Do you ever feel this way? I often feel that there is so much that I still need to learn, but there simply isn't enough time to get it all done. This leaves me feeling less than grand and the cycle of frustration continues. I have been realizing lately that I, Tamikka, information junkie, need not continue to cycle of frustration. What am I going to do with all of the information that I think is so necessary to leading the ultimate life? Really. How much information does it take to lead the life that I want? I have to say that I am still trying to figure it out, but I am also realizing that it is not quite as much as I once thought. I don't need to know everything that is going on in the world. I don't need to know what Lindsay, Britney or Paris is doing to live out their existence. I don't need to know what star is about to explode. I don't need to know the latest discovery in science. The funny thing that I realized (thanks Tim Ferriss) is that I will find out the information that is important through other people. There is always someone available to us that will give us the knowledge that they feel is imporatnt to our lives. I'll let them spend their brain units on it. :)
If I don't need to know that stuff, what do I need to know to live the life that excites me? This is a better question. Instead of wasting hours clicking, reading and gathering unnecessary but fun information, where do I need to spend my time? In developing my relationships, my career and my health. This feels like I could actually have enough time to do the things that will ultimately bring me to my desired life. I will be applying the information that I have spent so much time gathering and put it to wonderful use. Then, I will not feel that the time already spent was in vain.
This leads me to another point: Why am I an information junkie? I think that this is the easier question. I never wanted to look "dumb/ignorant/stupid". When someone says, "I'd die of embarassment" that would be me. I have always had a problem with feeling embarassed, "called out", ridiculed for something that I didn't know. I don't know where or why I picked this up. One possible answer is that I tend to be an observer of life. I see where/why people are ridiculed and I never wanted to feel that way. I was always highly empathetic. I took on what I THOUGHT others felt and were thinking. Did I truly know? Nope, but I THOUGHT that I did.
Well, I feel like I am making some headway and I like that idea. I'll be keeping track of my progress with my "low-information diet".
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
The Tears of Deeksha
Today, I had an incredible experience. I met with my Power Team that meets monthly. We are a team of people brought together by a common experience: an Anthony Robbins event. We are a group of go-getters, do-gooders, and everything in between. We met today to experience deeksha (blessing) facilitated by members of the Oneness Movement.
There was about 40 people in a relatively small room. We sat on the floor, on mats, on furniture, any place that we could find. I knew that I was going that my back was going to get tired either way, so I chose to sit on the furniture for at least my legs would be okay.
The session began with a little background on deeksha and the Oneness University. We watched about 15 minutes of a video program that was presented by a journalist and ended with a message from Lindsay Wagner. She shared the effect of deeksha in her life. It was simple, yet profound. She was transformed to 'see' again and found new appreciation in her familiar surroundings.
We began our process of receiving deeksha by closing our eyes, focusing on our breath and the opening ourselves to the divine power (God, Buddha, Christ, Supreme Being, etc.) There was soft, beautiful music in the background. We were just to remain open to our divine power and breathe. Each facilitator would come around the round and bless the participants by placing their hands on our heads.
I closed my eyes and opened myself up to God. I breathed and worked to focus only on my breath as my mind is always racing. I found that as I tried to concentrate, my thoughts would turn to the facilitators walking about the room. I knew that trust and removal of resistance were available to keep me from fully experiencing the process. There was not much sound so I didn't know what to expect. I began to get nervous when I realized that there was someone next to me receiving the blessing. "Uh oh, stay calm, don't shake...wait, quiet your mind, focus on your breath, don't worry about them..." This is the kind of torture that I was placing on myself before I had my first experience. Then, it happened. The person moved nearer to me. I could sense them and the lighting changed in front of my eyes. I began to breathe more conscientiously. I began to relax and then, I felt warm hands on my head. It was amazing. The heat penetrated my scalp and began to coat my body. The image in my mind began to change. I didn't see much except organic shapes. I was able to relax and focus. This lasted for about 30 seconds before the person gently removed their hands.
