Life's a journey...

Third Degree by George Isles

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:09:12 GMT

I just finished this book; started on it last night and read about a 100 pages.
But tonight, I had to finish it. This is the first book I've ever read by this author and will probably be reading others.

I did not realize "Black Sunday" by Thomas Harris had been a movie; a friend told me this.
I wouldn't mind seeing it because the book was exceptionally scary in that too realistic manner.

I really need to pack, but I guess I will put it off until tomorrow. :-)

Quote

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:43:06 GMT

To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.

-Henri Bergson

Etc.

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:05:34 GMT

So, I finally made it to the podiatrist -- had to wait because of new job & different insurance.
He offered the Cortisone shot which is what I wanted. But my goodness, it hurt like heck!!
When I first got it done (other doc), it hurt/stung but I wasn't limping. On Friday, I could hardly put any pressure on my entire foot; I was limping around until at least Saturday mid-morning. And I actually bled from the shot.

Saturday, I went to my gf's baby shower; she's due June 10th. Her brother-in-law's girlfriend gave it. They did an awesome job -- set it up like a French cafe.

Watched two more dvd's from Prison Break, Season 2.

Read Incubous Dreams by Laurrell Hamilton.

Quote

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:53:34 GMT

And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.

-Abraham Lincoln

Quote

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 04:25:13 GMT

A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.

-Charlotte Bronte

Motivational Speaker

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:59:41 GMT

I am really enjoying my new job.

Today, they brought in a motivational speaker, Simon G. Bailey. And at lunch time we had sort of job fair, but it was all the different groups that SF has. AAF actually sponsered the speaker today.

http://www.releaseyourbrilliance.com/Renew_Ezine.cfm

Quote

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:27:14 GMT

My girl friend who's currently in NC just sent me this one:

"Start where you are, use what you got, do what you can." - Arthur Ashe

Quote

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:27:29 GMT

When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of autumn.

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

- from Beliefnet.com

The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 04:35:57 GMT

I just completed the book chosen for December by my book group. We don't meet until some time next week, but I'm done now. I may only peruse a few books until we meet, so this one can stay fresh in my mind.

This book proved to be quite interesting as The New York Times claimed it to be. There were a few significant passages thoughout the book that for some reson this time, I did not mark. I think I wanted the impression of the book more than passages to reside within me.

So, what stayed with me more than anything? It would be the impression that we measure ourselves/ our lives upon someone else who is mystified beyond belief and therefore bound to disappoint. And once we truly see the flaws of our self-made hero (because no hero truly asks to become one), we either are crushed beyond reason or seek to rise to become our own hero. Or we pretend as though nothing truly touched us.

Messud explored in "The Emperor's Children" how one truth is not necessarily the only truth. She allowed us to view several characters who each approached life in their own peculiar way and how each in that way somehow lost or gained knowledge of him/herself. I believe in life we all do this. We are all trying so hard to hold on to some ideal of truth, of what we believe life should be; but in it all, I think we are so very unsure of our ideal and only wish someone would explain it all to us - lay it all out like the yellow brick road was laid for Dorothy to follow in the "Wizard of Oz."

Near the end of the book, there is a scene in which someone is perceived to be dead and he disappears to another city to become who he believes he is meant to be. I am sure the majority of us wish at some point we could start over, recreate ourselves, even re-name ourselves to become someone more significant than we are currently percieved to be. In this way, every person we meet from that point on will have nothing to judge us upon, no silly nickname or embarassing childhood story to tie us to a past we wish no one would remember.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It doesn't always have to be so literal.

What is your real-life World of Warcraft Race and Class?

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:05:46 GMT

from oracle_tx

Night Elf Druid

Night Elves are the sexiest of the bunch. They're the hot flower children of Warcraft: at one with nature, and dancing all the while.

As a druid, you tend to be relaxed and accepting - though if there is something you don't want to do, then you won't do it - simple as that. You're an easygoing and versatile person.

Find out your real-life WoW race and class at QuizGalaxy.com

Quote

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:46:38 GMT

The grand essentials for happiness are: something to do, something to love and something to hope for.

-Chalmers

Woo Hoo

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:54:21 GMT

I just got my phone call for my interview. It is scheduled for Friday morning at 8am. I think I will take a 1/2 day and just come in at 1pm on Friday. I am a little nervous, but sooo excited for the opportunity.

