You can read about the start of this project here.
Rock Notes is a Monthly Project for June 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
|
|
||
|
And just like that another school year is over. How is that even possible?! Nathaniel finished second grade this past Thursday. We then went to a class party at a friend’s house where the kids played and the adults chatted. I was quite sick but showed up any way. It was wonderful just to see Nathaniel experiencing so much joy. This was our last year at his current school. So it was saying good-bye to second grade, to his friends, to his school all at once. We’ve loved this school and we also look forward to the next one. Since I was a room-parent this year, the teachers got a mug for me and had each kid sign it. They also gave me a card and a Starbucks giftcard. It was so very kind of them. i’ve loved every day of second grade and I hope the new school, the new class, the new grade proves to be just as amazing. Onward, my wonderful boy!
Stories from 2017 is a year-long project for 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
Weekly Intention: This is the first week of summer for Nathaniel. I am still feeling sick and have a full day tomorrow with two client calls, 5 meetings, and a 6-hour trip to David’s school at night. Then I move to an all-day meeting at the school on Tuesday (and then a late meeting at work), a full-day at work Wednesday and then quieter day on Thursday. Friday’s David’s last day which means a half-day party. The weekend comes with a birthday party and a bat-mitzvah. And this is my last weekend in town before I am gone for three weeks. Phew. just writing all that down made me tired. So the intention for this week is going to have to be to be graceful. To be slow. To own my own story. To be intentional. To show up. To notice and appreciate the fulness of my life. Things I want to get Done: Here’s the list for his week.
This month’s intention is: June: Shine Through: Let yourself be seen this month. Express yourself. Be true to you. Own who you are. This is fantastically timed. I am all about being true to me at this moment. Ways to Shine this week:
I am looking forward to: David also being done with school. This week’s challenges: The first three days of this week promise to be stressful. Top Goals:
I will focus on my core desires (bold, mindful, nourish, love) by: working on defining what these mean to me in all the dimensions of my life. This week, I will say yes to: showing up. even when i am tired. even when it’s hard. This week, I will say no to: giving up. I am worried that: the feedback will be that it’s still not ok. david’s culmination will go badly. tuesday will be a disaster. friday i will be exhausted. i will still be really sick. This week, I want to remember: that journaling really helps.
How I shone this week: This was a good week. Even though I woke up quite sick on Thursday morning and still feel under the weather, I still feel good about this week. It didn’t really feel like a 4-day week though. I started the week at David’s school, learning all about seventh grade. How is it possible that I have a seventh grader?! I ended the week with a party celebrating Nathaniel moving on to third grade. In between, I went to work. I did work. and I had meetings. I also tried to rest and recover a bit. I feel grateful for my life. Things I wanted to get Done: I’ve established a bit of a routine working Saturday mornings. Not sure if this is a good thing or not a good thing. For now, it’s working for me. I will say that we didn’t hike two weeks in a row and that’s less ideal.
I celebrate: the last week of school for david! I am grateful for: the journaling i’ve been doing. it helps. I nourished myself by: resting most of Friday when i was really sick. Reflecting on my worries: i didn’t mess up so far. meetings happened and went well. feedback is coming next week so we’ll see. no other bad news so far. school’s been ok. i am starting to decide i should give up worrying. I let go of: trying to do too much this weekend. i’m still sick and i am just tired so i decided it’s ok to rest. Core Desire Check-in (bold, mindful, nourish, love):
What made me laugh this week: friends i saw while at the kids’ school. it was fun to be a bit early and chat. What I tolerated this week: being sick. not a fan. My mood this week was: calmer. Here’s to a wonderful week twenty-three! For June, I decided I wanted to paint some rocks. I saw all these painted rocks all over Melody’s house when I was there for Life Restoration and it was so wonderful that I knew I wanted to make them, too. So I bought some rocks and made them my June project.
