Finding my Dharma

I am currently working through a guide I got from  a course called Dharma in Action. It is through a program I purchased connected to Carrie Hensley.  I joined her Online Sangha Community at the beginning of the Year, and Dharma in Action was offered through that. It it an Intense course to help you go through your goals, intentions, reach your goals through SMART achievable actions and ways and means to get there through various tools she offers. I don't want to give away "too much" because the Sangha IS a paid program and the Dharma in Action is something you get by paying for that program. Being an Entrepreneur myself, I know, this is how we make money and I would never take money away from another. 

This month the theme is SERVICE....

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My friend who I have known for some time was passing through town reminded me recently that I serve others quite frequently. She knows I would give you every penny I have, the shirt and shoes off my back and do everything I can for you. She also reminded me quite BOLDLY in what some would say was maybe ABRUPT, but that's what old friends are for. As we are visiting, I am telling her about all these people i have helped and done things for and how enriching and enlightening it has been and how my soul has felt so nourished and she says something to the affect (I am paraphrasing here) "Trisha, that's great, but you need to nourish YOUR soul, and take care of you! Don't forget to serve yourself and take care of YOU TOO!"

God I love friends who aren't afraid to slap you in the face metaphorically.

This reminder that I ALWAYS serve others. though it is good, but not to forget ME. To serve me. To take care of Me. to have me time. Trisha time. 

I am kind and loving and I would give you the shirt off my back the shoes I am wearing and every dime I have. I would serve you until I have nothing and yes that is true. But that we need to be of service to ourselves. God loves us and we are also his children. We need to remember to serve ourselves and not forget that we are need service. to take care our OUR bodies, minds and souls. 

It was such an enlightening visit, good friends do that to us. Plus the sound healing she did on me was amazing. I want more of that! I want to learn that too.

August, DIA, though probably meant to be more of a Service to OTHERS will be a reminder to me this month to look INWARD. I serve others SO much and love other SO MUCH that I forget to look in the mirror. Trisha needs service too. 

Monthly goals for August: to be in more Service to myself. To remember to give myself Me Time. 

Obstacles: Taking the time to do it. Carving out the time. Not getting distracted doing other things.

I didn't read the book for this month and probably wont as I don't buy a lot of books as we are trying to downsize so we can move into something smaller,  but from what I understand of the book we are to read it is about Adult Behavioral Change and Triggers that do that. I did find a great article from Harvard Health Publications I wanted to share with you. Read more by clicking on the link below...

Why it’s hard to change unhealthy behavior — and why you should keep trying

I am going to apply the same questions though from the DIA Book Review to the article-

DIA: What were your three key take-aways:

1. Change is a process not an event: "Each stage is a preparation for the following one, so hurrying through or skipping stages is likely to result in setbacks"
2. Stages of Change: 
1. Precontemplation: The" all my family is fat, so i'm gonna be fat"
2. Contemplation "I'm considering change in six months"
3. Preparation: Making palns to change. Joined a gym, or bought nicotine patch
4. Action: You've changed. Stopped smoking
5. Maintenance: You've practiced this new behavior for six months now. You've "maintained" it.  You killed the old habit and started and kept a new one.

This part really intrigued me" That may require other changes, especially avoiding situations or triggers associated with the old habit. It can be tough, especially if it means steering clear of certain activities or friends while you work to fully assimilate your new, healthier habit." Mostly because I don't think people understand this. 

They think "Oh, I can still hang around all my old friends who are TOXIC for me. Or I can still hang around FAMILY even , that is TOXIC and I will still be fine. NO, you WON'T be fine. It doesn't matter if it family or friends or even co-workers, if those people have the old habits that led you to the toxic things you did or toxic way of thinking, then you CAN'T hang around them anymore. they will lead you back down that destructive way of thinking and lifestyle once again. Those are TRIGGERS.

I get that.

DIA How can you apply the lessons from the [article] to your personal/professional life:

Remember to steer clear of those toxic people in my life. Remove or turn off notification from those people who trigger me. Old friends are great, but if they trigger me into a negative frame of mind and do not help me to achieve my Dharma, then they are no good for me. and will not help me to reach my goals.

DIA: What can you use from the [article] to help you reach your intention:

This really spoke to me too...

"It can take a few rounds"

It was a good reminder that things do not always happen on our time. I was even just reading in Peter, in the bible this Sunday and I read "...to the Lord 1 day is like 1000 years and 1000 years is like a day." 

Think about that. That is profound. So when are like "Come on Heavenly Father, hurry up..." He is like "Be patient my child" because uh, hello...time moves WAAAAAAAAAY different in celestial time. 

If you believe in reincarnation like my mother does (not sure where I stand on that one yet) then my mother says it may take a few lives. Which could be the same as "It can take a few rounds" . Regardless..Be patient. 

DIA: What can you use from the [article] to help you overcome some of the obstacles on your path: 

It is VERY funny that THAT was the next question in the DIA because THIS was the next line in the article...

"The path from one stage to the next is rarely straightforward"

I think that sums it up.

Thanks for reading and listening.

Hugs and kisses and fairytale wishes.

XoXo, Namaste, TrishaTrixie

TrishaTrixie...grabbing life every moment she can!

