Just an update on the status of my recreational reading since we've hit a bit of a pause button with the Eat, Pray, Love discussion. I am nearing the end of the Bali adventure and well... I got distracted by The Other Boleyn Girl. It is a real page turning treat! The movie is out in February and I really wanted to read the book first. Yummy escape from reality!
I am also making my way through A Breath of Snow and Ashes (Book 6 in the Outlander Series). This is my second time through the series... in preparation for the release of An Echo in the Bone, Book 7 which is supposed to be published sometime in 2009. I read on Diana Gabaldon's website that there is a motion picture (presumably of Outlander) under development.
Other news in entertainment: Saw Juno last weekend and loved it! Highly recommended! AND... LOST season premiere this Thursday!!
The answer to the obvious question (Do you have a life aside from reading, tv, movies?) is Absolutely Yes!! Since completing my internship interview adventure, my life is really jumpstarting - there is a light at the end of the tunnel and I am striving to enjoy every moment of the journey to the light!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Slow but steady wins the race!?
I was so excited to finally be reading about the "Word" last night. So cool that Elizabeth picked up on the vibe of cities, down to one word. I agree with her. I've never been to Stockholm, but I don't think I will either. I am trailing in last place at chapter 34, but I have more time for pleasure reading now since I 'dropped' my Lit. class (I more-like dropped the teacher). I'll take Lit. this summer from a less-cryptic, teaching-style instructor. I havn't peeked ahead, but I am anxious to read her words describing India and Bali.
My word: Discover
...to answer the question: what word matches every single part of me? The first word that bubbled up was 'transform'; however, the word seemed to lack luster--maybe from overuse--especially here in Asheville. Then the word 'self-discovery'. I have traveled far....out in the world and in to my dark interior....so, yes, 'Discover': never ending and exponentially ignited every day.
Friday, January 18, 2008
That Quiet Girl
Perhaps my favorite part of the book so far is the section where Liz describes how she comes to accept her 'natural character.' (Ch. 62-64, pgs. 189-193)
The paragraph where she discusses her habit of interrupting people while they are talking (pg. 193) resonated so strongly with me (I know... this may be difficult to imagine - hint of sarcasm).
Even more so, her response to this realization... which was to take a vow of silence and become the "best" at being silent... is, well, a pattern with which I am all too familiar. (In psychodynamic speak - this is the defense known as 'reaction formation')
My fascination with psychology is in part due to a fascination with the power and quality of DEFENSES. How is it that people can go through life whining, complaining, abusing, withdrawing, etc... and never see that they are the source of their own misery? The answer is that humans are extremely well-defended.
My extraordinarily adaptive response to my own insecurities is to painstakingly examine, explain, and address any and all evidence of pathology or symptomology manifesting in my behavior, my relationships, my thoughts. (As an aside - you may have noted another hint of sarcasm here - which is ironically a manifestation of another psychological defense - passive-aggression. According to psychoanalytic theory, sarcasm is a passive-aggressive form of communication which protects the communicator from their own anger and the undesired consequences of expressing anger.)
Back to the topic of this post: Interrupting people because you think what you have to say is more important that what the other person is saying. Hence, you think you're more important than the other person.
True story: Two pipes involved in my daily activities sprung leaks this past week. The pipe involved in draining water in the bathroom sink and the pipe involved in expelling exhaust from my car.
A third pipe has sprung a leak - it has actually been leaking my whole life and I have only intermittently been aware of it. My constant stream of chatter is a drain to my energy and a burden to those around me. Talking is a tool for avoiding myself, my loneliness, my worries... My cell phone is a depository for my energy, my ceaseless, useless, stream of blah, blah, blah... My supervisor, on numerous occasions, has told me that I use too many words - the impact of my communication is lessened by so many words.
Pg. 190 "Learning how to discipline your speech is a way of preventing your energies from spilling out of you through the rupture of your mouth, exhausting you and filling the world with words, words, words instead of serenity, peace, and bliss."
I pray for help in learning this skill... perhaps I will take a vow of silence.
The paragraph where she discusses her habit of interrupting people while they are talking (pg. 193) resonated so strongly with me (I know... this may be difficult to imagine - hint of sarcasm).
Even more so, her response to this realization... which was to take a vow of silence and become the "best" at being silent... is, well, a pattern with which I am all too familiar. (In psychodynamic speak - this is the defense known as 'reaction formation')
My fascination with psychology is in part due to a fascination with the power and quality of DEFENSES. How is it that people can go through life whining, complaining, abusing, withdrawing, etc... and never see that they are the source of their own misery? The answer is that humans are extremely well-defended.
My extraordinarily adaptive response to my own insecurities is to painstakingly examine, explain, and address any and all evidence of pathology or symptomology manifesting in my behavior, my relationships, my thoughts. (As an aside - you may have noted another hint of sarcasm here - which is ironically a manifestation of another psychological defense - passive-aggression. According to psychoanalytic theory, sarcasm is a passive-aggressive form of communication which protects the communicator from their own anger and the undesired consequences of expressing anger.)
Back to the topic of this post: Interrupting people because you think what you have to say is more important that what the other person is saying. Hence, you think you're more important than the other person.
True story: Two pipes involved in my daily activities sprung leaks this past week. The pipe involved in draining water in the bathroom sink and the pipe involved in expelling exhaust from my car.
A third pipe has sprung a leak - it has actually been leaking my whole life and I have only intermittently been aware of it. My constant stream of chatter is a drain to my energy and a burden to those around me. Talking is a tool for avoiding myself, my loneliness, my worries... My cell phone is a depository for my energy, my ceaseless, useless, stream of blah, blah, blah... My supervisor, on numerous occasions, has told me that I use too many words - the impact of my communication is lessened by so many words.
