I had a chance to put my word of the year to use again. Twice.
1.) On Saturday I worked an event that I'd been stressing about since I agreed to do it. As my anxiety levels increased my sleep quality decreased, which never improves a situation. I ended up working just 15 minutes shy of a 12 hour day, my leg muscles were so sore that I could barely hobble around for days after, and my joints still haven't recovered (mainly my knees). Aside from all that it went as smoothly as I could have hoped for and the best part is it is over. Hopefully I won't have to work another event like that for at least 4 months. Or never. Never would be fine too.
2.) A new yoga studio opened up in my town recently. I've been eyeballing the location and stalking their website ever since. It had developed into a minor obsession (because that's kind of how I roll). At the grocery store on Sunday I paused to check out the yoga mats and my husband told me to just get one if I wanted one. So I did. When we got home I registered for a beginner yoga class on Monday evening. I'd only been to one yoga class before and it was ages ago. Considering all of the things that make me anxious (going somewhere new by myself, finding parking, finding the studio entrance, interacting with the instructor and other students, what to wear, what to do with my hair, etc. etc.), I am rather proud of myself for going. Also, I am mad envious of everyone that floats through life unencumbered by anxiety.
Fortunately, the instructor was friendly and one of the other students started chatting with me almost immediately (perhaps she sensed my need for reassurance). I enjoyed the class immensely, even though I felt shaky and weak and at points very stiff. My glasses kept sliding down my nose and getting in my way and my hair was distracting, slipping out of the low pony tail and falling in my face. I will definitely have to try another way of restraining it. I couldn't help but admire the instructor's closely cropped hairstyle, although it's not anything I can see myself sporting.
I'm so glad I was brave enough to go and I can't wait to do it again. I'm already fantasizing about buying clothes designed for yoga (in hopes they'd be more comfortable than what I wore). I'm kind of loving these pants which are made from recycled plastic bottles. But don't worry I'm not going to rush out and buy a bunch of gear (at least not until I know this is something I will do A LOT and is therefore worth investing in). Right now it will be a challenge just finding a way to afford the occasional class. Especially since I'm already thinking about next Monday...
Showing posts with label Brave. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brave. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 07, 2014
Sunday, February 09, 2014
Learning Italian
My grandfather started teaching me French in elementary school. I had a small 3-ring binder in which I would write the new words and phrases phonetically. Grandpa was a master of languages and was fluent in at least a handful. Both my mom and dad had also taken French in high school, as did my older sister, so quite a bit of franglais was spoken in our home.
In school the first available language classes were offered in 7th grade for one semester. Naturally I started taking French and continued through my senior year, accruing 5 1/2 years along the way. I excelled at French because the methods of learning were based on memorization. (I later found equally solid footing in Dendrology during college. Yay for rote memorization!)
French was not only the class I routinely received the highest grades in, it was also a favorite subject and taught by one of my favorite teachers. We called her only Madame (Mme), pronounced with our best French accents. Another French teacher was not accorded the same respect. She was called Madam X, using the English pronunciation and her full last name. Usually said with disdain.
During senior year, Mme cooked with us on Fridays, hosted movie nights at her house, and generally allowed herself to become somewhat cozier with the students. I had every intention of someday traveling to France and of course, maintaining my use of the French language. Ah, the naivety of youth...
Off to college I went, where first semester I took Italian. My professor spent the whole semester scolding me in front of the class for speaking Italian with a French accent, which was odd because even though I excelled at French in high school, no one ever accused me of having a well-honed French accent. Then I transferred to a small science college, where the main focus was on SCIENCE and the rest is history.
My husband and I have been talking about taking a trip to Italy ever since we started dating. We both have Italian heritage (I am 1/4 Italian through my mom, he is 1/2 Italian also through his mother) and both place Italy as number 1 on our international travel wishlist. From the beginning we also talked about buying Rosetta Stone for Italian, but it wasn't until this past fall that we did. My husband decided it would be our Christmas gift to ourselves.
Unfortunately, his enthusiasm flagged fairly quickly, whereas mine has not. The way it is taught feels almost like a computer game (nerd alert!), so in small doses it is actually quite fun for me. I miss the way languages were taught in high school though- the long lists of vocab words and verb conjugation. I miss the way I could memorize definitions. I'm still memorizing now, but I'm memorizing images with words or phrases that have no English translation. Sometimes I have no idea what the pictures are supposed to depict. I remain unconvinced that this is a superior learning technique. Maybe by the time I complete the course I will change my mind, but at least for now I'm enjoying the process.