Last night's dinner w/Jeff was great. We decided to try something I had not had before and settled on Aster's Ethiopian Restaraunt, http://www.astersethiopian.com/. It was so yummy and I didn't mind so much eating with my fingers! The Gomen (collard greens) were soooo good. I wish I had some of my mama's dressing to go with them, but I'll make do with some Stove Top and just add some seasoned broth in lieu of water for a more homecooked taste.

My girl in CT had me cracking up over the ex-boyfriend issue which put me in a vey good, silly mood that still is lingering. I needed that after the little talk my manager had with me. I tell ya!

Library Books

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:41:26 GMT

The latest selection:

1. The Pact by Jodi Picoult

2. The Presence by John Saul

3. The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud (Book club selection for December)

4. Life Expectancy by Dean Koonce (completed yestereday)
"Maybe it's our free will misdirected or just a shameful pride, but we live our lives with the conviction that we stand at the center of the drama. Moments rarely come that put us outside ourselves, that divorce us from our egos and force us to see the larger picture, to recognize that the drama is in fact a tapestry and that each of us is but a thread in the vivid weave, yet each thread essential to the integrity of the cloth." page 343

What Do Your Stars Say About You?

Sat, 17 Nov 2007 16:06:40 GMT

** Taken from someone else's blog, who took it from someone else's :-)

What do my stars say about me?

Afterthoughts

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 01:55:02 GMT

So, November 13th came and went and I was okay. It would've been my brother's 27th birthday.
I called my mom and no surprise she was headed to a field to do some picking -- greens this time. She did manage to get some collards for me. :-) We did not mention the day, just chatted about things in general.
My oldest brother's birthday was on the 8th and she did ask if I sent him a card.

I suppose sometimes it is easier not to mention these things...

But I know she didn't forget because she took the day off and did what she usually does around the time of his death and birth -- head to the fields...

Se la vie!

Book of the Month

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 19:19:14 GMT

Just finished reading "Vanishing Act" by Jodi Picoult, the book of the month for the group I joined.  Next Tuesday will be my first meeting with them. I should have gone hiking this morning, but I had the strangest dream which I can't remember, but was left with a feeling of "layers." So, I had to finish this book.

I am astounded and in genuine awe of Picoult. I am sure I will read more of her books as this one has touched me in many ways. Memories. That is ultimately what the book focuses on. How our memory can hinder or reward us, become false or remain real. That sometimes what we forget is better left forgotten. That sometimes the memories we made up are far better than reality. And sometimes, the smallest memory is the best one ever.

I remember a lot of things about my childhood, but they are bits and pieces.  Mainly that is because I wish to forget most of it and so I choose to pick out the parts which will only make me a better person, a stronger person. But ironically, it is the parts I pretend to forget that more than likely shape who I've become underneath/inside.

We all struggle with little "demons" wondering "if only" things had been different. But most times, our lives weren't really as bad as we deemed, especially when compared with a friend's (if that friend were to share the ultimate truth and not the sugar-coated lie we really want to hear).

There were many passages thoughout this book that made me want to linger over them, but I only wrote down a few:

1. "....Love is not an equation... It's not a contract, and it's not a happy ending. It is the slate under the chalk and the ground buildings rise from and the oxygen in the air. It is the place I come back to, no matter where I've been headed. I loved you... because you were the one relationship I never had to earn. You arrived in this world loving me more, even when I did not deserve it." page 167, 3rd paragraph; Elise thinking about what she would have said to her daughter.

This is the love I dream about and wish I could have -- unconditional. I know I have it in my own mother, but sometimes I dare to dream of it in a mate.

2. "Maybe Fate isn't the pond you swim in but the fisherman floating on top of it, letting you run the line wild until you are weary enough to be reeled back in." page 204, 4th paragraph; Andrew's thoughts contemplating all the different ways life could have played out, but dealing with the truth.

I always say when moving that I end up where I need to be. There are times in my life when I feel I stayed too long and sometimes that is not even in the physical space, just period.

3. "Maybe knowing where you belong is not equal to knowing who you are." page 221, 7th paragraph;Delia thinking on what Ruthann has said.

My best memories still rest in a little house we lived in; the second house behind the church. At the time, grandmama and some of her other kids lived down the road from us (which had to be over 2miles). I loved to walk the road to visit. Grand-dad was buried on my 6th birthday. The world changed.

4. "I stop speaking because I can't trust ordinary language anymore." page 312, paragraph 5
"You make yourself strong because it's expected of you. You become confident because someone beside you is unsure. You turn into the person others need you to be." page 314, paragraph 7 Both thoughts of Andrew when feeling he is about to give up, but truly not wanting to.

