Summarized Reflections and Goals of 2023 into 2024

 Going Mental  1 Response »
Sep 292023
 

Well, I managed to complete this task early in the week and so am posting it here now for record-keeping and accountability purposes. Cheers to a fairly decent 2023 so far and here’s to the amazingness that will come in 2024! 🎉

Reflections on my writing so far in 2023

Positives

  • Umbria on a Whim – Vol 1: The Basics was published and sent out in the world.
  • I started OSH’s Letters on Substack and maintained a paid membership.
  • My blog CreativeMeanderings got regular posts most months.
  • Started the year with paid publication under my pseudonym.

Oopsies

  • Writing on and for other platforms like Medium and collaborations fell to the wayside.
  • Work on my fiction novel took a back seat delaying yet another year in its progress.

Goals for my writing for end of 2023 into 2024

  • Prioritize my writing every day – this is my purpose in life!
  • Finish Umbria on a Whim – Vol 2: Health and send to publisher by end of October 2023
  • Work on drafts of Umbria on a Whim – Vol 3: Finding your Home & Vol 4: Making Home Yours – possibly one send to publisher May 2024 and October 2024, respectively…
  • Finish draft of my fiction novel by June
  • Beta readers for fiction novel and feedback by August/early September
  • Revise and send to publisher/agent/etc by November 
  • Move all writing to own sites for membership and any paid aspects: OSHwriter.com (aim is to reduce footprint and focus attention on my own spaces)

Reflections on my “professional” life in 2023

My work editing increased and is starting to naturally form into something clearer and more manageable. Although it was not something I was actively pursuing, I am happy with it as “work” as it allows me to basically read for ‘free’ and use my analytical/intellectual brain periodically. Plus, it is fairly flexible, so it works very nicely for me.

My freelance work with Fruitful continues to flow nicely. Also, I am happy with this work as something to keep me busy when the work is there. Again, it allows me flexibility and gives me a small income to use for gifts or splurges without dipping into other financial spaces. 

So, I feel content with these professional activities and how they have developed this year. 

Goals for my “professional” life in 2024

Although I am mostly enjoying the new English Yoga class that I am teaching once a week online for the next three months, I do not want to continue to do any more online teaching. Since I have already committed to this course and potentially future ones related to it, I will stick to that, but then probably avoid anything else. If I do any kind of teaching in 2024, I think it will only be yoga related and perhaps in person at the studio where I join classes; however, that is to be determined organically.

With the editing work, I will maintain it as is until I feel that it is not serving me positively. Otherwise, I have no desired changes to make “professionally” in the next year.

Reflections on my health and wellbeing in 2023

With the ankle break, this year was a bit of a mix in my health and well-being. I am first and foremost so thankful that I was able to go to a private clinic. Thanks to my yoga contact and financial situation, I was attended to by amazing doctors and got wonderful treatment. Therefore, my recovery period has been fairly smooth and quick overall. 

There is the obvious downside from being laid up with some weight gain and muscle loss, but I am starting to get that back. A positive was that I spoiled myself a bit with massages and spa days when I could. I found a couple of options locally to our house, so that has been lovely to know I can do a little self-care when wanted/needed. 

So, I would say, I feel pretty OK with how my health and wellbeing have been this year all things considered.

Goals for my health and wellbeing in 2024

I am on a bit of a mission to ensure that I do not gain any more weight or accept the dreaded “menopausal belly”. I don’t really compare myself to others as I know that most would look at me and say that I don’t have anything to worry about. However, my health and wellbeing are exactly that – mine. It’s about how I want to look and how I feel, not how others perceive me. So, I plan to keep up with my yoga practice regularly. I have already started using the Peloton app to see if I can include some fitness training through there. I’m not sure if I will continue with it or not, but the aim is to stay toned through light weight training and active through walking or other cardio. This is in addition to my yoga.

Also, in terms of wellbeing, I want to maintain my writing retreats. These retreats aren’t just for writing, but for finding my own headspace and resetting periodically. So, when I have the chance to sit with the man and tentatively plan out our joint travels, then I will also sketch out my writing retreats and outings so that I can satisfy my need for a schedule, which also gives me motivation and direction.

Reflections on the rest of life activities so far in 2023

It’s been a good year when looking back. The last quarter is also looking to be spectacular. Aside from the three months of focused recovery, I have been able to enjoy travel and dining experiences as well as developing friendships near and far. What being more limited did give me was perspective on what I consider important. 

