Reviewing My Summer 2023

 

This is a good time to review my summer and see how it went. Each year I record what summer activities I do so come this time of year when I feel like I have not done much all summer I have data to prove myself wrong. (Yes I keep data to prove myself wrong which feels very me LOL.)

This summer I ended up doing 113 summer activities and via google there were 100 days in the period I count as summer so an average of more than one a day. Each type of activity get a different color so I can see that I am doing lots of different things around Chicago* In the end I ended up with basically a bar code for my summer.

The fact I did so much is a little surprising since this summer I started with a "lets not stress" attitude and wanted to do more activities because they looked cool, not just to do them so I could add them to my list. But we all know what we do with plans, throw them away** and in only doing fun stuff I ended up doing more LOL.

I tend to only keep activity lists for the summer months, because come fall I do different patterns such as doing something magical/Halloween based each day of October, and sometimes keeping track of my Holiday activties between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

In addition while I did great with staying busy certain things like this blog fell more to the wayside and I am hoping to blog more regularly now that we are in September. So reviewing my summer I did a lot of activities but I am excited for fall and the new patterns and rhythm that will bring.

* Well almost all around Chicago, there are also a couple from when I visited my parents this summer.

**Based on a Captain Cold Quote in The Flash TV show.

Honoring Labor Day

 

Today is labor day a day we celebrate all the labor we all perform. 

Today is Labor Day

By Dreaming Ace

Today is Labor Day

Day to honor all our labor

Labor in many forms, shapes, squiggles

Day to honor all our labor

Today is Labor Day

Personal Labor

Learning who our truest

Self is. Who we really are.

Physical Labor

Moving and Building and Growing

Farm and Factory and Construction

Professional Labor

What labor we give to others

To keep a roof over our heads

Vocational Labor

Labor we give in finding where

Our passions meet the worlds need

Caregiver Labor

Putting others needs first

Opening our hearts to others

Creative Labor

Creating, Building, Drawing, Writing

Painting, Cooking, Dancing, Designing

Dreaming Labor

Dreaming up what might be

Looking at world through new eyes

Today is Labor Day

Day to honor all our labor

Labor in many forms, shapes, squiggles

Day to honor all our labor

Today is Labor Day

Prepping For New Seasons

 

This is a time of transitions and changes for many of us. Of saying goodbye to summer and saying hello to fall and all that fall brings. I find this to be a productive time of year for me. I often take this time to rethink what is serving me and what I should let fall away. 

This often looks like sorting/organizing. I am getting quite a pile that I will share on my local buy nothing group or donate to a local resale shop where purchases go towards providing free HIV testing. Ex some reusable tote bags from groups (I don't need 50+ LOL)

It also means I am really thinking about how to make my space more functional (like not using my floor as an extra space to store odds and ends lol) and getting a new planner (18 months so goes threw the end of 2024) so that I can stay on top of all my activities.

On top of that my focus for September is going to be creating unboxed bento boxes for lunch each day. (Don't have a bento box so probably just on a plate) with the goal of having 4 components as part of lunch each day in order move eating from a chore to something yummy.

So as August draws to a close this might be a good time to rethink how well your life is working for you. Is there anything that no longer serves that you could let go of? Any small changes you could make that will have a big impact on your life? Have a wonderful fall everyone.

Elul And Reflecting On A Year

 

We are currently about a third of the way through the Jewish month of Elul. Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and personal stock-taking. I am someone who can't get enough of such personal stock-taking and have looked forward to Elul for the past few years. 

I find fall is the perfect time to start taking stock before the Jewish New Year. (Honestly I really enjoy having a month to review my past year and using September, October, November, and December to try out New Year resolutions and see if I want them for 2024 or if they need to be modified)

I get a daily email throughout the month of Elul via the Jewish Studio Project with reflections and journal prompts. One such email was around celebrating small victories.

