iCiNG Transformation Challenge: 5/28
[ 4 February 2009 ]
If you’re having a hard time with one of your goals & are really, truly questioning why you wanted to do it in the first place — it’s okay to change it or refine it. In fact, it’s more than okay; it’s encouraged.
It’s far better to spend 23 days doing something which really resonates with you than 28 doing something which just makes you mad!
Be good to yourself; don’t deliberately create guilt or resentment or stress in your life!
Remember, this isn’t about punishing yourself. It’s about celebrating & making the most of who you are. You can do it!
Love letters & feather headdresses,
Tags: inspiration Add Gala on Twitter!
i’m late to jump on the transformation challenge wagon, but i just couldn’t think of what to do!
i finally thought of mine, i want to practice yoga every morning (i love how it makes my body feel happy from head to toe), as a serious slacker in the physical discipline department, i know it will be challenging.
I also want to get rid of all the clustery junk in my life that i don’t need, it makes me grumpy every time i look at it, but i just haven’t taken the proper time to deal with it!
so hope you don’t mine, here’s me hopping on board for the ride, better late than never!
here’s to a more flexible future spent in a tidier apartment!
xoxox
frankie
I haven’t really started on this…
I just find it hard to make any of my goals because I know that I want them for all the wrong reasons and I feel really superficial because of it.
I’m just really confused right now.
I kind of lost myself a few years back and I just got back on track last summer.
But man is it LONG TERM!
I am a very impatient person too which doesn’t help because all my goals are fairly long term…
And I’m kind of writing this to myself.
Sorry if that bothers anyone, it’s just… confusing?
Anyway I am kind of stuck in this place where I can’t decide if I need to find myself or if it might be possible to create myself?
frankie — You are absolutely WELCOME! Better late than never & other fabulous clichés!
Victoria — I feel pretty strongly that life is about creating yourself, not finding yourself! Feel free to talk more about it & we will help you as much as we can!
One of my goals is to try and improve my self-esteem but I’m having a hard time figuring out how to actively do that. Everything else has been going well, I’m just a little stuck on that one.
Shannon—
May I just say trying to improve your self esteem is a noble & gorgeous cause? I don’t know if they’ll help, but here are a few things that might help give you a boost: 1) Do something you’re really good at, then find some way to share it with the world. 2) Pick something new to love about yourself every day. It’s all in the details. & 3) Hang out with/talk to/find people who really love you for all the right reasons.
Loving yourself makes being happy the easiest thing in the world. I hope some of this helps because you’re worth it.
—Aimee
(just an innocent bystander)
Uhm, is it okay that I haven’t really started anything? I’m just trying to be better I guess, if that makes any sense haha. I’m working on my fitness though, and I think that’s the most “transformative” thing I’m doing.
Gala, This was just the kick start I needed to pull out of my rut. I’m already so much happier, more motivated and totally ready to take on my challenge even more. Thanks, Dear!
I’m a bit late getting started, but I finally figured out what focus on! I’ve always been attracted to the idea of writing fiction and poetry, and while I’ve dabbled and dithered around a lot, I’ve been too afraid to make a serious commitment to it. So now is the time to start, I think!
Things are going pretty well! Of course, exams and major issues pile up in a heap next week, so we’ll see how well I maintain my focus and balance academics with everything else I want to accomplish.
1. Got in some hooping today!
2. Almost ate healthliy haha
3. Had my torture marathon class all afternoon, and…it wasn’t even that bad! But the really amazing thing is, last semester, I let that class bring me down and make me all moody the day before and that whole morning. But today, I had a nice morning and didn’t think once about the less-than-fabulous afternoon, and then once I got there, I stayed relaxed (normally, I last 5 minutes before I get a strong urge to leap out the window and sprint away). So that’s a definite improvement.
4. Room is iffy in terms of neatness & laundry is waiting, but I did take out the trash!
5. Read 20 pages or so in an Agatha Christie.
Thanks, Gala, for the continuous inspiration, and good luck to everyone else!
today has been ultra shitty on the transformation front.
i’m still feeling really good and confident, mind you. but i slept through an exam this morning, and my eating is all off after a gorging session last night.
i really think i might need a big change, one that would entail leaving school and getting a house with some friends in LA. (more of a transformation than i bargained for, but hey!) i’m a strong believer that you will subconsciously force yourself into whatever direction you want to go, and maybe sleeping through my exam this morning (when i went to sleep early, had my alarm set and was planning on going) is a bit of a sign.
oh miss. you are truly an inspiration.
ive not been living to the best of my ability recently.
so i made february 4 2009 resolutions.
because new year resolutions are so trite, yeah?
thank you for your insight, always. i look forward to your posts so much.
a bit of direction for me:
Goals as of February 4 2009.