So, a few months ago, I began to do a kind of countdown or count up of how many times in the next five years I can see my family, friends, travel, and do some of the things I consider important to me. When put into this view, it is easier to make decisions about my activities. This leads me into my goals for next year.

Goals on the rest of life activities in 2024

I plan to see my parents at least twice in one year. So, we will see them at Christmas 2023 in the Bahamas this year. Then, the plan is to see them in the summer of 2024 and possibly around Thanksgiving time again. I’ll also plan the next trip with my mom in 2025, if not before.

Three years have passed since I last saw my BFF and family, which is too long. So, we are going this November to Tokyo and they will come to Italy next June. All of that is in the books. One goal already checked off! 😀

As we like to have big parties here and there, I have tentatively scheduled large events for Easter and then one in the fall. I think this year it will be held in October, which sounds great. The rest of our get togethers are going to be quiet ones with those I/we want to really spend time with. For me, I want to make the most of my relationships rather than superficially skid through them. 

Then, there is travel. This is still being worked out as I imagine that during our time in the sun this December, we will sit to make our plans for the following year, so will update later – if I can remember – on that. 

So, there they are — my reflections and goals.

I think I covered just about everything except money, which is also an area that will be done together with my partner. We have tentative goals already, but I want to make them more specific.

In any case, it is satisfying to have this done and dusted now. It is exactly what I needed to feel refreshed and to reset my mojo. For the future, I need to install a process for doing this sooner, or immediately, when our schedules and placements get off-rhythm. Since we will likely be a bit more nomadic in the coming years/months/days, this will be important to have in my toolkit to ensure that I do not get unanchored and waste precious time that is limited as we lead this amazing life.

Thank you for being on this journey with me as a record-keeper and unwitting accountability partner just by reading my reflections and goals.

~T 🔥🐉♋️

Oversaturation

 Going Mental  2 Responses »
Oct 132022
 

One of my favorite items to use in analogies is the sponge. It works on many levels – kids at about age eight are little sponges soaking up everything new with curiosity; pain can be absorbed like a sponge, but it doesn’t mean that it has left the body until you squeeze it out, but there will always be a little bit left; and, when we are oversaturated with something it is like a sponge that can no longer absorb any more liquid.

While I am very proud of the platform space that I envisioned and partnered with my lifelong adoptee friend to build in what it is now – The Universal Asian – I became oversaturated; and despite nearly four months being 95% away from it, I still find it doesn’t take much before my absorption capacity is full again.

There are plans for a leadership shift and the space will surely transform into its next version under the new leadership. I feel good about this move knowing that I will still get to benefit from its future success.

In the midst of my excitement to be a bit more free from the space, I eagerly brainstormed and put into motion the building of a writing program under the TUA umbrella. There has been some interest already and I am about 90% ready to start advertising, taking money (this time, my efforts will be paid for), and putting things into place. However, despite my keenness to get things going by this month, or at the latest, in November, I drug my feet.

Upon some reflection and reviewing of my actions, I realized that I am just not yet ready to dive back into regular contact with fellow adoptees and Asian-Americans. I’m not yet ready to be confronted with the struggles, anxieties, stresses, angsts, and all the other bits that have surrounded the uplifting of the Asian voice. It is most definitely NOT that I feel they shouldn’t be shared, expressed, and made public so that others can better understand the state of the Asian-American and adoptee psyche. It IS most definitely that I feel myself absorbing all of those energies to the point that I lose myself and become oversaturated by energies that are not mine.

So, I have compromised with pushing the start date to the new year. In the meantime, I will advertise and do the admin work to get people registered, paid, and ready to go with excitement as the new year begins. It also gives me more time and something to look forward to as I know that once I am in it, I will be loving it.

In the same vein, I recently had a really nice chat with a fellow adoptee. She’s a domestic US adoptee who is having her own awakening of her experience as an adoptee and in reunion. Thanks to her awakening, she has a fire kindling up to provide more education/information about the adoption system and how it affects everyone involved, but while keeping the adoptee as the central importance. I think it is a beautiful initiative and will do my best to support her.

Still, I found myself post-conversation wondering if my gut reflective reaction was because of my current precarious position of not wanting to absorb too much or because of already having absorbed too much. I realized that I had to talk myself out of an urge to step away from everything also related to adoption, even though I had already offered to help proofread, which I would do anyway as that’s my thing!

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that it’s just me reminding myself to be aware and be careful. I’m in charge of myself, my emotions, my well-being. So, with that, watch this space for me to see if I can avoid reaching the point of oversaturation.

~T 🔥🐉♋️

2020: Pausing to Breathe

 Going Mental  1 Response »
Sep 072020
 

It is becoming popular to say “2020” sucks because of COVID-19. It is becoming acceptable to complain and then blame it on the year that so many claim has not happened nor looks like it will before 2021 arrives.

I am curious to know if there is a common introverted vs extroverted response to the evolution of this year, or if optimists react differently than pessimists.

As a realist, here is my take.

The abnormality of this year has been like hitting the pause button on a movie. As someone who actually gets overwhelmed by all the motion and noise of the world, this pause has been like going figuratively out into the woods to take a long deep breath of fresh, clean, pure air.

So, when I hear all the moaning of the noisy minority I think I feel a kind of personal affront to who I am because to be perfectly honest, this has been an amazing year for me. I will be remember 2020 as the year that the world stopped long enough for some of us to take a long deep breath.

In a way, we have seen a division in personalities.

There are those who have told me that all the negative realities of the world are overwhelming them mentally and physically that they are struggling to face the days. There are those who have told me that they feel trapped by the lack of travel or free movement. There are those who have told me that they are bored with their lives because they cannot “do” anything.

My response to those who are overwhelmed by the negative realities because they tend to spend the majority of their time on social media or watching mass media feeding their brains with all the negativity: turn off the noise!

My response to those who are feel trapped: exercise, plan an amazing trip for next time and save up all the money you can now so that when the freedom is returned you don’t look back and wonder why you didn’t prepare for travel and moving again. Be proactive and prepare!

My response to those who are bored: get over yourself and DO something for others. So many restaurants, organizations, programs are struggling. Look them up and offer to DO something or donate if you’re one of the lucky few who has the income to do so. There are a million things to DO in a day that there is really no excuse for this statement.

Now, before my reader says, but: Do you follow your own responses? I preemptively respond with a YEP. And, though it may mean I have to toot my own horn, here is what I have been doing that addresses these perspectives.

1. I have screen time set to turn off every day from 7pm to 5am and it’s off all day on Sundays with the exception of one or two apps that I might use or that I use with my family in case something comes up. I also look at social media twice a day for a max of about 30 minutes or I look for the sole purpose of the magazine to get more followers or contributors. None of it is allowed to be processed too deeply on a regular basis. I do not watch or read the news, so most information comes via word of mouth or an occasional headline that I might see.

2. I admit that this is a little unfair in that we are preparing to move countries and so I have this to look forward to sooner than most. However, as someone who is used to traveling every few months, it has been a challenge. Instead, I have focused on building up our savings account and ensuring that we have a fund to splurge out – plus that fund is allowing us to not stress over the big move.

3. Aside from starting the magazine, I have donated to a homeless organization, used smile.amazon.com to support a ‘charity’ organization every time we purchase something online, bought from local venues, sent random gifts to others, made gifts for others, and more. So, despite not being an overly charitable person, I have made an effort to push myself to be more generous.

I’m not trying to sound arrogant, but I am trying to say that I am no one special and there are numerous times in my life when I could have said that I prefer the path of darkness, self-pity, anger, bitterness, and wallow in the murky waters. I could have found a number of people to support that way of thinking and to tell me that I deserve to feel that way. However, as Robert Frost wrote: I chose the road less traveled by.

To me, it’s the easy and lazy way to go with the belief that life sucks. It’s simple-minded to say 2020 is the worst year ever or to blame a year – which has no personified qualities whatsoever. Instead, it takes character, integrity and strength to find a path forward that inspires and leads to the best version of who I can be. I want to look in the mirror every day and be satisfied with the person looking back at me instead of dodging the mirror altogether or playing a negative tune at the reflection.

We all have the ability to be and do more. Just do it – one step at a time.

Detoxing

 Going Mental  1 Response »
Aug 022019
 

While some people choose to go into a sauna to sweat out 😥 the toxins in their body, the summers in Japan 🇯🇵 work just about the same when you step out the door. 🏝

The weather has drastically changed from rainy season ☔️ to sweaty season 😓. Although I don’t feel that it is that hot in terms of temperature, the humidity makes the 91 degree F into something in the hundreds 🥵. It also means that despite a cool-ish breeze, it is impossible to open windows to let the air circulate in the house due to the dampness that will surely enter instead. 💧

Thus, it’s nothing by ‘dry’ function or straight AC all the time.