I stopped writing when words became too much. As if to see my thoughts on paper would destroy my very soul. And I felt disjointed for words were what used to keep me together -- therapy, I used to say. I technically never stopped writing, but just couldn't stand to see it written down - frozen in time.

5. "Memory is the only way home." page 399 quote leading into chapter X by Terry Tempest Williams as quoted in Listen to Their Voices, Chapter 10 by Mickey Pearlman (1993)

What if you don't want to remember anymore; if opening the floodgate of memory you question everything you thought was true? Because if what you remember really isn't what happened, does it change who you are today?

6. "There isn't one truth, there are dozens. The challenge is getting everyone to agree on one version." page 418, pagraph two.

And perhaps in the end, we still choose the "truth" that makes life easier for us.

Morning thoughts

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:12:02 GMT

Just got in from a morning jog - 3miles. My thoughts were filled with the news from the very first girl who befriended me since I've been in Austin. She announced to me yesterday that she is pregnant. I am soooo very happy for her and her husband. I told her I couldn't wait to be an "auntie" or something to the baby and then I realized if I moved from here, I wouldn't be able to truly be that. All of a sudden, I didn't want to leave here...

The Temple of My Familiar by Alice Walker

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:55:29 GMT

I read the final 100 or so pages today and wanted to remember a few passages to think and ponder about another day...

Page 308 Fanny's mother speaking:

" '(He) is our brother; we have always said this. He is also the prodigal son of Africa. Easily recognizing him for who he was when he returned to us, we prepared the fatted calf. But it has never been enough. He is so empty, so ravenous for what we have that he does not have, that the fatted calf has barely served as an appetizer. He has moved on to devour us and our children, our minds and our bones. But this is not the behavior of well people. Allowances must be made for the sick.' .... Forgiveness is the true foundation of health and happiness, just as it is for any lasting progress. Without forgiveness there is no forgetfulness of evil; without forgetfulness there still remains the threat of violence. And violence does not solve anything; it only prolongs itself.' "

Page 316-317 Ola, Fanny's father, speaking:

"You must harmonize your own heart...Only you will know how you can do that; for each of us it is different. Then harmonize, as much as this is ever possible, your surroundings...Whatever you do, stay away from people who pity themselves. People who are always complaining have a horrifying tendency to spread their own lead into everybody's arse... You must try not to want 'things,' too...for 'thingism' is the ultimate block across the path to peace. If everytime you see a tree, you want to make some thing out of ti, soon no one on earth will even have air to breathe."

Page 332, a quote leading into Part 6:

"Remembrance is the key to redemption."

-- Inscription on a memorial to Jews who died in World War II concentration camps, Land's End, San Francisco

Page 335 in a letter Hal wrote to Suwelo quoting Lissie:

" 'Being a genius means you are connected to God. And you know it.'
'Men make war to get attention.'
'All killing is an expression of self-hate.'
'I have been laughed at by some of the funniest people!' "

Page 353 on a cassette to Suwelo from Lissie upon her leave of this world:

"It is against a blockage between ourselves and others -- those who are alive and those who are dead -- that we must work. In blocking off what hurts us, we think we are walling ourselves off from pain. But in the long run the wall, which prevents growth, hurts us more than the pain, which, if we will only bear it, soon passes over us. Washes over us and is gone. Long will we remember pain, but the pain itself, as it was at that point of intensity that made us feel as if we must die of it, eventually vanishes. Our memory of it becomes its only trace. Walls remain. They grow moss. They are difficult barriers to cross, to get to others, to get to closed-down parts of ourselves."

Page 405 Arveyda dreaming of words to a new song:

"Isn't this sadness a part of happiness?"

Voices from the Past

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 02:21:04 GMT

In a month's time I have had various friends contacting me. Most of the contacts have come because my HS is planning its 20th year reunion. Goodness gracious!! I am truly getting up there. But one contact was from college who I got to visit for about 20 minutes in Killeen while doing a job fair. Perry is still the same.

And then, I heard from my very first room mate in college. Wow! That was absolutely amazing; we had not chatted since I'm sure sophomore year if even that. She sounded great and seems to be doing absolutely wonderful.

Then yesterday, I heard from a friend of 9 years who I had not talked to in about 3 to 4 years. He, of course, is doing fantastic and I expect nothing less. This is my "mover and shaker" friend who always inspires me to want more from my career.

