Do you have grit? I imagine that most people like to think they do, but maybe I am projecting, because I want to be gritty. I can point to numerous situations in my life that have called for grit, times when I persevered. There have also been times when I quit. Times when I dropped one goal for another, games I lost, balls I dropped. Does that mean I don’t have it? This post is a sort of two-fold review. I listened to Angela Duckworth’s book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. It has been on my list for Read More
Tag: Given Context
Untamed: Building a Coalition of Cheetahs
Back to my original question: What do I want to say about this book? I loved it. I was on the waitlist at the library, but when a friend starting sharing about it, I had to buy a hardcover version also. I have so many notes, highlights, bookmarks. There was only one thing in the book I disagreed with, and that is more an issue of semantics. The love-at-first-site narrative and “my sexuality is Abby” raises a few red flags for me, but I also kind of relate. I have referred to my own sexuality as “hetero-monogamous” because when I’m Read More
Finding My Calling, Parts 2 and 3
A few months ago I wrote a post covering the first four weeks of my journey through The Calling. I said it seems like a short amount of time to uncover my calling if I didn’t know it by now, but I also said I would have to do the work. That first four weeks, I did the work. After that, maybe not so much. Maybe it was putting my post out there and saying it that caused me to stall. Maybe it was the shift to working from home due to COVID-19. But here’s the thing… I might have Read More
First Quarter Review 2020
What the actual…? We are at the end of the first quarter of 2020. It’s time for an update on my dreams, plans, and goals for the year. As I prepped for 2020, I promised myself Freedom. Three months in, where am I? More or less confined to home, along with the rest of the WORLD. That’s right: coronavirus, COVID-19, social distancing, quarantine, work from home… it’s a whole new world. How does one work towards the goal of Freedom without leaving the house? Let’s contemplate that and see if I was able to accomplish anything in the start of Read More
Crawdads in Context
I imagine you know what it feels like to be overwhelmed. Everyone living today knows the feeling, and I might be biased, but I think this is especially the case for women. The past several months have been my busiest time of year at work and there have been extra complications that made this year’s process more stressful. Add the fact that I was getting a divorce and dealing with a lot of personal stuff (stress) and that I am leading a book study of The Calling and participating in one for Warrior Heart Practice, and I’ve fallen behind on Read More
Finding My Calling
I am working through a twelve week course that is a scientific approach to discovering my calling. Everyone is supposed to have a calling but they don’t all have to be about saving the world. Maybe doing your “true work” is your own way of saving the world, no matter what that work is. Your calling might be to help people learn about native plants or to create a safe space for children or to see how high you can jump. The old saying goes: “Choose a job you love and you’ll never had to work a day in your Read More
FREEDOM 2020
Why Pick a Word? Do you pick a word or phrase as a theme for the year? I don’t remember how long ago I started picking a theme word, but it might coincide with when I started using the Rituals for Living Dreambook and Planner. I love this planner so much. I really feel like it helps me stay focused on what is important and helps me make plans to achieve some things that might just fall under “that would be nice” or “someday” if I didn’t have a system for dreaming and planning. My theme word for 2019 was Read More
2019 Annual Review, Decade Review, Turning Point
It’s the end of another year and the end of a decade. Last year I wrote my first Annual Review on the blog, and I am sticking to the same format this year with a little expansion for looking back at the decade as it draws to a close. As they say, this year has been a real humdinger. Right this moment I find myself in a sort of “grey space,” and in-between state. I’ve mentioned it before, and for now, it persists. This exercise will help me see that there is balance between the highs and the lows – Read More
Once Upon a Time, It Was the End of the World
We are coming to the end of the year. It’s the end of a decade. If you are as old as me, you might remember twenty years ago when many thought that the world would end at the turn of the millennium. We partied like it was 1999, and then we had to get up the next morning and carry on. Actually, I was sitting home alone watching the ball drop on TV. About 30 seconds later, my future 2nd ex husband came running in asking if he made it. Nope. Thus my millennium started with a “men will disappoint Read More
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
I love the holidays. I love seeing my aunts, uncles, and cousins and being reminded how lucky I am to come from a big family. What I don’t love is coming down sick the day after Thanksgiving when my workload is insane and I really can’t take any time off. At least I don’t have to worry about spreading my disease when I’m the only one in the office. In an effort to ensure I am not spreading the plague, I went to see my doctor. In true doctor fashion, he asked me a lot of questions, but my favorite Read More