I experienced 3 more people laying their hands on me. Each person had a unique touch which resulted in a unique experience.
We ended the first session by sharing some personal experiences. Some people had some amazing occurrences, others had something more ordinary. I was pleased that I was soon able to quiet myself and relax into myself.
What I noticed was that I had little expectation for the outcome which left me happy in the fact that I was able to enjoy the quiet. I also realized that it felt as if my soul had peeled away from my internal body. It was as if I was swirling around inside myself.
We took a short break and began again. This time, we were to receive an experience of gratitude. I just kept picturing moments with my nieces. It caused me to smile. They always bring the most joyous moments in my life. I was now eager to receive new "hands". This time, I was relaxed and calm immediately.
I received a deeksha where the person touched my head and then moved to my face. It made me smile. That touch provokes such love in my heart. The next person actually touched my heart first and provided such a rush that I began to cry. I wasn't sure if it was due to joy or sadness. I had one single tear trickle down my face. It was powerful. I felt more open than before. I was calm. I was present. A dog began to bark. Normally, I would have wanted to dog to be quiet so that I could concentrate. This time, I just was able to 'be' with the dog barking and still stay focused. It was a new moment of experience for me. Wonderful!
So, I found out that there is deeksha each Friday in my city. I am excited to be able to continue the work to provide more moments of peace within myself. I look forward to developing more knowledge with deeksha and spending time with the wonderful facilitators.
There was about 40 people in a relatively small room. We sat on the floor, on mats, on furniture, any place that we could find. I knew that I was going that my back was going to get tired either way, so I chose to sit on the furniture for at least my legs would be okay.
The session began with a little background on deeksha and the Oneness University. We watched about 15 minutes of a video program that was presented by a journalist and ended with a message from Lindsay Wagner. She shared the effect of deeksha in her life. It was simple, yet profound. She was transformed to 'see' again and found new appreciation in her familiar surroundings.
We began our process of receiving deeksha by closing our eyes, focusing on our breath and the opening ourselves to the divine power (God, Buddha, Christ, Supreme Being, etc.) There was soft, beautiful music in the background. We were just to remain open to our divine power and breathe. Each facilitator would come around the round and bless the participants by placing their hands on our heads.
I closed my eyes and opened myself up to God. I breathed and worked to focus only on my breath as my mind is always racing. I found that as I tried to concentrate, my thoughts would turn to the facilitators walking about the room. I knew that trust and removal of resistance were available to keep me from fully experiencing the process. There was not much sound so I didn't know what to expect. I began to get nervous when I realized that there was someone next to me receiving the blessing. "Uh oh, stay calm, don't shake...wait, quiet your mind, focus on your breath, don't worry about them..." This is the kind of torture that I was placing on myself before I had my first experience. Then, it happened. The person moved nearer to me. I could sense them and the lighting changed in front of my eyes. I began to breathe more conscientiously. I began to relax and then, I felt warm hands on my head. It was amazing. The heat penetrated my scalp and began to coat my body. The image in my mind began to change. I didn't see much except organic shapes. I was able to relax and focus. This lasted for about 30 seconds before the person gently removed their hands.
I experienced 3 more people laying their hands on me. Each person had a unique touch which resulted in a unique experience.
We ended the first session by sharing some personal experiences. Some people had some amazing occurrences, others had something more ordinary. I was pleased that I was soon able to quiet myself and relax into myself.
What I noticed was that I had little expectation for the outcome which left me happy in the fact that I was able to enjoy the quiet. I also realized that it felt as if my soul had peeled away from my internal body. It was as if I was swirling around inside myself.
We took a short break and began again. This time, we were to receive an experience of gratitude. I just kept picturing moments with my nieces. It caused me to smile. They always bring the most joyous moments in my life. I was now eager to receive new "hands". This time, I was relaxed and calm immediately.