It's nice to be remembered, especially by those you figured had forgotten...

My Girls

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:06:32 GMT

Before I left to go to the movies yesterday, my mom called because my youngest niece had something to tell me. She said she wanted to come to Texas. She was trying to get grandma to leave right then and there so they could be here tomorrow/today. She was so adamant about it - wanted to go swimming. Then one of the twins (how bad of me not to be sure which one) got on the phone to figure out a proper time. I suggested Thanksgiving for them to visit and Christmas for me to visit. We'll see. They still expressed a desire to live with me, but mostly because they really dislike the school they currently attend since they moved from Tallahassee to Quincy. If I am still living in TX next year, I will at a minimum get them for the summer, if not the school year....

Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married"

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:56:38 GMT

This was/is an awesome movie. My mom saw it first and recommended it. I know movies are rated the most when you go see them the weekend they open and I definitely wanted to do that. Saw it yesterday and I wouldn't mind going to see it again. Definitely one to add to a dvd collection when it does become available. My mom has the play which she said a few parts were different. His plays are always good to. I think I will start trying to collect those and his movies.

Just heard, it topped the weekend box office! Yaaaay!!!! :-)

-------------- Forwarded Message: --------------
From: "Tyler Perry Mailing List" <announcement@tylerperrystudios.net>
To: all_lists@tylerperrystudios.net
Subject: A Message from Tyler Perry - Dream
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:46:16 +0000

Hey there!

I woke up this morning knowing that I needed to send this email to you to
let you know that WHY DID I GET MARRIED? opens this Friday.

I know that I needed to tell you to please check your ticket stubs to make
sure that they say WHY DID I GET MARRIED? And I needed to say, "Please go
this weekend, the first weekend is very important!" I know that I needed
to ask you to please not buy this movie on bootleg, but to see it in the
theaters. I know that I needed to send this email to stress all of this,
but I also felt so compelled this morning to talk to you about someth! ing
else.

Yesterday a reporter asked me a question. He said, "With all that is
happening to you now--when you were growing up in New Orleans did you ever
imagine that you would be in this position?"

I told him, "Yes, I did imagine!"

He was shocked. He said, "You don't think that's a little arrogant?"

I told him this--and I want to share it with you because the way he looked
at me I know that he won't print it.

I said, "I had to imagine myself in a better place. Sometimes the nights
got so cold and the days so hard and long that if I wouldn't have then I
wouldn't have made it."

The Bible says that you should speak things that are not as though they
were, and that you must cast down imaginations and everything that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God. It also says that the power of life
and death is in the tongue. So, you can speak life or you can speak death.
I chose to speak life into my ! situati on. I chose to use my imagination to
take me higher. Not just in this life but higher in Christ.

I want to ask you some questions today. And this is mainly for the people
that are going through right now. When you think about your tomorrow are
good things waiting for you? When you imagine your future are you happy
and blessed? Is your family happy? Are you in a better place than you are
now? If you don't see good things in your future then nothing good will
come your way. You must think good about you so that it can come to you.
So, start seeing yourself in a better place. I promise you that it works.
It worked for me and it can work for you.

And just a side note, when you start to dream and see yourself in a better
place, don't share it with everybody. Long ago I stopped telling people my
dreams because I would always run into dream stealers--people who are so
miserable and so mad at the world that all they can do ! is brin g you bitter
words of hopelessness. Stay away from these people! They are poison. I
had a few people in my life like that. I had to get rid of them--and some
of them were family members.

It's time to come out of it. And it starts in your mind. If God can bring
me out of poverty and despair and place me right in the middle of the life
that I've always dreamed of then He can do it for anyone…if you believe.

As you head to the movies this weekend my prayer is that you begin to live
in the place that God has prepared for you. Use your imagination. It is a
glorious tool. See yourself doing better and it shall come to pass. It has
no choice. Remember, as a man (or woman) thinketh so is he (she). In
other words what "you" think of "you" becomes who "you" are.

So, what are "you" thinking of "you" today?

Be blessed,

Tyler Perry

P.S. I'll see you at the movies.

To respond to this message, p! lease g o to
http://www.tylerperry.com/messageboard

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Podiatrist

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:39:27 GMT

I finally went to the podiatrist on Friday for a 12:15pm appointment. When he pushed a thumb into my foot, it really hurt. He asked me questions and then took an x-ray of my foot. It had not developed into the dreaded heel spur thank goodness. He then proceeded to give me a cortizone injection w/the warning to please not kick him. It wasn't too bad. I think I was more nervous about a shot going into my foot than the actual pain. The shot only covers the problem and to ensure it does not develop into a spur from now on I'm to make sure I do exercises for my foot BEFORE getting out of bed.

Doctor said I should be okay to run by Monday, today. I didn't though because I still feel a little pain although nothing like it has been over the past few weeks. So, I decided to not run because I don't won't to aggravate it prematurely. But this will have to be the last week of not running. I really need to get on the ball - the new year will be hear before I know it and I will not even be close to marathon ready or heck at this pace, mini-marathon ready. There's a mini in San Antonio in November that my district manager is participating in; I wouldn't mind doing that one. I need to email him to find out the specifics. If it's late November, I could certainly be ready by then...

So, the weekend was spent being off my feet except for when K visited; he had work in Dallas and drove to down to visit his long time friend in SA and then me on the way back. We went to the Alamo Drafthouse and saw "The Brave One" starring Jodi Foster. It was pretty interesting and surprised me at the end.

Personality Profile

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 03:10:45 GMT

Pretty insightful and long :-)

Introduction to Agreeableness: Taking care of others or taking care of yourself

This section of your profile describes your interactions with other people. The ways we communicate our feelings, beliefs and ideas to others are influenced by our cultural backgrounds, the way we were raised, and sometimes which side of the bed we got up on this morning. Some of us are very mindful of others making decisions we hope will be in their best interests, even if it means sometimes neglecting our own interests. Others of us believe each person should be responsible for themselves, taking deep pride in our own character and independence with a firm belief that others are best served by doing the same. The following describes how you engage with others; illustrating the dimension of your personality that determines your independence or your desire to reach out and touch others in meaningful ways.

You are best described as:

TAKING CARE OF OTHERS AND TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF

Words that describe you:

Fair
Considered
Collaborative

Responsive
Sensible
Diplomatic

Contemplative
Indulgent
Rational

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

You are important. So are other people, especially if they are in trouble. You have a tender heart, but you know how to establish and keep personal boundaries. You are empathetic and compassionate, but you also believe that it's best if people solve their own problems and learn to take care of themselves, if they are able.

You are deeply moved by the needs of others, but you know that if you don't take good care of yourself, you'll wind up being of no use to anyone. So yours is a thoughtful compassion. You strive to be fair and sensible, taking care of others while also taking care of yourself.

When someone really is in trouble, you like to collaborate with them toward a solution; they do their part, you do yours. You consider carefully, and respond in a sensible way; they do their part, and together you move through the difficulty.

You seldom act impulsively; rather, when a problem arises, you take your time to think through the situation. This contemplative quality usually means that you'll arrive at a diplomatic solution, one that's fair for the other person and also fair to you. It's frequently a win/win situation.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

For people who are ruled by tender-hearted compassion, your more diplomatic response to problems might seem too cool, too focused on fairness and not filled enough with sympathy and selflessness.

For them, when someone's life is on fire, what is needed is not collaboration but rescue. And the person who experiences their life on fire may resent the time you take to contemplate. "I need you, and I need you NOW! This isn't about fairness, it's about the fire." "All deliberate speed" may seem too deliberate and not fast enough, either to the more compassionate or to people in genuine trouble.

At the other end of the spectrum of compassion, those who believe people should take care of themselves may find even your thoughtful sympathies too soft. They expect people, themselves included, to work their own way out of trouble. They are convinced that the helping hand you lend just fosters dependence and is not good for the development of character, either in you or in the person you assist.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Many people, perhaps the majority, will come to appreciate your balance as a compassionate person. The more they get to know you, the more they will admire your thoughtful compassion for others and its compliment in the sensible ways you take good care of yourself.

Those whom you help will appreciate the way you leave them with their dignity by expecting them to collaborate in their own rescue. Those who are more tender-hearted will find in you a balance they lack; when they've run out of energy because they fail to take good care of themselves, you will still have enough compassion left to lift others out of trouble.

Even the tough-hearted, those who believe people should solve their own problems, might come to admire your tenderness which they don't find in themselves. So the people you help will be grateful, and the people who see your balance between self and others will admire you. Certainly, balanced is not bad at all as a way to be known among your friends.

Introduction to Openness

How firmly committed are you to the ideas and beliefs that govern your thinking and guide your behavior? Some people trust their current ideas and beliefs the way a climber trusts the mountain; whichever way they move, whether the climb is on a familiar trail or over new ground, there is something solid beneath them, something they count on.

