Ok, that was a dramatic title. Tuesday’s mission is to identify signs of disorder that make me feel out of control and overwhelmed. This is something I’ve been thinking about doing for a while. What are the things that indicate things are out of control? And what can I do to minimize the stress they cause?

• Not getting dressed on days I don’t leave the house
  • Don’t get me wrong, I love a good pj day. But I notice a significant difference in how I feel about myself on days where I don’t shower, get dressed, put some effort into my appearance. On those days, when I finally do get around to even putting on a pair of jeans and a little make-up, I feel so much better. I also notice my motivation to do anything is limited on days where I don’t “put myself together”. I’m more likely to spend my day being lazy and unproductive. So…on work from home days and weekends, I’ll make an effort to limit the wal-mart look.
• Eating the whole damn thing
  • Snacky things are my downfall. If there is a bag of popcorn or Doritos in my house, its unlikely to last more than 2 days. And the only thing at the bottom of the bag is guilt. I don’t feel bad about snacking on those things once in a while. But when I sit down and eat half a bag of popcorn, I feel out of control. Solution, don’t eat out of the container. Pour myself a single serving. I’ll be satisfied and not end up eating the whole thing. If I want more, it will take a conscious decision instead of just continuing to reach into the bag until its gone.
• Cluttered Cube
  • I feel crazy when I can’t find something in my office. I can usually remember in while pile of crap something is. But let’s be honest, when I’m forced to search through piles to find that page of notes, there’s a problem. About twice a year I lose it and clean out my cube. And now that my boss left, I win the cluttered cube award. But I’m hardly ever in my cube. I spend my life in meetings. So how do I combat the drop and go clutter causing process? I’m certain that filing is the key. If something has a place designed for it, I can put it there. And most importantly find it later. So, looks like I have a fun Friday night ahead of me sorting and filing 🙂

I’m sure I have more signs of disorder or things that make me feel out of control. But let’s just start with these three, ok? I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. Look out for a shiny clean cube soon 🙂

Today’s mission – Imitate a Spiritual Master. I was a little hesitant when I read the title of today’s email. I’ve not spent much time in my adult life contemplating spirituality. It hasn’t been a priority. But, reading on, it made more sense for me. Gretchen describes this task as identifying “a person who stands as a role model for you, someone who exemplifies the transcendent attributes and behavior that you value most. ”

Her advice is that once you identify such a person, try to learn more about their life, their experiences, and figure out how to integrate those qualities and lessons learned into my own life.

To be honest, I had no idea where to start. I wrote earlier that I get inspiration from those close to me in my life. My parents, friends, co-workers. But I couldn’t think of a role model who would fit the bill for this exercise. My dad comes to mind first. But I don’t think that’s quite what this exercise had in mind.

So I googled “role models”. Maybe I could find someone who I could seek to learn more about who could serve as a role model for me. I have to admit, when Beyonce came up as the second person on the list, I almost gave up. Continued searching sparked a memory from my social work training about Jane Addams. I’m pretty sure all social work students learn about Jane Addams and the Hull House. Her work serving the poor and immigrant families and adovcating for social democracy is filled with lessons for future social workers. So, while I’m not yet ready to call her my Spiritual Master, I do feel compelled to learn about her and see what lessons she might have for me. To the Nook store! Two books on Jane Addams will be delivered to my Nook shortly.

I’d love to hear who some of your “Spiritual Masters” are. I’m always looking for inspiration.