I received a deeksha where the person touched my head and then moved to my face. It made me smile. That touch provokes such love in my heart. The next person actually touched my heart first and provided such a rush that I began to cry. I wasn't sure if it was due to joy or sadness. I had one single tear trickle down my face. It was powerful. I felt more open than before. I was calm. I was present. A dog began to bark. Normally, I would have wanted to dog to be quiet so that I could concentrate. This time, I just was able to 'be' with the dog barking and still stay focused. It was a new moment of experience for me. Wonderful!
So, I found out that there is deeksha each Friday in my city. I am excited to be able to continue the work to provide more moments of peace within myself. I look forward to developing more knowledge with deeksha and spending time with the wonderful facilitators.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Faster Goal Achievement
I love Steve Pavlina. He has a website named "Personal Development for Smart People". He has about 500,000 visitors to his site each month. I'm lucky if I have 5. LOL I digress. Anyway, what I love about his site, messages and podcasts is that he uses all of the methods that he presents on his site BEFORE he writes about them. Having a personal testimony is always a bonus in my book. He also writes on many different topics and introduces many people to new ideas. It's great.
One of my favorite tools that I got from Steve's site is a "30-day practice". Did you know that it takes about 28 days to make a new habit? Most of us usually are gung-ho during the first week or two and then fizzle out by the end of the third week. Hmm, if we could just stretch it out for a few more days, we might have made it a habit. What I also love about the 30-day practice is that he gives us permission to 'trash' it if it doesn't prove to be something that benefits our lives. How silly of me to think that I, an adult, needed permission to say, "No thanks." to a personal goal? Yes, it's true and I am sure that I am not the only one.
Another topic that he shares is faster goal achievement. He shares that it is easier to achieve a goal if we already identify ourselves as the person who has achieved the goal. He encourages people to brainstorm the 'side effects' of being that person.
What will be different about my life when I reach my goal? Identify the side effects.
Then, he suggests that one starts closing the distance between the side effects and where you are now.
I thought about this. When I am at my healthy weight, my persona is different, my actions are different. I hold my body differently. I exercises daily without it being a chore. I look forward to it. I crave better options. It's who I AM, not what I struggle to do. Hmm...
So, WW has been going great. I have lost almost 7 pounds since re-starting 2.5 weeks ago. I have an official weekly WI, so that's what I use as my weight. I was proud of myself for having a loss even with it being TOM. This week has been a little strange since it has been TOM. I have wanted to eat more throughout the day. Luckily, I have stayed within my points regardless of what I have eaten. That is a great feeling. That's what I love about the WW Flex Program. It allows for the flexibility that I might need during these times of the month.
My training for my half-marathon has being going okay. I am having a hard time doing my 'during-the-week' training, but my long days are no problem at all. I wonder if it has anything to do with having a clear mind and no competing priorities (free from work, commute, etc.) It's also done at my favorite time of day, mid-morning. So, my remedy has been to just do what I want during the week and get my long training in on Sunday. It is my only "MUST". It is so much more enjoyable to me. This weekend, I have a six-mile training session.
Financially, things have not been the best. Thank goodness for having my Mary Kay business otherwise I wonder if I would make it through the month. I definitely am experiencing "more month than money" syndrome. I have scaled back on all the unnecessary things in my life. I don't have satellite and haven't had it in a year. I don't eat out often. I stopped all magazine subscriptions. I just can't seem to get on top of it all. I also don't want to work just to pay bills either. I need to enjoy life too! Ugh! I am trying to figure out how I can increase my income is a smart way, pay down the bills and add to my savings/investments. That is one good thing that I am financially proud of, I do have investments that are doing well. I'll make it. I just needed to vent. I'll have to utilize Steve's faster goal achievement method to change this experience of my life. Now, what are the side effects of being financially free...?
One of my favorite tools that I got from Steve's site is a "30-day practice". Did you know that it takes about 28 days to make a new habit? Most of us usually are gung-ho during the first week or two and then fizzle out by the end of the third week. Hmm, if we could just stretch it out for a few more days, we might have made it a habit. What I also love about the 30-day practice is that he gives us permission to 'trash' it if it doesn't prove to be something that benefits our lives. How silly of me to think that I, an adult, needed permission to say, "No thanks." to a personal goal? Yes, it's true and I am sure that I am not the only one.
