I do not normally intend to publish a post
this close to the last one. I very much
enjoy spinning ideas in my head. This
blog allows me to share those thoughts with an unseen audience. I did state in my first blog that this
process is about changing who I am.
After 61 years of spinning, it has crossed my mind that ideas that stay
in your head aren’t terribly productive. Thus periodically I will update you on
what if any practical changes result. Perhaps someone out there might recognize
something that helps them or my family can keep up on what’s happening to me. To
separate these updates from the normal blog, I will keep the above title
changing the number as appropriate
I actually started my spiral spinning last
year. 60 was a significant number for
me. My parents were 60 when they
suddenly looked old to me. To be fair,
it was at the age of 60 that my mother was diagnosed with kidney failure –
might have had an effect. Shortly after
my 60th birthday I decided that was not going to happen to me. Who
after all wants to admit that the body might be getting old?
My first response was to diet. I had put on way too many pounds after an
accident. Generally diets don’t work for
me. I have epilepsy and one of my
triggers is too little food. Diets as we
all know like to start with a sharp reduction in calories. I found Beyond Diet. Beyond Diet showed me how to eat vegetables
and enjoy them enough to do it regularly.
It also told me to stop stressing about what I was eating. Small enough ideas but they allowed me to
lose approximately 30 pounds. I have not
quite got down to where I would like to be but I have the tools, I’ll get
there.
A few weeks ago, I started a 30 day
meditation challenge. Way back in the
past, I had actually taken a course in how to meditate. Don’t know why but no matter how many times I
read about how to meditate or even tried it, the concept never took. The course didn’t take either. In that case it was because at the time I
didn’t believe I had an imagination. The
course director’s route to meditation was to imagine a light travelling through
my body. This time I said to myself I
like to walk. There is a type of
meditation called mindfulness that involves walking and breathing. Let’s try it. This way seems to work. Over the period I have been doing it, I have
experienced the state of freedom from my constantly running, usually negative, thoughts. I have discovered that certain positive or
helpful thoughts arise during these periods. Surprisingly when I meditate my
body aligns itself and everything slows down a great deal. I also find myself now meditating at other
times: gardening, driving (yes I am aware of what is happening on the road –
maybe more so), bathing and even blogging.
A double lily after the rain
in my garden
After yesterday’s (July 25) blog I asked
myself, how does that equation apply to me.
Specifically my body wants a new home, the security of having that home
paid for as well as my husband’s and my future assured as well as some for my
children; my mind wants a connection with other individuals both to share and
help while my spirit is concerned about the link between the spiritual world
and practical world and most importantly how to help others who are on their
own spiral. A primary challenge with all
of these is obtaining the money that will allow it.
Two things then followed that. The first was that I came across something I
had written in 2005 which suggested using significant numbers in my life. That led me to wonder what those numbers
were. Eventually I realized that every 7th
year in my life something significant has happened to me that further developed
my personal self. On top of that the
year of my birth adds up to seven, the day of my birth adds up to 7 and I was
married in 77 when I was 25 (7). How
that will play out in my life I don’t know.
Last night I dreamed about a person I knew only in high school. Her name
was Elaine Schleen. She had a sister Carol and a brother David. At the time we all lived in Erindale
Woodlands. In the dream we were about to
go travelling together. I wonder what
happened to her. Marilyn Turner was the
other significant person in my life then.
Wouldn’t it be weird if after a lifetime as adults they were to read
this? These people impressed me at the
time because they chose to live in the way they wanted. I was way too scared to do that.
I am intrigued by the flower that blooms in its own time
Writing this I have noticed in every case,
success has come when I was following my own reasons for doing something and
generally following my own advice. Said
advice has come after years of reading about something but in the end it has
been my opinion not someone elses' that was effective.
I would love to know if any of this hits a
chord with anyone out there.
Take care of yourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment