Can I Reset?

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jan 302018
 

You know those mornings when you open your eyes and you just know it’s a day that should just be spent sleeping? Those days when you realize before it has begun that it is not going to go your way AT ALL?

Well, that was this morning. Thankfully, at the time I am writing this, the day has seemingly turned around, thanks to a reset button called “Starbucks”.

Perhaps it is the biological step closer to menopause and raging hormones (and I don’t mean like a teenager!), but whatever it is, I knew this morning that if it weren’t for the fact that I had a full day of teaching ahead, I would have spent it under the covers pretending that the ‘real world’ didn’t exist.

It started with the fact that I should have gotten up to face the cold to do my meditation. I probably would have benefited from a quieter start rather than trying to avoid it altogether…. So, that upset 😠 me. Then, my very enthusiastic morning-person husband couldn’t keep from chit-chatting, which – if anyone knows me – annoys the f&*@k out of me! I am not what one would call a ‘morning-person’ in terms of friendliness towards others. In fact, I am never that kind of person! 😂 However, I do like to wake up early and enjoy the peace and QUIET 🤐that it offers.

As an aside, I often wonder if I even cried loudly as a newborn or if it was a whimper to let the doctors know that I was alive, but not interested in howling…? Or maybe I was a screamer???

Anyway, the morning went from bad to worse for me. Somehow, the distraction of teaching and a bit of time to myself has turned the day around. 👍🏽🙏🏽☀️ So, my zen has returned a bit as I prepare for my next class this evening. 🙂

Guess, I got a bit of a reset after all…?!

~T 😀

 Posted by at 10:14

Taking in the Moments

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jan 232018
 

This morning as I begrudgingly prevented myself from feeling annoyed by my husband’s late schedule, in other words his presence and interruption to my daily routine, we were discussing life.

Lately, we have both been quite busy and realized it would be quite easy to lose touch with one another. We thought about how having children disrupts the marital relationship – or, work or life in general. It is often said that you have to work at keeping a marriage going. This is true. But, at the same time, it is not so much that it is ‘work’ as in an endurance or obligation in life like it is to make money or take care of your children. Instead, to me, it is about making it a priority to enjoy the moments you have together.

This goes for life.

So many people have accepted that complaining about life, work, partners, etc. is what we do. However, when we stop to enjoy moments that we share then suddenly things just are not so negative. I, like everyone, need to be reminded from time to time to switch my perspective – even just a little – and then the moment becomes enjoyable.

Take for example, our recent snow storm in Tokyo. It was amazing. I was excited. Of course, it has been nine years since I’ve had the experience of snow and I was lucky enough to have a free-ish schedule to allow me to avoid any dangerous aspects that it might cause. However, as I was speaking to a colleague who is my age, single with no kids, etc. she was surprised at my excitement. She kept pointing out that it is dangerous to walk, or that it’s cold and wet or that the trains get disrupted, or, or , or…. To me, these were not good enough reasons to not be excited at the ❄️ snow.

As I walked home, I took pictures of its beauty and enjoyed the cold that I felt. It was a moment to enjoy.

I wondered what perspective shift would be required to make my colleague excited about this weather. Mostly, I just felt sad for her lack of ability to enjoy a temporary moment. That’s it, isn’t it? Every moment is temporary. Life passes by quickly and our situations change all the time. So, through the good and the bad are moments for us to learn and grow from. Most of all, they are for us to take in and live!

~T 😀

**Apologies for the bit of stream of conscientiousness style today….** 😛

 Posted by at 09:20

Perseverance Testing

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jan 162018
 

The temperatures have continued to drop, although still not quite as cold as it could be at this time of year. However, there is just enough bite in the air to make the early morning rise a mental battle each day.

With the exception of a few days (like today), I have managed to get up with the alarm and sit on the mat for meditation . Even though my husband or others around me might not agree, 😜 the morning meditations are helping me to stay calm and collected on the inside, if not on the outside.

I try to alternate my running and yoga days depending on the weather, temperature and mood. Once I am out in the cold, I actually quite enjoy the activity. It is always nearly pitch black when I start, but then the light begins to increase as I pass the elderly people who are out for a morning walk, or those who are giving their dogs some brisk exercise (reason #1 to not have a dog! 🐶). There are also others out who are running/walking 🏃🏽‍♀️that I pass by with a sense of camaraderie even though I am slow as a 🐌 right now. 😅 The yoga days are nice and quiet with a smooth flow of sun salutations right now as I’m just trying to build my body back up to the strength and balance it once was.

