Friday, December 8, 2017

What to speak of when speaking is monitered, censored and licensed?

 Firstly- Happy Birthday to the love of my life.

The idea of creating a blog post several times a month is a lovely one. Especially after so much time.

I honestly enjoy the process and find it to add depth and breadth to the professional and personal work of understanding of myself.

So while doing research on some of the best techniques to use for building a website, I came across the strategy of adding to a blog to highlight what you're doing... I instantly thought of the blog I keep for myself. Would it be so awful to spend time reflecting on the week's work and consider it an important part of my new private practice?

Did I mention I'm going into private practice?
Did I mention it's been brewing for the last several months and has only now been blossoming into a new little seedling?
Have I mentioned I facilitated my first Mindful Art group this week and was very uplifted by the support I received by the group members, family and friends?
This is all happening and I'm very encouraged by the ease with which it is happening.
It feels like I am prepared for whatever comes and I have a firm foundation with which to send my message.
Thus far, the response to my message has been very positive. And although I am aware of some of its criticisms, I believe I have to faith and courage necessary to accept them and move on with them regardless.

I know at my core that I am doing what I was put on this earth to do. This is my path.
And I know not many people can say that with confidence. But I can. And I am eternally grateful for it.

So that brings me back to what topics I might choose to explore in my blog that would be relevant for newcomers to this potential website...
There's always looking at examples of what others are writing.
What I've noticed thus far is that they tend to be uninteresting though...
I'd want to showcase the happenings and artwork of my clients, although I would definitely need plenty of permission and definitely need to scour the ethical codes and practices for ERVERYTHING.
However, I think it would definitely be worth it.
Me talking about my art process isn't as powerful as a showcase of how the art therapy process surprises its creators pretty much every time I hold a group.

I definitely have to look that up... If I can't discuss these important things then there has to be some other way to make a blog relevant on a professional page....

We'll see what we can come up with then...

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A review of months surrendering to the force

Although there may be one or two people who are aware of this blog, the purpose and its existence remains the same, which is very comforting.

After several years I am continuing to explore my inner world and awareness and hope to continue until the day my body ceases to function.

Over the last 10 months my life has taken a significant turn. Reviewing it month by month may help to clarify it for anyone interested and for myself especially.

2017- An Important year
     In mid 2016 I began a gratitude journal in which I wrote out at least three things I was grateful for every single day. It's a practice I still continue today. Every month I write out some intentions and goals I'd like to work on and at the end of the month I write out a little review to see how I did. At the beginning of the year I wrote out "I believe this one [year] may be a really important one for ourselves and our families."
     In addition to this I made the commitment to read 10 books this year. By the end of January it became evident that this goal was very modest.

January- I broke down and firmly decided to quit a job that was making me miserable, no matter what the cost. I'd spent the last couple of years working for an agency I didn't believe in that was also severely stressful and draining my energy both emotionally and physically. January 22nd- I made a resolution to move on. January 23rd- I had an interview scheduled. January 27th- interview complete. January 30th- I was offered a new job. The universe works quick. Books= 9

February- Finally left the old job and began the new one. At this point in time my spouse and I were under the impression we would be moving to Asheville NC in the summer. Therefore I was also working diligently to acquire a counseling license in NC. My spouse was also going through a doctoral comps process that I was doing my best to support them in. Books= 8

March- I settled into my new job nicely this month. I was preparing for an important exam for my NC licensure application. My mother and brother visited and helped clean out some clutter in my basement that was weighing us down. Books= 5

April- This month was much more important in transitioning me to new levels of awareness than I ever thought at the time. I had completed and passed the exam, although plans to move were quickly becoming less and less feasible given the job market in the NC area. I also made the commitment to become a vegetarian. I had dabbled with the idea for several months and felt certain enough to follow through. In my gut (no pun intended) I felt certain that if I wanted to continue to grow, this was the next step for me, although I didn't fully understand it at the time. Books= 7

May- I was inspired to attend my first Reiki session this month. This experience has laid the ground work for much of the changes in my life. I've become open and an active participant in my own spiritual awakening because of this. Love was a priority this month in many respects. Books= 4

June- The motto for this month was "The Universe is expanding." I began going to weekly meditations at a nearby healing center to help facilitate getting rid of the old and make room for the new. This month my spouse and I struggled with money concerns. My work hours had been cut and that was all the income we had at the time. It was definitely a challenge but with the new perspectives we approached the problem differently than in the past, which was invigorating. Books= 4

