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Finding Mindfulness in Unusual Places

April 3, 2021 / Rainee / 5 Comments

I have wanted a new dining setting for a long time. We ordered one and were pleased it arrived after only one week when told it would be two. I enjoy the task of putting the pieces of the puzzle together; having tackled a few Ikea projects in the past. I really do enjoy the challenge of focusing on what is in front of me and being lost in the task. At times I was more lost than others! The table package came with no instructions so it took a bit of figuring out.

First the boxes

Four chairs in two boxes and the table legs in one.

The table top box was EXTRA large and heavy.

The four chairs were in two boxes – they took me about 20 minutes each.

And then the biggest challenge: putting the legs on the table (without the instructions!)

I got there in the end! There were no bits left over and that is always a good sign.

FINAL OUTCOME

Now that was FUN! And we now have a new dining setting for four.

About motivation …

September 6, 2019 / Rainee / 19 Comments

I have been thinking about motivation. There are some things I have no trouble doing when they need doing. There are other things, usually jobs I don’t enjoy much, that I struggle to find the motivation to do them. Examples include housework and gardening. There is no shortage of time to do these things.

I thought I would put the question to readers “What tools or strategies do you find helpful in achieving goals?” I have read lots of literature over the years and I know there are multiple books out there but I would really like to hear what has worked for YOU! Please share your experience with me.

Somethings I have tried include:

A ‘to do’ list
Breaking tasks down to smaller chunks
Breaking time down to smaller chunks
Do things as they need doing rather than let them build up

I hope you will get back to me with what has worked for you.

Easy Assembly (Part Two)

April 8, 2017 / Rainee / 6 Comments

Well I completed one of the two bedside tables today! I wouldn’t say it was easy though. Lots of little challenges that caused me to sit and stare at the instructions for minutes at a time!

It was good to do something with my hands and to do something that needed attention to detail. I am usually a “big picture” person and like others to look after the detail so this project was good for me for that reason. Only one more to go! It is not perfect but I would give myself about 7 out of 10 :)!

Step toward achieving that goal

October 8, 2015 / Rainee / 12 Comments

I am an ideas person! I love coming up with new ideas, however, putting them into practice is another matter. Sometimes I let my ideas go because when I think them through they are not practical or I am not really committed to developing them.

I find this happening a lot more since I am semi-retired but accept that it is OK to carefully explore a range of options before putting energy into achieving them.

On the other hand, I sometimes doubt myself and my abilities to meet my goals. I do like to partner with other people and share ideas and concepts and find it a bit hard to go it alone. Not sure if I am a wimp or if it is just my personality type :-).

Anyway, I found this quote to be encouraging and decided to adopt it as one of my own.

Importance of access to literacy

September 19, 2015 / Rainee / 7 Comments

Aboriginal artifacts

“Whether it’s reading or writing, literacy is an outlet to an untouchable world – your imagination. Not only is literacy a basic human right, it is a fundamental building block for learning as well as a personal empowerment tool. It is the catalyst for social and global progress.” (from http://internationalliteracyday.org/ )

International Literacy Day was held on 8 September 2015. It is a good time to remember that some people have difficulty with the following:

reading a medicine label
filling out a job application form
reading a bank statement
understanding government policies and processes
assisting their children with their homework
and so much more.

When I trained as a literacy tutor I found out that nearly 50% of Australians struggle to read well enough to meet the complex demands of everyday life. This can impact on their independence, physical and mental health and their job prospects. No small matter!

People with low literacy levels can become adept at hiding their problems by making excuses about forgetting to bring their glasses or asking other people to help them. They may scribble words they cannot spell to disguise it. I confess I do this sometimes as well!

When I lived in the Kimberley region of Western Australia I worked with adult Aboriginal women who were keen to learn English. They could converse in their own language but English wasn’t their first language.

It was a watershed moment for me at Election time. I realized how vulnerable they were to being duped into voting for someone who did not represent their best interests. This was when I realised the relationship between literacy, power and equality.

This prompted me to advocate on the need for access to literacy skills to empower people to make their own decisions for their own best interests.

The passionate idealism of youth

September 10, 2015 / Rainee / 4 Comments

How can I recapture the enthusiasm I once had to make a difference in the world? Have I changed and become complacent with my good fortune. I remember times when I was younger when I really believed in something – I put all my energies towards making a difference. Perhaps I was idealistic.

Today I have the time and the resources to do something worthwhile but cannot seem to capture the passion I used to have. I seem to have an excuse for every idea I come up with. A lot of it has to do with my lack of trust that my effort will meet its desired outcome.