Another topic that he shares is faster goal achievement. He shares that it is easier to achieve a goal if we already identify ourselves as the person who has achieved the goal. He encourages people to brainstorm the 'side effects' of being that person.
What will be different about my life when I reach my goal? Identify the side effects.
Then, he suggests that one starts closing the distance between the side effects and where you are now.
I thought about this. When I am at my healthy weight, my persona is different, my actions are different. I hold my body differently. I exercises daily without it being a chore. I look forward to it. I crave better options. It's who I AM, not what I struggle to do. Hmm...
So, WW has been going great. I have lost almost 7 pounds since re-starting 2.5 weeks ago. I have an official weekly WI, so that's what I use as my weight. I was proud of myself for having a loss even with it being TOM. This week has been a little strange since it has been TOM. I have wanted to eat more throughout the day. Luckily, I have stayed within my points regardless of what I have eaten. That is a great feeling. That's what I love about the WW Flex Program. It allows for the flexibility that I might need during these times of the month.
My training for my half-marathon has being going okay. I am having a hard time doing my 'during-the-week' training, but my long days are no problem at all. I wonder if it has anything to do with having a clear mind and no competing priorities (free from work, commute, etc.) It's also done at my favorite time of day, mid-morning. So, my remedy has been to just do what I want during the week and get my long training in on Sunday. It is my only "MUST". It is so much more enjoyable to me. This weekend, I have a six-mile training session.
Financially, things have not been the best. Thank goodness for having my Mary Kay business otherwise I wonder if I would make it through the month. I definitely am experiencing "more month than money" syndrome. I have scaled back on all the unnecessary things in my life. I don't have satellite and haven't had it in a year. I don't eat out often. I stopped all magazine subscriptions. I just can't seem to get on top of it all. I also don't want to work just to pay bills either. I need to enjoy life too! Ugh! I am trying to figure out how I can increase my income is a smart way, pay down the bills and add to my savings/investments. That is one good thing that I am financially proud of, I do have investments that are doing well. I'll make it. I just needed to vent. I'll have to utilize Steve's faster goal achievement method to change this experience of my life. Now, what are the side effects of being financially free...?
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Titles are back!
My last post doesn't have a title. It's not because I didn't have one. It's because it wouldn't let me give it one. How strange. But, I see that the title function in up and running just fine.
So, I am still enjoying my WW and points program. I did find myself looking for something to graze on these last few days. What I realized is that I am about to start TOM. I was SO hungry yesterday after I got home from work, but dinner for my sister's birthday wasn't until 6 (1 hour), so I ate three random things: 1 dried mango slice, 2 crackers from a 100 cal pack and a bite of fruit. Then, I dove head first into laundry and dishes. It did the trick. Instead of blowing a whole bunch of points on snacks, feeling guilty, then missing out on a wonderful dinner, I gave myself some quick snacks and got into action. This is definitely something that I would not have done if I was not following a program. I would have snacked on large quantities of all three things and STILL had dinner. Yep. It's true. I like this tactic better and it only cost me 1 point.
At dinner at my mom's house was delicious. I planned to have ribs, rice, beans and salad. I neglected to think about birthday cake. So, I used some WPAs. I ate 11 extra points, but I had them available to me. Dinner was a success, I was satisfied and was NOT stuffed. Another meal conquered with pleasure.
On Tuesday, I was only craving ice cream and something salty and crunchy for dinner. Fortunately, I have WW Smart Ones Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough portion-out desserts available in my freezer for 3 points. I had one of those and a portion of Ritz Chips for 3 points as well. I was hungry after my Mary Kay meeting, so I enjoyed 1 point of honeydew melon. Gosh, the melon is SO good right now.
