Recognize the strides

On the heels of my restlessness—see “Circumnavigating discontent”—I do recognize the strides I’ve achieved along the path toward self-discovery. I’m slow to anger and less hurried, fearful and guilt-ridden; more in tune with the present and accepting of my weaknesses; filled with greater appreciation for life in its myriad ups and downs, as well as a deeper understanding that change triggers more—and better—and that we all have something within our hearts spurring us on. For me, writing is the catalyst (view “Preparing for Extreme Weather on the Jobsite,” recently published in Construction Superintendent eNews). Finally, an observation that every person we meet can teach us something—about the world or about ourselves—and that we are separate parts of one whole. A girlfriend shared that ‘uni’ means one and ‘verse’ is song. Which translates into each of us contributing our one-of-a-kind music notes to the universe, a collective symphony of light and love. At least that’s my hope.

What strides have you taken lately?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

An exercise in self-discovery

 

In my post, “Living in the ‘ah-ha’ moment,” I share my insights about enjoying the journey with no attachments to the past or future. Throughout the last two weeks, I’ve put this concept into practice—in my writing, my job and my relationships. Pertaining to my daily writing habit, I prefer to work on more than one project. This way, I can pick and choose what to work on depending on how I feel in that moment. I might opt to ramble in a blog, experiment with poetry, explore character development or draft a contest essay. For my job, I chart each day and manage the tasks as I go, adjusting as needed contingent on priorities. And in my relationships, I exercise a ‘go-with-the-flow’ mindset. This includes a spur-of-the-moment trip I booked to fly home and play catch up with family and friends. I’ve discovered that living in the ‘ah-ha’ moment is my favorite place to set up camp.

What have you discovered while living in the moment?

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

A mountaintop experience

[Image credit: Michal Marcol]

Last night I met up with a girlfriend and four other women on a southwest desert mountain where we enjoyed sprawling views, a cardio workout and I learned a few things.  First, it doesn’t seem to matter that I hit the gym six days a week.  Hiking — uphill and on uneven and rock-strewn paths — is vastly different from spin class or lifting weights.  Additionally, wearing a headlamp is a practical way to remain hands-free, as well as make a bold fashion statement among your peers.  I also realized meeting new people not only can lead to new friendships, but you may even discover you have more in common than a mutual love of the outdoors.  (Speaking of which, I never really considered myself an “outdoorsy”-type person, but it turns out I can count on more than one hand the number of activities I delight in beyond my typical four walls.)  And while the sun set in the desert, blanketing the six of us in dusk as I thought out loud next to my hiking partner, I learned I can be happy and content while I’m in this new season of self-discovery despite frequent detours to the waiting place.  I’m definitely thinking a regular meet-up with this group of hikers is in order because I, for one, have so much more to learn.

Where do you experience your best epiphanies?