Somehow, though, I think I have gradually adjusted to it and accepted that the next month or so is going to be filled with trying to remember to take a hand towel 🧖🏽‍♀️ with me everywhere to wipe the sweat from walking between air-conditioned locales.

In a way, this has timed well with my decision to do a food detox. Since I don’t particularly like to cook, 🙅🏽‍♀️👩🏽‍🍳 and especially don’t enjoy doing it for just myself, it was a perfect time to give it a go.

Although I regularly do intermittent fasting once or twice a week to maintain my weight, I found that my body was getting used to it and I was gaining more than I liked. Therefore, I decided to try a full-on five day cleanse. 💁🏽‍♀️

This means that I did the following:
*Drink warm freshly squeezed lemon 🍋 water in the morning in lieu of tea or coffee.
*Drink water or sports drinks throughout the day (to fight the humidity sweats).
*Drink dandelion tea at night with a few more glasses of water.
*Have a simple smoothie of half a banana 🍌, frozen berries 🍓, super-green powder and fruit juice or water on the few occasions when I felt weak or just wanted a variation of liquid.

After six days, actually, I returned to food, but following Lyn-Genet Recitas’s _The Plan_ to become more aware of what food my body reacts negatively to.

This is based on the idea that there are a number of ingredients that we eat that can cause bloating, indigestion, constipation, 🥴 etc., which are considered negative reactions. We tend not to pay attention to how our bodies react to the food that we eat because we eat everything altogether and do not carefully consider which specific thing we ate could have caused the reaction.

As I have become more and more sensitive to food, air, nature, etc. as I get older, I have noticed an increase in skin issues, digestive concerns, and more. Therefore, I would like to investigate 🤔 in a natural and methodical way what my body is doing with the food that I put into it.

Even on the detox, I have noticed that my throat has slowly been constricting 😲 from either lemons or dandelion tea. I’m leaning towards the dandelion tea as the culprit since it is the newest addition to my intake list and as I’m allergic to grass, it’s probably related. Unfortunately, the symptoms can take days for me to realize what is happening since it does not come on instantly like other reactions that I can have. So, I am eliminating it now while keeping everything else the same for a couple of days (i.e. not adding in anything different or new until I see if the reaction in my throat goes away). If it doesn’t after a couple of days, then I’ll eliminate the lemon water as well and see if that does it.

In any case, I’m in a holding pattern now with the carrot-ginger soup 🥣 and steamed broccoli 🥦. Though, I think I will try the hummus I made with carrots 🥕 as well since these ingredients are not meant to be reactive according to The Plan (though I still could have reaction to these as well).

While my goal was not to lose weight ⚖️ exactly, I have already lost 3 kg (6.6 lbs) in just about a week. Some of that would obviously be water weight, though I feel as if I was drinking enough water to counter that! So, that’s a kind of perk. More happily for me personally is that the underlying 4-pack I’ve been working on at the gym 🏋🏽‍♀️ is finally showing itself since the flabby belly that was hiding it is starting to disappear. It helps me to see what areas to work on more in my workouts. 😜

So, the journey continues. I have another week on my own to not be overly influenced by my hubby’s eating habits 🤣😂 and to keep on experimenting with my food. Hopefully 🤞🏽, by the time he comes back I’ll have a base to be able to keep me on track (and maybe get him started?!).

I’ll keep you posted on what I find! 👍🏽

~T 😀

Still Writing….

 Writing  No Responses »
Oct 042017
 

Although I have been quiet here with my up and down pattern of writing or promising to write regularly again, I did manage to get an article written last month for April Magazine.

This is the beginning of a series that I will be writing on Spiritual Wellbeing.

In some ways it is rather ironic given my life has gone topsy-turvy lately, but then again perhaps it is just the perspective I need to be able to write something worthwhile for readers. It also seems to be a good catalyst for getting me back on track so that I am not a writing hypocrite. 😛

In any case, it’s a new month. Fall has arrived and I am coming to terms with the concept of ‘cool’ and ‘cold’ that does not involve a blasting AC system. 😉

Still much ahead and the wheels continue to turn in my head with ideas and more ideas and more ideas!!!

~T 😀

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