Take care of your body. Take care of the vessel that carries you on this earth, through this life.
Exercise. Be blissfully aware of strength, stretch, speed.
Eat clean. Fuel yourself thoughtfully, with deliberation.
Do not poison yourself. Keep the toxins out.
Be more present. Be more gracious of the gift that is.
Get wrapped up in the music. Let it carry you.
Let the force of the ocean pull you, toss you, rush you. Let it be enough.
Be honest.
Never feign to affection.
It is okay to be hurt. And raw. And vulnerable. And weak.
Your experience is valid. Your current affect does not define you.
There is no way you are supposed to be; there is no right way to deal with it all.
But you know you can do better.
Let it be rough and difficult. You want this to make you stronger, right?
Own it.
Communicate with grace. Be genuine.
Only invest in those that improve, inspire; only invest in those that are healthy.
You get it.
Work with likeminded people. Seek out kind souls. Discover more.
Listen with intent. The intent to understand, read those, and offer what they don’t know they need.
They probably only need love. And that part is easy.
This energy is wasted on youth. Focus.
At all moments, always do your best. Sit in the front. Ask more questions. Do one thing at a time.
When things need to be done, do them. Don’t wait for anyone to do things for you.
Name every day. Everyday there is magic. Own everyday.
Or else they all go to waste.
Manage all that is within your reach to the best of your ability.
Money. Mint it.
Health. Take your fucking vitamins.
Family. One year anniversary, we are still hurting. Be strong.
Home. Only good energy. Only good food. Only good friends.
Remember that some of the past is meant to be put to rest; those people have made themselves clear.
Do not disillusion yourself with false hopes, distorted memories. Hanging on by a wire.
But you know.
Oh, you know.
There are some parts that are too strong to be quieted.
Love will remain a mystery.
The decisions have been made. Never let go of the feeling. Accept the consequences.
What a feeling.
Challenge.
Follow through.
Love harder.
Love without judgment.
You let yourself forget. You know better.
You know better.
This transformation challenge came at the BEST time for me as I was going to do it anyway. I decided on: – Eating healthy (including no caffiene) – Exercising (very hard for me, I
m not the biggest fan) – Exploring my spirituality – Making sure that me appearance reflects how I feel and does not follow fashions if it is not true to myself.
So far it is going great!
Thanks Gala
Still going strong with the good foods although it is a little tedious, i don’t want to give in as i know it will be worth it in the end! I think its more lazyness in having to prepare good tasty food rather than just picking on at chocolate all day. Meh. I needed a change and i know this is getting me on the right path.
I can also feel the difference meditation and attacking problems with eft can make. I needed the boost last night! x
Going to the gym is not a form of procrastination or a waste of time…...... Must remember that.
I’m doing pretty well with my challenge, despite the cold weather (which always makes me yearn for mulled wine!) I’ve even started cutting down on coffee as well and I’ve definitely been eating more healthily!
Amber! Wow! You are so eloquent – what you wrote just blew me away! ps: can I borrow some of your words :)?
iTC – hmmm I think I was actually slacking off on myself! I was like yeah you know go cool if the expectations aren’t reached…Hang on a seccie! That actually goes against the grain for me – I set out to do certain things & I’m not the sort of person to slack off on myself! Now I see I am looking for balance – not extremes of effort and then laziness but a balance between the two with a good hearted smile if I miss a beat!
And Gala – I totally agree – life is about creating yourself! ’09 is the year I create myself as I want to be!
SO i sort of fell off the wagon yesterday with my challenge.
HOWEVER your words are the perfect inspiration to read in the morning to get me back on.
thanks!
Trying to work on my confidence and self esteem.
It’s so hard. It’s hard just to approach, let alone go about it.
I’ve read so much about trying to improve confidence, but I feel like I still need more help.
Having low self esteem ruins me, I feel like I have no control over myself and i feel like i just want to hide from the world, all the time. I’ve actually become quite anti-social as a result of it.
