Diary of a Spinster and Lunatic

I came across this extremely powerful video as I was searching for understanding on patience, and how to be more patient in my life.  The video is 37 minutes long, but well worth the listen.  Thich Nhat Hanh (pronounced: Tick Knot Han) provides so much wisdom, that I think I could listen to this every day for a year, and probably learn something new each day. I used to think of meditation and mindfulness, as something that we should all do for our overall well-being, without really understanding the purpose behind it.  Isn't it amazing that sometimes you can hear the same thing you've heard a thousand times before, but in a different way, and it somehow makes more sense than it ever did?  What struck me initially is that Thich Nhat Hanh refers to meditation and living mindfully as a training.  Just like we train our bodies to be stronger when we go to the gym, or we have on the job training to be better at our jobs, by meditating and practicing mindfulness,...

A few weeks ago, I took a chance, and for the first time in my life, filled out the mountain of paperwork to place an offer on a house that I really liked.  I was seriously scared!  What if something broke, and I didn't know how to fix it?  Or, couldn't afford to fix it?  What if I was getting in over my head?  What if the responsibilities of a large yard were too much for me?  Would I regret this decision?  I put all my doubts and fears to the side, and continued to pursue something that I really wanted even though it felt strange and uncomfortable.  Unfortunately, I was out bid. The old me would have used this as an excuse to lie around and eat junk food for two weeks, believing that I deserved to do so, because my feelings were hurt.  Also known as... I didn't get what I wanted, when I wanted it.  I am no longer making the choice to do that.  Sure, I was disappointed, and I felt the dreams of future happy memories living in tha...

It can be so frustrating when you think you’re working towards change, improving yourself, and expelling your bad habits, and no one notices.   And, not only do people not notice, they continue to tell you you’re not changing or worse, that you’re not even trying to change!   I got so frustrated with this a few years ago, that I ended up speaking with a counselor to ask for some guidance.   I really couldn’t understand what I was doing wrong, and why no matter what I did, I was not getting the results I was looking for.   What he told me was that there are actually six stages of change .   Pre-contemplation – In this stage, a person is not even thinking of changing.   Or, they are in denial, and don’t think they have a problem. Contemplation – In this stage, a person can see where their actions could be a problem, but don’t really care.   They might be more open to information surrounding making a change, but aren’t going to take action ...

I'm fortunate enough to have a close friend, with whom I'm able to talk openly about my faith.  And, I imagine that we have a lot of the same questions as most people with regards to God.  Like, why does he seem absent a lot of the time?  And, why do bad things happen to good people?  My friend ended up finding this great video by J. Warner Wallace, who not only does videos, podcasts, and blog posts, but also writes books on Christianity.  If you've seen God's Not Dead 2, you'll probably recognize him from the below court scene. I was so excited to find out that this guy was real, and not just a character in the movie.  I just love his approach to making Christianity and the Bible easier to understand.  There's no other way to put it than, J. Warner just makes it all make sense! I've downloaded the Case for Christianity app, and have been listening to Warner's podcasts when I can.  I just can't get enough.  Some of my favorites are Was...

Who says Monday's have to be bad?  Okay, okay... 5am does come a little earlier on Monday than the rest of the week, but Monday is really just another opportunity to start fresh.  Make having a case of the Monday's a good thing!  Today is another opportunity to conquer those smaller challenges, and work towards those long term goals.  So, grab that cup of coffee, put on an "I'm fabulous" smile, and go out and kick today's ass!

I'm not really good at reading people.  If they're nice to me, then I usually think that they're a kind, caring, and good person.  I guess this just proves how naive I can be.  In an effort to become better at reading people, I picked up What Every Body Is Saying by Joe Navarro. Mr. Navarro is an ex-FBI agent, who specializes in non-verbal communication, or body language. What I found the most fascinating about reading his book was that, there is no clear cut way to determine that someone is being deceitful, or if someone is a bad person.  However, our bodies naturally do things that represent what we are feeling currently, whether we're stressed, genuinely happy, or uncomfortable.  We then have to take these feelings and look at the situation a person is currently in, to determine what it actually means. I found the book to be incredibly interesting, and have even picked up a few things by practicing on my co-workers.  Like, when my friend was telling...

The truth can hurt you Or the truth can change you What would truth do to you I just wanna be happy But if I keep on doing the things That keep on bringing me pain There's no one else I can blame If I'm not happy Wasted time but now I can see The biggest enemy, it was me So I'm not happy Cry yourself to sleep Shout and raise your hands It won't change a thing child Until you understand (Preach) If you're tired of being the same If you're tired of things not changing It's time for you to get out the way Don't get stuck in how you feel Say Jesus take the wheel He knows the road that you need to take (But it only works if) If you wanna be happy (Look at yourself and say) Don't you wanna be happy I just wanna be happy But if I keep on giving my heart For people to tear apart The healing will never start So I can be happy Will I ever be happy Cry yourself to sleep Shout and raise your hands It won't change a thi...

Earlier this week, I came across this inspirational story on Oprah.com, and it has totally changed my outlook on envy.  Envy is something that I really struggle with.  It's so easy to look at someone else, and wish that you had what they had, whether it be a loving relationship, the ability to take exciting trips around the world, or even the respect from other people at work.  If I had what those people had, then I would be happy.  Right?  Not necessarily. Something I have learned, is that it's not what we have or don't have, but rather, our outlook on life that makes us happy.  Instead of looking at life as an individual competition, where you need to be ahead of everyone else, look at it as a team effort instead.  We're all in this challenge of life together. The story below is also a really great lesson in Ubuntu.  I am, because we are.  I just think it's such an amazing way to approach life.  :)