The power of positive thinking

So, I went to this taster course for becoming a life coach, during the weekend. It was really very interesting, and it's funny how having someone to be accountable to can make us do things we wouldn't usually feel compelled to. I'll for sure be trying to apply some of the thought patterns to myself.

Positive thinking, for one, is extremely useful. Who doesn't beat themselves up for making a mistake or 'the wrong choice'..? I certainly do, even though I know it's neither helpful nor healthy to do so.

A bit of objectivity might be useful too, instead of becoming entirely engrossed in some obscure detail that seems so important to me right now. Taking that step back and reflecting on the issue.

Actually creating an 'action plan' for those things that all to often lurk at the back of my mind is also one that I'm going to try on for size. I've done that before, but with my new awareness of the importance of breaking it down into small, accessible and doable bits might actually mean that I'll follow through!

So yep, it's yet another addition to the list of 'things that'll save me'. I'm liking it.

Running

Lately I haven't been running a lot, and I have gone through phases of enjoying it, missing it and really being annoyed that I couldn't just go run!

My back has been causing me issues, and my running buddy, the sportstherapist, says it's probably due to me stopping with the diversity of movemenets my body was used to through basketball, and replacing it with an exercise that is basically just body straight up and legs moving. I've been doing core stability exercises for the back (boring but I can already feel an improvement), being treated with massage and stretches and basically been lazy.

But I'm starting up again - and it feels great! Just went 12 km today in lovely mild sunshine, through streets dotted with pink petals dropping from the flowering trees, Clissold Park and Finsbury Park, where a summer fair was getting all the kids excited. Nice! I wasn't even sure I'd go all the way to Finsbury Park (basically indicating that I'd just go 4-6km in my local park), but the nice weather and feeling that my legs were good and my back not ailing me encouraged me to go a bit farther!

I've lowered my ambitions for this month as I haven't been able to get out there the first half of the month. I've got 10 days to do 45 kilometres, that should be possible with a little bit of willpower..

All smiles here - and sending my love to y'all.

the infamous: work/life

And so it arrives, the time I've been asking for, dreading, expecting. Where I am no longer free to avail myself of all my time (apart from the fact that we of course all every day, every moment, choose what we do with our time) as I tomorrow will be back doing my internship. My massive influx of visitors is over (4 visits in 5 weekends) and it's back to being just me. I have this sense of fear of and soothing comfort from the well-known - fear that I'll settle into this easy thing of knowing what I'm going to do all the time - comfort in exactly the same.

I'm an animal of habit that loathes habit. It makes life easier, but I always tend to feel that I loose something in it. Spontaneity, passion, living every day instead of just passing through it. Maybe it's a case of ensuring that you care about what you do (but isn't that difficult with boring database work?), so that you retain a freshness and newness? Maybe I need to accept that if I ever want to get anywhere's near the freedom to roam life day by day I'll have to learn how to manage myself and my time, and I'll probably have to learn that in a way I don't find extremely inspiring. Hence the day-to-day menial tasks.

So if I'm an animal of habit that loathes habit does that then mean that I loathe myself? I think it means I need to construe some sort of life that'll allow me to have a norm that I generally follow, but also the opportunity to shake it up and go on adventures in my everyday life and work.

How do you guys deal with this? Does it ever get boring? Any thoughts are welcome!

Chronic?

Just as the clouds were parting, I went and stirred up a bit of humidity, forcing the cover back.

Why can't I just have fun and not be so goddamn serious all the time?

Back to work

Here, in between an abundance of visits, I have managed to secure an internship that started today!

It's with an educational charity and people seem really down to earth and casual. It seems that I can influence what I will be doing. I expressed interest in sustainability and in developing educational material and 10 minutes later I was invited to take part in a meeting on Thursday developing educational material on climate change! Cool!

I think there'll be a fair deal of admin regarding the online website, but that's ok, I don't have much experience with online stuff like that. Yeah, so, I'm feeling good about this, although somehow I was hoping for a charity that was more closely related to my core aims. It'll do for now.