Give it some thought

I was perusing through some old diary entries and I ran across an entry I wrote while reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Love, Pray" (highly recommend it). One section centered around 2 questions that I challenged myself to answer. I challenge you to give them some thought. I think answering these questions helped me put some perspective to where I was in life and what things I still needed to accomplish to be completely fulfilled.

1) What do I believe I deserve in this life?
love, happiness, contentment, romance, children, piece of mind, true friendships, financial freedom, spiritual well-being, fun, freedom to travel, the ability to speak up for myself, independence, a clear conscience, a healthy weight, healthy hair, a church home that feels like home, a faithful, loving and attentive husband.


2)Where can I accept sacrifice?
Do I have to accept sacrifice? Says who? My list of things I cannot sacrifice will probably be much longer. Why do I have to sacrifice anything? I've already sacrificed my comfort zone time and time again. I sacrificed my health, sanity and dignity to obtain my PhD. I sacrificed simple carbohydrates for a lifetime of Atkins. I've sacrifice hot summers and beaches you can swim at for a career in WA. I sacrificed my chance at science superstardom by choosing the wrong grad research advisor. Oh, the list could go on!

Where I cannot accept sacrifice is in the things that make me inherently happy: my connection with The Divine, taking care of myself mentally and physically, learning to be fiscally responsible, loving with everything I've got, and the ability to live my life freely in a way that makes me want to celebrate being me.

Having thought these things through. The real question is: Now what am I gonna do about it?

"What feels like the end of something good may actually be the start of something better."

That quote is from this morning's meditation. I think it is such a testimony to my life. Just as I get settled in some place, it's time to move to the next. I am so quick to mourn the separation from friends and my social life - even though, I know that a move is a perfect way to meet new friends and take on new activities.

Speaking of new activities, I finally made it to a yoga class last night. I think the Eastside has the most yoga studios per capita. It seems there's one on every block (right across from Starbuck's and next door to Tully's, cuz those are on every block, too). And its so much more reasonably priced than in Tejas. My Austin studio was costing my $100 every 8 classes. Here I can get an unlimited monthly class for the same price! I envision going back to my 4 days of yoga as I did this summer. So, look out winter fat!

Last night's class was Power Vinyasa in a heated room. My hubby was sweet (and curious) enough to come with and he did a great job. It was a bit much for him, but he hung in there and did what he could. The instructor was great, gently encouraging him to rest in child's pose as often as necessary without making him feel like a big baby (which is an issue with some instructors). I liked the class and since I was able to get a one week unlimited pass for $20 (CHEAP!), I plan to be there very often in the next few days and try out some of the other instructors.

In other news, I had yet another dream about moving last night. What does that mean? This time, we moved to New Orleans and my cousin was with us. So weird! According to my google search, dreams about moving indicate a conscious or subconscious desire for change in your life. Hmmm...now I'll be thinking about that all day!