For others, new ideas, new solutions to old problems, new beliefs that replace tired convictions are like welcome wind in their sails. They can hardly wait to tack in a new direction and ride a new idea through uncharted waters. If it's new, it's interesting, and they're ready to explore.

The following paragraphs describe your responses to new ways of thinking and believing. How do you handle new information? Are you more like the climber on a familiar mountain or a sailor with a tiller in hand and a fresh breeze to propel you? How you integrate and process new information about the world and about others is a core aspect of your personality.

On the Openness Dimension you are: Curious or Contented

CURIOUS

Words that describe you:

Original
Inventive
Thinker

Brave
Eccentric
Avant-Garde

Out-of-Touch
Unique

A General Description of How You Approach New Information and Experiences

You think like an artist. Or better, you SEE like an artist. While most people look at life's straight lines, its height and depth and width, you're bending the lines with your imagination and turning black and white into shades of blue and yellow. And in conversations at work or with your friends you want to ask, "Do you see what I see?" A few might, most don't, but you've piqued everyone's curiosity with your own original and inventive ways of thinking.

You can, if you must, think in conventional ways. But left on your own, you'll usually opt for the eccentric or avant-garde; in fact you're usually bored with what everyone else is comfortable with. You learn from reading, talking, watching people and other fauna and flora, and simply sitting in the soft chair of your mind and wondering how people would learn how to count if they could only use uneven numbers. You are out in front of conventional ideas, bravely originally defining true and false, right and wrong, the good, the bad and the ugly.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward Your Style of Thinking

You drive through life faster than the speed limit, and when you hit speed bumps, and you hit a lot of them with your mind distracted from the straight line ahead your wheels leave the ground.

For people who like life at a safer speed, you move too fast and lose touch too often with the solid ground they prefer, hence their discomfort with you. As odd as you might find this, many people feel safe in the shelter of the world they already know. They like the familiar. They breathe easily and sleep deeply knowing with more certainty how the world works. So although they might enjoy your company and be curious about your latest notion of how to count backwards by threes, they can only take you in small doses. And they wish you'd quit trying to push the boundaries of their personal and social cosmos.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Even those whom you make uncomfortable know, as just about everyone does, that you're not a flake. You think well, and even your wildest fancies have their roots in the deep soil of sound ideas and tested beliefs. So even if some people don't want to drive at high speed with you, they will respect you for your courage as an innovative and unconventional thinker. You lend color and imagination to what would otherwise be the straight black and white lines of their work world and social environments.

A few more daring people of your circle might even learn from you to take a risk they would otherwise never consider. As comfortable as they are on solid ground, they may be curious about what it would be like to go faster than the speed limit, or paint the living room two shades of blue, or question ideas or beliefs they've fingered like sacred beads since they were children.

After all, they watch you do it, and you seem no worse for the risks you take. In fact, your eyes are wider and your breath quicker, and maybe they can find at least a bit of this for themselves. To be certain, they don't want their wheels to leave the ground, but maybe the next time they approach a speed bump they might just brace themselves and speed up just a little bit.

Introduction to Emotional Stability

We're born with the capacity to feel deeply, so it's as natural as breathing to experience a range of emotions. Fear and joy and sadness, anger and shame and disgust lie somewhere within each of us. Ah, but to what extent do we control these emotions, and to what extent do they control us? How you answer this question of how your emotions play out in your life has a great deal to do with your levels of personal satisfaction and with the character of your relationships with others. Do you manage your emotions well, keeping them in check with your thinking and your willpower, or are you someone who lets emotions have their way, giving in to the wild dance of feelings? The following paragraphs describe your emotional range in terms of being a person who is emotionally steady or someone who is responsive to whatever feelings swell up in you.

On Emotional Stability you are: Steady or Responsive

RESPONSIVE

Words that describe you:

Open
Accessible
Too Sensitive

Reachable
Candid
Unguarded

A General Description of Your Reactivity

You are an emotional person. In some ways, we are all emotional; we feel joy, anger, sadness and fear; some of us more powerfully than others - and you more powerfully than most. Your emotions are closer to the surface, and your feelings more obvious to you than is the case with most people. You've got your life in a good place, your dominant mood is upbeat, and unless life has been particularly trying for you, you greatly enjoy the richness and intensity of life that being so open with your emotions brings you.