I am trying very hard though, any negative thought that comes to mind, I dismiss it, and try to replace it with a positive one, and anytime I think of what others might be thinking of me, I tell myself to forget it, that they’re thoughts don’t matter, it’s mine that counts.
But if anyone has any pointers or tips on how to improve self esteem and confidence, I would be so grateful.
Hope everyone is going well,
Hannah X.
WOW Amber!! your comment is amazing, Thanks for sharing :)
So, i’m late to comment, but my own itc is not quite as grand as alot of other peoples… i’m just aiming to not eat any meat pies this month.
usually i eat one for lunch when i’m at work, which is just 3 days a week, but a pie is really the only thing i have an appetite for at lunchtime… so i’m taking this opportunity to kick the habit! And so far i haven’t eaten any !
Asides from that i have a seperate huge challenge this month which i’m concentrating on, and i remain inspired by lunar new year predictions that this is the year my ‘prestige’ will increase :D
I’m up to my 29th blog post – 11 more to go.
There’s a piece about the vegetarian ripple effect that you might enjoy over here, at localizing.wordpress.com/2009/... It’s been my personal experience that the omnivores in my life try more vegetarian food, eat less meat, and lower their carbon footprint as a direct result of spending time with a vegetarian. I think about why this might be in my post.
I also started a blogroll and it is full of delightful reads about food and sustainable eating. You should go visit it! localizing.wordpress.com/.. I’m taking blogroll suggestions right now, so please tell me all about your favorite food and environmental blogs. I will be delighted to hear from you. You can e-mail your suggestions to localizing.wordpress@gmail.com.
The 5th day for me. It’s 8:41 am.
My waking up time is horrible. I’ve been decently well the last few weeks at 6:30 am, but I don’t know why I want to sleep in so much on these mornings. I’m getting to sleep around 11pm, the ‘normal’ time. Weird!
Yesterday, I ate a cooked meal for dinner. It was at a vegan/vegetarian restaurant so I want to hope that means for something. But my body felt sluggish and heavy. I’m certainly not doing that again!
Being raw with the occasional hot coffee/tea for the first three days was pretty amazing. No more cooked meals for me – it might affect me even worse in the later than it did in the beginning.
pew! pew! pew!
I’m going to beat this. :D
I haven’t posted in two days but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been giving it my best. I do have a sick live-in boyfriend to, on occasion, tend to. Fortunately, he isn’t too demanding but it still eats up time/energy so I haven’t been able to get up 15 minutes early since Day 1. However, I have been getting in a work-out every day, about 20 minutes. And, my creativity is going through the roof. I have several projects that are even closer to fruition thanks to my TC-fueled focus. Yay!! Things aren’t perfect but they are moving along better than they would without the challenge.
I, too, am hopping on the iTC a bit late.
I really wanted to participate from the get-go, but I couldn’t decide on what to do: start waking up earlier, take better care of my skin… I have so many things I want to accomplish, but I’m stuck in a rut. I just graduated high school a semester earlier than all of my classmates, I got laid off at work and can’t find another job to save my life, I have no money, my eating habits have never been what they should be and my relationship is losing its lustre. Also, I live in Wisconsin so it’s bloody freezing and I always feel too cold to do anything.
So my iTC challenge is just going to be to do the best that I can in becoming Bella.
My given name is Elizabeth and I’ve been called “Liz” all my life. I don’t think it suits me and, well, if it does I don’t really want it to. I’ve wanted my name to be Isabella since I was little, so I’m going to start calling myself Bella. However, I don’t really feel like a Bella yet, so I’m going to do the best that I can to do my name justice. Which basically means trying to fulfill as many of my goals as possible; better skin, better eating, better scheduling, better style, the list goes on.
Also, I’ve want very badly to stop eating meat for a long time, but I haven’t had the will or the necessity to – but now I’m going to. No more meat for Bella. Maybe I’ll even make the transition to raw after a while. But I am rather skinny and would feel a little better with some more body mass, so I’m going to try to start working out (maybe hooping?) in an attempt to put some meat on my bones.
So, first step is getting out of bed, where I am still cuddling with my kitten. Wish me luck.
I ditched ‘no weighing yourself’.
However, my other resolutions are still going strong.
I have 23 days to get a job.
I love this in the mornings with a cup of tea!