While learning Italian isn't brave the same way leaving a job or starting a new one is, I think deciding to learn a new language in your late 30s does require some bravery. So here's to being BRAVE in 2014 and learning Italian!
(This is not a sponsored post.)
In school the first available language classes were offered in 7th grade for one semester. Naturally I started taking French and continued through my senior year, accruing 5 1/2 years along the way. I excelled at French because the methods of learning were based on memorization. (I later found equally solid footing in Dendrology during college. Yay for rote memorization!)
French was not only the class I routinely received the highest grades in, it was also a favorite subject and taught by one of my favorite teachers. We called her only Madame (Mme), pronounced with our best French accents. Another French teacher was not accorded the same respect. She was called Madam X, using the English pronunciation and her full last name. Usually said with disdain.
During senior year, Mme cooked with us on Fridays, hosted movie nights at her house, and generally allowed herself to become somewhat cozier with the students. I had every intention of someday traveling to France and of course, maintaining my use of the French language. Ah, the naivety of youth...
Off to college I went, where first semester I took Italian. My professor spent the whole semester scolding me in front of the class for speaking Italian with a French accent, which was odd because even though I excelled at French in high school, no one ever accused me of having a well-honed French accent. Then I transferred to a small science college, where the main focus was on SCIENCE and the rest is history.
My husband and I have been talking about taking a trip to Italy ever since we started dating. We both have Italian heritage (I am 1/4 Italian through my mom, he is 1/2 Italian also through his mother) and both place Italy as number 1 on our international travel wishlist. From the beginning we also talked about buying Rosetta Stone for Italian, but it wasn't until this past fall that we did. My husband decided it would be our Christmas gift to ourselves.
Unfortunately, his enthusiasm flagged fairly quickly, whereas mine has not. The way it is taught feels almost like a computer game (nerd alert!), so in small doses it is actually quite fun for me. I miss the way languages were taught in high school though- the long lists of vocab words and verb conjugation. I miss the way I could memorize definitions. I'm still memorizing now, but I'm memorizing images with words or phrases that have no English translation. Sometimes I have no idea what the pictures are supposed to depict. I remain unconvinced that this is a superior learning technique. Maybe by the time I complete the course I will change my mind, but at least for now I'm enjoying the process.
While learning Italian isn't brave the same way leaving a job or starting a new one is, I think deciding to learn a new language in your late 30s does require some bravery. So here's to being BRAVE in 2014 and learning Italian!
(This is not a sponsored post.)
Friday, January 24, 2014
Friday Five: Gratitude {2}
We're neck deep in another painfully cold stretch of weather. The kind that requires polypro long underwear and a Buff pulled up over your nose when you're outside for more than a few minutes. At least I need these things to feel even remotely comfortable. I'm trying not to think about how scary the next heat bill will be. So it seems like a good time to review a few things I'm grateful for right now:
1. Hot tea. I can't start my day without a big mug of English breakfast tea. I prefer it strong with a hint of sugar and a splash of milk.
2. Dog fence. Last spring we installed a fence around a small area of the backyard, accessible from the back door. For the first time since I brought my first dog home 14 years ago I don't have to bundle up and go outside every couple hours. I was thankful during rainstorms over the summer, but it really became obvious how the fence was worth every penny we paid when the temperatures fell below zero. Best. Thing. Ever.
3. My elliptical. A couple winters ago I was panicking about my inability to exercise because of the cold and snow. I obsessively monitored craigslist until I found a basic elliptical model for sale in our town for cheap. We nabbed it and set it up in the family room (a room we use only for storage of crap). I eventually discovered that I am able to read my Nook while using it, which has allowed me to use it for longer periods of time (and more frequently because, frankly, it's maddeningly dull without a novel to distract me).
