the evolution of Leni

Running From Your Shadow? [Project Me]

 

It's Groundhog's Day today. It's no mystery that if the groundhog see's his shadow today, he'll retreat back in his burrow for 6 more weeks of winter. Of course the groundhog would retreat out of fear if it saw it's shadow; it's shadow knows everything. Just think about. It follows him everywhere. It experiences everything the groundhog does. It knows his darkest secrets. If you had to face your shadow you'd probably run and hide as well! Who want's to confront their past when they least expect it?

As such, it seems like the perfect day for another Project Me.

 

 

WEEK 14: Running From Confronting Your Shadow.

 

If you confronted your past, your deepest darkest secret, how would you feel? Like a weight lifted off your shoulders? Like the weight of the world was dropped on top of you? Either way, it's never good to run from your past. 

Take a moment, think about your past. What is your deepest secret? What are you running from? Seize the day. We're at the start of a beautiful New year. A beautiful New Year for a beautiful new you. Take every chance you get to be your happiest. There is no better peace in life, than to be at peace with yourself.

Start by making a list of things that are unsettling to you. Things from the past. Things from the present. Confront each fear one by one. Tackle on at a time. Overcome it. Know that you are one step closer to inner peace and total happiness. Take a moment to smile and think about all of the good things in life. Then tackle the next item on the list.

You can find help and ideas here if you are having trouble tacking a particular issue.

Please don't run. Confront and overcome whatever it is -- you'll be thankful you did in the end.

Do it because you're worth it. Never doubt that. Never second guess yourself. You are worth it!

May inner peace be with you always.

 

2011 Resolutions [Project Me]

It's been over a year since my last Project Me post. Hopefully these will be a little more regular this year. HAPPY 2011!

I chose not to make New Years Resolutions, not because I can't keep them, but because I choose to do my resolutions with lists that coincide with my birthday. But most people choose to make resolutions around the New Year. It is not about when you choose to make your resolutions, but what the resolutions are and whether you will achieve them. Resolutions should be positive and attainable and taken on with hope and optimism.



WEEK 13: RESOLUTIONS

Our society puts a lot of emphasis on a new year: new beginnings, new starts, new makeovers, a new you. But keeping a new years resolution is far from easy. Did you know that less than 8% of people are able to keep and attain their resolutions all year long?!

Don't set yourself up for failure before the you even start! Here are some tips to think about when coming up with a New Years Resolution that you CAN keep:

• keep goals realistic
• be flexible on completion dates
• maintain a positive attitude!
• be open to help from others (Find your support network!)
• find ways to stay motivated (Your support group can help with this!)
• find ways to hold yourself accountable with flexible completion dates
• Think BIG, but start small. Smaller goals with flexible completion dates towards a bigger goal are more attainable.

If you already have a New Years Resolution, go back and make sure you are not setting yourself up for failure. You can always change it a little to make it more attainable.

Some good new year resolutions you can adopt:

• Have a more positive attitude. (Complain less.)
• Save $___ dollars each month. Or, save 5% of my paycheck.
• Find time for me (even if it is only 5 minutes) everyday.

Go on and make 2011 a year for a better you!

On a personal note, I chose not to make New Years Resolutions, not because I can't keep them, but because I choose to do my resolutions with lists that coincide with my birthday.

A Giveaway to Celebrate the end of 2009

I love journals. I use them to write important lists, like my 27 before 27, and to write about Project Me or Write Club prompts as well as my own personal daily writings. I have a soft spot when it comes to journals. When I see one that I like, I buy it -- especially if it's on sale. Over the years I have managed to collect two drawer fulls of journals.

I have decided to pick out 5 journals from my collection and give them away. If you would like to win one, just leave a comment below. There will be 5 different winners and you can comment as many times as you would like. I will randomly pick 5 winners and announce them on January 1st. Good luck!