Pg. 190 "Learning how to discipline your speech is a way of preventing your energies from spilling out of you through the rupture of your mouth, exhausting you and filling the world with words, words, words instead of serenity, peace, and bliss."
I pray for help in learning this skill... perhaps I will take a vow of silence.
Rae's Word: Engage
I must apologize for the delay in sharing my thoughts... a subsequent post will further explore the existential underpinnings of this delay and how it relates to Eat, Pray, Love. For now, it must suffice to say that life has been a busy and extremely enjoyable grand tour of internships! In fact, my word, which I reveal in the title of this post, did arise from my recent journey to the west coast.
To expand further: Following my adventure in Long Beach (another story entirely), I attended the Seattle VA (acronym = 'Veterans Affairs' Medical Center) for their psychology internship open house. There, the training director spoke at length about the philosophy of their training program, which is essentially that they support the development of excellence - not just competence - and they do this in several ways, the description of which I will not bore you at this time. The point is that there is distinction to be made between competence and excellence, and it is on this point that I digress.
The "space" between competence and excellence, I believe, is comprised of how and how much one engages and is engaging! (There's my word!!!) To be truly successful, I must whole-heartedly "engage" in my life and the pursuit of my goals.. I must SHOW UP - rain, sleet, snow, etc... My pursuit must not be a blind or desperate striving for external validation. Rather I strive to be worthy of excellence, which is where "being engaging" comes in. "Being engaging" to me means that I act with humility, empathy, and compassion, so that others have room to welcome me and support me along my journey. So that I do not, in my effort to achieve, compromise my integrity and humanity.
So, this is my word: Engage
______ + Engage + Achieve = _______
To expand further: Following my adventure in Long Beach (another story entirely), I attended the Seattle VA (acronym = 'Veterans Affairs' Medical Center) for their psychology internship open house. There, the training director spoke at length about the philosophy of their training program, which is essentially that they support the development of excellence - not just competence - and they do this in several ways, the description of which I will not bore you at this time. The point is that there is distinction to be made between competence and excellence, and it is on this point that I digress.
The "space" between competence and excellence, I believe, is comprised of how and how much one engages and is engaging! (There's my word!!!) To be truly successful, I must whole-heartedly "engage" in my life and the pursuit of my goals.. I must SHOW UP - rain, sleet, snow, etc... My pursuit must not be a blind or desperate striving for external validation. Rather I strive to be worthy of excellence, which is where "being engaging" comes in. "Being engaging" to me means that I act with humility, empathy, and compassion, so that others have room to welcome me and support me along my journey. So that I do not, in my effort to achieve, compromise my integrity and humanity.
So, this is my word: Engage
______ + Engage + Achieve = _______
Friday, January 4, 2008
I want to learn Italian now!
I have to admit, this is the first: #1 NY Times bestseller I've ever read!
So far, I like the story...I find that in-amongst the clever talkie talk, she reveals some deep stuff. Not just 'deep', but super-personal experiences that are explained without editing for descretion purposes. I loved the experience she described on pg. 54 when she 'sees a friend' in the mirror when she's getting on an elevator. I have had moments like that!
So far, my favorite paragraph was laugh-out-loud funny in chapter 16: 'Depression' with the billy-club and 'Lonliness', the sensitive cop interrogator; very insightful of her.
I continue to admire her awareness around changing what she does based on new reasons why. This follows Kate's observation of the author's presense. Yes, and staying true to her self-aware pitfalls and a new found: self-allowing. I could learn from her 'no rules' approach to eating. I loved the visual of her preparing her 'masterpiece lunch 'and then eating it-- sitting in a patch of sunbeam on her wooden floor, while reading the Italian newspaper.
I'm on pg. 74 now. (there was no reading at Patricia's....some guest rooms in this world don't come with bedside table and light.)
So far, I like the story...I find that in-amongst the clever talkie talk, she reveals some deep stuff. Not just 'deep', but super-personal experiences that are explained without editing for descretion purposes. I loved the experience she described on pg. 54 when she 'sees a friend' in the mirror when she's getting on an elevator. I have had moments like that!
So far, my favorite paragraph was laugh-out-loud funny in chapter 16: 'Depression' with the billy-club and 'Lonliness', the sensitive cop interrogator; very insightful of her.
I continue to admire her awareness around changing what she does based on new reasons why. This follows Kate's observation of the author's presense. Yes, and staying true to her self-aware pitfalls and a new found: self-allowing. I could learn from her 'no rules' approach to eating. I loved the visual of her preparing her 'masterpiece lunch 'and then eating it-- sitting in a patch of sunbeam on her wooden floor, while reading the Italian newspaper.
I'm on pg. 74 now. (there was no reading at Patricia's....some guest rooms in this world don't come with bedside table and light.)
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Why Rae picked the book Eat, Pray, Love
What draws me to the book is the idea of a QUEST... that life is a QUEST for... many things...
For me, I experience and recognize the importance of wondering - "Is this it?" I want to honor the restless discomfort (and sometimes sheer panic) that accompanies that wondering. I believe that I simply have to verbalize that I wonder this and at times I have to take action to explore, to go on a quest... sometimes independently and sometimes with other people. Therefore, the reason that I wanted to read this book myself and share it with my mom and sister is because I need to be inspired by other women who share my need to explore and who most reliably support me to quest and will even come with me if I ask.
For me, I experience and recognize the importance of wondering - "Is this it?" I want to honor the restless discomfort (and sometimes sheer panic) that accompanies that wondering. I believe that I simply have to verbalize that I wonder this and at times I have to take action to explore, to go on a quest... sometimes independently and sometimes with other people. Therefore, the reason that I wanted to read this book myself and share it with my mom and sister is because I need to be inspired by other women who share my need to explore and who most reliably support me to quest and will even come with me if I ask.
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