Of course I had to start with “shine” 🙂 Rock Notes is a Monthly Project for June 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
I started this week with New Boy. It’s a retelling of Othello and it’s one of the few Shakespeare books I haven’t read. This is one of the series of retellings like the Anne Tyler one that came out last year. This particular story takes place in middle school and is about racism. It was a short, powerful read. I then moved on to One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter because I was looking forward to it and it didn’t disappoint. I’ve read a few books like this, this year, and I’ve liked all of them. I moved on to Loving What Is. I’ve read Byron Katie before and I knew what to expect but it was still worth it. This is the kind of book I need to read once a year. I need to think, journal, process, learn, and relearn all of this. I find her work to be one of the easiest and most powerful. I was conflicted about reading House of Names which is a retelling of the story of Clytemnestra (which I didn’t know.) I kept wanting to stop reading it but I didn’t. It was about revenge. About how things go so wrong. It was a tough read, for me. I then moved on to Woman No. 17 which I also wasn’t sure about reading. But it was much easier to read than The House of Names. Though I didn’t love it. It had a few interesting bits but overall I am so done reading these stories about these women. Characters I can’t connect with, stories I can’t relate to, people I don’t like. Then I grabbed Startup thinking it would be light and fun. It wasn’t. It was a mess. It was too cartoonish. I wish someone would write a smart novel about the current Silicon Valley culture. Not something sensationalist but something interesting, thought-provoking and worthwhile. But alas, maybe that won’t happen. I kept picking up One of the Boys and putting it down. I knew I was going to be so sad. And I was. it was so sad. I am not glad I read it. My library just got in Giant Steps even though it’s an old old book. I didn’t realize it was a 365-day book and it was weird on audio but it was great. So great that I put the actual book on hold at the library so I can read it again. It was thought provoking and promises some amazing journaling questions, I think. And my last book was Ferris’ short story collection: The Dinner Party. There was one story I really liked called The Breeze, I enjoyed several others but short stories are always tough for me. I am glad I stuck with this one. I guess this was another week of okay books but not many great books. Here’s to hoping next week is better. Books I Read this Week 2017 is a year-long project for 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
Mind:
Body:
Soul:
taking it all one day at a time still. Nourish Me Week 2017 is a year-long project for 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
I started dating Jake in 1994. We have been together 23 years. I am 42 so that’s more than half my life. I’ve spent more time with Jake than any other human being. I’ve lived longer with Jake than I have in any home, in any city, in any country. Longer than I’ve had any job. The only person I’ve spent more time with is myself. This week, we celebrated our fifteenth wedding anniversary. We went to a lovely dinner on the way to the airport to pickup David from his DC trip. We didn’t do flowers, presents, fancy celebrations. We don’t tend to do that. I have nothing against couples who do or those who don’t. I’ve just learned over the years that, for me, what matters most is that he’s stood by me in all of my moments. Good ones, bad ones, sad ones, crazy ones, incredible ones. He’s been there the whole time. He held me, he sat with me, he made me laugh. He has made my life so so much better and I am grateful for every single moment we’ve spent together. Twenty-three years later, I am still as much (if not more) in love with him than I ever was. Here’s to many many many more, my love. Thank you for marrying me. I love you madly.
Stories from 2017 is a year-long project for 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here.
I had this long conversation with David the other day in the car. I told him that I want him to not get so upset when he hears criticism from me. That I am the best person to criticize him because he knows without a doubt that I love him and he knows without a doubt that I will forever love him with all of my soul. So he knows that my criticism is coming from a place of love. From a place of encouraging him to learn and grow and try doing differently. I then told him that I would like him to take risks and to be brave and to be willing to fail. And that none of that can happen if he’s not open to criticism. Because failure comes with a lot of that and failure stings. And it’s hard. And it hurts. And it’s inevitable. We all fail. In ways small and big. I have yet to meet a person in my life who hasn’t failed. Because part of living is taking chances. However small. When you take a chance, there’s a statistical probability that you will fail. And what matters is not whether you fail or not. Because failure is guaranteed. What matters is how you handle that failure. What matters is where you choose to go from there. For me, shining means sitting with the failure, feeling the pain, letting it hurt. And then learning what it was there to teach you. Growing. And then moving forward so you can take more chances, try again, and apply your learnings. So you can learn, take a chance, fail, grow, learn, take a chance, succeed, take another chance, fail, learn, grow and keep doing it over and over again. I believe that it’s the only way to move forward. Shining Means is a Monthly Project for March 2017. You can read more about my projects for 2017 here. You can read about the start of this project here.
Weekly Intention: This is a short week since Monday is a national holiday here. Tuesday I have a trip to David’s school and one to the doctor. Wednesday I am at work all day and have meetings all night. Thursday, I am at work in the morning and then at social even for Nathaniel’s class midday. Friday it looks like I might be back at work again. Saturday and Sunday we have one kid event each. Thursday’s also the last day of school for Nathaniel. Hello summer. Things I want to get Done: Here’s the list for his week. Not a really long one this week. I’ll have to brainstorm some more.
This month’s intention is: May: Help others Shine: Ok now it’s others’ turn. It’s time to be the mirror to their light so it can reflect off of you. Think of ways big and small that you can help people in your life see their own light this month. Smile. Show them how amazing they are. Thank them. I can’t even tell you how amazing I find the fact that I wasn’t able to do this once this whole month. I think it says a lot. Maybe I can sneak in a surprise there for Tuesday and Wednesday? June is: Shine Through: Let yourself be seen this month. Express yourself. Be true to you. Own who you are. I expect to start this on Friday. Let’s see if I can. Ways to Shine this week:
I am looking forward to: a 4-day week. summer. This week’s challenges: Wednesday will be a bit challenging this week and scheduling these meetings is proving to be tough. Otherwise, it looks like it will be an okay week, hopefully. Top Goals:
I will focus on my core desires (bold, mindful, nourish, love) by: remembering what matters most and trying not to lose sight of it. This week, I will say yes to: stepping up. This week, I will say no to: doubting myself. taking it personally. I am worried that: i will mess up. meetings won’t happen or will without me or will go badly. feedback will be that i am still not actually ok to go. some bad news from somewhere else. david will have a bad last few weeks of school. i am mostly worried that i am not worried enough 🙂 This week, I want to remember: that it will be ok. it really will. |
|
|
|
Copyright © 2026 karenika - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
||
This card says: Shining means moving forward anyway and not letting others or the circumstances tell you who you are or what you are worth. Shining means sitting with the pain. Standing in the hard work of being there with the hurt. And doing it anyway. Being there + moving forward anyway.