It can be exceedingly difficult to recognize the ways in which we’ve changed from year to year. The pace of transformation is slow and our memories are short. That said, sometimes we re-encounter a challenge and we have the opportunity to see ourselves respond differently. This happened to me in the last couple of weeks, and while, on some level, I would have preferred not to experience the frustration and sadness again, I did have the opportunity to witness my growth. I was undeniably less reactive, more accepting and more patient. I share this not to toot my own horn [insert shofar joke], but to say that noticing our small victories, celebrating our successes, is an important way of keeping track of the ways in which change really happens. (Rabbi Jordan Braunig)

When thinking about the past year (last Elul to now) I found my successes fell into two main categories:

Growing Social Connections

• Joined Three Avenues book club
• Joined two library book clubs
• Joined a monthly craft class at library

Growing Vocationally

• Got a new freelance client and now for the first time get bi-lines for my work (which is amazing and makes showing examples of my work much easier)
• Going through an amazing job interview process which while did not turn into a position did leave me feeling encouraged and like I do have skills and talents that I bring to the table

It really is neat to think back on my small sucesses from the past year. It is nice to see I have grown in the past year and wonder in what ways I will grow next year. My hope for everyone is that you continue to grow gradually into the most connected, loving, and kind person you can be. 

Celebrate National Wellness Month

We observe National Wellness Month* in August, emphasizing self-care, stress reduction, and the promotion of healthy practices. To feel like our best self, we need to adopt healthy behaviors and prioritize self-care. The concept behind National Wellness Month is that self-care is essential if we are to accomplish great things in the world, creatively, personally, professionally, locally, community wide, or globally. 

*Ok National Wellness Month is basically a hallmark holiday created by a wellness spa in 2018 BUT the idea of a National Wellness Month feels important so I am running with it even if it is more an idea of a month than a actual official awareness month :) 

  

Since it is easy for us to fall into ruts and forget all the possibilities available to us here is a collection of a few self love activities to spark your creativity. I have broken them down by category (Embodiment/ Sense of Touch, Sense of Smell, Sense of Hearing, Sense of Sight, Sense of Taste, Mental Wellbeing, Connection/Community and Caring For Your Physical Space) depending on what you are seeking.

There is no right or wrong way to practice self love. If the term self love stresses you out remember to expand your definition of self love. And in most cases self love is gentle nudges not a totally reframing of your life. In the end whatever you choose to do can be a form or self love, and your self love can look like anything you can dream up. 

Embodiment/Sense of Touch:

• Movement: Yoga, Walking, Biking, Dancing, Etc.
• Self Massage 
• Using Lotion
• Weighted Blanket
• Walking Barefoot (On Grass, On Sand, In Water Etc.)

Sense of Smell:

• Smelling Flowers, Fruits, Nature
• Burning Candles or Incense
• Baking or Cooking Something That Smells Yummy
• Opening Windows For Fresh Air
• Using Essential Oils 

Sense of Hearing:

• Listening to Music (Live or Recorded)
• Listening to White Noise (Waves Crashing, Thunderstorm, Etc.)
• Listening to a Podcast
• Listening Poetry or Short Stories Being Read
• Listening to Silence

Sense of Sight:

• Enjoying an Art Gallery/Museum
• Wearing Your Favorite Color
• Walking Around a Garden
• Watching a Cartoon, TV Show, or Movie You Love
• Coloring 

Sense of Taste:

• Savoring Your Favorite Foods
• Savoring Your Favorite Drinks (Tea, Coffee, Hot Cocoa, Juice)
• Brushing Your Teeth With a Nice Tasting Toothpaste
• Enjoying a "Tasting" With A Professional
• Creating Your Own "Tasting" Pairings

Your Mental Wellness

• Journal
• Meditate
• Try Therapy
• Make Art
• Have a Dance Party

Connection/Community

• Join a Book Club
• Go to an Open Mic
• Join a Club/Class
• Hang Out At Your Favorite Library/Bookstore
• Hang Out (In Person or Online) With Others Who Love Your Fandoms