Thankful [Project Me]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm spending today with M and my family. I like that M and I have worked out a deal where we are able to split up sharing Thanksgiving with both our families. Our families are too far apart to visit both on the same day. Last year we spent it with his family, this year it's my family's turn, and so on.



WEEK 12: Thankful

Being Thanksgiving, today is the perfect day to reflect on the things that you are thankful for in your life.

• What are you thankful for?
• Who are you thankful for?

Start off by saying "I'm thankful for ..." and then go into why you are thankful that thing/person. Surprise yourself by how many thankful things you can come up with!

As an extra challenge, you can take it one step further by telling all the people on your thankful list how much they mean to you.

Reflection [Project Me]

WEEK 11: Reflection

"Only when the clamor of the outside world is silenced will you be able to hear the deeper vibration. Listen carefully." -Sarah Ban Breathnach

I'm sure you remember the struggles of having to sit down and come up with a list of 30 things that you are committed to in this life. Take a moment to pull out that list of 30 non-negotiables that you made and ask yourself if you're being true to each and every one of them. [If you have not made a list, refer to this post on how to create your own.]

If you find that you're having trouble or struggling with any of the items on your list, find a way to be held more accountable. Perhaps you need to print out the list and post it in places where you will always see it. You can even create a daily check list where you score yourself on how well you did that day. Don't forget that there are always people around you (a spouse, friend, family member, etc.) who can help. Figure out what works for you and how you can be your best self. With time, you will learn to live your list.

Remember, you will be happiest when you are being your true authentic self. When you uphold and live up to each and every item on your list, you are being your true authentic self. Take the time to revisit your list and to live each day as your best self.

Past Project Me prompts can be found here.

On the Road Again

I'm driving back up to Fresno with my sisters for the weekend. I seem to have misplaced my ipod, so hopefully either Lex or Timms will bring theirs. Otherwise it will be a long, boring 4 hour drive there and 4 hour drive back!

I realize that I have not been good at regular weekly postings for Project Me. I am going to try to get things going with that again. If you have an idea or something you'd like me to discuss, feel free to email me at ilovemyleni(at)gmail(dot)com. As always, Project Me requests are kept confidential; I will not post your name on the blog.

While at The Brass Monkey (a karaoke bar) last night, I saw this video. I think I love it because of the balloons in the beginning. Embedding is disabled for this YouTube video, so you'll have to click here to view it. It's worth seeing, I promise.

Isn't this story about a dying six year old cancer patient so touching and sweet? She hid little messages all over the house for her family to find after she passed away.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Image from here.

Out with the old. [Project Me]

This post is a good transition from my vacation photos and this is why. There is this magical 3 week rule when it comes to vacations. It takes 1 week to adjust to the new time change and get settled in. During the second week you finally start to relax. But it's that third week that is so important; that's when something special happens. You begin to reflect and question things about your life. And just like clockwork, when week 3 hit of our vacation, I was reflecting on everything in my life. I decided that it's time to de-clutter my life. Some of my de-cluttering is mental, and some of it is a lot of junk that I've accumulated over the past 26 years of my life.

The plan is to go through my childhood room and clean out all of my old stuff. The last time I was home at my parent's place, I took 3 bags of old clothes to goodwill. Yesterday evening, I filled 3 more bags of trash and another 4 bags of clothes and items for goodwill. You'd think that after all that I'd be done, but I'm far from it.

The problem is that I have a lot of stuff. After I graduated college, I moved back home for a little bit before starting grad school. Then, after grad school I moved back home again before moving to LA. And now that I'm unemployed, all of the contents from my last apartment has been divided between M's place, my parent's place and my sister's place in Irvine (where I'm currently staying). So, as you can see, I have accumulated a LOT of things between each move, especially here at my parent's house.

Although I hadn't initially intended this to be a project me post, I haven't posted one in awhile and it is related. So here it is:

WEEK 10: De-clutter.

