and a healthier and more spiritual me. I'm no where near that.. but I'm getting close. It's like I was lost and finally, I'm starting to recognize the landmarks.

Exhale.

Six-Word Memoir 30 Day Challenge (Day 1)

I've been intrigued with the six-word memoir since the NASPA conference in February. It was a meaningful activity that I took away and occasionally find myself trying to sum up my day or week in six words. This past week I decided to google the six-word memoir to see where the idea started. SMITH magazine was the first to start the project and from there, it's become a national project similar to Post Secrets and FOUND.

In keeping with the spirit of meditating, and being mindful about my daily actions, I've decided to start the 30 day six-word memoir challenge. My hope is to post it on facebook each morning, and "journal" about it here or in my private journal if I don't feel like sharing. When I journal, I don't really pay attention to punctuation or grammatical rules. I type as I talk. In short and sometimes, incomplete sentences. Deal or move on. :)

Day 1: I am not a morning person.

It's pretty self-explanatory but this morning, I woke up at the God-awful time of 630am. My sleeping schedule has been all over the place these past two weeks, but in particular today, I had to rearrange my schedule to accommodate an evaluation workshop. I had grandiose plans of waking up at 630am (which I did) and go swimming (which I didn't). Instead, I just stayed in bed thinking.. I am not a morning person. And then I counted, and it was like providence. Six words! BOOM as JP would say.  It's not that I don't like mornings.. I enjoy them a lot. And even when I woke up at 630am, it wasn't like I was pressing the snooze button. I was alert and very conscious.. I just didn't want to get out of bed.

Life is so Good

Yesterday (Saturday), I hiked Hermit Falls (see my new blog, Big Girls Do (not) Hike for a review and some pics). Even though it was one of the harder hikes I've done, I think I did quite well. I didn't stop as much or as long. It was encouraging to see how my body has not only adjusted to the long runs, but my spins and hikes as well.

Today (Sunday), I woke up thinking this is going to be a long day. I had three meetings planned that should've lasted 3-4 hours each. Luckily, that didn't happen. My morning meeting started late when we decided to get breakfast. We only met for an hour and some. Then my afternoon meeting only lasted two hours because one of the team members couldn't make it. And my evening meeting was rescheduled. So I came home on a Sunday around 230pm with nothing pressing to do. So I hung out with my new roommate and her sister. Drank Blue Moon and hung out in the pool. Then I took a nap with my new roommate and her sister outside.. near the pool. It was the perfect way to spend a summer Sunday.

I just can't get over how wonderful life is.. sometimes change is the best thing that can happen to you! So embrace it.. you never know what the future will hold if you don't. So life is good. No complaints. :)