I am very proud of the fact that I have journaled all of my food intake using the WW e-tools program. I know that when I journal, I am successful in weight loss. I have been planning my day ahead of time the night before and packing my lunch. It creates for ease in my morning and allows me to stay on track. I love when I pack more food than needed for the day and end up leaving it at the office or taking it home for another day. I know that my eyes are still bigger than my stomach. LOL
I am already feeling "thinner" than just a week and a half ago when I started the program. I pulled out a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in a month to wear today. They are still snug, but I wanted to remind myself of the mental success that is necessary to win the physical battle. My head is in the right place and I am enjoying it. I am looking forward to more 'releasing' on the scale.
So, I am still enjoying my WW and points program. I did find myself looking for something to graze on these last few days. What I realized is that I am about to start TOM. I was SO hungry yesterday after I got home from work, but dinner for my sister's birthday wasn't until 6 (1 hour), so I ate three random things: 1 dried mango slice, 2 crackers from a 100 cal pack and a bite of fruit. Then, I dove head first into laundry and dishes. It did the trick. Instead of blowing a whole bunch of points on snacks, feeling guilty, then missing out on a wonderful dinner, I gave myself some quick snacks and got into action. This is definitely something that I would not have done if I was not following a program. I would have snacked on large quantities of all three things and STILL had dinner. Yep. It's true. I like this tactic better and it only cost me 1 point.
At dinner at my mom's house was delicious. I planned to have ribs, rice, beans and salad. I neglected to think about birthday cake. So, I used some WPAs. I ate 11 extra points, but I had them available to me. Dinner was a success, I was satisfied and was NOT stuffed. Another meal conquered with pleasure.
On Tuesday, I was only craving ice cream and something salty and crunchy for dinner. Fortunately, I have WW Smart Ones Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough portion-out desserts available in my freezer for 3 points. I had one of those and a portion of Ritz Chips for 3 points as well. I was hungry after my Mary Kay meeting, so I enjoyed 1 point of honeydew melon. Gosh, the melon is SO good right now.
I am very proud of the fact that I have journaled all of my food intake using the WW e-tools program. I know that when I journal, I am successful in weight loss. I have been planning my day ahead of time the night before and packing my lunch. It creates for ease in my morning and allows me to stay on track. I love when I pack more food than needed for the day and end up leaving it at the office or taking it home for another day. I know that my eyes are still bigger than my stomach. LOL
I am already feeling "thinner" than just a week and a half ago when I started the program. I pulled out a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in a month to wear today. They are still snug, but I wanted to remind myself of the mental success that is necessary to win the physical battle. My head is in the right place and I am enjoying it. I am looking forward to more 'releasing' on the scale.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Four is a magic number...this weekend at least. I am very happy to report that I lost 4.6 lbs during my first week on Weight Watchers. I have been journaling my food intake and finding that my choices are leaving me satisfied AND experiencing weight loss.
During the WW meeting, the discussion was about plateaus and what truly constitutes a plateau. A weight loss plateau is when you are doing everything "right" and the scale is not moving. I have been here. It was miserable. I actually had a plateau that lasted six months. I finally realized that I was going at my weight loss "too hard" and found that by easing up, the weight started coming off again.
Some of the suggestions for breaking the plateau in WW are:
During the WW meeting, the discussion was about plateaus and what truly constitutes a plateau. A weight loss plateau is when you are doing everything "right" and the scale is not moving. I have been here. It was miserable. I actually had a plateau that lasted six months. I finally realized that I was going at my weight loss "too hard" and found that by easing up, the weight started coming off again.
Some of the suggestions for breaking the plateau in WW are:
- Switch from Flex to Core (or vice versa)--this allows your mind and body to get different types of foods and gives your brain the ability to experience the "new"
- Increase your activity--Some people do the same thing day in and out. Your body adapts and makes it more difficult to experience a loss. That's why I love programs like TTMembers where you continue to grow your program as you grow in strength and ability.
- Try new foods
- Chill out!