Sure there are times when your feelings come very close to the surface, and life becomes more complicated. At these times you may grow self-conscious, or feel a bit anxious. But all in all, you much prefer being open with your emotions, breathing in all that life offers, than shutting down any part of your emotional experience. Granted, there may be times when these emotions are hard but you realize that is part of life. And more often than not you feel enriched by your emotions, by your ability to be open to all that life brings you. You know that even when you have those times that get you down, there will be even more times when you see life in ways that others just can't.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

Undoubtedly you have met some people who get uncomfortable being around you because your feelings are so close to the surface. They may keep a bit of distance, especially around any subject that might trigger an emotional topic they are uncomfortable with. Over time, they might even stay away from you more and more. You will find you have decisions to make; do you temper your style for their comfort or do you hope they will find ways to become more comfortable with emotional expressions? Given the richness that seems to stem from your emotional life the most meaningful response is probably very apparent to you.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

You are a cherished companion for those friends who can handle emotions well. They will appreciate the candor with which you express even difficult feelings like anger and fear. Your openness will make intimate conversations even more intimate, and make the connections between you as friends deeper and stronger. Some people who have trouble expressing their feelings might find in you a good example of how to be more vulnerable and more open. Your willingness and ability to share your emotions could encourage them to share theirs, and invite them into ways of being friends that will help enrich their lives.

Introduction to Conscientiousness

It's a work day, breakfast is over, and you're dressed and ready. So how will you approach the tasks at hand? Some people work best with a clear schedule, a set of priorities and a due date for every step in the process. Others are, shall we say, less regimented. They approach a task with as much imagination as organization, and with a willingness to bend and modify in order to exercise some urge of creativity.

How about you? Do you walk in a straight line toward a clear goal, or are you more likely to dance your way down whatever path will get you wherever it is you're headed? The following paragraphs describe ways in which you approach the tasks life brings to you, and to what extent you are focused or flexible in how you choose to proceed.

Your approach toward your obligations is: Focused or Flexible

FOCUSED AND FLEXIBLE

Words that describe you:

Casual
Informal
Compliant

Reliable
Organized
Solid

Dependable
Uncommitted
Genuine

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

When you take on a task at work or at home, you are reliable; you get the job done. In an organized way, you define the goal, lay out a plan, figure how long the task will take, and get to work "solid and dependable you".

But and this is important you're not a slave to the plan. You're committed to it, but not chained to it; the connection is more casual and informal. You know that sometimes "the best laid plans" fall off the tracks; when this happens, you clean up the train wreck and start over, undeterred.

Though not happening often, when plans change, you're okay with it. In fact, sometimes you change the plan. It's too nice of a Saturday to finish organizing the garage. Let's go for a bike ride instead. True, the next rainy Saturday will likely find you back in the garage, but for now the work can wait.

What an interesting combination of qualities in you're organized, but casual; solid, but compliant; and dependable, but informal. At home and at work, people know they can rely on you. You take great satisfaction in knowing that people think of you as disciplined and responsible, but you also know that you have something of a free spirit in you, and when this spirit moves you, off you go, following the impulse of the moment. You are rightly proud of your work ethic, but you also enjoy your willingness to lay the tools down, crank up the music and play like a child.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

Some people live like Marines: duty-bound, disciplined and driven. To these people you might seem uncommitted; where they would never leave work for play or change plans in the middle of their life's forced march, you let the circumstance sway you and move in a different direction, and they don't understand.

Others live like kites on a string, attached by thin threads to the solid ground of responsibility and are blown about by every gust of impulse or imagination. To these people you might seem too cowardly, like you'll flirt with your impulses but never give in fully, play on a Saturday but never blow of the entire work-week to "follow your bliss".

While these Marines and kite-flyers might look down on you for your combination of focus and flexibility, others might be envious. They can't free themselves from a sense that they're not doing enough, or from the equally frustrating feeling that they're not free enough.

And here you are with your accomplishments and your pleasures, getting the job done but also getting your hair blown back as you run with the wind. As far as these people are concerned, you're lucky you've got the best of both of the worlds in which they feel they fail.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

What a great life you have, and a great attitude to boot. You know when to buckle down and push ahead to get the job done, and you do it well. You know when to lay the tools of your trade aside, grab your kite and head for the meadow where you can run with the wind. Many people will see and admire in you this lovely combination of a person who can focus, but who is flexible enough to know when to let the spirit move you in some new and livelier direction.