There is no less need in the world today than when I was younger. I find it hard to trust charities and fear that my contributions may evaporate in keeping the Western administration afloat.

I have a strong belief that literacy is important in achieving equality in our society. I have trained as a tutor however there hasn’t been any demand of late for my tutoring.

I am supportive of the rights of Indigenous Australians but what can I do there to make a difference? The issues are very complex and I risk being a white ‘do-gooder’.

The current refugee crisis calls out for our help. How can we be of help without just contributing financially? (and considering my lack of trust in charities …). I can sign online petitions and I do that when I can.

I also see many people in our community at, or around retirement age, with many skills and lifetime experience who would welcome the opportunity to do something constructive with their time and skills. How can we harness this resource for the better of our community?

Lots of questions but not many answers. Maybe I kid myself and just think of these issues but am really complacent in my comfortable space. If only I could reignite some passion to make a difference in our world!

I will do it later …

July 24, 2015July 24, 2015 / Rainee / 9 Comments

I am experiencing procrastination! A severe case of it. However, it has spurred me to action. I decided to put my ideas for overcoming procrastination into a post. It took some time and several diversions before I got to this page. I found a useful quote as well.

I also put together a worksheet I have used in the past.

So, my next task is to work out what to do first. Obviously the best starting point is a task that is IMPORTANT AND URGENT. The funny thing is that the things I am putting off are things I want to do – just not right this minute!

Confidence booster

January 8, 2015January 8, 2015 / Rainee / 4 Comments

I developed the tool below to help me in times when I doubt myself.

I think of the word confidence and go through each letter at a time.

Sometimes I can’t remember my original choice of words and then I come up with new ones that reinforce positive thoughts in my mind.

CONFIDENCE IS MADE UP OF MANY SMALLER PARTS

C is for capable. You have the basic knowledge and experience to do the task at hand.

O is for often. When you do something often you become more confident in your ability.

N is for now. It helps if you focus on the task at hand, now, and not try to do tomorrow’s work today.

F is for follow. It may mean following a recipe, some guidance, a style manual, or the instructions in a manual.

I is for interest. If you have a genuine interest in what you are doing, you will feel more confident.

D is for determination. If you aspire to do well – chances are good that you will succeed.

E is for elements. If you understand the basic elements of the task, you can then tackle them one by one until the task is completed.

N is for new. Be always be open to learning something new. It is OK to acknowledge you haven’t done something before, however, be willing to learn new things.

C is for cheerful. If you can approach whatever you are doing with a cheerful attitude, your chances of success are greater.

E is for effort. You need to put in some effort and do the work that is required to the best of your ability.

Being prepared

July 24, 2014 / Rainee / 12 Comments

My son sent me a link to a website a while ago and I have since subscribed to it due to its simple wisdom. There is a link below to the Zen Habits site and topic of Being Prepared for Anything. The site offers a seven point Survival Kit using the following headings:

1. Mindfulness

2. Watch your internal response

3. See what you’re holding on to

4. Let it go

5. Respond appropriately

6. Stay in the moment

7. Be grateful and accept the moment for what it is.

If the topic and the Survival Kit are of interest to you, and you would like to learn more, I really urge you to visit Zen Habits. I find it often touches on something that is relevant in my life and it sometimes provides Aha! moments for me.

cheers

Lorraine

Confidence

June 9, 2014 / Rainee / 8 Comments

Life seems so much easier when we feel confident about what we are doing. Confidence doesn’t guarantee competence but it is a good start. Here are some thoughts about confidence …

C is for capable. I have the basic knowledge to do the task at hand.

O is for often. When I do something often I generally become more confident in my ability.

N is now. I will focus on the task at hand, now, and not try to do tomorrow’s work today.

F is for follow. It may mean following a recipe, some guidance, a style manual, or the instructions in a manual.

I is for interest. If I have a genuine interest in what I am doing, my interest will help me feel more confident.

D is for determination. If I aspire to do well – chances are, I will succeed if I am determined enough.

E is for elements. If I understand the basic elements of the task, I can then tackle them one by one until the task is completed.

N is for new. I am always be open to learning something new. It is ok to acknowledge I haven’t done something before, however, I am willing to learn new things – in fact, I love to learn how to do new things!

C is for cheerful. If I can approach whatever I am doing with a cheerful attitude, my chances of success are greater.

E is for effort. I need to put in some effort and do the work that is required to the best of my ability.

Put all these together and you cannot help but have the CONFIDENCE to do whatever you need to do.