The leader, Linda, shared this funny and insightfully quote on advice
"Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't." --Erica Jong
I also did 4 miles on Sunday during our 'long' run. We really did a walk/run session. The time to complete was 56 minutes. I really wanted to maintain a 4.0 mph average time. Mission Accomplished. Last night, I was pretty sore so I had Matt give me a massage. He ended with some chi work. It felt like I had Icy Hot on my back. It was incredible. He had to "remove" some energy because it was too warm. I told him that I have a "magician" for a boyfriend. He laughed.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Ooooohhm...
Sitting at my desk, enjoy some cantaloupe (I love melon.), looking forward to lunch with my friend/co-worker at my favorite Vietnamese restaurant. It is hot here, but as I always say, "It's never too hot for soup...It's never too cold for ice cream." It was hot here yesterday. 100 degrees hot and I enjoyed a bowl of Taco soup with a Smart Ones chicken quesadilla and a small bowl of salad for dinner. It was yummy.
I am dropping off her re-order and showing her the new goodies. One of the new goodies is our body collections. I am wearing our lotus and bamboo collection today. Here is what the advertising says: The blue lotus flower and majestic bamboo inspire this collection. Breathe in the clean, crisp scent. Each of the products contains antioxidant-rich extracts of blue lotus an
d passion flower to help shield skin from damaging free radicals. And carefully selected ingredients nurture your skin to help keep it healthy-looking and beautiful.
d passion flower to help shield skin from damaging free radicals. And carefully selected ingredients nurture your skin to help keep it healthy-looking and beautiful.Let me just say that it smells so clean and FRESH. It is so light and understated. Matt didn't know that I had it on and said, "Wow! You smell great." I love scents and often wear my favorite Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (which he loves), but never gave me the same reaction.
I have a couple of models that I will be working with this weekend. It will be a lot of fun.
This weekend is my first official weigh-in (WI) for Weight Watchers (WW). If I WI tomorrow, it will be for 5 days, so not a full week. I plan on being a regular Saturday morning attendee unless my schedule does not allow for it. I am excited to see my progress. I took a sneak peek at it showed a 3 pound loss and put me in a new "decade".
Last night, I just started reading "Time Traps" by Todd Duncan. Within the first few pages, I had a feeling that this book was different. It is about how much time we waste doing unnecessary things. I'll let you know what I think after I am done. It looks like a quick read. Hopefully, I can get through it this weekend.
This weekend, I have my long run/walk for my half-marathon training. Matt already did his regular workout today, but still has his long training on Sunday. I hope that we can do it together. I am going to squeeze my training in before meeting with my client.
It's good to be here today.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Proud as A Peacock
I am so proud of myself for checking off some major items from my "to-do" list. I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting and completed my e-tools information. I purchased my shoes for my half-marathon training and performed my first scheduled workout (3 miles). I am in the process of getting the last major item completed: my home office. Yikes it was terrible. Now, it feels decent. Soon, it will be perfect!
I have a closet in the office that needs to be purged. There are old sweaters, pullovers and jackets. I probably only wear one or 2 items, the rest I will donate. Freed-up space!!
So, going back to WW was great for me. I know that success is mine as long as I stay mindful of my actions. I weighed in and it was not good. At least I didn't gain it ALL back. LOL
The past day and a half have been full of food shopping and planning. It is still fun for me to do all this stuff. I can't wait for my first weigh-in. I know that it will be much better than yesterday!
Off to complete my list...
I have a closet in the office that needs to be purged. There are old sweaters, pullovers and jackets. I probably only wear one or 2 items, the rest I will donate. Freed-up space!!
So, going back to WW was great for me. I know that success is mine as long as I stay mindful of my actions. I weighed in and it was not good. At least I didn't gain it ALL back. LOL
The past day and a half have been full of food shopping and planning. It is still fun for me to do all this stuff. I can't wait for my first weigh-in. I know that it will be much better than yesterday!
Off to complete my list...
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