POE: Pursuit of Excellence: Intentions, Dreams, and Goals

Right click to download free wallpaper gift from Trisha Trixie :)

I don't know how the discussion came to be but HunEPants and I were talking about goals and he asked me if I had specific goals I am working on this year. I said yes and asked if he want to hear them? He replied "Yes" and I looked around to see if I still had the ones nearby taped to the back of my bedroom door. I did so I pulled those off and we sat down on the bed and I began to read them off.

As I barreled down this long list on Spiritual, Intellectual, Service, Character and Physical Challenges he nods his head and at times smiles. When I got to certain parts I remark on what things I have and have not accomplished for the year. I tell him that to my surprise out of ALL of the ones I was MOST surprised about was that I have accomplish ALL of the Physical Challenges and those were the ones, I thought I was going to have the hardest time with.

POE: Physical Challenges:

Develop healthy eating habits and patterns

Learn to cook healthy foods.

Develop a program of regular exercise.

Work toward healthy sleep patterns.

Improve your personal appearance or hygiene.

Improve emotional and mental health.

Create opportunities to be active with family and friends.

Then I continued with the list and said, "I create this list in January generally but then somewhere mid year I go back through them, and take a measurement of what I have and have not accomplished, however, I don't call these goals. I call these  "INTENTIONS". Because when people thin of goals I feel they get let let down. I want to lose ten pounds. Then they don't lose ten pound they lose 2 pounds, they feel they failed, they give up, and it's all over. however, if they say I INTEND to lost ten pounds and they lose 2, they can be excited in the success that they lost 2! Understand?

He nods his head yes.

"Also, I do a mid year check because, my life shifts and changes and perhaps those things that were important to me in January aren't important tome anymore. Like I started The Good of Sisterhood and Intended to have speakers and courses and have it be a Meetup generated idea, however, with the loss of your mom (we lost my mother in law right at the beginning of the year) that changed everything, that shifted things, not only our lives, but also my perception of things. "

Hunepants replied "I see"

"I intended to gain one Newsletter subscriber a month, and do more with the Passive Expertise Princess and focus more on the Passive Income side of things, but as I said, my perception of things changed and instead, since I WAS working on my mindfulness degree, that became into full focus and those things became trivial to me and my idea of SUCCESS, pivoted and changed and became different. I didn't care about have a new list subscriber, I didn't care about pod-casting,  webinars, and you tubing, I slowly didn't take about the entrepreneur world and slowly shifted my gaze to mindfulness, yoga, peace, enlightenment, etc. I finished my MBSR (mindfulness Based Stress Reduction  Certification) to help those with PTSD, suffering, overcoming, anguish, turmoil and the hardships of life. THAT became my focus. As well as dealing with your grief and my grief over the loss of losing your mother." 

Hunepants ask "Hmmmm..." I see him thinking and pondering all this

I comment "Sorry that was a long answer to probably a short question."

He chuckles and says" no, I expected a long answer with you." Of which this makes us both chuckle.

Then I said " To  finish up, (I show up him my book that says CARPE DIEM) I write down my mid year goals then transfer them to my program ASANA which is a project management tool, you know me, that helps me keep it all together and I check things off as I go, like Agile Methodology to keep track and I do that weekly. Until the end of year and then the following year I do it all again. I learned the Intentions from Danielle La Porte back in 2011 when I was doing that soul searching thing and have been doing it since. 

He says "Very good hunney. I am proud of you!"

I grin one of those cheesy almost cat like grins. Sweeter words were never spoken than when someone you love/care about tells you they are proud of you. my heart swells. :)

He goes back to playing video games and I don't remember but I go back to reading my crafting magazine or coloring to relax.

I still have some pretty big lofty goals this year that I am trying to meet and some little ones. I am diligent, determined, driven and those are just the d words. 

Do I bite off more than I can chew? To MOST people, or would MOST people think so? I would say, I think they would think so, but for someone like me, no. 

I have high high high ENERGY. I wake at 5:30 am every morning, take no naps during the day and can't fall asleep until about 11pm at night and I start winding down at 7/8pm mind you. I drink no coffee, only tea and most of that is decaf, Chai only. Generally I drink 120 oz of water with lime and Nosalt (potassium) throughout the day. So no, it isn't caffeine. It's just me. this is me, ask my sisters. Ask my friends. They call me The Energizer Bunny. LOL.

I enjoy life and I want to live it. I want to leave a legacy of love, positivity, and a life well lived behind me. I never want someone to say "what a waste" when I am gone. I am a Chronic Pain Sufferer and have Degenerative Back issues a lot. I am concerned that there will get to be a time when I wont' be able to do certain things in my life and I want to live my life before that happens. 

As well, my bio father passed when I was ten and a friends father passed when we were teens in high school. that taught me very early on: LIFE IS SHORT. Life is meant to be lived, not just survived. When that movie Titanic came out and they showed how she lived her life and did all those things it was like an emulation of my life and such I have carried that on as well. 

Now, though I don't look it, I am 46 years old. (though everyone thinks about 35ish) I have done nearly everything on the bucket list I wanted except Ziplining and I still intend to. I say my bucket list is a Backwards Bucket list now. Now I want peace, a quiet cabin in the woods where I can garden, live off the land, solar panels, read books, sew, quilt, craft, color, create, draw, lead the simple life, live  a treehouse I don't care. 

Until then, I still have 10-20 more years to accomplish my dreams and goals with my hunepants (he is 11 years my younger) so I have time. I take care of him right now and he said when I can't take care of me, he promises to do that part. So I am striving to pursue my excellence.

Are you pursuing your excellence? What are YOUR intentions this year?