I was preparing myself for a delicious bubble bath yesterday, putting out lavender candles and making the bathroom smell amazing and my sister camehome a little tired and a little sick so I let her have a soak instead. Appreciating family more was not on my things to achieve list but it made me feel really nice.
I’m gonna have mine tonight :)
Sending you love everyone.
XOXO
Well that is just wonderful. I was telling my boyfriend how I wanted to hop on this Transformation wagon but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to improve overall. I’m still thinking it over… !-D
P.S. I love how supportive you are being to your readers. I remember how excited I was about moving closer to NYC. (Which you have to, HAVE TO come here to stay!!!) Have a great day!
this quote:
‘how could we forget those ancient myths… the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses? perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.’
rilke
and skype for keeping me in touch with my loved ones
Hannah:
Some of my best tips that have helped me improve my self esteem and confidence are as follows:
Spend time pampering yourself. Take a long bath, use special treatments on your hair and skin, treat yourself to manicure and pedicure (professional or not), style your hair, put on something you feel gorgeous in! Even if it’s just to sit around the house. Rituals like that are a good way to reaffirm that you love your body, and you recognize it is deserving of love and attention.
Read empowering literature, something that makes you feel amazing! Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block always makes me feel confident and special and ready for adventure. I like fairy tales and stories full of whimsy, when I’m done reading them I always feel like I can take on anything and anything is possible!
Smile! Even if you don’t feel like it. Smile while you’re by yourself, and smile at strangers on the street. I guarantee you will feel more confident, especially when strangers smile back and say hi!
Good luck!! It’s a tough battle (I’m still in the middle of it) but I know you can do it.
xoxoxo
~
my iTC update:
Well!
I’m going to have to back off on the exercise a wee bit, my bad knee has been acting up and I am scared to push it. I dislocated it in 9th grade, and from time to time it snaps out of place and renders me useless for a few days due to pain and swelling. It’s aching right now, actually… I’m scared that if I work out too hard and mess it up, I’ll have to take time off work and I’ll be set back even more.
I’ve got a date tonight… I’m hoping that making out counts as exercise! He does get my heart racing… haha
Kisses!
xoxo
I’ve had a great day, half day at work and then to the coffee shop for a tasty pomegranate juice and a catch up with friends i haven’t seen in months.
Spent the afternoon hooping and chasing my 2 dogs around the backyard, got a new video camera from ebay and am planning on documenting my puppy and her crazy antics :)
Made it to the gym for a weights session which is something i wouldn’t have even dreamed of being able to do a few weeks ago! I feel like i have more confidence in trying new things now.
My day five is almost over.
I feel like crap.
I don’t get to do anything fun lately because I’m always behind on my work. Basically, I kind of hate my life today. I have a 2-3 page response paper to write, and then I’m crashing. It’s a graded assignment, and I’m worried that it’ll be crap because I feel like crap, but I wrote the last one at like, 3am, so I should be fine.
I was a few minutes late to work. Fifteen minutes late for dinner. Wasted time sitting at dinner even though I knew I should leave. Had to skip a club meeting. Had to miss practice, which means I haven’t worked out since Monday. Ate okay, but I haven’t been drinking enough water and I have been drinking too much coffee. Not using my time productively, still can’t make any fucking decisions.
Hoping that the weekend will allow me to recuperate. These are changes I really want to make- they will prevent Thursday nights like these. But I have to be on top of my work to get ahead, and I’m not even on top of it.
Rachel – don’t let it get you down! My day 4 was a pile of goo, wuch meant the next day there was nowhere left to go but up!
Day 5 was such a turnaround from yesterday! Today I practiced cello for 2 hrs, spent 35 mins on the eliptical (1st time ever!) and ate really well. Also, day 2 of no nail biting, it helps that they are now purple and sparkly!
Day five was yesterday, & went well!
I had planned on going swimming (again!), but I’m beginning to realize that, really, I don’t quite feel like jumping into a pool when it’s -30 (Celsius!) outside. Might have to re-evaluate that goal. So I bundled up & went for a walk uptown instead, & ended up climbing up lots & lots of hills — which I love, strangely! Using my thigh muscles makes me feel that much more powerful. ;p
I also began a new story & refrained from being anything but honest with people around me — which is a great feeling, & not as hard as I had feared. I’m quite proud of myself!
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