It's a life they aspire to, and they delight in seeing it played out in your life. They may ask your advice and turn you into a mentor of the full and balanced experience. They will want to know how you do it, what the costs are, and if you get frightened that you're not working hard enough or playing often enough. They may make you think about your own life more than you have, so you can share it with those who want to emulate this balance between flexibility and focus. They may be correct lucky you!

Introduction to Extraversion

Some days you want to hang out by yourself, not answer the phone, and make the world go away. The next day you e-mail everyone, schedule lunch with a friend, and try to find an evening gathering to take part in. It may be the phases of the moon, or something you ate; some days are just like that. In actuality, your desire to be with others or to be alone reflects something deep in your personality. Some of us are more comfortable by ourselves or with one or two friends, while others of us crave the crowd and can't stand it when the house is empty or the phone doesn't ring. The following paragraphs describe your fundamental desires about being with other people; whether you are generally an outgoing person or more reserved, if you seek adventures with others, if you tend toward assertiveness or kindness.

When it comes to Extraversion you are: Outgoing or Reserved

OUTGOING

Words that describe you:

Friendly
Gregarious
Full of Life

Unreserved
Kindhearted
Talkative

Emotional
Spontaneous
Vigorous

A General Description of How You Interact with Others

People light you up. In conversations, planning meetings or almost any social situation, you bring your energy and your friendly, outgoing personality into these engagements with other people, and you come away pumped up. You can hardly wait for the next event, as long as other people will be there. And you're good at it.

You know how to communicate. You listen well, the first rule of good communication, and then, when it's your turn, you talk vigorously and with animation; in your uninhibited way you give all that you've got to the encounter.

In situations where you feel very safe, when you know and trust the people you're with, you can be very kindhearted and unrestrained. You let your affection for and pleasure in being with others flow freely. You're wide open And when you get back this same kind of unrestrained warmth, you are deeply satisfied. Because you are so friendly and full of life, these are among your favorite moments.

Negative Reactions Others May Have Toward You

As much as you like being with other people, not everyone will like being with you. Hard to believe, but your gregarious and warm manner is not everyone's cup of tea. Some people are more cautious than you in personal encounters; others think the work place should be more formal, more impersonal than is comfortable for you. Still others, who may want more of the spotlight, will find you too much to compete with once you get your lively and outgoing self in motion.

Here's another word of caution. You've been at this warm and open way of relating for a while, but for some people it's a brand new experience. They may be protecting something inside themselves, some fear or guilt or shame, or some private part of their story that they're not yet ready to share. Your openness might threaten them, and they'll take a step back and be reluctant the next time to engage you in the kind of exchange you find so easy and satisfying but they find so dangerous.

Positive Responses Others May Have Toward You

Many people, most probably, will be glad to be in the room you're in. At work you make the environment livelier and the banter more interesting, so the time moves swiftly and the experience is a happier one. At home you keep everyone connected because you engage each of them in the conversational action, and as a result they are more connected as well with one another. You make home a warmer and more interesting place for everyone who lives there.

You might also be helpful to some people. There are those who need to talk but aren't very good at it. They don't know how to begin the kind of conversation that would allow them to share whatever is in their personal stories that they'd like or need to talk about. You could make that easier for them with your way with words. Some people just need an example and a little encouragement to come out of their shell and get into the greater fun and personal connectedness that will make their lives so much more satisfying. Again, you might be just the right person to make that happen for them.

So almost everyone will be glad to be with you, you make life more interesting for those you live and work with, and you could help some of your friends who need just a little encouragement to open up and find in themselves the kinds of energetic and warm connections that you thrive on. Not that you are a pushover; in fact, you are often quite assertive. In taking care of yourself you also make sure that others are engaged and energized.

Heel Pain

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:28:03 GMT

I've been having this pain in my heel for a few weeks. So, I decided to research it.
Seems like I may have: http://www.pcopco.com/heel_pain.html

Doesn't seem like there is anything much to do about it, except stay off your feet. Which, really how can one do that?
I guess I will need to make an appointment and do what I can: http://www.austinpodiatry.com/prob_heel_plantar.php

The pain is becoming more intense and now not only in the mornings....

SA - work

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:16:21 GMT

Heading to San Antonio this morning. I've been asked to assist w/employee relations there. The district HR manager is helping out Houston which means she needs help in SA. I'm just driving up for the day, asking a lot of questions of employees at a site and heading back to Austin. Next time, I think I will go up the night before -- maybe stay w/my SA friend. I haven't seen him in a long while.