Clutter doesn't just take the form of a mess. Your brain, emotions, life, etc. can all be cluttered. Take a moment to assess what parts of your life are cluttered.

"Holding on to anger is like holding on to a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned." -Buddha

What is cluttering your life? How can you "clean" it up?

What can you do be more organized?

Is there anything that you're keeping in that holding you back? How can you let it go?

*As always, feel free to email me at ilovemyleni(at)gmail(dot)com with any topic that you would like to see in the "Project Me" sections. I promise to keep everything private.

Short term vs. Long term [Project Me]

"I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly." -Oscar Wilde

WEEK 9: Short term vs. Long term

I had several emails from people wanting more information about last weeks Project Me yoga activity. It's called Bhavana. If you would like some more information about it I suggest this website. If you click on the "articles" link, Robert has a lot of great information there. I've met him in person and have studied under him a little bit. He's pretty amazing. I definitely suggest reading some of his articles if you're interested in learning more about yoga.

"Life is an eternal quest about knowing oneself." -Unknown

 

There is only one person who knows what's best for you, and that's you. Sometimes it's okay to reach for that cupcake that is calling your name, or to go out on a date with Mr. Afraid-of-commitment, but if you always act on impulse and never take the time to determine what is best for you, you will end up unhappy and with some extra unwanted pounds or, worse, a broken heart. The next time you crave something that could possibly cause you grief, be sure to ask yourself the following:

• Is this good for me?
• Does this feel good? Does this feel right?
• Is this what is best for me in the long run?
• Am I doing this for short term pleasure or long term gain?

When you find that you are acting on impulse and leaning towards short term pleasures, ask yourself the following:

• Why am I doing this?
• Is this what is best for me? If not, why do I continue to do it?
• How can I change my patterns to stop my impulsive ways?
• Who do I have around me that can help me stop my self-destructive ways?
• What is the root problem and reason that I am doing this?

Long term gain is what we all should be striving for. By long term gain, I'm talking about sustained happiness. Not temporary happiness that comes from eating a brownie, or from buying a new dress, etc. Make daily decisions that honor yourself and, as a result, your happiness. Do what is best for you. Put yourself and your happiness first. If you don't do this, no one else will.

Past Project Me prompts can be found here.

Take 5 [Project Me]

The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time. -Abraham Lincoln

 

WEEK 8: Take 5

[Today's project me was inspired by M.Writes' last Write Club prompt and by my yoga background.]

 

May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future. -Unknown

 

Thinking positively has a huge impact on your current mental state. In yoga, there is a practice that involves taking a future event and describing it as though it has already passed. You use the past tense and describe everything in detail.

Considering my current state (jobless and homeless), it will be difficult to go on vacation to Greece with M in a week without the stress of wondering what I will be doing with my life after we get back. As silly as it sounds, this exercise really helps control my anxiety about the unknown future.

Here is an example:

M and I just got back from Greece and we had an amazing time. During the first week, we were able to explore the beautiful ruins, historical sites, shopping malls and museums together in Athens. We then spent two weeks island hopping and enjoying the sandy beaches and beautiful sea views.  Every night we would go out hand-in-hand for a walk together. Not once was I worried or stressed about returning to California because I was given a job offer just days before leaving for Greece...

You get the point. 

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. -William Allen White

Take the next 5 minutes to either talk out loud to someone or journal about a future event. Don't forget to describe it as if it had already happened. Be sure to be positive and specific with the details.

All previous Project Me posts can be found here or by clicking on the appropriate link in the categories section on the right hand side of my blog.

Reflect or Catch-up, you choose. [Project Me]

WEEK 7: Reflect or Catch-up, you choose.

“Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
-Peter Drucker

Due to the fact that I'm moving and busy packing boxes, there is not a new Project Me prompt this week.

Instead, take this time to go back and reflect on your journaling/writing from the past 6 weeks. If you're a little behind in the prompts, you can use this time to catch up.