U

m
t Drynuary last again only until the 12/13th of the month. I have only had a few drinks over the past weekend, but I think it is also part of the brain knowing it can’t have something and then really wanting it. Actually, I think that I just have no willpower when it comes to booze. It’s not that I want it all the time, but if it is offered, I am not likely to say no. Partially, I know that I don’t really have a problem with it, so depriving myself of it just for the sake of it, doesn’t mean anything because it just isn’t a big deal. I was avoiding it to help M, but when he decided to give up, I went along. 🤷🏽‍♀️

At the m

working. I worked six days last week and have six days this week. It is a lot for my old, 👵🏽introverted person. It is not so much that it is burdensome work, but it is tiresome. My mind can only take so much focus in a day and then having to interact with others for so long does me in. Last week, having Sunday to do my errands and take care of things was good. It was good for my soul as well since my hormones were starting to rage. (TMI?) Still, I just need to keep on going.

If we are&

then w
st
d focus o
ery week of every month counts toward us reaching our goals this year. It is only the beginning, but perserverance is required. There are tests of it along the way, but I know in the end it will be worth it. So, until then, 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽!

~T 😀

 Posted by at 03:12

Thank You Jet Lag

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jan 042018
 

As I began to set my new goals for this year, I wondered how easy it would be to get into the routine I had laid out especially with a partner who loves to have a morning snuggle rather than get up and go.

However, thanks to jet lag and no time to waste before heading back to work, the first day has gone incredibly well so far.

We managed to stay awake until about 8:45pm last night, which almost met the “don’t sleep before 9pm” travel rule for getting over jet lag. We both still woke up a couple of times, but by the time the alarm went off at 5am, I was ready to face the cold.

With a quick change into my workout gear, I managed a 20-minute meditation session with only the beginnings of dead leg by the time the bell gonged. 😉

Then, after a quick stretch on the mat, I was out the door with my new wireless Bluetooth headphones for a refreshing morning jog.

I was fairly pleased with these stats for my first run back and in the chilly temps.

Also, I have decided to go back to a fairly Paleo & plant-based diet removing the carbs/sugars in our diet. So, that meant having a good breakfast of scrambled eggs 🥚 , sausages 🌭(not ideal to have processed meat, but that was what I could get last minute) and spinach with some pickled cucumbers 🥒 (tsukemono).

Another benefit of this early start is that I have time to write again – journaling and blogging. I am on a mission to re-focus on my writing again as it does/can bring me money and I enjoy it more than some of the other “easy-money”-making activities that I am doing. While I will try to maintain a balance as income is our priority this year, I am going to do my best to stay true to my passions again.

So, gotta say we are off to a great first day back ‘home’ in Japan 🇯🇵 .

~T:D

 Posted by at 02:25

Happy 2018

 Going Mental  No Responses »
Jan 022018
 

Another year begins with the usual hopefulness of what possibilities lay ahead.

As I look back on all that I had laid out last year when time was my frenemy and naivety was embraced with the fervor of those who have no idea what is in store for them.

Although I still owe the story of what transpired in the middle of last year (and it will come eventually), its events changed my worldview a bit. Some truths came to light for me.

  • Asking for help is a humbling experience that allows the heart to be opened in unexpected ways.
  • Sharing crisis moments with others reveals true characters – a spectrum of ignoring, offering ‘good lucks’, asking for updates, offering help, and taking action.
  • My love runs far deeper than I realized and left me incapacitated when I did not know how to take action.
  • Timing is everything, and
  • Truly everything works out in the end.

My faith in God and belief in the workings of the Universe strengthened as well over the latter half of the year.

An example is my unknown sense that I should refresh my Japanese by teaching beginner level to Emiratis and taking on a Japanese student for English with some Japanese language exchange. Also, I visited Japan earlier in the year for a possible job that didn’t work out but began turning the wheels of possibilities.

So, while the attempt at a balanced life in my 2017 Reflections did not quite pan out exactly as I had planned, I think that overall we are in a better place than we could have expected a year ago.

Therefore, with less time on my hands I have made some personal and financial goals for this year with a more relaxed sense of expectation as I know that what I put forth into the world will return to me/us twofold.

With that in mind I am looking forward to what 2018 has in store as I work on focusing my mind more on creativity and stability.

~T 😀

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