Best of 2009 Blog Challenge: Best Project

I had some of my photography printed by my good friend Paul and  Lafayette’s art market pARTiculars liked my work so much they chose it to join their collection. I also opened my own etsy shop.

I picked my meditation practice back up.

Jim and I sold our house, simplified our belongings, packed up our dogs, and moved to Costa Rica.

I participated (and won) NaNoWriMo by writing 50,000 words in the month of November. I now have the beginnings of a collection of short stories based on my life.

I’ve started my exploration of vegan, gluten free, and refined sugar free baking.

I began a regular habit of exercising, often walking four miles a day on our wonderful beach here in Bejuco.

I started SamAhern.com and even when I take a break (like in the month of November) I just keep coming back. I love this medium for keeping track of and sharing what I’m up to. I am so grateful for the response it has had.

Notice how I don’t really choose one thing to be THE BEST? Yeah, I’m just not willing to do it. I’m already forgetting or omitting many things due to my not wanting to blog so much that I don’t have a life. There is no such thing as “the best” anyway. (Even though I have a habit of being overly dramatic and proclaiming that something is indeed “the best” at times.) My fact is that my life is overflowing full of good stuff (which I might add is awesome to be reminded of when the earlier part of this year was a whole pile of suck).

Also, I haven’t been doing the prompts for this challenge in order or on the days suggested. I may keep this thing going into 2010. (Woah. Is that allowed?! Hahaha.) As I often say: “I do what I want!” So be it.

“Nobody Said It’d Be Easy”

So I know it’s been a while since I last posted and this month may not bring many more as I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy.

Jim’s mom Susy was in town and we had such a great time here in Bejuco and up in Monteverde together. I will post photos and details of our time together at some point for sure.

As you read in my last post, I’m participating in National Novel Writing Month. It’s taking a lot of diligence and time, but I’m enjoying it so far.

Something else that’s keeping me busy is working with my mind. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time being still and quiet. It makes me antsy at best and anxious and severely uncomfortable in my skin at worst. Slowing down to “Tico Time” here in Costa Rica is still an adjustment. Although I’m more accepting of how it affects my interactions with other people, I’m finding that it allows a lot of space and time to be with myself. This sounds fine, but even with all the ways I’m keeping myself busy and productive, I haven’t been at peace. The funny thing is that having more time to be was part of my motivation to come down here for the year. I wanted time to reflect and witness my thoughts and emotions. Practicing being in the present moment, if you will, isn’t all that easy for me.

I’d rather be thinking about the past: “I miss Boulder, my friends there, Whole Foods, etc.” or the future: “What will we do next, what if we run out of money before we’re ready, where will we live next?” Now, I understand that looking at the past to cherish great moments or to learn from mistakes made is useful in the same way that a bit of planning for the future is also healthy. If I don’t buy what I need at the store to make dinner, we won’t have dinner and if we don’t plan to save money for retirement, we won’t ever be able to do so. I get that.

What I’m finding is that I have this constant dialogue (which most of us have) where rather than feeling an emotion directly, I get all wrapped up in the storyline attached to it. I let the fantasy take me for a ride. It’s fun and entertaining for a while, but really it’s not allowing me to fully feel the emotion I’m experiencing and then move on. What I’m trying to do is let go of the story I’ve created and just sit in what I’m experiencing now. In the moments I’m able to do that, I’m so much more peaceful, grateful, and hopeful. It also allows me to be more present in my actions. I can listen to you more clearly when I’m not wrapped up in my own thinking.

You can call this meditating if you will, but I’m trying to incorporate it into all areas of my life as well as setting aside a few minutes a day to sit and be quiet. When I drive into Jaco rather than letting my thoughts take me for a ride down “I really hope a tire doesn’t blow” I focus on driving. In this particular scenario it was helpful so that when a large tree branch dropped on my windshield while I was driving 80km I didn’t panic. I was able to take the necessary action.

The bottom line is that I’m finding this practice extremely useful in creating happiness. It can be very uncomfortable at times when I don’t want to let go of the storyline, especially the really juicy fantasies, but I’m coming to trust (or have faith) that being present is much more beneficial.

Finding Balance Series

So in the last post I shared how earlier in the year I found myself severely out of balance. It wasn’t a coincidence; I had stopped listening to my body, emotions, and thoughts. I was desperate and something had to shift. I am currently putting together my experience of what I have found to support a balanced life, but wanted to share with you the 10 topics I hope to touch on:
Sleep
Eating
Meditation
Creativity
Your Support System
Doing Nothing (Different than Meditation!)
Exercise
Sex
Saying No
Asking For Help
Other topics may get added later, as there are many areas where we want balance. This list is what I am finding to be the essentials to a balanced life.

The idea is to have patience and slowly transition into each of these. If you try and be perfect at all of these all at once (and I have tried this) you will fail. That isn’t the idea. Plus, we aren’t looking for perfection, we will set our ideals and then walk toward them. Only slow, gradual incorporation allows these things to stick and become habits, or part of a well rounded life.
Please add other topics you’d like to see covered in this Balance Series in the Share Your Thoughts box!