July- I continued to explore using meditation, books and challenging experiences as guides. I became attuned in Reiki I and looked forward to developing the skill. My spouse and continued to struggle financially in some respects but remained optimistic regardless. We saw many family and friends this month which is a rare and always welcome surprise. Books= 6

August- Thankfully, the streak of having the opportunity to visit with and see family continued. This month I continued my journey and was trained in Reiki II. During this process it also became evident that the supplements and pills I had been taking weren't necessary for every day use, so I stopped. My spouse also got a job, which significantly eased any tensions we had about finances. The eclipse also occurred during this month and marked an important energetic shift for myself and many others. Books= 6

September- The month of September marked a significant birthday for me and challenged me emotionally in many ways. This was a month of transition from the old way I lived my life into a new way of looking at the world. There had been many changes and I would be a fool to assume that the repercussions of those decisions would not have challenging consequences. Books= 6

October- Thus far the month has proven that the changes I have made are beginning to pay off in the form of direct guidance and increased patience. It is easier to make decisions that are in the best interest of myself and others. I feel increasingly supported both internally and from the people I've chosen to surround myself with. Yoga has begun to resurface as a very important element in my life, necessary for the next phase the universe is preparing me for. Books thus far= 2

     Needless to say, I gave up on giving myself a set number of books to read. After 52 (a book every week of the year) I figured this year's number might just be a good benchmark for next. In complete honesty- I only technically read a handful (probably less than 10). I mostly listen to the audio versions during my commutes and at home while doing chores. I highly recommend it for auditory learners. It's my firm belief that my continual urge to learn more about the world and myself helped to fuel the fire so I could continue to make positive changes and more informed choices.

     At this point in time I am extremely amazed at the positive shifts my life has made. It's very clear that I'm doing something right. Although it may not always be easy, there is an ease and a peace that continues to grow and further inspire me to surrender to this process.

     In several months I went from being entirely dependent on the outside world to fulfill my needs and make me happy to creating my own happiness and feeling so personally empowered that it is sincerely hard to imagine how I used to make it through the day, let alone struggle for years.

Some of you may not understand, but I hope some of you do.

I don't think I've ever felt better in my life, about all aspects of my life.

THAT is totally worth a celebration!





Wednesday, June 14, 2017

What if...?

After going at turtle speed, I have learned a few things...

1) All of this goes much deeper than I realized. Years and years and years go by and the struggle is still very much real. If you continue to follow the rabbit hole, it gets much more interesting.

2) My journey is taking me into places I hadn't known I had visited before. Small instances and memories in time come flooding back as AH HA! moments.

3) Faith in your journey and in whatever orchestrates this world comes naturally the more you tune into it.

4) I have a great many feelings about this journey, not all of them great. Fear and doubt are the most prevalent right now, but in an hour or two I may be weeping from sheer joy or relief that another puzzle piece has locked into place and I am so grateful to have experienced it.

5) Writing helps to solidify ideas, so needless to say after spending so much time incubating in the land of abstraction, I am again in need of more concrete ways to make sense of it all.

I don't expect anyone to know of this blog outside of a select few (family and close friends) who know of its existence and are interested in this story.

There have been many days now that I find myself thinking that I literally may be falling into psychosis, although I feel better than I ever have in my life. The reason I say psychosis is because I am beginning to question the nature of our physical world. I am beginning to question what is truly real and what is an ego-based reality we spin to keep ourselves "safe."

In other words, what if we allowed ourselves to entertain the idea that spirits exist? What if we allowed ourselves to entertain the SILLY notion that maybe there is energy in every living thing and perhaps even inanimate objects. After all, the advances we have been making in science, astrophysics and our own experiences appear to be saying these things. Watch some documentaries on Netflix and scan some recently published peer-reviewed articles if you don't believe me. People are researching aura fields, meditation, and energy much more than they used to. Why? Why bother? Because they're finding interesting results... that bring up many more questions than answers.

Is it possible, that in this day and age, the idea of energy medicine- healing ourselves by non-physical methods, can be our "is the Earth round?" moment? Can we begin to see without judgment and experience for ourselves what MIGHT be true and accept that science has its limitations.


There are a lot of questions about the pineal gland. Hell, there's a lot of questions about a lot of things in our bodies supposedly connected to higher spiritual planes.


What I'm saying is that I'm willing to listen.
I'm willing to experience for myself what might be out there, as long as I can be safe while doing it.
And NO I'm not talking about taking crazy drugs.


What if... ?

I'd rather live my life asking "What if?" than saying "I know."



Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Turtle speed

When you go slow... When you go at a comfortable pace... You are able to sustain yourself during even the most strenuous journey. Remember the turtle.
There are no shortcuts. And even if there appears to be some- you would probably do better to continue your own path.
Truth can be found in consistency and deliberate action. Continue to observe- everything.
Everything can be a lesson and bring you farther toward understanding and compassion. Remember the turtle.

I think, at this point, I may be building my shell in preparation to begin the trek in slow motion.


The back of the calendar on my desk at work.
Now it seems like a fitting reminder.


This is an image of the turtle shell I created to remind me that at this phase I am preparing myself and my body for the journey ahead. I will be heading further down the road with a more well defined purpose and the tools needed to be okay in the struggles.

Looking forward to taking this baby for a spin.... Or um... Gentle leisurely ride ;)

Monday, December 8, 2014

New adventures

Terin opens his eyes. The gleaming of the cave seems different. He blinks, clearing more of the haze from his vision. The dark black has been altered to a lighter shade, almost blue? The shining stone that reflected his fire also seemed to have faded. But wouldn't the fire have gone out by now? Another blink. It takes effort to get into a seated position. The cave floor hadn't been any easier to sleep on lately.
What was left of the fire sat smoldering next to him. The grass around it untouched by the flames.
Grass? Terin reached out automatically to feel what he thought to be thick blades of green grass he hadn't seen for months. It felt crisp and also supple. Not like dried blades that had been exposed to long hours of heat.
The air was clean. Almost automatically Terin closed his eyes and took a long deep breath in. Dirt. But not the dirty remnants of animals and worn stone. This was soil. Earth. As he sat with his eyes closed he heard he soft twitterings of finches. Their calm and cheerful serenade lightening his shoulders.
Somehow he had freed himself of the cave system. He didn't know how and at the moment he couldn't be bothered to care. He'd spent months in those dank walls and had almost given up hope he'd ever see the sky again. Every so often he would meet a figure or animal that would accompany him for an hour, a day and then would inevitably disappear. In many ways it seemed like a cruel punishment. Had he deserved to wander the caves? Was there something he needed to do or learn? There were still no answers. And for the moment, none of that mattered.
He lifted his head and with another great breath he opened his eyes to view the lightening of the sky at dawn. The deep blacks and purples were just beginning to blend into lighter hues of blue and pink. Somehow he'd managed it, finally.
------------------

The trek had all but left Terin exhausted. In his enthusiasm he had indulged himself on berries, squirrel and handfuls upon handfuls of clean stream water. He could still feel the cooling sensation it left down his throat. It was like he had been reborn, experiencing life for the firt time. Everywhere he looked reminded him of life and things he had taken for granted. Somehow it seemed magical. Like the same things had been given new contexts and meaning. It was so much to take in that for the first several hours of the day he spent speeding off to each bush and stone, gasping to reacquaint himself. Until of course a swarm of wasps made their presence known and clearly expressed their wish to not be aquatinted with Terin.
While Terin was trying to find a comfortable place to rest for the night he heard a strange noise. Something he was unfamiliar with. He couldn't quite make out what it was so he stopped and stood patiently in the forest. Was something singing? It almost sounded like words coming from the south. Slowly he walked in that direction, curious as I what he might find.
The trees parted ways and before him was a sight he'd never seen. A vast chasm. Sharp ridges lined a dangerous drop straight down. Terin couldn't tell how far it had descended before having to pull his head back until his swimming vertigo cleared. But the song was clearly coming from somewhere in the chasm, it's echoes sending the song deep into the surrounding forest. However the words to whatever was being sung were still unclear.
"HELLO?" Terin shouted down, half expecting the sad serenade to continue without interruption.
Silence.
Wind moved through the trees all around him and suddenly he wished he hadn't disturbed whatever was creating that song. Another few beats of his heart and he began to pick up the soft murmurings again. Okay, he had only momentarily startled it. That was all right.
Terin found himself enjoying the music. The last thing he wanted to do was cause it to stop, whatever it was. For some reason he didn't feel so alone listening at the edge of the cliff. So with that Terin made his bed for the night. The sun was beginning to set and he would need time to gather wood for a fire.
Leftover berries and squirrel satisfied him immensely as he sat next to the warm flames. His spirit hadn't been so light in as long as he can remember. Somehow the time in the caves had cleansed him. Altered him. He wasn't sure how long this beautiful feeling would last but for right now he would enjoy it. As he laid down on the pallet he automatically called out to the chasm "Goodnight!"
The song stopped again, though only briefly. With little hesitation it continued on into the darkness.
What a sad song, was the last thought that floated through his mind as he drifted to sleep.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

How lucky we are

Moving in T-2 days.