4. My Subaru. I had lusted after Subarus for years. They were my dream cars, I kid you not. No Beemers or Corvettes for me. All I wanted was a Subaru. Well, a hatchback, manual transmission model to be more precise. Almost 4 years after buying my Impreza I still love it every day all year round, but when there is snow on the road I am especially grateful for its all-wheel drive. As long as I live in snow country I will never own another two-wheel drive vehicle. But really, I can't foresee any reason why I would ever buy anything but a Subaru ever again.
5. New opportunities. My husband recently partnered with a friend in a local business. It's a successful, established business that has been growing over the last several years with advice and assistance from my husband. Now he is a full partner in the business, and I will be working there. I gave my two weeks notice at my job (BRAVE) and worked my last day yesterday. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. I will also be working part-time for another friend of ours. I start training at his office this coming Monday. The event I worked this past Monday was for his business as well. Leaving the security of my job was a little scary, but I am so thankful to be away from that stifling environment. The last two years there have been soul-killing and confidence stealing. I am ready to find myself again and rebuild my self-confidence.
What are you grateful for today?
You can read my last Friday Five: Gratitude here.
1. Hot tea. I can't start my day without a big mug of English breakfast tea. I prefer it strong with a hint of sugar and a splash of milk.
2. Dog fence. Last spring we installed a fence around a small area of the backyard, accessible from the back door. For the first time since I brought my first dog home 14 years ago I don't have to bundle up and go outside every couple hours. I was thankful during rainstorms over the summer, but it really became obvious how the fence was worth every penny we paid when the temperatures fell below zero. Best. Thing. Ever.
3. My elliptical. A couple winters ago I was panicking about my inability to exercise because of the cold and snow. I obsessively monitored craigslist until I found a basic elliptical model for sale in our town for cheap. We nabbed it and set it up in the family room (a room we use only for storage of crap). I eventually discovered that I am able to read my Nook while using it, which has allowed me to use it for longer periods of time (and more frequently because, frankly, it's maddeningly dull without a novel to distract me).
4. My Subaru. I had lusted after Subarus for years. They were my dream cars, I kid you not. No Beemers or Corvettes for me. All I wanted was a Subaru. Well, a hatchback, manual transmission model to be more precise. Almost 4 years after buying my Impreza I still love it every day all year round, but when there is snow on the road I am especially grateful for its all-wheel drive. As long as I live in snow country I will never own another two-wheel drive vehicle. But really, I can't foresee any reason why I would ever buy anything but a Subaru ever again.
5. New opportunities. My husband recently partnered with a friend in a local business. It's a successful, established business that has been growing over the last several years with advice and assistance from my husband. Now he is a full partner in the business, and I will be working there. I gave my two weeks notice at my job (BRAVE) and worked my last day yesterday. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement. I will also be working part-time for another friend of ours. I start training at his office this coming Monday. The event I worked this past Monday was for his business as well. Leaving the security of my job was a little scary, but I am so thankful to be away from that stifling environment. The last two years there have been soul-killing and confidence stealing. I am ready to find myself again and rebuild my self-confidence.
What are you grateful for today?
You can read my last Friday Five: Gratitude here.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Putting my word of the year to work
Brave.
Brave.
BRAVE.
I'm a worrier. An over-thinker. Prone to anxiety.
I get anxious when I meet new people, when I drive places I've never been before.
I get cold, sweaty, shaky, and sick to my stomach.
So you can see why I chose brave as my word of the year for 2014. I can focus on that one word and it feels like I'm chanting "you can do this" over and over to myself.
Yesterday I had a chance to put my word to good use. I drove somewhere I'd never been before (and my GPS tried to mislead me, but I out-smarted her) to work with people I don't know very well, doing something I'd never done before.
It went better than I could've hoped. I definitely chose the right word for me right now. And to remind myself of the importance of this one word:
Brave.
BRAVE.
I'm a worrier. An over-thinker. Prone to anxiety.
I get anxious when I meet new people, when I drive places I've never been before.
I get cold, sweaty, shaky, and sick to my stomach.
So you can see why I chose brave as my word of the year for 2014. I can focus on that one word and it feels like I'm chanting "you can do this" over and over to myself.
Yesterday I had a chance to put my word to good use. I drove somewhere I'd never been before (and my GPS tried to mislead me, but I out-smarted her) to work with people I don't know very well, doing something I'd never done before.
It went better than I could've hoped. I definitely chose the right word for me right now. And to remind myself of the importance of this one word:
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