Caring For Your Physical Space

• Do a Micro-Cleaning Project (Put Away 5-10 Items)
• Donate or Trash What Has Become Clutter/No Longer Brings Joy
• Adding a Plant or Cut Flowers to Your Space
• Changing Your Sheets, Towels, Decorative Pillows, Etc.
• Moving Furniture Around To Gain A New Looking Space

What My Dreams Teach About Self Doubt

 

The night before last I had a dream that gave me a lot of food for thought including wisdom that I recorded as soon as I woke up because I knew it was important:

In my dream I am watching a supernatural version* of the Lincoln Lawyer**, who does not trust himself, and there is a male boss*** who does trust him and either I or someone else watching says "The boss trusts him because they remember before, so any issues were caused by the drugs, whereas the Lincoln Lawyer does not trust himself because he got hooked on drugs so what will keep him from making another bad choice moving forward"

Which I think is clearly my brain processing some of my experiences with burn out and self doubt. I was in a retail/food service job for 4 years and then could not take it anymore for a number of reasons (staffing issues, organizational issues, …) so I choose to leave. 

I find myself falling into my dream Lincoln Lawyer's patterns and feeling like since that role strongly and negatively impacted my mental health that means I failed and could not and would not be able to do a similar role anytime in the future.  

I know it would be healthier for me to have the outlook of the Dream Boss. Viewing the fact I had to leave in light of the environment becoming toxic not because I could not do the job back then or would not be able to do the job in the future. 

I was reminded of how much self doubt, imposter syndrome I have collected over the years from a wide range of jobs and am slowly realizing how this accumulated self doubt and imposter syndrome has been and will continue to be holding me back vocationally unless I choose to make a change in my thinking.

So I have some idea why Dream of The Endless created the dream for me, even if I don't have any magic way to change my thinking and decrease my career related self-doubt. Hopefully processing  such as by writing this blog will help me honor my own career strengths.  

   

* The Lincoln Lawyer was some kind of wizard or demon hunter
**I have seen a sum total of one episode of the Lincoln Lawyer
I guess Dream of the Endless just borrowed the character to teach me what I needed to know in my dream LOL
*** Yes I know in the show it is a female boss/co-lawyer

Happy Disability Pride Month

 

July is Disability Pride Month. If you are confused March was Disability Awareness Month. So one way of looking at it is March is when we realize all the ways that society disables so many of us and in July we celebrate the joy of being part of the disability community. 

Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July and is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. Why July? It marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society.

 

According to the CDC:

A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities. 

 

As the World Health Organization puts it most everyone will experience disability but the struggle comes when society is unwilling to accommodate those disabilities:

Disability is part of being human. Almost everyone will temporarily or permanently experience disability at some point in their life. An estimated 1.3 billion people – about 16% of the global population – currently experience significant disability. This number is increasing due in part to population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases.

Disability results from the interaction between individuals with a health condition, such as cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and depression, with personal and environmental factors including negative attitudes, inaccessible transportation and public buildings, and limited social support.

A person’s environment has a huge effect on the experience and extent of disability. Inaccessible environments create barriers that often hinder the full and effective participation of persons with disabilities in society on an equal basis with others. Progress on improving social participation can be made by addressing these barriers and facilitating persons with disabilities in their day to day lives.

After a quick google search I found there is a disability pride flag. I will admit I did not realize we had our own flag, though I am not surprised LOL. It has a black background and diagonally across the flag are five zigzag lines colored blue, yellow, white, red, and green. The diagonal lines are to represent lightning bolts and each color represents something unique about the disability community.

The Black Field: this field is to represent the disabled people who have lost their lives due to not only their illness, but also negligence, suicide, and eugenics.

The Lightning Bolt: the shape of the lightning bolt represents the non-lateral lives that many disabled people live, often having to adapt themselves or their physical routes to get around an inaccessible society.

The Colors: each color on this flag represents a different aspect of disability or impairment,

Blue: Mental Illness.

Yellow: Cognitive and Intellectual Disabilities.

Green: Sensory Perception Disabilities.

Red: Physical Disabilities.