Sometimes intuition comes at odd times.

My co-workers took me out for a Quizzo night Monday and as soon as I saw the third place prize, I got that familiar feeling and sure enough, we won third prize. Strange how those things happen.
(Just in case you were wondering it was s book entitled "Stranger than Science" now peppered with what are intended to be the drunk goodbyes of 4 creative arts therapists...)

There have been plenty of instances in which my intuition has gone off. Sometimes I can even call them out and others around me can be as baffled as I am.

FOR INSTANCE- My entire life I've had a feeling I would live in a "C" city.
Almost specifically Cincinnati, Ohio. (Yea, seriously, WTF?!?)
As a kid I remember watching a TV show, set in Cincinnati about a radio show.
 
For some reason it always stuck with me. 
I'm not sure why. 
It's not a particularly fabulous show. 
I mean, it's an 80's sitcom that lasted about 4 years. 
But there was something about it. 
And from what I hear it's not a particularly fabulous city either. 

...Look, I'm just sayin. That's what I hear.

So here's to that random feeling!



 I suppose I'm one step closer to finding "Home."
And that's kind of a big deal for someone who's moved around their entire life.

But what this REALLY boils down to is taking up roots that have been planted for the last 5 years.
And if I'm completely honest, there's a creepy similarity between Cincinnati and this bad boy-
But then again, all cities kind of look alike after a while.

All in all...

My intuition tells me I'll miss it.

A little.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

SOLD

What am I doing...

WHAT am I doing?

It seems this is a question I've been asking myself a lot lately.
The level of attention one must have to complete the daily tasks of a work day seems so much more daunting on limited sleep, elevated cortisol and competing priorities like so many love bugs during "Love Bug Mating Season" on a windshield...
Just for context...

$4500 at least to move our shit across the state... I was shocked! 
Do we really have so much shit that it equates to 4 tons in weight?!? 
WHAT!?! 

And then I start looking around... 
Overstuffed chair- We like it. We got it from an old guy who died. Okay, kinda creepy but whatever. 
Two dining tables with 10 chairs- Well one we got out of necessity and the other was passed onto us because the first was too small and wobbly... and um... we need a 6 person dining table for two people? 
5 Large bookcases- Look, I've tried to convince the significant other to get rid of some... we just keep going to the bookstore for date night, and before you know it one thing leads to another... 
2 Large desks- Well we can't just have 1! That's unfair! We need to be equal. Besides, my art and therapy crap is just as important as history and professor junk!

You get the picture. 
According to the evaluator I artfully crammed a hell of a lot of stuff into a one bedroom apartment.
And according to the significant other we would probably have enough furniture to comfortably fill a 3 bedroom house. 

And what do I think about all this? 
I'm glad we have a basement because I've inherited a kick ass karaoke machine and I'll be damned if that thing is going to waste!




"You might recognize this song as performed by Jefferson Airplane in a little rocumentary called Gimme Shelter about the Rolling Stones and their nightmare at Altamont. That night the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels had their way. Tonight? It's my turn... " - Cable Guy

No but seriously, we were told if we were moving farther away it would be more cost effective to ditch our furniture and buy all new when we got there. 
Seriously?!?

Meanwhile in my head...
1) So now I'm committee chair for a board position in a state I don't live in? Okay. 
2) I gotta get my kids scheduled for this tour. Damn, I have how many days left? 
3) Dinner with supervisor tonight. Will probably be late!
4) Oh! My other supervisor sent me what she wrote in my reference check up!- 
"*** is very articulate in both verbal and written communication. ***'s documentation is timely, concise, and insightful. *** is personable and gets along well with clients, colleagues, and supervisors. *** is quick to identify potential problems and frequently offers suggestions for resolution. *** demonstrates excellent organizational and time management skills. *** is able to work with minimal supervision and produces very high quality work. *** also displays exceptional judgment and decision making skills in all areas of work." 
More than one of those words used is a flat out lie... Thank you!!
5) My house smells like dirty laundry and we just did all the laundry... this mystery is going to have to wait. 
The real 5)  Quick, give shit away so maybe we can afford to move and we can make less money!! 

WHAT ARE WE DOING?!


 
Some day we'll learn. 
But not now... 
6) $4800, WTF! SELL IT ALL!!!